State Fairly into it

We went to the State Fair this year and enjoyed nice weather, greasy food and all the animals. We didn't live close to the State Fair growing up and even then, my parents aren't the "fair-type" so we probably wouldn't have gone anyway, so having a fair close is a new experience for me.

The girls didn't get as into it as I had hoped, but we had a nice family outing regardless. The animal barns were a little overwhelming to Lauren, but Jillian enjoyed the horses.

Their favorite part wasn't the elephant that balanced on the ball (my favorite) or the white tigers, but the swing set that was set up next to the landscaping demo. So, I snapped some cute pictures of the big girls, while Claira slept snuggled to me in her sling.

I was also really excited about the food. Andy was looking forward to the same turkey leg he got last year, but I'm more adventurous and like to try new things. So, we walked a little while and I made my mental list of all the things I was dying to try and I settled on a cheese steak - bad choice.

I always choose wrong at the fair. It wasn't nearly as meaty or cheesy as the picture indicated and the onions gave me heartburn. I was also looking forward to fried pickles, thinking they would be pickle chips with some type of dipping sauce, but instead they were spears, with no dipping sauce... sigh. Maybe I'll get it right next year. Andy really enjoyed his turkey leg, though. And the girls ate super-messy baked ziti (and I forgot their bibs and it was everywhere!).

I think next year the big girls will be tall enough to enjoy some of the rides on the Midway and that will make the Fair something they will really look forward to.

Either way, it's a summer tradition I already enjoy.

Hat day

I love Sesame Street!

Happy One Month Birthday to C Baby!

To celebrate one month with Baby C, we all went to Chipotle. The Baby loved her burrito...



Just kidding. This is really what she ate...



The big girls love naked chicken burritos from Qdoba and Chipotle... we've trained them well :)

(Hooray for multitasking! Eating chips and guac (my favorite!) and feeding the baby!)

Fun in the sun

We spent some time back at the barn last Friday. It was beautiful weather and the girls got to spend some time with their great-grandparents. Always a treat.

We had so much fun that all the girls fell asleep on the way home.

(Not sure why Blogger keeps publishing Baby C this way - I'll try to fix it later)

Just adjusting

How in the world is it already 9pm? I ask this question daily. Although most nights, I'm happy to see the clock strike 9, because it means my bed is not far away. The days go fast lately... too fast. I have so many other things I'd like to get done, but all the necessary things take SO long to accomplish!

My new reality of "3 under 2", includes the fact that it takes me 90 minutes to get everyone fed, diapered, changed, hair prettied, bag packed, shoes on and in the car. It's pretty insane and I'm usually exhausted by the time I start the car. Especially since the big girls now sit in the far back of the van and I have to climb in, lift from my knees and get them buckled in (it's quite an ab workout if done properly, but usually I just strain my back).

And naptime today... I used the first 20 minutes to finish feeding Baby C (her bottle was interrupted by a meltdown from her sister (because I wouldn't give her more ketchup) and I was forced to stop feeding little baby to put big babies to bed). The next 20 were spent eating lunch myself (leftovers from lunch out with my dad (simply thankful it's not PB&J again)). The next 2o, I grabbed a shower... one hour down, one to go.

The next 20 I used to check my e-mail, blogs and Facebook page. The next 20, I grabbed a snooze on the couch. I was hoping for another 20, but Lo decided to give me a short nap today. Sigh...

Part of this transition with our new baby includes adjusting to the new "normal". I keep thinking about MMO starting soon and how I'll have to have me and the three girls all ready to go by 9 am. Add to that, the fact that I'm not a morning person.

So, here I am ... adjusting. Tired. A bit stressed. Still happy. Just adjusting.

All I want is to get through a few pages of my new novel.

Maybe tomorrow.

I'm a speaker!

Crazy how God works. The other day, I was sharing with a friend how I hoped someday I would have the opportunity to speak at a conference. It's something that terrifies me, but also a skill I think I could be good at with some experience.

So... that very day (or maybe the next), I got an e-mail from a friend in the biz who heard from the MinistryCom conference organizer that they had a speaker who had to back out and they were looking for someone to cover his topic. And he thought of me!

Wow! This is a national conference is in it's third year and is just for professionals who work in church communications. It runs about 500 attendees from all over the country.

I'm leading a workshop that I've titled: The Power of a Story. I'll be sharing about finding, writing and using stories of life change in your church.

Check out my talk outline and bio. And if you think of it, say a prayer for me Sept 18-19.

Eat, sleep, poo...

That's what our new baby has been up to over the past few weeks. Although, she's also very alert. Much more alert than I remember the girls being as newborns. But, she's pretty content, so it's OK.

She's already headed towards a really great schedule. She does much better at night than I expected, which is always a plus. She is very alert in the evening, which I think helps her give me a good stretch of sleep when we first put her down at night.

She has some huge dimples on her cheeks! I can hardly wait to see her smile. She has a lot of similar features as her big sisters, but those dimples are all her own.

She loves when we talk to her. I can tell she knows my voice, which is so sweet.

I love when babies sleep with their arms over their heads. So relaxed!

Andy downloaded some Mickey shows on iTunes. All the girls were watching with daddy.

My best friend, Cassie, came for a visit from Missouri. She was rubbing C's head and she was totally loving it!

The girls give the baby hugs and kisses every night before bed. I can tell they really love her. J likes to hold her and give her love. Lo was "playing" with her the other day and telling her all about her Piggy Bank toy. So cute!

When Mommy's not looking...

I came outside a few weeks ago, to find Daddy talking to the neighbor and the girls running through the sprinkler - fully clothed, shoes and all. Not sure mommy would have made that decision but, oh well - it's just water.

Gotta love summertime!

New Friends

The day before I had Baby C, we got to play with some friends from out of town that we never get to see. Titus is a busy boy and lots of fun, he has a new baby sister, too!

Not sure Titus knows what to think of these wild women!

The newest member of the Storr's family - Addison Leigh - born June 26

My good friend Kelly also had another baby (number 4 for her!) girl. Our girls were due one week apart, but Baby Avery (born June 25) decided she was coming early! Either way, I think these girls will be good buddies.

Baby C and Avery have their first "slumber" party!