~She's here!!~

~In case you haven't heard...we had our darling baby girl on Sept. 29th!!! Here I am leaving for the hospital!~
~Phillip and I as we headed out the door!~~I got to the hospital at 8:30 AM, they started inducing me at 10:00 AM, I got an epidural at 1:30 PM, they broke my water at 3:00 PM, and she was born at 5:12 PM! Has anyone told you that epidurals are the BEST THING since fried ice cream? After having my last 3 without any pain meds, this birth seemed like a "piece of cake!" =D
She weighed in at 8 lbs 3.9 oz, 21 inches long, head full of dark hair, and her name is:
Mary Grace Dickinson!~
~Both Baby and Mommy are doing well!! We praise the Lord for His help and protection! Thank you for your concern and prayers!~
~We are sooooooo BLESSED!!! Our other 4 children LOVE their baby sister! More pics to come later!~

~Special DELIVERY...coming soon!~

I went to my midwife appointment this past Tuesday and they told me that they would schedule to induce me as soon as there was an opening at the hospital. I called them back later and they said that the earliest available time at the hospital is on Wednesday, Sept. 29th, instead of Monday, Sept. 27th. =( So, unless Jesus sees fit to help our baby come on her own earlier, then we will have to wait until Wednesday to meet our new bundle of joy. We can't wait!! I would appreciate your prayers for a safe and easy delivery with a healthy little (AND DID I MENTION L-I-T-T-L-E??) baby. =D THANK YOU!!!

~My JCPenney's maternity pictures with our family~

Thanks to Grammy scanning these for me, I can now post our JCPenney's pictures! Elijah woke up at 4:00 AM on the morning we got these taken, so I wondered how he would do in the pictures. Praise the Lord, he did awesome!!
That picture that I have at the top of my blog is one of my favorites! Noah ALWAYS has a car in his pocket. This day was no exception. Without thinking he pulled his car out of his pocket just when the JCP's lady snapped this family picture of us. I love it!
I'm soooo happy with how these turned out! Enjoy!
~My baby bump and one of the little dresses that she will wear, Lord willing!~
~Our 4 precious children with Mommy and our baby!~
~Our 5 SWEET "inheritances from the Lord"!~
~My sweetheart, baby and I~
~Phillip's hands on my baby bump forming a heart and my hands on top of his.
(I love his boo boo on his thumb...that represents LOTS of work he has been doing on our house. What a DEAR man!!)~
~Mommy and her precious baby girl~
~Our family of 7~

