All Because 2 People Fell in Love

10 years....

2010-05-20T00:01:00.002-04:00

It's been an interesting year that I feel I have grown in my walk with God a ton. I truly believe that's the reason each year is not as painful in knowing I will never meet the baby that would have been 10 today. My friend's Kelly, that I posted about 2 days ago, and Kristin have shown me that it's ok to grieve but we need to rely on God to be there to pick us up. There's no time table I need to forget it or be ok about it, but when I share my pain with God, it lightens the load. Some years will be harder than others I know, but as long as I remember to let God lift me up when I can't carry on, I will be ok.

I am so glad that I have been listening to God and use my experience with this and the adoption for the good. I am working at Alpha Women's Center one day a week sharing my story, helping the girls, and just listening. They are amazing women and I'm so glad that I am honored to be able to meet them and be there for them. God is so good!

Help Liberty's Wagons

2010-05-18T22:52:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine is trying to raise money to buy wagons for a children's hospital in memory of her daughter, Liberty. Liberty's birthday is May 24 and Kelly would like to buy 10 wagons for the hospital. They are $257 away from this goal. As Kelly said in an email, money's tight but if 257 gave $1, they could reach their goal. Here's a link to her blog :
http://libertylee.blogspot.com/

and here's a link to the site where you can donate money. Let's help Kelly reach her goal to help honor Liberty's memory.

http://libertyswagons.turnerfamily.chipin.com/libertys-wagons

We're Back and in 1 piece :)

2010-04-13T19:45:00.002-04:00

We got back from vacation Sunday and we all made it in one piece! There were moments though I wasn't sure that was going to happen!!!

The mystery post I put up a while ago was about Scott getting a new job. It's official as of today, he put in his 2 week notice and will start at Buist Electric. It's exciting for us and we totally feel God has had a hand in it all along. Scott's been at his current job for 12 years and still likes it but feels more secure at the new place. This is something we would not have thought of on our own a month ago, but it was presented to Scott and he felt he should go for it :) Can't wait to see what this new opportunity brings :) God is good!

Beach time

2010-04-07T23:45:00.000-04:00

Gettysburg & DC

2010-04-07T23:30:00.001-04:00

2010-04-07T23:14:00.000-04:00

Vacation

2010-04-07T23:10:00.002-04:00

We are having such a good time! We've been to Gettysburg, DC and have been in Emerald Isle, NC for 6 days! This year has been the best weather in NC in the 5 times we've visited :) It looks like the Lord really did have plans in mind for us that we never saw coming. It's looking good and we'll know for sure on Monday. Enjoy the slide shows of our vacation...

Wow, life!

2010-03-23T21:12:00.003-04:00

Life has been flying by lately. I'm planning on leaving next Tuesday, the 30th, with my nieces and my kids for a 4 day road trip. We will be leaving after the girls are done Tuesday and driving 6 hours to Cranberry Township, Pa to visit a friend from my church I went to growing up. I'm so excited to see Karlyn, I can't wait! After breakfast with her, we'll be leaving and going to Gettysburg. This won't be a long time here but it will be enough to show Megan where the adress was given by President Lincoln after the battle. The next day we'll be going to Washington DC where we'll be visiting the Air & Space museum and the Natural History. After that, we'll be going to the Lincoln Memorial. Those who have seen the movie Night at the Museum 2, Battle of the Smitsonian will recognize that those are all in that movie! It will be another in and out but enough to soak some fun learning opportunities up! Friday we'll arrive in Emerald Isle and wait for everyone else to arrive on Saturday.

This vacation comes at the perfect time for us because we have a big decision to make that is very hard. You wonder if God's calling you to trust him, He has everything planned out and there will be big rewards. OR are we just trying to hurry something up because we're greedy? It's hard to know what to do. Every day it seems like we're getting a sign one way then the next it changes. This is somehthing that we did not ever expect to think about, at least not for a long time. This is not moving, etc... but to us is something that would have a huge impact! Pray that God gives us the wisdom to do what he wants and shows us some signs of what it is.

