Ready and Waiting...

It seems fall has nearly passed by us unnoticed...our thoughts have been taken over by waiting and baby prep...well, mine have been anyway. It ocurred to me the other day that we're almost out of decent outside weather, so we packed up and took school outdoors! It was convenient that science is taking us through a nature unit right now...so I made the kids some "gathering bags" so I don't have to be the pack mule for all their sticks, rocks, acorns, leaves and other findings, we tossed in nature journals and crayons, and off we went.



They enjoyed drawing things they saw and making crayon rubbings of the different leaves and textures we found. Tossing rocks in the "Mrs. Ippi" river is always a hit, and the crunchy fallen leaves provided a fun soundtrack for our "hike". It has amazed me how quickly they take the lead on learning when given the opportunity...nothing is more gratifying than seeing their enthusiasm for a subject lead to discovery and learning.

It sounds cheesy, but most days my heart is full to overflowing of gratitude and a little disbelief at the amazing amount of blessing in our lives. It's astounding that our home gets to be the container for so much joy...as physically uncomfortable this time is for me, and as loooong as the waiting gets, it's so important to me that every moment is savored and lived in. I know a day is coming that we will struggle to remember what the early years of our family were like.

That being said, we're also overwhelmed with anticipation and excitement! Baby will be here soon (right??) and soon after that the holidays will be here, followed by endless days of cozy-ing, cuddling, reading, and being together, tucked away from the wintery blasts. I love this time of year a little more every year!

In the meantime, we're ready...

ready...

ready...

ready and waiting.

(This is a 35 week picture, so imagine it 3 weeks bigger.)

Diapers, check. Teensy, tiny sleepers, check. Teensy, tiny socks, check. Crib set up, check. Burp cloths, check. Minivan, check. (!!!Hooray!!! The Saturn was ok and met our needs, but it is SO nice to be able to travel outside of a 20 mile radius without fear of breaking down...and to have A/C...and a blower fan that blows--but in a good way...and to have a bumper that is attached to the front rather than jerry-rigged with wire and a hope and a prayer. And a muffler that...well, muffles!) So, there'll one more visit with Dr. Olson this week, then hopefully, hopefully...!!!!