FALL FUN

A weekend in the mountains of Arizona with Pete's family was super fun as we celebrated Pete's mom's birthday in September. Lily and Silas had special times with their cousins.A very proud grandmother with 5 of her 7 grandchildren. It sure is fun to see this Newell family grow.

For all of you out there who were curious about Pete's musical career after the Whipple Tree Band, I am proud to say he still knows how to play the harps. He and Nathaniel had a small jam session one night at small group.

We enjoyed having Silas for one week by himself while Lily spent time with B and Grandad in Texas. The little boy in him really came out that week.

We have loved having visitors in our home including the Jonathan and Christine Lightner family. This was our first time to meet baby Lauren and Lily and Silas enjoyed getting reaquainted with Emma.

What do you think... does Lily need a sister? or does Silas need a brother? We'll find out in April...

It was great to see Mark, Heidi and Eli Blomberg before they head off to the mission field in a few months. Heidi lived in our guest house for a year before she and Mark got married.

Silas is sure proud of his red hat and he's especially proud of his daddy. Minnie Mouse and a lion posing for a picture. These were the outfits they wore to their first Halloween party.
We made it to Illinois for another wonderful visit to Edward's Orchard. Many of you know this is one of Lori's favorite places in the world. She is trying hard to make it one of her children's favorite places as well. Silas loved his first pony ride. Lily has become a pro now. She even knows how to talk the pony's language.

There was no apple picking this year at the orchard, unfortunately, but we still got to ride on the wagon out to the pumpkin patch where the kids picked out their own pumpkins.
The Pumpkin Festival was a hit and the kids especially enjoyed the Pumpkin parade. We were die hard fans and sat through the whole parade even when it looked like it was about to down pour.
While in Sycamore we were able to visit with our dear friends, the Floits. Lori was able to catch up with all the Floit girls, which was a highlight. This one's for you, Mattie.
Lily and Silas enjoyed their time with B and Grandad in Sycamore. Lily was very happy she was able to hunt for worms again with Grandad in the back yard.

Lily and Bella at the party. Two beautiful brides.

New Newell News

The first news that has been in the works for almost 4 months now, is that another Newell baby is on it's way. #3 is due April 17th, 2009. We are all excited for the arrival of this baby, especially big sister Lily. Both Lily and Silas kiss mommy's tummy and tell the baby they love him/her. Unfortunately the first trimester of this pregnancy wasn't as smooth sailing as the first 2 pregnancies, and I finally can relate to women who talk about their hard 1st trimester. 24/7 nausea is no fun, especially when you have 2 other little ones to take care of. Praise God those months are over, and I am feeling much better now. I no longer hate the kitchen or the thought of preparing food and I don't have to chew gum non-stop to help keep the edge off the nausea.



The other big news is that we are moving away from Phoenix and to Austin, Texas. If you had told me this 2 years ago I would have been jumping up for joy, but the Lord has given me so much contentment here and a love for the people that my heart is heavy and sad about leaving. The Lord has made this our home and we love our friends and church family so much and are so thankful for each of them. BUT, the good news is that we will be close to my whole family in Texas and that makes our hearts glad. The timing is right to move and Pete is going to transfer from the HDR office here in Phoenix to the same company in Austin. It looks like the move will come as soon as January.



God's timing is perfect and we are trusting Him and His timing with the sale of our home. It has been on the market for 3 weeks now and there has been lots of interest and numerous showings. We are confident that the right buyer will come along soon.



Our adventure continues and we are excited to see what the Lord has for us in Texas and beyond. Going overseas is still on our radar and we will see where that fits into the future. First, we need to sell our house, move to Texas, have another baby, and enjoy being near family for a while.