First off, thanks to all of you who cared for us and blessed us over the loss of our baby.  We felt your prayers and your love.

Now.  Some pictures of our kids getting dolled up for Trick or Treat.  Understand, we do not approve of Halloween, the holiday.  We have, however, decided to let our kids dress up in cool costumes and get free candy.  At least this year.  Maybe next year we can put together a trunk for treat event at our church, but seriously, isn’t that still celebrating… Just a little?  I mean, why else are churches doing it?  They’re not doing it in the middle of May; nope, they are doing it as close to halloween as possible.  Anyway, I digress when all you really want to see is cute kids in costumes.

Kalvary and Glory are ballerinas and Malachi is Poo Bear.  It was venomously difficult to get them to hold still and look at the camara.

As evidenced by this picture.  Kalvary looks wierd.  Malachi is extremely happy with his gourd and Glory has noticed a lady bug on her tutu.  Next frame.

Now, Kalvary is acting like a magician, (I will make this gourd disappear!)  Malachi is holding a conversation with his gourd, and Glory is most likely about to eat the ladybug.

Moses Freed born October 12, 2009.

We were sad to find out that our baby had died at around 12 weeks old, which was a month ago.  Our arms will feel empty in the next few months, especially in March.  But, Moses has gone to live with the King.

We have experienced so much of God’s tenderness and grace…blessings beyond what we could think to ask.  The story begins with us leaving our kids at home with Andrew and Steph Sharp to have a weekend away.  The first blessing is that the kids weren’t with us and then that they were so well taken care of.  We traveled to eastern PA for a wedding.  We had some great times alone and just enjoyed being together.  We also were so blessed with a hotel room that we didn’t have to pay for.  Sunday was the wedding and I (Kris) especially enjoyed myself.  I got to talk to so many of Ryan’s relatives and had some really great conversations.  I felt good all day too and was just tired by the end of the day.  As we headed to bed, I remember mentioning to Ryan that I felt a little cramp-y, but thought nothing of it.  At five on Monday morning, I got up and went to the bathroom, but went straight back to bed feeling fine.  At six, I rolled over in bed and felt a gush.  I immediately knew I had lost this baby because having your water break at 17 weeks is bad news.  When I turned the light on, I saw some blood at headed to the bathroom.  Whoosh.  Tons of blood and chunks.  I felt very light-headed and went back to bed with Ryan starting to figure out what we were going to do.  Thankfully we had help from his dad, his sister, and his aunt.  I ended up having another episode in the bathroom and was too weak and bleeding too much to have Ryan take me to the hospital.  So, we didn’t have to find the hospital ourselves.  We didn’t have to worry about cleaning up very much because we were at a hotel.  I didn’t have to figure out what to wear to get to the hospital…all blessings.  It was so good our kids were not there in that hotel room.  They would have been traumatized.  We got a ride in an ambulance.  That was a new experience for me.  They took us to Lancaster General Women and Babies Hospital.  That place was great.  Everyone we met was so caring and did such a great job.  We felt so blessed.  I passed the baby at the hospital and had a little scary episode of very low blood pressure and almost passing out.  We are so thankful that I passed the baby then.  They cleaned the baby up and let us see him.  Yes, him.  The doctor didn’t want to say that it was a boy because it we so small, but the nurses and Ryan and I thought that he looked like a boy.  That was my gut feeling anyway.  He wasn’t very pretty to look at because he had been gone for so long, but I am so glad that I got to meet him and Ryan even held him for a little.  They even took some pictures for us to keep.  Sometime mid-morning I had a D and E (Dilatation and Evacuation).  I had never been put under general anesthesia before and that was the best, most restorative sleep that I have had in years!  Ryan told me later that the placenta was still in there and the doctor had a hard time getting it out.  So, it was very good that we had the procedure done.  I woke up in recovery around 11:30 and was released at around 12:30.  I felt weak, but so much better than I had in the morning.  I guess my body knew it was time to get that baby out.  After the anesthesia, I was never nauseous or light-headed which was a blessing.  We came back to a hotel room on the bottom floor paid for by Ryan’s aunt and uncle.  That was so kind and generous.  They came a visited us Monday evening and took us our for supper.  We had such a good time talking together.  We headed home this morning and got back in time to be blessed by Ryan’s parents taking over childcare for a bit and also providing supper.  We are so glad to be home and to be with our children, who are all the more special to us today.  Finally, thank you too all who were praying for us.

This was on last months Christianity Today.  Cracked us up.  Maybe that says something about us.  Perhaps we should analyse that.  Nah.

Glory started ballet this fall.  She loves it.  I’ve been having her wear Kalvary’s leotards.  I had no idea that leotard could ever be too big, but they can!

Bubba likes to drink the milk from his bowl by himself, so cute.

He smacked his forehead on the coffee table the other day.  It actually went away really quickly, but it looked pretty bad at first.

Malachi thought that Glory’s dress-up shoe was so cool.  He clomped around in it for quite a while and got mad when it kept falling off.

