Family Pictures 2010!

We recently had our family pictures taken... This year was a little different though - instead of spend $300 or so on a prof photographer we swapped with another family. Since Matt bought us that fancy schmancy camera a few years ago - we decided to put it to good use! Some of these you will see on our Christmas Card, but here is a preview:




Hannah:
She is so photogenic and truly has one of BEST hearts of anyone I know. I love this girl more than words can express...
Lucas:
Our little man - oh my does this little guy have personality! He is a HAM! (not sure WHERE he got that from???)

seriously... look how PERFECT this little guy is!

Matt:

I could not have asked for a better husband, best friend and father for my children. He inspires me daily (well - maybe not daily, but OFTEN) on being a better person. I am so proud of him!

I LOVE this picture!

All 3 of my babies (including little Whitney Elizabeth in my belly)!

I SO love this picture!

such love between them! (most of the time!)

Fun - Fall - playdate!

A few weeks ago Lucas and headed out to the Aboretum. I LOVE the fall display there! Lucas and Jackson had a blast!

one of three cool pumpkin houses

too many "photo ops" there!
For some reason Lucas loved putting a stick in the way of the water spitting frog - until............

It squirted him! HA!

the boys playing football while we ate our picnic lunch

HUT HUT!

these little boys are best buds!

my sweet baby boy is growing up so fast!

my favorite picture!!!

Pregnancy!

I've just hit my 6 month mark in pregnancy and I'm feeling great! It's such a beautiful feeling when your baby is moving and squirming around in your belly. There is really nothing like it. Everything is going on track wonderfully so far. I have my glucose test next week (YUCK!). I will have to fast and drink this GROSS drink that's pretty much pure sugar in less than 5 minutes and then they draw blood to check for gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy). I can't believe I'm only a few short weeks away from my 3rd trimaster. Man - it goes by so fast! I will say - being pregnant with #3 is far more exhausting than the others... It's hard to keep up with Hannah's INSANE middle school schedule.... she has: all of her HONORS band commitments, athletics (Volleyball at school), soccer, gymnastics, basic studies, and social activities... whew! I sometimes want to paint my SUV yellow and black and write MOM'S TAXI on the side - ha! And then keeping up physically with a active 3 year old...
I wouldn't trade one second of it though. I do think that I was born to do this. I love being a mom! Matt and I on the fence to continue adding to the family or to close this chapter of our lives? Only time will tell... :)

I will say this pregnancy has been EXTRA special, because my favorite sister in law, Kerry, is 3 weeks behind me during this beautiful process... AND we're both having girls! SO FUN!

10/8/10 - Kerry (20 weeks) and me (23 weeks)

Family Vacation!

Over Columbus Day weekend we all took off and headed up to Big Cedar... Branson, MO. It was so much fun! I wish we could have stayed longer, but Hannah had school :(. The Ozarks are so beautiful!

BIG CEDAR! Matt was teaching the kids to skip rocks at the lake... My sweet girl

Gigi did great walking around Silver Dollar City.

The BEST in-laws on the planet!

I really wanted to leave them in the Silver Dollar City Jail, but Lucas was freaking out!

Lucas' first roller coaster

and ... his 2nd - he LOVED it!

The next Dankia Patrick (although, not quite Nascar...) :)

Lucas was so excited to "drive" a RACECAR!

This little guy loves sports ... maybe more than his DAD!

I love my family of 4.5! We can't until baby "Whitney" can join us for a photo shoot!

Lucas' first day of "pre"school!

I am in filled with mixed emotion as I write this. Lucas - my sweet baby boy..... isn't a baby anymore :(. We put him in a Mothers Day Out program in our church. It's 2 days a week a few hours a day. We just finished our 2nd week and he is still crying when I drop him off, but I am convinced it will get better! I have to admit - I get SO much more things accomplished at my house with him in school! :)
He learns a letter each week, he has a science class, math class, and religion class. I am very excited about our curriculum this year! I can't wait to see what all he learns!

Hannah's first day of 7th grade!

I can NOT BELIEVE I have a daughter in the 7th grade! The craziness of the school season has begun! That's good and bad! Good because I will have a TON of more free time to blog. Bad ... not bad, but BUSY! Hannah schedule will include: the pressures of 7th grade studies, peer pressure in full effect, youth group activities at our church, she qualified for honors band (YAY -WAY TO GO GIRL!!!) - so that means a TON of concerts, now in athletics - she tried out for volleyball, but didn't make the cut - BUT made PDL - which means she is not "off season"... she obviously has some skills and will continue to work with a coach to improve and hopefully get to join one of the teams, cross country, soccer, AND gymnastics... NOT TO MENTION: a social life - whew! I would not trade one drop of sweat for this though. I love watching her go through all of these fun life changes. It takes me back! It's such an awkward age, but still so sweet and innocent.
Hannah is my rock - I'm not sure where I would be without my sweet girl! I am honored to be her mom!

Pine Cove - again!

Taking Hannah to Pine Cove every summer is so rewarding! It is a crazy, busy, fun, Christ-filled week! Lucas was so bummed - he really wanted to stay at "Camp Pine Cone" (as he called it)

her bunk!
her cabin

counsler

silly kids

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!!!!

I know, I know ... I've been gone for a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time! But, let me just say - no one is more upset about it than me! We have had one of the busiest summers I can remember!

As most of you know, we have baby #3 on the way! We are overcome with joy! I have had a rough battle with exhaustion and morning "all day" sickness! Being pregnant and chasing and toddler and running a "tween" everywhere in the 100 degree heat really took a toll on me - and at the end of the day ... I was to tired to blog. So, I apologize! It's also been an emotional roller coaster with this baby. I started bleeding July 2nd and the Dr did an ultrasound and everything seemed "ok"? I stopped bleeding for a few days and then it started again - we went back to the Dr and she did another ultrasound and found a sub chronic hemorrhage - which basically means that my placenta and uterus were detached some? The measure of the tear was 2.5cm (about an inch) and the Dr tried to reassure us that we should not be concerned. I was told to REST, not lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk, and drink tons of water. I was an emotional wreck! I cried and prayed everyday for a beautiful healthy baby and a good pregnancy!
I followed her orders and our last ultrasound was great! It was 75% smaller than the 10 days we had seen it before and it was no longer "actively bleeding" - it should that it was clotting! Praise God!
We have another ultrasound next week, so I will update you then!

Here are a few random pics I've taken over the summer:

I love these kids SOOOOOOO MUCH!