How can I put this?

We need to make more space in our home. I guess it is coming sooner than we thought. We are pregnant! I went to the doctor today so the secret is out. I had an ultrasound today for my 9 weeks. Well I found out I actually have a bigger baby than 9 weeks. Try more like 13 weeks!!! OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, though I was freaking out.

Here is how it went with the ultrasound tech, named Jill:
Jill: Are you sure about your dates?
Me: Yes, (TMI warning) yes LMP was my birthday
Jill: Okay well this baby looks a lot bigger than 9 weeks.
Me: How much bigger?
Jill: Hold on lets check some other things and I will tell you.
Me: okay
Jill: click click click click click!!!!! Okay looks like it is more like 4 weeks bigger. Was your LMP a regular one?
Me: Yes... I think so
Jill: Well you could have already been pregnant when you had your LMP.
Me: This is so crazy!!!!
Jill: (looks at me as if to asks me if I am okay) Hmmm.... Well your doctor might choose to keep your due date the same, but for right now I can tell you that this baby looks really big to me for 9 weeks.
Me: I am okay I am just shocked. We tried to skip March.
Jill: Oh is it a really busy month for you guys?
Me: Yes everything seems to be in March. I am excited though. I always wanted a surprise baby. And well this is quite the surprise.
Jill: Your doctor will have to look at these and we will go from there. She might not change the due date until your 20 week ultrasound. Looks like I have the due date at March 23rd.
Me: Holy cow. That is 2 days before my oldest was born. This is so crazy! I am shocked.
Jill: Well Congratulations Chelsey. Looks like you are pretty happy. I am all done here. You can go ahead and go when you are ready.
Me: Thanks Jill. Have a nice day.

She left and I was seriously smiling from ear to ear thinking, 'I can't believe that I found out I am farther along than I thought. So weird. I got to get out of here and call Hans. He is going to die!'

I called Hans and said,
Me: OH MY GOSH YOU ARE GOING TO DIE! ARE YOU READY FOR THIS? I am farther along than we thought.
Hans: How much farther?
Me: like 4 weeks farther.
Hans: Wow

We talked back and forth for awhile telling each other the craziness of it all. Then he told me he thought I was going to say that we were having twins.

Actually that is just about everyone's reaction that I have told. Doesn't surprise me though. For a bit I thought I was pregnant with twins, because I just felt so much more worn out than I have been at this point in my other pregnancies.... could be because I am farther than I thought, right?

Anyway, there you have it. The Hoge Family is going from 4 to five before Arlee's birthday! Hopefully before...Never had a late baby before and I don't want to start.

End of Summer Bonfire

I thought it would be a lot of fun to go do a bonfire. We did one in the back yard this summer, but there is just something about getting together with friends in the mountains that makes it a little more fun. The kids went on adventures, explored their surroundings, ate hot dogs and yummy smores. We were able to get together with friends. No one got hurt, so it was a successful and fun filled night.

 Lydia had a blast playing with the chairs people had there. She liked to sit and then look up to the sky. She would hop out and start the process over again.

The boys had a sawing competition. Not sure who won, but they had a lot of fun do it.
The kids were ready for their adventure that they were about to go on, but we stopped them and got a picture. They got to see some deer tracks and where some beaver was biting a tree. Or maybe it was an ax, but who cares. They had a blast! We missed Carson in this photo since they were a little later. He would have made a great addition to the crew!

Until next time,
The Hoges!

Dance Class

We have a dancing bean in the family!

Since Arlee is not going to any preschool (still taking care of it at home) I thought I would put her in dance class. She has been begging me to go to dance. I thought it would be a great opportunity to start her this year. Once I made up my mind we went and signed her up.

On the way there she was so giddy. She couldn't even hold still. Arlee was very cute to watch and listen to her excitement. Then once we were about done with fitting her shoes, tights and leo she says to me. "Mom thanks for signing me up for dance class. I am so excited!" Huge smile across her face. Just hearing her say thank you was a highlight of my day. What a cutie pie.

After we registered. I talked to some of our friends that had been thinking about doing dance with us. I told them what I did and that they could go sign up if they wanted. Arlee would have a blast either way, but it would be a lot of fun having them together. They were going to think about it.

About a week of Arlee asking me if we were going to dance class to day went by. No friends were signing up. Not a big deal. Then I get a call from a friend and she decided that her daughter would join Arlee. I watched her girls while she took Lucy to get fitted and signed up. Hans took Arlee to dance class to meet up with Lucy. They were beyond giddy together. Lucy is a little shy, but Miss Mindy their dance teacher knew just how to talk to her. Lucy and Arlee had a blast.

Sara got home and I left to meet up with Hans. Together we went and picked up Arlee. The girls came out of class giving the teacher high five and smiling. Arlee said it was so fun! Lucy had a blast too. I am so glad that they could have this experience together. And what an experience it was.

Here they are with their teacher, Miss Mindy.

How CUTE!!!! Oh and they are doing ballet and tap. 30 minutes each for a total of 1 hour.

Who is the weird one?

Am I weird or is she? 

Story:
We are at this Soda Fountain in Yakima with some friends. It is set up old fashioned like. The girls are enjoying their ice cream and this lady comes in with her husband (both in their 50's) and starts taking pictures of our girls. They are right next to me. At first I am thinking that she is taking a picture of the cute little place, but no... It is of our kids. 
So I ask, 
Me:What are you taking pictures of?
Lady: Of your beautiful girls! (says all giddy)
Me: Why are you doing that?
Lady: Because they are so cute! (still giddy)
Me: Thanks, but don't that is weird.
Lady: Well if you think it is weird then I won't do that. (still giddy, maybe on something... who knows.)
Me: Yes I think that is really weird, especially since you don't know them.

