More Walter Pictures

Here are more pictures of Walter doing what he does best - sleep!

 This picture shows the white hair all over his body.

I hope all of you who haven't seen him yet have gotten some idea of what he looks like!

Walter pics

At long last, here are some pictures of Walter. I'm sure some of you have seen some of the pictures that have gone up on Facebook. I think Heather put up at least one, and her mom put up a bunch. But these! These are the definitive pictures from our camera. Starting from 15 minutes after birth up to about an hour ago! Can't get more up to date than that. In fact, as I type this, he's still lying in the same position as the last photo. Without further ado, here he is, Walter Murphy Hutchinson.

Walter

Here are a couple of pictures of Walter.  I think he looks like his brother.  He's adorable, don't you think, or am I just partial?

Pictures Coming Tomorrow

For the non-facebook crowd, wanted to make sure everyone new we are going in to the hospital tonight and I'll be induced first thing in the morning.  Pictures of our new little guy will be sent asap.  We'd love to see anyone who wants to come to the hospital.  They do have a strict visitor policy so give us a call if you're coming and we'll arrange a visitor pass hand off. 

Large Animal Auction...

The kids sold their goats at the large animal auction for the first time today. They usually sell in the small animal auction and we've been trying to get them moved for the last couple years. This year the goat committee voted and put us in the large animal auction. We are so glad! Last year, the best price our goats got was $1.75 per pound. This year Lexi got $3.00 per pound, Merrit got $2.75 per pound and Makayla got $4.00 per pound. We are so happy!

Update

For those of you who don't know yet, Charlie didn't get the job in Wisconsin. Oh well. Moving on...

Blahhh...

We've been getting ready for the Genesee County Fair all week (well really over the whole summer so we wouldn't have to cram at the last minute, but here we are still cramming). I think we are almost finished with our preparations. We are actually going to camp at the fair grounds this year (1st time) and that means that I have to get the camper ready and figure out a menu and food for the fair too (something I haven't had to do before). Plus, of course, our regular lives don't pause for us to be able to do everything we need to for fair either. It's been a "fun" week. Can't wait until it's over. We've had some fun weather the past two days too, to top it off. It's been rainy and in the 60s. Not what we've been used to this summer, but I'm not complaining. I actually like the rain and cooler weather. I also have an update, sort of, about Charlie's job search. He put in an application for an assistant principal job at the same school in Wisconsin that he taught at 4 years ago. He told me he did it only half thinking that they might call him back. Well they did call him back and he has an interview there on the 13th (of course it's the day our kids show their goats at the fair too). We've been doing a lot of praying and talking about our options in the future and here is kind of what we've been thinking... If Charlie is offered the job and we decide to accept it (we are pretty sure we will accept if it's offered, but not 100% yet), then he will move to Wisconsin and I will stay here with the kids for this school year. We don't think we could sell the house that quickly, and there are several things we need to finish in the house before we feel like it would sell well anyway. We think we could probably get those things finished within a year. Charlie would probably only be able to come home once a month so we'd be skyping a lot (which sucks!). We've thrown around the idea of buying him a small fixer-upper to live and work on and then sell at the end of the year. That way we could potentially have a little more money to put down on a new house and we would have a place to stay with him if we were able to go visit him. We think this might be cheaper than renting an apartment, but haven't really done any serious looking into it yet. We think he could also rent a room from a member of the church there. We still have several friends in that area from when we lived there before. In fact, Charlie is staying the night at the bishop's house the night before his interview. So that's another cheap option for his living accommodations. I only have 10 classes left before I finish my degree. We think it's the best thing for me to just get finished so I don't have to transfer anywhere if we have to move. So this fall I will be taking 5 classes a semester so I can finish and graduate in the spring. I'm a little freaked out since I've been only taking 2 classes at a time, but I think I can handle it. I just might not get the grades I like to get. I will be doing this even if Charlie is in Wisconsin or not, so it's going to be ten times harder without his help. If he doesn't get the job, he'll just remain teaching at Beecher (which he's really ready to be done with) and we will still fix up the house, just in case we need to move next year for an administration job. The kids are glad that we won't have to move quite yet, especially Alexis. They really want to stay in their schools. I don't blame them. I know it's hard to start over at a new school. I think they may not feel so happy to be staying once we've been away from Charlie for a long time (if that becomes the case). So here we are, living in limbo again. Waiting to see how things will play out. I kind of wish I had a better idea of what was going to happen. Oh well.

a non-update

Our mangled trampoline straddling the goat fence.  A tragedy.

So, our non-update:

We were buying a house.  A short sale.  A bad idea.  After five months, two appraisals, two different lenders, a daft seller's agent, and oogles and oogles of worry and heartache, we've decided to drop it. We found out a week ago that another lien on the house showed up (after all this time!) and we couldn't take it anymore.  Boo.

We put an offer on another great house about two weeks ago, but lost the bid.  It was a foreclosure and there were three other offers.  I'm still sad about it.

So, here we are, still waaaaaay out in the country without any prospects.  We're enrolling Addie in kindergarten (kindergarten!!! I can hardly believe it!!!) and will continue to look at houses on a more relaxed schedule.  We decided yesterday to rent closer to town, but decided against it today.  Who knows what we'll think tonight. 

Jason has left the decision, more or less, up to me. 

Right after an entire day of errand-running in town with three kids, two of whom have missed their naps, in 90 degree HUMID weather, and still with a 45 minute trek home, I'm apt to say LET'S MOVE CLOSER!  But on the mornings that are relaxed (like today), and I realize our rent here is cheap (no utilities either!) and Macie will be in preschool two mornings each week (so I'll only have one kid to take around town to do errands), I am apt to say LET'S STAY HERE UNTIL WE FIND SOMETHING PERMANENT. 

Who knows what we'll do???

And now, some pictures, since we have long been absent from the blog-

Norah (5) and Amira (7), Jami's two girls.  She now has a little baby boy, Naim, who was born about 2 weeks ago.  This is when Addie had the stomach flu while we were in Utah, thus her awesome face.

Jami is hiding her big prego belly

Jason and Jami's husband, Mohamed.  I swear he looks exactly the same as he did when we met him nearly 9 years ago.  I don't think he ages.

All of our kids LOVELOVE corn on the cob, they can't get enough!

Outside Addie, the only Addie we have

Best Friends in fancy clothes

Men watching the Olympics

A rare picture with me in it!  Taken by Addie

This boy of ours is OBSESSED with the recycling.  He takes the cereal boxes and milk jugs everywhere.  It is hilarious.

Holiday Plans

I'm stuck on bedrest now, so please forgive me jumping the gun here a little bit but all I have is time on my hands.  I thought it would be a good time to start the Thanksgiving/Christmas conversation.  Kari and Jana - since you're the out of towners, what are you guys brewing up for the holidays?  The Hairs are going to be in Utah for Christmas, right?  Its cool that Jason's brother is returning near a major holiday, make it a fun double celebration.  What about the Peterson's?  Any plans yet?  Would everyone be able to make it if we celebrated Christmas at Thanksgiving again?

Whatever get together plans we decide on, what year is it for the presents?  Are kids giving to kids or is it a family present year?  I think we did family presents last year but I'm not sure.

Quick update from here - no baby yet, obviously.  I'm having more frequent and intense contractions but I haven't actually moved into labor yet.  I'm now on to full bed rest since it is the only way to keep the contractions down.  Give me a call to chat anytime.  I'm either here or at the Dr.'s office.

My Recommendation

We just read a book for book club that I'm sure you all would like.  It's called The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley.  Give it a try.