No News

No news.....yet.......

......except that my mom arrived safely yesterday afternoon. It is SO good to have her here and I'm so thankful she made it in time for the baby! Now I'm ready!!!

So far, nothing has been happening. I have an appt with my midwife this morning and after that we plan to be VERY active. ;-) Thank you to all of my sweet friends who have been calling to check on me! It's so exciting and I LOVE that the people around us are excited too! Hopefully, we'll have news very soon!

Have a great day!

Speak With Authority

This is great! I love it!

Speak With Authority
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCNIBV87wV4

Family Update

Just some updates.........

Can you believe I'm just FOUR days away from my due date? I can't believe it! The funny thing is.......I'm still in no rush to go into labor. I think it's because I REALLY want to hold out until my mom gets here on the 4th. Just rwo more days........I think I can hold on! ;-) Initially, she was only able to stay one week, but thankfully, she was able to extend her stay to TWO WEEKS! Yippee! Now I feel like we have time..........time to visit, time for the baby to come, and time to enjoy the baby once he/she arrives!

I have been SO lost without our digital camera! It broke some time ago and I've realized it's not as much fun posting on the blog without pictures to go along with some of the posts. I'm sure we'll replace it soon, but before the birth! We do have a video camera, and a stock pile of disposable cameras, but without a digital, I can't zip out pictures of the baby to friends and family right away! SOOOOO, if you're coming to my birth (and you know who you are), will you PLEASE bring your digital camera with you? At least that way you all can email me the pics and I can email those out! I would really appreciate it!

A few friends have asked about the latest on our house situation. Well, as you know, we have not sold our current home yet, so the possibility of moving is looking slim. Although the new house is still not completed, we received a phone call the other day from our sales rep telling us that the "head honchos" want to cancel our contract because we have not sold our house. Honestly, we couldn't help but just laugh about it! If they want to cancel before the house is even finished, so be it! Our sales rep is still trying to fight the big guys and convince them to hold onto the contract until the house is done (at least another month), so we'll see what happens. In the end, it really doesn't matter though. God in in control and He already has a plan for the Sabo family so we'll just sit back and watch what He does in this situation. In the meantime, we'll just focus on the arrival of this sweet baby and enjoy my mom being here. I guess the only thing we may do if the contract is canceled is take our house off the market so we can rest and enjoy the baby without the hassel of showings!

Please keep in prayer the Cambron family! Many of you know already that Charles is leaving for Iraq for the second time in a couple of days. He'll be gone for four months. Please pray for his safety while he's away and the peace of knowing his family will be taken care of. Pray for Stacey and the kids as they wait for his return. May God fill them with His peace and comfort and may those of us around them minister to them daily! We'll miss you Charles! Thank you for all that you do to protect your country!

I guess that's all for updates. Hopefully my next post will be labor and baby news! Happy New Year!

Congratulations to the Skinner Family!This is my handsome brother, Jason, and his new baby boy, Lucas. Jason and his wife, Tara, have three beautiful daughters and now a sweet son. Congratulations Jason and Tara!

Belly Shot

For those of you far away......A belly shot at 37 weeks!

Any day now............

The Race

The Race for the Finish

I hope that you all had a wonderful celebration of our Lord's birth. We had a great time of celebration, reflection, and fun! Hopefully, the kids will stay busy for at least two minutes with the new things they received this year!

Now that Christmas is over, I have this overwhelming urge to REorganize EVERYHTING again! I think this even goes beyond my nesting phase last week. We are prepared and ready for the home birth and definitely ready to meet this precious baby. But, as I look around the house, I see many things that need to be accomplished. As many of you know, organizing in itself is an ongoing event, especially in a large family, or in a family where Mom hates clutter. So, thankfully I have the desire and energy to get these things done. So yesterday, I began with a complete overhaul on my bathroom, with the help of my wonderful husband. Now it is fit for a laboring mama, complete with candles and new towels!

