Tonight, I'm completely overwhelmed. So much to do, so many appointments and dates to keep, and so little time to do it. It seems like no matter what the situation, there's something that's going to be physical challenge and I'm not used to having these physical challenges. Yesterday I realized I was out of dog food; so I went to the store to get a small bag since J wasn't there to carry the 44 lb. bag. Of course the oh-so-lovely Wal-Mart of Augusta didn't have any small bags, but I have to drive 11 miles to the nearest shopping center so I was NOT about to turn around. When I got to the pet aisle and realized that I would have to get a big bag of food, I had to walk ALL THE WAY back to the front of the store and get a basket. Considering my day had already consisted of picking up the house, cleaning the kitchen, doing 2 loads of laundry, taking Kylie back to Emporia and driving back, cleaning out the girls arts and craft cabinet, and texting countless texts to a teen girl having a crisis, the very last thing I wanted to do was walk all the way across the store again.

But I did, waddling like a penguin on tennis balls the whole way. The days worth of "stuff" along with gravity was setting in. I managed to get the bag of food pushed into the basket from the shelf. When I got to the truck with the food, my husband's already too large truck on a lift was just the right height to heave and ho the bag of food to the floor board (which was level with the top of the basket.)

When I arrived home, I then had to feed the dogs. I looked at the bag of food, realized there was no way I could actually lift the bag, I just ripped it open from frustration, filled up the dog bowls and just left it there, in the hot smoldering heat of a closed up vehicle. I didn't even care. I just had to remind myself to tell J it was there the next day.

And this is how every day has seemed to be for the last month. Today was just as crazy with one truck getting tires put on leaving me to drive the mowing truck (hilarious if you only knew the details...but that's another post...), a quick trip into Wal-Mart to grab some dancing tights for Riv's dance rehearsal, dance rehearsal starting at 9am, not ending until 3pm, all which included pictures, hair, make-up, tap dancing outfit changes, blah-blah-blah, then, I miss C's graduation party. When I got home, I still had to do the normal duties. So here it is 11pm and I have church tomorrow (which I feel obligated to go because I've missed the last few Sundays due to out of town trips and previous exhausting days) then all the hair, make-up and outfit changes for the dance recital tomorrow evening. Then I get to start Monday with just as much "stuff" to do.

By the looks of my calendar, I think I'll have August to start planning for baby. Exhausting.

I'm exhausted.

Shell Knob, Missouri

Yeah, so I don't know what got into me with that last post. Lack of "posting material" I guess.

I'm at Tablerock Lake this weekend. One of my favorite places! It's so beautiful here. The people are nice as can be...but they are true hillbillies. They can't drive, they can't talk, dress, or spell here...but dang they sure do love to be friendly! . Jason and I saw a sign and this is what it said in spray painted letters: FIRER WOOD

Hilarious. But they're politeness and friendliness are so great!

I got my first real sunburn of the season. I bought SPF 50 and made sure to cover every inch of skin. I get real dark but not first thing coming out of winter and spring. Then, I covered the girls. I kept reapplying it to them and forgot to reapply on myself. My back and my chest are bright red...just what I needed, more uncomfortableness.

J and I have been fishing almost non-stop since we've been here. OF COURSE, I haven't caught a thing. But, he's only caught 3 little bass so I don't feel so bad. I hear this is a tough lake to fish.

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone.

Just for fun! this is cheesy.

So I was thinking about "life" the other day and how much has changed in my life and how much I have changed ( for the better!) and all the things that made me who I am. I was thinking about some things in my life that people might not know about. Here's some things about me and my life that you find interesting; and if you are reading this, tell me things about you that not a lot of people know.

1. I'm a black belt in TaeKwonDo (I have both ACL reconstruction surgeries to prove it!) I got to train with the Olympic head coach, and the Olympic team while we lived in Colorado. Then we got stationed to good ole' Kansas. I haven't done TaeKwonDo in 10 years.

2. I can put both feet behind my head (well, when I'm NOT pregnant I can.)

3. I got to be a co-driver in my Papa's semi-truck when he hauled a load of beef from Oklahoma to Missouri. His handel was "The Dutchman," mine was "grasshopper legs." My NeeNaw and my sister stayed in bunk of the cab and colored the whole time.

4. I started school in Japan and didn't move to the U.S until I was 10.

5. I can count in English, Spanish, Japanese and Korean.

6. I've only put any type of color in my hair twice in my whole life; about 5 years apart from each other. Then I realized how materialistic and stupid I was to actually spend that much money on hair only to have to turn around and spend the same amount to touch it up again 6 weeks later. No thanks. Thank you God for my blonde hair.

