Sometimes we all have to ramble...right???

So anyone who knows me that I am the biggest complainer on the planet! To me the glass is always half-empty, or most of the time anyway. So don't be surprised as the next 12 weeks go on that I lose all self control and blog continually about how much being pregnant sucks!! I don't think I got any decent sleep last night and I didn't even have my kids here to bug me during the night.
So, two weeks ago there were city wide yard sales in Nauvoo. I had one here at my home. Tristan had been nagging us all summer about buying a swimming pool. so, I told him that he could have a drink stand at the yard sale and use the money to buy himself a pool. (I really want the kids to work for things and not have everything handed to them on a platter.) He did really well!! He sold bottled water, gatorade, and soda. We stopped selling about 1:00pm and he had made 19 dollars! He was very proud of himself. Anyway, we went that afternoon to buy a pool. We stopped at Aldis and they happed to have a 12 foot by 30 inch pool on sale. It came with a cover and a filter so we thought that would be more cost efficeint than refilling one of those smaller pools over and over and over again. So we told him that we would cover the cost of the rest of the pool if he paid his whole $19(minus his tithing). We brought it home and set it up and it has been just perfect for all of us! I didn't realize that I would have so much fun in it too! I can float around and let my belly hang, it's great! Tristan and Cedric can both swim in it on their own without much supervision. It's deep enough for them to swim underwater too, which they love. Liam can get in a get used to the water which he usually is not a big fan of. Asher LOVES it...almost too much! The water comes up to about his neck and he doesn't care. He just gets in a runs and falls under water, we bring him up and he wipes his eyes and laughs! the boy scares me to death. Needless to say, he only gets in when Jeremy or I are in the pool with him!

On another completely different note, I think things may be looking up around here. Our business in Carthage is starting to do better and better, my attitude is starting to do better and better, and the kids are starting to do better and better!! I've been through a rough year and half, trying to figure things out, and what not. It's funny when you are a kid you think that as an adult you will have everything all figured out...you don't. I have to constantly re-evaluate myself and what I am doing in and with my life. So, in recent months I have been trying extra hard to sort myself out. With Jeremy's and the Lord's help, I think I'm just about there. We had a great 5th sunday lesson in church two weeks ago in which our bishop spoke to the relief society and preisthood all together, probably for the last time. (he is retiring and moving to ORegon or Washington). Jeremy and I came home feeling good and wanting to do better. It's amazing how much your life turns around by just doing the simple things like reading the scriptures, praying as a family, paying tithing, going to church. At several different times during our marriage we have went in and out of being active in the church. It never fails that when we are doing the things we shouldn't be doing we suffer. Our children suffer. Our life suffers. Heavenly Father truly is a father that loves us and wants to see us succeed and to be happy. We just need to do the simple things that he has taught us to do.
Since my father has died many great changes have occured in the Trapp family. I'm sure now that it was his time to go. We all needed to learn some lessons from this and grow and prosper from it. Exciting things are happening!! My sister (susan) and her husband are being sealed in the Nauvoo temple to each other and to their children!!!! They are so excited and we are excited for them! I can't wait! Her husband asked her in a really cute way too! I won't post it though. That's for them to do I guess. We are trying to become closer as a family, with all of us scattered all over the country, it can be difficult. Luckily we have 4 of us right here in the Nauvoo and Carthage area. And possibly more...look out Hancock County!!!

And yet another subject. If we stay here in Nauvoo when school starts, I believe we are going to tackle home schooling! I'm getting kind of excited about it actually. I may send Cedric into first grade, not too sure yet but, Tristan would definitely do third grade here at home (for many reasons...maybe I'll get into that later). We have been reading up on the Thomas Jefferson method of home schooling and it sounds right for us. If you haven't heard of it, research it if you want. There are several other families in the ward that are also pulling their children out this year and doing the same method. We have casually talked about doing a co-op and doing tons of cool stuff with the kids! I think it would be great! I always wanted to do home schooling before I had children but, as I started racking the kids up, it got a little overwheming!:) I feel like I'm in a good point in my life to try it now!

For those of you that don't know, Jeremy and I own a little computer store called w00t! PC.
Check it out at www.woot-pc.com
We have been open for about 7 or 8 months now. For those of you that live far away, you can buy off our website and we offer remote assistance!!!!

Jeremy's best friend, Chris, had his first child on the fourth of July! We went to visit him and his fiancee in the hospital. They had a baby girl and I was so darn envious, I thought I would cry. But, when we got there, I got to hold her and she was jsut beautiful!!! He head was perfect and her coloring was perfect and she was so darn tiny! She weighed in a 7 pound 4 ounces. I want to have a girl so stinking bad. There's a big hole there. I'm not worried though...

Oh! The fourth of July was tons of fun for us! We went to Kendall and Joanne's house at 11am for their baby, Landon's, first birthday party! Vicki had made this super cute train cake that Laim was coveting the whole time!!! We're going to have to have one for his birthday now! We ate good food and watched little Landon open his presents. Then we went home and played in the pool and napped! That evening we went to a cook out at our friend's house (Nikki and Kenny Yu) in Carthage and ate more good food. Carthage was one of the only places in the area that was doing fireworks (because of the flooding). so we went to the highschool and sat with Susan and Todd and their kids and watched a really good firework show. Liam was hilarious and said "That's awesome, dad!" with every.single. firework. Asher laughed and clapped and jumped up and down a lot.

I'm actually starting to feel dizzy and sick to my stomach right now so the rambling must end. Sorry guys. Both for rambling so much and for ending the rambling!