Next, it was time for another round of haircuts! I wanted to get this done before the baby, otherwise it won't get done after baby, at least for a while. Just Ethan's hair to go. After haircuts and dinner, while the rest of family watched a movie, Celeste and I cleaned every crack and crevice of Seth's room and closet! It was a disaster in there, and being that my mom will be staying in his room, it was definitely a priority, one that cannot be entrusted to a six year old! No, this was a job for MOM! And finally, after we finished in there, I actually had enough energy to tackle the playroom too! I am so thankful for this energy, because prior to my nesting phase, I had ZERO energy and didn't think I'd get anything done before the baby. It amazing how God gives us this burst of energy and excitement near the end of pregnancy so that we can prepare for the baby. I just have to be careful and not over do it so that I'll have what I need to get through labor, right? ;-)

Today will be another day of the same. First on my list is making another menu and grocery list. Many of know already that I have menus premade with coordinating shopping lists, but we seem to go through the five menus quickly so I want at least one more. This will give me six, two week menus, giving us a total of three months worth of meals. At least I can do this task sitting down! Ahhhhh! Next on the list is the pantry! It's been a year or so since I last conquered it, so it's time to go through again and get rid of the old and make room for the new. I got two new small appliances for Christmas and have no where to store them, so this is a MUST DO project today!

My final "to do" will be getting a post out to family about what's happening with each family member these days. I've wanted to do this for quite some time, and even began the post on Christmas, but it will be fairly lengthy, so I'll eventually get to it. After all, this blog was mainly started for family and distant friends to be able to keep up with the happenings of our family! Stay tuned........

Okay.......time to get to work! Have a great day!

Nesting

We're down to the final two and a half weeks until my due date. I still can't believe I'm this close to delivery day. This pregnancy has zipped by so quickly, I almost feel like I need a bit more time. I said almost! We've been so preoccupied with house stuff and the possibility of moving, that it was hard to get into baby-readiness mode. Now that we know we'll be staying right here for at least another month or so, I've switched modes and have begun preparing for the arrival of our sweet baby.

Preparing this time around is quite different from our previous births. Rather than packing a bag and thinking through what I'll need to take to the hospital, I'm setting things up for our first home birth. Yesterday, we did some rearranging in our bedroom to accommodate the cradle and a table for birth supplies. I also washed all the baby linens and the car seat cover. I still need to pull out the neutral clothes and get those washed, but other than that, we're ready.....I think!

For those of you who may be interested in keeping up with the progress of my labor, I am going to try to live blog the event. I thought it was very cool to read the labor/births of Stephanie and Kim C while they were happening, so I'll do my best to post as much as possible, or at least have others post for me! This will be really great for family and friends who are far away. I'll zip out an email when I go into labor with the blog link. We'll see what happens.....

If you think of us, please keep us in prayer as we approach the big day. We thank God in advance for this gift and pray that He will allow us to have a safe and wonderful delivery at home!

Photo Credit

Our Babies

They make my heart sing............

Weary Mommy

God is so good to always be molding and shaping us into His image. He allows us to go through many trials, whether big or small, to teach us, to grow us, and to remind us that we can do nothing apart from Him.

Well, my trials over the past month or so have been small compared to many I know, but nonetheless, have taught me that our reliance upon the Lord isn't simply day by day, or even hour by hour, but rather, minute by minute!

This pregnancy has been my most difficult, hormonally. I've never experienced such drastic hormonal shifts, and ups and downs, as I have this time. I'm also the most tired I have ever been in my life.

I'm irritable, snappy, and grumpy most of the time!

As it is, life with six kids (two of whom are fairly needy) and being nine months pregnant with number seven certainly comes with a few challenges. But, throw in there some unpredictable hormones and voila!....you've got ME!

While all of these very things bring me great joy, hard days are just to be expected.  But.....for all of this....I rejoice!  I thank God for allowing me to be in a place where I am calling out to Him, and being reminded that I cannot get through the day, or even the next minute without Him! 

I am also being reminded of what it means to love unconditionally through the love of my husband. Greg has shown such mercy, love, and patience with me during my not-so-pleasant mood swings. He amazes me by always displaying a heart of Christ. I have a lot to learn and he has always been a great teacher to me.

This post happens to be my 100th post, which took more than a year to get to. Traditionally, I guess you're supposed to list 100 things about yourself, but rather than do that, I thought I'd post a few things about me that show a little transparency, a little vulnerability, a little humility, and a lot of praise for my precious Lord, apart from Whom I can do nothing.

God is good ALL THE TIME...even at our weariest moments.

Happy Thanksgiving

Giving Thanks........


Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to ALL generations.
Psalm 100: 4-5


HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!!!!


Photo Credit

Poor Ethan

What a pretty little........girl?

No, this is not Ethan's secret twin sister! Ashamedly, this was Cheyenne and Celeste's doing in protest of Ethan's long hair. And sadly, it worked. He did end up finally getting a haircut, but, it's already time for another. I guess I'd better hurry up and cut it again before they get another bright idea.

Needless to say.......DAD WAS NOT HAPPY!!!