7. I got my nails done at a Salon once. No wait, twice. Once for prom, they were gone by morning, and once for my wedding. They didn't hold up so well on the 4-wheeling excursion and the river rafting trip on our honeymoon. Plus, those things hurt. It's not in my nature to put plastic on me to make me look good when in reality it's stupid expensive, you can't do everyday household duties, and you sure as heck can't have any fun with them on. Quite frankly, I keep my nice, strong, healthy nails just that way by not covering them in glue and ripping them apart.

8. I think this post turned into a rant...woops!

9. I'm a mentor to pregnant and parenting teens.

10. I thrive in 110 degree weather.

11. I got suspended in 7th grade for depantsing someone in gym class.

12. I've been in a lot of fights, all but one was inside the ring while sparring. When I was 12 I got my butt kicked by my 40 year old grandmaster. It was all in training for the Junior Olympic Team.

13. I designed my wedding ring.

14. I can have conversations with my dogs. Really. They talk back too.

15. I, Me, Kendra, the one writing this, actually held an office job. Once in a bank (where I actually moved up the ladder!) and once for my father-in-law's investment firm. Can you believe it? I did that.

16. I, Kendra, am hosting a baby shower for my way cool new freind K* who's having a boy and is due 6 days after me. Me! I'm going to plan a baby shower. This is huge people. But I will not do my hair and nails for it. Sorry. But we are going to rock n' roll this party, because K* rocks.

17. I have one brother who's a vegetable and has been for the last 13 years. (Brain annurysm ) sp?

18. I have another brother who was emmancepated (sp?) at 16, spent time in prison and we don't even know if he's alive most of the time. (It's a step-brother, I must clarify, there's no blood relation.)

19. I grow my own vegetables. And I eat them.

20. I have a husband who blows every man out of the water in terms of manliness. YESSSSS!!

Held accountable by my 4 year old

Driving in the car:
Kendra: (looking in the rear view mirror): "Geez lady, do you want to eat my bumper?"
Riv: What's wrong mommy?
Kendra: This lady is riding my rear-end! I can barely see her car at all and that's dangerous! Back off lady!"

I turn at the stoplight, the lady keeps goin down the road.

Kendra: UUHHH! Finally, geez!
Riv: Do you forgive her mommy?

My new fishin' pole, and the gags

Where's the motivation? Where's the excitement? We tried so long to have another child so I should be sooo happy. Don't get me wrong. I'm so thankful for my soon-to-be-here new daughter. I just can't shake the ickiness feeling! I've been doing so good the last few weeks and then on Thursday I puked ALL DAY. The baby is really in an odd spot making it hard to sit for more than 5 minutes, but yet the back ache is already starting so I can't stand for too long either. Driving anywhere from my middle-of-nowhere house takes at least 10-15 minutes to get to the nearest town and that's almost all I can handle.

J tried to cheer me up yesterday and it worked, until it was over. He got me a new fishing rod and reel. It's the Ugly Stick. I've been wanting one for awhile so we planned a fishing trip to the pond yesterday. After we got the line strung and River's pole set up with a hook and worm that we dug up, that girl caught 3 fish ALL BY HERSELF! She's always been a good caster, but she's never had the feeling of casting by herself, catching a fish and reeling it all the way in all on her own. She was yelling like a champion everytime she got one. "Daddy, I got one! Daddy, Daddy, I got one!" Of course we won't let her take the hook out of the fish's mouth yet, that's a little too dangerous still. We're still working on getting her to hold the fish the right way to get the hook out. I think that might a little while coming yet. Jason (the sucker) caught fish everytime he casted. (Is it cast, or casted?) I think we stopped counting at 20. He used lures all day. I put shad on my pole and let it sit on the bottom, then used the old pole with lures. I wanted to get a catfish but none of us caught catfish yesterday. Jason's pole he had shad on didn't catch any either so I didn't feel too bad. :) In fact, I only caught 5 all day long. But we won't talk about that. We all caught bass, and only just a couple were of any relevant size. We threw them all back. River was not happy we weren't going to have a fish fry. So, that's an excuse for another very soon family fishin' trip.

I think this was the happiest I've felt for awhile. Truly enjoying myself, my mind was taken off the fact that I'm so uncomfortable. I love seeing my daughter coming into herself and her personality. She's so diverse and I love that.

Then we realized it was 7pm. It was a school night, we hadn't dinner yet, there was a bath to be had, and Jason still had to load up his trailer. So we called it quits. I went to bed pretty darn happy, and super excited to go fishin' again. Then this morning, it's all about fighting the gags. Yea. At least the sun is shining.

IT'S A GIRL!!

