I can hardly believe I’m almost halfway through this pregnancy already. In two short weeks we’ll be 20 weeks through…we’ll be finding out what flavor bean we are getting and it will be time to begin preparations in earnest. Fast forward to after the blessed event and I’ll be running myself ragged trying to keep up with an absolutely INSANE life. No…I won’t even be thinking about such things as adipex without prescription…the time for weight loss will come soon enough. I am blessed with a body that holds on to that extra bit of baby weight until the breastfeeding finally tapers off a little bit and my body doesn’t feel so threatened, I guess.

Have you honestly ever found any diets that work? You know the ones I mean…the fad diets that everyone has to try to lose ten pounds and then they go off them and immediately gain 15 pounds back? I have never been a fad diet person. When I need to lose weight (always that…UGH…dreaded baby weight), I always do it in the same old boring way. Less food and more exercise. I find that the simple lifestyle changes are most effective for permanent and healthy change.

Hubby and I celebrated 20 years of marital bliss (well…MOSTLY!) on Friday. We celebrated quietly because we are boring people…but that was fine with us. Good meal…TWO bouquets of flowers (one long-stemmed roses)…and our healthy brood there for us to enjoy.

I’d say we’ve done pretty well for ourselves over the last twenty years. Eight kids (and counting), three grand-kids, one son-in-law, one daughter-in-law, everyone healthy and happy, NO one wearing diabetic socks socks yet…LOL! Life is good!

Here’s to the next 20 years…may they be every bit as sweet as the first…

While we are a fairly techie family, I feel proud to tell you that we have thus far resisted the temptation to add one of those newer gaming consoles to our collection of electronics. Not only do I not relish the idea of having to control one more time-consuming thing that kids want to spend all day doing, I also do not relish the idea of spending untold amounts of money on such things as xbox games every time I turn around. While I am confident they would love such a contraption, it is not happening any time soon.

Ah, but that did feel good. Thursday we had all the babies come home…for at least a little while. Lora and family are up from Topeka and Daniel and family made the short jaunt over from where they live in a neighboring town. So…for a short time we had all the offspring gathered together…laughing, loving…it was so nice.

As the fruits of our large family continue to multiply it just gets sweeter and sweeter. I can only imagine what it will be like when they all have families. We are talking SERIOUSLY big numbers here, people!

As it is for now, though, with two married and starting families and we watch the generations unfold it is a truly awesome feeling to be blessed in such a way.

I got one of those phone calls all parents enjoy so much today.

David’s band teacher called me to tell me about a scheduling change for classes today and after that he took the time to mention how great David is doing in band. It seems at Pep Band last night (basketball game), David was the lone drummer holding up the percussion section by himself for about 20 minutes. His teacher was very impressed with David’s abilities and wanted us to know how well he is doing.

On the home front, David just finished adding the final touches to his new drum set today with the addition of two base pedals. After much tweaking, screwing, rearranging and fixing (no Baldwin hardware involved), he has pronounced his drum set “perfect.” Just in time for him to turn **16** tomorrow.

Sigh…another one growing up! Happy Birthday David!

I never had any sisters, so I cannot relate. The age spread between Lora and Sarah was huge (10 years), so that was a different situation as well.

Over the last few days I have noticed an interesting dynamic brewing in the house. Ruthie (8yo) has all of a sudden latched on to Sarah (13yo) and has become her little shadow. She is trying to fix her hair like Sarah, dress like Sarah…she shadows Sarah around hanging in the background watching to see what she is doing and then scurries off to find something similar of her own. Last night Sarah snuggled down on the couch with her sketch pad to doodle and within a few minutes Ruthie appeared with her sketch pad and plopped herself down to doodle.

Ru has even decided that she is now too big for “footie” pajamas because obviously Sarah doesn’t wear them anymore.

Last night while preparing supper I had not one girl in the kitchen with me but…TWO! I’d say this could have some benefits…:)

I confess…I am a tightwad. Almost everything I buy has to be on some kind of special or sale. Want to hear my latest acquisitions?

Well…unfortunately, I sold all of my baby-wearing gear after Isaiah grew past babyhood. This means that I have been shopping the baby carriers trying to decide what I want to use with this baby.

Upon gushing recommendations from Lora (dd), I ended up buying a PeanutShell on clearance last weekend. Then…my darling daughter did me the “favor” of sending me a different link to a couple of eBay auctions for PeanutShells that were even better prices! What did I do? Yep…bought another!

Oh well…never hurts to have a spare…

Do you do the heated water bed? Electric blanket? Tons of quilts? Heated mattress pads? We have a wool quilt and an electric blanket that keep us toasty. Every year I look at heated mattress pads and wonder how nice it would be to have heat coming up from underneath you in bed too. It seems like it would be really cozy and warm. Anyone have one?

Interrupting the regularly scheduled posts on vitamins, colon cleanses and adult acne to brag on my daughter for a moment.

She has decided to donate all of her birthday money to the people in Haiti devastated by the recent earthquake. Honestly…my jaw dropped when she told me her decision…and then my old mama heart swelled with pride and admiration for this young girl.