Welcoming Jude

We've had plenty of people come by to see the newest member of our family. Everyone is so excited to meet him. What's not to be excited about? New babies are so soft and cuddly and little. Before Jude was born, I thought Joel was so little. I'd forgotten how small new babies are.

My friend Karen came Thursday bearing two casseroles and two batches of cookies. The kids couldn't agree as to whether they wanted chocolate chip or peanut butter, so Karen brought both. She snuggled Jude and made sure every other kid had some individual attention, too.

My friend Tammy took five of our kids for the day on Friday. Her five kids are about the same ages, so even though ten kids made for a very busy day, a great time was had by all (at least all of the kids, that is). She even made dinner for us and dropped it off when she brought the kids back. What a woman!

Matt and I spent Friday morning at doctor's appointments with Jude. He is a bit jaundiced, so we'll be monitoring his biliruben levels throughout the weekend. The poor baby has had his foot poked so many times, between blood glucose level checks, PKU testing and now the biliruben checks. I think I'd be having a nervous breakdown if he were my first baby.

My parents were able to come down to see the baby last night. We had a nice, quiet (as quiet as it gets with six kids) evening. We were even able to have an abbreviated family worship time. We sang "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," even though Paul wished we had sung "Oh, Suzanna." Grandma Jane was able to talk with each of the older kids about the difficulties of this transition time. So far, we've all had our turn with tears (except Matt), but he's probably next. Seriously, he's the only one who has his head on half way straight around here right now. He's the anchor of our family.

Our friends Floyd and Peggy came by this morning to meet Jude. They also brought us a meal and Peggy "settled her debt" to me. When I was still pregnant, we had Floyd and Peggy here for dinner one night. She brought ice cream for dessert. Unknowingly, she brought my all time favorite kind--rocky road. Since I wasn't able to partake of it's chocolaty goodness at the time, she brought me my own stash today. She even had Grace mark it with a permanent marker so that no other member of the family could have it. Mommies always share, though, so no one will be left out.

Daddy has the kids on a walk right now. They needed to burn a little energy (and probably frustration) off. We'll eat dinner and get baths when they get back. We'll have a little Bible time and hit the hay early. Sleep is the biggest shortage around here and will be for a while, I expect. Nothing worth having is easy, but baby Jude is definitely worth having and we're praising the Lord for him.

Safely Home

We came home last night about 5:30 p.m. Apparently the hospital has a rule that the baby must stay for at least 24 hours. I anticipated, however, that they would be relocating us to a different room to free up the birthing suite we were in, so I asked to be discharged. I figured we could not sleep in the hospital or not sleep at home.

As we loaded Jude into the car, Matt said, "Remember thirteen years ago, Melissa? We did the exact same thing in the exact same place." Our Gracie was born and we loaded her into a hand-me-down car seat into the back of our two door Topaz. She was balling, that newborn wail that's so unnerving. I kept thinking, "Surely they're not going to let us take her home. We have no idea what we're doing." The nurse just smiled, waved and said, "Good luck!" Oh my, what the Lord has done since then. We would have been completely overwhelmed had He laid out the plan clearly before us at that moment. One step at a time, one year at a time, He has brought us to this place. What a beautiful tapestry He has woven, combining two lives and creating six more from that union.

When we arrived home last night, we ate dinner with my aunt and uncle (who are also my godparents) and the kids. All of us gathered around the table, sharing our first meal together as a family of eight. My Uncle Keith and Aunt Leanna left behind many farm obligations to be here in our time of need. They are such a blessing to our family. Praise God my aunt and uncle came down on Monday night because we left for the hospital at 5 a.m. and Grace would have been anxious had she awakened and found us already gone. God truly went before us and planned everything perfectly.

Matt and I are exhausted, but everyone is well. As we go through the coming days and weeks, I'm sure we'll have to iron out some wrinkles, but right now we're basking in the blessings of the Lord.

Birth Announcement

Jude Christopher Macduff

Born: Aug. 26, 2008 at 4:02 p.m.

Weight: 7 lbs., 10 oz. Height: 21 in.

We pray that this child will grow to be a man of God who
will “contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to
the saints.” Jude 3

More Pictures with Jude

Jude Pictures

Jude Christopher

We'll get pictures as soon as we can but Melissa says he looks like the rest so you already know what he looks like. Fortunately, Melissa went into labor at 2am. Thus we were able to come in and get him delivered by 4pm. (The induction schedule is days behind right now.) He's very healthy, as is Melissa. 7#10oz. You can see him on the hospital web site too.

