Happy Christmas Eve

Hello! Sorry I have not been on to post. It's been crazy busy around here. I am sure you can imagine preparing for Christmas with 6 children. Nursing has really made shopping more challenging, but I think managed to get it all done. I haven't really enjoyed this season this year. It's really too much trouble. I wish it were all more simple and the focus was truly on Jesus.

My parents came up on Friday and we opened our gifts with them. It was fun and good seeing them! I really wish my brother, Jamie, was coming this year! I hope you read this Jamie and have a big guilt trip. It's just not as fun... Also, we're not having any special Christmas dinner because we haven't been invited to one. It didn't occur to me until last night. My older brother is going over to his in-law's house and Stu's Mom is undergoing chemo treatment again. Stu's sister, Lu, and her family will be here for a couple days. I am looking forward to seeing them!

I posted a few pictures. Enjoy!

Mom Times Six

I had this picture taken for Stuart on the occasion of our 9th anniversary which was December 6th. He loved it! I am so blessed! The children's ages are: Celeste 15, Jamie 12, Dan 7 1/2, Max almost 6, Tommy 27 months, and Eden Joy 10 weeks.

ABC's of Me

A - Available/Single: Not available, thank you very much!
B - Best Friend: Val and my hubby, Stuart
C - Cake or Pie: Vanilla cake with vanilla icing
D - Drink of Choice: water
E - Essential item you use everyday: Make-up AND diaper wipes!
F - Favorite color: soft shades of green
G - Gummy bears or Worms: Bears
H - Hometown: Sarasota, FL
I - Indulgence: anything for scrapbooking
J - January or February: I pick June because my birthday is that month!
K - Kids: 6 children...4 boys and 2 girls ages 15 down to 3 months
L - Life is incomplete without: Jesus!
M - Marriage Date: December 6th, 1997
N - Number of siblings: 2 brothers--1 older and 1 younger (I share a bday w/ the younger one)
O - Oranges or Apples: Apples always!
P - Phobias/Fear: night diving/being alone
Q - Favorite Quote: Isaiah 40:31
R - Reason to Smile: Jesus and my family
S - Season: Summer
T - Tag: Huh?!?
U - Unknown fact about myself: my daughter says I laugh to myself under my breath a lot
V - Vegetable you don't like: lima beans
W - Worst habit: biting my nails
X - X-ray: left ankle....teeth when I get to go to the dentist
Y - Your favorite food: Italian and Seafood
Z - Zodiac: Gemini, but it's all bunk

The Best Present

The best present...

By the way, we got Homeschoolopoly from the UPS man yesterday and we are quite eager to find the time to play it! Also, last night was the night Stu and I met 10 years ago. We've been together ever since. 4Him penned it well when they wrote "The Roller coaster Ride." Life can be a roller coaster even without the love of your life. It's so much nicer when you have someone to go on the ride with...thanks Stu! We just celebrated our 9th anniversary on December 6th. I think I got the best present this year...Eden Joy.

Grace

God has given me the grace to:

>Mother 6 children even though I don't know how I get through the day and do anything right. He always fixes it up for me.

>Run on little sleep and enjoy my new precious daughter, Eden, who is currently getting quite plump. What a gift He has given me in nursing her longer than any other baby.

>Recognize a good man when I see one. Stuart is a dedicated, hard-working husband and father.

>Be open to His plans for me...even though I have no clue how things will work out.

>Find contentment in the little things--at least I have a messy house. It's much better than being alone and a whole lot more fun!

>Remember, it's all just "stuff" anyway. You can't take it with you when you die and you won't care when you're in the presence of your Savior. Amen!

Family Fun

Check this out! If you are a homeschooler I think your family would enjoy this game! We just ordered it and are looking forward to playing it together. Go to http://www.homeschoolopoly.com/index.htm to check it out!

We are busy getting ready for Christmas and will take a break from schooling after this week. We're going to be baking cookies tomorrow and having lunch with my friend, Chris, who also has 6 children. Wow, there will be 12 children at my house tomorrow. The funny thing is that it's not complete chaos. These are wonderful children! I need to send Christmas cards and finish shopping. It's hard to get it all done with a nursing baby. It limits my time out and I'm still so tired in the morning. She's so cute, though!

