my thought for the day

I spend a lot of time thinking about this baby, obviously. I don't know any expecting mother who doesn't think about the baby and wonder the person it will become. Since I don't want to know what I'm having, I've been focusing on the fact that God will give us the exact child that is perfect for us. You've heard the saying that you are the exact mother your child needs. I think it goes both ways! That has really helped my decision of not finding out a lot easier. I don't need to know. I've got no control over it anyway. Sure, it would be easier to plan for and buy for. God is going to give me who he wants us to have. So anyway, I've been wondering lots of things about baby like will it look like Hannah or Ryan...Maybe it won't look like either...Of course, does God think we need another boy or another girl...what is it's personality going to be...Who will this child become one day...There are so many different things going thru my head.

I'm just so glad that I am not the one in charge of all those decisions. I'm so glad that God already had it figured out before the beginning of the world. Every day I'm amazed that our Creator could think of such an amazing way for us to come into the world. Why don't we come from eggs? Why doesn't a stork bring us to our parents? Why aren't we born as adults? I'll never know but I do know I love that God has it all figured out and all I have to do is his will.

And another thought that just came to mind: The purpose of everything, every single thing, in the world is to glorify God. So the child you birthed 1 yr ago, 5 yrs ago, 10 yrs ago or whenever, that you love so much, was created the way he or she is for God's glory. He didn't make her beautiful or smart so she'd have an easy life or have lots of boyfriends. It was for his glory. He didn't make him mishievious just to drive you crazy for the first 4 years (hopefully only 4) of his life. It was for God's glory.

Thank you God for knowing exactly what I need in my life. I hope I can find the different reasons why I need each of my children and appreciate it every day!

today

• Dr appt went great. I'm 12 wks, 3 days. I've only gained 6lb. I've been working hard on the fact that I really only need like 300 extra calories a day. Quality not quantity. Baby's heartrate was 150 and we heard it moving around while they were listening to it. I am now convinced I have felt it more than once.
• I'm petsitting until Wed noonish. So far, so good.
• Hannah didn't have school today but there was parent teacher conferences. I usually am first on the list but not today.
• I've been going none stop since we got back from Cols yesterday so the house is a disaster.
• I've been having sinus headaches since over the weekend. Not much pressure around my nose and eyes. It's more my teeth and ears. It's annoying.
• I found pumpkin ice cream at walmart today. I'm excited to eat some later!
• My poor Ryan is sooo afraid to be outside if he sees a bee or wasp near. He was screaming just like he did the day he got stung all those times so I ran to the door and there was a wasp up on the roof. I went out alittle later with some spray to kill them and he said he didn't want me to get stung. Poor guy.

memories

The kids standing on top of this huge mound of dirt

Ryan picked this pumpkin just for me. Love that boy!

Daddy carrying the pumpkins the kids picked. Love that man!

Posing with our pumpkins

All of us on a hayride around the fruit farm

My sister and I. Love her!

Sawyer is always looking at me like this.

And this is my favorite. I love how Hannah's hair is blowing in the wind. I love these kids!

Often when I am sitting next door with grandm she tells me how her kids' (Brad's mom and uncle) father never did anything with them. She appreciates the fact that Brad and I try so hard to spend quality time with our family and do so much together. Recently she said we are so different from most familes. Well, this weekend was no different. We did my favorite tradition. I don't know why I love going to Cols so pick apples and pumpkins so much. I think it is just a combination of many things. I get tons of great pics, we get off our rears and get outside, we spend the day with my sister and her wonderful family, and we make sooo many memories. I want my kids to know that we care about them enough to do things with them, make time for them. I know they won't truely appreciate any of the things we do until they are much older and have kids of their own. But one day, even if Brad and I have already gone home, I want them to look back at these years and be so thankful for what they had and more importantly, if the Lord hasn't come back by then, I want them to do the same things with their kids and families. So I guess I should say thanks mom and dad for everything!! Love you guys!

As you can tell by my pics, we had a great time this weekend! We got to stay at a hotel for $30 a night. It was really only worth about that much but that's another story! Jess and her fam stayed at the hotel Fri night also and everyone went swimming. I held the baby. =) We called it an early night. Saturday was spent at the fruit farm. We had plans to go to the zoo after we went to the fruit farm but we just never got that far! By the time we ate lunch/supper at 3 there just wasn't much time for anything else. So we went back to the hotel and Brad took the kids swimming while I napped, or tried to. Did I already say I love that man?! We kept Michael with us that night. After that we went back out and walked a few blocks up, we were staying downtown, to see if the Dunkin Donuts was open to buy breakfast for the next morning. Turns out they weren't so we walked back to the truck and went out to buy donuts and find a DQ. By the time we got back it was bedtime for the kids, and me, and Brad and Michael went down to the fitness room and then went swimming. They weren't ready for bed by 9! This morning we got up and went to church with Jess and then had lunch and hung out at her house for awhile and then came home!