39 weeks....

So today I am 39 weeks.  I am ready...still need to pack that bag but besides that, we are ready! LOL! At my last MD's appointment on Tuesday, I am 50% and 3-4 cm dialated!  WOW! I have never been dialated on my own...I know it sounds crazy! The past 2 days have been low key here at home.  I did a little swimming yesterday with the kids at the local pool.....brrrr that water was cold~ We've had alot of rain at night lately!  I was happy to be home this morning.  The kids did their chores and everything was done by 10am pretty much.  We watched a friend's little boy until just after lunch.  We played outside for a bit!
Hunter had a big day....we took his training wheels off.....and away he went!  He's our kid that not only loves his bike...but the scooter too! He's super fast and has balance like you wouldn't believe on that scooter...flys way to fast for me down these hills around here! So, he was ready!!! Oh, I just loved the look on his face...he was so proud of himself....and to watch Ethan and Alexis and how they helped hold up his bike and get him started...it was wonderful! As a mom, it was a proud moment for me!
I love being a mother....there is nothing greater besides being married than being a mom to these kids....I feel inadequate most of the time.  I still have so much to learn!  But, today, watching the 3 of them help and work together was a moment for me of how precious children are!  I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who sent them here for Chris and I to raise....and with a new little addition coming any day....tears fill my eyes and love touches my heart of the amazement and wonder of it all....of an eternal family!  I am blessed beyond words....I am so grateful to my parents who gave me the best upbringing they knew how.  They taught me values.  They loved me.  Now I can teach my own children those values and with lots of prayer and hard work, watch them grow from 'little people' to 'big people'.  I love this life and hope to always cherish each moment with my family.  Life is too short to yell and scream and be unhappy all the time.  It's just not worth it!  I realize that when I get 'stressed out', I need a time out too.....and come back ready to teach with love and try and be ready for what life brings.
I am also so happy to be married to a great guy!  He works hard to provide, support and love our family!  He helps me to become who I want to be!  Thank you Chris- I love you.  The kids love him so.  For some things, they actually run to him first before they want me!  I love that the kids feel love, comfort and safety in our home!  Home CAN be a heaven on earth!  That is our goal!
I guess I just had several moments recently of gratitude and thankfulness for being in the position I am in lately.  It's not all roses, don't get me wrong....and some days are just 'a little off' but I wouldn't change it for anything.  I know I have a loving Heavenly Father who knows me personally and answers my prayers- not always in the way I would like, but he answers them none the less!  I know we are not alone in this world.  We have been put in families to help us succeed and do our best!  I love having that knowledge.  I am grateful for it!  I love looking at old pictures....you can see the kids' personalities coming out in these pictures!

  

Baby shower time....

I am so grateful for friends.  I am truly blessed to have such amazing women with AMAZING talents who have taught me more of not only who I am but also who I want to become.  Friends make life so much sweeter and when family are far away, friends step in and become family.  I love you all.  I can't thank you enough for your kindness, thoughtfulness, generosity and love!!!!
Sunny and her sweet mom hosted a baby shower for us.  It was at 2pm after Champs....which was plenty of time to relax and get ready for the get-together.  The food was amazing.  Thank you to all who gave in gifts, food, time.....some travelled far.  I'm glad my own mom and sister could be there to share in this moment with me.  Thank you for travelling far to come!  Many friends couldn't make it~they were on vacation~ but still dropped off a gift!  I couldn't believe it!!! THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!! Thank you Sunny and Vivian for openning your home!!   

 

 Christina made this cute baby carriage....she found online! Thanks Christina- it was super cute and very yummy!!!!

 We are having a boy......cute little napkins.....

 Baby Charlie and Baby Mason.....almost the same age!

 Mom, Vivian, Ruth, Sunny, Shirley, Bre, Me, Emmy and Nicole....

 We got so many nice gifts for the baby~ onsies, blankets, outfits, binkies, diapers, TONS of wipes, Target gift cards, picture frames (hand/feet print), etc!

