9 weeks

9 more weeks until we meet our little man! I can't believe how fast the time has gone by.

Busy and Slow

I don't know if it's possible to be busy and not busy at the same time, but that is kinda how our life is going right now. We are busy on weekends this month, (helping my sister move, helping friends with home projects, and going to a Christmas concert) and yet the weeknights mostly consist of us staying in, reading, and spending quiet time together.

It's been a really sweet time. The Lord just continues to provide in such specific ways. For example, we wanted to keep a bed in the baby's room, but didn't want to spend to much on a new bed, but also didn't want something that was so cheap that we would end up getting rid of it in a couple years. Well I walk into work today and my co-worker is selling her sons twin bed (frame, box spring, and mattress) which are in great condition for less than $100.

Spurgeon has a quote that says: "The Lord who has been sufficient until now, should be trusted to the end."


This continues to be a lesson to me, but thankfully I see my trust growing.

In other news, we are only 10 days away from being home for Christmas!!! I can hardly wait! And what is even crazier is that I am only 10 weeks or so away from having our baby!

It's The Most Wonderful Time of Year!!!

Happy Birthday Katie!!!

Per tradition now.. I think I've been doing this for a little over a year... I like to wish those in my family a happy birthday.

Katie is my big sister.

She "tortured" me like all oldest siblings do... tickling me until I had to make a mad dash for the bathroom... and things of the sort.

But she also sang to me at night from her college dorm room when I missed her and was having nightmares.

She is tough in a way that I have never seen before.

Yet she is sensitive and soft. We often cuddling in the recliner and cried over Anne of Green Gables together.

She is a mother in the way I hope to be.

She has a passion for books, that I think lead to my passion to read.

She has often and willingly sacrificed her home for my sisters and I. I think we have all lived with her at one point or another.

Happy Birthday Katie!!!! I love you!

The New Bedroom... well, at least a wall

This month will go by in a flash, and then when we get home from Christmas we'll only have one more month until our little boy is here!!!

So, Kyle and I decided that we better get our bedroom made before we leave. It's not completely done yet, but Kyle and a good friend of ours got the wall put up.

It was such a sweet weekend. Kyle has a great group of guy friends and I love watching their friendships as they serve one another and encourage one another...

Christmas Decor

Family in Idaho, this one is for you... I wanted to share a bit of the Thompson Christmas decor with you.

I can't hardly wait to be home celebrating with you!!!

My Heritage

A dear friend of mine gave a little talk at my baby shower. I was prepared to hear all about parenting. Things to do and things not to do, and a few "tricks" that she had learned through the years. Instead I was given the sweetest speech. I couldn't even look at her for fear of tears.

My friend talked about my qualities, and encouraged me to take what I already have into parenting, then she talked about my family. She knows my parents well and has met all of my sisters and grandparents, and nephews and neices. She encouraged me with the godly heritage that I come from.

There are at least 4 generations of believers that come before me in my family. There may be more, however, I just don't know. I was able to sit there and look at my grandmother (Jonathan Boone's great grandmother) and my sisters, and my nephews and realize that because of nothing of ourselves we have been blessed with a rich heritage.

My Mom could have come down to visit me and be at my baby shower (which she would have loved!) But instead she and my dad and sister stayed with my grandpa for a week so that my grandma could be with us. They adjusted their lives and schedules so that we could be blessed. (And we were!!!)

There are generations of my family that pray for Kyle and I, and who pray for Jonathans salvation. It's a bit overwhelming really, but it's one of the dearest blessings the Lord has bestowed on Kyle and I... I wouldn't trade that for the world!

Abigail, if you read this one, then ask grandma and Dad and Mom how they got saved. Ask them about Granny, ask them about grandmama and granddaddy, and watch. You are already such a sweet girl, and teachable, so learn their ways!!! As mom always says, "it will come back to you ten fold".

Wood Girl stories that made grandma laugh until she cried

When the subject of my childhood comes up I can't help but smile and often laugh. It was a truly unique experience, and while it was surrounded by tragedy at the passing of my mother, it was filled with love, adventure, and sisters. (there are 5 of us girls...... yes, my poor dad.)

We have often talked about writing a book together, and sadly it hasn't happened yet. But my grandma came down to visit me (which was absolutely fabulous!) and while we were at a friends house my sisters, grandma, and I started sharing childhood stories. Katie was laughing so hard she could barely talk, Deb was wheezing which is her form of laughter, and when I looked at grandma I saw that she was laughing so hard she was crying.

