Baby Update! :)

We are all on pins and needles over here...
Mama is scheduled for an induction at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning! We'd really appreciate prayer that all goes smoothly and that Mama can relax and have this baby quickly!
But imagine that! By this time tomorrow...we will either have our new baby brother in our arms or he'll be coming *very* soon! :) It's gonna be crazy though: This little man is the third child in our family to be born on August 6th! He will join Sarah and Leah as the Irish Triplet. ;)
I can't wait to see him and post pictures! Our babies are some of the cutest I've ever seen...though I know every family thinks theirs are the cutest! But truly, our babies look like the Gerber baby food babies. All round and pink with big blue eyes and hardly any hair.
So sweet! :) Anyway, hopefully by tomorrow night we'll have a post up to introduce you to our wee man! (Gracie wants to name him "Trike", and Daniel has declared that his nickname. :) We have a better name chosen for his real name, though! Any guesses? (people who don't already know) Oh! And here's a hint. We always chose a Bible name for the baby's first name. :)
-Rachel

In which I lament my unaccomplished-ness in the arena of music

I'm not sure Pride and Prejudice is good for me. It makes me want certain things....I'm not only talking about wishing I had a hero...though that can happen at times.

I'm talking about other more random things....

I long to have a real British accent...

I long to wear a Regency-era dress every day...

And it makes me wish I was accomplished, like Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

"All young women are so accomplished these days! They sing, paint, speak French and Italian, embroider, write poetry, and I know not what!" ;)

Mr. Bingley is so easy to please. But of course we'd all rather impress Mr. Darcy who has deeper ideas of the subject.

"I am no longer surprised at you only knowing six accomplished women, Mr. Darcy...I rather wonder at you knowing any!"

I can hold my own in many of these areas, but I regret that I am not much of a musician myself, though, to quote Lady Catherine DeBourgh, "I should have been quite proficient if I had ever cared to learn." ;)

It seems silly that I don't know how to play anything beyond a recorder (and can plastic be considered an instrument?) since both my parents are musicians. The Gentleman from Virginia plays the guitar extremely well, and even Sarah and Leah are becoming quite adept at the playing of the piano.

My voice is my only instrument, albeit a very portable one, and I do love to sing. I just don't know how good I am at it. :P I'd be afraid to spend an evening "entertaining" company with my songs. I think my voice takes after Katie's in the Doris Day Calamity Jane:

"I've heard you. Very nice for choirs and weddings, but I doubt that your voice would ever reach beyond the footlights." :P

Anyway, I love music very well. And I would love to learn how to play a bit on the piano.

"Do you play, Miss Bennet?"

"A little ma'am, and very ill."

Indeed, if I sat down to entertain people on the piano they would have to suffer through a halting "Mary had a Little Lamb" and someone would probably come over, put a hand on my shoulder and say, "There, there you do very well child. Now let some of the other young ladies have a chance to exhibit!" ;)

And I never hope to have this sort of a compliment payed:

"You are perfectly right, Miss Bennet. You have employed your time better. No one admitted to the privilege of hearing you play could think anything wanting."

I do love to listen to the girls play duets on the piano, or Daniel playing his guitar. All except one song the girls play. It's not their fault, but Sarah's part sounds like a fat hippo trying to dance. Seriously. It gives me the willies every time I hear it. :D

Mama says that she will teach me piano this fall, if I'd like. :) I think I'll take her up on that. I would like to advance past the "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and onto something more accomplished. ;)

I shall make that a goal, dear blogging friends. To get past nursery-rhyme songs...maybe I'll even make it as far as "My Mother bid me Bind my Hair"...I bet Mary Bennet could teach me a thing or two on that note. ;) ~Rachel

A Birthday-ish Sort of Post. :)

Hey!
So, in case any of you followers didn't know, these 2 months of the summer (July and August) host more than 1/2 of our family's birthdays! Which means, a lot of celebrating, a lot of wrapping-of-presents, and a lot of cake! :D
Today I'd thought I'd show you how a normal birthday in our house works. :)
In the days previous to the birthday, Mom goes to the future birthday girl or boy and gets their preferences for the meals on their big day. Then there's the question: What kind of cake will it be? Mom is very kind and lenient in that area and allows us kids to pick whatever we want! :)

So "the" day has come. You wake up, realize it's already 8:30, and slightly panic that you slept in too late!---But then a delicious realization comes upon you that it actually is your birthday!! :) You cautiously proceed by going downstairs (making sure that the way is clear from all secrets) and look at a beautiful array on the table! Alot of times it's something like cinnamon rolls, fruit, sausage and one of our favorite drinks: Orange Julius!

