Thursday, July 12, 2007

It's a..............



So, I had my 20-week (actually 21-weeks) ultrasound yesterday. My sister Holly just got in town Tuesday and was able to come along. So, she and Warren got to see the baby too. They did not have their new machine yet, however I think we got some pretty good peeks. Doctor Lipinski said that everything looks great. The baby looks to be developing perfectly at this point. We did choose to learn the sex if we were able to. The baby was not cooperating very well as it was in a breech position (same thing happened with both Ella and Sophia). I kept thinking I was seeing girl parts and then Doctor Lipinski said that she didn't know for sure, but she had a pretty good idea. When we asked her what she thought, she said "girl". It turns out that Holly and Warren both thought that they were seeing girl parts too. So, we are not positive, but it looks like we will have another girl. Dr. Lipinski said that she would try to get me in again at my next visit and see if we can take another look. She wants to take a better look at shere the cord connects to the baby's tummy too. She couldn't get a good view this time.

Dear Lord, thank you sooooo soooo much for a healthy looking baby and a good ultrasound. Whatever the gender may be, we are just so thankful for this new life forming inside of me!

Monday, July 9, 2007

Camping with Grandma & Papa Foht in Minnesota






Camping with Grandma and Grandpa. We went camping this past weekend up at the Old Barn Campground with Grandma and Papa Foht and their Sherrill friends. The group has been going up there for about 20-years. This was our first time up there with the kids. We got there around 3:45 AM on Friday morning. Warren and I had plans with friends Thursday night, so we thought it would be a good idea to leave when we got home, and just let the kids sleep in the car. Well, we left about an hour and a half later than we had planned, but it was all right. The girls did sleep. Although Sophie woke when we got there. Warren set up the little tent for Ella and I to sleep in because we were both very uncomfortable in the truck. I woke up around 6 and heard Sophie banging on the windows of the truck. I went and opened the door, and Warren said that she had not gone back to sleep. So, I took her in the tent with Ella and I where she played for a while and when I woke up at 8:30, she was asleep. The next day she was soooo tired, but would not nap. We had fun hanging out at the campsite and going to the pool that day. She did go to bed all right that night and napped and went to bed well the next day. Ella always sleeps well when we camp. The second day we went in to nearby Lanesboro to shop and have lunch. Mom and I went in the car, and Warren took the girls in the trailer and biked with Dad. It was hot!!!! We had a really nice time thought. Dad and Warren left all of us girls to shop after lunch and they went back to golf. The girls and I got more pool time when we got back too. Sophia was always taking off and wandering an climbing around. Thank God to all of our wonderful friends who were so kind and caring as to help keep an eye on them for us!!!!

We left Sunday around noon and stopped to visit some friends who live just outside of Lacross. We hadn't seen them for a while. They have two little girls as well, both close in age to Ella and Sophia. We had lunch there and the kids played and we had a really nice visit. It is so fun to catch up with friends and the kids really did have a great time playing together (until Ella had a meltdown right before we left....no details necessary. She was tired from a long weekend). Thanks Mike and Rachel!

We made it home around 8:30 and now are preparing for Holly and Ryan to come tomorrow. I am picking them up in Chicago tomorrow!!!! We can't wait to see them. I guess I will be blogging about their visit soon.

4th of July

I know that this is a little late, but we left for the weekend right after the fourth. We had a very enjoyable 4th of July. Warren went up to work on the land again on the 4th since he was off work. That left the girls and I to get ready to leave for camping the next night and to try to have a little fun enjoying some of the festivities. Wednesday early afternoon, we went to our friends' house in neighboring Saukville to watch the parade (they conveniently live right on the parade route). It was hot!!!! The bigger kids enjoyed running out for candy and waving at everyone as they passed and the babies had a good time listening to the music and watching the fire trucks and other emergency vehicles. Every time Sophia would hear a siren, she would get a worried look on her face and look in that direction and say, "oh-oh". The picture is of Ella sharing her flag with her friend Ryan to wave it at the vehicles as they passed.