Katie was sharing a story of our summer nanny. Our first nanny, and our last. She was a crotchety older lady who read romance novels, made food that dogs couldn't eat (literally) and was the worst driver I've ever seen. She ran over our neighbors mailbox twice in one summer. Of course this was because she had to put her entire head below the dashboard to change the radio station, which is the normal.........right?  She also thought that Debbie was sneaky because she would grab string cheese (the only edible food in the fridge) without asking and without letting Kitty know. Some day, if the book is ever made, I will share the whole story...

There are only 40 days until Christmas, and 32 days until I get to go home!!! While there, I hope to put pen to paper and start recounting some of our childhood adventures with my sisters.

Boone's Baby Shower

I was abundantly blessed with the sweetest baby shower this past weekend. The girls who threw it for me did a fabulous job and showed me so much love.

My grandmother flew from Idaho to be there for it, and my two of my sisters and mother in law was able to come as well. It was a great time.

Amber, the host took some pictures of the event for me. She is a great photographer... Here they are.

The worst spider in the shower experience

I have a very healthy fear and hatred of spiders. You can try to tell me all day long that I am much bigger than a spider and that they are more afraid of me than I am of it.. blah blah blah... I know the truth. They are evil little things with amazing agility and they don't have to be big to be scary.

Last night Kyle and I decided we would go to the 8:00pm showing of Thor. Once we made our plans to go I realized I didn't have much time to make dinner, shower and get to the show to stand in line for opening night. So, I put some pasta on the stove and thought that I would QUICKLY shower in time to drain the pasta.

Wrong.

I got in the shower and lathered up my face, hair, and body, right when our water pressure went from full blast to nothing. This sometimes happens to us. Pretty rarely, but every once in awhile when our landlords are using a lot of water and we try to shower, we get no water pressure.

So there I am, a soapy mess, when I spot the spider, right above my head. I can't get out of the shower because I'll probably just slip and fall from the soap suds (which I hear is really not good for pregnant people) but I can't rinse off either because there is no water.

I also realize that I cannot take my eyes off the spider because if I do and he crawls away to a place I can't see then I'll never be able to find him and kill him.

Oh, and the pasta is still cooking.

Hallelujah the water pressure came back on.... FOR ONE SECOND!

The water continued to tease me like this. Little bursts of water pressure for a second or two, but not enough to rinse off, and at this time the Spider is making a break for the door. He can't get out of the bathroom or I may lose him!

The water pressure come back... This time just long enough for me to actually rinse of and jump out of the shower.

I muster up my courage, grab some toilet paper, and squash the spider.... Or so I thought.

He wouldn't die! I tried to smash him 4 times!

One the last try he dropped to the floor on his little string thing, right before I could get to him. I almost panicked, but instead I squished him and flushed him down the toilet.

The Spider was killed.

Dinner was saved.

I was clean.

Thor was great.

Too soon for a countdown to Christmas???

I was looking through some pictures and saw a couple of me and my whole family and I just can't wait for Christmas when we are all together!

So I know it's early and we haven't celebrated Thanksgiving yet, BUT its just 45 days until we're all together!!!

Happy Birthday Dad!

I (and my 4 sisters) are blessed to be the daughters of the best father in the world! He's always been my hero, but the older I get, the more I realize how his life has been a sacrifice of love for us. I haven't thanked him enough or told him I love him as much as I should, but if I could make up for years of not saying it enough I would!

In our family we always say, "I love you more than you love me.. got my hand up" (there is a whole game that goes with it, that is a bit silly and hard to explain, You'd have to be a part of the family to get it) Each time I tell my dad that I love him more than he loves me he just tells me I'm wrong and I could never understand how much he loves me. His life is testament that that is true.

When I wrote about him on Father's Dad I shared a couple of things I have learned about him through the years. This time I'm going to give you a short list of some of the things that come to mind when I think of him.

1. Love's scripture, and especially stories of old testament hero's of the faith.
2. Loves the outdoors, especially hunting.. although a fishing trip never put him in a bad mood
3. Loves his girls (He's got a lot of us!) but equally loves his son's, who will never be called "in-laws". They are now his children and thats all there is to it.
4. He loves when we dance and sing in the kitchen.
5.He's passed down his passions to us. (Now Kyle makes fun of me, because I only like things the "wood way, which is the right way")
6. He's a Patriot. (road trips often consisted of being asked who said famous patriotic sayings... "Give me liberty of give me death" -Patrick Henry)
7. He's sacrificial.
8. He loves adventure, and loves when we go on adventures! (I love memories of cliff jumping with him.)
9.  He's a great husband and example to Kyle and I.
10. He's a man's man. I think my dad has won every "my dad is cooler than your dad" battle I ever had.