Thank you for your prayers. It is wonderful to finally meet this little one. We pray that he will grow to be used mightily by the Lord.

Family of Seven

This evening will be the last evening we spend together as a family of seven. I bought some fried chicken and potato salad for dinner. I rented the original "Cheaper by the Dozen" movie. We'll watch it after dinner.

I spent the afternoon confirming childcare duties. I have about half a dozen people who have graciously agreed to take different shifts while Matt and I are in the hospital. The whole plan may be scrapped if my aunt and uncle can come down. My uncle called last night to tell Matt they would come if it rained (thereby temporarily shutting down harvest). Matt said he would pray for rain. My uncle called this morning to say that Matt's prayers worked--they got rain. If things dry out enough, they'll continue harvesting, but if they don't, the kids will be quite pleased. Either way, we know that the Lord is in control.

We're praying that our 7:00 a.m. check-in time will not be moved due to lack of space and that we get a nurse who is kind and caring and, of course, for a safe delivery. We're also praying that we'll be good ambassadors of Christ. Having six children is unusual and we're very aware that people are curious. This presents a perfect opportunity to give glory to our Lord (between contractions, that is).

We'll post pictures as soon as we can. To God be the glory!

Baby for One More Day

Joel has one more day left to fulfill the role of baby of the family. He's in for quite a shock, I'm sure. People have been asking me how he is doing without his cast. The answer is--great! He demonstrates daily that he makes no connection between his daredevil behavior and any possible negative outcomes resulting from that behavior. The doctor told us Joel wouldn't remember his ordeal. That's not always a good thing.

Joel loves pushing himself down the stairs backwards on his belly. I think he can actually get down the stairs faster than his older brother and sisters. Joel is also walking and running well. His "peg leg" has disappeared and he looks like a normal toddler now, bowed legs and all.

One of Joel's greatest joys in life is tormenting his big sister, Lydia. He's figured out that pulling her hair results in a very loud reaction and he takes great pleasure in it. (Yes, original sin is real.) Joel's antics are a constant source of amusement for the whole family. He's just so darn cute that we often have a hard time disciplining him without laughing.

We know Joel's adjustment into the role of "big brother" will be tough, but by God's grace it will happen. I have a feeling we'll have double trouble on our hands with two little boys so close in age. Life is an adventure and we're loving it. Isn't God great?

Sad Day

Matt's Nana passed away early this morning. She's been quite ill for a couple of months now, but we were still shocked at how quickly she declined. Nana was one of a kind, that's for sure. I enjoyed getting to know her better after she moved here three years ago.

Nana was an avid gardener and lover of flowers. The peonies from her yard graced my yard as well. The blooms were as big as salad plates and the fragrance was out of this world. Peonies always remind me of her. So do violets--not nearly as ostentatious as the peonies, they are so demure that they are often hard to spot amongst their green foliage. Nana also gave me some of her violets for my yard. I always enjoyed picking them to put in a small vase on my kitchen window sill in the spring. They provided a cheery little pick-me-up as did the dishes.

As Matt and I told the kids about Nana this morning, we tried to explain that since The Fall, death is a part of life. Praise Jesus that our eternal hope lies in Him. We also explained to the children that the cycle of life continues. In a couple of days, the Lord willing, we will have a new little life in this house. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Fun at the Fair

Matt took all five kids to the fair by himself last night. They went to the rabbit barn and met up with our friends who also have five kids. The two dads took eight of the kids on the rides--wow, what men. Elizabeth cried on the ride Paul thought was the most fun. As you can see, he had a ball.

I stayed home, turned on my favorite CD of hymns and got some little jobs done that I've been needing some uninterrupted time to accomplish. Amazingly enough, I finished my list in an hour and a half. I thought I'd be doing well to get half of the items on the list done. I even had time to talk with my cousin for forty minutes on the phone. Life without interruptions--a rare luxury for a mother. I was sure happy to see my kiddos when they got home, though. They all gave me huge hugs and kisses before going to bed. I guess absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

Nesting

I've been in full nesting mode for about two weeks now. Since this is my sixth time around, I thought I wouldn't be quite so eager to nest, but those pregnancy hormones are powerful. It rubs off on Matt, too. He always has a list of projects he would like to complete before a new addition arrives. Of course, our ideas of what has priority status don't always mesh. He always wants to clean the garage. I always want to clean closets.

