Santa Claus!

Bella has been anxiously awaiting her visit with Santa this year. We told her last week that we would take her today since Andy was off and could go with us. The first thing she said this morning was, "When are we going to see Santa?" We picked a great time to go as there were only a few people in line and she was able to sit with Santa and talk with him for a few minutes.

Here is a picture of her waiting in line.



And the official Santa picture...



Bella was so excited after her chat with Santa. This is such a magical time of year and seeing her face light up like it did was really something special. After our visit with Santa we decided to take advantage of Andy's day off and finally got some of our shopping done. I have a very specific list this year and it made it so much easier than trying to come up with a gift on the spot. We still have to shop for Bella, but other than that we are close to being done and it feels great!

And one last important note...I'm 13 weeks today and officially entering my 2nd trimester! It's hard to believe that a third of my pregnancy is over already!

12 weeks...

And 2 days to be exact! ;) I can't believe I've finally reached the 12 week mark! I'm happy to report that the vomiting seems to be getting better and that while I'm still pretty exhausted most of the time, I'm finally able to function again. I have a ton of catching up to do, and am trying to get a few things done each day with the hopes of being back on top of things as soon as possible.

Instead of an ultrasound picture this week I thought I would leave you with a glimpse of my growing belly. If I would have planned better I wouldn't have to post a picture taken by a 4 year old of me in my jammies, but oh well!! ;)

Something Special...

While staying with her Grandma and Grandpa McMinn Bella spent a good amount of time with the horses. Now, I didn't grow up with horses or anything, but I still think there is something very special about interacting with them and I feel like it's such a special thing for her to get to grow up around horses...even if they live at Grandma and Grandpa's.

I took several pictures of Bella showing us what she learned...

Here is Bella having Hagen walk around her...



Here she is giving Hagen the signal to stop...



And here is the progression of her approaching Hagen to tell him what a good job he did...







Bella demonstrating her riding skills...







When you need a break, just take one!





And finally, one with Grandma and Grandpa...

What a difference 4 weeks makes!

Here is the picture of our baby 1 month ago...



And here he/she is today...









I had no idea we would be having another ultrasound today, but was thrilled when he suggested we take another peek. He tried to listen for the heartbeat and thought he might have heard a faint heartbeat, but even with his disclaimer that it more than likely was too early to hear it, I still couldn't help but freak out a little. Walking from the exam room to the ultrasound room and waiting to see our baby felt like an eternity. But, God is good and we saw a cute little wiggling baby with a nice strong heartbeat! He redid the measurements since it was so early last time and moved my due date up a few days. It's is now officially June 18th which puts me at 11 weeks TODAY!! I asked about the difference in dates and he said this was the more accurate one and we would go with these dates...he redid the measurements a few times and came up with the same date each time. When he first started doing the scan he said that it was too early to tell the babies sex, but as he got down to the lower region he looked around for a while and then said, "See this...this really looks like a penis to me". He investigated a little further and pointed out the umblical cord, saying that he could see it clearly and it was over to the side, not between the legs. He then said, "if this is really a penis it will be the earliest I've ever been able to tell the sex of a baby!" Andy was behind me, but as soon as he made that comment I could sense the ear to ear grin on Andy's face and as soon as the Dr. left Andy made sure to comment on what exactly it would mean if that really is a penis!! ;)

Of course we aren't counting on it being a boy, but it sure will be interesting to see how it all turns out!

You can clearly see what the Dr. was referring to in the 2nd and 3rd pictures. It basically looks like the baby has 3 legs! :P

Other than that he gave me a prescription for Phenergan to help with the nausea and that was it. I see him again in a little less than a month since 4 weeks falls on Christmas day.

I have to say that for the first time since finding out I'm pregnant I am really excited. I walked out of that office feeling like a new person!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A day early! I'm not sure if I will have internet access tomorrow so I'm composing my Turkey Day post a little ahead of schedule.

