Mariah - 6.5 weeks old

I had fun today playing around with photos using this beautiful blanket that Auntie Eve sent over for Mariah. Our little pumpkin is growing up and changing so fast!

Peek-a-boo!

Love that hair!

Happy dreams

Such a kissable face!

Thank you Lord for blessing us so richly! We are amazed and so grateful!

Mariah update

I am sorry that I have been slow about posting pictures and updates these days. I am amazed how much time this little person can take up! But I am loving every second of it! Mariah is doing really great and is a great blessing in every way. What a tremendous gift from God we have been given!

Here are a few of the things we have been up to the last few weeks...

Irene, our good friend, made this beautiful quilt for Mariah! It is absolutely lovely!

Grandma Maryann made the sweet little sweater that Mariah is wearing. It is so special to have these beautiful handmade gifts.

Grandma Becky came with us on our first walk after the birth. Mariah was four days old in this picture. It was so wonderful to have my mom stay with us for the first two weeks. We were blessed like crazy by her. She just served us so selflessly the entire time by cooking, cleaning, and doing loads and loads of laundry! Thank you Mom!!

Our wonderful friends, Paul and Ramona and their three beautiful children came by for a visit as well. The kids were so sweet with Mariah.

Daddy and Mariah having a conversation about their day.

Mommy giving Mariah her first bath!

There are lots more pictures to come...if I ever get around to downloading them from my camera. I will though, I promise!! (someday)

Our new blessing has arrived!

Joyfully announcing the birth of...

:: Mariah Grace ::

Date: 09/09/09

Weight: 9 lbs. 8 oz.

Length: 20 inches

Here we are!

Our first family photo together, only minutes after Mariah officially joined our family!

We praise the Lord for the amazing love and grace He has showered upon us with this sweet little girl. She is a beautiful blessing in our lives!

"For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well."

Psalm 139:13-14

The end is near!!

...or is it just the beginning?

My "bump" continues to grow and our little blessing makes itself known quite often with great big kicks and movements. I just love it and can hardly wait to meet him or her!

Below: 35 weeks!

I took this today and am now 38 weeks (as of tomorrow).

I feel so good and seem to have a lot of energy today (I think it's that iron supplement I started taking!). I am really looking forward to seeing my parents, my sister, and my niece soon! I feel extremely blessed that they are all able to come over to visit at this most amazing time in our lives. It will be very special to share it with them! We'll keep you updated! 

My flowers

Sadly, I have a very UN-green thumb. It seems that every house plant I've had has died under my over-attentive care. It's such a bummer. So, that is why I am posting these pictures of my hanging plants outside my front door. They are so pretty and thriving right now and I am just not sure how long this is going to last. 

So, there! Some evidence that not all plants hate me! And see that little green bush at the corner of our step? That is a tomato plant that has had its stem broken in two places but still hasn't died! I think it was given by God to encourage me! It even has little yellow blossoms on it! Miracle DO happen!!

Summer Kick-off Camping Trip

I was kind of wondering how great it would be to go camping while 7 months pregnant. I think people thought I was a tad crazy to consider it (and I was beginning to wonder myself), but it was actually really great. We have a nice little air mattress that makes sleeping comfortable and our tent is so cozy. Plus, I just LOVE camping so much. I am so happy that David loves it too. To me, it beats an expensive room in a classy hotel any day (as long as it's okay that I look like a homeless person for a while. I probably wouldn't be so keen on it if I had to go to a wedding the next day, but you get my drift!). 

So here are some of the reasons why I love camping...

Historical sights

(this is a memorial to the hungry poor who died during the famine)

Amazing camp sites on rocky ledges...

...with incredible views!

Encountering wild life! 

(This is a jellyfish that was stranded by low tide)

Stunning backgrounds for my 30 weeks pregnant picture!

Watching the sunset get increasingly more beautiful.

And best of all...bringing home some fish for supper! 

I was so excited when David came back to our tent with fish in the bucket that he had caught right off the rocks in the ocean! That's my man! And the mackerel were delicious. 

Marble Arch Cave

I love how our Heavenly Father provides for us in surprising ways. 

David and I LOVE to explore new places and find adventurous things to do in Ireland, but with the high petrol prices and us going to the States this summer, we have been trying to be really careful about spending. WELL, a few weeks ago, David had half a dozen or more music students going for exams near a town we had never been to before, called Fermanagh. This is where God stepped in and surprised us with a little unexpected holiday! One of the student's parents were unable to bring him to the exam so they paid David petrol money, money for a nice meal (for three of us), plus money to go and visit the Marble Arch Caves! It was an amazing day out and we enjoyed it so much (and didn't have to spend a dime...or rather a pence!)

Here are a few pictures from our adventure...

Descending into the cave. 

It was very warm outside, but started to get pretty chilly at about this point.

There were stalacmites and stalactites in abundance!

We took a boat ride down the underground river and then walked quite a way back into the cave. It was beautiful and the pictures don't do it justice. This video is really funny because you can hardly see a thing...very cavelike! Enjoy! :)