Checking In

Hey Blah g people

It may look like we've fallen off the face of the planet; it's been too long since our last post. Rest assured we are alive and well! According to my pregnancy ticker, we have 50 days until Baby Boy, affectionately nicknamed "Stagcock," is set to arrive. I'm thinking it'll be more like 35-40 days, since I was two weeks early with Amelia. I can already tell my body is getting ready to expunge this one. We spent about 2 hours in the doctor's office yesterday running tests because I was having lots of contractions and back pain. Of course, they seemed to disappear when I was sitting in the comfy testing chair with the monitors around my belly. Haha Stagcock you silly! My OB also did a test to see if I would likely go into real labor in the next few days, and it was negative. I suspect the contractions were caused by stress and me freaking out over nothing. Whatever the reason, I'm glad he's not looking to emerge just yet.

Here are some photos of my 32-week belly! Enjoy!

Caley took this one.
Here's my view!
Yeah baby!

God has been working in our hearts and we have been busy listening to Him and how He is teaching us. We are mostly prepared for this new bundle, physically anyway. I'm having a harder time adjusting to the thought of having three kids, since I grew up imagining I'd only ever have two. Thankfully though, God is patient and loving and is teaching me things in His timing, not mine. I'm continually learning the meaning of Eve's curse in the garden, "To the woman he said, 'I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you,' " Genesis 3:16. Pain isn't always bad, it teaches us. I'm also learning that we are sanctified through childbearing and it keeps happening even after the baby is out and running around. These are all good things God is teaching me and I'm thankful to be in this situation where I can learn more about God and His love for me.

We can't wait to meet "Stagcock"!

Boys Who Can Shave

In a recent sermon by Mark Driscoll, he discusses adolescence and how it's not really a life stage as much as something our culture has created to defer responsibility. Adolescence is loosely defined as being the time between childhood and adulthood. The problem however, arises that it's debatable what makes one an adult, thus adolescence is lasting longer and longer. From the Wikipedia article on adolescence, "This transition involves biological, social, and psychological changes, though the biological or physiological ones are the easiest to measure objectively. Historically, puberty has been heavily associated with teenagers and the onset of adolescent development. In recent years, however, the start of puberty has had somewhat of an increase in preadolescence (particularly females), and adolescence has had an occasional extension beyond the teenage years (typically males). This has made adolescence less simple to discern." View this clip:

More thoughts to come...

20 weeks

25 weeks
28 weeks

We can't wait to meet this little guy!!

This week Bill and I were laying on the couch, sick and unable to do much. Caley came downstairs and started rubbing Daddy's feet and he asked, "Caley, why are you so nice?" To which she replied, "That's the way Jesus made me. Jesus died for sin so we can be with him."

Being sick all week was made worth it when we were able to see Jesus transforming her heart through loving others.

Thank you Jesus for this chance to spend time with Caley and Amelia, snuggling on the couch watching movies and reading books.

cowboy beans, cracklin wood, red hot coals, it's all good

Here's some pictures of the firepit progression!

Fall and Firepits

We had a wonderful fall day yesterday. We visited Bill at work and the trees lining the road to his office were absolutely beautiful so we just had to collect some leaves.

We also had our first fire in the new firepit! (More pictures on the process forthcoming.)

I went to kindergarten with a little girl named Allison. She had been diagnosed with Down Syndrome and she was one of my best friends. I remember going to her birthday party that year. Unfortunately we lost touch in the later grades because she repeated kindergarten while I moved ahead. When I was in high school she was in the life skills classroom and it always warmed my heart to see her at school.

Children with Down Syndrome are the same as everyone else- they have thoughts, feelings, and opinions. I believe children with Down Syndrome are a gift to us from God so that we may know more about who God is. I pray that He would bring more people such as Allison into my life so that I may know Him better through loving His people.

These stories are so beautiful, and I hope more people would see it. Pass it on!