Thanksgiving is being hosted by Andy's parents this year. Plans were made over a year ago to have everyone share Thanksgiving this year (Andy's family and mine). I'm really excited that my Mom, Mike and Anna will be joining us and we will be able to spend a holiday with both sides of our family. We are blessed to have that opportunity and I know it will not only be special for Andy and I, but also a very special memory for Bella.

There hasn't been a Thanksgiving in my life that I haven't had something to be thankful for. Some years have been difficult and sadness has been a real part of the holiday, but even in those times, there was always something that reminded me just how blessed I am. This year we have so much to be thankful for, but the big blessing right now is our children. Bella and our growing baby.

Bella. I really don't have the words to describe what an amazing little girl she is. She brings so much joy to our life and the lives of others and there is something very special about her (I know, every parent says that). She is the perfect mix of Andy and me and I'm so grateful that God has allowed us the opportunity to be her parents.

Then there is the child that is growing inside of me. Wow! What an amazing story we will have to tell him or her! I still get chills when I think about the circumstances surrounding this babies conception. A Doctor who looked at an u/s and said very clearly, "you have not ovulated this month and you won't" and a chart that showed no sign of ovulation, yet somehow our precious baby was conceived. I have been sick, really sick for over a month now and yet each time my head is hanging over toilet I'm reminded that there is a baby inside of me. Something we have prayed and waited for for such a long time.

I also can't leave without saying what an incredible blessing my family has been to me this year and especially in the last couple months. First and foremost, Andy has gone above and beyond what anyone would expect of him or any husband for that matter. He has taken care of me in a way that makes me feel like the most special woman on earth. He has done amazing things with Bella like paint her fingernails when I couldn't. He's gone without a single lunch made for him, only a handful of dinners and sometimes not even a clean pair of boxers to wear (I really did feel horrible about this one)...all without a single complaint. Bella has showered me with an amazing amount of love and been more understanding that I ever imagined a 4 year old could be. She's constantly saying, "It's okay mommy. I know you don't feel good because there's a baby in your tummy." It's the sweetest, most reassuring thing that could come out of her mouth and I love her to death for it! My mom and Anna drove 4 hours each way for the sole reason of cleaning my house and doing my laundry. Andy's mom came over and took Bella for almost 2 weeks. I mean it just doesn't end. I've had people offer to bring us dinner, do my grocery shopping, clean my house...you name it, it's been offered. Sometimes I have a hard time being the on the receiving end of things, but I keep reminding myself how incredibly blessed I am to have such amazing people around me. I feel so much love and concern and I only hope that someday I can return the favor to each and every person who has stepped in a helped in whatever way they can.

So, with that I will say a very Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. May your day be filled with joy, laughter and of course, good food. Don't let the day pass without taking some time to reflect on all that you have to be thankful for and if you can, let those around you know just how much you appreciate them.

_______________________________________

And of course I can't forget to mention that Thanksgiving Day will also mark the 10th week of my pregnancy. I officially have a little "pooch" and am in the awkward in between stage of pregnancy where my regular clothes don't fit and maternity clothes are still too big. I finally broke down and bought a few elastic waisted velour pants and have pretty much been living in them since.

Here is a glimpse of what our baby might look like at this stage...

I sure miss this little girl...

9 weeks

Still sick, but thrilled none-the-less to be pregnant! I visited my Natropathic Doctor yesterday for an acupuncture treatment, new prenatal vitamins (that hopefully won't end up in the toilet) and a ginger syrup to make tea with. I'm currently sipping a cup of ginger tea and if nothing else, it tastes yummy! ;)

Kidless!

This morning Bella headed off with Grandma McMinn for a fun filled trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house! We won't see her until we arrive for Thanksgiving, late Wednesday night. She was so excited she could hardly stand it.

Of course that leaves Andy and I to ourselves. Typically we would have lots of fun things planned, but when Bella asked Andy what he was going to do while she was gone he replied, "take care of mommy." I'm in no shape to do much of anything, so our evenings will more than likely be spent laying on the couch watching movies.

