Happy Birthday Clint!!!

I was watching you at the buffet when we went out to eat today. I silently thanked God for giving you to me and asked Him to let me be a blessing to you all the days of our life together. I do not know why He gave someone like me such a precious gift as I have in you, but I am truly grateful. Our children benefit from having you as a godly example. My prayer is that our boys will be just like you and our girls will find a man like you who cherishes them as you do me.

I love you with all I have in me.

All yours, Wendy

Dr's Visit

I lost 2 lbs. I think that puts me at 11 lbs gained the whole pregnancy. It's hard to keep track of it when it goes up and down so much. I am trying to eat as nutrient dense as I can, but it is hard getting food into me lately. I was throwing up again yesterday, so I passed ketones this a.m. I ate before I went and drank a lot. Baby Emily is doing good and growing well. Her heartbeat is galloping along. They said they will do the Strep B test next visit.

I told the nurse and the dr "I feel like I have to go to the bathroom all of the time, but most of the time it isn't really to urinate, but to just sit that way to relieve pressure. I am exhausted. I can't sleep. I can't breathe. She's kicking up a storm as soon as I lay down. Everything is right on time and going great! :-)"

I am hot and going to find an a/c to sit under. :-)

If Nobody Believed in You

by Joe Nichols

Pregnancy 34 Weeks

Only 6 weeks left!!!

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds and is probably almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which she'll need to regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her central nervous system is still maturing and her lungs are well developed by now. If you've been nervous about going into preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that 99 percent of babies this age can survive outside the womb — and most have no major long-term problems related to prematurity.

How your life's changing:

You may be feeling a little fatigued lately, and that's perfectly understandable. (A LITTLE fatigued??? Try "plum tuckered out!" :-) Let yourself slow down and save some energy for labor day.

www.babycenter.com

Picture of baby at 34 weeks here.

Happy Memorial Day/ Prayer Request

We hope you have a great Memorial Day! Our family plans to hang out around the house to avoid the traffic and crowds. We have some work planned for earlier in the day and then we plan time in the pool.

Prayer Request: My dear friend Carla's brother is dying of cancer. He does not know Christ. Please lift the whole family up in prayer.

Clint and I took Brandon to

Applebee's for his birthday. Clint got the waitresses to sing the birthday chant to him when they brought out his free sundae.
It was SO funny when he realized they were clapping and marching towards him.
He turned red during the song.
As we left, I shoved him and sang the first line of the chant to him, "I don't know but I've been told."
He came right back with "Mom's gonna get it when she gets old."

Happy Birthday Brandon!

Join us in celebrating Brandon's 15th birthday by saying a prayer for his future.
You couldn't buy him a better gift!

Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
Luke 5:26 NIV

Bouncy Baby

Emily kept me up all night. The most I was able to sleep at one time was an hour. Every night before bed, Clint and I watch my belly "dance." The new thing for the children to do now is to poke around on my belly to find the baby.

Yesterday, the children and I were able to get a lot done. We caught up on cleaning. Amanda helped me husk, blanch and freeze 60 ears of corn. Clint picked up 48 more for us to do today. I think that is all I can squeeze into the freezer. Brandon cooked hamburgers and french fries for our supper per the children's request. Brandon also cut grass until the mower blade bent. Amanda weeded in the garden and did some more planting. I handled eBay and internet sales, sorted through clothing, sliced the potatoes (3 8lb bags worth), sliced the strawberries and made sauce to freeze for desserts and did some laundry. Joshua, Caleb and Bethany helped fold and put away clothes, pick up the floor, sweep and put things away.

Today, we plan on making yogurt, doing the rest of the corn, cutting the soap we made on Monday and working in the yard and garden. I am moving a lot slower and not able to do as much, but the children are great helps. It is such a blessing when they come to me and say "What can I do to help you Mom?" Sometimes I just ask for hug or send them to play...or I'll tell them to do something silly like jump up and down and pat their head and rub their belly at the same time. :-)

We have a special treat for the children. Clint picked up a pool with a filter that was selling for over $100. With the sale and rebate, it was around $30. Seeing as I am being asked oh, a kajillion times a day when it will be put up, we will have to get to that soon.

Brandon turns 15 tomorrow. He's approximately 1 1/2 inches taller than I am. He LOVES it too!

Clint starts his new position next week. This new position means less work, less time away from home, eventually no more being "on call," training other employees and more pay.

