Emma's 9th Birthday!

Celebrating 9!!

Emma remembered when I had hung streamers and balloons from her door several years ago on her birthday, and she really wanted to wake up to that on her special day! She left them up for over a week.

Emma loves donut holes, and Dave asked our favorite donut shop to make a special #9 donut for her! Dave rotates taking Isaac, Emma, and Josiah out for donuts each Saturday morning, and it worked out perfectly that Emma's Saturday for donuts landed on her birthday!

We had a wonderful FaceTime call with Linda, Emma's birth mom. It was so special to talk with her on Emma's birthday!

Emma had said for weeks that she wanted a dog cake!  

Emma really, really loves Tex!

She worked so patiently with me on all the aspects of the cake - cutting the cakes to make a dog shape, making frosting, and decorating. Emma loves working in the kitchen and is a tremendous help!

For her birthday dinner, Emma asked for all her favorites—Domino’s pizza, rice, noodles, iceberg lettuce, and a dog cake! Love her so!

Birthday pancake - a few weeks late!

a wedding celebration!

On Saturday, March 6, we attended Whitney Stonecipher and Andrew Master's wedding!  The Stonecipher are our dear friends, and we were so happy to celebrate this day with their family!  We admire Whitney and Andrew so much, and it has been special to see them get to know each other, get engaged, and now get married!  

When we walked into the church for the ceremony, Josiah immediately said, "Where's the cake and punch?"

Emma was a flower girl in the last two wedding we attended, and she was on the edge of her seat watching the wedding ceremony.  She kept track of the order of service printed on the program, and during the processional wanted to know who was coming next!  

There was a children's table set up in the reception, and Emma loved working on this wedding party sticker project.  

During the toasts, Emma wanted to be up at the very front to listen.  She asked me, "Help me get to the front!"  She got there and didn't move! It was sweet to see how interested she was in everything about Whitney and Andrew's wedding!

Bryan, youngest brother of the bride, and Isaac - such great friends!  

And my great friend, Jennifer!  This is her second round of being mother of the bride in less than two years!  

Baby Rinn!

11 weeks - Wednesday, January 27

13 weeks - Wednesday, February 10

15 weeks - Wednesday, February 24

Cravings:

anything cinnamon

raspberries

orange juice

lemon Noosa yogurt 

One day, a hamburger, and then since that day I can barely stomach the thought of hamburgers.  During the  now/ice week, I was craving a hamburger so much, and Dave found that Whataburger was open!  Whataburger was one of the few places open during our ice/snow week, and the line was out onto business 114. 

  I was so excited about my hamburger and only ate half of it so I could look forward to the next half the next day.  But, the next day, I could barely look at it, and Isaac ate it for me! I haven't been able to eat a hamburger since then.

I've found another great use for masks - wear one when you're too nauseous to smell cooking meat but need to feed your family! 

Picture courtesy of Dave :) - I can't believe how tired I am and how quickly I tire out.  I'm not sure if I felt this way with Josiah, because I was on bedrest and wasn't active.  I am so thankful to be able to be up this pregnancy!  When I attended Isaac's basketball games and also when I walked Emma into school with 144 donut holes to celebrate her birthday stand out to me as moments when I couldn't believe I was able to be up and living "normal life" during pregnancy.  I don't take this for granted and am truly so thankful to be up and moving!  

We heard baby's heartbeat (176) for the first time on Tuesday, January 19.   Dave was able to come to the sonogram portion of this appointment with me.  Dr. Bradford walked into the exam room and said, "I can't wait to hear this story!"  Our initial appointment was delayed because we had Covid, and I was almost 10 weeks before we went to the doctor!  This has been such a different experience that Josiah's pregnancy, where at that point we had already had several sonograms.  

Baby measured 10 weeks, 1 day, and by my calculation I was 9 weeks, 6 days.

At my next appointment on Tuesday, February 23, baby's heartbeat was 154.  Emma had asked if she could come to the appointment, and when I explained that she couldn't, she asked if I'd record it!

One more quick funny story...the other night my back was feeling awful.  Josiah said, "Mom!  Just think, everything will be back to normal when the baby is born!"  Emma said, "Mom, you're just going to keep getting bigger and bigger and feeling worse and worse."  Ha!  

It is so sweet to share this with older kids!  Yesterday, Josiah came up to me in the garage, kissed my bump, and said "Are you a boy or a girl?"  

What a miracle!  We are so thankful for this little life and still can hardly believe this is happening!

"Oh the Places You'll Go!"

Today Emma dressed up like a nurse for "Oh the Places You'll Go!" day at her school!  

She is wearing Mom-o's nursing uniform and cap!  

 

Surprise!

Roses are red

Violets are blue 

We never imagined

what God would do! 

The shock of our life! 

We’re overjoyed to say

We’re expecting a baby 

on a hot August day!  

(alternate second stanza)

The shock of our life!

I never dreamed I'd say

I'm expecting a baby

right before my 40th birthday!

Baby Rinn due August 16 💖💙

“This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” 

Psalm 118:23

new puppy Tex

We picked up Tex in Archer City at the Royal Theater on Saturday, January 16, right after we were through our CoVid quarantine!  Tex was 8 weeks old, and his birthday is November 20.  

On our drive home, Emma said, "Thank you Mom for buying him."  

Josiah said, "I think he loves me."  Everyone passed him around in the car the entire ride home.  When Josiah held him, he said, "You're a good boy, Tex" over and over.  

home with Tex - watching him eat his food and drink water 

"reading to" Tex 

first bath 

Tex learned how to jump OUT of this pen within 2 weeks of being home.  It now has a secure lid!  When we use it as a "gate" so he can't get to the entire house, he tries to wedge his body through the side and the wall.  This particular morning, he got stuck and couldn't move!