All in all, though, I have a very accommodating husband. He's learned to bow to the wishes of a hormone crazed wife. I had him up until 11 p.m. last Monday hanging pictures. I had been having contractions all night and didn't want to go to the hospital until I got my pictures hung. The contractions finally subsided at midnight and Matt and I were able to get somewhat of a good night's sleep.

This is the first pregnancy in which I've had the luxury of having two older girls to whom I can delegate some of my nesting jobs. Both Grace and Elizabeth have been a great help to me. What a blessing!

I've also had many blessings given to me by my friends. My friend Lisa has helped so much with all the unpacking and organizing. I really didn't expect to be so far along in getting this house into order before the baby came and it's been a huge burden lifted from my shoulders to have things put in their places.

My friend Laurie made two beautiful baby blankets for Jude. They're going to be perfect for swaddling him. I always like to have at least one new blanket for each baby. I packed the two blankets Laurie made in my hospital bag.

My friend Julie made some church-worthy burp cloths. The girls were especially thrilled with these. Grace thinks an old cloth diaper just isn't nice enough to take to church. Julie even offered to do all my canning for this year--now that's TRUE friendship. Anybody who has canned before knows what an offer of service this is.

I've been trying to get childcare in place for when Matt and I have to go to the hospital. I was really starting to get nervous about it this past weekend. I had to keep saying to God, "You saved this baby. I know You have a plan. I know You won't abandon me now."

I was able to get a young lady who has taken care of our kids before to commit to the majority of the day on the 26th. The kids absolutely love Cassandra, so all should be well. Our friends Cami and Peggy also offered to help should I go into labor before that day. Matt's brother and sister-in-law said they would be available. My mom and Matt's parents will also help as needed. The Lord has provided, as He always does. Why do I doubt the Lord who has always taken care of me? Oh ye of little faith. I'm still being sanctified. Praise God that He hasn't seen fit to abandon such a big project.

Family and Friends

This past week has been a busy one, full of visits from loved ones. Last Wednesday, my friend Karen came to visit us. As Anne of Greene Gables would say, we're "kindred spirits" and even though it had been a long time since we'd seen each other, it didn't feel like we'd been separated for long. Karen has raised six of her own children (one is now in Heaven), so she can relate well to my situation. She zeroed in on what my greatest need will be after the baby comes--she offered to bring meals to us. The kids were more than pleased to oblige Karen's request for what to make.

Last Friday, my parents came down for the afternoon. Dad and I went to Lowe's for a few things, including wasp spray. We've had a horrible problem with wasps around here. When Matt sprayed them later that night, he got stung right on the forehead. His forehead swelled over the weekend, despite having taken Benedryl. He went to work yesterday with his left eye half swollen shut (poor guy). Anyway, we had a good time with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa Tom won quite a popularity contest with Joel by pushing him on the scooter in the basement. However, Grandpa quickly lost his new found status when he told Joel it was time to go upstairs and eat dinner--oh, what tears.

Saturday we went to Matt's parents' for a family dinner. Matt's Aunt Joan was visiting from California. It was nice to see her again and introduce her to our two youngest. She'll have to wait to meet Jude. My father-in-law, Matt's Grandma and myself had an interesting discussion about the family history. A relative of theirs had just initiated contact with them after many years. She found them by reading this blog. This world is small.

The weekend ended with several more visitors. Our old neighbor, Paul, came to visit after church on Sunday. We had a nice chat and he got a quick tour of the house. I've noticed how it only takes the men a very short time to get a lay of the land around here. Paul then headed home in his "reserved for Sundays only mint condition Cadillac."

Then Matt's parents and Aunt Joan stopped by before taking Aunt Joan to the airport for her return flight home. The girls gave Aunt Joan and extended tour of the house. Women are much more interested in the details. Hugs and kisses and goodbyes all around and then we started to prepare for the BBQ we were to host that night.

We had our small group (two other couples and their kids) over that evening for dinner. Sarah and I are both due within a week of each other. She and her husband Luke are having a little girl, their first. Between our move and the impending birth of two little ones, we will take a few months break from our Bible study before we start again in the Fall. We decided we wanted to get together one last time before the babies come. It was a nice evening. The kids had a ball playing together and the adults had a fine time of fellowship.

