Pierce Family Times

My family today

2010-08-06T23:26:00.004-04:00

I was talking to Jenny the other day and she was wanting to see my kids. :) I was telling her Hannah has really long hair...at the moment. I'd like to get it cut and donated. I did Lauren's that way. I took pictures of them tonight before bedtime. I can't seem to get pictures done when we are headed to church. We have just enough time to get out the door and pictures just aren't on the agenda. :) I know I should do better so I can get some nice pictures. They are growing a wee bit too fast to say the least.
I have pictures of Levi in a rim that Shane bought for his truck. :) It is cute. The kids said he climbed in there all by himself. It is sweet.
We are doing well around here. Still hanging in there and praying the Lord's will for our lives. I know we'll know in His timing. Our hearts are certainly still in WA. I know God knows our desires.
I don't think I posted Levi's nine month stats. He is a tall skinny boy. I tend to grow them that way. :) Thankfully they have their dad's height and not their mom's "shorts". HEE HEE! :) Anyway, he was 18.6 pounds and just under 30 inches. That is 95% for height and less than 25% for weight. LOL! :) He has a couple curls that are quite precious. I have a picture in there and hopefully you can see them. Shane told me not to get too attached. LOL! No worries, but they are pretty cute while they last. I guess it is hair that never fell out on each side above his ears.

It has been a while...

2010-07-10T00:43:00.003-04:00

I am telling ya, my time is flying out the door and before I knew it, I turned FORTY!! WOWZERS! I don't even know yet what I think of that. I am still trying to comprehend that one. The show must go on. Time did NOT stand still July 7th so now I am forty and three days. LOL! :) I did not have a big day that day. Shane is out of town...well the country, having fun shooting in Canada. But we did get to go away for about 24 hours Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon. When you have four kids, one of which is 9 mos. old, 24 hours alone is a GRAND thing! :)

He took me to Myrtle Beach to a really nice place. We had breakfast, alone, LOL...it's the four kid thing again. :) We played putt putt golf, had ice cream...alone...HEE HEE! Then what is a couple with four kids to do next? We came home. HA HA HA!! :) We were going to go to a Japanese steakhouse, but it was closed, so I have a rain check for when he gets home. :) I'll post pictures from the place.

About that nine month old I have. That boy is a HOOT! He is standing now all by himself. He actually stood straight up from a sitting position Wed. His favorite thing is for him to pull up with my hands then let go and stand. He has made that a fun time. He is a really cute feller. (Yep, the one picture, he is chewing on a chicken bone and would not let it go.) :)

My dear friend that kept the kids Sunday night helped me get him started on a sleeping routine. Yes, he is nine months old and sleeping allll night has not been his best quality. Two nights ago he slept from 9:30 to 8:10! Talk about NICE!! Last night was a challenge, but at least we are on a better road than before.

I haven't taken him for his well baby check up yet. That will be the 14th, so I'll post his stats at that point.

Hannah turned 6 last month. She is amazing to say the least! You can't spend any time with her and not crack up. She chatters a LOT...we are still trying to figure out where on earth she gets that from. :-P She is a doll!

Lauren is getting older too. ): She has been my right hand girl. And left. She helps me SO much with Levi. I am not sure how I'd survive without her help.

Samuel actually helps too, but would rather be reading. :) He and Lauren have read more books in a year than I have my lifetime. Thankfully they have Shane's love for reading. He does love cooking too. That is pretty neat. He makes better scrambled eggs than I do. :)

I do hope everyone is doing well. We are hanging in here. We are still not sure what we're going to do when Shane grows up, but thankfully the Lord knows and we'll continue to rely on Him to direct us.

Take care and my the Lord be with you all!!

Levi 6 months

2010-04-07T14:41:00.003-04:00

He is over six months now, but I haven't had a chance to even take pictures. Time has gotten away from me.
At his six month appointment he was 16 pounds 10 ounces and 27 inches long. He is pretty sweet. Life would be grand, but he has had three ear infections. ): He has fluid in his ears still. We may end up with tubes which would be better than having to hear him cry all the time. I have a lot of problems with mine so I know how he feels.
I got some pictures today, but he didn't give a smile. :) He was cute anyway.
Hope everyone is doing well.

It really CAN snow in South Carolina!!!

2010-02-12T22:30:00.002-05:00

They say the last time it snowed was Jan 25, 2000 and I totally remember that because Lauren was due any day and was born Jan 31. I went out an made a snowman then. :) Lauren made this one this year. She wanted my help. I told her I was too old. LOL! She laughed at me. But I am telling ya, snow is quite beautiful when viewed from the warmth of my home. :) We could get up to 6 inches before it is over. I am not sure we'll see that much here, but I can tell ya it is beautiful!! We were driving in it which I love seeing it fall from the sky when you drive.

Levi 4 months

2010-02-05T22:11:00.004-05:00

He is growing like a weed still. :) I took a few pictures of him tonight and there is one of him where his older siblings put glasses on him. It is too cute. :) He weighed 14 pounds 14 ounces at his 4 month appointment. He was just over 25 inches long.

Even more pictures

2010-01-07T07:13:00.002-05:00

More pictures

2010-01-07T07:00:00.001-05:00

Christmas trip to AR

2010-01-07T06:49:00.004-05:00

Levi is sleeping in my arms, kids are still asleep, so I'll take a minute to post some pictures. We had a good trip to AR. One great thing was that we got to see the Bodine's on our way. :) I loved getting to meet up with them! Will is a cute feller! Our trip to and from went very smooth I thank the Lord for His protection. We had a good Christmas. I'll post lots of pictures. Levi is growing like a weed!! Everyone fell in love him. He was a perfect traveler.

