Family pics

Michael's niece was in town visiting us the weekend before Thanksgiving and she was nice enough to take some family pictures of us. We actually got a nice sunny, fairly warm day out so we jumped on it. Here are just a few....

Cutie patootie!

I love this man! He's so good to Katelyn and I and I just can't wait to add another little one to our family.

Me and my favorite girl. She's full of so much joy!

And the baby boy on the way (this was taken as I started week 29).

Hello third trimester

I can't believe I'm in my third trimester already. All I know is the second one was a whole lot more enjoyable than the first.

This was right after we found out I was pregnant...maybe at about 5-6 weeks. See how happy I was? (I didn't know of the 10 weeks of morning sickness that was about to start!)

And here's the ever growing belly in my 28th week. I can't believe I only have another few months. I have so much left to do!! The baby's super active and kicking away. Katelyn was able to feel her brother move the other day and her eyes got as big as saucers. It was really sweet. She's so excited for him to get here. (Michael and I are too!)

A house of sick people

Well, unfortunately I just don't have much to report. All of us have been sick so there's just not much going on over here. I've had a cough for a month. Michael's had a cough, and some other allergy-type stuff going on. Katelyn had been good until a few days ago but now she has the cough and stuffy/runny nose. Bummer all around. We just can't seem to all get healthy at the same time.

Here's Katelyn and her FAVORITE stuffed animal, Puppy Pup Pup. He's always with her these days. In the background you can see the lego castle she built. She loves her legos and plays with them everyday!

We've been going through closets and getting rid of stuff we don't need. We figured out we had more luggage than we could ever use, so this suitcase is on it's way out. Of course Katelyn had to check it out first. Where should we send her?

Next week we head up to Michigan for Thanksgiving. Please pray we all get healthy soon!

Cooking and Gardening

Two of my favorite things...cooking and gardening. Here are a couple of the yummy meals we've had recently.

This is grilled pork, applesauce I had made and canned, kale "chips" (kale with olive oil and salt on it and then baked until crispy) and a roasted sweet potato, potato and butternut squash medley. The butternut squash was from our garden.

Michael and I both love Thai and Indian food so I combined both one night. I made chicken pad thai (which Katelyn loved also) and curried sweet potato filled samosas that I baked instead of fried. Yummy!!

The butternut squash just started growing in our garden. We had tilled our compost pile into the soil in the spring and this was came up. I've harvested 20 squash from about three separate plants. I've got them put up and we'll use them all winter to roast and I'll bake, puree and freeze some to use later in soups and breads. This was a fun surprise this year and one we're loving!

Before the frost hit I harvested all the tomatoes that I could. They are currently laid out all over the counter. I got a big batch of ripe tomatoes before this one and I canned 12 pints of diced tomatoes. We canned and used LOTS of tomatoes this year and they all came from the 50 cent half dead plants I bought at Lowes on clearance. We got a whole lot out of the $4 we spent on tomato plants! What a blessing!!!!

More tomatoes!!! (Really they're everywhere around here.)

Today it was in the mid sixties. A beautiful day for sure. We got some rain earlier this week and so the soil was soft. Before it gets really cold out we decided to have a productive day in the yard getting ready for winter. We pulled everything out of the gardens, raked all the leaves into the compost pile, weeded out old planters on the porch and threw the dirt into the raised bed (and finally threw out all of our old porch containers...new ones to come in the spring), put up the patio furniture, hosed down the patio and put the hose in the garage. We need to mow one more time and rake in the front yard but other than that, the yardwork is done until spring!!! (Good thing because this pregnant mama is about done being able to do all this stuff!) Katelyn was very helpful though. She collected tomatoes that had fallen and she found a worm that kept her busy for a VERY long time. :) She said...."Oh, I love bugs." She was FILTHY by the end of yardwork day.

A productive fall day for sure. I feel so much better!! There is much to do inside now before the baby gets here....Let the nesting continue!

Swim little fishy

Katelyn went to her first swim lesson last night.

She loves being in the water and I know that she will eventually be a great swimmer. She's always in the water with floaties on and she was a little aprehensive about going in without them, but she did great!

There are only three little ones in her class so it's perfect. She'll go twice a week for four weeks and then I think we'll probably have her do the next session next month also.

Happy as can be. I'm liking this more than soccer already. :)

And this picture is hilarious! Michael and his mini. Love it!!!!