Our chihuahua puppy sold the first day the ad went out!

CONGRATULATIONS to Susan and Vencil on their 2nd Grandchild due next fall!

What's been going on around here...

Clint got a promotion and a new job at work! Thank you to everyone who was praying. He will only be on call every third week for a little while longer while the "other men get up to speed" as his boss put it. He will then be called in whenever there is a problem the other men can't handle, which shouldn't be too often. We are looking forward to the changes in our routine.

Amanda found an arrowhead while weeding in the garden. She is currently learning what types of Native Americans were on our soil hundreds of years ago. I hope she uncovers some war artifacts. There should be plenty out there. Brandon found a newly hatched turtle. Amanda and I made two more batches of soap and handled several soap orders.

We witnessed a noisy and spectacular chase between a bald eagle and a murder of crows. The crows pestered that eagle for 20 minutes. Crows are very territorial and the eagle had done something that ticked them off. The eagle was screeching in frustration and had to land twice. Once he landed right beside our driveway with the crows landing all around him. Clint arrived home in time to witness the last part of it. I took pictures, but they did not turn out well. We appreciated the the amazing flying acrobatics of the eagle in his race to get away from the crows.

There's more to share, but I am out of computer time.

Amanda's Arrowhead

She found this in the garden while weeding. Weeding looks more interesting to her now!

Just so you know...

we are safe from the dreaded toilet paper!
We have two outdoor cats, Miracle and Peace, who sneak into our home every so often to take care of us.
I buy the POM in the 45 roll box from Sams. The children wonder why I threaten the cats when I find dozens of rolls like this!
Either the cats know something we don't or are extremely prejudiced against t.p.

Turtle Hatchling

Brandon found this little guy/gal while he was painting the small barn.
Knowing how much I like turtles, he ran in to show it to me.
I am not sure what kind it is, but I have ruled out several including snapper.

Thank you

for the prayers. I just have to let my friends know I am struggling and then you pray. God hears your prayers and answers them by blessing me with rest and better health. I am feeling better. Thank you God for answering the prayers of the righteous that availeth so much.

The vomiting has stopped. The scary heart palpitations have stopped. The congestion is better. The toning (aka Braxton Hicks) contractions that were coming three minutes apart for hours each night have stopped as of last night. She turned from diagonal to vertical and they stopped immediately. I slept like a ROCK last night. I feel human this morning!

...the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16

Pregnancy 33 Weeks

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds and measures 17.2 inches from the top of his head to his heels. His skin is becoming less red and wrinkled, and while most of his bones are hardening, his skull is quite pliable and not completely joined. This will help him ease out of your relatively narrow birth canal.

www.babycenter.com

33 Weeks Picture Here.

Emily is still resisting lying in a vertical position. She is no longer able to fit hip to hip so instead tucks under a rib and the opposite hip. Today, her head is under my right rib cage and her butt is on my left hip. When she's not under the rib, she is very high which makes breathing uncomfortable.

When Clint was talking to her Sunday night at my left rib, she moved her head from my right rib to where he was. That was incredible to witness.

Psalms 139:13-14 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Not Feeling Well

I am throwing up again and not sleeping well due to the toning contractions. Other than handling the internet sales, I am not online today. As soon as I get my feet under me again, I'll be "back at it."

Prosecutor wants homeschool parents jailed

For the entire article, go here: http://www.wnd.com:80/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55778

A federal prosecutor in the German state of Hesse has announced plans to seek three-month prison terms for a mother and father who homeschool their six children, even though the family already has paid fines for violating the nation's Hitler-era homeschooling ban and made plans to move.
.....

The newspaper said the fines were imposed in May, but the prosecutor wants – and has applied for – jail sentences of three months each for Rosemarie and Jurgen Dudek. Muller also said he will not allow probation for the parents of six children.

....

Not even the announcement of the family's plans to move will settle the issue, he said.
And he confirmed his department will take nothing from the judge in the case.
"His duty is to make a judgment when the prosecutor brings a charge and to stay out of administrative matters," Meissner said.

Practical Homeschool Magazine has noted one of the first acts by Hitler when he moved into power was to create the governmental Ministry of Education and give it control of all schools, and school-related issues.

In 1937, the dictator said, "The Youth of today is ever the people of tomorrow. For this reason we have set before ourselves the task of inoculating our youth with the spirit of this community of the people at a very early age, at an age when human beings are still unperverted and therefore unspoiled. This Reich stands, and it is building itself up for the future, upon its youth. And this new Reich will give its youth to no one, but will itself take youth and give to youth its own education and its own upbringing."