Us update

2009-12-04T19:33:00.003-05:00

Well, I got my camera battery charger finally. We have been doing well and keeping busy. Time is going by quickly. Levi is 9 weeks four days now. We had his 2 month appointment Tuesday and he weighed 12lbs 7ozs, 23 3/4 inches. :) That means is growing well. I was happy about that. He is a wonderful baby and we are SO blessed! His little personality is coming out more and more and let me tell you it is a REAL sweet one! He melts our hearts with every smile.

There just isn't a lot to keep posting about. Levi is our world right now. :) We are headed to AR Monday the 14th. We are looking forward to that. We did have a wonderful Thanksgiving. My sister came up from FL and it was just a VERY wonderful time.

I do hope everyone is doing well. We love you guys!

6 weeks, (late) and no pictures

2009-11-14T17:18:00.002-05:00

I was SO hoping to find my camera battery charger before now. ): But I fear it is in the garbage. So for a buck 4.09 I am getting a new one from Ebay. In the mean time I don't have any new pictures of the cutest baby in SC. :) He is doing well. But he is coming down with a cold. I so hate when babies have colds. I thank the Lord we have been well for MANY months! I don't take that for granted for a second. God has been so good to us. With Levi snorting and hacking, it was a long night last night. I was pooped out today.

We are just plugging along. There isn't a whole lot going on of particulars. We do miss our WA friends and church. I wish it weren't so far and we could come there for Christmas. But we'll be going to AR. I am looking forward to that. We have a great church there as well and I look forward to seeing our friends. There are a few new babies there too so it will be fun showing off each other's little ones. :)

Well, I just wanted to post a little bit. Hopefully my charger gets here early next week and I can put up more cute pictures. :)

We love you all! Please keep us in your prayers.

Dad and Baby

2009-11-06T14:19:00.001-05:00

Can you tell they are related? :)

Week 5

2009-11-03T17:10:00.003-05:00

Yet another week has gone by. They are flying out the door too. Nothing new really going on. We did have a bout with thrush. Not fun, but we survived. Levi is just a sweet little guy. We are all so in love. The kids are still a wonderful help to me and I am eternally grateful for what they do. He still is sleeping good at night and has a lot of awake time during the day. I got some rare pictures of him actually sleeping. :) He is wide awake at the moment enjoying Samuel time. :):) He has the brightest eyes. I do believe he is starting to smile for real now. That is quite precious.

Well, not much else to report. All is well in our neck of the woods. We love and miss you all! Take care and may the Lord bless you all!

Week 4

2009-10-27T23:36:00.002-04:00

Can you believe that??? Time is going quickly. Levi is a wonderful little feller! He has his fussy moments though. I am not sure what is up with him. As far as I can tell he is just fighting sleep. He acts like he is in serious pain, but if you can get him to calm down he zonks right out. He is still a great baby! I am in love!

I am posting some pictures of the kids tonight. It is right before bed. :) So they aren't the best, but at least you can see them. I am so very blessed with these little ones. I thank the Lord for them. They have been so VERY helpful during this pregnancy and beyond. They are great about taking Levi in the morning for me so I can get a bit more rest. I have a wonderful bunch here that is FOR SURE! :)

P.S. There is a spot on the picture with Sam and Levi. It happens when I do the red eye so I just left it...after the third time I edited it. I didn't know what was worse, the silly mark or the blaring red eyes. :)

Week 3

2009-10-19T22:34:00.005-04:00

There isn't a lot to post about. I am still working on gaining my strength. I didn't realize being old and having a baby was so tiring. :) I am getting there slowly but surely. Anyway, Levi is doing well and growing. I can't believe it has been three weeks already. I have a few pictures I just took. He seems to change by the week. I think he is looking more like Daddy each day. He is still a great little one and so sweet! We are so very blessed!

Take care and God bless!!

Week 2

2009-10-12T14:59:00.002-04:00

I can't believe that Baby Levi is 2 weeks old today. My how time flies when baby gets here. I can't say the last two weeks of pregnancy went that fast. :)

All is going quite well. He still has his days and nights in the right order, Praise the Lord! He is a very noisy little feller though and about to get me kicked out of my bed. LOL! He grunts, sounds like a donkey and just seems to sings when he eats. It wakes Shane up and he is the one who has to be up at 5 a.m. It is cute, though, when he makes all the noise. He is a wonderful baby and great eater. I will go on Wed for a weight check and I am certain he doesn't weigh 9 pounds anymore. :) I love it!!

We are still getting into the swing of things. I am sure we'll have a good routine soon or at least eventually. :) I sure know I am in love with a great little guy. I am soooo thankful everyday!! God has been sooo GREAT to us! I pray we never take it for granted.

Week One

2009-10-05T18:15:00.002-04:00

Baby Levi is an amazing little guy! We are soooo blessed! And I am soooo in love! He eats every two hours day and night. Try as I may I can't change that. He has chubby cheeks to maintain, so I guess I have to provide for that. :) He sleeps at night and wakes only to eat. I am thankful he has the days and nights figured out so soon. Sure that might change, but for now, I am thankful.

My in-laws left today. It went well and they were a wonderful help! The kids got to fish in a pond here with Grandpa and they caught LOTS of fish. None of which you can eat, but they enjoyed themselves. Hopefully we didn't drive them too crazy. :)

I can't believe a week has passed. Not sure where it went, but I am delighted to have him here.

