The end of 2009...

It is December 31st...the day people look back on the last year and think about the changes they want to make for the new year or the memories good and bad from last year...

Our November flew by with birthday's and visitors to meet Levi. Drew & Autumn turned 6 years old on the 16th. I can't believe they are 6 years old already. I know every parent says that every year another birthday comes for one of their kids...it's amazing how much they have grown over the last year. They are both doing excellent in school and love Kindergarten. I am so proud of them both! Memaw and Grandpa Pritchett came on the 18th and stayed until the 23rd...it was so fun to have them around to meet their new grandson and spend time with ALL of us! My grandma came for the Thanksgiving weekend and we had a great time with her. On the 28th we had a family party to celebrate all the November birthdays...Craig, Drew, Autumn & my mom! Busy month!!!


December came and flew by too with all the holiday activities! The kids had concerts at school, Drew & Autumn sang at church while Alex and Levi played a wise man and baby Jesus on stage for a special song, our Ring family Christmas, Christmas with their dad & grandpa, grandma & Uncle Jeff, a trip to Erie to see our family on both the Donor & Ring sides, papa's birthday...wow, it has been busy. To top it off...Levi is already 2 months old and growing so much. He is now 12 lbs and 11 oz and in the 75th percentile!!! My big chubby bubby!

I am looking forward to what God has for our family in 2010...there were some really great moments from 2009 and some hardships and not so great moments. The one thing I know is that God is my strength and the one that gets us ALL through the hard times. I am determined to look at the positive happy moments of 2009 and leave behind the hard ones...

January...A new year!
February...Winter vacation to Atlanta, the beach in Fort Myers and of course to Disney!!!
March...my birthday and finding out I was pregnant!
April...Easter and celebrating Jesus' resurrection and the birth of my nephew...Eli Daniel Ring!
May...Spring after a long winter!
June...Ryan's visit to Michigan and our family trip to Tennessee!
July...Camping with Bella & her boys, soccer camp for Alex and a trip to Erie for a family wedding!
August...a trip to Chicago with Autumn and my niece's birth...Grace Anne Phail!
September...kids starting school and our Anniversary trip to Mackinac Island!
October...the birth of my baby boy...Levi Isom!!!
November...visits from family, birthday parties and being THANKFUL for everything we have!
December...celebrating the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ!

Wow...actually writing it all out...I am truly blessed and have so many great memories from 2009!

Craig's Birthday!

On Saturday, November 7th Craig turned 43!

Our day started with my dad picking up the 3 big kids to take them out for the day. After they left, I fed the baby, Craig and I got ready and we went out for a bit. We stopped at a few stores to pick up a few things Craig was wanting with his birthday money! It was such a beautiful day here in Michigan that we stopped at our favorite park in Northville, put Levi in the stroller and went for a little walk and sat on a bench by our favorite stream. After a little bit in the park we headed home. We enjoyed the quiet afternoon with Levi and then my parents brought the kids back and we all had some Rice Krispie Treats (Craig's favorite) and hung out for a little bit.

Overall...a great day to celebrate an incredible man, husband, and dad! I am so blessed to have found a man of God who loves me and takes care of me like he does. He stepped into this family as the head of the house and took on 3 little kids! That is amazing right there!!! Now I get to watch him take care and love our sweet baby boy! God is good!

A few pictures from our day:
Levi in his "Daddy's Champ" outfit!

Introducing...Levi Isom Pritchett!

Wow...what a busy few weeks we have had...

On Monday, October 26th I started having some regular contractions that weren't super strong. Tuesday evening they were really strong but not very consistent...very confusing! By Wednesday morning, they stopped all together (after keeping me up most of the night with some strong pains). By 4pm when I was picking up the kids from school the contractions came back and I called the doctor so I could see what they thought before the office closed for the day. The doctor on call at the hospital said to come on in! Craig and I got our stuff ready and dropped off the kids at Ellen's house on our way to the hospital. We checked in and my contractions were really strong and only 3 to 4 minutes apart. My parents met us at the hospital. The nurse checked me and said I was already dilated to 4 or 5 and we would be prepping for the c-section within the hour! Everything went really fast....Craig and my parents prayed for the delivery and off I went to the O.R.

