21 weeks

I am not excited about posting my pregnant self on my blog. I am only doing it for record's sake. I am 21 weeks now and feeling as huge as can be but realizing that I have a long way to go and will get a lot bigger! I get so huge when I'm pregnant. I envy girls that actually have torso's in which to stash a baby away. Unfortunately that is not me so I just push the baby right out in front of me! He is kicking away and I love to feel those little kicks. It's a big part of what makes pregnancy bearable for me. I'm excited for them to get strong enough for Albert and the kids to feel.

Beach Days

Surprise picture Jace! I have to catch him when he doesn't know it or else he won't let me take the picture!

We had about a week and a half of very warm weather and so we took every opportunity we had to go to the beach. These are some pictures of a few different trips to the beach to remind us of warm weather now that it is rainy.

Linnea enjoying the sun.

Gavin

A cool find found in the tidepools.

Albert and Jeff

Enjoying the beach with friends for a picnic lunch.

Gavin

It's a .....

BOY!!!!!!

I had my 20 week ultrasound today and found out that we have a little soccer player practicing up in me! It was not what we expected--we had very strong feelings like we were having a girl--but we are very excited! Boy names are going to be hard... Gavin is excited and I'm sure Jacen will be too. Linnea will be after probably some initial disappointment. I'm going to take her shopping to pick out a little boy outfit to help her feel a little better. Shopping always helps a girl. I'll post some pictures up later tonight.

Okay, I can't upload the ultrasound pictures. They are scanned into my computer but it's not working. I will try to work on it. Their is a picture of his little face and a picture of his boy parts, which Jace thinks is totally inappropriate to post on my blog. It turns out that Linnea was much, much more upset then I thought she would be. I told her when I picked her up from school and she burst into tears and ran away and all the way home. I followed after and heard her in her room crying so I thought I'd let her be for a little while to try to work some of the emotions out on her own. When I finally did go into her room to try to console her, she had little baby girl clothes (that's how sure we were it was a girl) laid out carefully around her bedroom floor and she was in the middle of them just sobbing away. I felt so bad for her. I asked her if she wanted to take some of them back and exchange them for boy clothes and she just wasn't up for it. She cried for at least another hour and then tonight she said that she was ready to go shopping. It was too late so I told her we could go tomorrow, so instead she went online to oldnavy.com and started some online shopping. She's coming around. She's afraid she's going to just have one more boy picking on her all the time. Poor Linnea. I told her he would probably be really sweet and look up to her and she could teach him all sorts of things like my older brother taught me. Leif taught me how to tie my shoes, ride my bike, dive, and so many other things. I also told her that her aunt Yolanda was the only girl in a family with four brothers and she got to have her own room when they had to share. If you have any other ideas to console Linnea, I'd love to hear them, but I'm sure she'll be fine. Now we just have to think of a name. I think that's going to be hard so I'm glad we have time.

Our Trip to Bakersfield...

Haley smiling pretty while showing me her bicycle skills!

I guess I'm just a wimp and I was freezing outside so Albert took the kids outside to play some basketball. They had a blast and I did manage to go outside to take some pictures. I guess I'm spoiled by our beach weather here.

Albert helps Will make a shot.

The girls watching on...

Gavin saves the ball!

Gavin and Jace watching a shot...did it go in?

Linnea and Sydney

For Sydney's American Girl party, each participant played a part and read their role from a script. Linnea was Kit's mother. They had to discover who stole mother's pearl necklace??? Was it Will--the hobo (aka Jacen)?

Gavin being silly at Sydney's birthday party.

Leif and Jen's daughter, Sydney, in pink in the middle had a birthday party--a fun American Girl Kit Mystery party. Happy Birthday to Sydney!

The morning of the day we were to leave, the moms and kids went to a museum while the dads went to a gun show. The museum was really interestig. The outdoor part of the museum had many actual, old buildings to view and go inside to see what is was like back then and see how things have changed. I think this was a general store, if I remember correctly. The kids really liked the school house and the jail.