VSL Champs- July 27th- JMU

Champs was actually on July 27th so this is a little bit out of order, but hey...I'm luck to have time to blog about it! (The kids are currently at the beach with my parents- THANK YOU MOM and DAD!!!)  Alexis and Ethan have worked all summer for this moment.  Although we didn't do champs last year, they wanted to do it this season, so we did!  They are champs!  We arrived at the pool at 7am....and left around 11:30am.  Here are a few pics.....

Here are the highlights from the season.....Alexis and Ethan both got lots of 2-8th place ribbons for their events.  Alexis won her heat at Champs for Freestyle and so she immediately got a ribbon for winning her heat!!!!! YAY! Ethan's Freestyle time improved from 25.86 to 20.99; his backstroke time from 26.25 to 25.45!  Alexis's Freestyle time improved from 37.69 to 24.07!!!!; her backstoke time from 48.25 to 30.99!!!  The kids did AMAZING!!!! They really are great swimmers and what a sense of accomplishment for them to do something great!!! Congrats you two!  You did AWESOME!

July 31st....

Because the baby is breech and I am now 38 weeks to the day, Chris and I, along with the NP/MD's decided to try one more thing~ manually turn the baby with ultrasound.  I would be completely relaxed having to go under anesthesia with a slightly higher than 50% of turning him! This is me before leaving for the hospital....38 weeks to the day! I am the heaviest I've ever been...but only by several pounds.  I do feel pretty good though....and the baby is growing and moving ALL the time! I couldn't sleep very well last evening~ afraid I would oversleep and nervous I think and I did feel the baby moving like a tornado!!!  I pleeded with Heavenly Father that we need several small miracles to come quickly in the next week!  Little did I know we'd receive one today.

 After Chris dropped me off  just after 6am, he headed for his interview in TN/ I was put in a really huge, nice room.  I couldn't eat/drink after 9pm the night before so it took 2 tries to start my IV...ouch!  (18 gauge needles in the hand really hurt).  But I was brave and tried not to think about it!  A little after 7am, the MD (who is our bishop at church and I completely love and respect him- he's a WONDERFUL MD) came in to say that he need to do an emergency C-section now and then he'd come back and do the procedure.  I told him not to worry, to do whatever he had to do and I'd be here. LOL! He quickly checked by ultrasound to make sure baby was still in breech position and low and behold, he was head down! I couldn't believe it! He told the RN to cancel the procedure and that I would go home and he'd see me in the office next week....that easy! THANK YOU HEAVENLY FATHER!!!  Miracle granted.  I was beyond thrilled and within 10 minutes walking down the hallway to leave!!!  Hopefully he stays down and this little one is cooperative!!!!

VA Safari Park...July 26th.....

So we decided that we'd head down to Lexington to go to the Safari Park.  Hunter was not even 1 year old last time we were there.  Everyone had a blast!  We packed a lunch and ate there before seeing all the animals!  What a great day.  The weather was perfect and the kids had a blast!  Christina, Chris and I enjoyed ourselves as well!  Here are a few pics of our day!  

 These cute pot-belly pigs were not very old.....they were adorable!  Christina picked one up and it 'squeeked'!!!

 37 1/2 weeks here.....still feeling good for the most part! HA!

 Everyone in the bird house!

 This avery of birds was just amazing! They would sit right on your stick and eat the food!  This was one of my favorite spots of the day!

Little Dave and Bre.... 

 This was a baby kangaroo upclose we all got to pet!  So soft and gentle....very strong legs....

Love Hunter's smile here!  

 Here is a warthog.....

 Everyone is ready to go on the wagon ride to feed all the animals....Hunter, Alexis, Little Dave, Ethan, Haley and Bre....each with a bucket of food.....

 Ostrich.....peck and chomp.....peck and chomp.......

 Camels.....very hungry and strong.....watch out....they will take your entire bucket and eat everything!

 Love this one of Little Dave with the Llama behind him! So cute!!!!

 This was an elk.....coming right in beside Haley!!!!

 We fed the bison right out of our hands....their tongues are wet and leathery....Alexis told me!

 Turtles can live over 100 years old...I wonder how old this one is!?!