By 8:54pm Levi Isom Pritchett was born!
He weighed 7 pounds and measured 20 inches!
What a joy and blessing!!!

I was back in my hospital room fairly quickly and the Proud Daddy, Nana & Papa all took turns holding Levi!

Soon after, my dad went to my house to re-leave Rob who had taken the kids home and put them to bed for school the next day. Dad stayed at my house and mom went home to get a good nights sleep! On Thursday we had some friends and family visit to meet Levi! Bella, Robyn, and Salena all came. Nana and Aunt Ellen came too. After school the kids came to meet their baby brother! They stayed at Nana & Papa's house for a few days until we came home from the hospital...what a blessing it was to know that my other 3 kids were well taken care of so I could concentrate on Levi and healing myself. THANKS mom & dad!!!

By Saturday, October 31st...we were ready to go home and get settled in!

We have had some sleepless nights and some nights where Levi has amazed us and done really well...we are working a schedule that will help the whole family especially when Craig goes back to work at the end of the month....we are blessed beyond measure that Craig can be home until the 24th of November. We have had many visitors dropping off meals and coming to meet Levi since we came home... The Phail family came over on Sunday to meet the newest member of the family! It was funny to see just how big Grace (the little one) was next to the new little one, Levi!

On the 18th Grandpa & Memaw Pritchett are arriving from Atlanta to meet their new grandson and they will be with us for a few days! Big brother Ryan is planning to come in December for a week during his Christmas break! We can't wait!

What a miracle and blessing a new baby is to a family! God is so good and faithful!

This time next week...

Let's see...this time next week I will be relaxing some in between last minute preparations. It is a weird feeling knowing that next Monday (Nov 2nd) I will be going to the hospital to have my little baby boy! I can't wait! Part of me would love to go into labor early and have him sooner...I am a bit uncomfortable and getting anxious to finally meet him. The other part of me likes the fact that it's scheduled and all planned out...my parents are set to be here to help with the kids, I already made lists and notes to make things run smoother for my parents and Craig once we get home from the hospital.

BUT, God has His own timeline for things and I am ready for whatever He has for us. We will see what this week and the weeks to come bring for our family. It will be a busy end of the year for sure. Craig is planning to take off the first 3 weeks of November to help me out with the kids and be here with the baby. Drew & Autumn have their 6th birthday on the 16th. His parents are flying in the 18th to 23rd to meet their new grandson. Then there is Thanksgiving weekend and the Ring family November birthday party! My grandma Donor will be here that busy weekend. Then we are into December with Christmas Concerts at school, Autumn's cheer-leading competition, Ryan coming for a visit the 19th until Christmas, and all the Christmas celebrations......what a great way to end the year...surrounded by family!

Only 3 more weeks...

Wow! Time is flying by and I only have 3 more weeks until I get to hold and kiss my baby boy! November 2nd seemed so far away and now it's so close! I can hardly wait!

Craig and I have been working on the room little by little. Last weekend my mom and I went to Micheal's for a few things and she helped me put some decorations together and then Craig helped hang them on the walls...I love the room! I walk back there throughout the day and sit in the rocking chair and look around. It's so fun and exciting! Craig's parents went onto our registry and bought some stuff for the baby...I have been dreaming about the boxes arriving and I am hoping they come by Monday!

A few weeks ago our church was hosting a Marrieds Getaway to Mackinac Island from Friday to Sunday! Craig and I thought it would be fun since he has never been there and I have never stayed there...with our 2nd Anniversary coming the end of October, we thought we would celebrate early and take the trip... my parents watched the kids and we had a great time. With only horse & buggy, biking or walking on the island...we didn't have too many options. I got a lot of walking in that weekend, but it was relaxing and fun and well worth it! It was the last trip before baby!

