Downtown Christmas

37 Weeks ( Full Term!)

It's December Already?

Since we somehow missed blogging during the entire month of December, here's a quick list of 30 things we are thankful for this year.  One for each day that we missed.  Here goes:

1) Friends and family, obviously.
2) Jonathan's new job and the relief it brought from unemployment and underemployment.
3)  The ability for Kaethe to be home with the girls during this season of life.
4) A healthy, uneventful pregnancy of Baby D..
5) A relatively easy move and transition to pregnancy.
6).  Hard good-byes in Michigan.  (That means there are people we love there)
7)  Lots of places to call 'home".
8) Church families that support us in so many ways.
9) Faithful pastors that preach the Word of God so clearly.
10) Friends that travel to visit us.
11) Friends who welcomed us back here with open arms.
12) Renters in our Michigan house
13) Our current house that meets all of our needs.  Even with it's "idiosyncrasies".
14)  Our charming neighborhood.
15) Cellphones, blogs, Facebook, and Skype to help us stay connected.
16) Redeemer Lutheran School, specifically Kindergarten & preschool
17) Committed teachers to challenge and nurture our girls
18) Chaperoning Mali's field trip to the play "SkippyJohn Jones".  (One November outing)
19) Watching Mali and Brinnly perform Christmas songs at Oakmont's Light-Up Night. (Another November outing)
20) Carrigan's love of trips to Target and the Oakmont library as an only child.
21) Pittsburgh's Children Museum, Aviary, Blue Slide Park and the memories they've provided this year.
22) Vacations to Florida, West Virginia, Indiana, and Michigan.
23) Living grandparents who share history with our children.
24) Parents, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers-in-law, and cousins who spoil our children.
25) Good health for all of us.
26) The ten year anniversary of our wedding.
27)  Wonderfully talented and caring midwives ready to help our family grow once again.
28) A safe and peaceful country.
29) Hope for children's futures.
30)  The knowledge that each and every blessing comes from our Heavenly Father, who knows each one of our needs before we can even imagine it. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Alice in Wonderland, Glinda the Good Witch, and a (Scary) Monkey

Snow? In October?

We had heard that it might snow today but didn't really think anything of it.  Maybe we would see a few flurries mixed with sleet and rain.  Well...this is what awaited us at breakfast time.  By 8:00 am the girls had donned their winter gear and were ready to head out.  It was still falling and gave them enough powder for sledding down our front yard AND making a snow man.  Not to mention covering our mums and pumpkins.  What a beautiful sight, even if we are not quite ready for it.

Grandma Deni! Pumpkin Patch! Mt. Washington!

It was a gorgeous fall weekend for sightseeing and we took full advantage of it.  The actual pumpkin patch left a little to be desired (no one quite does agri-entertainment like West Michigan) but it was still enjoyable.  The Strip District, and a ride on the incline,  and Mt. Washington never fail to impress.  Now if only I had a good picture of the Cinderella profile Grandma Deni carved for the girls...

Blackridge Fall Festival

Have we mentioned how much we love this neighborhood?  Great potluck food, pumpkins, live music, face painting, and beautiful scenery all in our cozy little park.   Come playdate with us there sometime.

Five on Friday

1.  Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for watching the girls two weekends ago so we could have an early anniversary weekend.  We had a wonderfully luxurious time relaxing at Seven Springs.  The weather was horrible but we didn't mind at all.  The snow Sunday morning at breakfast was a lovely..

2.  Can you read that top line?  It says "Amalia June Ward".  Written, of course, by Amalia June Ward.  She's been writing her first name or nickname for well over a year now, but this was her first attempt at her full name.  I remember so clearly choosing her name before she was born and writing it out to see how it looked in print.  It's even prettier in 5-year-old handwriting.

3.  Speaking of babies, we snagged an opportunity to watch our neighbor's little boy for a few hours the other night.  Good practice. Brinn would really like a baby brother.

4.  Again on the topic of babies, any suggestions for "welcome music" for Baby D.?    We make a CD for each labor/birth and the girls have been having fun listening to the music we chose for each one of them.

5.  One final baby note--a huge congratulations to Baby D.'s future godparents, Matt & Erica Wilson.  Baby Wilson #2 is on the way!   Our prayers are with them for an easy pregnancy and healthy baby this summer.  Johnny is going to be ridiculously adorable as a big brother.

Moving on up...to a big bed