How about an Update...

I should probably just do little bits and bobs here and there instead of recapping an entire month or two;)  And maybe that will happen eventually.  But for now----well, you know.  We are just about to welcome our newest little guy!  Can you believe it!  He is due to arrive any day.  So, my head is finally happily lost in daydreams of baby and preparation for him.  I am so thankful that we will soon be able to put to rest a difficult time for all of us.  The pregnancy just kept throwing curves our way and I am still hoping I can somewhere down the line bring honor to the Lord in how I look back on it!  I took a few big steps backward with my health this past month, landing me back in bed.  The hyperemesis made another appearance briefly and I ended up needing the aid of IV intervention to keep things from getting too out of hand.  But I am again, back up on my feet and ready.  Being just plain tired will be a nice treat from being sick!

Our bedroom is getting closer to being done-but the little babe will most likely arrive before we have a bedroom-and honestly, that is A O K with me;)

The shop has been a challenge to keep up with, but one that has helped me through this time and I have had such gracious customers with such gentle hearts.  It has made working a blessing!

The kiddos are doing so well.  We are still schooling most weeks, but also enjoying summer life!  Cole is involved with football training and we are looking forward to the upcoming Sr High season!  He had an awesome missions trip training conference out in CO.  Matt took a team of awesome leaders and Sr High kids from church to be trained by "Dare to Share".  We are excited to see the fruit that comes from this trip in years to come. It is the first year Cole is in the Sr high youth group with Matt-time sure flies!  Cole has been such a dependable and gentle spirited young man towards me and helping filling in the gaps my illness has left. The Lord has been shaping each of the kids through this trial and that part is pure joy. Madison is in Jr High now and again-times just flies.  I think Matt is really enjoying this season now that our own kids are involved in the youth ministries with him.  Madison is enjoying her week of being a crew leader at VBS.  There are over 400 kids coming and the excitement for the Lord is just contagious!  Madi just loves her little group of kids and I love hearing all about them when she gets home each day.  Joslyn is stretching and growing and has become one of the "older kids" through this pregnancy.  Helping make meals, taking care of the younger 2, and being just a comfort to mama.  She continues in her love of creating and when she gets home from VBS today, she and I will be working on a quilt she has been designing.  Bell just grew up before our eyes as well.  She is all girl, loves her guinea pig and taking care of it, loves doing her hair all by herself, and has taken to being a big help with chores around the house.  She loves her quiet time to draw and is really quite talented in that.  Her head is always spinning with ideas to get down on paper.  She has struggled a good amount with me being sick and all the fullness of a big family, but she has been good about sharing her hurts with me.  Helps me to be more aware and prayerful in this and it is stretching me to be more intentional about how I use my time. And Noah, he is our laughter!!  5 years old already-crazy! Noah is our most social, and all of us enjoy the lightheartedness he brings to so many situations.  Noah ended up breaking his wrist right at the beginning of the summer from falling of of Madison's loft.  And instead of it hindering him one bit, that cast became his tool to imagination, and maybe a bit of a weapon we all tried to avoid;).  He kept all of the Drs and nurses giggling with his 101 questions or thoughts.  He is my one child in which I sit at the edge of my seat when we are in public, wondering just what is going to come out of his mouth.  Am I going to burst into laughter, or turn bright red from his child like honesty and assessments of a situation.  But most of the time-especially with all the Drs appointments we have experienced this past year-he leaves those rather downcast people around us, smiling from his ongoing conversations with Matt and I.


On the creative side of things, the end of this pregnancy, like all the others before it, has allowed me time to create.  Having to remain low key and at home most of the time could have been much more difficult without that outlet.  So it continues to be a gift.  I have done a lot more sewing for the shop than I have done supply work-just from the simple standpoint that I rarely could gather enough strength to shop. I love the variety!  But there are still days that the whirl of the sewing machine is not heard.  Sometimes my creative part of the brain just needs to be used for being mom or wife or teacher.  The girls and I had the chance to surprise Matt for father's Day with a gift outside.  He was gone over Father's Day and the 8 days after, giving us time to slowly put into action a plan.  We had a big "crop circle" looking area in the back yard that was left from where we had put the pool last year.  With all of the demands this summer for Matt between construction on the house, caring for me and the holes in my part of things, being Dad and youth events at work, I knew he couldn't do much in the yard this season.  So the week he and Cole were gone-the girl's and I designed and built a fire pit for him.  While physically I could not do much-I was able to help with the brainy part of creating it-I got to be the contractor for the project ;).  Here are the pics from the work in progress.  It will bring us together as a family for years to come.


 
The girls started by spraying off a perfect circle.
They dug a hole for the bowl.  It was pretty hot, so Joslyn kept madi supplied with shade and water!

We used our old above ground fire pit bowl to be the new pit's bowl since that part of it was still in good shape.

Each day that I was feeling strong enough to drive to the store-we would take a short trip around the corner to Menard's to gather supplies for that day's work.  The girl's were happy to be the muscle-they loaded bricks, rock, and sand each day and little by little the fire pit got finished.

Adding the gravel took quite a few days of small trips to the store.  But the result was so nice!!

We had gathered the larger rocks for the border from the digging out the new basement window.  They were put to good use! And it is all ready for Dad's return!

ole was more than happy to start the fire for Dad:)

But, yes, there has been a good amount of whirling going on with the sewing machine and here are some of the creations.

 Finished some little pants for the baby this past week.  Cannot believe how tiny they are!! Here is a link to the free pattern and tutorial.

 Made some quilted burp cloths-and am looking forward to seeing how they work out.

 This is our wee one's crib quilt-finally finished and ready for cuddling.

 I made this scrappy quilt for the shop.  Had fun digging through my scraps to do this one!

 Place mats I made from vintage bed linens-They went in the shop as well.

Most likely the next time I check in, it will be to share our newest little guy's arrival!!  Thank you so much for all of the encouragement and prayers through this past year!!  You have all been such a blessings!!