I just found out that Creative Memories will be offering framing early next year! I can't wait to get more information on that. I am eagerly awaiting my first story book. I'll take a pic of it and show it to you when it comes in. I have a personal web address now and you can order directly from it and have things shipped to your doorstep. It's www.mycmsite.com/nanpalmer. Check it out!

Praise Reports

Good news to report! Eden now weighs 11 pounds! She has gained 1 pound since her check-up two weeks ago. Yes, that is ALL nursing. I am so thankful that God has anwered my prayers in this area. Two other praise reports. Dan needed some new jeans and I really didn't want to spend money on clothes right now. Well a friend of mine dropped some clothes off recently that her son had outgrown and there were several pairs of jeans in there perfect for Dan and Max! Also, our fake Christmas tree is rather sad. I had wanted to buy a new one this year, but it was not in the budget. Last night my brother called me and said he had a brand new one in the box and did I want it? It's 7 feet tall and pre-lit!! WOOT! God is so good!

This will just crack you up!

Watch this video from Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-74NtTj3e8

We were talking about evangelism in church this summer and they showed this clip. I was laughing so hard I was crying. Enjoy!

Thought for the day

A good friend of mine reminded me of this lately and it impacted me, so I thought I would share with you:

God has given us enough hours in a day for the things He deems worth doing.

Also, I suggest you take your family to see the new movie The Nativity Story. It looks amazing! Go to http://www.apple.com/trailers/newline/thenativitystory/ to see the trailers. We are planning on going--just need a sitter for Tommy and maybe Eden. Have a blessed Friday! It's December, yea!

I would be doing a lot better if I could get more sleep... I can really appreciate how difficult it is to have 4 children under the age of 8 years old now that my older kids are not home. This is my first day on my own with all of them. Now the baby is crying, so I can't finish this post. I love all of them, but I'm having trouble coping with the craziness. If you think about it, please pray for me. I don't like this right now. I will say it again--if I had more sleep I'm sure it would be better. I am thankful to God for my beautiful children. Okay, now I'll say it 50 times. (Who cares about the mess all over the house, right?!?)

Visitors

We had friends come for a visit today! Celeste (yes, my daughter's namesake) and Brian along with their 2 daughters ages 4 and 5. It was so nice to catch up and visit for many hours over bbq and then later some pizza. The kids had a good time playing outside and in! Celeste says I haven't blogged much lately, so I thought I'd write a quick one. I included a picture of Celeste and me that was taken back in April. We've been friends since college. We met in December of 1987. It's been about 19 years now. Hard to believe!

Also, I WON BINGO on Women @ Home last week!!!! WOOT! I can't wait to see what my prize is...Pat is mailing it to me. I'll keep you posted on that one.

Have you tried mineral make up? I found it hard to believe those infomercials, but with staying up at night with the baby I was tempted to try it and it REALLY does work! Love it! Try it at www.bareminerals.com. (I get no kick-backs for my promotion.) Did you know that there's not much on at 4 in the morning? We have DISH and it pretty much goes to infomercials at that point. Hopefully, baby Eden will start sleeping through that feeding soon...

Eden Joy is 8 weeks old

Things

Okay, I know it's been a long time since I posted. My excuse is adjusting to life with a new baby and trying to organize 6 children. That has been quite a task! I did get a bit of time to myself last weekend. I went to a Creative Memories workshop and got to work on Eden's album, Tommy's album, and our family album. Also, I became a consultant! I used to be one back in 1999-2001. Things are so cool now! They have an awesome computer program to manage your photos called Memory Manager. Also, there are new digital storybooks for people who don't want to scrapbook, but would like to make an album...you just do it on the computer and then order the book from CM. They make great gifts, too! Contact me for more info on these things. Check out their products at www.creativememories.com.

Celeste is all excited because she will be able to drive at night next week. We need to practice more with her. Jamie and Celeste are going to visit their Dad in St. Louis for Thanksgiving. I will miss them and their help with all the little people. It should be interesting! My family is coming here--except for Jamie, my brother. We hope to see him at Christmas. Our calendar is already getting busy for the month of December.

Okay, time to go feed Eden again and get going with my day. I will try to post a more recent picture of her. She weighs around 9 1/2 pounds now. She is SO petite. She's starting to smile and coo. So cute!

This is how I am feeling today. How does one get everything done in a right manner? How do you recover from a c section, care for a newborn, school 4 children, and train a toddler all on a handful of broken up sleep? Today I am wishing I knew the plans God has for me...instead I pray and wait for His answers.