Although I will miss Bella, this really couldn't have come at a better time for me. She has been amazing over the last several weeks, but the mommy guilt is really hitting me hard and I'm so glad that she will be somewhere where she will receive more than her share of attention.

Cravings!

When I was pregnant with Bella I had 1 real craving my entire pregnancy and that was for my Grandma's Spare Ribs and Sauerkraut. I have a feeling this time is going to be different. I am currently having craving so out of control that Andy is on his way to the store (isn't he a great hubby). Most of you know that I am pretty much a health nut and so when you hear what I'm obsessing over you are going to get quite a laugh. Here it is...

Uncrustables!

I had them one time when Dan and Jessica were visiting this summer. Her sister in law had them for the kids and I tried one. I'm positive they are chalk full of sugar, additives and all the junk I'm always preaching about NOT putting into your body. But guess what, I DON'T CARE! JUST GIVE ME MY UNCRUSTABLES!!!

I swear if this doesn't change I'm going to blow up like a blimp! :P

P.S. - Andy has instructions to get a box of Strawberry AND a box of Grape! ;)

8 weeks

Today.

Sick!

I don't want to whine, so I won't go into details, but please keep us in your prayers. My body is completely overtaken with ailments of early pregnancy. Most of you know that I was really sick with Bella and I seem to be experiencing the same thing all over again...with a couple added issues. :(

Andy and Bella are being absolutely wonderful, but they are suffering none-the-less. I am in survival mode right now and doing only what is absolutely necessary. My mom was our saving grace this past weekend and came over specifically to help me. She whipped our house into order and helped me get caught up on things that desperately needed my attention.

I know that all of this is a good indication of a strong pregnancy and that this is something that we've waited for for a loooong time, but it doesn't take away the misery that I'm currently experiencing.

It's so amazing to me that something the size of a bean could cause my body to react so strongly. I just keep reminding myself that each day of this brings me one day closer to the incredible experience of feeling my child move inside of me (my absolute favorite part of pregnancy). That is a day I simply cannot wait for!!! :)

Amazing...

This is an ultrasound image of a baby at 7 weeks gestation.



Today I am 7 weeks.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween was a big deal in our house this year. Bell has been counting down the days for over a month and was beside herself with excitement when it finally arrived. She decided early on that she wanted to be Princess Dora. We found her costume and after we received it she informed me that she needed long black hair too. We found her a cheap wig at Target that quickly turned into a rats nest. Despite my best attempts the hair was simply out of control, but there was nothing to be done because Bella LOVED it! She also insisted that she be called Dora and not Bella while in costume. Gotta love that kid!! ;)

We started out our evening at our church's first annual Harvest Party. I was so impressed with how well it turned out. I ran a game and Bella hung out, going between different games and helping me out. We cut out of the party a little early because Bella really wanted to get some trick-or-treating in. We made it home just in time to stop by a few houses in the neighborhood. After the 4th house Bella declared that she was cold and ready to go home. I was more than happy to oblige! We came home and she showed Andy all of her candy. Piece. By. Piece.

Being the great parent I am, after we got home I realized that neither of us had eaten anything for dinner and that Bella was sustained by candy alone the entire night! She did eat a bowl of cereal before going to bed, so I guess it's not all that bad, right! ;P

Here are a few pictures from our fun...

Andy

He definitely keeps me on my toes, but when it comes down to it, he is such a wonderful husband and father. I am in quite the pathetic state right now and he is taking such great care of me. He is being kind and patient and not saying a word about my days consisting of moving from the bed to the couch. This morning he got up and made me toast so I didn't have to get out of bed. Bella of course thought it was cool that I got to eat my toast in bed so Andy made her some too and she joined me to eat toast and watch the morning news.

I'm already feeling bad about not being able to do much of anything around the house, and even though I can't wait to be feeling better and making my own toast, it's such a blessing to have a husband who is understanding and willing to take on extra responsibilities when I really need him to!

We have a heartbeat!!!

Here is the first picture of our precious baby...



It doesn't look like much more than a little worm right now, but we saw a nice strong heartbeat flickering on the screen.