The doc says these are girl parts. This is the only time you'll see genitals on my blog. You have my word.

Check out these long legs...definitely our child.

We'll name her "birdman"
...or "skeletor"

Or we could just call her "skeletor birdman"

"I see you lookin' at me!"

Wish'd I couldda jumped bail, too.

Check out my sister's blog, http://thepioneerslovemaynard.blogspot.com . Kacy is cRRrraAzZy.

Yeah, that's what we do for fun in the country.

Hope you can find calf 129. or whatever # it was.

Oh yeah, and I'm really jealous Kacy. Bummer I couldn't jump bail with ya'll. I'm pretty sure my preggo belly wouldn't have liked that very much. Last time I was pregnant I rode horseback. But...I probably won't be doing that this time either. And last time, I also rode the jetski, went tubing and bungee jumped (okay, not really on the bungee jump), but I'm pretty sure I won't be doing those things this time either. I will be camping at 8 months pregnant though. Wish me luck. I can see myself backing out of that trip.

17 weeks down, 5 months to go.

I'm officially 17 weeks pregnant and my ever-growing belly seems to be expanding at an alarming rate...at least to me anyway. I had my 4 month dr. appt. and everything seems to be okay after my "scare." I think I'm starting to feel a little back to normal...accept for my brain. Good thing I have a 4 year old to remind me where we are going, where I left my purse and what day it is. My energy seems to be picking up but the headaches have become overwhelming and relentless. My nausea comes every once in awhile and that can be controlled with my Zofran, but I will still have a no-warning up-chuck or dry-heaving session. Let me tell ya, driving 70 mph down the highway is NOT the time to start throwing up. Pulling over on Kellogg to get out and throw up on the side of the road is quite embarrassing. I've just accepted the fact that I will be sick the whole pregnancy. There will be good days and bad days. For now it's just day by day. I change my clothes 14 times before going somewhere...it's hard to try and look cute and happy and when you don't feel that way, and it totally sucks to do everything in cotton pants and a sweatshirt. I don't want to be a frump; but for now, I really don't care. This too shall pass.

The flip side: In one more week we have our sonogram to find out if we are having a boy or girl. We are praying for a healthy baby. Girl or boy it doesn't matter; although I would love for Jason to have a boy because I don't think we will have anymore. Pushing 30, my body is telling me I better be done. If I had a full time job during this pregnancy I would have had to quit, no doubt.
Jason needs a boy for boy reasons. He has a very special relationship with River and there's nothing compared to the daddy-daughter relationship they have. They hold a special place in each other's hearts that can never tapped into. River like to fish, go on 4-wheeler rides and run outside the second he's heard coming down the road. She runs out the door and starts cheering "daddy, daddy, daddy," as he pulls up the drive and has her special duties she helps him with while he's unloading for the day. She gets to push the dump-bed buttons to dump the grass. She gets to play on the trailer while he's putting up the mowers. During this time she tells him all about her day and what it entailed. When the mowers and trailers are all taken care of for the night, they jump hills and go exploring on the 4-wheeler. She's just like her father, it can 40 degrees outside and neither one of them have jackets or coats. There's too much fun to have to stop and put a coat on, geez. Riv's other side is dress-up, Barbies, and pretend. Jason just can't connect with that, and I guess you can't expect a man with beaten, split, grease stained hands to understand why Barbie doesn't play war games. A boy could bring out that side of him...and I sure could use a break on Barbie's.

But a healthy baby is most important. Our friends had a baby 2 years ago with spina-bifida and it really hit home that it CAN happen to you. Whatever God's plan is will be fine with us because it's His plan.

Well, I'm off to watch the pre-school parade. I'll stand as the pregnant frump amongst the other mom's with their make-up, colored and trendy hair styles and designer name brand clothes and hold in my gags as best as possible. I'll show them one day, you just wait un-pregnant, beautiful other moms!

Bah Humbug

Happy Belated Easter. Mine was cold.

Hannah Montana was a great movie; not at all what I thought it was going to be like. We will probably end up with the movie and the soundtrack. Really was cute.

and that's all for today.

Tehehe, like totally!!

On Friday I'm taking my girls to see the new Hannah Montana movie...or will it be Miley Cyrus? Hmmmm.....

But SSHHHH! don't tell them, it's a secret!

Oh yeah, and don't laugh at me....I'll be watching it too. Only because they are too young to go by themselves (okay, okay, and, I'm dying to know which identity she chooses to be for the rest of her life because, ya know, it's really hard to figure out if you want to go through the rest of your life looking like a plastic diva in a wig or be totally cute and cool.) I'm sure they'll be too young to go by themselves until they're like, 25.