Reformation Day

Reformation Day Faire


Do you all think that Covenant of Grace can pull this off next year? How fun!!! Be sure and check out all of the photos. Aside from the gorgeous costumes, my favorite pic has to be the one of the stocks, which were reserved for those who tried to sell "indulgences". Too cute!

We've Been Tagged

......by the sick bug, that is! Just when we thought we had escaped it, IT got us......well some of us! Ethan, Chloe and Sophia are all croupy with slight fevers. Last night, we had to take Ethan to an Urgent Care clinic because he was having some breathing difficulty. After two breathing treatments and an oral steroid, he was back to his mischievous self. He slept well until about 3am and then began wheezing again, but not as severe. He's doing well this morning......we'll just keep an eye on him. Sophia seems to be getting over it already and Chloe seems to be in the thick of it. We're hoping and praying that everyone will be well by Wednesday in time for our Reformation celebration at church.  

And to just second what Tami said about Little Spurs Pediatric Urgent Care , they were wonderful! We had been there before about a year ago, and had a good experience, so we were definitely willing to go back rather than deal with an ER. Anyway, they were a bit busy but because Ethan was having breathing issues, they immediately took us back to at least get his O2 sat checked, which was what we were concerned about. Since it was 97, they sent us back out to the waiting room. While we waited, his breathing got worse. By the time it was our turn, his O2 saturation had dropped so they began a breathing treatment immediately. We got to the clinic about 8pm and didn't leave until 11:30......the clinic closed at 9pm. Although I'm sure they're used to staying after hours, it was their cheerful spirits (that late at night after a long day) and their care for Ethan that really made us feel good about being there. Another neat service is that you can register on-line before you go (which is what we did) to avoid a lot of paper work once you get there. All we had to do was sign our name and give them our insurance card. Much quicker and much easier when you have a sick child. So, if you live in San Antonio and want to avoid the ER, I highly recommend this clinic!

Hoping YOU all are well and having a great day!

Photo Credit

This and That

We've had a very busy morning.......actually, it began last night with the deep cleaning and weeding out of Seth's room/closet. It's amazing how fast that boy's room can clutter up. This morning, the girls and I began another session of REorganizing and swapping out seasonal clothes. I wish this was a semi-annual event for us, but it seems as if we have to do this at least quarterly! I hate clutter so whenever the house starts to feel crowded or unorganized, it's time to declutter. We filled up a huge garbage bag of "goodwill" stuff, which may not seem like a big deal, but considering we filled about EIGHT bags just two months ago, filling another bag was a surprise. Now all of the rooms are in order and the closets and drawers are thinned out and very accessible once again! We also went through our baby bins and put away things Ethan has grown out of and reorganized those bins! Ahhh, it feels so good to have all of that done! Now for the downstairs.....

Okay, I have to admit I'm getting a little nervous about our house selling.....uh......not selling. All along, we have felt strongly that whether it sells or not, God's in control, He has a plan, and we want what He wants. Well, we still feel this way.......it's just gotten a little more tempting to REALLY want to move into the new house. A couple of days ago, our loan guy called and said we may be eligible for Texas Vet. Well, we didn't think we would be eligible because we thought you had to enter the military or exit the military as a Texas resident. To our surprise and joy, that's not the case. SO, what this means is that we were able to get an insanely low interest rate (and we had a low one to begin with) which would reduce our payment even more! It would be a bummer to miss out on living in this very spacious home located in a beautiful area for about the same as what we're paying here. BUT.......like I said, as great as it sounds, God has already gone before us and knows what's best for our family! We trust HIM, not us! If ya think of us and our house situation, would you please pray that God would bring a buyer (we have about a month to get a contract going), or that we would accept graciously and contently not moving into the house we're building! Thanks!

Fall is in the air!!! With the cooler temps sticking around, the sounds of Psalty's Christmas Calamity playing in the background, and the smell of Chili simmering away in the crock pot, it's definitely feeling like fall!

The reality of a firefighter is that it doesn't matter if it's a weekend or Columbus Day or Christmas, if you're scheduled to work, YOU WORK. Well, our reality this year is that Greg has to work on Christmas day. He is trying to see if any of the single guys are willing to trade him Christmas for New Year's Eve, but so far, no luck! I really can't complain though because Greg has been blessed year after year by having Christmas off. The worst we've had it was when he had to work four Thanksgivings in a row. Well, FOR the last four Thanksgivings, the other shift has had to work. It will happen again this year! So, like I said, I can't complain too much that Greg has to work this year for Christmas. We'll just celebrate on Christmas Eve and plan fun activities for the kids on Christmas. Another blessing is that we can go to Greg for Christmas! It's so neat that we can go to the station any time we want to visit him......like we'll be doing tonight for dinner! And, to remind me to be even more thankful....Greg is just at work, down the road......not in Iraq or some other dangerous place. Perspective is a wonderful thing! ;-)

Cheyenne will be starting Driver's Ed training! Enough said!

