I can't believe it!

My eyes may have been playing tricks on me, but I swear I saw a tiny bit of very wet snow mixed with the drizzle of rain we got this afternoon. Actually, it's been raining off and on all day. Where was all this rain a few months ago when it might have done some good!?

The forecast for Houghton calls for temps down to 29* tonight. But by Sunday we should be back up around 70*. I just love this time of year!

Baby still shows no sign of making an appearance any time soon. Thomas was so early (nearly a full two weeks before his due date) that I had myself convinced this baby would be the same way. I should know by now that they are individuals, right from the beginning, and that nothing about motherhood is predictable. So, I've resigned myself to my fate, and figured I might as well try to enjoy these last few days (please, not "weeks") before our organized Life As We Know It dissolves into Life With A Newborn.

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend. God bless!

Praying for Patience

"Lord, give me patience.... RIGHT NOW!" I can't remember where I first heard or read that, but it describes pretty well how I'm feeling right now. Amanda visited yesterday, and nothing has really changed except I'm having fewer contractions than I was the week before but Baby is even lower. As much as I enjoy being pregnant and as good as I feel (most of the time, anyway) I am hoping Baby will decide to be born sooner rather than later. But, all I can do is be patient. And ask for prayers. *grin*

God bless!

I wanted to tell everyone that Chuck has posted some good pictures of the children to his blog. He seems to have a good eye for photography!

This week flew by, and it is Saturday again already! Today we plan to get the children washed in the sauna (we love our sauna!) and then head to nearby Baraga and L'Anse. There is the possibility of us picking up some furniture (we still have no couch or frame for our bed), and we would like to visit the Shrine to Bishop Baraga. And, who knows, maybe the drive and the walking will help me along.

Have a beautiful weekend, everyone!
God bless!

Progress Report

We've had a very busy week. Chuck has been home since Saturday, and he plans to stay home until after Baby's arrival. I've been having contractions at night that are regular for a few hours and then go away. They are much stronger and feel different from braxton-hicks, but don't quite have that edge to them. My midwife visited today. Everything is looking very good; Baby is lower than before and I am measuring 3 cm smaller than last week. She said "any time now". Oh, it is so hard to be patient and not anxious!

In the meantime we've been trying to guess when Baby will be born, how much Baby will weigh, and whether or not Baby will have black hair. (Chuck had a dream about a dark-haired baby.) It is a lot of fun to speculate. And, of course, we are still discussing names, especially potential boys' names. Around dinner the other evening we were brainstorming with the children. "How about Michael?" somebody would suggest. "But Michael is Thomas' middle name!" "So? Michael is a good name!" "Yes it is; that's why we've used it." More discussion, then somebody says, "How about Steven". "Um, Steven is Daniel's middle name." "Oh, yeah." I'm just hoping that if this baby is a boy we will know his name when we see him.

God bless!

Almost there!

I had a very nice visit with the midwife yesterday. Everything is looking good. I'm feeling great, and apparently Baby had quite a growth spurt! I've gotten the diapers and baby clothes washed, and the children gushed over each little shirt, gown, and sock as I folded them. I will be officially full term at the end of this week. I know there are many, many people praying for us, and I am so thankful. We are almost there!

The children had their picture in the newspaper today. That was very exciting! Unfortunately, Chuck has given me a different scanner/printer, and I don't know how to use it! The group picture is really poor quality, but Raechel, Joseph, and the other prize winners had their pictures taken seperately, and that one turned out pretty well. I'll make copies of it (I know how to do that!) to send to grandparents.

God bless!

August is nearly over...

... and that means fall is beginning here in the UP. Chuck has been sent back to Texas for the week, and I really enjoyed the drive to the airport today. Believe it or not, quite a few trees are already turning colors. I've noticed this over the last week or so, but refused to believe my eyes. It's still summer for goodness' sake! Isn't it? The days are getting shorter, and nights are getting cooler, but while nature hints at fall my calendar still says summer!

We are going to be very busy this week. I think I'm entering the "nesting" phase of pregnancy! I'm planning on keeping the kids (and myself) so busy that this week will fly by. But don't worry, I promised I would NOT "pop" while Chuck is gone so I won't overdo it! And I have lots of helpers. Many hands do indeed make light, and pleasant, work.

God bless!

What a Day!

We have had such a busy day today! Pancakes and lessons, fixing the toilet and balancing the checkbook. I love it when we are all busy, because everyone seems to get along better and be in a more cheerful mood. The little boys especially tend to get quarrelsome when there isn't so much to keep their attention.

Our roof is about half way done, thank goodness! The guys were going so slow at first that I could just see myself giving birth with two strange men on my roof. But so long as they don't run into any snags (and, gee, who ever heard of anything slowing down contract work?) they should be done and gone before I am ready. Chuck has posted some pictures, including pictures of the roof, on his blog. He is much better about getting pictures than I am.

The library party was great fun. Joseph had the most points out of the (many) boys in his age group, and he won a toy truck and a book. Raechel had the most points in the 10-12 age group; she was given a gift certificate good toward buying books through the library. (And with their discount!) Then, Joseph won the raffle for one of the two books they were giving away as door prizes. This book is about pirates and has all type of neat additions, such as old-fashioned playing cards, maps, even a wanted poster!

It is 6:00pm now and there is still quite a bit to do. Mom might be through, but the day isn't! There are approximately 90 socks flapping from the clothesline to be brought in and sorted. My dough is about through rising, and we are having a pizza party tonight. I rented Cheaper By The Dozen, the old version. We enjoyed the book as a family read-aloud, but I was not at all impressed by the newer movie. I'm told this one is much better.

I hope everyone (including us!) has a wonderful and productive weekend. God bless!