Camping

I have been desperately trying to capture some fall in Southern California. I decided that camping was a must.... then the government shut down... then it opened... and we booked a site...then they canceled our site... then we found a new site!

Whew!

I didn't think it would happen.

We headed to big bear with some great friends and had a blast!!! (I stole all the pictures from the Maly's since they took the best pics)

packing up

The boys trying to start fire with flint and steel

First Night by the Fire

Kyle did it!

walking down to the lake

Kyle doing his favorite thing...

and his second favorite thing

The whole gang. The Woodsum's on the left and the Maly's on the right, and my big pregnant belly in the middle... I'm stretching the life out of my already kind of small fleece.

Provision

I have been looking and looking for a place for Kyle and I to move to once the baby comes. We love where we live, but it's teeny tiny and without another bedroom we just don't know how we would make it work.

The location of where we live is great for Kyle's work and for fellowship with the church, and for walks and getting outside with our little one, and the price is right... but it seemed that no matter what we were going to need to move. (although I had dreams about asking my landlord if we could turn the garage into a room.)

Last night our landlord was outside with her children decorating for halloween. She saw me and asked if there was something I wanted to talk to her about. (I had called her earlier that week) I took a deep breath,  and said, "Well, I have been trying to figure out what we are going to do about space once the baby comes." I was ready to ask about the garage when she said, "Don't stress, it's not good for the baby, besides our husbands work and stress enough, we need to be relaxing to come home to. You just figure out what you want and our husbands will turn the garage into a room."

She went on about how we just got settled and that we need to save money so that we can buy a house some day, and then she said that her husband James needs to work with his hands more, like Kyle, and that we can store all of Kyle's tools in their shed and any other space that we need they will give us for storage.

I walked inside and immediately thanked the Lord for His provision. He went so far above and beyond what I could have asked for. I tell myself all the time, "The Lord loves your family more than you do, He will provide." Then I recite Matthew 6:26 to myself. Sadly, I am often trying to convince myself of these truths instead of resting in them.

Spurgeon has a quote, that I pray one day reflects my life. "Earth has no words that can convey the holy calm of a soul learning on Jesus."

Hormonaly Homesick

Kyle has noticed that I have been missing home, and more specifically my Dad, more than he has ever seen in our years of dating and marriage.

I told my mom how much I was missing Dad, and the first thing she said was : "Oh honey, those are hormones."

I couldn't help but laugh. I am sure that hormones play a part. Perhaps even a bigger part than I realize. But I still hold that I am also truly  missing my Dad. I actually think that Kyle is somewhat to blame.

As we talk through our ideas of parenting and what we hope to do with our little one Kyle constantly asks me "How did your dad teach this, or do that?" In fact, I think that Kyle believes that every parenting question can be answered by knowing what my dad did.

So, as I get more emotional and as the baby is closer to arriving, I am constantly thinking of my dad and growing more and more thankful for him!

In Kyle's attempt to help with my homesickness he has been trying to do things that remind me of home. We've done a few "fall" activities, and spend as much time outside as possible. When we go on walks he has started to "train for hunting" by wearing a heavy pack. (Just like my dad) And he even volunteered to watch a holiday movie if I wanted. 

Some of our "Fall" activities

enjoying our evenings outside!

On another note, it is SO fun watching Kyle prepare to be a dad. It has been one of my favorite things in our marriage. Last night he felt the baby move for the first time. I wish I could have taken a picture of the look on his face, I don't think I'll ever forget it.

Last Friday Night... and Saturday and Sunday

Kyle and I drove up to LA last weekend, it was time to visit family and friends. We got to stay with my sweet friend Michelle who I haven't been able to see as much as I wish I could. She has the most adorable baby, and her and her husband are always so fun to see!

We caught up with Kyle's parents. It was nice to just be able to sit and talk. (and of course eat, mom makes fantastic food) It felt a lot like when Kyle and I were dating and would go over for Sunday afternoons.

We saw my oldest sisters family. That is always so fun! Andrew has grown SO much. I think he looks like a little marine, because his hair only grows on the top of his head, and it looks like the sides are shaved. David got to play football with Uncle Kyle, and Danny couldn't wait to wake him up from his nap so they could play!

We celebrated Deb's belated 25th birthday. We only had a "5" candle so she held up her signature peace sign as the 2.

We heard one of our close friends preach, and then had lunch with some of Kyle's "brothers".

It was a great weekend! We came home, and I was able to make dinner... very simple, but yummy, and I'm always happy when Kyle and I can just sit down and eat together. I also found our Halloween Costumes for this year! I'm excited!