Introducing Levi Elliot Pierce

2009-09-29T20:40:00.003-04:00

Well, the day has arrived!!! :):) Levi was born Sep 28, 2009 at 11:12 Eastern Standard Time. He weighed 9 pounds 7 ounces and 21 inches long. My water broke at 3:35 a.m., pitocin was started at 6. All went well. I managed to have him with no drugs. :) What an experience to say the least. The Lord was with us! I am thankful all went the way it did. God is sooo good!! Enjoy the pictures.

Baby shower and 39 weeks

2009-09-21T23:17:00.003-04:00

Ladies at church had a baby shower for me. It was special. A group went in together and got the bedding I desired, and we got lots of nice little gifts for him. I thought I'd share a few pictures.

The picture of me is 39 weeks 2 days. I was certain I'd deliver by now, but have resorted to the fact I'll make it to 41 weeks. The dr said last week he didn't think I'd make to to the weekend. I suppose he meant Oct 1st weekend. :) I knew better than to hope for anything less. I have my great moments, but I am tuckering out fast.

My in-laws arrived on Friday. They can stay til whenever......

It is late here and I should be in bed, so this is short. I just wanted to do a little update. Take care all!

37 weeks 3 days....

2009-09-06T21:24:00.003-04:00

Well, I am trucking right along with my "wide load". :):) Yes, people clear the way like cars do on a road when a mobile home is being driven by. LOL! I got all kinds of comments at church today. I got the usual of "do you think you'll make it?" and" are you sure you'll be at your shower Sat?". One gentleman told Shane that Levi makes his presence known in the room before I do. Yes I know that one already. :) You can see the belly coming around the corner before you see me.

Anyway, I am doing FANTASTIC! God has given me a great measure of strength for these last few weeks. Two weeks ago I could barely walk because of the back pain, but now I have no pain and lots of wonderful energy. Shane wanted to know what kind of drugs I was on. :) None, but delighted to be feeling better!

Levi is doing well, and seems to be head down for the most part now. He still moves a LOT, but somehow is managing to stay down. I had a dr's appt Friday and talked to that dr and asked if they'd let me go to at least 41 weeks. She asked me if that is really what I wanted, and I said yes! I suppose that is not something they hear often. LOL! The dr I see on Tues is one who told me they wouldn't let me go past 39 weeks. I have delivered all three of my babies at or after 41 weeks and would rather be left alone until then.

Little guy is VERY wiggly and makes for quite a show and I so love every little kick...or in his case, roll. I think he is going to be long. I have always thought that, but mercy, when his bottom is on one side and I feel his feet all that way over to the other, there is quite a span of space there. I suppose if my dad was 6'3 I'd have long legs too. :)

We are all doing well and I am now ready for him to be born. I had put off getting the room done, but we are ready now. I have a baby shower on Sat. I am grateful for the ladies for doing that for me.

I do hope all is going well with everyone. Take care and God bless!!

Realized why people say WOW.

2009-08-10T17:46:00.002-04:00

LOL! I walked passed this mirror in my living room that is waiting a place in my bedroom. I caught a complete side view and about fell out! Now I can see why on Sat. these two tiny girls walking by me said"WOW!" out loud. LOL! I know the belly is big and can see that from my vantage point, but hadn't really taken time to see the "big" picture. LOL! Yeah well, I see it now! Shane is even wondering what is up. He still can't believe it and this is our 4th. Hee hee! :)

All is going well. The gestational diabetes is under control with diet, or not so, if I don't eat right. We had a small potluck at church last night and well, I didn't eat junk, but what I ate wasn't exactly diabetes friendly. :) But at home I do quite well. In fact I have a hard time adding enough carbs. I know how to eat low carb, but with lunch and dinner I need 60 of them. Wowzers. That is hard to do. I mainly do it with fruit. I am enjoying the fruit that is for sure. I just can't keep it stocked. :) The kids are enjoying it too. :)

Hope all is well with everyone.

Pictures again...

2009-08-01T16:14:00.002-04:00

More pictures of our time away....

2009-08-01T16:04:00.003-04:00

..a worded post is below. :)

Our time away.

2009-08-01T15:28:00.003-04:00

Shane and I went to the mountains of North Carolina for our 20 year anniversary, and it was such a blessed time! We miss the mountains as that is something we loved GREATLY about Washington, and well, Charleston doesn't exactly boast of such beauty. :)

We left the babies with a friend who has five kids so they had a great time. I missed them by the end, but I firmly believe a time away for couples is a must in life. I have been VERY blessed over the past few years to have that opportunity because I have had very dear friends to help us. Thank you Jenny for three years ago at this exact time. ;0) THAT is a time I shall never forget! (Bet you won't either...hee hee!)

It is quite beautiful where we went and so relaxing. I can't imagine having the job the couple has that runs the bead and breakfast. I would love living there and getting to meet new people everyday. This place was just breathtaking! As we drove around the area I couldn't help but marvel at God's awesomeness!! To see what He made and we get to enjoy it is so wonderful!! America is a beautiful country and having gotten to live in so many places is something I don't take for granted. I know some never get to see outside their own back yards and I have been in all four corners of the U.S. and it is just awesome!

I'll share some pictures of the cabin we stayed in, the valley pictures are from the deck of the main lodge where we ate breakfast each morning. We had fantastic breakfasts each morning. The people were oh so nice!

Again, I am thankful the Lord has blessed Shane and me beyond measure! In the time of troubled marriages, I am thankful to be married to one of the GREATEST men around! I love Shane more and more as the days go by, and soooo grateful for all he is!

20 years

2009-07-29T07:00:00.001-04:00

Who knew time would fly so quickly in our lives. July 29, 1989 was a GRAND day for me (and hopefully Shane). :) I married a man who has proven to be someone beyond my wildest dreams. Well, since I don't "dream" much, I suppose he has just proven to be an awesome Christian, husband and father. I loved him dearly the day we married, but that love has grown and grown.