(One of Leah's "birthday breakfasts" :)

Ahh....after a delightfully full tummy, you are told that you are totally off of chores and the day is your own to do anything your pretty little mind thinks of! We all enjoy this special treat of being completely free for an entire day. :) It's usually spent reading that book you've only had a few bits of time to spend on it, playing your instrument, catching up on writing to your dear friends, drawing, writing, etc. Meanwhile, the rest of your family has been covering for you in the daily schedule and preparing your birthday cake and dinner! :)
Now---before I go any further I need to tell you something:
Mom is a fabulous cake-maker.
She really is.
You know, icing and flowers are all pretty and nice most of the time....
But I absolutely adore the way my Mom makes ours.
Every birthday cake feels, unique, different, and even more special and creative than the last. :)
Let me show you:


(One of my personal favorites: A Candy Land cake! =)

(Benjamin's birthday is Dec. 21st, thus a Christmas Tree Cake!)

(Isn't this so cool?! The Bag of Skittles cake! (and see how the "corner" of the bag is ripped open with Skittles pouring out?!)

(Wow! I forgot how great this cake looked! It was my "Black Forest Cake" from a couple years back. :)(This is what Daniel chose for his cake a while back! :D)

(Mom also does great "Teddy Graham Beach Party" cakes!!)

(A Cat Cake....actually this was a hint to what Rachel's main present would turn out to be! :D)

(Haha! An interesting picture of Gracie, but it's the best one of the cake I could find. :) A birthday princesses' dream cake! =)

(An icecream cake Mom made for me last year! :) I don't really know what's up with all the different number candles! :P)


(And yet again, I have forgotten how fantasticly she did this one!:)

Okay! Well, anyhow, later that evening, all the local extended family comes over and you have a PARTY!!! =) Which includes opening presents, playing games, and eating your cake!
I hope you all enjoyed this post :)
~Sarah
p.s. there is another reason I thought to do this particular post......I'm really looking forward to my birthday in 3 days!!! :D

Our Home-Grown Diva ;)

Well, I guess it was bound to happen at some point. After all...she *has* been the youngest child, and a girl for that matter, for almost 5 years now.
Our Gracie is about the sweetest thing running, and has the personality of...of I don't know what. Something huge.
Something famous.
Something mighty extraordinary.
Something utterly huggable.

She's like...Shirley Temple with the wit of an Elizabeth Bennett, the drama of Eloise, and the sense of style that belongs to...and I guess here I come to my confession....

I'm afraid we've raised just a little bit of a diva.

Witness her quotes in the past two days:

"Oh most honored one, you can turn on a movie for me."

*Gives me a hug* "I love you. Now you can bow down."

"Umm...I think I'm gonna go in the pool and float around with my glasses." (purple-tinted shades. Oh yeah. ;)

*Sigh*...oh little baby-who's-coming-soon, you've got a Persian Princess on your hands. ;) ~Rachel

Some things I hadn't realized I miss. :)

Hello! Sarah here. :) As Mom is due to have our little brother any day now (!!!!!) I've been really thinking and noticing that there are some things that haven't been around the house for 3 years, that have now entered, due to this special soon-to-be occasion. For example:

Baby clothes. For the past years, the only place in the house you could find these would be in the girl's baby doll bin! We've been given and have collected a good selection of these, and actually....I got to run the first load of baby clothes in the laundry! :D

A Diaper Bag! Again, this has been out of our house and daily schedule for 3 years at least! While at Wal-Mart, Mom was looking at all the cute ones they have, for she received a gift card from a very kind friend, and needs a new one of these badly. :)

yep! This too, is totally absent from our daily routine, but in a very short time will come right back in!

..and what are these called?! ;) Oh, yeah. There's already a package of these residing here, in wait for the arrival. :)

Now, of course comes the main attraction. ;)

The baby itself! (oh, and just in case anyone's wondering, I did *not* take any of these pictures, and don't own the rights to them at all. Also, our babies are the cutest, chubbiest, smiliest, cutest, most adorable, little bundles you've every seen!)

Aww! Who doesn't love tiny,chubby, baby feet? :)<3

Oh, and you can't forget the sweet dream smiles! :D

Wow. It's been way too long since this house has heard the sound of a newborn crying their hearts out.

Don't they look really funny when the stretch their teensy mouth to let out a huge yawn?

Okay. So now you see everything I'm looking forward to when our little brother comes. :)

And as a quick update: Mom's due date is in exactly one week today. She is definitely feeling at the end, and most of us think he'll be coming some time this week! :) So, if ya'll would just keep Mom in prayer as she prepares for the delivery and that she'll be all rested. :)

Thanks!

~Sarah