Lisa Leonard Giveaway

2010-03-16T11:50:00.000-04:00

http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/2010/03/16/marked-by-love-audreys-necklace/

New Blog

2010-02-19T14:53:00.002-05:00

I've started a new blog where I'm writing all of my planning of Disney World trips. I'm writing it down down as I go, so it's not everything yet, but eventually will be by the time we go.... Here's the link http://disneyforcheap.blogspot.com/ . Enjoy!

Rescuing Mission Team's - Tim's Account

2010-01-27T21:55:00.000-05:00

Rescuing Mission Team's - Tim's Account

This is a friend from the church I grew up in giving an account of his time helping in Haiti. Tim is a missionary in the Dominican Republic and has been bringing supplies and help to those in need. Pray for him as he is sick and was admitted to the hospital this week most likely due to exhuastion. His brothers' are going down there tomorrow to help also so keep those down there doing God's work in your prayers.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

2010-01-18T13:36:00.003-05:00

Today is a day set aside to remember all that this great man did for America. We had a short day of school so we could watch a couple videos about Martin Luther King Jr. then we had a chance to write our own I have a dream speech. Megan did really well and once I explained it more to Cody's level, he did well too. Below are their speeches...

"I Have a Dream Too" by Megan

I have a dream that one day this nation will believe in Jesus Christ

I have a dream that one day we will all be raised to love the Lord.

I have a dream that one day all boys and girls will be thankful for what we have

I have a dream that everybody will give and not want.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that we all will love and not steal

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day we will not worship different gods.

This is my hope and faith. With this faith we will be able to love the Lord our God

in all different ways.

This will be the day when we all get along.

"I Have a Dream Too" by Cody

I have a dream that one day this nation will not hurt each other

I have a dream that one day nobody will get sick

I have a dream that nobody will pray to other gods.

This is my hope and faith. With this faith we will be able to be safe.

Megan's blew me away, I was so proud of her dreams! Cody did his best and did come up with some great ideas as well. Anyway, enjoy your day off if you don't have to work but take time to remember the man who helped make America better!

register to win!

2009-12-09T22:48:00.003-05:00

McMama is giving away a new touch screen computer. Here's the link to register for yourself : http://mckgiveaways.blogspot.com/2009/12/hp-touchsmart-giveaway.html?success

Christmas Decorating!

2009-12-01T06:52:00.002-05:00

Day after Thanksgiving in our house normally means decorating the house, the tree, etc.... I went shopping at 4:30 in the morning so I wasn't quite up for decorating the whole house that day. Scott did the lights and I got out our decorations and the kids did their tree. Saturday we finished it all and I love it! My favorite is my new nativity set, the Willow Tree one. I used birthday money and got it for myself and gave Megan my old one! I will post pics later tonight because as I'm typing this, I realized I didn't take pictures of the outside of the house and Scott did such a good job, I want to show it off :) Hope you all had fun decorating your house :)

October 15th

2009-10-15T01:00:00.000-04:00

This is a day that always is emotional for me. 10 years ago, I lost a baby two and half months into the pregnancy. Each year it hurts less, but it will always be part of me. I've struggled to realize that it's okay for me to hurt. This day is also now being recognized as Pregnancy and Infant loss rememberance day. I know I am not alone in this so I wanted to share. To learn more about this you can visit www.october15th.com . Here is a video from their site that was very touching:

1st month of homeschooling

2009-10-11T20:51:00.003-04:00

We've survived our first full month of homeschooling. I absolutely love it and can't believe that I didn't do this sooner. All summer I felt God calling me to do this. I first had to convince Scott before I made the change though. He was on board late August and has backed me fully since then! We started a week after the other schools because I needed to research and buy the curriculum I choose. We have a variety of curriculum and I love every single one we are doing. The kids have done well and are doing well with it. There's days they want to go to school but 99% of the time, they love it. The days they want to go are few and far between and I'm glad because we are having a blast! We have done so many fun things as a family and during school=) I will post a slide show later today or tomorrow but here's what else we've been up to:

Codyism's (Cody's thoughts that crack us up) lately have been cracking us up! He said at Texas Roadhouse that he got a bogey peanut because there was only one nut in it and he knows from Wii golf that a bogey is one over par! We bought him a statistics book of sports that he's comparing to a map of football fields. The boy is all boy but still loves to snuggle with his mommy! He recently learned how to rollerblade and his first day on blades,he entered himself in a race. He didn't win but still did well! Oh, to have his confidence!

