A New Addition

With high hopes of moving into our own house with our own yard soon, we just staked claims on a new puppy!! Our friend and fellow church planter, Dave, just brought home his dog including several little puppies. Our little fella is half Lab and half Australian Cattle Dog. He is mostly black with white paws and a tiny white tip on his tail. So we named him Dip. The boys love going by to visit him, and they're pretty content with waiting to keep him until we move. Here are some cute pictures of the boys and their new best buddy!

Ol' MacAaron Had a Farm

A few weeks ago, Aaron's class learned about farms. To end the unit with pizazz, they had a big farm breakfast. They feasted on eggs, biscuits, bacon, and sausage. And if that doesn't sound fun enough, they all dressed up like little farmers. I took a couple of pictures of Farmer Aaron.

And the Drumroll, Please . . .

And now, for the moment we've all been waiting for. . . IT'S A BOY!

My heart was kinda set on a baby girl, but it's exciting to have another boy. I wasn't disappointed like I thought I would be; and now that I think about it, I've realized God must really think a baby boy will complete our family perfectly. So, whatever He chooses for us, I am elated!! I certainly look forward to the many more "You're pretty, Mama"s, and the "I love you, Mama"s. I definitely can't get too many of those!!

Everything is still wonderful with the pregnancy. I'm right at 20 weeks and I'm feeling terrific. Just last week I began feeling him move around. A few days later, proud Papa felt him too. He seems to be pretty active, and is growing quickly. He is now 15 oz., which the doctor said is slightly above average, but healthy. Did anyone expect a tiny baby this time around?

We are all really getting excited. It's beginning to feel more realistic now. The boys are ready to have another brother; and Caleb and Aaron are starting to ask "How does the doctor get the baby out of your belly, Mama?" Does anyone care to help explain that one?

We're not quite sure about the name yet. We had thought of the name Malachi, but now that we're sure it's a boy, we're rethinking that one!

So thanks for putting up with my rambling. . . I'm just a little overjoyed right now! Please keep our growing family in your prayers, and we'll keep you posted in the meantime.

10 Years?!?!?

We can't believe it's been 10 years since we graduated high school. We had a blast earlier this month reacquainting with our old friends from MHS! Here are some pictures from our family picnic. The boys had a great time playing with the other kids at the park and on the moon bounces. I forgot the camera for all our other activities.

We're Still Here!

Hey everyone! For those of you wondering if the Rhodes family is still in existence, here we are. . . with lots to share.

Here's just a quick update on all of our happenings lately.

• We will find out tomorrow who's been hanging out in my belly: either Abigail Grace or ??Malachi ______?? We haven't quite settled on a boy name yet. Maybe we won't have to. Who knows?
• We tried to have a fun camping trip earlier this month during Fall Break, but the rain managed to put a halt on that. We spent one night at Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, AR, and then packed up the next morning. This, I must say, ruined me. The next time I go camping, we will have a pop-up camper!
• The boys have been playing soccer and having a great time. We're kinda ready for it to be over though!
• Jonathan and Aaron received their first report cards last week. They did a fantastic job, so we celebrated by going out to eat at On the Border. Caleb is still doing an awesome job in school. He and Aaron are both quickly learning to read! We are proud of all 3 of them!

Anyway, we promise more details and pictures soon. Stay tuned.