I caught one!

A smile that is. People say that babies don't really smile til they're at least a month old, well, I have proof that little Josiah is the exception. He has been the smilingest (I know that's not a real word) baby ever since he was 4 days old. What a sweetheart!!! Now tell me people, does this look like gas....I think NOT!

I was in the paper today.

Well, my short claim to fame was begun and ended in a day, haha! My midwife and I were in the local paper in an article on homebirth. Josiah looked very cute, they caught him in a yawn. I wish Rachel would have been smiling, but she still looked cute. If anyone is interested, here is a link to it. http://www.oaoa.com/articles/midwife_21957___article.html/birth_cockrell.html

Other than that, just normal stuff going on here. Little Josiah is three weeks old today and doing very well. He had gained over a pound at his 2 week check up. What a healthy little (big!) guy. He is sleeping a little less during the day and getting better at sleeping at night. All of the kids want to hold him all of the time and they love him so much already. I am happy about the amount of energy I have this time after having him. I am attributing that to a healthy diet and continuing my vitamins. I also was able to rest much more due to a very wonderful group of ladies at church who brought us dinner for the first two weeks after Josiah's birth. I can't begin to express with words what a wonderful and sweet blessing that was! I look forward to even more energy to return after the first 6 weeks have gone by.

It looks like we will be going to San Antonio for Christmas. I have to get out of here and I'm tired of foiled attempts at a short vacation of some sort. I have always wanted to see the Riverwalk all lit up for Christmas, so that's what we are going to do. I'm so excited already. We also may visit Six Flags or Sea World. Most likely Six Flags because we haven't been there yet.

Whirlwind September Ending!

Yay, we finally have a new baby. He is beautiful and healthy! What a blessing. He weighed 9 lbs. 11 oz. and is our biggest baby yet. He was born Sunday evening, the 28th, at about 9:55. I'll type more later, but for now I'm pressed for time.

Also, Jenna turned 6 today and is having a very happy birthday. She got to go to the store and pick out a toy with the money her granny Trish sent her. She picked some bath doll and really likes it. I made her a Candy Land cake about a week ago, just in case I had Josiah, and it turned out to be a good strategy, so all went well.

I added a few pictures for you all to enjoy. Hope to be writing again soon! Sorry this post turned out a little less than perfect.

Ryan Turns 4!

I can't believe Ryan is 4 now! He's growing up so quickly. He asked yesterday if he could start school now that he's four, lol. I guess he'll be ready when it's time.

He had a good birthday. He wanted a McQueen cake, again, so I did my best. And with Ryan, anything with wheels makes him happy so, since we didn't go to the beach, we got him a Power Wheels F-150. He seems to really be enjoying it.

We are still waiting on Josiah. I can feel some very slight pre-labor type pains, but still nothing to be overly concerned about. Maybe this week or next week he'll be born. Sigh, we'll see, we'll see.

It's way early here and I am starting to feel tired now. Maybe I can get in a couple hours of sleep before everyone wakes up.....

Ahhh, September!

I wish I could say that it's cooling off, but really it's not. We have had quite a few overcast days, but with very little rain. Overall, I guess on average it has cooled off to about the lower 90's each day instead of the usual lower 100's. I am still holding out for the real fall weather change.

We had a good Labor Day. Angie and her husband Steven stopped by and it was good to get to see her and talk to her. She doesn't get much time off from work so it was really nice that she and Steven were off on the same day.

Ryan's birthday is comming up this Sunday. He will be 4! He told me that he saw his gift in the garage yesterday, so we went ahead and assembled it and he ended up sleeping on the couch next to it. It is a ride on monster truck thing. We are still charging the battery though, so he just pretended yesterday and then when he was through pretending to ride it, he pretended to work on it, haha! He is so sweet. I really think he will enjoy working on and driving cars when he is older.

Mike and I are also celebrating our 12th anniversary this week. We don't have anything extra special planned. I am still just kind of wanting to relax. Though I would have enjoyed going to Port A this week. I have also thought about a short trip to Carlsbad Caverns, that would be fun and close, but we'll just have to see.