This week will be spent squeezing in the county fair, shoe shopping and haircuts before Jude's arrival. Life is about to change big time around here, but we can't wait to meet the new little blessing the Lord is bringing to our family.

Two Miracles in One Day

Today I experienced two miracles right from the hand of God. The first was less significant than the second, but to a pregnant woman it was pretty important.

I left as early as I could this morning to get to the Department of Licensing to get the address changed on my driver's license. Matt told me he thought this would also get me registered to vote in my new voting district, too. I figured I'd better bite the bullet and get it done before the baby comes.

I had just gotten my license renewed before my birthday in January. I was in and out so fast that I didn't even have time to put on a little lipstick before my photo was taken. I naively thought I wouldn't have to wait more than 20 minutes or so this time. I took Paul and Joel with me, knowing they could handle a short wait time.

Well, when I drove into the parking lot, there must have been fifty people waiting in line outside for the doors to open. I thought, "I'm not going to do this today," but I decided to call Matt before leaving the parking lot. He confirmed that for some reason the office opened at 9:30 a.m. on Thursdays, instead of the usual 8:30 a.m. He suggested I wait five more minutes for them to open and see how long the wait would be. I waited at the back of what was now about sixty people to get my chance to grab my number (#48).

The boys and I found two empty seats and waited. "Now serving number seven at counter number eight." We waited fifteen more minutes. "Now serving number eight at counter number three." Joel was already getting fidgety and at that rate, I knew I wouldn't be able to wait it out. We left to go get the van washed.

The car wash took quite a long time as I had them vacuum the inside, too. They took the time to do a very thorough job as they weren't particularly busy, which extended the time even more.
I had purchased suckers for the boys and Joel had reached the Tootsie roll center by the time the van was done. I let him finish and then cleaned him up before putting him in the van. I called Matt before we left to let him know I'd given up at the DMV. He looked up the waiting period online and said it was one hour. "If you get back there right now, you might make it."

I didn't break any traffic laws getting back there, but as soon as we piled out of the van, I grabbed Joel and we ran across the parking lot. Most people probably wouldn't call it "running," but I went as fast as my nine month pregnant body would carry me. I opened the door to the DMV and saw #48 up on the screen. I ran up the counter, but just before I reached it, the number switched to 50.

I breathlessly said to the woman behind the counter, "I was number 48, I was number 48!" She said, "O.K., what can I help you with?" I blurted out again, "I was number 48!" By this time I was shaking. "O.K., what can I help you with?" she asked again. When I realized she was actually going to let me stay there, I quickly told her what I needed. Five minutes later, the boys and I were out the door heading back to the van.

Now I would say that qualifies as a miracle. God knew this pregnant woman didn't want to have to face the DMV again, so He graciously allowed me to get business taken care of today.

The second miracle occurred upon my arrival home. Grace excitedly told me that when she and her two sisters were playing school, she had given them instructions to read for a while. Elizabeth picked up the first of the Box Car Children series and began to read it. To tell the truth, I didn't really believe Grace. So I asked Elizabeth, "What's that book about?" She proceeded to tell me in vivid detail about the first two chapters of the book. Let me tell you, after working with her on phonics for three years with very little progress, I could hardly believe my ears.

We've been working on her dyslexia exercises diligently and something must have finally clicked in her brain. I said, "Aren't you proud of yourself, Elizabeth!" If you know Elizabeth, she's an under-reactor. A little smile just barely turned up the edges of her mouth and she nodded her head in the affirmative. Wow! I almost cried, but I didn't want to lose it in front of all the kids. Yeah, God! God is good, all the time. Two miracles in one day. Pretty cool.

Kidless for 24 Hours

Matt's mom and dad took all five of our kids overnight on Saturday night so that Matt and I could have one night alone before the baby comes. We had hoped to get out of town, but realized our time and budget was short, so we opted to stay here.

Matt took me to our "special occasion" restaurant. I ordered the chicken marsala. Matt asked the waitress if the chef could concoct something not on the menu, giving the chef free reign to "surprise" him. The waitress laughed, "We've never had anyone order THAT before. Let me go see if he'll do it." Sure enough, the chef was up to the challenge. Matt's dinner salad arrived with Walla Walla sweet onions and fresh plumbs with a port wine dressing. His entree was a nice piece of sturgeon with a fresh peach sauce. I thought Matt wouldn't like it, but he said it was one of the best fish dishes he's ever had. "Be sure to give my compliments to the chef," he said when the waitress returned for our plates. They even gave him three dollars off the normal price of sturgeon. Leave it to Matt to be the only person in town to ask a restaurant that's been in business for four years to "surprise" him.