.....

Michael Farris, founder of the HSLDA, has said he believes the German treatment of Christian homeschoolers is the "edge of the night that's coming" for believers.

"Germany is the only Western democracy taking this incredibly hard-line approach, but there are growing clouds on a number of national horizons," Farris told WND.

"The philosophy that the government knows best how to raise children is really becoming a worldwide phenomenon," Farris said. "I think Germany represents the edge of the night that's coming."

Air Force Looking for Homeschool Graduates

http://www.hslda.org:80/hs/state/ok/200705170.asp

Homeschool Legal Defense Association was recently contacted by Capt. James D. Couch, a Flight Commander in the 349th United States Air Force Recruiting Squadron. The 349th Squadron encompasses most of Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, and Kansas.

While evaluating approximately 25 to 35 homeschooled students in the Air Force, Capt. Couch noticed that these students, as a trend, scored higher on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) then most other applicants. This impressed Capt. Couch.

At the same time Capt. Couch was concerned that the Air Force was missing out on a large population of high quality applicants. Recruiters are able to schedule visits to a public school or attend college and career fairs. While there is a definite trend in higher performance among homeschooled students, recruiters have fewer ways of reaching out to these students and relating the opportunities available to them for their possible service in the Air Force.

Faced with this dilemma Capt. Couch contacted HSLDA for help. Capt. Couch is not a recruiter; however, he would be happy to direct any homeschool student to a qualified United States Air Force recruiter under his command. If interested you can contact him at both Rso349@rs.af.mil and james.couch@rs.af.mil.

If you are a homeschool student in Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas or Kansas and have a desire to serve your nation through military service, we would like to encourage you to contact Capt. Couch and find out more about how service in the Air Force could benefit both you and the United States.

Capt. Couch assures us that Air Force recruiters will not badger interested individuals, but rather act as liaisons between needs and desires of perspective applicants and the needs of the United States Air Force. To see a copy of the letter Captain Couch sent to HSLDA please click here (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

Living Outside the Box

A few years ago, we were involved with a study for families who watched very little to no t.v. This week, we received a postcard telling us a book from that study has been published "Living Outside the Box: TV-Free Families Share Their Secrets." We won't be buying the book, but we did put it on our wish list on paperbackswap.com

It's more interesting to live YOUR life than to watch someone in "reality" or fictitious t.v. live theirs.

Some of our best lessons have come from the worst examples:

We once knew a bright, witty Christian girl who became so wrapped up in t.v. shows she had no life of her own. She became boring and dull. Her conversations revolved around the lives of the characters she watched. She could just about quote verbatim the lines of the shows and movies she feasted upon. She considered incredibly poor television and acting wonderful because she had no discernment. Her friendships fell apart. People dreaded having her visit because she'd sit in front of the tube like a zombie. Her morals steadily declined. Things she would have never thought to do didn't look so bad to her anymore. She compared events in her life to those of fictitious characters and looked to see how they solved them. She started mimicking their speech and habits and was proud enough to tell others where she picked up the slang and mannerisms. She started valuing the advice of worldly talk show hosts above God's Word. She became full of pride over her acquired "wisdom" and started passing judgement and heavy criticism on those around her.

She wondered why she couldn't find a godly mate. It was clear to everyone around her, but she couldn't see it even when it was pointed out: "You can't find a godly mate when you are in front of the tube for most of the day. A godly mate will be out serving and glorifying the Lord. He won't suddenly appear on the couch next to you! He's not going to enjoy shows that "make a mockery of sin" as fools do. (Proverbs 14:9)"

She rejected several sincere men who "got in the way" of her t.v. watching. These men longed for a godly woman to walk beside them and raise godly children, but t.v. came first with her. She was unwilling to make personal sacrifices of her time and interests to build a relationship. They didn't fit into her t.v. shaped image of how a "real" man should act. They quickly grew tired of her berating them to change to please her. She played the mind games she saw on t.v. but they didn't work out the same. Wisely, they quit pursuing her.

She likes the idea of a godly man and the blessings of a godly marriage, but is unwilling to put forth the effort to have one. A woman who cherishes godliness is not going to eagerly embrace worldliness.

