A Fall Tradition ~ The Pumpkin Patch

We are blessed to live minutes from the world's greatest pumpkin patch. 4 REAL, it's the best!! Since Luke's first fall in 2003, we've gone to this pumpkin patch every year. It's one of my favorite traditions. These pictures from today say it all.




























This is my most favorite time of the year!! Happy Fall Y'all!!!

Not Lost

Well I received some information today about the genetic testing that we feared was lost. It is not and was not lost which is great news, however right now it appears that for some reason that I do not understand the more in depth detailed testing was unable to be performed. I did receive the results of the basic genetic testing. It was the same as with our past baby boys...a basic screening of the chromosomes shows no abnormalities at all. On the surface it appears as though Jude was perfectly healthy. The more in depth testing could review much greater detail about each individual chromosome and is therefore more likely to find something that the basic screening has missed. I have a lot of unanswered questions right now, but I have some level of peace and comfort in knowing that at least the samples were not lost. Now I wait while two excellent doctors work together to try to get to the bottom of what happened, what wen wrong, why the other testing was not done. Then I will wait to talk to or meet with these doctors to share their information with me.

I do believe that God answered prayers here, now I'm praying for the next step...whatever that may be.

Thank you so much for praying with us!!!!

Only One Week Until....

...my bestie and her family arrive from Kentucky!!! I can hardly wait!!!

My little house will be bursting with children which is just how I like it!!

Here's a picture from their visit around this same time last year.

(This picture is missing the youngest Blakeman and the youngest Minor.)

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today I saw the high risk perinatologist that ordered all the very in depth, very rare, very likely to give us answers, genetic tests for Jude. In the hospital tissue samples were taken from Jude's body and hand delivered by our awesome nurse to the lab at our hospital. From there the hospital lab should have sent them to another lab for the testing. Today I was told that it is possible the labs have not been done or are lost. The doc said that he should have had them long ago and that so far he's not been successful at tracking down where they are in the process. Also no claim has been filed with my insurance company. I can hardly believe that this is happening!! Doc says that he fully 100% believes that the problem we have is genetic and he fully believes that the right testing will tell us exactly what the problem is and what this means for future children and even future grandchildren. BUT it's possible that we might never get these answers because someone somewhere has messed this up.

THIS!! IS!! NOT!! OK!!!!

He said he's going to put his blood hounds on the hunt, and we should put our own blood hounds to work as well. I've never known a better human blood hound than Nana Mathes. All I've got to say is that these lab people better look out, because as soon as she returns home (she's away taking care of her ill parents who are in there 90s) I'm putting her on the case!! In the meantime, I guess I'll do what I can on my own...you know in my spare time between caring for my home, husband, 5 kiddos, homeschool, laundry, dishes, etc.

I literally had trouble regulating my breathing when he told me this and almost every time I've thought of it since.

Please pray that we will still get these results. Right now it so does not look good. :(

Great Day

GREAT casual, not rushed morning at home getting ready for church.

GREAT morning at church.

Began Wesley's birthday celebration with a GREAT birthday lunch after church. He turns 40!!!!! tomorrow!!!

Looking forward to a GREAT evening service.

And enjoyed my GREAT bunch of kiddos!!



(Not such a GREAT picture, but oh well. We tried.)

On another note and completely random, I'm starting my first diet ever tomorrow. I was on a diabetic diet while pregnant with Elizabeth, but I've never been on a weight loss diet before. My plan it to just eat healthier (cut out so much junk food and sweets) and try to burn more calories by maybe walking or just increasing my activity level. Nothing big and crazy, but it will be a good start for me. I really would like to and need to lose a good 10-15 pounds. Wish me luck. Wait no, I don't believe in luck...pray for me instead! :)

Hope you are also having a GREAT day, if you are not then start now!! Make it a GREAT day!

National Day of Remembrance

I was on the verge of tears all day long today. I'm not sure why it was that way. Maybe it was just the knowledge that today is October 15th which is National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day. We had considered doing something special to honor and remember Jude and our other sweet Heavenly Baby Boys, Samuel, Isaiah, and Joshua but I just felt like I was too weary to put something together. Of course we still "remembered" them, we just did not do anything formal.

Maybe I was so emotional today because I spent so much time outside. I LOVE this time of the year, but the colors, the sights, the shadows, the look and feel of fall always take me back to October 2006 which is when this part of my journey began. We said good bye to Samuel on October 31, 2006.

Weary...weary is how I feel a lot right now.

Just Some Pictures

Notice how in the first picture all five are in the picture. In the second picture I'm clearly trying to entertain Elizabeth to keep her from crawling away. By the third picture Elizabeth is gone. And then we lose Bella Peace for the final two pictures. Oh well they may not be the most perfectly posed pictures and everyone has red eye that I don't have time to edit out but at least everyone had fun!

My Brown Eyed Girl...

...my only brown eyed girl, turned 6 years old today!! Were has the time gone?

Happy 6th Birthday, Mary Ruth!! I LOVE you more than chocolate!! (This is just a fun little thing we say in the Minor family, but everyone here knows that this means a whole LOT of LOVE!!)

HE Loves Me (and You) Anyway

Even though this song is a little edgier than what I normally go for, it speaks to my heart in such a big way!! Hope it will speak to you as well.

HaPpY Pictures!!

So this week has been really hard, but I have not/still do not feel like or have time to write about it. I have done a TERRIBLE job of returning calls and messages. I'm so sorry! It means so much to have precious family and friends reaching out to us and loving on us. Forgive me for not doing a better job at keeping in touch this week.

Right now I just want to share a feel photos that I've taken this week that have made me hApPy!!!

"Minor" kid picture! LOVE these kiddos to death!


We had yearbook pictures made this week. Mary Ruth is a kindergartener this year. How in the world did she get so big so fast?!!! I LOVE this picture of my "Little Middle". It's a long story, but "Little Middle" is one of the many affectionate names we have for Mary Ruth!


Wesley and I group Luke, Grace, and Mary Ruth as the "big ones", and Bella Peace and Elizabeth as the "little ones". Looks like me might have to promote this precious one before too long! Currently Bella Peace likes to put herself into the category that is most advantageous to her in the moment. She's one smart girl!


I made a point this week to try to get some close up pictures of Grace. I really don't want to forget her smile at this age! The missing and newly budding teeth just make for the cutest smile E.V.E.R!!



This week I did not take any individual pics of my bookend kiddos. Guess I'll have to focus on Luke and Elizabeth in the next few days!

Me and My Honey on our date night!! We went to dinner and to see the movie "Courageous". It's a great movie! Heavy, very, very heavy!! But GOOD!! It's better that I did not know going into it how deep and heavy it was going to be. I might not have chosen to see it right now. BUT I am really glad we saw it.


LOVE my Courageous Man!!