b.b's and bow & arrows

It came to pass...little Eli got to shoot his first gun and bring home the target to prove it to momma! Since sister girl didn't arrive, Nate took Eli (and Ian along for the ride) to the Cub Scout 'campout' (they didn't camp out) on Saturday. It all came true...what that uniform clothed stranger promised in Eli's school cafeteria...the boys got to shoot all kinds of stuff and fish and get really dirty! Needless to say he has requested to please have the uniform now; I had been putting that purchase off to see how his interest would hold up. I'm happy for him but more so that Nate really connected with the 'scouts' idea for the first time and saw many many fathers and sons bonding on Saturday. I guess that is just one of many good things about having boys (you get a little free time when the Dad's have to serve male duty on such activities). But hey, I'm all up for a little spa and shopping time with baby Elizabeth in about 5 years! =)

Due Date has arrived

Saturday, October 25th. I've been talking about this "date" for really 10 months now. I wake up this morning and it has arrived but nothing else has arrived...I just read on line that "Remember only 5% of mothers give birth on their due date." What? They didn't take that poll in Murfreesboro. It seems everyone around me had their baby before their due date. But after? I'm complaining - sorry.
Nate just left with his buddy to take all 4 rambunctious boys of ours (including theirs) to a cub scout camp out today. I had so wanted Eli to get to 'shoot bows and arrows, shoot b.b. guns, go fishing, etc.' after he signed up for cub scouts and it looks like he gets to do it. Of course in my usual worrying fashion I'm already nervous that I'll go into labor any minute today and the men will have to drag all 4 boys from the fields of boyhood, dropping their miniature weapons and hard caught fish to drive back to M'boro and take old mommy to the hospital. Maybe the excitement of a new baby really coming will distract the bad memories from settling in their subconscious and reappearing when they sit in front of their shrinks at age 30 and blame everything else on me. (hee hee) Did I mention we don't know how well the cell phone reception is out there? Oh, just more to add to my worries. STOP IT SARAH!
I jokingly tell friends that I will be able to french braid sister girl's hair when she comes out and that we can just put her in her crib and say "see you in the morning" because she will be so big and cooked! I know I'm crazy.
I think I will go paint - the one thing that keeps my mind off me and passes the time...

Happy Birthday Nate

Today is my husband's birthday and you know what he wanted? A baby girl - of course it is only 9:30am so he might get his wish. That is the difference between me and him, the last thing I would want on my birthday is for one of my children to be born - selfish, selfish, selfish! =)

I just wanted to blog about him even though he never reads this. Nate and I have known each other since first grade. He remembers his mom dropping him off at school and saying "You better be nice to that little Sarah Weeks she's a cutie" (or something like that) and I think he responded with probably throwing up noises. But we did grow up as acquaintances and in high school (all 400 students) we hung out together a lot. He took me to the Jr. prom even though we didn't dance at all together (we did manage to get a picture taken beside each other). He was EXTREMELY shy with girls but THE CLASS CLOWN. After graduation we life guarded together and became best friends the summer of our Sophomore year in college, when we were both stuck back in West TN. for two months. I knew then that I wanted to marry him and be his best friend forever! (please put away the wine...)

We've grown up together literally in our marriage, getting married at ages 22 and 21 right out of college...struggling with new jobs, graduate school (and still graduate school), starting a family young and realizing what our priorities in life were - dedicating our lives to Christ and getting involved in a local church, making sweet friendships that still mean a lot to our marriage today. Nate is the most dedicated family man I know. He puts me and the kids before himself most days. He is dedicated to not only teaching his students at MTSU but mentoring them and praying for them when needed. He stands out in a crowd to me because he is tenderhearted (doesn't mind crying when moved) and can always lighten the mood in a room. He is known for hugging everyone (male or female) and for getting children in his presence either crazy hyper from being wrestled to the ground, thrown in the air or accidentally hurt (he doesn't realize his strength sometimes...) Happy Birthday Nate - best friend, soul mate and partner in my life!

Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere...

I love Fall! I love the orange colors and the decorations I put up in my house (fall leaves, etc.), carving pumpkins and pulling out jackets and blue jeans. Enjoy the Fall pictures - please note the pumpkin I'm hiding in my shirt (hee hee).