There are so many wonderful attributes he has, but one that is so amazing to me is his willingness to stick with something...or someone. :) Hee hee! :) I have always felt loved beyond measure with him. I used to wonder just how he could love me like he does, but I have come to learn something over the past 1 1/2 years. That boy has an ability to stick with a project like no one I have ever seen! He has worked on a few friends' cars along with our's and the times I would have thrown in the towel, he works til he gets it right. Maybe that is nothing to some, but for me it has been huge. Not sure why, except that maybe it is something I desire more of, but he has amazed me!

He is soooo strong! :) I LOVE that he can move furniture alone that would take three of some men.

The one attribute that should have been listed as number one, is his love for the Lord. I am SO VERY blessed to have a husband who was in love with the Lord 20 years ago, and today is more so. He is a wonderful husband and keeps me in line, and wants to do what is right for our children in line with what God has in mind. I am SO grateful!!

He is so in love with his babies. When he comes home from work, our children run to meet him as if he has been gone for weeks. It warms my heart every time!! He is a protector of the baby I am carrying. I can't say I have ever seen him so protective, but well, yesterday I was helping Sam mow the yard, and Shane was not so happy. We sorta weren't nice to each other about it...or I wasn't, but it wasn't until this morning that I realized what he was thinking. He was quite upset that I would worked too hard and put the baby at risk. It made me SO sad that I hurt him like that. I love him for caring!!

This 20 years has gone by so quickly. Three babies later, and another on the way, I am blessed beyond measure! God has been so GOOD and SOOO merciful to us. I am so far from perfect and not sure how I deserve such a man, but I thank the Lord for him everyday!!

30 weeks 5 days

2009-07-21T19:32:00.003-04:00

We are cruising right along here. :) Baby is doing well. Last week we had an u/s to measure him. Dr wanted to make sure he wasn't too big. Whatever too big is. :) The guesstimate was 3 pounds 11 ounces, putting him at 50-75%. We did discover a low lying placenta as the dr put it but the tech said full previa. Not sure how bad it is, but only time will tell. I have another u/s on Monday. Usually the placenta moves from bottom upward, but mine went down. Anyway.....I am not a whatiffer (not a word, but you get the idea) so I won't concern myself until we know for sure. And it would mean a c-section if it doesn't move.

I am posting a belly picture from today. It isn't getting any smaller that is for certain. I went grocery shopping this afternoon and man oh man, I can barely walk. Thankfully Shane met me there and I got through it. :)

Hope all is well with everyone! Love you and God bless!

More pictures....

2009-07-11T10:20:00.002-04:00

A trip to the aquarium

2009-07-11T10:00:00.002-04:00

Last Tuesday was my 39th birthday and I had not a clue what I wanted to do. Then I got the bright idea of going to Myrtle Beach. :) It is only 1 1/2 hours away so it can be done easily. We didn't tell the kid where we were going, but the odd thing was they guessed it before we left. LOL! I had my camera and somehow that gave it away. Hee hee! They have the Ripley's Museum up there or the Ripley's Aquarium. We've been to the aquarium a few times, but they always enjoy it and so do I.

After spending time there, we went to a Japanese steakhouse, which was soooo yummy! Then after getting home we got an ice cream cake from Coldstone Creamery. That was quite yummy as well. :)

It really was a wonderful day! I SOO enjoyed spending the day with my family. Shane took the day off, and the kids were just delighted to be together. They have been a HUGE help to me and I blessed beyond words!!

Kid pictures

2009-06-16T11:34:00.003-04:00

I took some pictures of the little ones while in VA. I think I need to get some printed out, but that would take more effort and require me leaving the house. LOL! Oh wait, I could have them mailed to me. Me oh my! I think I need to take that "lazy" test Cindy was talking about, because bet I have her beat on the lazy percentage. :) I am a tuckered mommy, but the worst is yet to come. I am in trouble. LOL! Anyway...back to my subject, my kids. :)

I keep forgetting to tell Jenny I sold my Cannon camera...I know bad me, but I am loving the one I have. It is also Cannon, but small and takes wonderful pictures. Can you tell I like it more? I have posted more pictures in a month than a whole year. Two reasons is...one it is smaller and I just pick it up and shoot pictures, another is that is has a small reader card that fits in my laptop. LOVE it! So now, I am on a roll. :)

Enjoy the kiddies. :) And my 25 week picture of my belly. :) It is no longer me, the belly has taken over. LOL! The other day at church I was walking in a side door from outside and Shane said he knew it was me because he saw the belly first. LOL! Yep, people now stand aside for the wide load. :):)

My yard

2009-06-12T08:56:00.003-04:00

Here are some pictures of the yard since we finished it. We did sooo much work, but it was oh so worth it!! I enjoy it now, but before, not so much. We planted the two trees that you see. That was fun. :) Not sure Shane thought so as he was the one digging the holes. We debated about the bench "scene" but that turned out just fine as well. I love all the flowers too. It is a lot of watering upkeep though. Who knew. :) Thankfully it has been raining a LOT so I haven't had to do as much.

Hannah turned 5!! :)

2009-06-10T11:42:00.004-04:00

We went to Chuck E. Cheese on Sat, then got her an ice cream cake. It was simple, but I think that has to do with being pregnant and not being up to a big party. She was quite happy so that worked for me. :) I can't believe she is five now. She has turned out to be quite the young lady and a joy to have around. The first years of training have paid off. :):) Thank the Lord! She is now begging to learn to read. :) That will come in time. She is pretty smart so I look forward to teaching her.