So far I have not had much indication that we will be having a baby anytime soon. My contractions have been anything but painful and so few and far between. I know this isn't going to last forever, but it sure seems like it is. At least I am much more comfortable than past pregnancies, mostly due to good Chiropractic care I believe. I don't want him to be born too early, but early would be okay with me. Tomorrow marks the end of week 36 so anytime after week 37 would be just fine with me. I'll probably be late though, just because I'm so anxious this time. I'll try and keep my blog here updated.

Changing again?

Yes, our minds have changed again. No trip to Port Aransas for us after all. We have decided that the money would be better spent elsewhere. So, at least don't have any more planning to do.

So, now I'm at about 34 weeks and am as impatient as ever. I am so tired of being uncomfortable and hot. Ah, well, it really is all worth it in the end. I do love having these kiddos. No real changes, still doing well. I am having the early contractions though, which I am happy about. At least pregnancy doesn't go on forever.

Jacob has taken up chess and loves it. I am trying to become more involved in the Midland homeschool group and they have chess on Monday nights. Jenna is saying she has enjoyed playing a little too so tonight she wants to go and check it out also. I'm glad they are having fun.

August Already?

I say that, but July really did go by slowly for me. August, however is flying by, which I am very happy about.

We are preparing for our trip to Port A now. My midwife knows a fellow midwife in the Corpus area, so we are covered. I am excited and yet, I know I'll wear myself out. I plan to sit around as much as possible. Dawn says she expects me to deliver mid-September and maybe I will. I still think the last week of September is when he'll be born. We'll see, we'll see.

So, birthdays are coming up here in the Coleman house. And I don't just mean a few, I mean everyone except me will be having a birthday here soon. For the girls, I re-painted their room with a cute monkey theme and got them accessories to match (sheets, quilt, rug, some monkeys to play with). Ryan gets a Rainforest lunch party in San Antonio and I think we have decided on a bike for him. Jacob wanted some leatherworking stuff, so that's what he will get. He really has enjoyed leatherworking since Susie, a friend of ours, has been working with him on it. I can't believe I am going to have an 8 year old who's almost as tall as I am!

Well, today is normal. We are going to keep trucking along on school so that we don't get behind. Though I guess it doesn't matter too much, since I like the idea of year-round schooling. We get lots of breaks that way and don't get burned out or forget everything over the summer.

I guess I've been tagged, lol...

Okay, Terri, I'll give my 6 "quirky, yet boring, unspectacular things about myself", but I'm pretty much too lazy to send six other people notice that I've tagged them. Fortunately, my observant husband was watching and let me know what is going on here.

Anyway, today I'm just scrapbooking. I have finished so many pages over this last week I haven't been online much.

Baby Josiah is doing well and my midwife says he's head down and getting ready. I also made a visit to my Chiropractor who said he believes I'm 2 weeks ahead of where I think I am on my pregnancy timeline. Not bad news I say, but child birth is so variable, I will likely never know for sure. Encouraging to hear though.

I am having reservations about going to Mustang Island. It is far away and especially after hearing my Chiropractor say he thought I was due sooner than I thought, it makes it downright to the wire. We have reservations made and are still planning to go, but I will still reserve my right to cancel at any time. I don't want to have my baby in Corpus Christi!

Alright, after a few updates, here are my quirks...
1. I have to bathe each of my children each day. I do not like smelly children.
2. I love dogs and think it's mean to keep them as outside pets. (Hey, I'm being honest)
3. I can't stand disorder and dust!
4. It bothers me if weeds grow in my yard.
5. I like white vehicles, remember I live in Texas. Any darker colored vehicles mean they get hotter in the sun!
6. I don't like to scrub the drain plug in the sink. I think it is the most disgusting, nasty thing and I don't like to even touch it. I have to clean it with bleach before I'm happy with it, even if I did got through all the trouble to get one with a cute froggy on it to help me with this hang-up.

Are those boring and unspectacular enough?

Another hot day in West Texas

Yep, summer is still here and I am hotter than ever. I have a fan pointing at me and the a/c on and am still breaking a slight sweat, ugh! I am still ready for fall/winter this year more than ever.