At nearly 40, she's still single and involved in a sinful and abusive relationship which brings her more pain and frustration than anything else. Her parents, whom she lives with, love her dearly but are ashamed of her behavior. She has openly considered trapping the abusive man with pregnancy. Afterall, it worked out fairly well for the women on the talk shows!

Isaiah 5:20 "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"

Dosages for Cold Relief Supplements

I was asked what dosages we take of the supplements for our colds. When we get on this at the onset of a cold or when someone else has started with symptoms, we usually are able to avoid the illness or greatly reduce it's duration.

I am not a medical professional and have to recommend that you visit your doctor before trying any of the things mentioned. This is what we have found beneficial in our family.

For adults, we take:
Vitamin C chewable 500-1000mg every 2 hours. If we start to have diarrhea, we take less. Vitamin C can be used as a health cleanse, btw. Vitamin C boosts the immune system and helps prevent infection.
Zinc 50 mg every 4 hours (no more than one week) Zinc boosts the immune system and helps prevent infection.
Echinacea root powder 1350 mg (3-450 mg capsules) every 8 hours Echinacea boosts the immune system and has antibiotic properties. It is a wonderful blood cleanser and is great for people with allergies.
Garlic Preferably, use FRESH garlic-as much as you can get into you. Then I'll use minced and after that, the powdered. I do not use the odorless because medicinal properties have been stripped away. FRESH IS BEST! Garlic is a power packed herb!! It is an antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral. It thins congestion making it easier to breathe.
Fenugreek and Thyme 900 mg every 8 hours Contraindicated (do not use) for pregnancy. Medicinal dosages of Fenugreek and/or Thyme are used to bring on menustration and increase labor contractions. Both are uterine stimulants. Seasoning in food is not enough to cause this problem. These both help break up and remove congestion.
Water Drink lost of water to keep mucous thin and to assist your body in eliminating the germs.

Spicy herbs generally will help loosen and remove congestion as well. I knew one man who sniffed cayenne powder into his infected sinuses. He said it was "most unpleasant," but brought instant relief, healed the infection and kept his passages clear.

A friend of mine has great success with Wild Oregano Oil for congestion due to colds, but it is contraindicated for pregnancy. Wild Oregano Oil has been used as a uterine stimulant to bring on menustration.

Congestion Relief Tea Recipe: 1 cup tomato juice or V8, 2 tsp chopped fresh garlic, 1 tsp of hot sauce, 1 tsp lemon juice, salt for flavor. Heat and drink hot. The juice gives a boost of Vitamin C. The garlic and hot sauce work to thin and move congestion.

Pregnancy 32 Weeks

By now, your baby probably weighs almost 4 pounds and is almost 17 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. She has tiny toenails now, and her fingernails have grown in, too. Some babies have a head of hair already; others have only peach fuzz. www.babycenter.com

32 Weeks Picture Here
32 Weeks 3D Ultrasound Picture from about.com Here.

In all of my pregnancies, I have never had as much problem breathing as I am now. Emily likes to ride up high and pushes against my diaphragm making me feel quite breathless and uncomfortable. The heavy congestion from the cold is not helping either. I have been applying gentle and steady pressure to encourage her to move further down and that has helped get her into a better position.

I had Braxton Hicks for hours again last night. I am feeling pretty tired, but in good spirits.

Colds, Braxton Hicks, Mother's Day

Colds: We are about over the colds, but are hacking the congestion out of our lungs still. We use Garlic, Vitamin C, Echinacea and Zinc which helps a lot to reduce the severity and duration of the cold. It also prevents an infection from starting.

Braxton Hicks Contrax: I could not fall asleep due to the Braxton Hicks contractions I was having. I had them from 4:30 p.m. until I finally fell into an exhausted sleep at 5:30 a.m. Clint checked and there's no dialation or effacement, so it's just toning. The baby's position has a lot to do with how many you have too. Emily keeps trying to go back from hip to hip and that's just not working for us at the size she's at. I suspect that's behind a lot of them. Vitamin/mineral deficiencies and dehydration can also bring them on also. You can learn how to ease them here: http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/miscdisc.html#Toning

We've been working on catching up on weeds in the garden today. We have a lot to plant too. Some of that will have to wait until I get a nap. I am exhausted. What we don't do today, we will work on tomorrow. Wednesday, Amanda and I hope to find time to make a few batches of soap.