Our Virginia trip

2009-06-09T21:45:00.002-04:00

So we went to Virginia for two weeks to be with Shane while he shot with the Navy. I figure if you can't beat 'em, you join 'em. :) So we did! He went last year and I was so mad I didn't go. There was no reason then, but this year I had a few reasons, but still went. LOL! Oh like being pregnant and not having a bathroom in the room. But we got there and our cabin was the closest to the bathrooms. It was a small campground and only three cabins. The no bathroom was NOT a problem. I was glad. I survived just fine.

We had a spectacular time. Granted the first four days were cold and rainy. But after that it was quite nice and didn't get hot until the day we left. :) The campground was on the beach. Or at least close. :) We had to walk on a boardwalk and over a dune and there was the Atlantic Ocean. It was beautiful.

We didn't do a whole lot of running around or anything. I didn't mind that at all. I SO enjoyed doing nothing, but laundry. :) I think I could live that way. HA HA HA!!

Shane did GREAT shooting (of coarse ;) ) He did well, won another rifle the first week and came in second over all the next week, but had a lot of first place awards for different things. I was delighted to be there for the awards ceremony and hear his name called every time one was to be given out. :)

Anyway, I'll post a few pictures of the time. It was sure peaceful and I enjoyed every bit of it.

23 weeks

2009-06-06T11:08:00.002-04:00

Here is my latest belly picture. I am not so sure just how big it can get, but I figure if the woman who had 8 at a time could do it, surely I can with one. :) I said to Shane the other day "Isn't it amazing just how big the belly can get?" and he said, "What amazes me is how it doesn't go back to normal". LOL! Well....I suppose that is true to, at least for me. I met a reeeel skinny girl at the commissary the other day who just had her 4th and was so tiny and flat stomach I couldn't believe it. Then again, her kids come out five pounds she said. She didn't even know she was pregnant with this kid until 7 months!! She didn't show until after that and even before delivering just had a little tiny lump. UGH! I suppose we are all made different. LOL! :) I enjoy my belly and all the kicks that come along with it. :) Levi has such a personality already that I am so in love with him. God is soooo good! :)

3D ultrasound

2009-06-05T17:11:00.002-04:00

We had one done yesterday. I got one good picture because he woke and went to riding his daily roller coaster. I did NOT know I had one in my belly, but after watching him for over 30 minutes, I am convinced there is one in there. He was head up and then went head down as low as he could get and there was no more good shots to be had. But I did enjoy watching him. It is neat to know what I feel now and where he is located. He looks like Hannah. :) I look forward to meeting this little feller. He has a busy personality like Hannah, but that is okay, I know, now, how to deal with that kind. ;0)

A post from Joy!! :):)

2009-05-14T14:25:00.003-04:00

Hello All!! I have well, been offline for a bit and now I am back. Yeah, I know crazy, but here I am. :)

I wanted to let everyone know we had an ultrasound last Thursday. Baby looks fantastic! PRAISE THE LORD! When you get to be old, they say your risks of defects go up, but this little one looks wonderful. God is sooooo good to us, and I am soooo thankful! We found out we are having a .......BOY!!!! :):):):) Naaa, we aren't delighted or anything. ;0) The kids went with us to the u/s

and they were so delighted! We plan to name him Levi Elliott. :)

We have been pretty busy working in our yard. We transformed it dramatically and LOVE it! We have planted two very large trees and have one left to put in the ground. Shane is one of the strongest and hard working men I know. God knew just the man for me! :) I married him for his height. LOL! :) Just kidding, that is just a plus. :)

I am in a hurry here, so I'll try to get pics up as well. We are headed out tomorrow to VA for two weeks while Shane goes shooting. We are very excited. Only one drawback...the cabin we'll be in doesn't have a bathroom. Now that could be interesting to say the least. You pregnant girls know what I mean. :) I am crazy, but a happy crazy one. :)

Take care you all and I pray all things are well with each of you! We love and miss you!...a LOT!!

The beginning to now

2009-03-03T14:00:00.000-05:00

I found a great site that has baby images from before conception to I am sure the end, I just didn't make it that far. It is an awesome site!! When you think of how God starts with two parts to make one, you can't help but feel His AWESOME power!!! He knows every little step, yet I don't think we have a foggy clue sometimes. This, for me, brings it into real perspective. I am 10 weeks 6 days today and the images are of that time frame. I'll post the link as well so you can look for yourself. Enjoy God's wonderment!!! :):):) http://www.ehd.org/prenatal-images-index.php

The CRAZIEST thing happened

2009-03-01T19:48:00.004-05:00

So, who on earth would ring your door bell at just after three in the morning??? Nobody good, I would assume. Well that happened to us this morning. I was sleeping on the couch because Shane was snoring and I was only there 30 minutes when the doorbell rang. I was sooo sound asleep at that point. And we all know what pregnant women think of good sleep. :)

I bolted off the couch in quite a daze. Kids came a running asking if Caleb was here. LOL! He is the little guy I babysit who comes at 6 a.m. so they are used to hearing the door bell. I went to Lauren's window to look out and this scene was etched in my VERY groggy mind. ): There were street signs all over the yard. I am not sure why it sickened me so badly, but it was so weird! I suppose I also felt violated because at this time of morning there were strangers in my yard and at my door. ): I was hoping everyone had them in their yards, but nope, just us. ):

I ran to the bedroom where Shane was SOUND asleep, told him to get a gun and come quick. He looked out the window and said call the police...I did.

