The Big Ultrasound - What Is It?

We had our anatomy ultrasound today to find out the gender of our little one. "What is it?" you ask. Well, you'll have to wait and see! We're giving the news to our family tonight and then we'll post more information. So stay tuned...

In the meantime, you can enjoy these new pictures. The top one shows the baby laying really straight - the black hole in the center of the abdomen is the fast beating heart. The second picture of is the baby waving "hi". It was so fun to watch the baby move on screen and feel it in my stomach at the same time. What a miracle.

Senior Retreat

This past weekend, Matt and I took the seniors on their first ever FastForward Senior Retreat. It was a fun couple of days. Matt did a great job planning it too!

A New Belly Picture

Here's a new belly picture. It probably doesn't look like I've grown that much, but it sure feels like I have.

New Baby

Congrats to Lee & Candace Nordine on their brand new baby girl, Isabel Lorraine Nordine. She was born August 19th at 11:51am weighing in at 7 pounds 8 ounces and 20.5 inches long. Lee and Candace have been good friends of our for a few years. Matt and Lee were on the same floor at college, roomed together in Kentucky before we got married, and both of us got married two weeks apart. We spent a lot of time together through small group, church and of course at Chipotle!

We love you guys and can't wait to meet your daughter in person. Congrats Mom and Dad Nordine! Look at that hair...

Rainy Days

The rain is pouring down here in Holland, Michigan and its quite a refreshing change from our hot, humid summer! The weather has been cool lately - which reminds me of fall and excites me for the months ahead. Although, I know that once fall comes that means winter is inevitable.

The seasons changing always causes me to reflect on how awesome our God is - how creative - the way he has formed the clouds to drop rain when they are too full. And how the rain gives us green grass and fresh flowers. I'm in awe of our God and can't wait to meet him face to face someday!

I Gave In

I know, I know. Call me weak, spineless...I prefer to be called submissive, gracious (although my husband would rebuff that statement)! I gave in to Matt's spelling of the name. Definitely not because I was persuaded to believe him. Moreso because I was tired of arguing about it - and quite frankly, I could tell victory wasn't in the near future. So, to save my marriage (boy, that sounds extreme!) and my sanity, I gave in. The good news? I like the name.

Baby Name Game

I went to the doctor today for another check-up and she listened to the baby's heart. We won't have an ultrasound for two more weeks, but she said the heartbeat sounds like a boy. I'm not sure what that means, but I was excited. We'll find out in two weeks if she's correct or not.

So, this doctor's visit prompted a series of events that led to Matthew and I "talking" about baby names. Most couples have a hard time agreeing on names - not us. We're more concerned about sweating the small stuff - like the spelling of the names. Oh yes - you're not mistaken. As if we haven't had enough to argue about over the years, we chose to argue about the spelling of the names we chose. And to make matters worse, both spellings of the name we like are used - so neither one is necessarily "wrong" - although Matthew would fight to the death that mine is the wrong one and his is the right one. Has anyone else had this issue?

And lest you think that I am unwilling to comprise - know first that I married into this name that was chosen. My husband has adored this name for YEARS (literally!) and all but demanded that it would be used for our first child of this gender. My only comment was that maybe we could alter the spelling to better reflect the correct pronunciation. You would have thought I started World War III or something.

Anyways...any thoughts about this dilemma? I'd really love to solve this.

My Brother's Wedding

Congratulations to Matt and Emily! They exchanged marriage vows on the lawn of a golf course and held the reception indoors under a glass dome. It was a gorgeous wedding - very symbollic of their relationship. We're thrilled to welcome Emily into our family. May God bless them with many years of wedded bliss!

