The Little Liebchen Girl: Ara turned 3! And were having a GIRL!

Pretty behind on the blog so there will be a lot crammed into this one post....
Ara turned 3 over a month ago already?! We celebrated in Idaho and had a wonderful time playing at grammie and grandpas, boating in the pontoon boat, fishing and fireworks, of course. Im sure more thoughts will come back to me as I go through our pictures.
Its astonishing that my girl is 3, yet I feel that so much life has happened since her arrival. And to think I am expecting number 3...! WOW. Never did I ever think this would happen. God certainly has a plan.
We are pretty blessed to have two families to visit in such beautiful places. Everytime we visit both my family and Jordan's it truly feels like a mini vacation. Our kids always have such a fun time- so much recreation and play time with cousins. And another thing... How did we luck out to have cousins on BOTH sides all the same age?? You would have though all us "kids" decided to have kids at the same time, but we didn't. It is just really fortunate it all worked out that way. One of the greatest joys of getting together is of course watching the kids interact and play. It's getting better and better now that they're getting a little older.
AND THEN... this weekend we finally found out that we're having another sweet, precious baby GIRL! And for the first time my "instincts" were right. I was convinced Ara was a boy, Sawyer was a girl, so this time I really didn't want to predict. But if I had to say one or the other, I thought girl. Cupcakes with the Winters/Jones clan was a blast! Such fun to do a surprise like that, and Oma chose the winning cupcake! We decided to combine this trip to Washington with a drive to Seattle for a Mariners game, Mt St. Helens excursion and work trip for Jordan... fun or crazy????? I'm still trying to decide. Okay, it was SO much fun and a little crazy.

First bump picture... 16/17 weeks

Ara asking Uncle Shad all kinds of crazy questions- I think.

Ara loved the fishing. Given the choice between swimming and fishing it was the latter.

Waiting to go on the boat for fireworks (just for Ara..!)

Cuties

Grandpa giving his wise words to Ara

Flying the heli at a Museum- Mt. St Helens

CHEESE!

The guys look super excited to be there... :-)

Terrorizing the helicopter

3 generations- should've been 4 with Jessica!

Our growing fam

Winters boys

This kid. Mommas boy, through and through. I'll take it. Didn't want to let go of my hand- is he related to his sister?!

My babies.

The girls thought they were pretty cool flying the real helicopter.

Such a beautiful lake .

Cousins

All done running the bases at the Mariners game.

Round 2

Sawyer ran too (on the left but wasn't so sure of the Mariner moose)

PINK!

Cousin love <3

Uncle Freddy for the win

S'mores jars from Oma- who wouldn't want to go to Omas?!

Ara loved running the bases on the field. She would have done it all day if we let her.

Bertsch family photo 2015

LOVE this

And this

Buns

Happy #3 Ara Belle! Now I know why you were born on Independence Day! It suites you so well. My kind, tenderhearted, sensitive, independent, strong willed, beautiful girl!