October brought the annual air show to a local airport. We thought we were going to have plans the weekend of the show but those plans were canceled. Once we realized that this was the last year all eight kids were free and we only had to pay for Mark and I, we jumped on it.
The kids all had a wonderful time and the vintage planes were one of the most exciting things.
We recently purchased the new Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook and also re-vamped our supper meals. We’re doing themes for each night. It makes planning a bit easier and it keeps us from having tacos one night and enchiladas the next and fajitas the night after. Flipping through the cookbook, Zoe found a recipe for crepes and then all the other kids saw it too. That was the number one request for Breakfast Night.
Sure, I think. I can do this. I made crepes in high school. And then I remembered. I didn’t make crepes in high school. Our French class did and there were a ton of kids who got it right. But not our group. Our group had some issues.
This all came to light as I went through five or more crepes that ended their miserable life in the trash. It was so bad, a neighbor heard my pleas and attempted to help. She too threw in the white flag.
Just when I was about to quit, I found my groove.
And my springform pan.
And voila! Success!
We’ll definitely try this again and not wait over 20 years either!
The firs of October brought a neurology visit with Dr. W. She was doing great and we are all waiting to do an MRI just before surgery. As we were leaving, we mentioned we were heading to a local mall for a Lego display. He told us we needed to check out the hospital lobby. And this is what we saw:
Pretty impressive!
Then we drove about 30 minutes away (which was around 5 miles in Atlanta) and saw this:
The Lego Americana Roadshow was just amazing. We loved seeing America’s monuments and were so impressed with the skill of real life master builders.
Old North Church
This was simply amazing. The Capital Building.
Future Master Builders showcased their work.
And Emmie and I worked at building something so she could take it a part. Destroying things are her favorite thing to do.
The gang’s all here.
We enjoyed seeing the little scenes that were set up and this one, by far, was our favorite. It had so much to look at and laugh at.
The most awesome part of the roadshow…it was free! Free ya’ll! If it is coming to a mall near you, I would highly recommend it for a fun afternoon trip.
In September, we took our last trip to the zoo. We had to let our membership expire until we finish up adoption expenses. So, we enjoyed what we could until later.
Can you tell I let the kids take pictures with my camera? It’s a rare find. A construction vehicle.
We actually got to see the tiger out and about.
In case you didn’t know what a giraffe’s tongue looks like. 
The gorillas were out and really close.
So was a snake. He was a cutie!
Our traditional picture in front of the lion.
Zoe almost at the top of the rock wall.
Okay, not really a camp out. The first part of September, we were blessed to spend a long weekend with our church family. Mosquitoes, bumpy lumpy beds, camp food and lots of faith and fellowship. It was such a blessing! The speaker was a minister who we knew from another church and was a huge part of guiding us Biblically in our parenting.
Bryant looks goofy here but I wasn’t trying to get him in the shot. It’s Ceili Rain with one of the other girls from church, walking hand in hand.
We were a bit concerned with how Emmie would handle things. Aside from a fall the first night, she did amazingly well!
Family Olympics. One of the many highlights.
The boat race. There was only one flipped over boat, surprisingly!
Emmie showing off her family colors…atop her head.
Malachi was super serious about running this race.
When the littles went to bed, Mark and I took turns trekking to the common area with Zoe and Ace to play games and visit.
I love this. This is our youth all crowded around checking out pictures and laughing. They are a great group who do such an amazing job including everyone. Since Zoe is now technically a “youth,” she was all smiles the whole weekend.
Mark led the children’s time one morning.
This was our first experience with family camp and can’t wait to do it again. It was a blessing to be out with our church worshiping, laughing, crying and enjoying the nature…even with the mosquitoes.
Y loved Sunny and just had to get a picture with her before he left.
Papa & Grandmere’s church (also the church Mark grew up in), sent a sweet gift basket to Emmie. She was thrilled to open it.
Army dude dress up!
A bit of selfies before Mama headed back to the hospital.
I got a car!
Shopping for a bigger stroller for Emmie. Looking at books for the rest of the gang.
Our friend, Tracy, agreed to grab some quick pictures of the kids. The downside was that it was over 100 degrees with humidity and Tracy had an allergy attack. So, while, the pictures were not the best. They provide a great memory and she did a great job editing them. We’ll call these their official school pictures. Enjoy!
Zoe, 7th Grade
Ace, 6th Grade
Liam, 4th Grade
Josiah, 3rd Grade
Y the Brave, 3rd Grade
Ceili Rain, 1st Grade
Bryant, Kindergarten
Malachi, Pre-K
Emmie, Super-hero Training Level 1
And our “class” shots.
