The days go so fast.....

Wow it is already November and this is my second blog! Well, lets get to it. It has been a whirl wind of events and emotions these past few months with school starting, little Samuel on the way and saying goodbye to a dear and very loved cousin. In August our adored Dino Scoppettone went to be with our Lord in heaven. After living with cancer for three months and undergoing more physically and emotionally than I can comprehend, he left us with many beautiful and treasured memories as well as a great twinge of sadness at the huge void his absence will be. My hope comes from the Lord and knowing Dino is with him. My hope lies in the promise that I will see him again one day and he will greet me with his gorgeous smile. His memorial service was so honoring and showed just how amazing he was, touching hundreds of lives so sweetly and with such humor. Dino will be missed terribly and remembered fondly and often! Not a day goes by that I don't think of him and thank the Lord for my cousin and the time I was blessed with.

In September two milestones were reached as Bailey jumped eagerly into Kindergarten and Hunter trotted with some reservation into Preschool. It hit me hard to see them growing so fast. I was not prepared for just how much this would rock my world and bring stingy tears to my eyes at the funniest of moments. Bailey made it easy on us. She couldn't wait to say goodbye and dive into this new adventure with a whole room of peers and teachers she was meeting for the first time. She kept saying, "Mom are you leaving now?" "Love you...bye..see you later." I knew right then that Bailey would be just fine, it was me that I wondered about. I miss her when she is gone all day and look forward to all she has to share with us each day. She loves her "down time" when she gets home and tells us about her day when she is good and ready. She is reading so much and loves math already. She gets the math gene from Jer for sure! Bailey loves are and music. She is even learning Mandarin Chinese and soaking it up like a sponge. Her favorite part of the day is recess. She had a field trip to a pumpkin patch and to a children's theater. She had her first ride on a school bus and enjoyed it very much. We are so proud of Bailey for being a good friend and always doing her best. She is such a sweet girl, so loving, so thoughtful. Every morning before school we pray together. She seems to depend on this more and more. It is neat to hear Bailey and Hunter talk about wanting people to know Jesus and asking to pray for people they know.

I don't know who cried more on the first day of preschool, Hunter or me. Some days it seems that the umbilical cord is still attched. He had to be pried out if my arms that day. Ever since then, after many hugs and kisses..and high fives at the door, he really loves it. He adores his teachers and friends. I love helping in the classroom and watching him interract and take it all in. He asks a lot of questions like he does at home first saying, "I need to tell you something." He is very curious about everything and doesn't hestitate to say whatever he is thinking. Hunter loves the sensory table and building things. He loves the random dance parties the teachers have for the kids when it is too wet to go outside. His class went to Camp Long on Halloween for a spider field trip. Hunter savored every minute of this experience spotting spiders and webs everywhere. It was pouring but he was not even phased. The kids learned how to appreciate spiders which sadly our kids don't get a lot of at home! My time with Hunter when he is not in school has been nice. I like having one on one time with him as I also do with Bailey. They long for special time with Jer and me. Hunter and I like to play soccer, catch, read, work on his letters, color, be outside and bake. Baliey mostly likes her dates to be away from home. She loves Starbucks as Hunter does and she usually chooses the park to practice the money bars.

They are too much fun and bring more joy than I could have ever imagined. Jeremy are so thrilled to be their parents and to welcome our third child into our family. Samuel already is our family. The kids are bonding with him as he dances around my stomach and they talk about all the things they will teach him. He is an active little guy already. I cannot believe how responsive he is. Almost every time I press my hand to my stomach he finds it and gives a tap. I love it! I love him so much and cannot wait to hold him in my arms. He will most likely be here on February 7th which is Jer's birthday and choice for when we will have our c-section. We thank God for all of our babies.

Another glorious day together

Each day is a blessing to wake up to. Bailey and Hunter are growing so fast and saying the funniest things. Hunter starts his day very early - he is a morning person. He usually wanders into our room and declares that it is time to get out of bed because he wants "beakfast." He is happy little man and quite fun to talk with in the wee hours of the morning. He is chatty and has many questions. He says, "I need to tell you something," whether he has a question or a comment. The minute he is done with conversation he is ready to zoom around the deck on his bike, usually in his jammies. Recently an extremely friendly cat has decided to hang around our front yard and Hunter said to it in a loving voice, "oh little cat, I wish I was your owner." He is sensitive yet knows how to push our buttons. As soon as Bailey is up, the buttons start getting pressed! He does love her though and wouldn't know what to do without her. Recently he was very wounded when Bailey informed him that he would not be marrying her. He still believes he will!

Bailey is like me, she loves her sleep. In fact, she could sleep until 9 or 10 every morning - if it weren't for our little man and his traveling voice. For being the smallest in the family, it is amazing that he is actually the loudest (by far). We always know Bailey is coming into the room after a good night sleep when we hear the bell on her pink bunny that is usually in tow. She greets us with a smile and hugs, and a question about the day and all that we will be doing. She loves to anticipate but also enjoys being surprised. She finds immense joy in the little things. In fact, if I tear off a piece of scratch paper and write "I Love You," you would think I told her that she just received an invitation to Disneyland. When Bailey is done with breakfast, she heads off to her closet to rummage and select the most layers possible to coordinate a pretty outfit. It could take an hour or so, but she is quite content and usually in song or conversation with a doll or animal. She recently lost her first tooth - on June 1st to be exact. It has been very exciting for her. She monitors the growth of the tooth coming in several times an hour.

We are all looking forward to adding another member to our family. The kids can't wait to find out if it is a boy or a girl. They really want one of each - we are glad to know that it is one and we will find out shortly. God has blessed us so much. The days are rich with love and adventures with the kids. We thank God for every moment.