Wow, I can't believe I'm nearly 30 weeks along in pregnancy. The time has really flown by! I have begun my two week appts with my midwife and we're trying to mentally prepare for the home birth. The only thing that could make this easier is by knowing where I'll be giving birth! This house or the new house? Hmmm......

And finally, I should be out of this boot as of Monday! I'll cry if the doc says I have to leave it on! Okay, so I won't really cry, but you know what I mean! I'll let ya know....

I guess that's it for updates. Better get back to work!

The Cool Weather

Just had to share my enthusiasm regarding the much cooler weather today.

A front is coming through the region and bringing along with it wind, rain and COOL temps! YIPPEE!!! It actually feels like fall today instead of spring or summer.

I'm looking forward to schooling today because there's just something so comforting about looking out the window at the wind and rain knowing we're safely nestled in the warmth our home. We don't have to send our little ones out there to stand on the corner to wait for the bus or walk to school in the wind and rain.

Yes, I know....I survived doing this very thing growing up, but on days like this, I'm just thankful they're here with me!

Have a wonderful FALL day, my friends!

Photo Credit

Happy Birthday Beauty

Today, our sweet Sophia is turning FIVE!

She's our little girl who is already thinking about when she'll turn 8, then 12, then "be big" like Cheyenne! She's also our first child (at such a young age) who is already talking about "when she gets married........" and to WHOM she will marry! This is new for us as none of the others have worried/dreamed about this so early. We simply remind her that she needs to enjoy being a kid and that God already knows who she will marry, so she doesn't have to worry about that now!

Sophia is a ball of energy and always has a smile on her face! And while she LOVES to be rambunctious with Seth, her favorite thing to do is play dress up......she loves to pretend to be a princess! She also loves to color! When she gets up in the morning, it's the first thing she'll ask to do, and any time there's a free moment throughout the day, she'll ask to color!

In school,  math is her favorite subject!

She's our little Beauty and we're so thankful for this little girl who brings so much joy to our lives!

Happy Birthday Sophia!

Excuse This House

Read this sweet little poem on a friend's blog and had to share it!

Excuse This House

Some houses try to hide the fact that children shelter there,
Ours boasts of it quite openly, the signs are everywhere!
For smears are on the windows, little smudges on the door;
I should apologize I guess For the toys strewn on the floor.
But I sat down with the children and we played and laughed and read,
And if the door bell does not shine, their eyes will shine instead!
For when at times I am freed to choose the one job or the other,
I want to be a homemaker, but first I'll be a Mother"!

Anonymous

ht: Adrienne

Garbage Finds

1 can of Great Northern beans
1 can of Olives
1 can of Coconut Milk
1 can of White Shoepeg corn

This is what I found in the garbage today shortly after dinner. Did I mention they were FULL, UNopened cans?

How we love our sweet Ethan.......such a "helper"!

Home Birth News

Go Janet....Go Janet....


I don't know how she did it, but my midwife, Janet, was able to get my insurance company to verify that they would completely cover MY HOME BIRTH! Woohoo!

Thank you Father for answering our prayers and allowing us to do this without the worry of incurring debt! We thank you for Janet and all that she does! May you bless us with a safe and wonderful birth.......at home!

Happy Birthday Cheyenne

On this day, fifteen years ago, I gave birth to a beautiful 6 lb 2 oz baby girl. She came into this world at 3:16am in Huntingdon, England. We knew from that moment on that she would bless our lives more than we could imagine.

Now, fifteen years later, we're left wondering how, we as parents, could be so blessed! For those of you who know her, I'm sure you would agree that she is pretty much a parent's dream (by God's grace)! She is a young lady full of grace, full of love, full of kindness, and filled to the brim with love for her family and most importantly, for her Lord!

We continue to pray that she will only grow closer to God with each coming day and grow in her desire to serve Him for the rest of her days!

We love you, Cheyenne, and thank the Lord for allowing us the privilege of being your parents for fifteen years!  Happy Birthday, baby!

I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
Psalm 139: 14