I Know, I Know....It's About Time

It's been much too long since I posted. I've somewhat lost my inspiration and desire to write. I open the blog daily to see if any blogs I follow are updated and then hang my head in shame over the fact that it's been nearly 2 months since my own update.
We've celebrated 4 birthdays here in Abilene.  Matt had a birthday two days after we moved.  His mom and dad were here to celebrate, which made it very special.
Abby turned 13 on Sept. 11, making me the proud mom of 3 teenagers. She loves 7th grade, earns all As and Bs and serves on the student council of her middle school. She's a beautiful young lady and I'm so proud of her.
Luke's 4th birthday was October 4. He wanted a Star Wars cake, so with a little help from his birthday gift (light sabres) I somehow pulled off a decent lit-up cake. 
Little man Nate is now two, having had his birthday earlier this month. We...ummm...never really got around to celebrating it.  He doesn't know the difference, right? Next year he'll be old enough to appreciate a cake with candles and gifts, but this year he's just excited to be strong enough to open the refrigerator door. (Good thing we have an alarm that alerts us when it's been open too long!)
 Ally, Madi and Katie have all taken up running.   Every Wednesday in their P.E. class they run laps around the track at school. 5 laps equals 1 mile, and every five miles is awarded a ribbon. Ally is on the cusp of earning her 20-mile ribbon, Madi just earned her 15-mile ribbon, and Katie is working on her 10-mile. They take after their mom.... I can't wait to be able to start running again!
My pregnancy has been great thus far.  I'm 27 weeks today.  That means Thanksgiving will be the beginning of my 3rd trimester. I chose to be surprised by the baby's sex.  I honestly have no inclination whether this is a boy or a girl I'm carrying.  It's the tie-breaker, it's our last baby, and it's actually kind of fun not knowing. Don't even ask about names.  I have NO IDEA what this child will be named! Matt is still a little sore that I wanted #8 to be Nathan rather than Joseph, so when he suggested that he choose this baby's first name (whether boy or girl) and I choose the middle, I agreed. If he/she ends up being called Boschembechler Matthew, don't blame me. haha
Other news: Seth got fitted for contact lenses last month. What a difference it's made for him! He'd seen an eye doctor two years ago who agreed that he needed glasses/contacts, but told us to wait until Seth was at least 14. I wish we hadn't taken his advice, but I'm glad he can see now. Next up: braces.
Guess that's about all for now.  we have been  attending a church for several weeks.  The kids all like it a lot, which is so important to us. They have several programs in which our children can be involved. It's been close to 10 years since we've been part of a church that had a thriving children and youth program, so we are quite pleased about this one.
If I don't post again before the holidays, I hope you all have a wonderful season that is merry and bright.