Autumn Jane Powell



Just an hour and a half past her due date.



Already a Daddy's Girl!




She is such a sleepy thing, we rarely get to see these pretty eyes.





Someone made and donated these blankets for all babies born on game days. It sure was a lucky day,
we even won the game.





Big brother and big sis were so excited to meet her and come bring us home!




Getting ready for the ride home.




Big fans of Mommy's magic bed. The buttons kept them entertained while we got ready to leave.



Baby Autumn had a present waiting for them......puddle jumping boots. They were so excited.



She is just sweet as can be and doing all the things she is supposed to.  She has a soft girly cry but we rarely get to hear it.  She couldn't be more perfect and we couldn't be happier to have her!!!

Any Day Now

So, this pregnancy expires before the milk in my fridge. The next time I post on this blog will definitely be pictures of our new little one. I thought I would post a few last photos of Autumn and I together before the big day.  Its crazy but I have to admit that a little part of me feels sad that this pregnancy is almost over. I'm not exactly sure why. I'm not going to miss the heart burn, the kicks to my ribs, or the sleeping with six, yes six, pillows in an effort to try and get comfortable. There is just something so special and spiritual about the whole thing that is hard to explain. Jake and I took a tour of the hospital a few days ago and seeing the other babies in the nursery has made me feel very ready though.  More then anything, I can not wait to see her and kiss her sweet little face.  The kids are getting very excited to see her as well.  The bags are packed and the nursery is all set up, so all that's left is just to wait. 

 The past few weeks Jake has been really busy with school, so we haven't been on as many adventures lately.  The warm weather has disappeared and we have had lots and lots of rain.  We have played at the park in the rain more then a few times and the kids have loved every minute of it.  Hudson is still loving pre school and his teacher tells me he is doing well and loves to share his insights with the class during their lessons.  I wonder if that is just a nice way of telling me he talks a lot. She seems to really like him though, but whats not to like?!? He is a great boy. He is also really enjoying his music class that he attends once a week.  Ellie is loving life and keeping us laughing every day. She thinks everyone in the world is her friend and says hi to every person she sees. I think her hair has finally stopped falling out to my relief. I was worried she was going to end up looking a little too much like her daddy :).  If I didn't mention is earlier her hair has been falling out the past few months due to a really high fever that required a trip to the ER. She doesn't seem to mind and is actually probably happy that it has gotten too thin for me to style, but this mommy has been pretty stressed about it.  As I mentioned earlier Jake has been really busy and the kids have missed him a lot. I think we just got spoiled having him around so much during the summer. He was busy then as well, but we were able to tag a long with him on most of his research trips. When he is home he is always good to have fun and play with them even though I know he is tired.  I got released from the primary and felt a little lost at church on Sunday without it, although I'm sure it will be fun to get to go to relief society as I get used to it. I've been called to the compassionate service board and I'm excited for the opportunity to do more service.  It will also be a much more convenient calling to do with a new baby.

I haven't been very good about taking pictures the past few weeks. But here are a couple of cute shots I got of the kids this morning. It will be fun to add some pictures of Autumn next time. Until then.......

School Days

I really could not figure out why everyone kept asking me if I was sad Hudson was going to school.  He has wanted to go ever since Jake went back to school a year ago.  I have been so excited for him to be able to go and have this experience, because I knew he was going to love it.  I was also excited that it meant that I would have two mornings a week that I could really focus on Ellie.  However, the night before I started to feel a little anxious, and when my little Hudson boy burst into my room very early the morning of his first day of school, I have to admit I felt like my heart was in my throut.  I felt pretty emotional all morning as we got him ready to go. He must have sensed my state of mind because he came up to me and put his arms around me and sang me the primary song "I often go walking". At that point I lost my strength and let big tears roll down my cheeks and soak into his yellow shirt.  Jake gave him a very special fathers blessing and he floated out the door to wait for the bus.  I don't know if I have ever seen him so excited. We waited anxiously for the bus to arrive and the only person who was sadder then I was as the bus drove away was Ellie.  She cried from the moment he got on the bus until it was out of sight.

    

I was anxious the entire time he was gone. I wasn't really worried about him, I knew he was fine. I just could not find enough things to do to fill the time until he came home. I watched the clock pretty close and once again Ellie was the only person happier then me to see his bus pull up. Of coarse he had a great time. He talked non stop for a while and told us all about his day. He loves his teacher and had fun with his new friends. Today he woke up just as early and just as excited to do it all over again.

It’s so strange to be excited and sad for your children at the same time. I love watching him learn and grow and achieve new things, but so often I feel like I am holding onto sand that just keeps falling through my fingers. I love him so much just as he is, but I know he can't stay little forever. He is such a wonderful sweet boy. The thought that someday he won’t want to hug me tight and sing me songs is enough to leave me sobbing on the couch. I'm so thankful for my Jake, because even as hard and exciting as it is to watch Hudson grow; I know as he does, he will have a wonderful example to show him how to be as good of a man as he is at being a little boy. I sure love my boys.

