Balloons!

Last Saturday, we headed out to the Howell Balloon Fest. We went a few years ago and the balloons never launched so we were a bit skeptical. It was a hot evening, but there was a nice
breeze that made it bearable.



































The balloons did launch and they were beautiful! We liked the Sandra Boynton, out favorite children's book author, the best.

Baby Coddington Update

I had my 9 week ultrasound this morning and got quite the scare. The doctor was looking at the monitor and I could tell by the look on her face that it was not good. The tears started streaming down my face as I waited for her to say that the baby had no heartbeat. But, she turned to me and said that there was actually no baby. The tears came faster as she offered to try again.

Praise the Lord that she found baby Coddington hiding at the very tip of my uterus. She decided to try zooming out on the screen and caught a little glimpse of something. Once she got in the right spot I saw the reassuring flicker of the heartbeat and the .90 inch Teddy Graham-looking blob. I've never been so relieved in my life! The doctor said that the baby's measuring about 9 weeks and 3 days old which gives me a due date of January 28th.

















We are just so thankful that the Lord has blessed us with another little baby. He is always so faithful to our family. I am constantly reminded to turn my eyes to Him to guide our family. He knows the perfect timing for His plans and I need to learn to trust Him more.

Our family would like to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for your prayers. We feel incredibly blessed!

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:4

The Friday Five: Camping

My only experience with camping during my childhood was Girl Scout camp somewhere in rural Missouri during a rainy, cold week. When I married Caleb he was always sharing fun memories of his family taking camping trips over the summer.

Before Hannah we did some tent camping, but once she joined the family we thought that camping might be a little more pleasant if we had a pop-up. So, about 3 years ago, we bit the bullet and purchased a new (older model) camper.

(Worth every penny, wouldn't you say?) LOL

The first two years of Hannah's life I can't say were too fun camping, especially when she was just learning to walk and, therefore, wanting to toddle this way and that but not having the stability to do so. We somehow managed to entertain her at the campgrounds during those years.

But this year is a different story! Every morning she wakes up and asks if we can go camping again. Our first trip of this season was up to Mackinac with JuJu and PaPa and a few weekends ago we went just north of Lansing with families from our small group. She LOVED both trips!

We have found camping to be an economical way to explore new cities and spend quality time together as a family. Caleb's mother even gifted us a camping journal where we can record our adventures. As Hannah gets older, it becomes even more fun.

Our favorite campgrounds so far are (some of these pictures are a few years old):

5. Sleeper (Michigan thumb area)--had a fun Halloween program with petting zoo, parades, decorations and more












4. Sleeping Bear Dunes (pretty sure we'll like it...first time here will be next weekend)

3. Sleepy Hollow (just north of Lansing)--private, spacious sites












2. Wilderness (Mackincac)--location is great!









1. Hoffmaster (Muskegon)--beautiful sites within a short walking distance to Lake Michigan








Hopefully we will be able to start exploring beyond the state of Michigan as the kid(s) get older!

To Preschool or Not?

Recently, Caleb and I decided that we will have Hannah attend preschool in the fall. With baby on the way and an almost 3yo who has given up nap time I think I'm going to need a few hours a week for a little break.

At first I felt so selfish to even consider the idea of sending Hannah into the care of someone other than mommy. However, after thinking and praying about it a ton I realize that there are so many benefits for her.

1. It will be healthy for her to get used to spending time with someone other than mommy. Since we have no family in the area she really doesn't get a chance to experience life independent from me very often.

2. She will be able to learn social skills such as sharing. She's already pretty good at this, but I think it will help her to learn these things when I'm not constantly directing her.

3. Hannah's getting a little bored at home. This will give her an opportunity to experience new activities. Every day the first things she asks me in the morning are, "Where are we going?" and "Can I see my friends today?" She looks forward to time with other little kiddos. Dance class is definitely one of her favorite activities right now.


















4. She will get individual attention and help with skills like writing her name, cutting, etc.

It will only be about 4-5 hours a week, but for some reason it's hard to let go. I know she will absolutely love it. We're hoping that once the baby is here she'll consider it her special time for just Hannah. And mommy will be able to squeeze in some time to write curriculum for Faith Quest, go grocery shopping, or clean this filthy house!

May Update

Where did May go? Hannah spent lots and lots of time being spoiled by both sets of grandparents this month. After our 10 days in St. Louis, JuJu and PaPa came to visit for a while.

First, we celebrated Caleb's graduation from the University of Michigan with a bowling party. We are so happy that he's finally done with his Engineering Management degree!

Hannah also started dance classes. It is so incredibly adorable to see the little girls prancing around in tutus!

We also had a fun visit with JuJu and PaPa and topped it off with a camping trip to Mackinac.

Hannah also has something she wants to share with you:

The Friday Five: St. Louis

Hannah and I are having a blast here in St. Louis. She is certainly enjoying the extra attention and new scenery. We got some great steals at a garage sale last weekend and two giant Little People sets from a seller on CraigsList for $25 total. These bargains have been entertaining her when we're not on the go.

St. Louis is a fabulous destination for a family vacation. There are countless activities to take your children (of all ages) to and some of them are even FREE! Here are the Deibels' favorites:

5. Cardinals Baseball Games

(Lauren and I treated my dad to a game for Father's Day)

4. The Butterfly House

3. Grant's Farm
(We haven't made it here yet because of the rain...maybe Saturday?)

2. Magic House

1. St. Louis Zoo

(FREE admission! We also found free parking for a little bit further of a walk.)

There are just so many fun things to do in St. Louis that I can't list them all here. Other locations we love to visit are the Arch, Botanical Gardens, Science Center, and Imo's Pizza (Kara's favorite!!!).

The Friday Five: Traditions

I have been thinking about family traditions lately and wondering what Hannah will remember about her childhood as she grows older. Both of our families had a few traditions growing up that we'd like to continue, and we agree that we should be more intentional about doing things together as a family to create wonderful memories. Here are the ones that we have started or plan to begin this year:

1. Design and make an annual Christmas Ornaments as a family (Coddington Tradition)

2. Eat off of a special plate on your birthday (Deibel Tradition)

3. Pancake Breakfast by daddy on Saturday mornings (Caleb's idea and I LOVE it!!! He even managed to do this for us while he was taking graduate courses!)

4. Pizza Night on Saturday (fondue, casseroles, order out, grilled, etc.)

5. Goal: Pray together intentionally (not just for our meal) and have family devotions