Based on the babies measurments I am 6 weeks and 4 days. My due date is June 21st.

Thank you so much to all who have been praying for us and we ask that you continue to do so.

One step closer...

I had blood drawn this morning for my repeat Beta and just talked with the nurse. For comparison, my number on the 16th was 813. Today it was 22,000. She was more than pleased and said they don't usually see that high of a number. She then asked me if I had any history of multiples in my family and I of course said, "no". She said, "well then it just must be one really healthy one in there."

The first nurse I spoke with said my numbers should double approximately every 48 hours. I found an online calculator that determines the doubling time and mine doubled every 50 hours. According to the nurse I talked with today they are looking for a doubling rate of 60% every 48 hours. Either way I think I'm good! ;)

I checked out the charts again and my numbers put me between 6 and 8 weeks and the nurse gave me a gestation of 7 weeks 2 days, although I think it's more like 6 weeks.

I have an appt with my OB on Monday and will hopefully have some more definitive news to share them. I'm pretty sure we will have an ultrasound.

Please continue to pray for us.

I think I'm starting to get excited...

Because one just isn't enough!

Yes, that's right, I'm PREGNANT!

I tested on Monday and am still in complete shock. It makes no logical sense for me to be pregnant right now, but 3 home pregnancy tests and 1 blood test later, it seems to true. I had my blood drawn on Monday and the nurse called me on Tuesday with the results. My beta number was 813 which according to this chart puts me at about 5 weeks. If this is accurate then I was pregnant at my appointment with the RE a couple weeks ago, although it was too early to show up on the ultrasound or pregnancy test I had there.

As I mentioned before, this makes no logical sense. I have a chart that says I didn't ovulate and a Doctor who looks at my ovaries and said I hadn't ovulated and wasn't going to, yet I'm pregnant (obviously I HAD to ovulate at some point). We have no doubt that this is God working in our life...an answer to ours and so many others prayers.

I can't say that I know for sure this pregnancy will result in a baby in 9 months, but I can say that regardless of the outcome I know now that I (we) will be okay. I cannot even begin to express what I have learned and how I have grown in the last 2 years. God has used this time to show me things that I may have never been able to understand had I not walked through this valley. I have learned to put all of my trust in Him (as much as humanly possible) and to live in the present and appreciate the blessing I have in my life and not dwell on the one's I don't.

I have made a choice to enjoy and celebrate each day of this pregnancy. I know my heart is still guarded...I can feel it, but every once in a while I let myself be in the excitement of a new life being created...in the thoughts of a growing belly, first flutters, and ultimately welcoming a new son or daugther into our family next Summer.

We will have a repeat Beta done on Thursday and I will get the results on Friday. We are looking for my numbers to double every 48 hours from the last draw. If all looks well they will schedule me an ultrasound for 2 weeks from Friday. The nurse said by then we should be able to see a heartbeat, date the pregnancy and give me a due date.

Those of you who know me well, know that having NO idea when I got pregnant is completely crazy, but you know what...sometimes it's good not to know...not to be in control and to just trust that God is doing His work in our lives.

Please continue to pray for us and our precious growing baby. We want this child with all of our heart and hope to have nothing but good news to share with you from now on.

"In love's service, only wounded soldiers can serve." Thorton Wilder

Post Secrets...

I am completly OBSESSED with this website! As someone who is very "psychological" as Andy puts it I cannot stay away from it. I of course love reading the postcards and imagining the person who sent them, but more than that I imagine how much better they feel after sending their postcard. I tell people all the time that the things we keep hidden have an incredible amount of control over us, and as soon as we make the choice not to hide them anymore they loose their power. I compare it to carrying a hundred pound weight that suddenly turns into a 5 pound weight. It's amazing how bound we can be by the skeletons in our closet.

