Hello? Hello?

Yes, I am still here. I fell off the blog bandwagon this last month! I have been meaning to post but haven't been a super motivated girl these days...I think it's the pregnancy or something:). We have had a full and fun summer thus far, so I have lots to blog about, but here are a few updates until I get the stamina to update with pictures and all the fun "goings on":

**I am now 31 weeks pregnant. I love when I get down to only single digit weeks left! It feels like real progress is being made:). I am feeling really good overall, I just get tired easily and don't get nearly as much accomplished in the evenings (which is when I usually have time to blog). I am excited to attempt a "natural" childbirth--aka no epidural, no pitocin--so I've spent a lot of time reading books. We'll see how effective I am at putting what I'm reading into reality when the real pain sets in, however! I am still not super confident in my courage and strength. I can be a real sucker when it comes to pain. Luckily, I have a great coach at my side. The baby moves a lot and can be quite a wiggle worm inside of me at times, so we're excited to meet this little McCune boy! The kids love talking to him and pretending they have a baby in their bellies as well. It really has been fun to have older children with whom to anticipate his arrival.

**Our home is officially off the market. Unfortunately, not because it sold. Not only am I completely tired of the stress of potentially having a showing for the last eight months, we also don't want the possibility of it selling/closing in September when we have a new baby. So we had decided to take it off the market at the end of July. But when our realtor called last week to check on things and I told him my sentiments, he said he'd go ahead and take it off then. I felt a huge weight immediately lifted off my shoulders. It feels so nice not to have to worry about keeping it tidy (although, admittedly, I wasn't doing that super well). Last Saturday Kyle brought the contents of our 5x10 storage unit back to our house, so now our garage is full of boxes spread out everywhere (another project for another day is organizing those), but that also means one less bill each month. I opened up a box of toys I had packed away and the kids have been playing with them the last few days as if they are all brand new. It makes for a messy living room, but they sure have had fun with it:).

**Our plan on our home is to rent it beginning early next year after my parents leave on their mission and we move into their home. We will live there for the 18 months they are gone, then either build or buy a home at that point. Kyle has always wanted a rental property, and while I'm not keen on the idea, it's a great market for renting these days. And a much better option than having it sit empty. So we'll see how that all works out. My parents are very excited about their mission and it's been fun talking to them about all the prep stuff. They submit their papers in a couple of weeks, so we should know in about a month where they'll be serving. My mom hopes States-side, while my dad is all for going Foreign:). It's been fun joking about it all with them...a little surreal that it's my parents, not a 19-year-old Elder preparing to leave:).

**Skyler's speech continues to improve. Even though most who listen to him still can't understand much of what he says, my family and I are understanding more and more of his language. It is definitely getting clearer. I have decided to wait on potty training until after the baby is born and until he can communicate a little more clearly. But he is still very expressive, saying sentence after sentence when he gets going; no matter that you only understand a word here and there:). I don't think (and hope) it will be much longer until he's super talker!

**I have decided to have Kylene attend public school this fall. She will start first grade at Pringle Elementary, then transfer to the elementary school next to my parent's home when we move there. (Incidentally, the same school I taught Kindergarten at before I got married.) Public school is not my first choice, but I feel like it's the best with where we're at right now. I know she'll be nervous, but do well once she adjusts. I am such a protective parent, I still worry about sending her out into the "big, bad world"! But, first grade, here we come!

**Spencer has been on a mega game kick lately. Uno, Candyland, Sorry, Junior Monopoly, and most recently, War. If he is awake he wants you to play a game with him. We had my niece, Rebekah, come stay with us for four days a few weeks ago and the kids absolutely ate up the extra attention. But poor Rebekah got so tired of playing games! She had even brought a couple of new ones to mix things up, but got tired of playing even those. I was so grateful to get a little break from the playing, though:). Thanks, Bekah! He also has become obsessed with a children's book called "Too Many Toys" about a little boy named Spencer. He loves that it is "all about me"!

I guess that's a long enough post, especially one with no pictures. I hope anyone who reads this all the way through survives! Happy July to you all!