Megan's doing so well in school and having fun! She really enjoys the rollerblading at Tarry Hall Thursday afternoons! It gives her time to hang out with friends. Wednesday mornings she helps out with the babies during bible study at our church. She is so good with the little ones! Megan is my little helper it's hard to believe she's in fourth grade! When did she get to be so big? She is growing up to be such a sweet little girl, I love spending one on one time with her!

Pictures

2009-08-12T15:24:00.002-04:00

This week we had pictures taken by a friend from church of the kids at Holland State Park. Jessica just dropped off the cd and I couldn't wait to show them off! The kids were being goofy with squinting eyes because of the sun, but I love the pictures! Here's a few of many favorites!

Happy 9th Birthday Megan!

2009-08-06T06:19:00.005-04:00

Wow, it's really hard to believe that Megan is 9 today. It does not seem possible! I remember taking my little baby girl home from the hospital like it was yesterday. Megan has grown into such a sweetheart! She really cares about others and for the most part is a well behaved little girl! When Megan was born, she really was anything but little though. You wouldn't know now by looking at her but when Megan was born, she weighed 9 pounds 7 ounces and was 21 inches long! Happy Birhtday Megan, I love you so much and am so proud of the girl you have become!

4th of July Weekend

2009-07-06T09:26:00.002-04:00

Wow! What a great weekend! Friday my dad and I took the kids to Holland State Park for the day. After Scott and my mom were done working, they met us at Kollen Park in Holland to watch fireworks. This was put on by JQ99 and was lots of fun. Getting out of Holland was not so much fun and we didn't end up getting home until midnight. Saturday we went to the Kentwood Parade then to Gun Lake for boating with Scott's parents. When we got back from that, we went to my aunts for a cookout followed by fireworks at Kentwood. That was another long night! The kids didn't wake up until 9 am as I was going out the door for church. After lunch, we went swimming with friends! It was a lot in one weekend but so much fun! Hope you all had a great holiday spent with friends and family!

Welcome Mason!(A week late!)

2009-06-22T13:48:00.005-04:00

June 16 at 11:17 am, Sara and James welcomed Mason William into the world. I'm glad to have another baby in the family to love on and so are the kids! Cody adores Mason and loves when he sticks out his tongue. They constantly ask when we're going to see him next and he hasn't been here a whole week yet! Congratulations Sara and James, you're going to be great parents! I would have put this up sooner but I wanted to include a picture and kept forgetting my camera.

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T07:25:00.003-04:00

Happy Father's Day to all the dad's out there, especially the new one dad's like James! I am extremely lucky to have found someone like Scott to have kids with. He is a great dad and loves being home with them. Scott always comes right home after work so he can see the kids and is great with them! Scott is a good match for me because he lets the kids be kids while I make sure they don't do too many crazy things so they stay healthy!

I also want to wish a happy father's day to the Grandpa's in our kids lives! They are even better at letting the kids be kids because they don't have rules with Grandpa! My dad is Cody's buddy and both kids love looking and playing on firetrucks with them. Scott's dad is their playmate. Every time we go to their house, the adults stay upstairs and the kids and Grandpa go play in the basement. Thanks Dad's for being such great Grandpa's to my kids!

Happy Birthday Dad!!

2009-06-12T07:34:00.002-04:00

Today is my dad's birthday and I just want to wish him a happy birthday! Cody and my dad are hilarious together. Cody has called my dad Buddy for at least the last 3 years. It's so cute to watch the 2 of them play together! Thanks Dad for providing my kids a playmate and someone to love firetrucks with! Hope you have a good day!!