I was a person who for a long time kept everything bottled up inside. I felt horrible for the "bad" things I did in my life and was completely terrified of people finding out that I wasn't necessarily the "good" girl they thought I was. And then something changed...I'm not sure exactly what it was but I began to realize that I wasn't defined by the poor choices I made in life, rather I was a person who was forgiven by God and that was all that mattered. Sometime along the way Andy came to the same conclusion (maybe even before I did) and we have made it a point to be as real as we can. We don't go around broadcasting all of the "bad" things we have done, but we don't hide them either and aren't afraid to share them with someone in a similar situation. It seems that by us taking that first step so many people have been able to open up and say, "me too!" Those two words are incredibly powerful to the person saying them and that is where the chains begin to loosen.

Anyways, I know that some of you will read this and think I am a complete quack and that's okay (I think it myself sometimes), but I know others will really identify with it.

We all make poor choices in life. None of us are perfect. Get rid of the chains!

Appt with the Reproductive Endocrinologist

Well, we finally did it. After almost 2 years of trying to get pregnant we admitted defeat and consulted with a fertility specialist. When I made the appt 2 months ago I was very reluctant but over the last couple months have warmed up to the idea. Today when I left felt a real sense of peace about it.

Dr. F took us both by surprise with his laid back demeanor. He was very relaxed and personable. He took plenty of time to listen to me ramble (you all know I did) and explained things in a way that we were both able to understand. After taking our history he asked me what I thought the problem was and I told him, "my eggs". He shook his head in agreement and said that I more than likely have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). I have had doctors mention this as a possibility before, but today I received an official diagnosis thanks to an ultrasound that showed my ovaries covered in clusters of immature follicles.

He said that with the PCOS and endometriosis combined we have a very small chance of conceiving on our own. Obviously it is possible because I have been pregnant twice, but after rambling off statistics that I can't remember he said in the last 2 years of trying to conceive we have had maybe 5 actual chances of getting pregnant. Play those numbers out and it could take a very long time to acheive a pregnancy on our own.

With that he suggested that a combination of ovulation induction and IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) would give us the best chances of acheiving a pregnancy at this point. We agreed to give it a try and spent a good 30 minutes with the nurse explaining our treatment protocol.

In a nutshell this is how it looks...

* I started Provera tonight to induce my period.

*On day 2 of my period I will go in for baseline bloodwork.

*On day 2-6 I will take Clomid.

*Sometime between cycle day 6 and 10 I will go in for an HSG test.

*Cycle day 10 I will begin using an Ovulation Predictor Kit.

*Cyle day 12 I will go in for an ultrasound to check follicle numbers and size.

*As soon as I receive an LH surge on the OPK I will call the office and they will schedule the IUI within 24 hours.

*The actual IUI takes less than 30 minutes (5 minutes for the procedure and 15 minutes of lying down afterwards) and then I can resume my normal activities.

*At the time of the IUI they will wash the sperm and do a sperm analysis to rule out any male factor.

*And then we will wait for approximately 2 weeks for a Beta HCG test (blood pregnancy test).

So that about sums it up. Andy and I have put a lot of time, conversation and prayer into this and we really feel good about it. We feel like this is the road that God has put before us and we are excited to journey down it until we are shown differently.

I hesitated for a moment to share the details of our appt with everyone, but 2 things prompted me to do so. The first was a comment that Dr. F made to us. He said, "This is no different than any other medical condition. No one ever tells a person with a cancer to realax and see what happens and we shouldn't view this any differently." The other was a simple check in with the hubby. I asked him if he minded if I shared the details of our appt on my blog and he said, "not at all". I know this is virtually impossible for those who haven't gone through this or something similar to understand but sometimes this feels so isolating. It's somewhat of a taboo topic and according to Dr. F it is because people feel uncomfortable with anything to do with others sex lives so they just don't ask about it. I get that, but it doesn't make it any easier for those going through it. Anyways, I don't want this to sound like a pity party, just wanted to explain a little about why we chose to share so openly about our struggles to conceive another child.

Please keep us in your prayers over the next few months. We are excited but also realistic about what we are getting ourselves in to. My biggest concern is how the meds will affect my body considering how sensitive I am to most medication.

Check back for updates as I will try my best to post as things happen.