We then headed to Lowes. Matt needed a few things and I got a chance to just look without being rushed. Usually we're trying to get home to some pressing project and the kids, but this time I was able to look through all the clearance curtains and the plants and pots. I did get a couple of nice pots for 75% off and a palm plant for the dining room. Surprisingly, Matt agreed to let me get the palm plant even though he has visions of keeping the dining room completely empty to accommodate a 9 1/2 foot table when we find one used someday. I convinced him that the plant could easily be moved to make room for guests. Ahh, the give and take of marriage.

We headed home and Matt installed the reverse osmosis system (finally!) in the sink. Now we'll have easy access to water we can use for cooking which will be much easier than running to Walmart to refill water jugs all the time. We stayed up past our normal bedtime to watch the Olympics.

Sunday morning we woke up late. Our usual alarm clocks (screaming, jumping, running kids) were not here to wake us. We showered in a hurry to get to our friend P.K.'s church. Her first grandchild, a boy, was baptized Sunday. It was nice to see so many familiar faces that we haven't seen for so long.

As we ate our lunch we finished talking about all the subjects we had hoped to cover while we had the luxury of not being interrupted by little ones. We were able to plan for the home school year, Grace's 13th birthday party and the baby's baptism.

We had a nice visit with Matt's Nana in the afternoon and then headed to Matt's mom and dad's house to pick up the kids. They had just gotten out of the wading pool and were disappointed that we came so early to pick them up, but they were still happy to see us. We were happy to see them, too. We miss them terribly when they're not with us.

Daddy and His Boys

The boys have enjoyed helping Daddy with his "man projects" around the house. Paul is able to fetch the tools that Dad needs and Joel just likes being a part of what the guys are doing. It's fascinating to me how God created the sexes to be so different from one another. Lydia is happiest when playing with her dolls or cooking in her toy kitchen. Joel is already making car noises when he pushes one of Paul's Hot Wheels across the floor. I once had a college professor who proclaimed the virtues of raising children in a gender neutral environment. I now realize just how preposterous that idea is. God's design, as always, is perfect.

Here's a picture of Paul and Joel helping Daddy with a bathroom plumbing project:

Here's a picture of Daddy and "da boys" in our friends' pool last weekend.

A Functional Kitchen

The kitchen, to me at least, is the most important room of the house. The kitchens we saw in all our house hunting adventures where never quite right (usually too small), so they didn't make the cut. The size of the kitchen in this house was basically what sold it to me. The kitchen has always been where I spend most of my time. Meals are prepared and shared with family and friends in our kitchen. We usually do our school work and Bible study at the kitchen table. The kids gravitate toward the kitchen as that's where I'm usually to be found. Of course when we have people come to visit, we almost always end up in the kitchen. The old saying is really true, "No matter where I serve my guests, they seem to like my kitchen best."

When Matt and I signed papers to buy this house, I knew the flat top stove would have to go. You're not supposed to can on flat tops as they can't handle the high and sustained heat that canning requires. I also wanted another oven. When we lived at our old house, my "second oven" was across the street at my neighbor's house. Marg would always let me borrow her oven when I had too many dishes to squeeze into my own. So I knew I would want to replace the stove top and cabinet underneath it with a standard range/oven.

Yesterday Matt and our friend Brian did exactly that. Brian's wife, Julie and I went to yard sales and Grace and Elizabeth watched all the kiddos while the guys worked. It took longer than they expected (don't all home projects?), but I do now have a range. Hurray!

After living here for two months, we realized the kitchen sink was really too small to be functional for our family. We had the old one replaced on Friday, which included having to move the drain to a lower location, so we hired a plumber to do the job. Good thing we did, too. It took a professional four hours to complete the work. It would have taken Matt several days and caused marital strife to boot. We had gotten our replacement sink used and even with the cost of the plumber, it was still cheaper than the sinks we had seen on clearance at Lowe's.

The sink, oven and dishwasher have now all been replaced in our kitchen. They are all bisque in color, which is going out of fashion, so people are upgrading their kitchens and selling their bisque cast offs for cheap. This has worked really well for us because our "new" appliances blend well with the existing cabinets and counter tops. Matt says there is even room to accommodate my dream Viking stove at some point down the road.