One of the pictures came out really blurry...but I still love it!
Other updates...

The boys are both in soccer. Drew's team: The Rockets is coached by Papa (my dad) and cousin Hannah is on the team! It's so fun to watch them play. They are a great team! Drew has scored each game so far and is really into it. Alex's team: The Wizards is doing great too! He is a dominant force on that field and plays most of the game. This season for Alex, they have a goalie which makes it a little harder to score, but he still gets a couple goals each game!

Autumn decided to try cheer leading! She had her first practice last Monday and loved it! It's through Young Champions! We are going to order her pom poms and uniform this next week!

Everyone is doing great in school and still loves to be there! Drew & Autumn wish they could go everyday instead of just 2 1/2! Oh well! They are making friends and really growing up! Autumn has lost 3 teeth since starting school. Drew hasn't lost any, but really wants to! The kids are LOVING the new Wednesday night program at church...Kids Quest! I love how much they are learning and are so excited about it! They take pride in knowing their Bible Verses each week!

We took some time this afternoon to go over to Three Cedars Farm and enjoy the fall season as a family! The kids jumped and played all around then we all got Cider & Donuts! Yummy! Now I feel like the fall season is complete...


Guess that's it around here...we are busy with a full schedule right now, but things will definitely slow down next month when the baby comes!

Back to School...

Well...we had an absolutely fabulous summer and now the kids are back to school! We did so many fun things and went a lot of different places...it was a busy summer!

Last Tuesday was our first day back to school and it was great! Alex had a 1/2 day and Drew & Autumn just went to meet their teacher and actually started school Wednesday! Kindergarten in our school district is 2 full days and 1- 1/2 day so they will be in school All day Monday and Thursday and Wednesday afternoon. Our school switched start and ending times so school starts at 9am and gets out about 4pm...that is late, but it's working for us so far!

Alex is now in 2nd grade and has a new teacher named Mrs. Alleman! She is really nice and so far he is happy in his class. Drew has Mrs. Thomas and Autumn has Mr. Lloyd. Alex had Mr. Lloyd when he was in Kindergarten too!

I have enjoyed some time with Craig and some time to myself getting things done at home, running errands, or just being lazy! I am enjoying the time while I have it cause in just 7 more weeks I'll be taking care of a baby! Hard to believe the baby will be here that soon....at the same time, I'm ready. I am starting to get a little uncomfortable. He is a growing boy and still very active inside!

Girls Weekend To Chicago...

Autumn and I had a fabulous weekend with friends in Chicago! Autumn's friend Brieana (my friend Lisa's little girl) was celebrating her birthday at American Girl and we were invited! There were 8 little girls (mostly cousins) and 6 adults!

Our Adventure:

Friday, August 7th at 6:30am...left our house for the Ann Arbor Amtrak station... We rode the train to Chicago and got there around 12:30pm. We took a taxi to our hotel...The Embassy Suites right downtown! We got settled in and headed to the Rainforest Cafe for a late lunch, early dinner! The girls loved it all! We went back to the hotel and swam in the pool for a little bit before showers, matching Bitty Baby Pj's, popcorn and a movie! The hotel gave Brieana and her sister Bailey a really cute doll bed for their babies and Autumn wanted one too...so mommy bought her one from the hotel! It was adorable to watch them play and tuck their dolls in. The girls were pretty tired and so were the adults so we tucked them in pretty early and all got a good nights sleep!

