Trip to CA and WA

David had a conference in Los Angeles, CA so I decided to go along for the trip.
It was exactly what I needed.  Everyone couldn't believe that I had absolutely no plans but that is exactly what I wanted...to do nothing!  It was perfect.  I read 4.5 books while I was gone.  I LOVE to read but just don't have time to do it at home so when I leave town I hunker down and read and relax.  David always says I have the hardest time relaxing at home but man do I know how to relax on vacation (sans kids).  We flew out to CA on Tuesday and took it easy that night.  Wednesday morning we woke up and had breakfast together and then I found my place next to the pool and started reading.  I fried myself and I am still peeling from it but it was worth it.

Wednesday night I met up with him for drinks with friends and then a nice dinner just the two of us.  While we were at dinner we looked over and recognized Seth MacFarlane (Family guy).
We went through the rest of dinner not really thinking much of it and right after Seth left the restaurant David remembered that one of his teenager patients who has a bad diagnosis really likes Funny Guy so David decided to see if he could catch Seth outside.  He catches up to him outside the restaurant waiting at the valet for his car and asks if he is Seth MacFarlane.  Seth says it depends on who's asking.  David says that he's a physician in Memphis but that doesn't really matter...he has a teenager patient that loves his show and would Seth be willing to sign anything for him?  Seth immediately says yes and rips a piece of paper out of the valets pad and does this below.  David came back in to the restaurant pretty fired up and has since given this to his patient who was pretty pumped.  Definitely a highlight to the trip.

Thursday morning I did more pool side and then met David for a hike through Runyan Canyon.  It was a beautiful hike and perfect weather.

After the hike we headed back to the hotel to change clothes and met up with David's co-fellows from his fellowship in Boston.  It was a great night of catching up and enjoying a nice dinner.

Friday I spent the morning by the pool and then spent time that afternoon at the spa getting an amazing massage.  It was a great way to end our time in CA before we flew to WA.
Friday night we caught a flight to Tacoma, WA to see David's brother and sister in law and meet the newest member of the Spence clan, Jacob. Ryan picked us up Saturday morning from our hotel and drove us around Seattle and Tacoma to see some sights and then we headed back to spend the afternoon with our new precious nephew.  We started by picking up our breakfast from the Farmers Market.
Ryan is super talented and has so many gifts and one of them is creating and building.  He designed and helped build this amazing skate board ramp.  It is extremely tall and is enclosed completely with a roof on top of it.  Pro-skateboarders come to skate on this thing.  It was really neat to see something he put so much time and love into.
We then stopped by the famous Public Market and walked around.  
We grabbed a Piroshky from Ryan's favorite stop.  
We then headed back to their place to spend quality time with Corinne and little Jacob!

I loved having him fall asleep on my chest.  Such a sweet moment that I loved having with him.

That night we headed to dinner at a nice restaurant in Tacoma.  It was a great way to spend a Saturday!

The kids were well loved on and cared for by Dingdad and Yaya in Memphis.  
Thank you Yaya and Dingdad for taking care of the kids so we could have this getaway!  It was a wonderful trip!

Around here...

Some days I think I'm getting into a groove and have this whole 3 kid thing down and then we have a day that rocks my world.  I am learning to have very low expectations for getting things done and instead just try to enjoy this time with my kids while they are little and exhausting. =) Some days its easier said than done.  So now a post to catch up on life a little...

Last week my mom and I headed to the Children's Museum with the kids.  We had never been to the one in Memphis but decided to join since we LOVED Boston's museum so much.  Everyone had a lot of fun and I was pleasantly surprised with the museum.  It is a very good museum.  The boys loved the FedEx Plane area and could have stayed there forever.


We also spent some time with the trucks/cars area.  The boys enjoyed riding on all the different automobiles.


We also did a little fishing in the river.

I think I spend half my day kissing on this little ones cheeks.  They are truly the best and I can't get enough of them.


I spend majority of my afternoons looking at this view.  Maggie in the Ergo carrier.  This is my view looking down at her.  She loves being held close in the afternoons/evenings.  
My most exhausting part of the day is giving these 2 wild men a bath.  Thankfully David does majority of the baths but the few I do wear me out!  They are insane in there.  
The boys love curling up in their daddy's lap and reading books. It makes my heart smile to see this every night.

Austin and I had a special mommy/son date on Wednesday.  I could tell that he needed some quality one on one time with me and we both LOVED it!  It was very much needed for both of us.  He picked the Mac n Cheese place (Panera) for lunch and then to get a cupcake at Muddy's.  He was so sweet throughout the entire date.  He held my hand in the car and wherever we walked and was very polite.  He also made sure we bought cupcakes for Miller, his Yaya who was babysitting the other 2 and his teachers at school.  He also loved that I picked the same kind of cupcake as him.  Since we got home at 1:00 yesterday he has asked at least 25 times if we can do it again.  I really need to make sure I do this often with my big guy.

After my date with Austin I came home to spend some quality time with my sweet girl.  I need to do a date with Miller next.

Just a little recap of the Spence clan.

Maggie's BIRTHday

Well for a few weeks I tried about everything to make Miss Maggie come on her own but she just wouldn't budge.  She was too content in my belly to come out.  I don't blame her...she was well aware of the noise and chaos my boys make so I think she decided the longer she stayed the better.  The crazy thing about her being delivered on December 27th is way back in August when I was only 21/22 weeks pregnant, I was at Le Bonheur mentoring a father when a lady I had never met came up to me in the hall of the PICU and told me that I was going to have a girl, she was going to be stubborn, and she would be born on December 27th.  We knew at that time Maggie was a girl and I was well aware that all my children would have the stubborn streak because of their momma but the December 27th threw me for a loop.  This woman knew nothing about me, the sex of my baby, or when I was due.  As the months ticked on and December made its appearance and I started to become very uncomfortable and in quite a bit of pain from the kidneys, I was really hoping the lady was wrong and Maggie would make her appearance before December 27th.  I really did try everything to make Maggie come before Christmas and she wasn't budging.  The week before Christmas my doctor checked at the hospital for an induction date for us and there were none left.  Everyone wanted to have their babies before the New Year so we were out of luck.  He told me to plan on coming in for my regular appointment on the morning of the 27th with bags packed and hope that I was in labor and he could send me over to be induced.  David and I showed up that morning at 9:00 (after he did 2 surgery cases at Le Bonheur...he is a good man and didn't want to let his patients down) and I was 5 cm and in labor.  So Miss Maggie was ready to be born on December 27th with or without an induction.  My doctor sent us over and we were hooked up ready to go by 10:45.  I unfortunately didn't progress for quite a while and was stuck at 5 cm.  My doctor came to break my water at 2:30, epidural at 3:30, stayed at 6 cm until 5:00 and then went from 6 cm to 10 cm in about 20 minutes.  Once I hit 10 cm I was more than ready to push and the nurses and OB hospitalist were having me hold her in so my doctor could make it.  My OB walked in the door at 5:45 and Maggie was born at 5:51.  It was fast and perfect.  Maggie did great and was truly perfect.

My OB...truly love this man...he has delivered all my babies and is a saint for putting up with this crazy momma.

Meeting my baby girl for the first time.
So much emotion after she was in my arms...truly praising His name that she was healthy and perfect!
Meeting the extended family for the first time.
Meeting her brothers for the first time.
Getting sweet kisses from her brothers.