Wednesday night after supper, we went down by the lake and met up with some friends to watch the fireworks. Warren rode his bike down and found us when he got back around 8:30. The fireworks were pretty good except they were supposed to start at 9:15-ish and didn't start until 10:00. By that time the kids were pretty tired and bored. So, that part was a little disappointing. All in all it was quite fun.

We are so thankful for our country and our freedom. Also thanks to our soldiers and our forefathers who fought and continue to fight for our freedom and to protect our country. Thank you God for blessing us to live in this country!

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Another fun summer weekend for the Grahams

A little background first for those of you who may not know.... We purchased some land north of here about 2 months ago. It is on Lake Michigan, zoned "non-buildable", and needs a lot of work. Warren has been going up and clearing the land for on a few weekends. (He didn't want me to take a picture of it. It is not picture ready yet. And I forgot the camera anyway.)

This past weekend we went up with him and stayed at a campsite in Algoma (about 2-miles down the road from our land)on Friday night. Warren left us at the site and went to work on the land Saturday morning. The girls and I just hung out and played at the playground. Ella made a friend and they chased butterflies and played in the sand. I tried to start a fire for lunch. (Notice I said tried - It would help if the wood wasn't wet and barky.) I succeeded in creating smoke signals and enough flame from the fire starter to roast two smoky hot dogs.

Warren came and helped us tare down camp around 1:30. The kids fell asleep in the car, so I dropped him back off at the land and drove to a neat park about 3-miles up the road to rest in the shade in the car with the girls. They woke up and we went for a walk down to the lower park and beach area. When we were walking back up the steps to the car, I was huffing and puffing and slow. Ella said "Come on Mommy. You can do it." I told her that it is harder for mommy because I was carrying two babies, Sophie and the baby in my tummy. She said, "Mom, the baby in your tummy is really little!" I explained that that was true, but the baby is growing and taking my enery to grow. We got to the top, and she told me that she was carrying two babies too, her baby doll and her baby from the sky. I asked her what she meant by her baby in the sky. She said that God has a baby in the sky for her for when she is grown up and that He and Jesus are taking care of it until it is time for her to. I thought that was so sweet. I pray that God does have it in his plan for her to get married to a wonderful husband and have children of her own someday.

After the park, we went to this neat place a few miles back down the road called "The Flying Pig". It is a garden center, art gallery, and coffee shop. It is a really neat and fun place. We had coffee and a cookie. Then we walked around the gallery and the gardens. The people who worked there were very friendly! There was a lot of neat/interesting art. They had a pond outside with a sand island surrounded by ralings with Adirondak chairs and sand toys for the kids. Ella and Sophie loved it. Ella especially enjoyed all of the fountains shaped out of metal to look like fish, frogs, crocodiles, etc. She said "This place really likes kids." I think we will end up frequentint "The Flying Pig" on our many visits up that way.

We picked Warren up around six and got subs and headed home. This has been long enough, so I won't go into Sophie's antics in the car and at bath time. Let's just say, "She certainly is a stinker."

Sunday Warren and Ella went to a Brewer's baseball game in Milwaukee (It was his Father's Day gift). It was Ella's first game. She just loved it. She expecially enjoyed the sausage races. She was cheering for the hot dog to win, and it did. she also thought that it was really cool that they fired off fireworks during the day every time there was a home run. Of course, she loved getting a hot dog and lemonade too. Warren said that she did real well until about the 6th inning (I thought she might make it to 4), but they stayed for the whole game. Too bad the Brewer's lost on a walk (arghhh). Warren said the worst part was that they parked far away and had to walk about 40-45 minutes both ways with him consequently carrying Ella most of the way. All in all, I think they had a great Father and Daughter day.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Father's Day

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Sunday was Father's Day and we went to the Madison Zoo with Grandpa and Grandma Graham. Papa and Grandma Foht were going to meet us there, but Papa had a bad cold. (We are praying for you to get better soon Papa! We missed you!) The weather was hot and sticky, but it was a really fun day. "Thank you Lord for my husband. He is such a great Daddy! Also thank you so much for our fathers. We would never be where we are today without them." Thank you Dads!