Upward Conference 2006

We just finished a weekend at Camp Kulaqua with 7 Sovereign Grace churches at a conference called Upward '06: Compelled by the Gospel. There was awesome worship, family fun, and some excellent teaching by Danny Jones and Brent Detweiller. I didn't make every session due to a newborn and I spent a lot of time in the nursing mom's room, but I'm going to download the messages. Go to www.upwardconference.com for this year's messages. In fact, in Saturday morning's message at the very beginning Brent mentions two 12 year old young men. One of them is my son, Jamie! If you are hungry for Gospel truths these will fit the bill.

I put up some pics of the kids. Jamie and Celeste performed with Mimetime, the boys went go-carting, in the springs, Jamie went on the blob, and Eden turned a month old! Now I'm exhausted and will spend the week recovering! God bless you!

Don't Forget Me, Mom!

I'm feeling a bit better every day, yea! Some of the fog from the pregnancy and crazy birth has lifted and I can think more clearly now--when I'm not too tired, lol! Here is a picture of Tommy, who just LOVES to hold the baby...and touch her--sometimes not very gently. He is 25 months old. I'm glad he has a buddy now. Celeste and Jamie are buddies and Dan and Max are buddies. Now Tommy has a buddy!

Just tired...

Well, I've been tired. The big dilemma is usually should I take a shower or take a nap. Needless to say, I usually choose the nap. The baby is nursing so frequently that it's hard to do anything else. It's a good thing I really can't do anything else, ha ha! Please pray that Eden would nurse efficiently and I would have an abundant milk supply. I'm having problems in the early morning hours. She wants to nurse all night and I get worn out and can't do it. I'm so tired by 5 Am with no sleep. The past two mornings Stu has given her a bottle so I can sleep. I hope this isn't train wrecking the breast feeding thing. Other than that, I can't lay down to sleep in our bed and I'm not a back sleeper, so I'm even more tired b/c my rest is not adequate. Please pray for that. I'm pretty much home alone with the kids. Stu is back to work on a 2/3 day schedule. The kids are stir crazy, too. That's us right now! Reality is so, well, REAL.

More cute pictures!

Dan and Max is holding Eden
The biggest brother of all
Me and my car seat
Cute, Cute, Cute!

Newborn Nights

I'm enjoying my time with our new baby. She is very sweet even though we were cluster feeding from 2-5 AM. The itty bitty stage doesn't last long and I'm determined to enjoy it. I am feeling a bit better every day. Praise God for that! We have such lovely friends from church who are taking wonderful care of us. Thank you!

Here's here little web page with a few pics they took at the hospital. They're kind of funny! To leave a comment our password is Palmer.
http://www.growingfamily.com/webnursery/babypage_view.asp?URLID=6V0U5T9Z0V

Enjoy!

Here's a couple more pics. We came home today. C sections are horrible! I've been really struggling with recovery. I appreciate your prayers!

New Baby girl!

Here is Eden Joy!
She is so beautiful!
At 8 lbs 4 oz she is the smallest baby of us all!
All of us are anxiously waiting Mom, Dad and Eden's return to home tomorrow afternoon!
Thank you for all the prayers!

-Celeste

Eden Joy!

After hours of labor my mom had to have an emergency c section. My mommy is in the hospitable and is still recovering. As of last night the nurse was saying she might have to stay till Sunday. Please pray for her that she would have a easy recovery! I know right now she is very uncomfortable.

Mom, Dad and the whole gang are so happy that we have a beautiful little baby girl! I don't have a picture yet but will try and get one! At 8 lbs 4 oz and 20 in long she is my mommies smallest baby! We think her eyes will stay blue and she has a little head of brown fuzzy hair (way more than the boys had!). I think she looks like my mom and me more than the boys do! I will get a picture up asap! Thank you for all the prayers!

P.S. If you are reading this, I love you mom!!

-Celeste

I changed my ticker box since baby will be coming tomorrow...God willing! I really will be 38 weeks, 2 days when she arrives. I'm thinking of going out by myself today for a little while. I still need to take a shower and get motivated. My hubby says he's coming home from work early, too. He's very busy, so I don't know if that will really happen. Okay, talk to everyone after the baby comes! Celeste will post her stats on Thursday night, probably.

I trust in the Lord of my salvation!

