I know most of you have probably heard, but our little one, Luke Henry Shumake, has arrived!!

I can't believe I haven’t updated on here since announcing our pregnancy - what a whirlwind of events has transpired since then!
In short, Justin finished his second degree in May, accepted a full-time position in June, we began house-hunting, we closed and moved into our new home in August, and my sweet Grandmother went home to be with the Lord after years of suffering. At the same time, we began childbirth classes, our car died and we had to find a new one to buy, we were getting settled into the house, and were very busy preparing for baby's arrival. I left my job at the beginning of October, we were blessed with multiple baby showers by our kind family and friends, and we traveled to Missouri for my brother’s marriage to a wonderful girl! Such a crazy time in our life, but a time filled with many blessings for which we are so thankful.

And now our biggest life change has occurred!

Our little one’s birthday for us began at 2:48am Wednesday, November 3rd. I was 39 weeks and 2 days. We had just found out late Tuesday that our baby appeared to be breech, and had an appointment early Wednesday am in Nashville to confirm the news by ultrasound. We then had plans to start doing what we could to get our little one to turn head down, hoping to avoid surgery and have the natural birth we'd prepared and hoped for. But "the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry..." After lots of prayers and finishing the packing of our hospital bags Tues night, we went to bed. Just a couple short hours later, I awoke to my water breaking, sealing baby’s position inside – there would be no turning around now. Our little one was coming this day, one way or the other!
We headed to Vanderbilt, and by that time my contractions were already coming 3-4 minutes apart, making for a tense drive, knowing there was a good chance little one was not in the optimal position to be born. Our Midwife met us at the hospital and confirmed the baby's breech position by ultrasound. It was hard news for me to take, as they quickly began to prepare me for surgery. How different this was from what I had always pictured! Thankfully, the surgery went SO well, and Luke was born without any complications whatsoever. Praise God that he was able to arrive safely, and that, even though not the way we pictured, Justin and I were able to welcome him to the world together. How exciting it was to be told we had a little boy with a head full of dark hair, and as they brought him around the curtain for us to see immediately, he opened his eyes and appeared to look right at us. :) Our midwife, Margaret, took our camera over to where they carried him and captured his first moments for us. After what seemed like a lot longer than it likely was, Luke began to cry vigorously, relief pouring over us. We cried as we listened to our precious baby boy scream in protest at his abrupt entrance into the world. But he was safe, and he was ours. Praise God!


"What just happened to me??" Poor sweet baby!

Happy family of 3, after a long night and day



How could we not be in love??

Ready to go home!

About to check out. :)

My recovery has been easier than I expected, for which I am grateful. My Mom is staying here for two weeks, which has been a HUGE help and blessing. We are adjusting to the sudden and huge life change that is having a newborn, and we are so in love with our little Luke. It’s amazing to think he was the one I carried inside all those months!
Hope all is going wonderfully with each of you!!

Lord willing, we are expecting a sweet baby this fall!! Our "due date" is November 8th. We feel so very excited, humbled, and blessed. We earnestly ask for prayers for all three of us as we start this amazing journey!
Much love to you all!

Justin and I are about to leave for the Smokies! It's Justin's spring break, and we both got some time off from work. We are SO excited to get away and couldn't be happier. :) We're meeting his parents, Adam & Rosie, Phillip & Tracy, and all of their kiddos too, of course! We have a cabin rented and are looking forward to soaking in the beauty of the mountains, with lots of relaxation and time together. Hope you all have a great week!

Well, we wound up having a FANTASTIC weekend following my last post about the impending winter storm. But before you can appreciate hearing about our weekend, you need a little history...

