Thanks Sandy for some Great Pictures!

So, we just went through our first hurricane here in Delaware!  I must confess to some apprehension as the stormy days rolled along and the center drew closer and closer to this tiny state.

Nate had to go overseas on Saturday before the storm hit which left me home with the five kiddos and a growing belly to see how the predictions turned out. I think the worst part was wondering whether the storm would be as bad as predicted, nothing at all, or worse.  There was no way to tell and honestly I didn't expect it to be what it was as I was assuming everyone was just being overly cautions and surely we would hardly be able to tell a storm was rolling over.

Well, I was wrong and it was quite a bit stormier than usual.  Thankfully my eldest was a big help and used his feet (which have grown bigger than mine!) to fill some of Daddy's shoes as he was away.  He was so eager to help and surprised me with how well he could handle things like moving the generator to the porch, preparing the sump pump to  run off the generator in case of flooding and power loss, starting the generator for a test run, helping me haul an extra coop to the garage in case the one the chickens were in toppled over and even donning grubby shorts and army crawling under the muddy porch to retrieve the two chickens who were too scared to come out and run to the coop on their own.

Anyhow, the wind blew, the trees swayed a bit too much for this mommy's comfort, some branches (thankfully small ones) came down, and our lawn and garden is sufficiently watered for some time to come.  It all passed and as it did it successfully painted the ground the color the trees used to be.  Our whole acre and a half looks like it has donned a most beautiful carpet of yellow and orange!  It is so vibrant in the after rain air and hazy sunlight, I can't help but smile when I see it.

I have been flooded with calls to see how we held up and have had quite a fun time chatting with everyone!  One of my sisters, who I wish had been here as she would have taken a hurricane and turned it into a most splendid, memorable adventure, suggested taking advantage of the lovely aftermath of the storm and getting some pictures of the kids.  My usually non-sporatic self hustled to my little "store" of out-of-use clothes, pieced together matching shirts and out we went!  Of course lunch was heating (or almost scorching) on the stove, but who cares about that when you get inspired with a great idea... :-)

Here are the fun results of my sister's inspiration! Enjoy!

10 Weeks and Counting!

The weeks are rolling along so fast!  I was telling Nathan that it feels like I go from Monday straight to Friday and back again.  When I realize that this new little bundle will be joining us in just 10 Mondays and Fridays it nearly sends me reeling... I have so much to do before that!  I have school to teach, Christmas to prepare and buy for, five kiddos to love every day, a home to keep up, baby things I want to knit or crochet, and a birth-bag to pack in the event this little one doesn't want to stay in for the hour and fifteen minute drive to Wilmington, just to name a few. Whew!

All that said, I am growing more and more excited to see who this little one is.  I can't wait to see if it has long black hair like Jeffrey and Anani had, short brown hair like the others, or maybe none at all.  I can't wait to see if it is a boy or a girl and to discover its personality.  I also can't wait to see the excitement of all my little ones as they meet and welcome this new brother or sister. For months I had been a bit overwhelmed at the thought of having a new little one to tend along with the others but that concern was lessened one day as I watched my youngest "tend" his teddy bear at the table.  He was so intent on taking care of his "dolly" and feeding it that it dawned on me that I am far from alone in this new venture!  This little one has a whole family of ready helpers, ready lovers, and ready tenders to meet it when it comes!

Practicing for the new baby!

I love to have special pictures to put in each of my kids baby books to show how I looked when I was pregnant with them.  Often my favorite pictures comes from a spur-of-the-moment photo shoot on a lovely day.  Well, that lovely day came and as Nathan was at work I had to hire some budding photographers.  There was quite a bit of training and picture-by-picture instructions but they turned out pretty well in the end!  Thanks to my two older boys for their photographic expertise, I have a lovely slide show to share with my little one when he or she gets older!