Saturday, August 8th at 7:30am...we woke up and the girls enjoyed playing with their Bitty Babies and American Girl dolls for awhile. Then we headed downstairs to the yummy breakfast buffet! We got ready for the party at American Girl! Took a taxi to the store and the fun began! Most of the girls had never been to American Girl and it was overwhelming for a lot of them....so much to see! Each girl brought some money from home to spend on clothing, accessories, and even some new dolls! Autumn and I walked around the whole store and she changed her mind many times, but finally decided on an outfit for her American Girl doll instead of Bitty Baby! She go the beach outfit which came with a bathing suit, pants & top, hat, and sunglasses....so cute! At 12:15pm we went into the Cafe and had a great lunch! They had a table for the 8 girls and a table for the 6 adults! Our waiter served Cinnamon Rolls to start then brought out yummy Appetizer plates, lunch of their choice (all the girls got the Picnic Lunch with a mini hot dog, hamburger, mac-n-cheese, and fruit scewer! After lunch they brought out goodie bags and the cake! It was so much fun! We headed back to the hotel for presents and some rest! Some of the girls went swimming, a couple of them took a nap! Lisa and I had our girls do a few craft things to just relax some and then we headed out to the grocery store for a few items, walked to McDonald's for ice cream, then back to the hotel. Then we walked to the Disney Store and shopped a little there too! By the time we got back from the shopping, it was dinner time and we went over to the Chilis on the corner by our hotel! After that it was shower time again and hanging in the hotel until bedtime while the moms started to pack up all our stuff!

Sunday, August 9th at 7:30am...the girls woke up ready to play some more! We had another yummy breakfast at the hotel buffet and then packed up and got ready to go. It was a hot and muggy day outside! We got in the taxi, headed to the train station and made our way down 2 escalators with all our luggage and kids to get on the train...it was a little crazy! Once on the train, Lisa made PB & J sandwiches for everyone, we entertained the kids as best we could with their dolls, coloring books, and a few had DS's...the train ride home was the hardest because we were all tired and ready to be home. We got to the station in Ann Arbor around 6:45pm (should've been 5:45pm). Autumn and I went to Ellen's to pick up the boys, we came home and all enjoyed sleeping in our beds!!!

A great weekend filled with so many memories for Autumn and I! The boys were home with Craig until Sunday afternoon when he went to work and they went to Ellen's!

Weekend in Erie, PA.

Friday after Alex's soccer camp the kids and I drove to my parents, loaded up into their car, and headed to Erie, PA. The kids and I stayed at Aunt Sue & Uncle Rick's and had a blast! We had dinner out on the back porch and the kids played outside. Later that evening my parents brought Aunt Debbie, Uncle Rich & Grandma Donor over for dessert! Stacy, Tom and 6 teenagers (plus Ringo the dog) came a little while later!

Saturday morning we woke up and Uncle Rick made some yummy waffles! We got ready and headed to the beach at the Peninsula! Alex decided to stay home with Aunt Sue and watched a movie, helped bake cookies and Aunt Sue taught him how to tie his shoes! He had a great time and the rest of us did too! It was cloudy and a little chilly, but the beach is always a fun place to be! We went back for lunch, I took a shower and got ready and off to my cousins wedding I went. Aunt Sue, Uncle Rick, Stacy & Tom watched the Neville & Phail kids during the wedding. The wedding was great! Stephanie was beautiful and Pat was so excited to marry his bride! We had a great dinner and lots of laughs around the table.

Sunday morning was another lazy morning with yummy muffins made by Aunt Sue. We cleaned up and packed up and around 11am the rest of the Ring family came over for a picnic. It was great to see Uncle Chuck & Aunt Mary, Uncle Tom & Aunt Carole, Grandma Ring and everyone else...around 3pm we loaded up back into the car and headed home. It was great to sleep in my own bed last night, but the trip was fun and memorable!

Another fun activity to add to our "What we did the summer of 2009!" list!!!

So much to do...so little time!

The story of my life...so much to do, but so little time! I am trying really hard to plan ahead and be ready for this baby early November. I have been wanting to paint the baby room and organize everything in there. I have all of the boys clothes from 3T to 5 stacked on the floor and I need to get them into Rubbermaid containers and get them to my sister-in-law who will use them before I am ready again.

Yesterday Autumn was saying she was bored so I took the opportunity and the 2 of us went into her room with 2 garbage bags and got to work. We went through everything (except the closet) and organized, threw away, and cleaned up her room. She loved the end result and I did too. Now if I can only get her to truly understand the concept of "When you are done playing with something, put it away BEFORE you get something else out!"

