Photo Update

We went to a local family farm with our homeschool group and the kids had such fun picking pumpkins and apples, playing in a kiddie pool full of dried corn, going on a hayride and through a big maze made of hay bales. Here's Caris, Emma, Ellie, Graham and Malachi














Pretty Caris, all snuggly in her sweatshirt at a soccer game











Me, looking WAY bigger than I felt at 24 weeks (I'm 26 weeks now)














Graham hanging out between soccer games














I heard a slam today, then Caris' loud cries and I knew right away she'd busted her lip. Sure enough, poor thing! She's smiling through the pain though:

Crock Pot Roast

Crock Pots are so great. I put a roast in this morning with carrots, potatoes, onion and seasonings, and now at not even noon, it smells divine. The only problem is that I want to EAT it now and it won't be ready until dinnertime. Aaa!

So we have gone back to plan A and we're having this baby at home! It's even more exciting this time around because we really prayed about the decision and now not only can I look forward to a wonderful birth but I also have total peace about it. All of the stress I've been feeling about the bad hospital situations has disappeared and it feels good!

Alif told me the other day that he'd like to be moved in to our new house by Thanksgiving. That seems awfully rushed to me but as long as we're settled in before Baby makes his appearance I'll be happy.

Speaking of Baby, he still does not have a name. I do not want to end up in another Graham-like experience of having no name for days after his birth!! I guess that's another thing to take to God in prayer!

About a week ago Caris came out of her room and said it stunk in there because someone was smoking outside. I thought that sounded really strange, so I went in to see what was going on. She had put her lamp on the floor with a book on top of it! The lampshade was melting and the book was blackened through. Thank God it didn't catch on fire, but what a scare. I had to think a minute so as to not scare her out of her mind about fire, but to let her know how serious that was. Well, apparently I went too far because for days she wouldn't go NEAR her room alone, and cried herself to sleep at night even with us checking on her every few minutes AND leaving her door open and the hall light on. Yesterday Alif bought her a Glo Worm and it seems to have helped her a lot last night. She did wake up at 4:24 needing to go potty though. That child wakes me up more at night, I tell you what. Malachi & Graham never have done this. I mean, since they were babies & slept through the night, I just plain & simple don't hear from them till morning. I hope this night-waking thing with Caris doesn't last long! When I got up this morning to take her potty, all I could think was how bad it would be if there was a baby nursing or sleeping in my bed and there SHE goes crying. Oh please, not two kids up in the night. Please!

Be Magnified

This song is my heart's cry in so many areas! Oh Lord, be magnified in my life!

Be Magnified

I have made you too small in my eyes
Oh Lord, forgive me!
And I have believed in the lie
That you were unable to help me
But now, Oh Lord, I've seen my wrong
Heal my heart and show yourself strong
And with my heart and with my song
Oh Lord, be magnified
Oh Lord, be magnified

Be magnified Oh Lord
You are highly exalted
And there is nothing you can't do
Oh Lord, my eyes are on you
Be magnified
Oh Lord, be magnified

I have leaned on the wisdom of men
Oh Lord, forgive me
And I have responded to them
Instead of your love and your mercy
But now, Oh Lord, I've seen my wrong
Heal my heart and show yourself strong
And with my heart and with my song
Oh Lord, be magnified
Oh Lord, be magnified

Lord, let your glory fall

Last night we were having wonderful worship at church. It was an especially small group at the evening service, but worship was clearly heart-felt and spirit-filled. There was a song about seeing God's glory, and our pastor mentioned something about seeing God in His full glory, and imagine how that will be. Suddenly 1 Corinthians 13:12 came to mind: Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. As I thought of this verse, God revealed a sweet thing to me. I thought of how much I love this baby I'm carrying and how connected I feel to him. Many, many times during the day I feel him move and feel overwhelmed with the feeling of "I love you, son!" I thought of how much I love him already, and I have certainly only seen a poor reflection of him so far - 2-D images of his sweet legs, feet, profile in ultrasounds, my tummy going bumpety-bump when he moves, and just the sheer imagination of what he will look like. Then I thought of my experience with each of my other babies: seeing their downy hair for the first time, their eyelashes, their plump, pink skin, smelling their sweet breath, hearing their coos and cries, what it's like when my lips brush their cheek, their neck, their toes. There's just no comparison. It would take a volume of books to even begin to describe what it is like to be a mother and to hold a baby in one's arms. Then back to that verse, that says that we see Christ now only as a poor reflection in a mirror . . . wow. I think of my most intense moments of worship, of adoration, of the knowledge that my God is truly awesome . . . and that is only a poor reflection? I'm pregnant with anticipation.