blood, sweat and tears

My camera batteries have run out and buying some new ones is quite the chore for me right now, hence the picture of Billy Blanks, the Tae Bo master. I've recently been borrowing his DVD's from the library to get back in shape. They're a lot of fun and they give me quite a workout. I tried other kickboxing type videos to change things up, but nothing compares to the energy and positive motivation of Billy Blanks! Hopefully I can stick with it and lose the post pregnancy weight.

Happy Halloween

Puppy Dog

Horsey, Kitty Cat and Lion

Trick or Treating along the harbor storefronts and on this tall pirate ship.

Pump up the Jam

Years ago Jeff & I downloaded music from the internet, back when it was legal to do so, and we've unleashed the collection of dance, rave, 80's, and good ol' rock n' roll to our neighborhood, whether they like it or not. Yes, it's PARTY time at the Neals, any given day, any given time (except nap times of course...those are oh so precious). Usually it's in the evening, the kids turn out the lights and Jeff plays DJ with the volume on LOUD. We show off our dance moves and burn a few calories. Leanna has got great dance moves and attitude too. Josh can dance too, and sometimes just does the "maniac" run on the spot. That kid has loads of energy. Brandon mostly jumps around (remember those middle school dances?) and also sways his head to the beat. Joseph is usually up in his room sound asleep. Amazing how babies can sleep through anything. Jeff, aka Mister Roboto, is by far the best dancer in the house. He suggested we get a disco ball to hang in our family room. It's a great idea and I think I'll follow through with that. Who would have thought that our kids would appreciate Blondie, No Doubt, Yes, and Nine Inch Nails?

Joseph at 3 months

Joseph is getting big! On to 3-6 month clothing now. It still amazes me that babies grow out of their clothes in just weeks.

A friend of mine offered me a part-time receptionist job at his chiropratic office at http://www.holmeschiropractic.net/ and I've really enjoyed that. I think more so for the short break from the kids, than for the extra cash. But anyhow, it gets me showered more often than not and for that I am grateful.

I can get this boy smiling & laughing all the time and it just cracks us up to watch and listen to our cute boy. He's a great baby who sleeps wonderfully and never really fusses. I moved him from the cradle to the crib, so he has his own room now. Brandon is out of the crib and onto a big boy bed sharing a room with Joshua. It took about a week to get adjusted to that change. Lots of late nights playing in their room together. But as Jeff said, all that partying took it's toll and they couldn't keep up with that lifestyle too long. As for me, I feel great! I'm getting a lot more sleep and that makes for a happy mommy!

Japanese cuisine

I felt particularly creative and ambitious the other day and made up all sorts of yummy Japanese food. I made sushi, tempura, inari sushi, and miso soup. I made tempura with a variety of seafood and vegetables including: shrimp, scallops, green beans, yams, sweet potatoes, and zucchini. Brandon loved eating the sushi while I was making it!

Okay, I had to take a picture of this meal. Isn't it beautiful? We stuffed ourselves and still had lots of leftovers. I never thought I'd ever say this, but I love cooking and baking. It's fun to learn a new recipe and then perfect it, and try all sorts of new kinds of food. I made a Pakastani dish the other day and it was great. We usually eat chinese food on a regular basis and all-american dishes too. My favorite recipe sites are allrecipes.com and foodtv.com It's fun to be creative!

Our first Kindergartener!

I can't believe Leanna is already going to kindergarten! This is bittersweet of course. I enjoy the break of 4 kids to care for all day long and I love that she is learning and having so much fun at school, but I miss her already! Her 1st day of school was a 1/2 day, and she already knows 2 kids in her class (one from church and one of her neighbor friends) which I'm so glad about.

It was a family outing to take Leanna to the bus stop this morning with digital camera and video camera in hand. Josh was just as excited as Leanna was, it was really cute.

We weren't the only parents excited to see our Kindergarteners ride the bus for the first time. In the above picture, I was calling Leanna to get her attention and she was looking for me and couldn't find me in the group of parents documenting this momentous occasion.

I didn't realize how many kids we had in our neighborhood! Leanna had great time riding the bus and she made it back safe and sound. I'm so pround of our big girl!