Tonight I'll cook dinner in my "remodeled" kitchen. When I'm chopping and cutting, it relaxes me, kind of like the feeling some people get when gardening. Now I'll be able to cook and bake double batches again like I'm used to doing. Yes, all (or almost all) will be right in the world.

Visitors

My Grandma made a surprise trip to our house yesterday. It's been seven years since she has been in town. She came down with my parents and we had a nice family dinner, which included my sister, whose birthday we celebrated (albeit a bit late).

The kids had a great time showing great grandma our new house. They showed off all their tricks on the playset and cooked pretend dinners with both grandmas. The kids basked in the enthusiastic responses they received for everything they did.

Our old neighbor and friend, Marg, came to visit this morning. The kids showed off all their current projects and received the much desired praise they were seeking.

Grace and I started to unload the school room books this afternoon. We're trying to get things organized for the school year in the next week so that we have a plan in place before the baby comes.

Tonight I'll make zucchini boats for dinner again. Surprisingly, these were extremely popular when I made them last week. It's a recipe that's diabetic friendly and I didn't expect to receive requests for an encore.

Life seems to be settling into a more normal pace for us. I'll enjoy it while I can. In just three weeks everything will be upside down again, but we'll have a new baby to love and snuggle and that always makes everyone happy.

Need for Speed

Paul, who has resigned himself to the fact that a getting a real jet pack is not a possibility, has made due with a pretend one for the last couple of weeks. He and Elizabeth took Paul's camo back pack and strapped two empty yogurt containers onto it with duct tape. Paul pulls on the "controls," which are really the straps of the back pack, as he propells himself at great speeds either on his razor or on foot.


Paul is really into speed and he thinks he's much faster than he actually is. Last weekend, Paul was really impressed with the F-16 that was in town. It made passes over our house throughout the weekend, much to Paul's utter delight. Paul would run through the yard, trying to keep up with the plane flying in the air. He kept saying, "Man, that plane is even faster than I am!"

A Week at Home

This week is the first week in our new house that we've spent (mostly) at home. The kids and I got back into a more normal routine. Elizabeth and I worked on her dyslexia exercises, I read "Anne of Greene Gables" to the kids (we're almost done), and we had a few visitors.

My friend Lisa came over for the fourth time on Wednesday. We unpacked the craft/gift area downstairs. I'm a huge clearance shopper and stash gifts away all year long. Lisa is a power organizer, so in pretty short order we had things in a much more liveable state. I was glad to have this item checked off of my "before baby comes" list.

The girls and I brought the baby clothes up from the basement. We sorted through all of them and put them away and even set aside what I will take to the hospital for the baby. The ultrasound I had today revealed that Jude is about 6 lbs, neither too big, nor too small. If he hasn't come by the 26th of the month, I'll be induced that day.

Matt's two aunts, who are from California and Texas, came to visit on Thursday. They even squeezed in a game of Uno Spin with the girls and Paul. Right after they left, an old friend stopped by. It was perfect timing because the house was already picked up, so we invited her in for a tour. Tonight we had a couple from church over for dinner. They have been so kind to us in our move. They've provided meals and flowers, bounty from their garden, muscle power (I think he moved ALL the school book boxes upstairs by himself on moving day) and they even gave Lydia a trike they were no longer needing for their grandkids. It was neat to get together with them and get to know them better.

Tomorrow, for the first time since we've moved, we'll have a Saturday to choose what we want to do. We have plenty to do, mind you, but we won't HAVE to do anything. I might try to go to a couple of yard sales, I know Matt has some things he'd like to work on and the kids want their bike tires repaired. Tack weeds grow in abundance around here and have wreaked havoc on the bikes. Paul was in tears tonight because not only does his bike have a flat, but now the pink bike has a flat as well. If you're a little boy named Paul, you have to be pretty desperate to stoop to riding a girl's bike. We'll have to get Daddy to remedy the bike situation, even if the solution is short-lived. It's nice to have smaller projects to tackle, instead of the big ones we've had so many of in the last couple of months.

God is good. He has granted us a small reprieve so we can all catch our breath before the baby comes. We're all getting so excited to meet the new little guy we're not sure if we can wait, especially the kids who ask me nearly every day, "Can you have the baby today?" We'll rest in the fact that God's timing is perfect, He alone numbers our days.