By George!.....

It's a BOY!!!!!! We could not be more thrilled! A baby boy is a rare thing in our family!

This is one lucky little guy! He has the silliest, sweetest sisters and the most patient, perfect parents and will be so loved by all his family!

Sunday

Saturday night we watched women's conference at home then went straight to bed! After our camp out everyone was tired :)

Sunday morning I had stake council bright and early then came home and we did a little prep for having company that night.

We invited the Moran's for dinner.  They just moved here after spending 6 years in Germany. They have 5 daughters, many of the red headed!  We had a very pleasant night.  The little girls spent a lot of time outside.  They made a hopscotch game that spanned across 4 sidewalks.  The rest of us sat around and visited.

Penny Jane

Greg sent me this cute picture of Penny girl in a dress I got for her.

Camp out test drive

Our girls said they would like to camp more this year.  Teresa and I aren't trained but we are getting trained next month...what are we thinking??

Anyway we decided on a back yard test drive while the weather is nice.

FYI, I am being first aid/CPR trained and she is being camp out/outdoor cooking trained.  Then we are good to go.

Scouts takes a lot of training!

smores, crafting, cooking, singing, night hike, etc.

Update: the girls made it to 3:30 am before they "froze to death" and moved to the basement. Actual time spent sleeping was pretty small but they had a great time'

In the morning we made breakfast, planned our Juliette Low birthday celebration and made invitations for it.

One of these things is not like the other....

one of these things just isn't the same!  The song from Seaame Street!

Did you guess Siri? You would be right. 

I love my washer/ dryer. They work so well and look so shiny. The clothes smell good and they clean fast.

Love my dishwasher. I put dirty dishes in and take clean dishes out!

Vacuum likewise awesome! You roll it over dirt and it sucks it up. Sometimes the first time, sometimes the second but it always does. Honestly I love that. I have had appliances that have not. 

...but Siri is a different story. She drives me through the ghetto, drops my calls, doesn't even ring half the time when someone calls me. She gives me accurate but useless answers to my questions; for example one time I said "Siri where is "giant"." (the grocery store I knew was a couple blocks from the stake center but did not know where) and she said "I'm sorry I can not navigate to Zimbabwe". Another time I asked how long the flight from DCA to Bermuda was and she answered in seconds. That's if she answers at all. Sometimes she says "I'm sorry I can not answer that right now".

I guess 3 out of 4 isn't bad.

something light hearted

Clayton's mom found out that she has a brain tumor this week.  It's inoperable.  They say she has a 25% chance of surviving the next 2 years with treatment.  Of course we believe in miracles and that the Lord knows and loves her and that she will live exactly how long He intends.  I feel very sad about this news.  I really like Kathy and I know how much she means to her family.  The good news is she's had a wonderful, service filled life.  She's seen her children grow to adulthood and they are successful, lovely people.  She's enjoyed a happy marriage and many friends and callings.  She is joyful.  I hope she has many more joyful years, at the same time I am grateful for that families are forever and this is but a step towards eternity.  It's a weird thing, death.  I do not fear it for myself and look forward to it in some ways, at the same time no one is eager to leave mortality while there is work to do, loved ones to care for and spend time with, and things to learn and do.

It is always sad for those left behind and it is for them that my heart aches.

I'm pretty sure I already updated but Yoho too is facing chemo and a long road to recovery.  He is expected to do well but I am sad that the journey will be challenging and that he'll be sick, that's the worst.

Yesterday Hannah's school was on lock down, again, second week in a row.  This time for 3 hours.  It was a bomb threat.  I am sad that our children aren't in a wholesome, secure environment where they can learn and flourish.

There are definitely wars and rumors of wars, pestilence and fear through out the world and that makes me sad too.  It grieves me that the Savior had to bear this and when I see the pain and suffering around and know that He took all of that on Himself, to atone for mankind it makes me wish for a swift cease and desist, to cut His suffering short a little.  It's unimaginable. My list could go on and on with specific people and events but I won't.  Infinite suffering required an infinite atonement and that's what He did for us.

And still we must find joy and look forward with hope.

So I will look forward to little raspberry.  Dani may know as soon as tomorrow (maybe) if a little blue bundle or a little pink one will be joining our family.  Since we can't be together to guess, or to celebrate I did a little poll and we all cast our predictions.  Can't wait to see if the majority is right or the lone 3 pink bundle predictors.

Pink or Blue we love that baby already and can't wait to greet him/her!  What a precious miracle!!

mayberry

Daniel, Sar and Ethan

We had a half day.  Yay! Love half days.  It gives us time to play.  I love our neighborhood.  In the morning there are always lots of dogs being walked and moms with strollers and joggers.  After school, especially on a half day there are lots of kids running around.  Our grass is soft, the green trees offer places to hide and shade to rest in, the playground is busy with kidlets and the streets with bikes.  Around 5 o'clock I was calling Ethan to get in his scout uniform and I heard another mom down the road calling "Riley! come in for dinner".  It's a Norman Rockwell scene reenacted.

Hannah made bread.  It smelled delicious! I didn't try it because our good friend David Duke is in town and we had dinner with him at Salsas.

Yoho went to the doctor today, he starts chemo next week.  Kathy, Clayton's mom, just got diagnosed with a brain tumor last night and Jenna's good friend from college, married 4 months and still going to school with lymphoma last week.  What is going on???  Makes me sad.  

I saw this cartoon on facebook today and thought it was sooo funny.  The sad chicky on the left cracked me up.  I am out of eggs but still looking forward to menopause.  

weekend

Jenna and Ethan

We had such a great weekend.  I loved that Clayton and Jenna were able to come and visit.  They are doing so well and I am so proud of them.  Jenna got her first job! yay! She is a case worker and has her own office and everything.  Clayton loves his job and they love Buffalo.

love this picture of R and Lu before soccer, they were tired :)

At the end of the weekend we were all exhausted.  Two full days out in the sun having fun and going going going, then on Sunday I went to church with CJ in the morning so they could get on the road, then again with the family at our own ward.  By the end of church I could barely stifle a yawn and R also was .  One of us was wise and went to bed early :)

love this picture R took of E and H, they were riding the wagon out to the bean patch