Peace & Quiet can mean two different things

I was downstairs, most likely doing housework enjoying the non-noise of little children, when I started to worry about the unusual length of quiet time I was experiencing. I went upstairs (and knew they were up to something when I smelled baby powder on my way up) to check on the kids. Josh and Brandon were covered in baby powder, so I put them in my bathroom and told them to stay there so I could take this picture. We were all great sports about the whole thing. At least the house smelled good!

Another afternoon of quietude that Jeff & I enjoyed immensely was captured in the above picture. Josh is sleeping on the couch, Leanna is sleeping on the floor, Brandon is sitting on the couch holding Joseph while watching tv. Our resting and sleeping angels.

Random Pics of the fam

I figured the only way I'll ever be in a photo, is if I take it myself. So here it is with baby Joseph at about 3 weeks old.

Daddy with his two younger boys, Brandon and Joseph.

Joseph, happy and easy going, relaxing in his swing.

Brandon decided that eating one graham cracker wasn't enough. I think he picked up 7 crackers and stacked them together. He ate it like a sandwhich. Whatever works right?

More pics of Joseph

Welcome Home Baby Joseph!

July 3rd, 2007 at 3:16pm, little Joseph Israel Neal entered our world. He weighed 8lbs 3oz, and was 20 1/2 inches long. Labor lasted about 3 hrs and Jeff and our midwife were wonderful coaches.

We think Joseph looks alot like Leanna when she was a newborn. It'll be fun to see how he changes as he gets older.

Jeff and Joseph bonded immediately. Joseph's a cute little cuddle bug!

Leanna can't get enough of Joseph. She wants to hold him, feed him & burp him all the time. The boys love their baby brother too. They love to caress him and hold him as well.

We're so blessed to have this beautiful baby join our family!

My Baby Boy for one more week....

Brandon, who I love to spoil, will only be my baby for one more week. I should, and hope to deliver our new little one this week! My due date is the 20th, but I've been having contractions on and off for a couple of weeks now. Brandon will join Joshua in becoming a middle child. I still can't believe I'll have 4 children soon....6 people in the family! Yes, it's hard work, and yes, I'm busy, but I'd have it no other way. I love motherhood and I love raising children. It really is the greatest calling in the world!

My Boys!

I gave Jeff a haircut this week and decided to cut my boys' hair as well. We usually do this every year when the weather gets warm. Aren't my boys so handsome?!

I highly recommend co-op preschools!

http://picasaweb.google.com/vhneal/BeachDayWithLeannaSPreschoolClass

Leanna's preschool year is concluding in the next couple of weeks and it's been a wonderful experience for the both of us. I was a little ambitious and joined the Co-op board as accounts recievable co-treasurer and although it was time consuming at first, I really enjoyed the challenge and the chance to see how the co-op was run. I also met some great moms out there who all seem to share the same morals and values as I. Each mom works in the classroom 2-4 times a month with the teacher and we really get a chance to see our child learn and develop socially and mentally. Leanna had an ideal class of 7 kids and they all get along beautifully. My boys will definitely be attending this same preschool as they get older. The web album above is when we had a beach day with Leanna's preschool class. They had a fun scavenger hunt and they had a great time exploring and getting wet.

Trial Web Album

Thought I'd give this a try and see how it works. If successful, I'll try to do this more often.

http://picasaweb.google.com/vhneal/JoshuaS3rdBirthday

We celebrated Joshua's 3rd Birthday yesterday and it was nice get together with my parents, sister-in-law and little baby Connor. Joshua got a monster truck, a new bike with training wheels, some new clothes and more toy trucks. He had a great day and he especially enjoyed assembling his own bike! We are so thankful to have Joshua in our growing family. He is so helpful, so kind and so loving.

Sunday pics at our new house

I'm having problems uploading pictures on the software I normally use, so until I figure it all out, expect maybe one picture every 6 months. I'm not kidding! I hardly have the time for email and blogging. The family is doing great though. Some updates for those who may have not heard are:

• We bought a new house in Gig Harbor, WA and we love it!
• I'm expecting another BOY!
• We're due June 28th.
• I'll be delivering baby with a midwife in their Birthing Inn (the rooms look like a Bed & Breakfast - I'm really looking forward to that)