After a few mins. they showed up. We didn't go out until they got here, except I did step out to get these pictures. We did open the door right after it happened and I am sure I heard a car leaving, but didn't see lights nor did they drive by. I suppose I wouldn't either if I were so foolish.

The nuts pulled up three street signs that mark the cross streets. Only one was just right across the streets, the others had to be brought from down the street in both directions. Odd I must say. They also removed our mailbox from the post. I would almost think the street signs were funny except for the fact they did the mailbox. That is a bit personal in my opinion.

In all of it, though, we are SO grateful and SO thankful they didn't do damage to our home or Shane's Blazer.

After the cops and Shane returned the signs, I couldn't go back to sleep for a while. We were having thunderstorms, which is another reason I couldn't believe the fools would be out there. Finally feel asleep at 5:30 but had nightmares about it for the hour I got to sleep. They were odd to say the least.

I do thank the Lord for His protection in all this and His grace! I don't like things like this, but I suppose insanity happens and I'll just continue to pray God's protection.

The pictures are blurry because I took them on night mode which needs to be done with a tripod not a shaky mom. :)

Update on my mother

2009-02-26T17:53:00.002-05:00

Well, after several tests and a bit of time, she appears to be JUST FINE! PRAISE THE LORD!!! She had all the symptoms of lymphoma and one blood test showing the liver function to be less tan 100% the doctor felt it was lymphoma.

She had a CAT scan of some lymph nodes that were swollen and there was nothing abnormal. She had a scope down her throat to check the blockage that was shown in the first CAT scan. The blockage appeared to be in the bile duct. Mom had her gallbladder out last summer and a stone was left to create havoc in her body. This stone created an infection that caused a lot of lymphoma symptoms. The stone was gone by the time the dr went in.

She is feeling a LOT better and the symptoms have all gone! :) They will keep up with blood work to make sure the liver continues to go back to normal.

Thank you ALL for your prayers!! :)

My turn to announce.....

2009-02-11T21:51:00.004-05:00

I am going to have a baby!! We went to the dr today and got to see the little jumping bean. For such a tiny baby, that little one was a bouncy one. :) I am right at 8 weeks as I knew I was and everything is on perfect schedule. We have a due date of Sep 24. I am thankful to God He has allowed us this chance. We have endured 14+ years of infertility and four miscarriages. I know God has a plan and purpose for our lives and I thank Him for His grace! God is GOOD! :)

On another note, I'd like to request prayer for my mother. We found out yesterday she has lymphoma. We do not know what kind or stage she is in. Mom is almost 74 and in great health otherwise. Please, please pray!! I know God is in control and we will rely on Him for our strength. I know we'll get through this no matter the outcome. I just pray for her daily strength.

I hope everyone is doing well. God bless you all!!

A birthday and a mishap

2009-01-31T01:36:00.007-05:00

My Ladybug turns nine tomorrow! Who on earth knew time would fly so fast. We tried for nine years to become pregnant before getting pregnant with her. I have to say that nine years didn't go as quickly. :) God has been SO VERY good to Shane and me and we are blessed beyond measure. Lauren is an incredible little girl and I believe God has great things for her. She is a dream child and I am SOOO blessed. I love this little one!! :)

So...my friend took her and the kids to the ice skating rink today. Well, she didn't anymore get out on the ice before she fell and hurt her ankle pretty bad. When my friend got home with them later her foot and ankle were swollen. I wasn't certain if it was broken or not but didn't want to take a change so I was able to take her to a walk-in clinic. As far as they could tell, there wasn't a break, but they wanted to treat it well, so they made a nice splint, kind of like a cast, but it comes off. It is held in place with an ace bandage. She'll be on the crutches for a week.

Her friends are staying the night and we are having a little tea party, then a cake party later in the day. They helped bake the cake then we decorated it. You can't laugh though. It is not a perfect one, but it will be fun eating I am sure.

I hope everyone is doing well! We love you all!

The old addition :)

2009-01-15T19:47:00.004-05:00

Here is Daisy. We got her Oct 07. These two play and play. It is fun to watch.

A new addition

2009-01-15T19:16:00.003-05:00

I forgot to include pictures of the little one we have now. My sister got this for me for Christmas and he is sooo cute and sweet too. He is a pomerainian named Remington. :) A big name for a little dog. Shane named him. :) And for you folks that don't know your guns, a Remington is a gun maker. :) I was going to name him Calvin. LOL! :) Anyway here he is. He was born Oct 8th last year.

Even more pictures

2009-01-13T15:12:00.003-05:00

These are the hunting pictures. The box stand is where Shane and I hunted. It was very pretty out there.

More pictures....

2009-01-13T15:02:00.003-05:00

Christmas in AR

2009-01-13T14:49:00.002-05:00

We decided to go to AR instead of FL this year for Christmas. It was a wise decision and soooo glad we did it! :) We had a very wonderful time. The time with Family was fantastic and I'd say the best visit ever.

We stayed with Shane's parents, but spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day with my mother and stepfather. I had never spent Christmas day with her since I have been married. It was great. :) Two of my sisters were there, and three of my nieces with their babies. My three nieces all had babies last year. So I am a great aunt so many times now, I can't keep up. Hee hee! :) I think I am getting old.

Shane and I went hunting the day after Christmas and he shot two deer. We went out at 6 a.m., back home with two deer by 8 and back in the woods at 10. That boy is crazy! LOL! We sat there ALLLL day in hopes to see the "big one" which we did NOT. Hee hee! THEN on Dec 31 he went to my mother's house with my brother and he got to actually shoot the "big one"!! It was amazing! :) We brought a lot of deer meat home with us. I made a lot of yummy sausage with it. I love it a lot!