We had planned a beach trip for the week before Y the Brave was to leave. Obviously, when Emmie fell, we had to change our plans. We contacted the place we had already reserved our rental with. It “just so happened” that he had it open the weekend before her procedure. When Mark explained what was going on, the owner was more than willing to change our reservation. It was a true blessing and a great house to stay in at a great price!
This was Y the Brave’s first time at the ocean. The kids would have all stayed in the ocean the entire time if we had let them.
Zoe and I scored a skimming board at Goodwill earlier in the summer. By the end of the weekend, a couple of the kids were getting the hang of it.
Malachi was not thrilled about actually getting deep in the water. But making super poses on the beach were just as good.
Emmie didn’t much care for the water either.
Cuddling with mama was on Emmie’s agenday much of th etie.
My absolutely favorite picture of us.
We worked really hard to get a picture before we left. But there’s always that one kid…this time it was Malachi’s turn.
Honey, we shrunk the kids…
…Into starfish
A gentleman walked up to Y in the arcade and gave him tokens to play. Needless to say, the kids had a wonderful time with those tokens.
Emmie loved the pool water even if the big ocean scared her.
Our little swing at the beach house filled with Emmie’s super sidekicks.
One of the highlights of the summer reading program is free tickets to Augusta Greenjackets baseball game. The game came the week after Emmie’s emergency trip and just before her halo traction. The problem we had was that we only had five tickets but there were eleven of us (counting Y the Brave). A neighbor had offered to get tickets for people through his work and we contacted him on a whim. Not only did he get us the extra tickets, but he got us tickets in reserved seating. On the first base line.
Oh ya’ll. The looks on all of our kids faces when they met the baseball players and saw the action up close and personal. It is definitely something I won’t soon forget. We all had a wonderful time. Got bobblehead dolls and watched our Y the Brave experience America’s past time for the the first time. Their biggest highlight was not having to stand in line at concession and getting the unlimited popcorn and soda!
About the sixth inning, it started pouring. I mean really pouring. We all raced to the covered stadium, danced and laughed. This was definitely a wonderful memory before all the stress and uncertainty.
He was due between March 27th and April 1st. But, because the early ultrasound showed the due date close to April 1st and I was likely going to be able to pick a due date since this was almost definitely going to be a repeat c-section, I told Mark we would go for April 1st. I was excited about the name Isaac. It means laughter. How appropriate to deliver a baby boy on a fun day, April Fool’s Day and to rejoice in laughter at the gift of a baby. We were ready for laughter. It has been a hard year.
Things were going good. Emmie was doing great and we were winding down and getting ready to say good-bye to Y the Brave (as much as we dreaded it). Then Emmie fell. And we were in the hospital for the most of August. I thought things were going well for Baby Isaac as morning sickness had settled in and I had, virtually, a week of bed rest while taking care of Emmie.
On the day Emmie was discharged, I had a red flag that things weren’t going as great as we thought for the baby. That was a Friday. The red flags kept coming throughout the weekend. The confirmation came on Monday at the doctor’s office. The day before Y the Brave returned to Europe. Baby Isaac was gone. His beautiful little heart that was so strong at just under six weeks had stopped beating.
The day after we said goodbye to Y the Brave, Mark and I quietly said goodbye to another baby. We had him at the same hospital I have had ten (almost eleven…the eleventh, of course born to a wonderful mama in another country) of my babies and his earthly body is resting with his brother’s in a beautiful garden that holds all the remains of precious lives that never got to walk this earth.
We didn’t tell the kids until recently. Our pastor knew and our close friends and family knew. But, we have held this secret for every one else until now. My heart has been aching to share. To let people know there was a beautiful child here and that he isn’t now. October is Miscarriage and Stillborn Awareness Month and I have seen post after post that cried out to me and let me know that I was not alone. I wanted to shout at the mamas who shared that they were not alone. That the feelings were still raw and real here too. Yet we have grieved ever so silently for this life that we feel is gone too soon.
And then come the gender reveals and announcements of pregnancies because mamas feel that the pregnancy is “out of the woods” for problems. I have rejoiced over and over with my amazing sweet friends. Especially those who have walked this all too familiar road and are now anticipating a beautiful little one. But the tears still come for our little one who we won’t meet. This first year after a loss is so hard. Please forgive me dear friends if the comments are short and quick. Please know we rejoice but know we also think about our little Isaac who is not here.
I know we have a lot to deal with with our children here on earth and our adoption and Super Ems. But our Baby Isaac, although a surprise, was very much wanted and loved.
So, we rejoice over Isaac. That we’ll see him again. And that he is in a much better place than we could ever imagine. I grieve over Isaac. Never having been able to hold his beautiful body. Kiss his sweet cheek. Watch his brothers and sisters ooh and aah over him. And we trust that God is the giver of Life and is with us through death too.