Baby Update

God does answer prayer! Not to be gross, but I lost my mucus plug on Saturday night. Yea! Also, I went to see Jane on Monday and I'm 2-3 cm dilated, WOOT! No problem for induction. I am scheduled for Thursday. We are to call to make sure there's room. Please pray that there's room for me. We have everything arranged with friends and family to care for our other children. This is no simple task. Thank you for all your prayers! You may not hear from me until after the baby comes. I've been a pro at just laying around. Energy is low and things don't feel good most of the time. Blessings!

This silly couple is about to have their 6th baby! Please pray for them to have abundant grace over the coming couple of months as many adjustments will be made to their family. They praise God for his blessings! (Okay, I found this pic on Stu's computer and had never seen it before....I love it of us together. I love my husband dearly!!!)

Win a FREE blog design!

Would you like to win a free customized blog design?? I know I would! New baby, new blog design! Go to www.bluebirdblogs.blogspot.com to get info on entering. What a great treat that would be!

God's Favor

I will open this up by saying that I know that God is in control of my life and that His timing is perfect. He knows what I need even before I go to Him in prayer for it. At this time, I am experiencing some worry about being induced next week. When I saw one of the midwives on Wednesday I wasn't very "ready" to have this baby. So I called back and spoke with another one of the midwives--both of these are not JANE (who knows me very well). I will be going in earlier than planned next week to determine if things are favorable for my induction on Thursday. If they are not, then we'll have to wait. I am very concerned about having another huge baby and a bad tear (sorry if that's TMI!). I am praying for God's favor for next week and I'm praying for a smaller baby this time. I DO just want her to be healthy, of course. I'm just feeling a bit anxious right now. So please pray for God's favor for me at the end of this pregnancy. Pray that things would go well and I could have the baby next week. It's hard to arrange care for 5 kids at the spur of the moment. I'll be spending a bunch of extra time praying and reading my bible. I KNOW God is sovereign in my life. I'm probably borrowing tomorrow's trouble for nothing, but your prayers are coveted and will be a blessing to me! Thanks!

Inside Job--One last look!

Eden Joy at 37wks, 1 day--estimated weight 8 lbs., 11 oz.

Here is the most recent u/s picture of baby Eden. She was looking quite chunky on the screen today. She sure has a cute nose and some plump looking lips. Her head was something like 35 cm...I just don't even want to think about that. The estimated weight for today was 8 pounds, 11 ounces. The midwife felt around and felt she was closer to 8 pounds, so I'm hoping for a baby that's under 9 pounds this time. We'll see! The u/s tech showed me where she had some cute hair fuzz on her head, so she has some, but it didn't look like much. I was only dilated 1 cm today :(. Baby is high. BUT a lot can happen in the next 8 days before I get induced! We are very excited!!

The ladies from church threw me a baby shower last night. It was lovely. The cake had a cute little baby in the center of it. There was yummy fruit salad, little quiches, dip, cheese, roll-ups, and delicious punch. I feel very loved! Thank you ladies! Eden got LOTS of clothes. So much pink. She better be a girl!!

I am Strawberry Ice Cream!

You Are Strawberry Ice Cream

A bit shy and sensitive, you are sweet to the core. You often find yourself on the outside looking in. Insightful and pensive, you really understand how the world works. You are most compatible with chocolate chip ice cream.

http://www.blogthings.com/whatflavoricecreamareyouquiz/

12 Days!

...until my induction. I'm starting to feel nervous about how it will go. I think this one will be faster than Tommy's labor. I believe she's smaller than he was. We have an ultrasound this Wednesday to check her size, so we'll have more info then. But hey, the good news is that I STILL have a little bellly button left! Never had one this late in the game...except for maybe during my first pregnancy. I have only gained 15 pounds so far and am hoping not to gain any more. The ladies at church are throwing me a shower in a few days and I'm excited to get to fellowship with them. It's always fun when we get together!

Home school is going very well this year so far. We've had some curriculum changes with 2 of the kids. Also, the jury is still out on FLVS Spanish I for Celeste. We have to decide by Sunday b/c that's the last day to drop. I'm thinking I should do some lesson planning this coming week so that after the baby comes things will run smoothly. I am awaiting some new books for Max. He may end up being my biggest challenge yet in the reading department, but I'm plugging away at it.