More Wedding Pictures

More Rehearsal Pictures

The Rehearsal

4 months pregnant

I just couldn't resist adding another blog about my pregnancy. I'm officially 4 months pregnant this week and boy am I feeling it. Most of my pregnancy books say "At this point, people might start wondering if you're pregnant, because your belly is starting to pooch out." Well, let me tell you, my belly is more than "pooching out." I feel like I could be mistaken for 8 months pregnant at times. And for those of you that haven't been pregnant before, you'll be surprised to know that your bely can actually be much bigger at night before you go to bed. It's the strangest thing. I'm still waiting to feel the baby move. I can't wait! It could be several weeks before I feel anything - and I'm anxiously awaiting it. And lastly, I got for a check-up next Wednesday and will schedule an ultrasoud to find out the gender of our little one. We're hoping for a boy, but will be happy with either. We'll keep you posted.

Grace SL

This weekend Matt spoke at "Grace SL" a senior high camping trip at our church. We spent two nights in the woods - roughing it! It was a lot of fun. Here are some pictures!

More Belly

I've procrastinated on blogging...mostly because we've been too busy, but also because I'm not sure what to blog about. I know most of you are interested in the fact that we're having a baby - but do you want to read about it in every post? Probably not. So, here's another set of "belly" pictures. The belly seems to be growing at a rapid pace. In one week I've grown out of normal clothes, but am not yet into maternity clothes. As much as I hate to admit it, stretchy pants and mumus sound like the most comfortable option. No worries, the mumu won't see the light of day - and I promise my stretchy pants won't have stirrups on the end. Haha!

Vacation Bible CHAOS

This week is vacation Bible time at our church and what a CHAOTIC time it is! We get home each night around 5pm, scarf down a quick dinner and head over to church to handle 50+ 9-year olds. It's a super crazy time - but its also incredible. Imagine 400+ kids in an auditorium singing "I will boast in the Lord my God!" You know, when you think about what heaven is going to be like, do you ever picture children? I know I haven't. But this week I think I've gotten a glimpse of what it might be like. It's refreshing.

Ultrasound #2

Party Like A Dog

Boogaloo turned 2 years old this week. And boy did we have a party! Last year at this time, we were busy moving to Michigan, so Booga's 1st birthday got lost in the jumble. I thought it was only appropriate to throw her a birthday party with her best friends - the little girls next door. So enjoy these pictures, because when the baby comes, Booga won't be getting as much blog time. Haha.

Must be nice...

...to be a cat.

Prego

Ok, so I didn't want to do this, but here's the first prego pictures. I guess its only fair to share the good, the bad and the UGLY right? :) Is it really possible to be showing this much at 12 weeks?

Pictures from the Holiday

This is the life...

We're at the cottage...yes, with wireless internet access, enjoying the sun, lake, seadoo and family. How can a vacation get any better than this? Get up in the morning, eat a wonderful breakfast usually involving homemade jam, put your bathing suit on, enjoy the sun and seadoo all day, eat lots of fruit, fresh veggies and junk, stay up late playing cards and laughing until our sides hurt and then going to bed only to do it all over again the next day. We love this time of year and the best vacation time ever. Pictures to come when we return to the real world.

Yeah for Fourth of July

It's been a busy week already and the fourth isn't even here yet! Matt and I spent last weekend at the family cottage in Lake City, Michigan. What a relaxing time! We both agreed that its the only place we can go to feel truly relaxed. Then, when we arrived home on Sunday night, Matt's sister and her family came to visit us for the week. They will be here until Thursday morning. At which time, we will be leaving for the cottage once again! So, we're busy as always, but finding time to relax, enjoy the weather and time with family, as well each other.

Pictures will be posted soon...

Sinning with the MAC

Ok, so that title sounds terrible. Mostly what I mean is I'm borrowing a brand new MacBook for the evening, test driving it to see whether or not this would be a good computer for me to use as I transition into working from home in the fall. Considering the fact that I've only been home 20 minutes and on it ever since, I think I'm leaning in this direction. I LOVE MACS! I'm addicted to the look, feel, easy use and wonderful graphics. Needless to say, I'm sold.