~Baby is coming soon!!!~

~Well, our family went to JcPennys last Friday and got my maternity pictures with my baby bump. They turned out really cute and I was allllll excited to put them on my blog today! BUT....they have changed their website and I can't download pictures anymore to be able to put them on my blog. GRRRR!!!!! I'm soooo SAD! So, maybe when our pictures come in, I can scan some off and then put them on my blog that way. I hope so.
~I went to the midwife on Monday and NOW...she plans to induce our baby on Sept. 27th!! (Happy Birthday, Aunt Vonnie.) She said that every day we wait our baby is just getting bigger and bigger! (And due to my history of having Noah weigh in at 10 lbs. 6.7 oz, and Elijah 8.3 at 2 weeks EARLY...she is trying to prevent me from having another huge baby!)
That only gives us 12 days. So, due to a time crunch...I have given up my dream of bringing our baby home to our own home, and now have her crib and changing table set up in the house where we are staying. Phillip is still working as fast as he can on our home so that we can move in as soon as possible after our baby is born. We are very excited about our little baby coming and can't wait to hold her in our arms!!
~Kimberly is taking a cake decorating class along with several of her friends and cousins. She is really enjoying it.~
~The first night she made this adorable baby carriage cookie!~
~This past weekend we went over to Indiana to visit my Daddy and Moma and their church people. We had a short but nice visit with everyone there. On Sunday night their church (Union Friends Church) surprised me and gave baby and I a cash/gift baby shower! It was sooooo sweet!! For some months now I have been wanting/praying for a white crib and a white changing table to use for our baby. With being a missionary's wife I have had to give up all the baby furniture that I had for my other 4 babies. So, this time I was ready to have some baby furniture that I can keep!! A few weeks ago my sister found me a nice Jenny Lind baby changing table at a yard sale for only $6.00!!! So, I began to pray that God would help me to find a white Jenny Lind crib to match it! My search was complicated however due to a recall on all cribs so that used stores couldn't sell them right now! The morning after my surprise baby shower in Indiana a friend happen to mention that she had seen a white Jenny Lind crib for sale in a shop nearby. We ran to that shop and it was a new one, that had the required kit so that they could still legally sell it. God moved upon their hearts and they gave it to me for 25% off, and didn't charge me tax. So, I got it for 1/2 of what the normal price was! YEA!!! God is AWESOME!! Her little nursery is really cute, but I plan on waiting to post pics of it all when I have her REAL nursery set up in our own home! =)
~Noah has been DYING to go to Gram and Gramp's house! One reason he wanted to go was because he knew that he would get to eat some yummy sweet cereal. Here he is with 5 cereal boxes in front of him. He was so happy...I think that he thought that he was eating in the cereal aisle. HA!~
~Sunday being Grandparents day, Gram requested that Elijah sing Jesus loves Me for Sunday school at their church. He did. Right before the last line of the song he said to Kimberly (LOUDLY IN THE MIC), "No, Hold it!!" and then finished singing the song. (He was wanting to HOLD THE MIC by himself. HA!)
~My Moma was looking for a potty for an antique potty chair that she had found me. One of her friends while helping Moma look found this adorable potty chair that has a magazine rack and it's own roll of toilet paper! CUTE!~

~My Moma cleaned up the potty chair and put some plastic in there and made that the little "offering plate" for my baby shower. =D~
~The surprise baby shower that the church gave me!~~Here I am with Amber, Kim and Pam. They are some dear friends from Daddy and Moma's church.~
~Our family at the baby shower.~
~Me opening gifts.~

~Baby and I with my sweet Grandma who is 103~
Only 12 more days til baby comes, Lord willing! YEA!!!!!!!

~School daze~

Well, I went to see my midwife last Friday and she said that with gestational diabetes they do NOT want me to go overdue with our baby. (For that would mean that she would just get bigger and bigger causing complications at birth!) So, they have tentative plans to induce our baby on Sept. 30th or so. That only gives us 22 days before we will get to hold our baby in our arms. We are very excited and her clothes are all washed up and my suitcase is packed. However, there is still LOTS to do at our house. We are hoping to get to move into our own home before she comes. PLEASE keep praying that God will help us get a lot done so we can move in. Since we have never owned a home...we've never been able to bring any of our babies home to our OWN home, and that is our dream to do it this time! God is able!!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~Our first day of school for 2010! 2 tired but happy girls at breakfast. (Our 3 oldest children have been helping Daddy a lot fixing up our house. We have a lot done, but A LOT yet to do!) I plan on starting Noah in 1st grade when we get back to Colombia in January, Lord willing.~
~French toast and sausage links~
~Elijah saw me snapping pictures of the girls and wanted a picture of himself. =)~
~Sarah...starts 4th grade.~
~All 4 kids~
~Kimberly starts 7th grade~
~Elijah, baby, Noah and myself. The sun sort of messed with this picture.~
~Little Elijah~
~I love his little toes in this picture. =)~
~Noah riding his bike~
~Sarah taking a break and riding her scooter.~
~A studious Kimberly~
~A studious Sarah.~
~Then that evening Miss Linda had us over for a yummy grill out.~

~Then she gave each of the kids a gift bag with school supplies. Elijah got a nice little book and this candy bar, which he wanted to attack right then. =)~
~Kimberly and Noah opening their gift bags.~
~Sarah with her gift bag from Miss Linda.~
~Miss Linda showing Elijah a special chair.~
We had a good first day of school and we are off to a good start for the school year!