I’m (Kris) in the second trimester now…feeling much better, more energy.  I still am wearing my normal clothes, though, which is so weird for me.  Last time around I had to get out my maternity pants almost right away.  Everything seems to be okay with the baby, though.

I’m really not liking wordpress, I think that’s a big part of why I don’t update much.  I have more time now, but I just don’t want to mess with WP!

If you’ve never read The Count of Monte Cristo, you should.

Soon approach the days of being stuck inside a lot with no sunshine.  I have to be proactive and get out or I will go nuts.

Some day I want to compose a post about insanity…my thoughts on it and “experiences” with it.  Maybe some day when I’m not hating WP.

Kalvary seemed to have a fun day.  She said they talked about colors and the teacher had a wand to make them be good.  Kalvary won’t be riding the bus this year, though…sadly.  Our stop is the first to be picked up and the last dropped off.  That translates into over an hour on the bus both ways.  We’re not okay with that so we’re working on possible alternatives.  She does get free lunches though, which is a big plus.

Sadly we have been very lax in keeping you up to date on our lives and such.  Since that post in July, we’ve been to Bethel Camp, Indiana, and have discovered that we are expecting Freed baby number 4.    Waaaay to much to blog about in once concise post… I’ll give it a shot, and make sure to check out the video at the end.

Bethel Camp.

I was asked to speak a week at bethel camp and it was a blast to say the least.  4th and 6th graders are fun to speak to, and I got to sing some of my camp songs which I haven’t really done in a while.  Our kids had fun climbing all over the hills and hanging out with some cool new friends.  They were rarely ever in the same places but we tried to get some pictures.  After looking at them just now, we failed.  They are all blurry.  Maybe we can get one from someone else who tried to take them.  Here is a picture of the last day.

Oh and Kris met some friends too.  They took several versions of this picture, but since I’m the one making this post I’ll pick the one that none of them would have wanted.  

Oh yeah.  That’s fun stuff.  I don’t have any pictures from Indiana, but Kalvary and Glory picked up some caterpillers there.  They put them in a bottle and one has hatched to date.  They were very excited to let it free, spreading Indiana caterpillar genes to Ohio, which might be illegal so don’t tell anyone.

And next, as if you need more proof of my wierdness, I’m attempting to make Kefir cheese.  

And finally, that video.  I posted it on Facebook a few days ago, but I bet it got lost in the shuffle for most people.  Whether you are liberal, conservative, or somewhere in between you got to check it out.

Liberal vs Conservative

Baby #4 is on the way…due March 21.

We have some recent pictures worth showing. First, we have a ton of sweet corn in the back yard.  One stalk fell over.  Here are the kids eating, very, I repeat, very, unripe corn.

Next.  Our neighbors like firecrackers.  I guess I don’t care, as long as one of these doesn’t burn down our house.

Oh, and the yellow stuff on her nose is from this beautiful lilly in our front yard.  Before you ask, we have no idea what kind.

Finally, Malachi loves to carry bags.  Like this one here.  I wonder where he gets that.  Personally, I think it is a great Idea.

And lastly, just a cool tidbit.  You know you wanted to know how to make your own deoderant didn’t you?

Daddy made and frosted her cake.

She got a big girl bike!

A little party at home.

She got a tool box full of craft stuff from her aunt Deb.  Her favorite thing right now is crafts.

Glory is potty training…yippee.  Bubba likes to come hug her while she’s on the potty.  Very cute.

I’m going to warn you.   This one is going to be wierd.  First off, I’ve been up since 4 this morning.  I was filling in for our morning host at WEEC.  Secondly, I haven’t eaten since Sunday night and am not planning too until Friday noon.   That needs a little explanation.  I am participating in a biggest loser competition at work and I’m winning by about 4 pounds.  I know that one of my cheif competitors is not eating this week in an attempt to catch me.  Therefore I feel I must do the same to hold serve.  I am consuming calories in the form of drinks.  Lately I’ve been on a Kefir kick.  Kefir is a drinkable yogurt that I’ve been brewing with kefir grains or cultures.  So, I have kefir for breakfast, a slimfast shake for lunch and kefir for supper.  Here is a picture of Kefir grains, if  anyone wants some to try to make their own, I have extras.

Doesn’t that look appetizing.  So I’m tired and hungry.  Very hungry.  I was talking about liver and onions with desire.  That’s hungry.

To finish this off randomly, we just finished City Challenge with our Youth Group last week.  While there, during a worship time in we were supposed to worship with out singing, I wrote  a poem.  Baring my soul, here it is.

Pride can fill my heart

Selfish desires consume

Christ still died for me

Me, inadequate

I’m mediocre at best

Christ still died for me

Love is hard to find

In my depths for others

Christ still died for me

Evil plagues my mind

My thoughts are hard to subdue

Christ still died for me

Saved, redeemed, and bought

Although a sinner I am

Christ is all I need

Christ still died for me

We’ll have another post soon about Kalvary’s 5th birthday… I promise.