End of October

Hi friends!

We're back from our big trip to the Carolinas and had a great time. It was so fun to see our family and get to walk around our old haunts at Clemson. Owen did great on the plane ride(s). He took a nap on each one, which is such a help when you're flying across the country.

We stayed with my parents first and got to hang out with Jason and family for a couple of days. We saw the neighbors' horses and goats and went to the playground and Duke Gardens.

Owen loving on his Gramma.

At the Duke Gardens
Mocking the picture taken of the Manning kids running down the hill. It would have been funnier if it didn't turn out so dang cute.

On the way down further South, we stayed with Gordean and had a lovely visit with them.Owen loved riding on the John Deere with his Daddy.

Then it was on to South Carolina. We got to be there for Hunter's field trip to a pumpkin patch and Ashton's Veggie Tale Birthday Extravaganza.
It was so fun to see the boys together.
Queenie took on the four grandsons, by herself, so we could go to the Clemson game. We had a great time!

I'm Still Remembering

Does this new page style make you feel like you're losing your eyesight? Yeah, me too.

As you may recall, I tried to capture some of the fun summer memories made as lots of family came out to visit. My sister Rachel and her family were living on the ranch for a whole month, which was amazing! We didn't know if it would work out, and it seemed like a crazy dream that we had concocted, but then it really happened. It was such a special time to get to spend time with Rachel on a daily basis for an extended amount of time, rather than trying to cram a bunch of things into a short weekend visit.

One of the highlights of the visit was our trip to the Cicada Club, a vintage-style restaurant/dance club in downtown LA. We got dressed up in our best 1940s duds and had a great time eating and dancing.


The artist of the evening was Louis Prima, Jr. Perhaps you have heard of his father?
Adam and Rachel, looking adorable
Owen did quite well with baby Cole.

Rachel and Adam discovered a local farm where you can pick your own fruits and vegetables, and there are tons of animals and attractions for kids. Owen and I have been back multiple times. Thanks Rach!

Boys playing on the train

Brauns racing up the haystacks
Ethan and Owen getting a ride

The night before the Brauns' month-long stay came to an end, we had everyone over for one last dinner.
It was great to see the cousins together one more time.

Of course, there are lots more pictures and fun times, including bonfires, hiking, lots of beach trips and so forth. But there's a little taste for you!

Hey Baby

Congratulations Manning Family! Avery Lee Manning was born on 9/18 and is such a pretty girl!

So two weeks ago we went on a nice hike with the Mannings in order to encourage their fourth baby out.


And then a week later, bam, a baby!
We were so glad that we were able to watch the kids while Joel, Steph, and Avery were in the hospital. We even took the whole crew to Sunday School and church with us. It was exciting. We really tuckered the kids out and had a lot of fun.

Pictures of You

Oh dear. Has it really been a month? Well folks, for the past three weeks I've worked every day, so that's gotta be worth something. Anyway, time for a long overdue report on the Baby! I am 21 weeks along - more than halfway - and feel great. My appetite is up, up, up and the 15 pounds I've gained thus far prove it.

My belly definitely popped out in a big way, but it makes sense since it's housing an active, growing baby in there. This baby is busy! Owen used to get really rowdy at night, but Baby #2 is a mover and a shaker throughout the day. Baby's strong enough for Zach to feel him or her moving, which is nice since then I don't feel like it's all in my head. We had an ultrasound two weeks ago and everything looked great. The technician really took her time, and both Zach and Owen got to be there, so it was quite special. No, we didn't find out the sex, but feel free to make a random guess like I do every couple of days. I've been reading birthing books as much as possible because I love the whole process and I'm getting really excited. Lots of great granola stuff like Birthing from Within, Instinctive Birthing, and Ina Mays Guide to Childbirth. Don't even get me started on birth stories and theories because I will not stop. Seriously. Just ask Zach.

Fortunately, I won't start now as we've got a big Labor Day extravaganza coming up. We're going on a big road trip (which we love) and will get to see some friends and go camping. But, I will leave you with some delightful pictures before departing. Some are even helpfully labeled for your viewing pleasure. This one with the hands just kills me. Sweet baby.Note the dark abyss next to the knee, containing...well, we don't know.

A Holiday at the Sea

On to the Ashton Family visit! We were delighted to have Zach's parents and brother out for a week. We got in a couple trips to the beach and even taught them how to play Settlers. Best of all, Zach was able to finagle his schedule so that he was home the whole week. Once again, I think the pictures will give you a better idea of the visit than my rambling could do.

Uncle Nolan carries O. to the beach on an unusually cold and rainy day.

Owen chased a seagull halfway down the beach before turning back to laugh.

Queenie and Mantis with Owen at Leo Carrillo

Exploring the caves and tidal pools

At the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Checking out Air Force One

Just joshing

We took a day trip to Solvang

Solvang being the Danish Capital of America

A lovely meal back home

Sea Monster Mantis

Almost immediately after we got to Santa Monica, Owen got brutalized by a wave.

He was distraught.

Before departing, the Ashtons took Owen to Toys R Us for a shopping spree.

He really got into his new toys.

I'm Glowing and You're the Reason

Hey friends.
I promise I've been working on a big, picture-laden post reviewing all the family visits. And then I thought, hey Anna, you never told your blog friends the big news.

I'm pregnant! Baby #2 is due on January 13th. Zach and I are delighted. We had been hoping to have our kids about two years apart, and they'll be almost exactly two years. We're so grateful to God for another little miracle (and I don't mean that in a cheesy manner...seriously, this baby's such a gift. Feel free to ask me about it, lady friends).

It was the same old story as last time...
Me: Um, Zach? Can you pick me up a pregnancy test on the way home? I'm not pregnant or anything, it's probably just the flu, but I haven't felt good for like a week.
Zach: Sure!
Me: I mean, let's not get our hopes up or anything, but we might as well rule out pregnancy, right? Then I'll go to the doctor tomorrow.

So, I took the test - our little family (bigger than we knew at the time) checked the mailbox - we came back - and then we all gathered around the pee stick. Positive!
We're going for a midwife in a hospital this time around, and I'm a big fan of this option. At 16 weeks, everything's going well so far and I've even felt the baby move! Owen is also delighted with the news, though he has little to no idea what's going on. Despite the late start on sharing the information - we wanted to tell our families in person first - I plan to keep you updated as my belly grows and grows and grows.