We are all loving school so far. Jacob has really enjoyed that some of his subjects are more self-paced and he's actually working ahead with it. I am glad yet again that we went with Landmark this year. I did have to buy a manuscript writing practice book for them, because ABeka starts out with cursive, but gives zero instruction in manuscript as part of a regular school curriculum. Both of them cannot write in manuscript and I am seeing places where they would need to, so we have an extra bit of work to do there.

This morning the kids are out helping dad. A friend of ours needs a tree cut down, so they all went along to "help". I think Jacob will actually be useful, but it's still good for the other two to be there also. Rachel, of course, stayed here with me.

I am really having a good time with my newest cookbook, Saving Dinner. I am actually cooking the meals I buy groceries for and they are healthy. We are still doing great on the not eating out too. We did have Papa John's pizza once, and that was just for fun, so I am sticking with my plan well. I have so much extra time in the afternoons that I have decided to work on my scrapbooking again. I really would like to do more of it, but time doesn't always let me. So, I guess up until Josiah is born, I can scrap, lol!

I was feeling a little couped up here in the house, so I scheduled a short trip to Port Aransas for us in August. I am excited about that too. It will be a little uncomfortable for me, but I feel like it will be better for me over all. We won't be able to go anywhere again for quite a while after the birth, so this will be really nice. I will post more about that as we go.

A New Church Home.

As if things couldn't get any more trying over these past couple of weeks, we decided to leave our church and find a new one.

It has been difficult, though I must say my heart aches more for Shelby. We didn't change much, just the WHERE. We had no idea our new church was even there and found it after looking the day after we left our old one. I think it is actually closer to our house, but they are pretty much the same distance. We just needed a more conservative view for us and the kids. I think we have found it. One thing I do know for sure is that I have had complete peace about all of it. I truly believe we did the right thing and feel it was just time for us to move on. I am enjoying the fact that we are no longer the largest family there, in fact, we are probably the 3rd, maybe 4th, I still don't know for sure yet. There are other homeschoolers and the pastor is friendly and preaches a strong message. I brethe a sigh of relief as we go to church now and am so thankful that there was actually another IFB close by, I don't know what we would have done if there wasn't. God took care of things though and it all worked out well. We had a nice talk with the pastor last night and we will go forward to join the next service Mike gets to go to (remember, he is a shift-worker and doesn't make it to every one), which I believe is next Wednesday night. Here is our website if any one is curious: www.southwestbaptistchurch.info/page.cfm?id=8

So, the potluck is at our new church and it turns out that since they just built it, there is no fellowship hall yet. I was going to make a few refrigerated things, fruit salad and jello dessert, but due to the lack of refrigeration I am switching to corn casserole and a cake. I have two corn casserole recipes that I am trying to decide on and am making them both this week to try them out. Unfortunately, I had to make an extra trip to the grocery store, but sometimes those things happen. Also, I didn't know that the church is providing the meat, so I have an extra Chicken Enchilada Casserole that I can make for us soon. I have already deviated from my menu, as I usually do (we had the meatball subs last night), but I'll just adjust as we go along. I am still sticking to my main goal of not eating out, which is much more important to me.

Menus

I had a friend of mine ask for a copy of my planned menus for the next two weeks, so since I typed them up already I would post them here too. I have also been able to add on some more blog sites that I enjoy. I am really liking Starr's cooking blog, her recipes and food look so delicious. I am going to plan at least one of them in to my next menu. See Cooking with the Preachers Wife-at right.

I wish I had more time to blog, I am really enjoying it. Mike took the kids to the skate park this morning and Rachel and I stayed home.

I am starting to look forward to starting school again. I have already got the planned schedule posted and am going to spread it out over more of the year this year to see how we like it and to make Josiah's adjustment easier. We will not be having school in the month of October.

I don't know why, but for some reason I am getting impatient for this baby! I was like this with Jenna and Ryan, but with Jacob and Rachel, I was just content to wait until they arrived. I know there's nothing I can do about it, and really, wouldn't want to, as I want the healthiest babies possible, but wow, is this pregnancy dragging. Also, for some, probably hormonal, reason (yes, Mike, I can hear you laughing as you read this) I am ready for winter too. I just want to bake and wear warm clothes. I could stand a few inches of snow too. Well, all in "due" time, huh? LOL!

