Kelsey & Matthew (& Baby)

As most of you know, I am the second born.  Matthew and I got married last September, and have since found out we are expecting!  I'm due on October 20th.  We aren't going to find out what we are having, so "Baby Dickerson" will be a surprise to everyone!

Here are some pictures that we took last week in front of our little garden.

(There's my "baby bump", folks, as well as my handsome husband sporting a beard, which has since been shaved!)

Our backyard...

 My front porch with the welcoming "D"!

Here I am at 22 weeks.  The pregnancy has been going well!  I'm feeling really good and all my check ups show that Baby is growing good and strong.  I did have a few issues with bacteria in my system, which had to be taken care of with antibiotics, supplements and a change in diet, but all is well now.  And although I'm still on the new diet, I'm thoroughly enjoying pregnancy, especially since I've started feeling Baby moving all the time now!  Matthew, Dad, Mom and Savannah have all felt baby move as well, so these are exciting times!

Matthew and I have been enjoying married life.  A lot!  It's wonderful being married to your best friend!  He's such a kind, loving, easy-going man.  He takes good care of me and baby and I'm so thankful to be on this parenthood journey with my sweetheart.

Since we've been married, we have went on several trips together.  Asheville, NC on vacation; Dayton, OH to visit family; Ocala, FL for prison ministry; Washington, DC for touring; Pocono, PA for dulcimer festival; Lancaster, PA to visit family; Charleston, SC for a dulcimer gig; and Fontana, NC for vacation; to name a few.  We both love seeing new places and things and different areas of the country, so it's been fun to get to travel together.  Our dream location to travel to would be New Zealand, but we don't know if we'll ever make it down there.  But who knows...miracles still happen!

As you can see, we have not lost our goofiness!

My dear husband bought me an adorable Schnoodle puppy for my birthday!  She is an absolute cutie-pie and a ball of energy.  She certainly keeps me on my toes.  It will work out to be perfect timing to have her trained before our Baby comes.  Her name is Triscuit!

Matthew recently got hired as a personal landscaper for one property three days a week.  He keeps up the whole place, from grass cutting, to bush trimming, to applying fertilizers, planting, mulching, edging, etc.  You name it, he does it.  His boss is such a nice fella and we both really like him.  This job gives Matthew a chance to use his abilities in the landscaping field, and also be able to use his creativity.  It's been a real blessing.

While Matthew is away at work, I've busy myself with housekeeping!  Turning my house into a home, keeping it clean and tidy, keeping up with the garden, mowing the lawn, working on projects, planting, online marketing, Snowie preperation, grocery shopping, and reading up on parenting/training books.   I still go over to Mom and Dad's farm to help make cheese once a week, as well as give piano lessons.  Life is busy but good.

Matthew has also been getting more dulcimer gigs and opportunities to play, so that's been nice.  It has given us a chance to travel around a little bit together too.

He's performed at weddings, parks, festivals, churches, dinner parties, special events, and schools.  We are so thankful for the Lord blessing that area and growing it.

We are still renting our little home out on 17 acres and enjoying the blessings of country living.  Our landlords are so sweet to us and we have developed a great friendship with them.

God is so good and has blessed us in so many ways!  We are so thankful to Him for our little family and can't wait to see what the future has in store.

"Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.  Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart."

Psalm 37:3-4

Jordan & Caleb (and girls)

Jordan is the oldest child in the Hammond family and she married Caleb Yuck in March of 2012.  Together they live in Ontario, Canada where Caleb is from and they have been blessed with three little girlies of their own!  Victoria is 3 1/2, Berea is almost 2, and Evangeline is 8 months.

Caleb's family runs a cow dairy and it's been in the family for over 100 years now.  Caleb just decided what he wants to be when he grows up and made the official decision to become a farmer.  (Hey, he's my brother-in-law, which entitles him to a little bit of teasing, right?!)  No, but in all seriousness, he has been dairying since he was in his teens and has been running it together with his dad for years.  After much prayer, he and Jordan made the decision to take it over once his father is ready to pass it on, leading to another generation of dairy farmers.

Due to that decision, the farm has been installing a new barn for hay storage, gained new baling equipment, and even bought a new tractor that has an extra seat, one so that the girlies can go out to the field to ride with Caleb while he's doing field work!  They all enjoy that and it gives them quality time to spend with their Daddy.  (Caleb and Berea are in the above photo).  In addition to running the dairy, the Yuck family also raises crops, so most of the summer and into the fall finds the guys out on the tractors preparing the fields, planting, harvesting, baling, and tilling.  They are also adding more crop land to their farm this year by cutting down a wooded section on the property.  It's busy times on the farm!

Each year, the whole Yuck family travels down to Florida to spend a month vacation.  Jordan and Caleb also spend quite a bit of that month at Grandpa and Grandma Hammond's house!  It's a wonderful time to catch up with everyone, relax, and enjoy family.  

This year, however, just before leaving to head back home to Canada, Caleb tore a good sized gash in his leg while he was out in the woods, so instead of leaving the next day, they ended up staying for a little longer to let him heal.  Once back on the farm, he had to take it easy for a couple of weeks to make sure he didn't re-injure it.  But he's all healed up now and has a lovely scar to show because of it. ;-)

Jordan and Caleb celebrated their 4th wedding anniversary this year and are still as much in love as ever.  God is so good to those who wait on Him for bringing their spouse!  They are a perfect match, one made in heaven, and we are so thankful that they have each other.

Jordan stays busy as a stay-at-home wife and mother.  She keeps up with homemaking, cleaning, taking care of her three little ones, and helping with the paperwork end of Caleb's butcher business as well as his chicken business.  Both her and Caleb love entertaining guests, so many evenings throughout the year will find them either hosting hockey night or game night for all their friends, inviting new acquaintances over for dinner and fellowship, or having family come in from all over to stay for visits.  Her and Caleb are currently working on getting dual citizenship for their girls.

Victoria is Caleb and Jordan's oldest, and she is a ball of energy.  She is constantly thinking and is quite the little talker as well.  She also has quite the sense of humor and is fun-loving; she likes to tease and be goofy!  She's becoming Mommy's right hand at home while she is learning to help with household chores.  She is growing up so fast.  Her newest accomplishment is becoming potty trained!

 Berea is the middle daughter and is much more quiet than her older sister Victoria.  But that doesn't make her any less of a thinker!  Often time you look at her and wonder what's going through that little head.  She tries to keep up to Victoria in just about everything and usually does it pretty well.  She's a little sweetie and will melt your heart.

Evangeline, as the youngest, is always watching her sisters.  She is a little darling.  She has started crawling, pulling up and walking a few steps, which has broadened her world greatly!  Evangeline will be right behind her sisters in everything they do pretty soon.  She's very curious and often will be caught in pictures with her mouth open. ;-) 

God has graciously blessed this young family and we love them dearly.

"Oh, how great is Your goodness,

Which You have laid up for those who fear You,

Which You have prepared for those who trust in You

In the presence of the sons of men!"

Psalms 31:19

The Long Awaited Post....Almost!

Hey folks!  So...lots of you have been asking for some updates and "Baby Bump" photos!  Well, you're wish is just about to be granted.  (wink)

I'm working on updates right now of each family member, so stay tuned over the next couple of days!