They walk off... order their ice cream and sit down and take more pictures pointed in the direction of the girls again.

Seriously WOMAN leave our kids alone. I wanted to go over and break her camera.

Needless to say I was in a hurry to leave and if I didn't there would have been a scene.

As my friend, Sara said, "Don't mess with Mama Bear! As a photographer, I would never take a picture of anyone with out them saying it was okay."

I agree, I wouldn't either. Especially of a stranger.

Would you? Am I weird or is she?

I know what I think...

Until next event,
Chels

P.S. All points of view welcome here. 

Visitors and Visiting in July!

My dad had two weeks off in July and my mom had an itch to go somewhere. So they set off to Redwood National Forest and then went into Oregon.

After Oregon they came to see us. I was thrilled. My dad had not been up to see us in Washington yet and we just bought a house. I was excited to have my parents see it. My girls loved having them here. There was always something going on. We took them around town, to Rainier, Seattle and they got to see some people that we talk about.

This is on the Grove of the Patriarch's hike.
This is about a mile long.

My mom was trying to get my dad to look
at the camera.

We are standing in front of Rainier, but you
can't see it well.

Waterfall that we hiked down to. It is near
the base of Rainier.

My dad was tired and stayed in the car.

Look Rainier again.

This is the day of my birth. Happy
Birthday to me. We were
planning on going to Canada, but
on further researching we found
out it would take too long to do in
one day. Hans had to be to work
the next day so this was not going
to happen, unfortunately.

We took my parents to Seattle. My dad
hadn't been in about 40 years. It was time.
We tried doing the Space Needle for lunch,
but it was all booked, by the time we decided.
We had fun seeing Pike Market Place, driving
by the Space Needle and watching people.
We even saw a guy using the doorway of a
business as a bathroom. Grossed us all out, but
that is life in the city.

I couldn't wait to show my dad the gum wall.
He thought it was completely nasty. Does he
look tense next to this wall?

On July 14th, the girls and I headed to Salt Lake with them via Spokane and Coeur d'Alene. My dad didn't want to take the same roads that he sees while driving his truck for work so that ruled out the Boise route. Honestly, I was okay with doing that since I have seen that route a lot too.

We were able to show them the big Radio Flyer Wagon and Spokane Falls in Riverpoint Park. After the park we drove to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and showed them the resort that had the Gooey's and took advantage of a delicious treat at Dockside.

Then we were off to the Best Western in Missoula, Montana where we spent the night and went swimming. After getting in some much needed sleep we embarked on the 7 1/2 hour drive to Salt Lake City, Utah. With about four hours left and a few melt downs I was ready to be done. My girls were grouchy and I think
they were getting plenty of cabin fever. Arlee had a melt down in the McDonald's bathroom. She refused to go and fought me for about 30 minutes until, I gave up and threw her in the car. I had so many people giving me nasty looks
when we got out. I was completely embarrassed. Anyone else wish that people would just flush the toilets so we didn't have to fight with our children to sit on the automatic toilets? My life would be so much easier, let me tell you!

We pulled up to my parents and we were all so excited! We played for a little bit and then went to bed. Too tired to have visitors that day. They came the next day though and we had so much fun. Hans' family didn't get to see us as much since I didn't have a car. After the splash pad
my mom dropped me and the girls off and Hans' parents took us to my parents' house later that night. I am not used to being with out a car and I really didn't notice it too much. It was kind of hard explaining to people that they needed to come and get me if they wanted to see me, since they don't live that close, but we tried to make the most out of the time that we were able to
see family and friends. I am sorry that people felt they didn't get to see us that much, but that is just the way it goes sometimes. Especially when I am with out a car and no one is coming
to get us.

Hans has been working a lot due to the other store in the valley being down their only two pharmacists. One get transferred and wasn't replaced yet before the manager of the store had to leave to India to be with his dad, who got diagnosed with late stage cancer. Hans was working between 50 and 68 hours a week. I felt like he was back in school again. Normally
when we go to Utah we can leave on Wednesday or Thursday, but because he was filling in he couldn't leave until Saturday. I was completely bummed and asked my parents if I could ride back with them when they came to see us. It worked out great. I got to spend more time in Utah with the girls and Hans came when he was able to.

In the summer we like to do a lot of things together with mine and Hans' family. We love doing all the outdoorsy things that Utah has to offer that Yakima does not. This year we went
to a splash pad, Leatherby's, water park, fireworks, shopping, had a BBQ and a hot dog roast in Hans' brother's backyard. We had a blast. It was probably one of the best trips
that we have been on.

Not to mention that Hans and were able to go
on a night away. Here are some pictures from our date.

We were able to go out to dinner at Schezwan in Park City (Went here on our 1st
anniversary) After dinner we drove back to
Salt Lake and went to Brugges where they have Belgin Waffles that Hans got on his mission in the Netherlands. This is always a stop for us in Utah. We love this place so much. After that we checked into our room at the Anniversary Inn located in downtown Salt Lake City. This is a place where they have themed rooms. It is nice to break from the normal hotel rooms. We had the Mississippi Seranade- This room was tiny, but nice. In the morning we got breakfast that they have you order the night before. It was delicious. After checking out we went and
walked around Temple Square, the new City Creek
Mall (Hans hadn't seen it yet.)
Thank you so much to my mom and my sister Abbie for watching the girls for us so we go.
We loved our night out.

These last pictures are out of order, but I am done blogging. this post is getting a little old. Haha and blogger is giving me issues. So there you have our trip in a nut shell.

The Hoges