We had wonderful travel weather thank the Lord! That is always a concern of mine when driving there in the winter. We have had some ice storms before and it isn't so great to drive in, but this time all was perfect! God was and is SOO good to us!!

We enjoyed our time at the church there. They are coming along on their new building. We hope to go back for the first service in the new building. We'll see if the Navy lets us. :)

I'll put a few pictures up here of our great time! I hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed holiday season!

Oops...

2008-12-04T20:00:00.001-05:00

So here I am trying to post a post and the pics are so small you can't see them. If you'd like to see them here is the link. LOL! Me oh my! I am cooking supper and thought I could do this quickly. Shoulda known better!

http://www.yorkphoto.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=251252390/a=20177200_20177200/t_=20177200

Christmas tree

2008-12-04T19:42:00.005-05:00

Well, I have been saying I didn't even want to bother with a tree that I would just plug the thing in. LOL! But someone gave me the bright idea of having them decorate it instead. What a noble idea. DUH! I have always decorated it a certain way and they have only done a few things. This time, they went to town. I put it together and they decorated.

Earlier today, the kids were talking amongst themselves about the types of trees. Real vs. fake. Lauren said she wanted a real one. Sam asked what was the purpose of a fake one, and Lauren said for people who don't want to do a lot of work. Sam just off the cuff said, "like Mom". LOL!! I was cracking up. I didn't say anything and he didn't elaborate. But it was pretty funny to me.

We had a good Thanksgiving with my sister and her family. We are always busy when they come up. We are hoping to go there for Christmas. In my scrooge moments, I'd sure love to stay home. Or go to the mountains of SC. Did you know SC has mountains? I didn't, but boy they are so beautiful! There are some very nice cabins there too. I guess we'll see.

All is well around here. Not much going on. We just keep plugging along. Shane will be having some dental work again. Actually he has had a lot lately. A few years ago he had a root canal, but it has created an odd pocket on his gums so he has to have another, and he will be having major surgery on some bones in his mouth. Who knew things could be so odd. And he got a hearing aide. But I think he had them to program it where it tunes out my voice. :):)

Well, that is an update for now. :) We miss everyone in WA. I hope all is going well for everyone! God bless you all!!

Crashed computer

2008-11-18T02:39:00.002-05:00

....so no pics. ): Shane's computer kicked the bucket and I had some nice pictures, including ones of Samuel being baptized last Sunday. I am overjoyed that he is doing so well after being saved. The boy can't seem to put the Bible down and get this....:) The word "swear" shows up several times as we know. Well someone told him "swear" was a bad word. He said, I'll just say "promise" when I come to that word. HEE HEE! :):)

I am sad the pictures are gone, but I am not one to cry over spilled milk, so I can't see the sense in being forever upset about them. He has already reformatted it...while I was taking a nap yesterday...so no working to get them.

We are doing fine here. No real update. We are just cruising right on through November. It has been cold here which is unusual for this time of year. It is nice though because I can have my house 65 degrees without the insane electric bill. LOL! :) You know trying to get the a/c to get that low is not cheap...I KNOW! HA HA!! Yeah, when I tried during the summer to have it 68, but got the bill for that, we raised it to 75. Hee hee! We survived, but let me tell you I am loving it being cold.

The kids are doing well. Hannah is even talking about not wanting to go to Hell. She was in tears the other day. I tell ya she comprehends WAY more than I could ever imagine. She is loving working on her abc's and numbers. She even looked at Sam's book today and wrote out the number two. I could NOT believe it. She wrote other words too, but that was the best one.

God has been good to us. We are hanging in there living in this state and know He will direct our paths. There are days where I am not exactly the happiest girl around about being here, so yes, I am still working on that. ): I'll try harder.

Oh and I am SO looking forward to next week. My sister from FL will be here and I can't tell you how delighted that makes me. I miss her sooooo much!! I sooo look forward to seeing her and her family!!

Well, it is rather late....or early, so I best be getting off here. The Starbucks mocha umm, has made me wide awake. I should have had it decaf. I'll be paying for it later. I have to be up at 5:15 to get ready for the baby I babysit. That will come rather quickly. Me oh my!!

Take care all!! :):)

One doggy pic

2008-10-28T13:45:00.001-04:00

Some more....

2008-10-28T13:36:00.002-04:00

More house pics

2008-10-28T13:29:00.002-04:00

House and kid pics

2008-10-28T13:17:00.002-04:00

So I cleaned like a cleaning fool and now I got some great pictures of my house. :) I got some cute new pics of the kids too. :)

No pictures..

2008-10-19T21:47:00.005-04:00

I just wanted to let our friends know that Samuel got saved tonight! What a joyous day!! :) I can't even say the birth of our babies is as grand as knowing they are going to Heaven!! I can't even put into words how my heart rejoices in this. How wonderful a blessing it is! :)

We had a missions conference this week at church. It did a LOT for our family! You know how give to missions with a "faith promise"? Well we have always given and usually a "nice" amount, but it was never really a "faith" move. The evangelist preached on it for four days. Well, God dealt with Shane and me and we both came up with the same amount. I was shock, and I even tried arguing with the Lord. :) It didn't work. ;0) God is SO amazing!

And during that time, Lauren raised her hand and talked with one preaching about becoming a missionary. :) She said she felt that is what the Lord wants her to do. We'll certainly be praying for her and God's Will. I was so delighted to know the Lord could use our little VERY special daughter in such a grand way. I surely know He knows and we'll keep praying accordingly.

God is SO good! I am so thankful to have the husband and children He has blessed me with. I think I have taken them for granted at times, and I so do not want to do that!!