Please pray for my husband's business. We really need to have a closing before the end of November. We have a house (Misty Oaks) that REALLY needs to sell. I am praying for God's favor...although, I think we have it with the beautiful family he has given us. I think I should rather say I am praying for financial blessing during this time. He is Sovereign. I will leave you with a verse from my son, Jamie: "Do everything without grumbling or complaining..." Phil. 2:14.

Tommy Bahama

Yesterday was little Tommy's 2nd birthday!!! I guess he's no longer a baby anymore. He's been a toddler for some time now, but he still looks like a baby. I can't believe it's been two years already. AND this week Celeste got her learner's permit!!! Anyway, Happy Birthday to Tommy who was born on:

August 24th, 2004
9 pounds, 6 ounces
9:06 PM!

I LOVE YOU!!

28 Days

Actually, my ticker in the sidelines is off. Why? Because I am scheduled to be induced 4 weeks from today! That's September 21st. A Thursday. I have 28 days left until I meet my precious baby. I'm excited and trying to get ready mentally. I still need to get ready around the house, but figure I still have time. I don't have one diaper for her! I went to the midwife yesterday and had gained 1 1/2 pounds, but total weight gain this pregnancy is only 13 pounds so far. I was measuring 35 weeks. I'm usually way far ahead at this point (I'm 34 weeks), so I'm hoping for a smaller baby this time! I just have to watch what I eat for the next four weeks! Please pray for peace for me. I've been worried about the future and how things are going. Thanks!

Announcing...

Samantha Lindsay Vellekamp
August 18th, 2006
5:10 PM
6 pounds, 11 ounces

My best friend, Valerie, had her baby last night! She had a c-section due to a burst ectopic a couple years ago. The docs said when they got in there it looked like a war zone and that's she's lucky to be alive (from the ectopic and this higher risk pregnancy). Glad they had the foresight NOT to let her go through regular labor. Baby and Mommy are doing fine! I will post pics when I get some! I hear she had some dark hair on that little perfectly round head, unusual for a newborn Vellekamp. Her Daddy, Heath, is very proud. Samantha joins her siblings Ciera 9, Zachary 8, Joshua 8, and Rebeka 5. Yea!

Sorry about my complaining earlier. I could excuse it as pregnancy grumpiness, but it truly is a sin issue. I saw this today and thought it applied...

"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." Psalm 90:14

One day runs into the next...

Tommy gives momma some baby love!

Do you ever get the feeling that one day runs into another? I have nothing major to look forward to until this baby comes...that's a long wait, in my book. Right now I have a 5 and a 7 year old fighting over a pop-tart. They don't want to split it, so no one is getting it. The 5 year old is screaming in his room. I will be honest. I HATE this! When does life get fun again? My 12 year old is going out to have fun at a friends with a bunch of other 12 year olds. My 15 year old is going to the mall with her friends and then back here to hang out tonight. At least when the baby comes I'll have something to do that's constructive. I love my little Tommy. Did you see his cute pic as he's laying over that BIG belly? I've got a little under 5 weeks to go and I feel HUGE. My best friend, Val, is having a c-section as we speak. Wish I could be there! Among other things....

They're Back!

The gang's all here!
Nancy & Valerie, very pregnant!

Yes, my older children, Celeste and Jamie, are back from summer! Their plane was about a half hour early, so by the time we got to the airport to pick them up, they were already on the ground with their luggage. No parking, just got them at the curb and drove off!! I kind of missed the grand welcoming we usually have. That's why there's a picture in the truck! Also, I visited Valerie, my best friend. She was 37 weeks pregnant and I was 32. She is having her baby next Friday on the 18th. No more amnios, the baby's lungs should be okay! We're very busy here getting ready to start school next week and enjoying the return of the kids! Thank the Lord for a new year!

Need of a Nap

Okay, since I am in desperate need of a nap and just laid one cute, crazy toddler down, I'll make this short. It looks like baby Eden will arrive on September 21st as that's when my midwife will be available. I was hoping for the 20th. I like those even-numbered days. That's okay. I gained less than a pound in the past 2 weeks, yea! I had low blood pressure which would explain why I've been feeling heavy and light-headed. Drink more water! Also, I am measuring 35 weeks and today I am 32. I grew 2 weeks in the past 2 weeks, so we're right on. Other than that, Jamie and Celeste will be arriving tomorrow evening. I can't wait!! I wish I had more energy to get ready for them. I have a bit more cleaning to do and a few errands to run before tomorrow. We leave in 24 hours to go to the airport in Orlando. On that note, my best friend, Val, lives in Orlando. She was supposed to have a scheduled c-section this Friday, but it's been postponed b/c her baby girl's lungs aren't developed yet. Please pray for them to develop so they can deliver her safely. Thanks!

