Official Announcement

I imagine most people who read this blog have probably already heard the news, but in case you haven't -- God has blessed us one more time.  We're expecting #9!  I kept intending to post.  Really, I did!  Then it got so late I thought I'd wait until the ultrasound.  It's hard to believe we've passed that 1/2 way point already. (For those viewing the mobile version of this post, you will need to view the web version to watch the videos - at least I did from my phone when I checked it.)

You can see her moving her hands, and also see her tongue move in her mouth. :)

I love the little twitch in her foot... as if she were dreaming?

Temperance Grace (praying fervently that she will live up to her name!) will join our family sometime around my birthday in mid-November.  Interestingly enough, her u/s was on Tim's birthday last week. :)  The kids are all very excited, and most were voting for a girl anyway, so the results were welcomed! Tim and I were especially relieved... we had a girl name chosen, but not even one idea for a boy name. LOL

The little "bubble" above her nose is part of the umbilical cord.

Precious little piggies.

The writing of this post was delayed further as I struggled with balancing our joy with the discovery that my dear friend had once again suffered the loss of a baby.  Last fall the family experienced the loss of twins at about 12 and 16 weeks gestation.  Her current due date was about 10 days after mine, and her ultrasound just two day after mine.  At that u/s they discovered her baby had passed away a few weeks ago.  This news has been devastating for them.  I grieve deeply with their family, and would ask for prayer for them at this time.  This is one of those times when I have to admit to questioning God.  It seems so unfair.  And while I grieve with them, I cannot begin to understand the depth of their grief.  Please, hold them up in prayer when you think of them... not just now, but over the coming difficult months.

Oddities

We took a spontaneous trip out to the back end of St. John's Arboretum today. Tim saw something interesting along the roadside while completing the 50 mile course for Tour of Saints yesterday. 

Despite the unexpected bloody nose Shi experienced while we walked the arboretum trail it was a fun time. :)

Delayed response

Last week there were several storms that affected many in our area. So many people lost trees, or had damage to buildings/roofs. We thought we made it through unscathed. 

Yesterday, however, it became apparent that one of our trees didn't quite look right. We noticed a drooping branch. When we woke this morning the tree looked like this:

So, five days after the last bad storm we saw the damage that had been done. That branch on the right used to be tall enough to ride under with the mower...

This evening Tim borrowed his buddy's chainsaw and fixed the problem. Good thing he had so much help. ;)

And, a few more pics - because I can...

As an aside:  In the clean-up process we also discovered we have ash plant bugs (a quick google search for "insects associated with ash trees" provided the answer). The tree has been dropping leaves for a couple years, and just doesn't look completely healthy. We knew there was something going on, but today we actually saw the bugs. The ash plant bug apparently won't kill the tree - just makes it look "unsightly".

 

6 years 1 month 23 days

That's how old Shiloh was the day she lost her first tooth.

First and Last

Today was TJ's first birthday! I cannot believe he's one!! He's a pretty happy kid. Loves his brothers and sisters, but I think Alex is his favorite. Sometimes sleeps through the night, but just as often is awake once or twice. He's got a great sense of humor, and a belly laugh that's contagious. Happy first birthday, baby!

As for lasts... Chase completed his final math test today. He's glad to he done with his last day of school this year but worried about what he'll do with his time tomorrow. I assured him I have plenty of chores and cleaning to keep him busy. ;)