Goodbye August

This past week every time we get out to do something I find myself sad and wondering if it is the last time we will be doing it this year.  For example we went to the pool today and the water was so cold that Ellie cried when she jumped in. The kids spent more time wrapped in towels staring at the water then actually in it.  It really kills me that summer is fading away.  As pleasant and wonderful fall is, I just hate to see summer go.  Thankfully the weather held off long enough to let us have one last summer camp out.  We had such a great time.  And let me just say that when you are camping with Hudson and Ellie the bears are the ones who are scared in the woods.

A child after my own heart.  Hudson loved finding things he could burn in the fire. We roasted hot dogs and Jake taught him how to roast (or burn) a marshmello on his own. 

Spending time in PA's woods we have learned a few new customs. For example' as Jake has been in and out of a lot of camp site's he has noticed that very often the dinner of choice is a sandwich you toast over the fire.  He made the mistake of finally asking someone what they were cooking and his question was met with pure disgust. "What you aint never had no Mountain Pie before", the man answered him. "You aint never been camping, if you aint never had no Mountain Pie".  Apparently it is something as well known as a smore out here; so to save any other ignorant people such as ourselves the embarrassment, let me tell you, a Mountain pie is two slices of bread with pizza sauce and a slice a cheese that is toasted over the fire.  We still have not tried it, so I guess we have yet to actually camp out here.


Ellie is rarely awake after dark, so she was super impressed to see "the night". 
She loved seeing all the bright stars and the moon. We were planning on letting them stay up pretty late to enjoy the fire and the night, but they were so excited to sleep in the tent they kept asking us if they could go to bed.



At first Ellie was pretty scared of the fire and would only stop crying if she was snuggled on my lap far from the flames.  It was nice to get the snuggles but I was really happy that she did finaly get over her fear and
"warm up to it"!

One thing that has really surprised me as we have camped out here is how noisy it is at night due to the density of the forest. There are so many more chattering bugs then what we were used to in Utah. The sound at night is almost hypnotic and defining. Thank goodness you can only hear them and can’t see them!

                                                                     The Grange Fair
We also, took a trip to the centre county fair, also known as the Grange fair. It is known as "the nations most unique fair." It was quite a lot like every other fair I have ever been to except, it was a lot bigger, and it has "a city inside a town". Thousands of people move into tents on the fair grounds and live there for about two weeks. These aren’t camping tents with sleeping bags and cots, people actually bring their own beds, couches, dressers and many other comforts from home. They give out awards for the best decorated tents and it is really quite a site to see. The tent plots are handed down generation to generation and are completely impossible to get. From what I understand there is a hundred year waiting list to get one.

We certainly enjoyed the familiar fair activities with carnival rides and adorable live stalk. Ellie was as excited as can be to tell us about every animal she saw. We sampled some fine fair cuisine including deep friend country pie with ice cream, and deep fried oreo's. Both were delicious! The kids got to ride some little carnival rides and thought it was pretty wonderful. We also, got to watch a pretty amazing tractor pull competition and Hudson and Jake got their fill of loud engines and diesel smoke. It really was a fantastic night!

Tomorrow is the first day of Sept. and also Hudson's first day of school.  I guess Summer is over!

It sure has been a wonderful one!

Almost Autumn

Today is August 23, and that might not seem like a very important date to many people, but when I looked at the calendar this morning I was pretty excited. September 23 marks the fist day of autumn and although I am very sad that there is only one short month left of this wonderful summer I have so enjoyed; I am ecstatic that according to my doctor, there is also only one short month left until the arrival of our own sweet little Autumn. I really can’t express just how excited I am to get to see and hold our new little girl. Hudson is especially excited and he gives my belly numerous kisses each day. He loves to tell me all the things he has planned to teach her. I think he is going to be quite the helper. We all love her so much already. I just hope she can handle all the love that is awaiting her, especially from Ellie. Whenever Ellie sees a baby or a picture of a baby, she gets so excited and in the only volume she knows how use, yells, “Baby Autumn” and squeals with delight.

This summer it has been so fun for me to watch Hudson and Ellie develop their relationship. They have become really good buddies and I love to sit back and observe them at play with each other. They make each other laugh, and comfort one another when “ouwies” happen. They certainly know how to tease one another and fight, but even that is fun to watch…most of the time. It’s just so beautiful to be a part of and I’m so grateful for them and that they have each other. It fills a huge gap in me that I missed out on as a kid. I’m so excited to add Autumn to the mix and watch how our family continues to develop and change.

We have had really crazy weather lately, with severe thunder and even tornado warnings. We have still made it out for day trips to the state parks but consequently have had to cancel many camping trips that we were all looking forward to. To make it up to the kids we have had inside camping nights where we set up their tent and sleeping bags and let them “camp out” inside. To my surprise children must come prewired knowing standard sleepover behavior, because even at 11:30 at night Jake and I lay in bed and listened to them telling stories and laughing inside their tent. I never imagined how fun it would be on the parental end of the sleep over and listen to them tell each other to be quiet as they hear us approach for the umpteenth reprimand and request to be quiet and go to sleep. I so love my little family!