What's in a name?

We have decided to name our new baby girl Eden which means: paradise, delightful, beautiful. We are still undecided on the middle name, but have narrowed it down to three choices:

Jubilee--a festival in the OT in Leviticus 25 that was a year of freedom, liberty, blessing
Joy--which is Latin and means Joyful, follower of truth
Elisabeth--it's Hebrew and means Oath of God, consecrated

So, just for fun, what do you think? My hubby really likes Eden Elisabeth...and so does my daughter. I'm not sure yet. Maybe I need to meet her first! This is the fun part, though! I will continue to pray about her name and will be interested to see how opinions run. Blessings!

Baby Stuff

Oh, as the pregnancy turns...today I am 31 weeks. It seems like an eternity until I get to meet her face to face. The hot weather probably isn't helping any and I have 2 friends who are having babies in the next 2-4 weeks. I think I found a car seat I really like and a stroller. They are both made by Combi. The car seat looks like this:
It is Celeste's favorite color combination. It is called Lisa Loves Chocolate Pink by Combi and is a Centre DX car seat. I just wonder if that brown will end up being too hot. There's a cute little stroller that goes with it, but I think I am going to get a double. Combi makes a side by side that has a tri-fold and weighs less than the single Graco I have. Or I will get the Counterpart which is a front back, we will see! There's so much to look at for little girls and it's such fun! Although, technically I have everything I could need for her, but I would love some nice things as she's the first girl in 15 years! It's quiet here tonight. Stu's at a meeting and I'm in a slump. 8 days until the kids come home and I just don't know what to do between now and then...

And so...

Me at 29 weeks...
Max & Dan with their balloon creations
Lauren plays in the water with the boys.
Taking a train ride at the book circus

This is what we're doing. I love posting pics. I like looking at other people's pictures, too! I visited my daughter's blog this morning. She has a few cute ones up as well...check them out at www.irishgal247.blogspot.com. I am very excited that the older kids will be home in 12 days! We have a busy weekend planned. I get a fun date with my hubby, yea! Have a very blessed day and weekend!

Welcome to your 30th week...

Okay, a cure for heartburn would be invaluable right now. Also, if I could just borrow a 25 year old's body for the remainder of this pregnancy, that might be helpful as well! From about 1:30 to 3 AM last night I had some terrible pain in my right groin area. It was kind of like contractions, but just in one little place. My midwife says we may never know what it was...I hope I never do again! Needless to say, I'm short on sleep today and having a few more aches and pains than usual. I guess I'll just chalk it up to pregnancy at 38...okay you got me, it is the 6th one that has gotten this far! Hey, I have a screaming 23 month old at my lap. Guess that closes the thought for the day. Now where's my hubby with that pizza??

All You Need

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:16

"...for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matt. 6:8

"The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me." Isa. 116:6

I have really felt over the past couple of days that God is impressing on me that He has given me all I need and that He will continue to cover me in that area. This is in the midst of my heart not quite feeling that way. I just needed to remind myself of this and went to the Word to get some reinforcement. Above is just a sample of what I found. I hope it encourages you, too! It's hard to live in this modern, American society and not feel that some of our wants are really needs. I pray today that we all would look to our Father to meet our every need.

Little Pirates

My 3 little boys!

Tommy is a pirate
The boys were being so cute today. I thought I would post a couple pictures of them. They got the pirate bandana in a happy meal. What fun it is to be a kid! I like to remember all the fun I had as a teenager and in college. My Dad, brothers, and I always had a blast together!

Life has been a bit depressing. I don't even know where to start. I guess it all started when my big kids went away for summer...that always REALLY SUCKS! It upsets the balance in our family. My boys miss them and I miss the fun they are. Plus they're lots of wonderful help. I guess I'm just being pregnant. I can't seem to get a babysitter this summer. We haven't been on a date since May and before that it was January. I'm lonely. My hubby is wrapped up with work. It's too hot to go outside--especially when you're almost 30 weeks pregnant. I wish we had a pool--they're soooo expensive. I have so many other things to complain about, but I think I'll just stop with life is no fun right now and hasn't been...