My menus for the next two weeks...

Fri 20th
Spaghetti

Sat 21st
Turkey & Rice Strata
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Broccoli
(from Saving Dinner Ckbk, by Leanne Ely)

Sun 22
Black Bean Taco Salad (from Taste of Home website)
Lime Jello Salad

Mon 23
Grilled Asian Chicken
Brown Rice
Corn
Yellow Squash and Zucchini
(Saving Dinner Also)

Tues 24
Crock Pot BBQ Chicken
Red Potatoes (in the microwave)
Salad
Baby Carrots
(Saving Dinner)

Wed 25
Brown Rice Chicken Salad (Taste of Home)
This one is great because it is good cold and can be made ahead easily.

Thurs 26
Sausage and Penne (Taste of Home)
I may switch this one with yesterdays if we are sick of chicken by now. I wasn't paying attention very well to the amount of chicken I was planning in a row.

Fri 27
Frozen Lasagna (Sam's Club, Stouffers Kind)
Garlic Toast
Salad

Sat 28
Beef & Spinach Pitas
Salad
Carrots
Angel Food Cake with Strawberry Cool Whip
(Saving Dinner)
Sometimes I add a dessert

Sun 29 - Potluck at Church, I will be taking...
Chicken Enchiladas
Double Apple Fruit Salad
Dessert-Raspberry Delight
(All of these are Taste of Home recipes, but I have to sub Strawberries for the Raspberries in the dessert because I just can't find Raspberries anymore)

Mon 30
Meatball Subs
With salad and fresh cantaloupe
Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches (home made)
(Taste of Home)

Tues 1
Frozen Garlic Chicken and Pasta
our grocery store sells this in a 3 lb. bag for $10 and my whole family loves it and it's so easy

Wed 2
Sausage
Baked beans
Frozen bagged fruit with honey
Lime pie tarts

Thurs 3
Meatloaf
Mashed potatoes (I'm using instant here because we have them and they need to be used up)
Frozen green beans
Peach fruit salad

Fri 4th
Grill day since it's a holiday.
I kind of left it open since this is payday again and I can go to the grocery store and get extra stuff if I need too.
Hot Dogs
Sausage
Red potato salad
Cold fruit or jell-o salad

A Sad Day at the Coleman House.

Well, we had to get rid of sweet Shelby. She was a very good dog, but just couldn't get along with Bucky (our little Chihuahua mix). I thought that since I picked a more calm type of breed and a female that she would get along with him. Sadly she decided last Friday that she had to try and kill Bucky, so she went to the pound after two very troubling attacks. I physically couldn't do anything about it, so I knew right away we couldn't keep her.
Happily, after a full weekend at the vet, Bucky is doing just fine. Chipper and spunky and all stitched up, he is seemly missing Shelby, but is happy to be home and doing better than I would have expected.
In light of this incident though, we will not be getting any more dogs until Bucky is gone. I believe he is teaching other dogs to be mean and vicious. Unknowingly, he was brought up in a home where he was not socialized properly, so by the time he came to live with us he was already this way.
We all miss Shelby deeply and wish this didn't happen, I hope and pray she was able to find a good home. It's all in God's hands.

Finally Finished

Well, today is our last day of school! We are all happy that this school year is finally over. It sure does get difficult to work during these last few weeks. Now I will begin going through everything and getting next years stuff ready. Jacob is really excited to be going into 3rd grade. Jenna is a little less excited, but she is ready for 1st grade.

We had a good Memorial Day. A co-worker of Mike's had a BBQ so we all went over and had some really delicious fajitas. You really can't beat this part of the country for good Mexican food. Even if it's not at a restaurant the stuff is great. Our annual Mex-Tex food festival is comming up downtown here. We may try to go to it, though I have eaten at most of the restaurants represented and know they are good. Oh, back on track now, we played some games with the kids when everyone was through eating and they all had a wonderful time. I was surprised that we made it home about 8:45 and everyone got to bed at a decent time.