Quote

“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substance: If there is an reaction, both are transformed.” Carl Jung




Any thoughts?

Family!

We spent the weekend at Andy's grandma and grandpa's house celebraing Poppy's 76th birthday. Saturday night all of the cousins and their spouses got together for dinner which was really fun. It had been over 10 years since everyone had been together so it was pretty special. The same was true for Poppy's birthday party. All of the kids, grandkids and one special great grandchild were there. We had a really nice time visiting with everyone and catching up. Bella was beside herself with excitement over seeing her Grammy, Grandma and Auntie. She talked about them all the way there and all the way home. She's a lucky little girl to have a family who loves her so much.

I took a few pictures that of course I have to share. Enjoy...

Our beautiful Bella...

As heard in Sunday service...

Last Sunday while giving the message Pastor Art spoke of a childs enthusiasm for what they love as an example for how we should feel about serving others. He explained that his son is currently in graduate school for counseling and as part of his program is conducting research by talking with children. He was here last Wednesday night and was talking to a child and asked her how old she was. She told him she was 4. Then he asked her what she liked to do. She replied, "I LOVE to dance. I dance all the time!" He said, "Wow! And how long have you been dancing?" To which she emphatically replied, "FOR SEVEN YEARS!"

Why do I share this you ask??

Because it was Bella who has been dancing for seven of her 4 years! ;)

The first time I heard the story I didn't know it was her, but when Arts son told me that it was in fact Bella, I just smiled and said, "that sounds just like her!"

Suffering

So I want to try something new on my blog...

I'm going to post a quote and maybe a picture every so often. If it speaks to you in any way I'd love to hear about it!

"Measure your life by loss instead of gain
Not by the wine drunk, but by the wine poured forth
For love's strength standeth in love's sacrafice
And whosoever suffereth the most hath the most to give."
Hudson Taylor

A very Happy Birthday to our good friend Dan!

The big 3-0!

We hope you have a great day and most importantly that this new year (and decade for that matter) brings with it more blessings than you can imagine!

Have fun celebrating...that wife of yours better being doing something darn special! ;)

Andy, Donielle and Bella :)

A great season!

Of softball that is! We started out in mid May with a team of players who had either never played before or hadn't played in a looong time (15 years for me). Needless to say we were all a little rusty but we came together great and ended up placing 2nd in our division. Technically we tied for first but since the team we tied with beat us 1st place went to them. Anyways, after the regular season we were bumped up a division and played in a double elimination tournament. Our first lost was to another team from our church. On Sunday we met up with them again and this time were able to win the game. That win put us in 2nd place and left us with another game to play immediately follwing our first one. We played the only undefeated team left and beat them too! We were pumped by our win. Unfortunatly we had to play a THIRD game 5 minutes after the second and us old folks just couldn't hang for the third game in a row. We were beat and got beat! That loss ended the season for us with the 2nd place trophy and an exhausted Rock Solid team.

I am extremely glad that our season is over, but I had a great time playing. I played 2nd base and did surprisingly well. I come from a very athletic family and it appears that I just might have a little of it in me after all! ;)

Andy was asked to play on an A league team next year (just so you know it goes from A to H -- we were in the H league this year) which is quite a compliment. He said his lolyalties lie with us and that if our team plays again next year he wants to stick with us, but I kind of think it would be fun to watch him play in a division a little more suited for him. We'll see...

Labor Day Fun!

Yesterday we spent the Labor Day Holiday at Lake Tahoe with friends. We wakeboarded, swam, sunbathed and had a great time hanging out and enjoying such a beautiful place. We ended our day in Tahoe by having dinner on the lake which is always a treat!

It was also the last time we will see our friends Jeff and Amanda for a while. We met them less than a year ago, but they quickly became great friends. They are off to their new "home" in Denmark in a couple weeks. It was great to spend one last day with them!

Here are a few pictures...

Check this out...

You may have heard of it, it's called the "Gestation Project"...