My family moved to Tennessee from Florida in the fall of 1994. My parents found us a home on 1 1/2 acres of beautiful land. Our yard backs up to acres of woods, and we spent many hours playing on our beloved wooded hill. At the top is a clearing that runs the entire length of the hill, creating a fantastic place for sledding. (And a great workout year-round!) The first 2 winters we lived there we had a couple really nice snows of 6 or 7 inches. We Floridians just loved it and assumed that this was normal for the area. We ran out and bought a little plastic sled when the first big snow was predicted, and we had a blast with it, even if it was cheap and less than ideal. It survived those first couple snows and then succumbed to the rigorous hill and cracked. The next winter my dear Grandparents gave me and my brothers a beautiful, old fashioned wooden sled, complete with metal runners. Here we are with our Grandparents and cousins! :)



We were ecstatic and couldn't wait to try it out when the next big snow came...

It never did.

It's been hanging in my parents garage since 1996.

Every winter since, we have thought longingly of that sled, just hoping for the chance to get to use it. We would have a few snows here and there, but nothing over a few inches. Due to the rough terrain of the hill, you really need at least 5 inches to cover the rocky ground and make sledding safe or even possible. We began to joke that the sled was a curse and that it would never snow again until we burned it, ceremonially. We refrained, hoping it would have its chance yet!
But as the years passed, our hopes dimmed. Now that all of us kids were grown and out of the nest, what were the chances of ever getting to use the sled? What was the likelihood that we would all be at home together when the infamous big snow finally came?

Fast-forward to Friday, January 29, 2010.
That's when my parents had to decide at the last moment that they couldn't come up to Bowling Green to spend the weekend with us kids as planned. The predicted winter storm would make it too hard for my aunt to come and care for my Grandma as had been planned.
So we kids decided to take the weekend to THEM instead. :) We weren't going to miss out on our weekend together. And in the back of our minds, we were all thinking, "Maybe we really WILL get a big snow this time....maybe we'll finally get to use that sled...”

Jeremy, Justin and I were lucky - we all got off work early and headed for my parents' in the early afternoon Friday, trying to beat the storm. The snow started falling as we made it further south, and by the time we got home, there were already several inches on the ground. Mom said that Dad was up on the hill, making sure the sled run was clear. We all bundled up and ran up to help him clear the way! Dave and Sarah made it in later that night, but they didn’t have as fun a trip down, as the roads were much slicker by then. Thankfully, they made it in slowly but surely – and safely. We had a great night, talking by the fireplace, watching the snow fall, and looking forward to the next day.

By the next day we had over 5 inches, with a half inch of ice on top! After lunch we pulled out the sled and set out through the woods and up the hill. The snow covered woods were GORGEOUS! The sled run turned out to be just right, as the little ice on top packed things down and made for a breathtakingly fast ride! It honestly was a little frightening just how fast you would go! The sled was still in great condition even after all these years of hanging in the garage. It performed beautifully and was even better than we’d always hoped!! :) Mom and Dad were right there in the middle of it with us, and Mom even got the record for going the furthest!! I love my parents. :) Here's a video. It doesn't look as fast as it felt!



It only took a couple hours for us to get worn out, as it’s quite a hike back up the hill each time! We headed back to the house for some hot chocolate and to exult in our adventure. The rest of the weekend was much enjoyed as well, filled with delicious food, laughter, and good times. :)
I am so blessed in having such a great family that enjoys being together this way, and I am so very thankful!

In other news, work is going just fine for both of us, and Justin has started his LAST semester!! He is soo busy, but there are only three months to go! This week we’ve been enjoying the Olympic Games. I’ve always liked the figure skating, and this year we’ve gotten into the Moguls, Snowboard Cross, and all kinds of events. And we loved seeing Shaun White in the Men’s Halfpipe!
Which event is your favorite??

They're saying we could get as much as 5-9 inches of snow by Saturday, which is a LOT for around here. It hasn't snowed that much since the mid '90's, so I'm pretty excited about it! Of course, they often miss these forecasts, so it could turn out too be much ado about nothing. But I can't help but be hopeful!
The only negative is that my parents are supposed to come up and spend the weekend with us, and we've all been looking forward to it so much! So, I'm just hoping they will be able to get away and here safely, so they can enjoy the snow with us.
What are your plans for the coming weekend??