Since Clint had to work, we planned last week to celebrate Mother's Day during the week. Now, we are waiting for me to get well. On Sunday, they gave me cards and two Willow Tree figurines for my collection.

We had a great day of worship on Sunday learning how that when we choose to sin, we not only are risking God's wrath, losing His blessings, but we are harming ourselves.

Proverbs 8:36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

Caleb's Tooth is Out! (pict)

Caleb wants all of you to know his tooth came out tonight.
It was really wiggly. He went to Clint after supper and asked him if he could get it out.
Clint just barely touched it and it fell out into his hand.
Caleb asked "Well, are you going to pull it out?"
Clint showed it to him and said "I did!"
Caleb blinked and then said "My tooth! My tooth! My first tooth fell out!!"
Then he said "I get donuts now, right?!!"
Donuts for lost teeth is a family tradition.

Prayer request, colds, pictures, happenings

Colds: Last week, Amanda and Brandon had it. Then Joshua, Caleb and Bethany got it. It hit poor Caleb in the middle of the night. He woke up feeling like he could not breathe and it scared him.

Now, I have it. On top of that, I started up with the vomiting and had to go on bed rest again. I am frustrated. I lost every meal yesterday, but was able to eat overnight.

A little while ago, I came down to get a shower and nearly dropped in my tracks at the condition of the house. I had worked so hard to catch it up and now I am back at square one. Lord, HELP!!! I am feeling the time crunch on things that need to be done before Emily comes along.

A friend (Hi Wendy T.) and I were "talking" via e-mail about how overwhelming motherhood can be at times. You feel like you aren't doing it right or enough or fast enough. Sometimes you feel like a failure and that you are making a mess of things. We convince ourselves that someone else could do our job better. At times like that, whether we realize (or care to admit) it or not, we are experiencing the reality of our weakness and our need for Christ's help. What keeps me going is the knowledge that God is in control. He would not have called me to be a wife, mother, homeschooler, etc if this wasn't His perfect will for me. If someone else could do it better, He would have put them in my place. He takes my imperfect efforts and turns them into His perfect will for His perfect plan. When you feel like your role as a wife, mother, homeschooler or whatever has knocked you down, say a prayer, take a moment for time with Him, look Heavenward for strength and encouragement and start all over again. Prioritize what's important, set realistic goals and start working on it.

PRAYER REQUEST: Please keep our cousin and dear friend Wendy T. (another Wendy T.) and her family in prayer. They are in FL. The fires have reached their county and are moving closer. The smoke and ash is making the air quality horrible. She shared pictures and there is a haze on everything. Let's pray God sends rain to the entire area and lets those poor firefighters get some rest.

That was the last of the camping trip pictures. We post the picts in the blog to keep from having to e-mail them to everyone. When we were e-mailing, I'd get into trouble for missing someone or not sending all of them. This keeps everyone happy....until I go a while without posting some and folks start hollering at me for more. :-)

Here's Caleb (picts)

at his first Busch Race. Can you tell how tired our little guy is in that last picture?
His favorite part of the race was the Goodyear Blimp!
He even asked Clint to take a picture of it for me so I could see it when he got back to the campground.
Caleb got a lot of attention from the other race fans. They gave him treats and talked to him about his first race.
The man who sat next to him gave him Hershey's kisses.

Drs Visit; Caleb news

The camping trip and unpacking took more out of me than I expected. Waking up every hour each night doesn't help either. I am really tired and know I need to scale back on my activities for a little while again. This weekend, I am doing what HAS to be done and will get to the rest when I can. That "HG feeling" is more pronounced, so I know I am close to starting up with that again. Yuck! I hate throwing up.

The doctor's appointment went great. The baby's heart rate was 149. They were pleased with my home glucose tolerance test results. I also gave them numbers for an after meals test. Emily is growing great. Her size is right on target. My weight gain was enough to keep them happy this time around.

Caleb's news: He has his first loose tooth!! He's excited and anticipating the donuts we buy the family for each tooth that falls out!

Paddle Boat Ride (picts)

Clint took Brandon, Amanda and Joshua out Lee Hall in a paddle boat. They had a great time!
He and Brandon were going to take Caleb and Bethany out for a short adventure, but we had to leave early.

