Pre-Baby Campout

This was our last "getaway" before little Isaac was born. We wanted to go camping, but being 8 months along can put a cramp in your style! So we pitched the tent in the backyard and Jon made a fire pit (sorry about the smoke, neighbors) and we cooked hot dogs and s'mores and slept in the tent. It was SO MUCH FUN! Except that I got up 3 times in the night to come in the house and use the girls room. On the 3rd visit I crashed on the couch and said enough is enough! Fun times.

The fire pit feast!

The fire tenders.

OK, if my dad saw this he would say that this is definitely some cushy camping. Blow up mattresses, a tent you can stand up in with 2 rooms, lots of snuggly quilts. It's certainly not the roughing it that occured on our yearly summer backpacking trips. I say, you've got to start somewhere...we'll work up to it!

Isaac Wesley

Isaac Wesley born 9/15 (Tues) weighing 8lbs. 4oz. and 20.5 in. long. Thank you all for your prayers and kindness.

Baby Boy!!!

Baby Born Just Born

Welcome Baby Boy Vance

39 weeks, 6 days

Why do we even have due dates, anyway? I think they just cause stress more than anything! I actually thought yesterday was the day. I was contracting all afternoon, and then around bedtime it stopped. I was actually glad, because I was TIRED! But today I'm thinking I need to go on a long walk or something.

Really, this pregnancy has been a pretty nice one. A couple of months ago, I started praying that I would have more energy to be able to take care of my family and home. Heavenly Father truly answered my prayer. I definitely have days that are more tiring than others, but wow...I cleaned out my closet (that was a crazy job), pulled down the wallpaper in Danny and Nate's room (getting it painted is another matter), and got almost two months of homeschooling done early so we could take a month off around baby time. We've been doing some serious dejunking!

It's been great to have Jon home right now too. His company began closing the KC division back in 11/07 but they asked him to stay on with 3 other guys until things were pretty much finished up. So he has been out of work since 8/1. Thankfully, we've been putting in a stronger effort to follow the counsel of our church leaders and have prepared for this time.

Anyway, I just really want to hold this sweet little person in my arms. I want to sing to him and nurse him and kiss his widdew (little) cheeks. Come on buddy...come join the family!

Can You Believe This Girl?!!

Ready for church?

Thankfully, this was after church!


Jon's always got some sort of project in progress. He's got this big pile of compost in the driveway that he's using for our planters and he's got it all nicely covered up with a tarp. The compost is still exposed around the edges of the pile and, unfortunately for me, Mary Jane didn't take that as a hint that she shouldn't play in it. It happened to be on a Sunday, so she was wearing her pretty little pink jumper...

Co-conspirators

Mary's classic stinker face!

What exactly am I teaching them when they get their church clothes all dirty

and I say "SMILE!" and take their picture???

But really, haven't we all had the urge to just get good and dirty! It all came out in the wash anyway (mostly), their giggles and shrieks were priceless, and they're only this little for a short time.