February

Greetings everyone! Well, things are going nicely here in sleepy Ely. (It is especially sleepy today. All three of my boys are napping. :) The last few days have been warmer than usual so I feel spring must be on its way.

Joe's parents, Joe Sr. and Lorre, arrive tomorrow for another visit. They are going to be staying for six weeks. I know that sounds like a long time to have your in-laws visit, but when you have to fly across the ocean, you need to make it count. Plus, my Joe will be in Vegas for three of those weeks so I am thrilled to have some help! (Yes, democracy must be defended on the Strip too.) I know Ben will really enjoy time with them and that warms my heart.

Speaking of Ben, he is growing and changing so much everyday. I feel like all of a sudden he is doing "big boy" things. He has discovered Thomas the Train and loves him! He's had a Thomas push train for a long time and then he got a Thomas the Train book. Without having ever seen the TV show, Ben thinks Thomas is the coolest thing on earth. Well, the second coolest I guess because his real love is Ely Cathedral. I am not making that up. Every time he sees it, he gets very excited and points to it. It doesn't matter if we are outside, in the car, or in the living room. He says "OOOH!" and points. As far as Ben is concerned, the Cathedral is a rock star.

Baby 2 is growing too. I had my first OB appointment the other day. He/She is just a teeny tiny sprout. The ultrasound said I was six weeks along and that the due date is October 18, 2010. I was a little bummed because the first due date is my mom and Kim's (my sis-in-law) birthday. To be honest though, I am much happier to have another month. There will be so many changes and I need a lot of time to prepare.

Westminster

Since I am avoiding my schoolwork, I figured I would use the free time to update you on what is going on in the world of the Howells. It is currently raining and has been all day. Although that meant that B and I (and Bastian) were stuck in the house all day, it also means that Joe didn't have to do his night sortie. Yay for a husband at home and a dinner of fish and chips! (Last night, Joe made pancakes for dinner. I could get used to this treatment.)

Last Saturday, the family packed up and headed off to London. After many tries, we finally saw Westminster Abbey!! For those of you who don't know, this is the large cathedral right next to Parliament and Big Ben. The monarchs are crowned there as well. It is very famous, and as a result, I think every famous person on earth is buried there. Joe and I have tried to see it many times on past trips to London, but it was always closed. As an added bonus, we ran into our friend Jimmy and his wife Jen as we got off the tube in London. (Sometimes, the world is a mighty small place.) We all saw the Abbey together and then headed to Bodeans for BBQ. Yummy!

Big Week

Yes, I know this picture is from Christmas and it is currently February. To be fair, we have had some camera issues lately. The old camera died, so we bought a new one. Only that one had a cracked screen when Joe brought it home from Austria. So we ordered a new screen from a Chinese man in Chicago. However, when Joe tried to install it, he shocked himself...twice. After the second time, the camera stopped working. You would think I was making this up...

In other news, it has been a very big week for the Howells. On Monday, I ran off the road and into a ditch. The road was very icy and had no grit. Fortunately, the ditch (which is very deep) was muddy and the mud kept the car from going all the way in. Even though it was a rural road, there were several people to help me as soon as the car stopped. Once Ben and I were out, a lovely man pulled out my stuck car. All was well, including the car. Considering how deep the ditch was, it could have been FAR worse. When we were stuck the rear of the car was in the air about two feet. Someone got Benjamin out just fine, but I was further down. I was afraid that if I got out, the weight would shift and the car would flip or roll on me. Turns out that the mud was very thick and the car did not budge. Phew!

On Tuesday, Joe had lunch with the Queen. Yes, the Queen of England. She visits his base once every few years and he was lucky enough to be invited to the luncheon. (I was not.) They did not chat, but I think they smiled at each other. That night I agonized over what to make for dinner. What do you make for your husband when he's had a lunch "fit for a Queen?" (We had tuna steaks and salad. Joe complained there was no bread.)

On Wednesday, we received some very unexpected news. I had gone to the base for some lab work for a procedure I was having. (An IUD--5 year birth control.) I had been home for about 10 minutes when the phone rang. "Mrs. Howell, our lab work shows your pregnant." Needless to say, I was very surprised. Baby 2 is on the way!

It is still very early on in the pregnancy. I think maybe a month or so. Such a change from last time when I found out 4 months in! I believe the littlest squirt will be here at the end of September, but I'm not sure yet. Stay tuned. Maybe by the time we get a camera that works, I will have a bump to post!