Arnett, Crystal, Zeke, and Nema Grace: October 2011

Our precious angels....

After 2 weeks of waiting to hear back from my doctor, I finally got the call that he would love to see me (the nurse's exact words!). So, I went in for my first visit with just the doctor's nurse (standard office procedure to get all my history) on September 26th. All went well at that appointment. Then a week later we had an appointment to get an ultrasound and meet with the doctor. I am happy to report, Praise the Lord, all was well with our little angel! She was measuring right on schedule and all her arms, legs, fingers, and toes are accounted for. The blood that was causing us some stress a couple of months ago is now gone and everything is well. Once again, PRAISE THE LORD!!! Today, I hit the 24 week mark, only 16 more weeks to go!! I know January will be here before I know it!! We are so excited and can't wait to meet our little one.

Several people have asked about her name. Yes, we do have a name picked out for her. Before we knew she was a girl, Arnett and I were laying in bed one night discussing names. Arnett's comment to me was, "Well, her middle name has to be Grace!" I was like, "That's fine with me!" So, then we started the hunt for a first name. I don't remember which one of us said this but as soon as it was said, we knew that was the name for our little girl (even though we still didn't know if she was a she or a he!!). The Bambara word for grace is "Neema" (pronounced like Emma with an 'N' on the front). So, our little girl's name is going to be Nema Grace (we're changing the spelling since the 'e's' in the Bambara version are actually upper case capital "E's"). Yes, technically, her name is going to be "Grace Grace" but it has only been by God's grace that we have gotten this far in our pregnancy, in our lives and this name is so perfect for her and all that we've experienced already with her!!

Mommy and Nema Grace at 22 weeks.

Zeke is doing much better. He's so loves being outside, helping his papa feed the horses and goats, and being with his Daddy on the tractor. The other day, Zeke was with his Daddy and when they came in for supper, he looked like he had been in a fist fight! Thankfully, it wasn't anything more than dirt. He's definitely all boy and keeps us on our toes...

I know it's far away but the close up one, the flash washed some of the dirt out!!

He's the cutest little boy ever!!!

We thank you for your continued prayers on our behalf. Until next time...

A hard week...

Well, after our week of playtime we had a really hard week. On September 26th my Papa Jim went to be with Jesus. Up until this point in my life I had all 4 of my grandparents living. I am so thankful for the fact that God gave me 29 years with this wonderful man. I'm also extremely thankful that we were home when it happened. Looking back, I knew that when I came home in June/July that it probably would be the last time I saw my papa. However, despite knowing that in July when I left, I truly feel that if we would not have been home when it happened I would not have been able to truly grieve his passing. I tend to not be an emotional person and I think if I would have been all the way in Africa that I would have been too detached from the situation to truly grasp what had happened and to grieve the way I would have needed. Thankfully, God knows me best and knew exactly what I needed. We were able to spend Sunday afternoon before my papa's passing at his house and tell him goodbye. It was a hard week but one that I am so thankful God allowed me to be home for!! I also am very well aware of the fact that if it weren't for all the problems we had had in the beginning of my pregnancy than we would still be in Africa today. Once again, God knows best and cares for all the details of our lives!! Praise Him!!

My Grandma and Papa at his 80th birthday party, July 2010. July 2011 they celebrated 58 years of marriage!! What a blessing!

November 2010, we surprised our grandparents by not telling them we were coming home. This is his "surprise face" upon seeing Zeke for the first time and me for the first time in almost 2 years. This is probably my most favorite picture of him!! Love his facial expression!

He was the world's BEST hugger!!!

July 2011.

Another post coming up shortly....stayed tuned....

We're still here!

Don't give up on us yet!! I still have every intention of keeping up with our blog. We have just been so busy the past few weeks. I can't believe it but we've been home a month as of today!! Part of me feels like we just got here but then part of me feels like it's been way longer than a month. So, what has been going on...

Well, after my last post on September 12th, Arnett spent that entire week working in hay. He enjoyed it but realized he jumped into work way too fast!! We've had a hard time transitioning and appreciate your continued prayers in this area. We decided the week of September 19th we would just take it easy. We toyed around with the idea of going to the beach for a few days but realized Zeke too was having a hard time and thought a trip right now might be too much for him. So, we stayed at home and played all week. A dear friend of our family purchased Zeke an AMAZING swing set and so Arnett, Zeke, and I (mainly Arnett) put it together this week. It was nice to not have a schedule or have to worry about being anywhere. It took Arnett a few days to get the swing set put together but he finally got it done. Zeke LOVES it. He enjoys the slide and the red horse swing the most. He loves picking up little sticks, climbing on the red horse swing and shooting squirrels! Our dog, Molly, has an obsession with barking at the many squirrels in the yard and Zeke has caught onto that really quick!! Here's some pics of the construction of the swing set and Zeke enjoying it...