Personality Test

I took this personality test and it was very interesting. I thought you might be interested in doing it, too, for fun. Check it out!! It seems to be pretty accurate for me. I DO like routine, but can adapt to change, too!

You Are An ESFJ

The Caregiver You are sympathetic and caring, putting friends and family first.A creature of habit, you prefer routines and have trouble with change.You love being in groups - whether you're helping people or working on a project.You are good at listening, laughing, and bringing out the best in people. You would make a great nurse, social worker, or teacher.

What's" Your Personality Type?

Just when I think I have it all figured out, God brings something to my attention...my indwelling sin. I think I've been guilty lately of the sin of materialism insomuch that it relates to all the things I want, or wish that I had. I have spent too much time concentrating on how I could get these things: new bedroom set (so we can pass ours to Celeste--whose dresser is for a small child), furniture for Jamie who has been living with only a bed, things for the new baby--such as a new stroller, car seat, crib, rocker, and a pool. As I look around my house I truly see abundance. God has so blessed me with this abundance. I will take today to be thankful for the things He HAS blessed me with.

~a lovely home
~6 beautiful children...almost!
~a dedicated, hard-working husband
~a housefull of noise...and stuff
~forgiven sins...Praise the Lord for that one!
~a wonderful church home with great teaching and good Christian friends

I'm so pregnant...I added one picture twice. Since I think it would be harder to modify the post, here's the pic I meant to put in. It's from June 1992, so she would have been 11 months old. We were visiting in Sarasota. She has much more hair than any of the boys had.

Happy Birthday!

HAPPY 15th Birthday, Celeste!!!
Today is my daughter's 15th birthday!!! She is my oldest child. When she returns from summer with her Dad I'm sure she's looking forward to getting her learner's permit. I can't believe she'll be driving. They grow up SO fast! She was born on July 10th, 1991 at 12:31 PM. She weighed 9 lbs., 6 oz. and was 22 inches long. My labor was 21 hours. She was 10 days late and was born in a military hospital where they didn't offer epidurals. It was pretty terrible, but she was WELL worth it. I LOVE YOU CELESTE! Here is a little picture tribute.

Every good thing comes from above! Thank you Jesus for my daughter!

Small Victory

Well, in the past several days I have managed to get Tommy off the bottle. Hooray! This was no small task for my 22 month old. Like his older sister, he was VERY attached. He may not be getting as much milk, but he seems happy. Another small victory is that I finally got Celeste enrolled at FL Virtual School to take Spanish 1. She is on a waiting list as they form classes. She will have a challenging academic year for 10th grade. I'm sure she will do great! I thank God for both of these little victories.

Nothing much going on here. Dan and Max have a bday party to go to this afternoon. Stu is mowing the lawn. We received some much needed rain the other day, but that makes the grass grow faster. (to the dismay of my husband!) I have had a lot of lower back/tailbone pain the past few days. It is quite hard to deal with...I have some fears as I have over 10 weeks left. I am praying God will be gracious to me, though. So far no insulin. That's a praise report! I guess this body just isn't what it used to be.

I am interested in making homemade bread. You know, grind your wheat, etc. I am going to a bread class next weekend. I hope it helps. When I made it the first time the loaf was quite dense and then my grain got weevils and they spread all over my pantry. Not good for starting out. No wonder it's been many months and I haven't tried again. I would love to make homemade waffles and pancakes from scratch, too! Scrapbooking is going well. I'm almost done with 2005. I hope to be all caught up by the time the baby comes.

Have a blessed day! Read about the Year of Jubilee in Leviticus 25 that proclaims liberty to all the inhabitants of the land.

26 weeks, 1 day estimate weight 2 lbs., 5 oz.

Kind of down in the dumps again today. I guess it's just a pregnant thing. I am VERY tired. I've been going non-stop for the past several days. My best friend, Val, was here with 3 of her kids and we had a good time. Yesterday I had another ultrasound. We're STILL having a girl. She looked lovely! I'll try to add a picture. I'm doing well with my gestational diabetes. I took a blood test that is supposed to tell you how well your sugars are in control and mine came back NORMAL--ha! Baby is measuring about a week ahead, but I don't have excess amniotic fluid yet and fundus is measuring right on 26 weeks. I can't wait to meet this little girl and I miss my kids that are gone :(!