                                                                       Ag Progress Days

Guess where the biggest outdoor agricultural expo in the nation is?.....not too far from here actually, and we went!  Jake said he wanted to take Hudson to see all the tractors and demonstrations, but I'm pretty sure he was just excited to spend a day climbing in and out of huge tractors he wished he could really drive.  I was excited to watch all the "interesting" people.  The place was full of Amish, Mennonites and a sea of cut off T shirts and denim.  It really was something to behold...and the tractors were cool too!

We visited Poe Valley, where Edgar Allen Poe is supposed to have written the raven.  We found a wonderful trail that ran through an incredibly creepy old train tunnel.  I hate to admit just how scared I felt as we walked through the abandoned eerie tunnel. The pictures make it look bright, but it was long enough that the interior was very dark.  Of coarse Hudson thought it was great although he could not figure out where the train had gone. I'm pretty sure I was the only one who got scared.  Ha Ha Maybe I'm just the only one who has read Poe? 

One rainy day took us on a hike that lead to a frog pond.  We were excited to see all the frogs, but the pond was also full of baby turtles.  I tried with all my might to catch one but they are surprisingly fast!  I could not keep the kids out of the pond.  They wanted a turtle as bad as I did.  They really weren't a whole lot of help but we had fun on our turtle hunt.  They did manage to catch a lot of mud, and seemed pretty proud of themselves.



Do I look done yet?

As a side note, we had a pretty good little earth quake today.  I was standing in the kitchen and thought I was having a dizzy spell, when I noticed the pictures and blinds were shaking as well.  The kids were asleep and I thought I still might be imaging things but a slew of phone calls from nearby friends assured me this wasn't just more pregnancy delusions.  It was a little unsettling as it was my first earth quake experience, but also pretty cool. After it was done I had to walk through the house and straighten all the pictures hanging on the walls. Its been quite a day. 



City of Brotherly Love

This past week we crossed two big things off our to do list.  The first was to get Jake through his statistics course; which he did with an A. YEAH! To celebrate the end of hours and hours of statistics homework we did the second, which was to visit Philadelphia. To make it even more of a celebration, Gram Andrea and Aunt Jenny flew out and met us there for a long weekend of sightseeing.  We had such a wonderful time.  The city was super interesting, the weather was good, and the company was great.  We did all the touristy things we possibly could fit into the amount of time we were there and finished each day exhausted.  Philadelphia is an amazing city that is full of history, and of coarse delicious cheese steaks, which we all scarfed down before we thought to get a picture.  

We took a ride on a double decker bus that toured the city.  It was a fun way to see lots of sights.  It was especially fun not to be the one driving because Philadelphia drivers are crazy.

 

Ellie sure loves her Aunt Jenny and wouldn't sit with anyone else.



We were worried about how she would do without her usual afternoon nap.  Both kids were really good the whole trip.  Ellie would go and go and then suddenly fall asleep with exhaustion wherever we were.  She is such a sweet little thing.....when she is sleeping :)

The bus dropped us at the Please Touch Museum, a huge children's museum.  It was fun to watch the kids explore and learn.

Gram and Ellie share a common interest.....KITTIES!

Hudson got to practice his recent obsession with playing doctor.

We all indulged Jake by visiting the Water Works Museum.  It was actually really interesting.

Jenny had to get a shot of our "Nerds in Training", as Jake taught the kids about water sheds.

Relaxing on the famous steps from the movie Rocky in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Strangely Gram Andrea and I were the only ones with enough energy to go to the top.



The Liberty Bell across the street from independence hall.
"Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof" (Leviticus 25:10).
It was amazing to be surrounded by so much History. 
Ellie was just as impressed with the history as she looks in this picture.



                                                              The Constitution Center 



Getting smashed penny souvenirs everywhere we went became quite the hit with Hudson.  He loved turning the crank.  After the Constitution center we visited the Treasury then rode a bus across the bridge to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey.  Then we visited the Mint and watched lots of shinny coins being made.  We were all as tired as Ellie and wished we had a stroller to fall asleep in.

The Adventure aquarium was really amazing with huge underwater tanks and a shark tunnel we could walk through.

We all loved touching the rays.  They would swim up and let the kids pet them.

Their was also a shark tank for petting sharks.  They were surprisingly rough like sand paper. 

On our last morning in Philadelphia we visited the Zoo. They has a really cool cat exhibit, and when you are traveling with Andrea and Jenny the cat exhibit is the main attraction.  Fortunately the kids likes it too!

On our way to State College we stopped in Intercourse, Pa for a visit to Amish country.

Gram Andrea and Jenny spent one night with us in State College.  The kids sure loved getting to show them their rooms and having them go to church with us.  We were all sad to see them go.  It was such a fun trip.

                                    As they drove away the kids watched sadly out the window.
                                              It was so nice to get to spend time with family.