~Baby Update, Phillip's b-day, and Comargo camp~

I had an ultrasound last Thursday and they estimated that our baby girl weighs about 5 lbs. 3 oz. and she should gain about 1/2 lb. each week, and I have 4 weeks left. Here's hoping that they are right, for maybe she won't weigh too much. I'd love her to weigh in between 7 and 8 lbs. and not 10 lbs. 6.7 like her big brother Noah weighed! =) I did find out that I have gestational diabetes again this time. =( So, I'm trying to be careful with my eating (I have the whole time I have been pregnant) and trying to exercise each day. Thank the Lord I don't have extra fluid this time. With Elijah I was carrying about 30 lbs. of extra fluid! They also are doing a non-stress test on our baby each week because I'm "over age"! =D (They say I'm "over age" since I'm over 35. I'm 36.) My sister-in-law Beth was with me when they told me I was "over age" and so she enjoyed calling me the "elderly pregnant lady" the rest of the time. =)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~Happy Birthday, Sweetheart Phillip!! (Sept. 3rd.) Thank you for being the wonderful man that you are! Thank you for all the hard work you are doing to make our USA house a home. You are an amazing man, and I hope that your day is as special as you are!! I Love you!!~
~Here are the pics from Comargo camp. We had a wonderful spiritually uplifting camp! A lot of these pics are from the kitchen, for that is where I could be found most of the time. I loved getting to bake treats and fellowship with a bunch of fun ladies. Here I am with my pregnant buddy, Deanna. She is expecting twins in December. =)
~We had 2 wonderful evangelist. Bro. Humble and Bro. Smart, both 82 years old. Here they are with our pastor Bro. Eisenhart.~
~Laura and I made 24 times a roll recipe...600 or so rolls for Sunday dinner for camp.~
~Kimberly really enjoyed being a part of the youth group. Here she is with some of her friends.~
~Kimberly helping wash dishes in the kitchen at camp.~
~Each afternoon during the week there were services for the youth and activities. With this picture, I was trying to capture Kimberly's volleyball game.~
~Ella E. sharing her Chapstick with Elijah. =D~

~Phillip feeding Elijah one of Grammy E's. delicious lunches during camp. Each lunch time there was an all-you-could-eat salad bar. DELICIOUS!!~
~Before we left Colombia the kids and I got fun Colombian t-shirts to wear. One day during camp we all wore them. =)~
~Laura and I rolling out some of the 600 rolls. (I promise, I did help on these rolls, in spite of the fact that I'm just "posing" in both of these pics. Ha!)~
~During the afternoons the kids had craft time and activities.~
~Noah and some of his friends after they had jumped in the jumping castle.~
~Kimberly batting during a softball game.~
~I was thrilled to get this picture of dear Bro. Humble holding our Elijah.~
~During camp my good friend Roseanne Evans came over for a couple hours. She is expecting a baby in December.~
~The children's church. Their theme was princesses and knights of the King.~
~Melinda Shirk and the Jowers and Sis. Denise did a great job with children's church.~
~When I wasn't making rolls or desserts I helped serve the cold drinks during the meals. Here is Susanna Pilmore and I doing what we best...serving drinks to lots of hot thirsty campers. =)~
~On Saturday night the youth got to have a pizza party.~
~Sarah and Noah helping washing dishes at camp.~
~Once again...Sis. E. did an excellent job cooking all the meals at camp. Everything was delicious!! Here are a few gifts that we ladies who helped her gave to her.~
~I was trying to take a picture of Kimberly and her cousins Brittany and Natasha, when Elijah jumped into the picture. =)~
~Darla and Sarah all dressed up to sing in the children's program Sunday evening.~
~Noah all dressed up as a knight ready to sing in the program.~
~The kids singing in the program.~
~Sarah and Darla got to sing together.~
~On Monday after camp we had camp clean-up and got some yummy pop-cycles to cool us off!~
It was an awesome camp. God's presence settled down in many services and there were many seekers at the altar. On the last night there were approx. 100 seekers at the altar. We Thank God that our family got the privilege of attending our Comargo camp!!