What kind of coffee are you...

You Are a Frappacino

At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

A Miracle!

It's such a miracle that this little blob will soon by our little baby. I went to my first doctor's appointment today, expecting to get a regular exam and was offered an ultrasound! I even got to see the little heart beating away. I was reminded how wonderful our God is - and how creative!

Matt was really bummed that he didn't get to be there, but I did get to take home this souvenir of a picture. I've never seen my husband as giddy as he was today. It was a joy to see!

Well, enjoy...I'm sure we'll have many more to come!

Big Week

It's been a busy week around the Neal household. Matt completed his last day of school on Wednesday (WOO HOO!) which means he can finally start to relax before the next school year begins. We also watched my sisters graduated from High School on Wednesday night. That was a very cool thing. It's going to be a big year for my parents - my sisters graduate and go to college, my brother graduated from college and gets married this summer, and Matt and I are having a baby. We like to do it all at once in our family! :)

Speaking of the pregnancy - I've been feeling pretty good today. This past week wasn't so hot - with lots of nausea and fatigue. But I've got lots of rest this weekend and am looking forward to a three day week. We're leaving for KY on Thursday morning to celebrate Father's Day with Matt's family. If you go to Grace - look for us on Sunday!

EXPECTING!

So, if you haven't heard the news, you were probably shocked to see the baby development ticker I just added to my blog. Yes, Matthew and I are expecting our first baby in January! We're very excited to share the news with our loved ones. I am 6 weeks along and thrilled to be starting a family!

Bridal Shower, Open House Exhaustion

Congrats to the babies in the family - they have graduated from high school! Sarah and Leah not only turned 18 this year, but are giving my parents gray hairs by the minute by going off to college. It's an exciting time in my parents' life. My brother gets married this summer, my sisters are going off to college. What next?

We also had a bridal shower for my soon to be sister-in-law yesterday. It was a lot of fun. The entire family came down for the two big parties. Needless to say, it was a day full of hugs, laughter and lots of catching up. By the end of the day, I was actually in bed before Matt for once. That'll tell you how exhausted I was.

It's raining and cloudy today. I can actually say that I'm happy about that. It's a great excuse for me to come home from church, snuggle up on the couch and read a book. Yeah for rainy Sunday afternoons.

Summer Heat

It's so hot in our house. We still don't have AC - except for a window unit in our bedroom. I suppose I should be happy, after visiting so many foreign countries where AC is a commodity. And its much hotter in most of those places. But, I'm not. I'm clouded by the American lifestyle which tells me I'm entitled to it. Ha ha. You know its hot when your dog collapses halfway through walking down the hallway. The floor must have felt "cool" there. Ha ha.

New Business?

So, I've been thinking about starting a little side business. This past week, I helped my brother and his fiance design their wedding invitations. It was a lot of fun - and surprisingly I found out I was pretty good at it. This has prompted the question...Should I start doing this on the side? I'm hoping to get a bit of experience under my belt before jumping in head first. So, if you know anyone that would like to have custom invitations designed - at no design charge - just let me know. I'll be posting some photos soon of my samples - but am open to new designs as well.

Hearing Woes

So, I'm going in for my first CT Scan today to make sure I have a brain in my head. Just kidding. I really am getting a CT Scan done, but its to see how much scar tissue I have in my right ear from a boating accident that happened years ago. Either way, the doctor thinks I'm going to need surgery to remove the tissue. Hopefully this will help my hearing to improve in that ear. Be praying that the surgery will be outpatient and only last one hour (if you wanted to get specific)!

Also, we've been enjoying a fun-filled week of Tulip Time - Holland's Dutch Festival. I think they estimated 1 million people visiting our small town this week. Crazy! And we live in the heart of it all. It's a great way to get out enjoy the weather - smell the Tulips - eat lots of junk food - and visit friends. Now, after the parade tomorrow, I might change my tune. :)