Today I decided I would tackle Drew & Alex's room. They share a room now since we are preparing for the baby. They were in the same room for awhile with the toys in the extra room and in the last few months I moved them into bunk beds to have the floor space for their toys...you wouldn't think it would get so dirty so fast. Their room was worse then Autumn's. Probably because they have so many LEGOS and those little pieces were in everything. I worked for a good 2 hours this morning, left to pick up Alex from soccer camp, fed everyone lunch, went to the park, relaxed in front of the TV for an hour and got back to work...it still isn't completely done. I have 2 bags filled with junk and that makes me feel good.

The only problem is...I look around the rest of the house and see where I need to purge and organize too...I am going to start with the back half of the house (kids' rooms) and work my way to the master bedroom!

To Do List:
* finish the boys room
* clean out Autumn's closet (clothes from 3T to 5)
* get clothes out of the baby room
* paint baby's room
* bring in from the shed...car seat, swing, any other baby gear and clean it
* move dresser from Autumn's closet to baby room and organize Autumn's clothes on shelves
* put crib together and sell other crib on Craig's list or something (anybody have a friend or relative in need of a crib????)

That's a start...don't want to overwhelm myself too much! Plus, half the projects I will need Craig's help anyway and with his schedule it could take us awhile :)

Update on the Pritchett/Neville clan...

Well...last time I blogged I mentioned that it had been too long and yet this has been a longer span of time. I want to get better at this and more consistent! I guess with Facebook I keep up with a lot of people, but I still want the blog to look back at years from now...here is our update:

Alex - turned 7 in April and finished 1st grade this month. He did great in school and made some good friends. Alex is really into reading "Chapter Books". I love his desire to read. He played soccer this spring and was a great asset to his team. He is signed up for a soccer camp with British Coaches this summer that he can't wait for.

Drew - finished preschool in May and also played soccer with Alex. They loved being on a team together. Drew keeps amazing me with his LEGO skills!

Autumn - also finished preschool in May. She has been in a gymnastics class with Drew and loves it. My sassy little girl! She loves to be in charge and always wants to be playing with friends...my social butterfly!

Craig - working faithfully to provide for this family! He still enjoys his job and travels to Atlanta at least once a month to see Ryan and his parents. When Craig isn't working he is home playing his trumpet and hanging with the family! Ryan finished his Freshmen year of high school and played every sport he could fit in his schedule. He is one busy guy! We were so thankful he fit in a week of time with us in Michigan. The kids loved having him here and Craig and I enjoyed having our whole family together!

Me - let's see...the big news...I am pregnant! 19 weeks right now and we just found out it's a BOY! I am feeling good and trying to keep up with the kids and keep them entertained. Feeling the baby kick and move around is always fascinating to me and I love it! I have a lot to do to get ready for the baby (paint the room, clean out the closet that became our storage area, wash baby clothes...)

Vacations - The kids and I were able to spend 2 weeks in Florida this past February. Craig had the first week off of work so we drove down to Atlanta and stayed a couple days, then we went to Fort Myers Beach, FL and stayed with my grandma a couple days...we had a lot of fun with family and then playing at the beach. We went to Orlando after that and stayed a few days with my aunt Debbie and uncle Rich. Craig flew home to work the 2nd week while the kids and I met up with my parents, Rob & Ellen, Chris & Mandy and all the kids at Disney World! It was a great week of fun! I have been getting ready this week for our annual trip to Pigeon Forge, TN! We leave Saturday morning to drive down for a week of family and fun! Craig's parents are meeting us there for a few days with Ryan and possibly our nieces (Amber & Ariel). The mountains is always a fun place to explore and make more memories!

Guess that's it...it's been a busy 1st half of the year! I am thankful for family and friends that surround us! I can't wait to see what the next 6 months of 2009 have for our family!