So is it really the middle of July already? Wow!
Not too much news here, or rather nothing really pertinent. We're winding down our school year...My son just finished his standardized testing for entrance into Seton Homeschool's first grade next year. I'm very excited about this program, and pray that my son (and all my children) do well next year.
We found out in June we're having another baby girl:) Yay! My daughter, who will be 20 months old when this little blessing is born will have her first sister (to add to her three older brothers:) Mike and I decided to name her Gabriella - and the jury's still out on a middle name. So far we both like Sophia. But she's an active pre-born, she's always moving! And I definitely have started to feel hiccups...*sigh* I Love pregnancy!!!
We've done some camping this summer, and have had a great time. This is the first year all the boys are old enough to be a little more independent (at least potty trained) which makes a big difference. My older boys enjoy bike riding, so it makes camping that much more enjoyable too. We'll be doing one more trip this month and are planning another one next month as well. I'd like to take one in September too, but it all depends on how much energy I have left in my third trimester once school starts up again.
I've been doing some "light summer reading": The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, A History of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer (Simon and Schuster, 1960). I've always wanted more in-depth details on what led to the Second World War, the politics and philosophies behind it, and just how one man's quest for domination came to be; and this book covers it. The author actually lived in Berlin, Germany through the first half of the war, so this is a primary source of information on German politics and life in Europe (he did extensive traveling throughout Western Europe upon the start of the war as a media correspondent.) It's very well written, and I plan to use it to supplement my high school world history courses. When I'm done with this book I move onto Immaculee Ilibagiza's Left to Tell and her recounting of the Rwandan Holocaust.
We took our home off the market. There just weren't any substantial offers, and I don't want to be moving when I'm 12 months pregnant (LOL)...Been there...Done that...Got the baby and house to prove it! Mike and I will continue to pay down on our home, and "tuck in" for one more winter. We've got a few ideas in the pot right now, but we're going to let them cook a bit longer before bringing them out. I know God has a plan for us, and I'm most at peace when I trust this fact. It's just hard to wait, and I'm not a patient person. But I'm also not a runner, and if I wanted to train, I couldn't just sit on the couch and think about it, I'd need to start jogging, right? Lesson learned is oh so much easier than lesson lived !
Hope your mid-summer finds you well and enjoying the bounty of God's glory! I'll write more soon, as there's been a lot of political turmoil I keep wanting to comment on, but then I get sidetracked (ah, the life of this "desperate to get stuff done housewife!":)
God Bless!
Congratulations on a sweet little girl! I love the name as well. Beautiful. We just finished up school too. One more CAT test to give and then I can start putting away last year and setting up for next year. Where does the time fly! There has been so much political stuff lately that I can't keep up. I think about something...get ready to write and then something worse happens. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteLeft to Tell is a great story. Difficult to read because of the subject matter, but definitely life changing. I'd love to hear your review.
Hey! Gabriella is a lovely name! (I'm hoping to find out whether we're having a boy or girl - a lot of people have VERY strong opinions on finding out the gender, I'm discovering). We didn't find out with the other two, but I want to know this time.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I don't know if I'd recommend "Left to Tell" when you're pregnant. :) It is extremely vivid and highly emotional. I read it in one day and sobbed most of the way through. And then I was sad for weeks afterward. :O
Then again, if you're getting through a history on the second World War, maybe you'll be fine. :)
Andrea
LOL Andrea! I totally understand about finding out about gender. I was branded a liberal last weekend by friends of mine when I told them we knew what sex baby we were having...And they've known me for years! Hahaha! We don't do any of the pre-natal screens for diseases, as I feel its a blanket for justifying 1st trimester abortions (just my personal take, I do know pro-lifers who get the tests to more thoroughly prepare for their babies, but Mike and I don't have a high risk for genetic disorders...) But I think, so long as they're going to do ultrasounds anyway, that's a non invasive factor Mike and I can find out ahead of time to help us get ready for our blessing:) Pull out and wash clothes, give a name to, prepare the kids for (the boys all call her "baby Gabby":) It's bonding to know whether you're carrying a boy or a girl, from my experience...Liberal or not! LOL
ReplyDelete@ Dawn - totally with you on the political arena. There's so much going on right now! I'm almost overwhelmed by it all, but its all so important I refuse to become indifferent:) I keep praying and keep my wits about me (what wits I have left anyway)...