I have also made it a point to work harder at loving our church and where we are living because I KNOW God is here and He brought us here. So instead of feeling sorry for myself, I am going to work on what HE has for us to do. Please keep us in your prayers. We can SO use them. :) Who can't, but I reeeeelly want to be in His Will and do this right! :)

Well it is bed time here, so I have to get going. I miss everyone and love you all! Take care, God bless and have a wonderful week!!

Better pictures

2008-10-05T16:07:00.004-04:00

I am posting the pictures again. Those are pretty small. We'll try this again. :)

Updating

2008-10-05T15:58:00.002-04:00

Well I typed out my update and lost it like I seem to do so often. I REEEEEEELLY HATE it when that happens. Even the save button doesn't seem to fix that for me or I don't know where to find it once it has been "saved". So I guess for me it is in la la land.

So what I was saying, in a shorter version, is we had family camp Thursday and Friday a week ago. It rained the first night. Not a lot of fun with that. I cooked all the meals and well that kept me busy. I have a few pictures of all that.

I am babysitting a little 8 month old boy. He is a sweet little one and my first week was a breeze. I sure hope that keeps up. :)

Not much else going on. I am not in the mood for trying to think what I just typed. We are ill in my house at the moment and it takes a toll on my brain. Shane brought a tummy bug home which I got Friday night, then he brought a cold to all of us, and I started battling that yesterday only to get worse during the night. But that too shall pass.

Not much of a storm...

2008-09-10T22:27:00.002-04:00

So Hanna blew through, but wasn't so bad. She probably didn't want to compete with my Hannah. :) Not that one even could. LOL! :)

It was a pretty mild storm, at least for these parts. I didn't even hear thunder or see lightening. Since I have been here, there have been some REALLY nasty thunderstorms blow through and I did NOT want to ever bother sitting through a hurricane. But since this was just a tropical storm, I assume that made all the difference.

We did get plenty of rain which I always enjoy listening to. We have gotten our fair share this year. I only had to water the grass twice. It was pretty nice not to have to waste money on that. We have to have pretty yards around here. Our home owner's assoc. watch us like a hawk. That isn't good when you have a sweet and wonderful dear hubby that doesn't like to mow the grass. Hee hee!! :):) Can't say I blame him either. There aren't any kids coming around to mow either. I'd be letting them have at it.

I am sorry there are no pics with this post. I can't get them on my laptop and Shane is asleep in the bedroom where the other computer is. I am going there just as soon as his uniform is dry. I am tuckered out.

Calm before the storm

2008-09-05T13:32:00.002-04:00

As the day progresses, the clouds get thicker, and the winds have picked up. So I thought I'd take pictures before the rain hit. I got two. LOL! I got the two but the battery went dead then the rain hit. Currently it is 1:33 p.m. and the actual storm is several hours away, but this seems to be the outer bands. I said I'd never wait out a hurricane, but there was a little part of me that always wanted to. Well, since this one is either a tropical storm or catagory one, I figure I am here for the long haul. I'll sure be letting you know if it was worth it or not. Some of the thunderstorms we have been having are just a wee bit more than I can handle. Shane has duty tonight so he is in a nice big strong building and we are here at home. Hummm....:)

These two pictures are from our back yard. When I went out to get more after the battery loaded a bit, the lense kept fogging up so I couldn't even get a rainy picture. :)

Another Post to update...

2008-09-02T21:31:00.000-04:00

Okay guys here goes. I have had a pitiful time with these here blogs. I had to delete one, start over, and here I am again.

I had posted an update for you gals but it got lost into cyberland and well operator error. :)

We are doing well. The kids are doing good. I am sorry I haven't written an update in so long. Or at least since the other failed, but no one got to see in the first place.

Our summer was busy going to FL for three weeks. That was an awesome time! I really enjoyed the time with my sister. We didn't make it to the beach though. She and her hubby own a catering business and they also serve lunch from 10:30 to 1:30. It was a lot of fun helping them out, but very busy work!

Shane was in VA shooting most of that time. He did well enough. It was against all branches of the service.

We are going to be starting school tomorrow finally. It was to be today, but we were gone all weekend and had a busy one today.

I will post pictures eventually. I haven't taken any of the kids since the last ones I posted. I should have taken some of my garden after it kicked the bucket. I had friends checking on it, but it still died. Mainly from too much water from raining everyday. I do think, though, that squash need to be on the ground not up where I had them. My cucumbers were not happy either. I did get some nice ones, but the bugs killed them. However, a couple vines survived. I was looking at them the other day and discovered some silly bugs were having a fancy party. So I bought some bug killer and boy I FINALLY have a cucumber that looks like it will survive! :) I have a lot of tiny ones coming on too.

My carrots survived as well and they are looking bigger by the day. I had a couple lettuce plants that made it as well. I guess next year, I'll research a bit more to see just how you ought to grow a garden. My tomatoes are quite sad now too. They are supposed to be big and plump, but they are barely the size of cherry ones. But I suppose it is all about "live and learn".

Today's news is that we will possibly be running from Hurricane Hanna. I figure though since I already have her, we won't have to see the other one. LOL! :) Anyway, we should know in a day or two if we have to leave. Personally, I want to leave NOW. I do not want to fight the traffic. Nor will I sit this one out. We have severe thunderstorms quite often here and they only last for a very short time. But it clued me to the fact I do NOT want to sit through a hurricane. Nope, no thanks! It sounds like we'll be at the northern part of it where all the tornadoes hit. Don't care to see those either. So time will tell.

This is my update for now. I am sorry it has been so long. I will work better at keeping it up. Hopefully it will work out this time. :)