You can read more about it on the website, but basically it's a streaming video of pictures taken during a woman's pregnancy (every couple days). It's pretty neat to watch her grow!

http://www.enjoyyourdigitallife.com/?p=8

Per my husbands request...

I am posting a picture of Jessica and I with Josh Blue...

But before you see the picture, it is important that I say that I am not usually one to have my picture taken with anyone even resembling a celebrity. I really see them as no different than myself and tend to think that it must get a little annoying to have random people constantly wanting to take a picture with you. I also worked in a restaurant during college that was frequented by "celebrities" and we were expected to do everything in our power to ensure that they had a comfortable, uniteruppted dining experience. I learned very quickly how to act completly neutral, as if I had no clue who they were (forget the 7 foot basketball player with legs so long that they didn't fit under the table, diamonds so big that I was blinded everytime I walked up to the table and women and men alike loosing their minds inside as the other employees made it clear they were not to even get close to the table).

Okay, now that I've given my disclaimer...enjoy the picture! ;)

On our own!

I called my mom on Saturday morning to chat and the next thing I knew I was packing a suitcase for Bella and we were on our way to Susanville. We met my mom there, had lunch, loaded Bella up in her car and off she went to Grandma's! It worked out great for us since we had tickets to see the winner of Last Comic Standing, Josh Blue that night. We were able to go out without having to worry about getting home in a timely manner and had a great time at the show (he is *really* funny). After the show we hung out while Andy and Josh played table games at the casino. They both made a little money which made for an even better evening!

Here is a picture of Andy and I after the show...



Yesterday we were at church most of the day for our annual Baptism and BBQ. There were more than 100 people baptized which is absolutely amazing! It was so neat to see person after person climb into the pool. At one point a whole family was baptized together (Dad, Mom and Daughter) which of course brought tears to my eyes. One of our friends from our bible study was also baptized which was really special to see. After that we came home for a couple hours, rested a little and then headed out to play Softball. We won our first game which meant we had to play a second game an hour later. We were 1 player short both games and still managed to win! We were pretty excited but also completely exhausted!

Speaking of Softball, here is a picture of our team from last week...



Today we decided to stay at home and get a few things done around the house. We are getting a new receiver installed today from Dish Network so we can have DVR capabiities. We harldy watch any TV as it is so it will be intersting to see if this changes our television viewing habits?? We are going to go to the mall later to exchange a few things I bought for Andy and then have dinner. We are thinking of seeing Talledega Nights, but aren't sure yet. Regardless it will be nice to enjoy an evening out, just the two of us, not having to worry about getting home to our sweet little Bella.

Bella will come home tomorrow evening and it will be back to the grind for all of us. We love that little girl more than we ever imagined we would, but would be lying if we said it wasn't nice to have the occasional break and enjoy our time as husband and wife. Thankfully we still like eachother enough that we really enjoy our time together. ;)

That's all for now.

Where do I start??

Wow! It's been busy around here the last couple weeks! I'll probably forget something, but here goes...

We went to Andy's 10 year class reunion. We drove to Redding on Friday night, had lunch with my mom on Saturday, and hung out with our friends Chris and Sierra until reunion time on Saturday evening. Andy had a good time, but was a little dissapointed that more of his old high school friends weren't there. I actually had a pretty good time too. Thankfully we are good friends with one of Andy's high school class mates and his wife so Sierra and I were able to hang out most of the evening and not feel too out of place. We had to drive back Saturday night so I could be at church on Sunday morning for my class. Needless to say we were exhausted the next day but were able to spend some time with Andy's parents (they were here for a horse training seminar) which was really nice.

Here are a few pics from the class reunion...

Andy and his good friend Chris




Andy and I



Our good friends the O'Connells were here visiting last week. It's always a great time with them, but this trip was extra special because we got to finally meet the newest member of the family, Drew. I'm probably biased, but he is one of the cutest little boys I have ever seen. As always, their visit was too short, but now that it's our turn we hope to make it to one of our favorite places (So Cal) in the not too distant future.

Here is a picture of Bella and Kendra after Bella's party...