Linnea and her cousin.

Jacen surfing?

Gavin measuring up to the bear!

Riding Horses with Grama

When we go visit Grama and Grampa, one of the kids favorite things to do is ride the horses. So here are Linnea and Gavin having their go at it!

Horseback Riding Adventure

Albert getting ready to leave on their horse trek.

Jace and his friend, Tristan taking a little break off the horse.

The view from the top of the mountain in Carmel Valley.

Our friends, who have a ranch in Carmel Valley invited us to come horseback riding one Saturday so we picked up last minute and hurried out there. I couldn't ride because of being pregnant and Linnea and Gavin quickly got side tracked by the friends and tree swing, so Albert and Jacen rode with Brian and Tristan. They rode for several hours up in the hills around Carmel valley and had such a great time and saw some amazing views.

Christmas Morning at Home

I had to put this picture up. This is what Albert gets up Christmas morning and does.

Perhaps Leif's influence?

Air hockey is so much fun! A present from Santa to the kids but I've had as much fun with it as they have!!

Great Grampa looks on as Gavin unwraps. I'm so glad he can be a part of their lives.

Grampa Jim watches Jacen unwrap the bb gun he gave him. He has had a few opportunities to take Jacen shooting since then.

Santa knows what a boy likes!

Linnea and Gavin so happy in front of the christmas tree.

Christmas Eve at Home

I think I had even more fun giving this Samantha American Girl doll to Linnea than she had getting it! She was so excited though!!

Linnea--so lady-like even when unwrapping presents.

A rare moment of brotherly love--Jacen was being sweet with Gavin until I took out the camera and then he had to make a face! 12 year old boys are so much fun!

Jacen unwraps his i pod touch--he read the entire Doctrine and Covenants and took notes on each section to get this!

Yay! Geotracks!

Gavin anxious to start unwrapping

Christmas Eve at Grampa Neufeld's House

Great Grampa Neufeld

My cute little Gavin

Tera is helping the shepherds say their parts.

Leif's little girl was a sweet angel.

Leif's little boy was a very cute shepherd.

Carter (Tera's son) was Joseph and Linnea was Mary

Every Christmas eve the children dress up and act out the christmas story from the Bible. Linnea was a beautiful Mary and Jacen was the narrator, and Gavin was a shepherd. All the cousins took their parts as well and they did a great job.

A surprise visit from President Eyring!

We had a great Christmas surprise in our ward. The sunday before Christmas Albert called me at 8:30 from the church (our ward starts at 9:30) and told me to hurry up and get to church with the kids to get a seat. He said that President Eyring was going to be there and word was just starting to get out. So the kids and I raced into high gear getting ready and were there by nine o'clock. I was so excited in anticipation as I waited in my seat and then when he walked in the side door, I was amazed at his very presence. We don't often get these kinds of experiences here in California. He spoke during sacrament meeting and then afterward came to primary just to speak to the children. Gavin and I were walking in the hall as he passed and I was crouched down to Gavin's ear telling him who he was and pointing him out to Gavin and President Eyring stopped and leaned down and smiled right to Gavin and shook his hand. We all were able to shake his hand and Albert shook his hand four times! Then, another surprise was just yesterday again at church--he was there again! He was spending time here with his family on a little vacation (who wouldn't want to vacation here!) and his cousin who is in our ward. We didn't think he would be here two weeks in a row! This time he spoke again in sacrament meeting and then spoke to the youth the third hour so Jacen had the opportunity to ask questions in a small group environment with the other youth. He is such an amazing man and with such a powerful spirit! I can't imagine how one could ever doubt his testimony when he speaks with such power and such a strong spirit. I'm so grateful that our family was able to experience meeting him and hearing several times his testimony in such a close atmosphere. It was an amazing christmas present!

(For those who don't know, President Eyring is the first counselor in the first presidency of the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints. We revere him as a prophet of God and he serves under the direction of the prophet and president of our church, President Monson.)