It's A....

BOY! So, we finally know that Coleman number 5 is a boy. He looks strong and healthy. He was very active and the radiologist had a hard time getting all of the sonogram pictures she needed. As far as the due date goes, it stayed about the same, so we're right on track for the very end of September or the very beginning of October. I am going to be very surprised if he is born on Jennas' birthday, September 30.

This week we are having a revival. It's a short one and only lasts 4 days. I had the nursery full of older kids last night and it about wore me out. I won't go into detail, I'll just be nice and say that people really don't seem to understand how to take care of children these days. I have always found that I tend to do things differently than others and apparently child rearing is yet another difference. I just can't see how people can put their children in daycare everyday and then need a break from them when they actually do have them. I know, this is not a new story to many, but can't families understand that there is a season for small children and it doesn't last forever? Mine may last longer than others, haha, but I'm enjoying it! Mike was commended the other day by a public school teacher. He told him that he was one of the few parents he saw that actually cared about his kids, and our kids don't go to a public school! Okay, I'll step off of my soapbox here, I could probably go on forever about it.

Yesterdays Events

Yesterday was a lot of fun for us. The homeschool group had the end-of-year track and field day for the kiddos. We met at Sherwood Park in Odessa and from there they had all kinds of fun things for them to do. Jacob especially loved the tug-o-war. He participated in every event from the 100 meter dash to the obstacle course. Jenna only did the obstacle course, but found a friend to talk to and ended up talking to her most of the time we were there. They climbed on the monkey bars and talked and talked. I mainly followed Ryan and Rachel around who had a great time just playing at the park. I am still kicking myself, though, for forgetting the camera! They ended the busy morning with pizza for everyone and even Rachel ate almost 2 whole pieces! The only thing missing was Mike, who had to work the night before and then had to wake up and help with a funeral that afternoon. (Someone we didn't know, they asked him to be a pall bearer.) I know he wanted to go though, maybe next time he'll get to.

When we got home in the afternoon we rested and then they still had energy to go to Aikido. Afterwards, they came home and took baths to wash off all of the sunscreen and sweat from the day.

Jacob and Jenna also had their bi-yearly dental cleaning Wednesday morning. I have to say that I really do like their dentist. They actually enjoy going and ask when we can go again. What a nice thing to do for kids. Now when they grow up they will have a positive outlook about going to the dentist.

Since we have been quite busy this week, we obviously have some school to get working on. Today promises to be a nice day. We did get a bit of rain Wednesday, but I don't think there's any hope of that today, so I've already started watering the yard.

Oh, and I finally downloaded the Grand Canyon pictures.

A Couple of Short Updates

I finally called about my house yesterday and it's already under contract! I guess that makes a quick end to that. I am thankful for a speedy decision.

Also, Mike called Dawn yesterday and it turns out my appointment isn't until next Monday, so we will just have to wait until then to see if we are having a boy or a girl. I was so ready to know too.

My Dream Home

Ok, so maybe it's not, but it sure is pretty. Anyway, years ago, Mike and I looked at a house we really liked and ever since then we drive by it on occasion. Well, Saturday we just happened to be at my Dad's in Kermit and just happened to buy a paper and guess what's for sale? Yep, and it is very reasonably priced, which isn't uncommon in Kermit. Will we move, probably not. Mike having to drive a little over an hour each way just isn't going to cut it. It sure is nice to dream about though. I love the yard and the space the house has, but the house we have now is more than sufficient for us, so no complaints here. I have prayed about it and if something doesn't happen within this next week then I'll know that we are meant to stay here. It really is hard to live in Kermit with small children anyway, since we have to drive to Odessa for practically everything. I'm just going to keep praying and seeking God's will on this and also do what Mike wants to do too.

So, our mother-daughter dinner was cancelled Friday night. One of the daughters went in to have her tonsils removed so they changed it to a tea on Sunday afternoon. I did go to the tea and won a nice candle for having the most kids. Surprisingly, I was also the youngest mom there, which hasn't happened in years, due to everyone not being able to be there because of the re-schedule. We had a nice time while the boys sat up front with Mike. There were lots of testimonies and a nice devotional too.

