before i forget

the day of my 12 week appointment, marit said "oh i wish you were going to the doctor for a baby!" and then later in the day she said "i know it's not appropriate to say, but it looks like you are having a baby!"  sweetness.  i'm definitely showing a bit:) 

we all sat on the couch that evening and told then we had something to tell them.  marit started giggling uncontrollably and said "i know what it is!  it's a baby!"  when we confirmed that she was right, there was laughing and three little noggins all trying to kiss my tummy at once.  graham said "i love this baby already."  marit said "oh i hope it doesn't die."  we talked through a little about trusting God with this life, even in the unknowns.  i know these conversations will continue.  they are very excited and have name opinions and lots of questions. 

later that evening, we got burgers with friends (what is it about pregnancy that makes you want beef?) and walked in our favorite park.  

favorite men

couldn't get miles to join the fun

love this husband so much!

my parents came through town on their way to send mom to India to meet Caroline.  of course my dad happily completed a project for us...the bottom bunkbed drawers.  this man is patient with all this "help"!

the boys love them.  the rug and bedspreads are from urban i think, but i got them super cheap at a local sale.  but, how do you make the top bunk with that railing?  graham tries hard, but it always looks funny...

just for fun...a soccer pic.  g has gotten the hang of it and is really enjoying being the biggest kid in the league (he is playing with 3 and 4 yr olds and will be 5 next month).  ha!

songs of joy

have you heard this song? i've been listening to it over and over this week since my brother sang it during our family Sunday worship at the beach. i just love it as it reflects a longing in our hearts for God to help us to be faithful, even in the midst of life's hardships. "all those who sow weeping will go out with songs of joy." today i had a doctor's appointment for our newest little person who is 12 weeks old and thus far healthy and strong. it has been a struggle for me this time around to battle my anxious thoughts, to have open hands, to trust that God's love for me and this little one far exceed even what i can imagine. we pray that this time there won't be weeping (except for the tears of exhaustion!), but we don't know that will be the case. on this side of heaven there is much heartache. we know this. so we give thanks for this new life and pray for healthy pregnancy, for this one to grow to be a warrior for the Kingdom. we will tell the kids tonight. it has been hard to keep it to ourselves through the morning-sickness, but wanted to protect their tender hearts just a little this time.

 there are no illusions in our mind that adding to this craziness will be easy, but we are so thankful and look forward to being a family of six!

we went to the beach

when adam found out he unexpectedly had a 3 day weekend on his 34th birthday (truly a rare luxury for a resident), he decided he wanted to go to the beach. who was i to argue? the kiddos have never been to the ocean at a time warm enough to swim and we knew they would just love to run and swim and catch things and dig. they did. we loved doing it with them. it is not "restful" really to vacation with small people, but it can be refreshing anyway...especially when you get to do it with dear friends and family and you have no internet and little cell-phone reception and just a whole lot more quiet and sweet conversation. the cousins had not seen each other since Christmas so they had a blast. Katie and Jeremy recently moved away and we have been missing them so much.

handsome brother

precious niece

adam likes catching things as much as they do

night-time crabbing

to prove i was on this trip and did spend some time with the kiddos:) we did not even get a family picture or one of me and adam together.  oh well!

one way to use the boogie board

this castle was a serious undertaking

the boys went to the serpentarium

just holding a boa (i think). no big deal

snakes in trees=creepiness

morning snuggles and watching the fish jump

crazy 8s

it was so good to catch up with these dear ones

jeremy took the role of fun "uncle" seriously

men working hard

so thankful for this sister-friend

tiddly wink

miss this precious friend!

cutie pie

some everyday

my sister sent me an email saying she missed seeing posts on here.  sometimes i feel like social media just makes me lonely.  i really long to connect with people in real life, you know in real conversation instead of just liking their pictures on facebook and leaving the occasional blog comment.  i don't even have a smart phone, but i feel like this article is right on the money.  but my family is spread all over the planet, my brother and sister-in-law just had a baby in India, friends have moved away, and time is so so short.  and plus, i like to go back and look at pictures of the kiddos as they grow, even if over half the photos on my camera are blurry unidentifiable ones the kids took.  here are a few poorly photographed moments of the dog days of summer.  sometimes we get a taste of fall in the morning and we so look forward to being outside more when it cools down a bit.

the other day, g went to play with a friend and mar and i had some sweet time while littlest bro napped.  we will soon be saying goodbye to the orange kitchen.  my house is slowly becoming all cool colors.  my brain needs rest from the bold colors for now.

this is my sweetest little niece caroline. we can't wait to meet her at Christmas.  isn't she the most precious little bean?

 

typical morning

shenanigans

this is our precious new neighbor all the way from south africa.  miles adores him, though i'm not sure if x is crying or smiling in this photo

a butterfly the kids "rescued."  look at its poor tattered wings.  this is typical of our outdoor adventure.  some creatures is always being rehabbed, or hurried to the grave...whatever you want to call it.

oh this sweet boy.  he is having a really hard time lately.  i love him to pieces, but my hair is going gray i think and he has trouble with sleep these days.  he says the cutest things though and gives the best cuddles.

fun daddy had the idea to catch fireflies and keep them in a jar for a night light.  the kids felt sorry for them and let them go, but had so much joy in the catching.

a picky eater, but LOVES smoothies!

so big and handsome

graham started soccer with some friends from church and my dad came to his first game

these shorties were so cute.  g really got the hang of it by the end of the game and had the happiest look on his face.  he scored a goal and my dad says "had a taste of blood."  it was a good feeling, you could tell.

cheering on big bro

elvin princess

g asks to go creeking every day.  we do it a lot, especially if adam is off for some weird chunk of time in the middle of the day

the boys got bunkbeds and we enjoyed the boxes

i'll have to take a picture of the actual assembled product later.  poor g is sleeping so much better now that he is no longer sharing with night-acrobat miles

it is wild around here

reading is becoming easier for mar and every once in a while she snuggles up her brothers and reads to them. 

this is one of those elaborate rainy summer games with all the pillows and chairs...a nest/trap or something?

we are so ready for residency to be done, but meanwhile i'm thankful for a husband who spends the narrow margins with us...even if it means mowing the lawn like this.

we've started back to our co-op and it has been good for us to get back into that groove.  today marit gave a presentation about rescuing a hummingbird off our neighbor's porch.  the story spilled out rapidly and she had the hiccups the whole time.  it was so cute.  graham gives his presentations while holding onto some part of me.  today he talked about lizards (surprise, surprise) and held his reptile book in front of his face the whole time. 

that's all for now.  we are fine and we probably miss you so don't be a stranger!