18 Months & Garden Update

Levi said "love you!" for the 1st time 3 days ago. It was so sweet. He also started running everywhere about 3 days ago. He is almost out of size 5 shoe. Favorite words this week are: moon, mimi, papa, mama, daddy, and woo-woo (train). He says "please" when prompted and occasionally when not. He currently can't get enough of bubbles. He grabs the bubble container and waves it at me and says "bubbles" until I blow some and then he runs around popping them. (see photo below for his amazing bubble roaring face.) He can't get enough of the outdoors and screeches when he has to come inside. Good thing God is blessing us with an amazingly warm spring! He loves to roar when we say dinosaur (and lion, truck, airplane or any other load machine type thing).Levi also is getting better with "prayer hands" for meals. (see photo below) After meals he asks for "Bible". Andrew reads him a story or two from his Beginners Bible. And if that all isn't cute enough, check out the photo below. These two guys are mostly my world. :) Andrew surprised me by tilling up the whole garden this weekend. Thank you Andrew!!! I also just wanted my close family/friends to know that while we were in California, we miscarried. Keep us in your prayers. Here are some beautiful flowers that a few close friends in town gave us to remember the little one. Andrew and I had a beautiful little family service over the weekend.
I took this photo with the chalkboard behind me on purpose. The quote I have written there is, "Let your faith be bigger than your fear." We love you little one, even though you were only with us for a short time. Here is the poem I wrote for the little service:

"You were with us for such a short time,
but that doesn't change my mind.
You are a gift from God for a special purpose.
Someday God will share it with us.
Since I can't keep you from this world's harms,
I pray Jesus holds you for us in His arms.
Love, Mama."

Photos to come soon from my Brother Stephen's wedding.

Days 5 & 6

Levi's first full bath at home.


Andrew led home church on Sunday. Levi's first church experience. Here he is singing his heart out :) Or maybe he is falling asleep in church...First family photo of the 5 of us.Daddy, Mommy and Levi:

4 days old

Here is baby Levi getting some sun for a touch of jaundice.

George Levi Crandall

Baby Levi was born on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 10:45am. He weighed in at 7lbs 13 oz, 20 1/4 inches. The hospital called us at 1:00 am to let Alissa know that she could come in for an induction, but when we arrived, they said she was already in labor!

But we know you all really just want to see pictures, so here you go:

The Badlands

Before we joined the rest of the family in CO, Andrew and I enjoyed a mini vacation together. I had never seen the Badlands so it was our first stop. I didn't to too badly for being this far along.

More vacation to come.

34 Weeks

Hi all. Just thought I would update you on our little one. He/She is measuring right on track as far as uterine measurement is concerned. Still no ultrasound to actually confirm all is well. We are trusting God at this time in this area. Here is my belly shot at 34 weeks:

3rd Trimester

Thanks, Mom!

I had a great visit with my mom while Andrew was away.

Mom Balsley visited me this last week and has been a terrific blessing! She helped me get land cleared for our garden, among many many other things. Our backyard is grass and then a very dense hodge podge of flowering plants. I was feeling more than overwhelmed at the prospect of clearing the area for the garden! (Not to mention, I could not physically do it all.) Here is the results:I really wish I had a "before" picture for those of you that haven't made it out here, but oh well. Take my word for it, there were plants everywhere! The plants left here in the back ground of this picture are raspberry bushes. We also found a random little rhubarb planted. I am excited to try my hand at gardening, (thanks to Sara and Jonathan and the gardening seeds/tools for Christmas) and nervous!Mom also made me a cake and helped us celebrate my birthday. It was a blast to actually have family around on my birthday.

In Case You Were Curious......

....here is what I look like these days. :)
(1) Yes, I have to wear maternity clothes!
(2) Yes, I am already quite uncomfortable!
(3) Yes, I am fully aware that I have the potential for another 20+ weeks on this baby! (Where is any more baby going to fit?)

On a happy note, I went garage saleing last weekend and found almost new maternity clothes in my size for .25 cents a piece! Thank you Lord for that blessing!

Happy Resurrection Day!!!

Happy Resurrection Day 2010! As we are so far from our families, I thought I would post a new Easter "family" picture again this year. The Easter Lily was a gift from Andrew. It is beautiful and had two new blooms open this morning!

Precious Little Crandall

We went in for the first ultrasound today. Baby Crandall is measuring 11 weeks 6 days. Heart beat is 150 bpm. (That is a good thing!) Almost from the beginning of the appointment, the little one waved it's arm and then started wiggling and bouncing. It was AMAZING. He/she even rolled over a few times. It didn't seem to like being poked or prodded. We could see the heart beating the entire time and hear it for a few minutes. We could see each finger and toe from time to time. The hospital gave us 6 photos.
There doesn't seem to be any concern about the baby at this point. In this next photo, however, you can see a lump left of the baby. They are a little concerned that that could be a large fibroid (which I have been checked for before) or cyst or something. Please pray about that. I hope these pictures are a nice glimpse in to our joy as we live so far from you all!