Friday night we ended up going and watching Mike, my Dad, and my Uncle Gary race their "hot rods." Mike and Gary raced their newer Mustang and Cadillac while my Dad raced a true made for the track kind of race car. The kids enjoyed it, but we didn't stay too much past 9 pm. I was glad to spend some time with my Aunt Barbara. We drove her home while the guys finished racing and I finally got to see the condo she recently bought in Odessa.

Saturday afternoon we all went to Kermit for BBQ at my Dads and I got to visit with Aunt Barbara a bit more and the kids got to swim in Pawpaw and Nana's pool. They had a great time, as they always do there. They love to swim and even though it's a drive, they love going to Kermit too.

We were tired after Friday and Saturday and so they were a little grouchy Sunday. I am going to let the kids sleep in this morning just because they have played so hard these past couple of weeks, but after that we are going to dig right in and finish these last two weeks of school.

We're Home!

Well, the Grand Canyon was quite a drive to get to. We all enjoyed it though. I know it's kind of a big oversite, but I didn't think about the climate being so different. Fortunately, I had packed cool and warm clothes for us and we had a washer/dryer close by. The mountain altitude made it difficult for me to breathe at times due to pregnancy, but I did just fine.

We started by taking the Grand Canyon Express (train) from Williams, AZ to Grand Canyon. We stayed for the three hour layover and took pictures and ate lunch. I'll get some of those on here soon, I haven't had time to put them into the computer yet. When we got back to Williams we were surprised to find it was a meeting place for restored vintage automobiles. Ryan especially enjoyed seeing all of the beautifully restored vehicles.

The rest of the stay in Flagstaff we enjoyed doing different things. We saw a wild west show in Sedona and watched the Grand Canyon IMAX movie, which was really a treat for the kids since we don't go to the movies pretty much at all. This was their second time to go to an actual theater and their second IMAX too.

On our way back, I have to add, we stopped at the International UFO Museum in Roswell, NM. How creepy! Haha! It was fun to look at and the kids got an alien lolli pop on the way out. It was mostly stuff to read on the walls and they even had a research museum. We spent a good 20 minutes at the museum, lol!

So, anyway, we are all glad to be home. Mike said he thinks people leave home every once in a while so they can remember how much they appreciate it. Boy, I sure do. I enjoy just about everything around where we live. The people, the climate, our house, our city, etc. I could go on forever, especially after such a long trip.

Tonight at church is our mother-daughter dinner and I'm glad to go and enjoy my family and our church. Even though we weren't gone long I miss everyone and will be glad to see them all. My Aunt Barbara is here visiting from Houston and I will hopefully get to spend some time with her. Mike is going to take the boys to the races tonight while the girls and I are at church and I believe she is going too, so at least they will get to see her.

No word from Dawn yet, so hopefully I'll still have a sonogram on Monday!!!! I'll keep you all updated.

Saturday's Happenings

Today I cleaned and worked. Okay, more cleaning than working. I went through every toy we have and filled box after box for the church garage sale. Mike says I'm nesting, haha! It does feel like it's getting more crowded here though and the little one is still months away from arriving. Now at least we will have some space for him when he gets here. I will just move Rachel to Jenna's queen bed and the boys already sleep on bunk beds, so the crib will be ready. It's not like the baby won't be sleeping next to me most of the time anyway, but during the day for naps and stuff the crib sure is handy. I guess if we are blessed with more kids we may have to start looking for a 4 bedroom.

Jacob has been working on his skateboarding lately. He sure loves it. They had a judged competition today at the skate park, but he went and worked out with Mike at Aikido instead. I think he's a little young for that still anyway. They do have a 3-8 year old age group though, so maybe next year I'll feel better about taking him. We are trying to get to the skate park early now because the afternoons are really getting hot. At about 9 to 10 am it is perfect weather for him to skate and the other three to play on the playground. I thought there wouldn't be anyone there that early last time, but there sure was. I am really happy with how the older kids look out for the younger ones. I am also glad to see so many parents there with their kids and not just sending them to go by themselves. I think I have this picture thing figured out, so I added a picture of Jacob on Thursday morning. It still isn't where I want it exactly, but I'm getting there.