And one of Bella and baby Drew...



As I just metioned, Bella also celebrated her 4th birthday with a Dora Party. We started the festivities at our house with pizza, cake and gifts and then went down the street for an hour of bounce house fun. The kids had a lot of fun us big kids had a pretty good time too. By the time we made it home we were exhausted but it was well worth it!

Unfotunately I lost my USB cable and my camera card was full so I only got a couple pics on my camera. Thankfully Jessica filled in with her camera. Here are a few that I had on my camera (I got a new cable in case anyone was wondering).

Before everyone arrived...



A terribly cheesy smile...



After her party, hanging out in the Dora Treehouse that Kendra and Drew gave her and showing off the jewlery she got...



And a bonus picture of Bella and Lucy...



Life has been pretty crazy for us lately. We have had some great times, but hope to slow things down a bit here in the next few months.

Birthday's Everywhere!!!!!!

In the month of August we have already celebrated Bella's Birthday, Kendra's Birthday and Morgan's (Bella's neighbor friend) Birthday. Today we add to that list, Grammy's Birthday, Mike's Birthday and yes, you guess it...my birthday!

So, Happy Birthday to Mike and Grammy! I couldn't think of a better day to celebrate a birthday! ;) We hope that your day is wonderful and that this year brings with it many new blessings!

We love you guys!

Happy Birthday Kendra!

Kendra is 2!!!!!!

Bella and Kendra truely are kindred spirits...not only were they born on the same day, but also at the same time (2 years apart of course). Sure they have different aspects to their personalities, but they seem to be cut from the same mold. They have similar behaviors, ways of talking and even similar health issues (poor girls). It's amazing to me that I would find a friend who is more like me than anyone else on the this earth and that we would have children who are so similar. I can't wait to see what 20 years does to us and what we will be saying on the day that we celebrate a 24th and 22nd birthday!!!

We love you Miss Kendra and can't wait to see you next week!

Happy Birthday Isabella Grace!!

Today our beautiful little girl turns 4!

Truth be told, I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around the reality of having a 4 year old. It sounds a bit cliche, but it really seems like yesterday that we laid eyes on her for the first time and spent those first few days and weeks falling in love with our baby girl. Now when I look at her all of the "baby" things seem to have quietly dissapeared and instead of my "baby", I see a little girl.

As we have watched her grow into the little girl she is, there is no denying that she is extremely strong willed and independent. While those characteristics sometimes cause distress in the McMinn household we are determined to foster them and help her to use them in a way that she can be proud of. I have no doubt that God made her the way He did for a very specific reason and it is my prayer that as her parents we foster those qualities and never do anything to make her feel like she needs to be anything other than the girl (and eventually woman) that God created her to be.

In addition to her strong character qualities there are other things about her that are just priceless. She has to be one of the friendliest and outgoing little girls I have ever met. I have shared this story with many of you, but on a regular basis she stands on the patio in the backyard waiting for people to walk by so she can say hi to them. If they don't respond the first time she will say, okay, yell, "I SAID HI!!" If the person walking by happens to engage her in conversation she will talk until I head outside to relieve the poor passer by of their obligation to stand there and talk to the cute little girl. Today she has told EVERYONE she has seen (stranger and friend) that it's her birthday and she is 4 now. As usual, some people think it's great and others act a bit annoyed that I let my child interrupt whatever it happend to be they were doing...even if it was as simple as walking down the sidewalk or standing in line...but I digress...

I could go on and on but at the risk of sounding like an overly doting mother, I will simply say that we couldn't have asked for a more perfect little girl for our family. In the recent months as we have tried so hard to have another child, I have really began to realize what an incredible blessing she is in our life. Only now do I see how much I took for granted the time that I was pregnant with her and really, each and every day of the last 4 years. God gave us a good and perfect gift when he blessed us with Bella and I hope that she always knows that even if no one else on this earth loves her or supports her, there will be 2 people who will never give up on her, never stop loving her and never forget what an amazing gift we were given on that 6th day of August.

We love you Bella!!!