Soccer Season comes to an end

After a few months of Monday and Tuesday 6:00 practices for Eli and Ian and then Saturday morning games we have come to a halt in our busy schedule. Eli improved his skills a lot this season; for the first time Nate didn't coach his team but opted to help with Ian's team. Eli's coaches were both soccer coaches at local schools so the experience from them really pushed Eli to learn some new stuff. Although he is timid he really is built for the running, twisting and maneuvering of the soccer ball. Ian played for his second season and surprised Nate and I both by his disinterest in the sport after last season's go get 'em attitude. He never wanted to go to practice or play the game on Saturday but once out there he did fine most of the time. He seemed to thrive being goalie - I don't know why but the constant action when the ball was coming at him energized the little fellow (he hardly let them get by...it was hilarious to watch). He managed to score a few as well - usually when grandparents were at the game to watch. But he did tell us he didn't want to play next time. I can respect that so we'll see what interest this little one comes up with. I think Eli will always enjoy playing soccer as long as he has a buddy on his team (that is the most important thing to him always with anything!!!) I have to praise the One Goal Sports ministry that set up these soccer teams. They are Christ centered and all practices and games begin with prayer along with a weekly bible verse the kids memorize. The focus is on good character during the game and not the score so children don't feel bad when they lose. Of course when you get into Eli's age group they KNOW who won or lost but at least the parents are out there yelling about it. The end of the season everyone gets a trophy and all the parents come together with their kids for a devotion and prayer. It makes me smile/get choked up to see our kids having fun, using their bodies and learning a new sport while remembering the most important thing in Life - Jesus. Here are a few pictures from the sharks and bulldog's season...

Can I just say...

I choose to shop at Kroger first because I can put money towards Eli's school account to pay for future field trips and second because it is not Wal-mart in that the service is more personal, which I note you pay for. But saying that I have noticed that at my Kroger they are slacking on the whole "Can I help you bring your groceries to your car" thing. I used to say no because I was actually then an in shape young woman but now that I'm NINE months pregnant could someone please ask me to help take out the buggy full of groceries. I remember being sensitive about this when I had a baby in the buggy and a toddler hanging on me....HELLO was I not screaming inside "help me with these groceries please". So anyway, today what happens? I'm trying not to deliver in the store after walking up and down aisles 4 times b/c I'm so scattered and over an hour has passed (yes I didn't even have little ones with me...) and what happens? I have to bag my own groceries b/c no one will help the poor cashier out! But this is the flip side that I have to share....while I'm bagging all my groceries this very tall gentlemen behind me in line comes over and starts bagging them with me and the cashier! I was so tickled. And it doesn't stop there - so I start walking out my own huge cart of groceries (pickles were on the top in case all that work made my water break...) and I get out to my van while it starts to sprinkle. I start throwing the thousand bags in the van when who should appear but that same man. (Just so you know he wasn't hitting on the old Humpty Dumpty mom but has two boys of his own at home)...and he said, "Let me help you!" So he put my groceries in the van, handed me my purse and took my buggy to put up. I almost cried as I told him how sweet he was! Then I thanked God for little blessings! It's nice to know there are kind strangers still out there!!!
And Kroger???? I'm still a little ticked over that whole absence of hospitality! But they are better then Wal-mart! Just so you know...it's 10am and I got my groceries in the house, sat down at the computer and no contractions. I'm doing good - only 14 hours left before I can go into labor (when Nate gets home). =)

A day on hold baby girl

Ok...as of 7am Thursday morning (tomorrow) sister girl CAN NOT come for a good 18 hours!!! Nate is flying to Colorado in the morning for a whirlwind trip - get this...he flies out at 10am to speak at a conference for 10-15 mts at 4:00pm (talking about an article he wrote for an aerospace magazine thingy) then runs to catch the bus at 5pm back to the airport for his flight at 8pm and should get home around midnight. Bless his heart he was supposed to go from Wed-Fri. but b/c we are so close to my due date he opted for the all day travel. Crazy thing though...today I have felt worse then any day yet (tired, back ache, just plain feel funny). I'm totally downplaying it b/c I"m sure it will be nothing and I don't want to freak sweet husband out. I just keep saying it will make a good story if he is traveling to get back when I go in labor (or as one friend, maybe my sister?, said - you will always have that to hang over his head!) - Oh, I wouldn't be that mean...would I? So, please say a prayer that Elizabeth won't decide to come of all days on the one day that her daddy is not in the state! Did anyone notice the full moon - second night of it tonight. =)