Kingsley Reunion

This past weekend Ben and I visited with family in Michigan and attended the annual John & Clara Kingsley 20th family reunion. Ben played in the annual Kingsley golf tournament through a constant drizzle of rain on Saturday morning. His team didn't win... but at least they didn't finish last. Unfortunately, the rain kept us indoors for most of the day but it cleared later. We had a great time catching up with family, spent lots of time laughing and never growing tired of the stories we've heard time and time again.

My grandmother, Mary Shelle (maiden name Kingsley), is the only surviving sibling of her six brothers - plus she's also the oldest. What a woman!

Child Care Classes

Ben and I attended our first child care class Wednesday night. The class focused on newborn care and we learned how to swaddle, ways to soothe a crying baby and other good tips. We've also registered to take an infant CPR class and a childbirth class. Overall, it was enjoyable education. However, we did get a kick out of some of the questions asked by other new parents, such as: How do we teach our baby to sleep?

Here's a picture of Ben with his swaddled baby.

The Name Game

Selecting a name for Baby T has been one of the hardest decisions Ben and I have had to make. After much discussion, we have finally settled on one - Kingsley Anne Tompkins. My grandmother's (Mary Shelle) maiden name is Kingsley, but it wasn't thought of as a first name until we met a young lady with that name several years ago. We made a mental note of it, just in case we were blessed with a baby girl. We picked Anne only because we liked it. We can't wait to welcome our new bundle of joy, Kingsley.

It's a GIRL!

Ben & I learned today that Baby T is a baby girl. Naturally, we are very excited and thank God for blessing us with a baby girl. Ben is already thinking about golf lessons and spending our future weekends cheering on the sidelines of the soccer or softball fields (like her mother played).

I still scheduled for a level 2 sonogram at Shands to check her heart development because of my heart condition, but today they said everything looks good.

In the pic she has her hand up by her head. Perhaps she's doing the Seminole chop. Out of modesty for my daughter, we decided it was best not to post the "money shot."

Happy Father's Day!

The Tompkins family spent Father's Day on their boats soaking up the Florida sunshine. Weather reports said the heat index was 105°. The water was cool and very refreshing. Here's a picture of the whole Tompkins clan.

Front row (Me, Sonja with her son Dylan, Rhonda, Robin and Andrew's daughter Christy) Middle Row (Ben, his oldest brother David and his daughter Jayden, Ben's father Rod and middle brother Andrew) Back Row (Brittany with Cheech and Andrew's son Drew)

Save The Date!

Ben and I will be learning the sex of Baby T on June 30th. Stay tuned. More to come...

And Baby Makes 88

Baby T will mark my Grandmother's 88th grandchild. Mary Shelle is an amazing woman and words can't explain the respect and love that her entire family feels for her. Grandma will be turning 90 this winter.

My cousin Aaron and his wife Fran are expecting their second son and he will make 87.

How do you get to 88 grandkids?
14 children
44 grandkids
40 great grandkids
2 great-great grandkids
2 on the way