Free Haircuts @ Our House (pict)

Last week, the bad haircut she gave herself had finally grown out. We finally had even bangs!
We had even waited to take her yearly pictures for that reason.
Yesterday, she and Caleb had found the scissors and cut her hair AGAIN!
Not only did they clip her bangs, but they took a lot off the sides.
Oh well, at least they used the safety scissors.
The bruises on her forehead are from where she fell at the campground.
If you need a haircut, come on over. They'll do a "good" job cheap.
I promise to get pictures and post them here if you take us up on this offer too. :-)

You can see some of her previous beauty work here, here and here.

Running the Swings (pict)

One morning, Joshua and Caleb set all of the swings into motion and then ran and dove through them.
This is Bethany (left) and Joshua (rolling).

Two tuckered out (pict)

They play so hard and sleep so good when we go camping!

Bethany picked flowers (pict)

for me.
Note the sign behind her. I put two of those out in front of our campsite to help make people more aware.
Later, I added the number "5" before kids. I noticed they would see two children and speed up, thinking that was all of them. Once I put the "5" up there, they slowed down and started counting. They not only saw ours, but also other people's children.

Caleb found acorns! (pict)

He also found a toad, rocks, leaves, hickory nuts, and an assortment of bugs.

Joshua (pict)

got plenty of practice riding his bike.

Pregnancy 31 Weeks

Your baby measures about 16 inches long. He weighs a little over 3 pounds and is headed for another growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side. Of course, he doesn't yet understand that this movement means "no," but you'll be surprised how quickly he picks up on that and other gestures after he's born. The fat layer he's been accumulating for the last few weeks has caused his arms and legs to fill out nicely.

Picture at 31 weeks here.
www.babycenter.com

Emily is still keeping me up nights and still working over my poor, bruised bladder. She loves to lay with her head at my left hip and her butt and feet at my right. If I sleep on my left side, which puts her upside down, she's happy. If I try to sleep on my right, which puts her right side up, she's kicking away!

I am tired easier than normal. I found I do better with a nap every other day. That keeps me from getting so run down and leaves me with more alertness and energy in the evenings.

The HG comes and goes. I am feeling better than I have with any of the pregnancies right now though. PTL!

9 weeks to go! Everyone is excited!

Wild Ride (pict)

Clint swinging Amanda, Joshua, Caleb and Bethany on the tire swing.
The wilder it is, the more they love it.

No, I not tired! (pict)

Oh yes, you are sweetheart!

My First Fish EVER!! (pict)

Joshua after catching his first fish!

Homeschool Curriculum Savings

This was fwded to me from the local homeschooling list. I thought some of you might enjoy taking advantage of the savings also.

"The Homeschool Buyers Co-op is sponsoring a Group Buy for savings up to $57 off total curriculum packages - both Christian and secular choices. Check it out: https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/homeschool-stockroom/"

Home Again (pict)

We just got back from a spur of the moment camping trip.
We had a wonderful time! It started off with a deer walking right up to our RV.
She watched us watching her!
The three oldest had a paddle boat ride. Joshua caught his first fish. Caleb enjoyed his first Busch race.
We came home earlier than planned due to the high winds, cooler temps and threat of flooding.
We are unpacking, catching up on yard work and gardening, internet sales and heading out to do errands the next few days.
We cut grass before we left. It's knee high now!
After that, we'll settle in and start catching up on e-mail and returning phone calls.

Busy Week

We are having a busy week this week and will catch up on e-mail when we can.

Amanda is excited. She found raccoon tracks in the chicken coop this morning when Chicken Jane's contribution to breakfast was missing. She's laying plans for catching the egg thieving rascal.

The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death. Isaiah 57:1-2

Pregnancy 30 Weeks

The 10 week count down has begun! I can't tell you how excited everyone is. I am asked every day "How much longer?" by the little ones.

Your baby's a bit more than 15 1/2 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and fills out your uterus. Her eyes open and close, she's able to distinguish between light and dark, and she can even follow a light source back and forth. Once she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have a visual acuity of only 20/400 — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. ("Normal" vision in adults is 20/20.)

www.babycenter.com
Picture 30 weeks here.

Miss Emily has been keeping me up a lot at night. She's so active and energetic. Her favorite thing to do is to use my bladder as a punching bag. Whew! It is so bruised I hurt even when she's not kicking. I've been begging for mercy. I love feeling her move and grow stronger. I love knowing she's safe and warm.

Bethany can't say Emily. She says "Emmy." Emily was jumping around and Bethany saw it. She said "That's my baby. My baby kicks you!"

Brandon got the neat experience of feeling along her arm! He just thought that was awesome.