Full Days of Preparation...

I do not know if we have ever encountered an upcoming arrival of a baby to bring so much change in our lives!  We did buy our first home months before Bell's arrival, but somehow that doesn't even seem to compare-funny.  Maybe because it was simply pack up and move in.  Maybe because she was our third daughter and we had all the "baby" things we needed.  With this new little guy,  we have gone through accumulating baby things again because we had gotten rid of all of ours thinking we were done-How Silly For Us!!  With this new little guy we were outspaced in the bedrooms, thinking he would have to call the living room his bedroom, and with this little guy, we did not have a vehicle that would fit all of us any longer!!  So long mini van-can you believe we actually overflowed out of a van!!  I have actually been thankful that a pregnancy is 40 weeks, because there has been a lot to change while normal life spins on.  Our eyes and ears have been perked to solutions, lots of research done, but most of all, prayer has been the under laying planning involved in the "impossible".  And we have been completely knocked over by the Lord's answers!!  I mean, absolutely humbled and amazed at His providence!! How He has provided is miraculous!!

Here are some of the littler gifts that we have been blessed with!

 We found a brand new swing in the box-perfect for traveling and small spaces.  It was $39.00 out of the box at a thrift store.

  
We haven't had a stroller for years-so that was on the list!  Now, after 14 years of strollers, we had some do's and don't's on the list when making a choice.  One being, that we wanted to make one purchase to last for the 4 years we would need it. And there was not much in the budget to accomplish that list.  That same day we found the swing, we also found this stroller.  It is amazing and we are still figuring out all of the crazy features to it.  Talk about luxury!  I think I want to ride in it;)  It came with a bassinet, complete rain gear set up and diaper bag, and a few other things we have yet to figure out!  All for $50.00!!  We have not been able to find the exact model online to get instructions, so we are winging it.  We spent awhile in the store playing with it and looking over every inch to make sure it really was as good as we were thinking.  But, you know what the funny thing was, we forgot to see how or if it folded up for transport!!  You would have thought us new parents when we were in the parking lot trying to get it in the car.  And the funny thing was, we never did figure it out and were very fortunate to have bought this only 2 weeks before...

The Lord even provided the right vehicle for us at the right time!!  There was a wonderful family at church selling there suburban, and we were able to buy it from them.  It is an older model, but in absolutely perfect condition and to us it is absolute luxury!!  The unique thing about making this purchase was the fact that no bank gives loans for older vehicles any longer.  Basically we were told you have to spend more money to get a loan!! Our economic system is so wonky and so off when it comes to being responsible!!  Here we are trying to live within our means, only get what we need, and not get in over our heads-but there is no profit in that for banks-they would rather people live above and beyond their means.  But, we had not given up hope that this was the right choice and Matt ended up in our credit union with the most crazy positive experience we have ever experienced concerning loans!  Needless to say-we learned something very new about finances.  We were able to take the loan out for the suburban and have a car payment and interest rate lower than any other we have had during out 16 years of marriage-thank you Lord!!!!  That was a gift straight from Him!!  It is pretty fun to know that we can now fit all eight of us in one vehicle(and even have room for the dog and a stroller that we couldn't fold up-although after a day of toying with it on and off-I finally figured it out).

Now, many of you know that we have been working with a wonderful man from our church on plans to put a bedroom in our basement, giving Matt and I a little privacy(we are currently using part of it as a bedroom, but have no walls or windows).  It was looking as though it just wasn't going to work out any time soon, at least not before the baby.  We were going to need to save for awhile to make it happen.  We were just going to get a window put in and then hold off on the rest-but the Lord had other plans for us!  We were blessed beyond any words could describe, not only with the funds gifted to us anonymously, but also a whole bunch of willing gifted men to help with the build!!  Matt has been prepping for the cement cutters coming on Friday to cut the hole for the window.  That man 9who I adore) has along side our oldest son, dug out a 5x5x7 foot hole along side the house.  It has taken them 2 days thus far over the Holiday weekend of 8 hours each day to accomplish this.  Not to mention it being done in 95+ degree weather!!  I am actually relieved that Matt is back to work today and Cole back to school in the air conditioning, giving their bodies a break!!  That darn clay is crazy hard to break through!!

