Just a quick update.
I am now 38 weeks, the ticker says 12 days until I am due. I beg to differ. I'm ready now and I think baby girl can come at any time. The changes in my body could mean she comes today or she may not. That part kind of sucks. I feel great other than minor discomforts associated with a foot in the liver or lungs and occasional sciatic nerve pain. I still sleep well at night, I am not ill and despite what others might think, I am quite small (at least compared to last time). I am having fun buying cute dresses and shoes and headbands but have decided to wait until we move to invest in another crib and other large pieces that would just mean more work in a few months.

Maddox is sweet to his sister and tells her goodnight and good morning, gives her kisses and thanks Jesus for his sister "Laundry". That will make sense when I go Internet public with her name. Yes, I will tell you to your face if you ask me but, no, I will not yet publish it on the web. Jetty, oh Jetty. I am slightly scared of what he might do. He gave me my first black eye last week and he uses his head as a lethal weapon. He has the ability to snuggle you sweetly and be a little pumpkin and then smash his head into you with surprising force, taking you by complete surprise. He does well with puppies though, so I am hoping a small human being is safe in his presence. She will be one tough little cookie :)

Bing continues to be healthy and has had no issues with his heart for a long time. He goes in for regular check ups and ICD interrogations just to see what is going on but, the doctors have been astounded by his complete turn around.

He and I are happy and loving the life we have managed to make for ourselves. God is so wonderful and the miracles he has performed on our spiritual hearts never cease to amaze me. We can hardly recognize ourselves as we were 3 years ago. The hurdles and hang ups, the addictions and poor choices, we were on a really ugly road! I am so grateful for the man of character and integrity Bing has morphed into. He is passionate about pouring into others, he works tirelessly to provide for our family and he makes special time to spend with the boys on a regular basis. I'm just so proud.

Jetty is up now... so done or not. See you soon :)

SOLD

I know I have still to update on our Christmas adventures on the coast but, you'll have to wait.

A few days before we were to fly home a couple called Bing about our home. We had left it quite clean, tidied up and toilets scrubbed so I told him to give them the code for our lock box and have them look through. They LOVED it and wanted to sit down with us after we got home. They are only in town until the 8th and so we met with them the day after we got home, they walked through again and asked all of the questions they had, the unusual heating and cooling, solar panels and efficiency aspects do raise some questions. Bing attended to them while I wrangled our insanely busy boys and so I was not privy to all of the goings on but, they made Bing an offer that night and he told them we would discuss, pray and get back to them. We countered, they countered, and we re-countered. Then they accepted! They came over tonight with a bunch of family and friends to walk them through and show off the house they are buying. It was great that they did it all at once cause this mama is tired of cleaning up to show it, ha! They ushered out the fam and we got down to business with the paper work.

We will close early to mid February and then we will continue to rent from them for about 2 1/2 months. That gives us time to have a baby, find a home to rent(God willing in Coeur d' Alene) and move. They are young, married last summer, he is finishing school for geology and is working for Stillwater Mining Co. and she plans to get her masters in Psych. They have no children yet so, they have room to grow in this house for awhile. While I had not met them previously, we have a TON of mutual family friends, we know so, so many of the same people it is wild. They are just the couple we have be praying for, and I am excited for them to have this home!

I am thrilled to start a whole new chapter of our life. While I am sad to be moving away from my family, it is the adventure Bing and I need to grow: as a couple, a family, and our business. To be in a new place where we are both starting fresh, making friends as a couple instead of inheriting mine or his, finding a church. and relying on God and each other instead of our family... that is what we look forward to.

This year has been full of blessings and we marvel, daily, at the things God has done for us. Three years ago, we never could have dreamed the life we now have and I believe with every ounce of my being this is just the beginning. I am humbled by His good works in us and grateful beyond words for His abundant grace and mercy.

Moving Christmas Party

A rare glimpse of Jetty being sweet to his brother. There are usually bats swinging, guns firing and balls flying but occasionally, they slow down long enough to hug.


The gun is up, things are about to get rowdy!


Jetty has taken a liking to all of Maddox's CARS stuff. Sometimes Maddox will tolerate it and sometimes not. Jetty likes to snatch toys from Maddox and run wildly away.

Moving is hard work! We had the joy of traveling to Bozeman for the weekend to assist Rob and Addie in moving to their new, fabulously large and pretty home. There were no official babysitters on hand so there were lots of breaks for naps, snacks, discipline and light saber dueling.






Mom and dad stayed at a hotel with a water slide so we spent one evening swarming the small pool, and the two lovey couples shamelessly hanging all over each other, in order for the boys to have some fun. Maddox and Blake enjoyed it the most but we managed to get all of the wee ones down the slide at least once. It was not a tame slide, they really shot out at the bottom unless care was taken to slow down, Matt did a great job with all three of his boys...


Mason


Mad-man


Blakey and papa


Unamused Jetty


Smiggy


Schuyler Clan

I must have caught Sawyer on Mom's camera, there is proof somewhere that they all did it.

We also had Christmas for the kidlets, as we are all going separate ways this year we wanted to celebrate as a family. Reese was in Denver enjoying other family and so we missed her but, I'm sure her weekend was far more relaxed than it would have been otherwise! Pop tarts and camo was the name of the game and they thoroughly enjoyed being showered with goodies.











It was a delightful time together, and though I know we were a help, I feel like we hardly made a dent in the mountain of boxes stacked in the Bedford's garage. Also, it is interesting and funny to hear what comes out of Maddox's mouth after a full weekend with his cousins. The chore becomes deciphering what he picked up from his dad(crapface) and what he learned from the younger crowd(poopyface, I'm gonna fart on you). What have your kids learned from us recently?

Ornery little buggers

This progression cracks me up. They already grab at each other and pick and poke just to bug the other. It is funny to watch but, I wonder how long I will think it is funny before I just get sick of it!


****
Awhile back, Bing got permission from his docs to run another half marathon... he wanted to take Jetty and even the score. Well, he did it. Just to say he had. Jetty made it about 3/4 of the way before I picked him up and snapped a few pics. I like his wonky legs in this one :)