Trip to the Beach!

After spending several hours in the OB observation at Baylor Grapevine for contractions, I received two shots of Terbutaline to stop my contractions.  Thankfully, they successfully stopped my contractions.  We later realized I was dehydrated, had walked a ton camping and also at the church picnic, and had scrubbed floors on my hands and knees -- I had overdone it!  We didn't know if we could still go to the beach that week, but Dr. Bradford gave me the "OK" to still go.  She did send me with my medical records in case I needed them while we were gone.  

a sweet sound- baby's heartbeat while in OB observation

We are so thankful I never had any more contractions, and we enjoyed a delightful, restful time at the Texas Coast.  We had rented a house on Bolivar Island.  Coincidentally, the Bigelow/Challgren family had rented a house just 5 houses down from our beach house for the same time!  Our kids enjoyed playing together on the beach, and we joined their family for a hymn sing one evening.  

What a good morning!

This was taken on our first morning - I loved drinking coffee and watch the kids hunt for shells on the beach!

My friend Ashleigh sent me a picture of their family text thread with this picture I had sent her of the beautiful ocean!  We arrived a day sooner than they did.  

Ticket to Ride!  We had so much fun playing games at the beach.   We also taught the kids Monopoly, which went on for so long!  Josiah and I finally went on a walk while Dave, Isaac, and Emma finished.  There was a lot of mortgaging going on, ha!  

Another funny memory we have of the beach is playing "the alphabet game" one day at lunch.  We started with "my father owns a shop and he sells airplanes."  Then, the second person had to repeat that phrase and add on an item for B.  We kept going around and around the table until we completed the alphabet and all thought it was hilarious!  I think we could probably still remember some of them even as I'm writing this one year later!

We had an outing to Fort Travis Park, which was constructed by the Republic of Texas in 1836 to protect Galveston Harbor.  

lots of s'mores!

afternoon reading

busy making pancakes!

Dave did all the cooking on the trip, and it was such a treat!  

hymn sing at the Challgren's beach house

 Ha, I found this on my phone after we had been at the Challgren's for the hymn sing!

Guess Who!

Josiah making words with the banagram tiles at the beach house

Isaac loved having his own room at the beach!

"looking at that old army fort and getting sloshed with Dad"

Josiah's favorite things 

"when we found the big stick"

Emma 

"seeing the military plane fly by" 

(A huge military cargo plane flew past us on the beach one day, and we could see servicemen in the open cargo area!)

It was fun spending time and talking with these friends at the beach!

We took the ferry across Galveston Bay to Galveston on our last day.  We drove our Suburban onto the ferry, and then we got to walk around the ferry.  Josiah's hat flew off just after this picture was taken below, and--amazingly--he and Dave found it on the level below us near another vehicle!  

After we got off the ferry, we had lunch at Miller's Seawall Restaurant - amazing!

This was a recommendation from Charlotte and Ben and was so delicious!  We all loved it!

time flies .....

Alabama 2017 and Texas 2021 

 

Camping at Bonham State Park

May 21 - 23, 2021

 

Pregnancy weeks 20-23

March 27, 2021

almost 20 weeks 

April 12, 2021

22 weeks

April 19, 2021

23 weeks

This pregnancy is flying!  As excited as we are to meet baby, I find myself wistful about enjoying this gift of pregnancy! I love feeling the baby move, hiccup, and wiggle inside of me.  The baby is most active at night, from about 9:30 pm on - or maybe that's when I'm just the most still of the entire day so I notice more movement!  Either way, it's a joy and miracle to feel!

My cravings have remained the same...cinnamon, lemon, lime, and orange.  I also crave fresh fruit (all kinds!) and ice water.

My energy level is fantastic!  I feel so good and keep adding things to my "to-do" list!

We are so thrilled about this baby and still often look at ourselves and say, "Can you believe this!?!"  Thank You, Lord!

 

Josiah's 6th Birthday

Josiah turned SIX on Thursday, March 11!

Isaac planned a scavenger hunt for Josiah on his birthday morning.  He wrote a poem asking him to go look in the playroom in a Lego bin.  

To: Jo-Jo, Sardjent, Chief, Josiah D. Rinn, Comander, J-J

with Love: Isaac Rinn

To the Frontiear Camp Champ.

He must do hiknees up the stairs.

and into the room where the Legoes are in.

and into the bin with coustoumes are in.  

YOU'RE going to camp

with us next Year!

There, Josiah found a Frontier Camp hat and a Frontier Camp t-shirt along with a letter telling him that he would get to go to the Father-Son retreat next year along with Dave and Isaac!  Dave had won the hat at Frontier Camp a few weeks before Josiah's birthday, and I had found the Frontier Camp shirt at Goodwill last summer!  Josiah was so proud to wear a Frontier Camp hat like Isaac for the day.  

 Joisah's birthday fell on Isaac's spring break week, and it worked out perfectly for me to take the boys to the zoo on his actual birthday while Emma was at school.  

We had such a great time at the zoo!  They just lifted the mask requirement at the zoo, and it was so nice and cool outside!  The boys loved looking at all the animals.  We packed a lunch and watched some heavy machines work on a new display at the zoo while we ate lunch.  Yes, you know you are with boys when you watch machines at the zoo!  We also rode the train.  Josiah loved his day at the zoo and said, "I wouldn't have missed the zoo for anything!"

Josiah received Ticket to Ride Jr. from Papa and Nana, so we played several games of that.  It's a lot of fun and perfect for his stage!  

Josiah asked for a triple layer cake this year!  He wanted one layer confetti, one layer chocolate, and one layer vanilla with chocolate frosting in between.  He also wanted cowboys on the top!  Emma baked all the layers!  

We had told the kids we weren't having any birthday parties in 2021, but Josiah enjoyed his birthday dinner with our family and Pop & Mom-o so much!  He asked for his three favorite foods: cantaloupe, cheese pizza, and cottage cheese!  And, of course, a triple layer cake!