 We had a good weekend spent outside while the guys dug and dug and dug...we had my folks over to celebrate Noah's 5th birthday.  And since it was going to be so hot, we through together a quick(and cheap) canopy for eating outdoors.  I had marked a similar canopy I had seen on Pinterest to help figure out the design.  We purchased 5 -2x2's and tipped them, drilled holes through the top of each to thread rope through and pounded them into the ground. A painters canvas drop cloth-$20-I made holes in the corners to thread rope through, and a bundle of rope-$3.00.  We used our tent stakes to anchor in the rope.  The total cost was $30.00.  It works better than the canopies we have purchased in the past because of the crazy wind we get in out yard.  the store bought canopies always blew away no matter how we anchored them.  It is not very glamorous, but it functions with a bit of earthiness to it. And I am looking forward to dressing it up from time to time!!

 We accomplished the pool a little over a week ago-giving the kiddos a perfect outlet for play as we head into construction!!  They do not even mind the freezing water!!

 And I have been able to take a little bit of time each day while they swim and the guys work, to begin getting the planting done.  Slow and steady for sure, but it is starting to come together. I am sure my neighbors are thinking I look pretty funny attempting to garden.  This little one is measuring big which means so am I!!  But the girls have been huge helpers in getting the planting done with me.  And I just take small sections to tackle at a time.  Learning to live with my limitations has been tough at times, my mind never slows but my body sure throws plenty of tantrums-so patience is being taught right now in my life.

And I know I haven't updated on how the pregnancy is going.  So...first off, I only have 8 1/2 weeks left-crazy huh?!  I still have very unpredictable days and struggles-still taking nausea meds and occasional migraines take days from me, but I am getting through.  So thankful for friends who just keep sending help out to us-such a blessing to keeping us going and filling in on all of my limitations right now. We couldn't get through without them!! I unfortunately REALLY failed my glucose test(which is a first).  I am heading in for the 3 hour test tomorrow to see if I have gestational diabetes.  I have been really struggling with this possibility because food is still such an issue for me left over from the battle with hyperemesis.  I do not know how controlling it with diet is going to go.  I have managed to gain little bits of weight back from the violent beginning of the pregnancy, but eating makes me sick feeling so often, that it just is not much of an incentive to eat.    But, I am taking it a step at a time and hoping for positive results tomorrow!  We are also hoping for diabetes not to be the case because Matt will be in Colorado with the high school youth 4 weeks before I am due-and the possibility of an early delivery is higher if I am positive for that.  Could be a very wild ride these last weeks:).  But, the Lord knows everything and we are trusting Him no matter what His plans are for the future of this little one!

Waking Up...

This time of year breathes life back into my soul.  I have been soaking up the sun as much as I can.  We have gotten some work done slowly in the yard and have been enjoying as many meals outside as we can possibly work into the schedule.  It causes us to sit at the table longer, laugh more, and relax.  Somehow, the more rest we get doing that, the more work we get done after-isn't that amazing.  We have gathered around many fires as well eating way too many smores and probably keeping the neighbors up-but once that heat hits, they will be able to catch up on their sleep while we escape to the coolness of air conditioning. The kids have helped an extra dose this season with the gardens, since I am very limited as the birth of our sixth is closing in quickly.  A little every day, knowing that mid summer when I am rocking a wee one outside, I will be ever so thankful we did in fact go ahead with the gardens this year.  I did simplify and condense a great deal, but I do not think I will miss the extra with life about to become even richer.  We are getting a routine down even with the laundry, I cannot carry it up the stairs and out to the line, but I can hang it, so my helpers keep the baskets coming for me to hang.  There is nothing better than a breezy day amongst fresh laundry on the line.  And now there is even hints of the new arrival showing up every once in awhile reminding us just how tiny new life is!  This is also the time of year I begin to get anxious for the end of school, wanting to hear the kiddos laughing in the pool and giggling in their tents.  But I am holding fast and the kids are focused better during the day in order to finis early and escape to the outdoors.  I also managed to do a bit of sewing outside as well.  I haven't had much energy to that for awhile, but it was a bit cool today and I needed to be off my feet, so it gave me a chance to work on two baby quilts-one for our new little guy and one with a bunch of fun vintage flower power linens.