And, before I go, I will add a cute one of Rachel....which is REALLY NOT where I want it. Oh well, I'll figure it out eventually.

Odds and Ends

Well, nothing like a barking Golden Retriever to wake up a house full of peacefully sleeping children! Some of the things she barks at, sheesh! This morning it is the garbage truck in the alley. We stayed out quite late last night eating dinner with a few friends and the kids really need some extra rest. I feel bad for Mike the most though, he had to get up for work at 4:30 this morning. I really do appreciate how hard he works, shift work is not my idea of an easy job!

Today we are working on normal things (school) and preparing for our trip. We have been watching a Grand Canyon video I bought and reading over a book we've had for a while that was really the idea source for this trip. I can't wait to get there and see it. What a testament to the flood and to God's creation. Also it is a reminder of the fall of man and the consequences of our sin. The awesomeness of God never fails to amaze me!

I wanted to remember to write about our little laundry lady. No, we don't pay someone to come and do our laundry, we have a one year old who absolutely LOVES to put laundry in the basket. I just think it's sweet. No one around here can take of their socks without guarding them if they intend to wear them at all again that day. She spots laundry like a hawk, quickly grabs it up, laughs deviously, and runs to throw her prize into the basket. Maybe she'll keep this habit as she grows. Her personality is really starting to come through. I'm afraid (and I say that totally jokingly, of course), that we may have another little Mike on our hands, haha! She really enjoys seeing others laugh.

Dawn said the appointment for my sonogram will be around May 19th. A little later than I would have liked, but I have no complaints. We heard baby's nice strong heartbeat and I can now feel him moving quite a bit. He (or she, just not wanting to say " it") even kicked the doppler device they use to hear the heartbeat this last time. Sorry, I don't know the exact name for it, I'm not a medical professional, haha! I am increasingly wanting clothes that do not bind my waist in anyway. The weather is heating up quite a bit and boy is it going to be a loooong summer. I am going to check out a friend of mines website and probably order a jumper or two. They look so comfy and non-binding. She does a great job making culottes and skirts, so I'm sure her jumpers will be just as nice. If anyone wants to check it out it's at www.myculottes.com. And no, I do not get kick-backs, lol. I just enjoy her stuff.

Busy, Busy Monday

Yesterday was a wonderful day at church. We had visiting missionary W.A. Park (Mexico) and I must say that he was really a blessing to our whole family. Sometimes it really feels like we are alone in many of our more traditional beliefs and even some things that aren't so traditional, but we know now that we are not alone in our struggle. It was really refreshing to find someone who loves their children like we do and treats them not as liabilities, but as family pillars that have been given to us by God himself. Raising children has never been something we take light of and we feel that it is one of our most important duties as Christian parents. Many people fail to realize, or just don't care to realize, that what we raise our children up to do today will be how our society, churches, communities, families will be tomorrow. I could go on about this forever, but I'll just end this paragraph with renewed hope in the strength of the family unit, purposely moving away from the 20th century ingrained public-school-taught hyper-individulism and secular humanism.

On a different note, today is a regular check up with my midwife, Dawn. I can't remember what time she said my appointment will be, but that's okay since I don't have plans to go anywhere today, just lots of school work and house work for me. Hopefully she has set up a sonogram date for right after Mother's Day next month. I am curious to know if we are having a boy or a girl. Ryan is convinced it's a boy and told everyone at church that yesterday, haha! I wanted to try a water birth this time, but Dawn said it's not ideal for me because I have babies too quickly. That's okay, I'm just happy I don't have to have the baby in a needle infested hospital where they take him away from me directly afterhe's born and then encourage me to give him formula, ICK! I'll be writing about the sonogram after we have it.

Shelby does have to go to the vet, but Mike is going to take her because everytime we put her harness on her she falls to the floor like a blob of jello. Last time the vet actually had to come to the van and carry her into the office. She weighs 50 pounds or so now and that's way to much for me to carry.

Scroll down to see picture.

I did my best for now. I will just have to come back and try and get the picture to print where I want it. Unfortunately, the picture is at the very bottom of the page. It's just one I had archived from last years' trip to Mustang Island (southeast Texas). It's Jenna, Jacob, and Ryan.

Battery Charger Located

I have found the charger for the digital camera. I am very happy about this. It is charging now.

We had a good short trip to Lubbock yesterday. I got a few nice used clothes for the kids and will finish hanging them and putting them away today. My mom is doing okay and was happy to see the kids. She says we don't visit enough, but I just can't handle the cigarette smoke. Not to mention if we are around each other too long we don't get along. At this point I'm happy with the strained relationship we have.

Mike is washing the cars today and the kids are enjoying the sun outside with him. It is really a nice day here. I am getting things ready for the potluck tomorrow at church and the continuance of our missions conference.

For now I'm going to try and publish one of the older photos I already have, just to practice posting photos. I know my picture isn't too recent either and I'll work on getting that updated as soon as possible. I do NOT like taking my picture while I'm pregnant though, so that one may have to wait a while.

Belt Test Day.

Today is a belt test day for Jacob. He has worked very hard and he will be testing tonight for his red belt with a black stripe. Jenna is now an orange belt. I sure hope to get this camera working soon, I would love to post a picture of it. For anyone who may not know, Jacob and Jenna are taking Aiki-do classes. We do not practice the humming and meditation type martial arts (like Karate and Tai-chu). They just go to learn self defense, as Aiki-do is taught to defend against attacks only. They are not taught any attack moves.

I saw the evidence of how this works at a birthday party a couple of weeks ago. Jacob was playing at the park with some kids we didn't know that were about his age. One of them threatened him and Jacob had absolutely no fear. He just looked at the kid and was waiting for him to attack, lol. I was glad that he didn't have to worry about the bully. I am still amazed at how calm and how well Jacob handled the situation.

I also wanted to tell everyone who hasn't seen Jacob lately about his experience Sunday at church. He was eating a cookie (we have been having a potluck every Sunday this month for our missions conference) and told me it had a rock in it. I told him to go spit it out in the trash quietly. A few minutes later he came back and showed me that he had realized that it wasn't a rock, but one of his front two teeth. He was so excited! Then on the way home his other front tooth was so loose that he easily pulled it out too. So now we have a very toothless Jacob. It took me a short time to get used to looking at him, but of course, I did. His new teeth are already growing in.

I have been getting everything ready for our day in Lubbock, so I don't know if I'll have time to type in the morning. We don't intend to stay overnight, so it's going to be a short trip.

School is going well and it looks like now we may even finish a few days early. I am ready for summer break. I am also looking forward to our new school stuff for next year arriving as I ordered it a couple of days ago.

No jury duty!

Well, these last few days have been spent wondering if Mike would be selected for jury duty. Yesterday we found out that he was not selected. Though it is our civic responsibility, I was not ready for him to miss our vacation.

We will be headed for the Grand Canyon the first week of May. I am excited. I enjoy getting out of here once in a while.

I talked to my mom yesterday and told her we would come visit her Friday. I am happy about being able to shop at Lubbocks' wonderful second hand clothes store. I haven't found anything comparable to it, anywhere. They really do work hard to ensure there are some well-kept used clothing on their racks. I can spend $100 and come home with a mound of clothing, NICE clothing. What a blessing to have this store so close!

My First Blog!

I finally started a blog. I hope to keep it updated as much as possible. I also hope that everyone enjoys reading about my average life.

Today we continued working on catching up with school. We had gotten behind because I was so tired in my first trimester (And I got extreemly ill). Now that we are going into the second trimester, I can really feel my energy starting to come back.

I also did so much research today on a new curriculum for next years' school that I feel like my eyes are crossing, haha! I think I have finally decided to go with Landmark Freedom Baptist. I think it will more closely fit our family than our current program. I guess we'll see over the next year.

I hope to write in the mornings from now on, I just wanted to get started. I am excited about having a blog.