Pampered Chef Chicken Broccoli Wreath

2009-06-11T07:59:00.004-04:00

12 oz. cooked chicken, chopped (2 cups - about
3 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast halves)
1 C. broccoli, chopped
1/2 C. red bell pepper, chopped(I never put this in)
1 clove garlic, pressed
4 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1/3 C. mayonnaise-or as little as you can use to stick it together
2 tsp. All-purpose Dill Mix (or 1 teaspoon dill weed)
1/4 tsp. salt
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 T. slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Chop chicken and broccoli and place in bowl. Add chopped red bell pepper. Press garlic over mixture and shred cheese over mixture. Add mayonnaise, dill mix and salt. Mix well.

Unroll crescent rolls and arrange triangles in a circle on a 15" baking stone with the bases overlapping in center and points toward the outside. Scoop filling mixture onto widest portion of each triangle. Fold points of triangle over filling and tuck under base at center. (Filling will not be completely covered.) Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

I served this at Sara's shower and some of the people wanted the recipe. Here's it is Sarah!!

Cody's Slide Show

2009-06-07T16:45:00.002-04:00

I forgot to mention Cody was 6 pounds 14 ounces and 19 inches long. He was my little peanut compared to his sister! Below is his slide show...Enjoy! Turn off my music to listen to the song I put with the slide show!!

Happy 6th Birthday Cody!

2009-06-07T06:49:00.006-04:00

Today my youngest child turns 6 and I'm not ready. No matter how hard I try, I can't get him to stop growing! I love both of my kids so much that unless you're a mom, I don't think you understand that love. Cody though, he's something else! He's always been different, since I found out I was pregnant with him. He was born 6 years ago today at 5:20 am (I actually woke up at this time this morning!). I had fallen the day before almost 20 hours before he was born so he came out blue from swallowing meconium. Nicu was there when he came out and worked on him for an hour before I even got to hold him. Talk about your worse nightmare coming true. Luckily after working on him for an hour, they decided they'd watch him carefully the next few days and never did take him there.

Looking at Cody today, you would never guess he had a rocky beginning! This boy is full of energy and always amazes me with what he does. So far we've had 1 broken nose and only one concussion! I count myself lucky with watching what he does! Cody is constantly on the move and talking. I have learned to deal with that after 6 years but it does drive some people crazy (Scott!). I'll pick Cody up from a sitter and the first thing they say to me is that he never stopped moving and never stopped talking! My sister has named him Radio Cody after riding in a car to North Carolin with him and we all think it fits! While Cody is all boy, there is part of him that is still so sweet and sensitive. He still loves to cuddle with us, loves babies, loves to sit and read for a bit and is also aware of others feelings! I love that he is a good combination of wild but sensitive!

Below are a few of Cody's favorite things:

Favorite Colors: Green and Yellow
Favorite Food: chicken
Favorite Snack: cheese and crackers
Grade in School (2009-2010 school year): 1st Grade
Favorite Subject: Recess(I don't think that's a subject but it's so not worth arguing with a 6 year old!)
Favorite Disney Character: Minnie Mouse
Favorite Thing To Do: Play Star Wars
Favorite Restaurant: McDonalds
What he wants to be when he grows up: Changes by the day but today it's a Fire fighter

We'll post the slide show later! I've been a little busy with school ending and other things so I let that go a little. It's almost ready! Leave any comments annd I'll put them in his book!!!

June Jam

2009-06-03T12:18:00.007-04:00

Today was the June Jam for the kids school. It's like field day but with a different name. The kids had a blast and so did I! There was a dj there teaching the kids different dances. Cody learned the cha cha slide. I think it's been a while since I laughed so hard. Cody and the rest of the kindergartners couldn't always remember which foot was left and which was right so they bumped into each other the whole time! Megan did a couple different songs which I didn't know but did a whole lot better than her brother! It was fun watching both of them today! Enjoy the videoes!
Megan's video is short because I couldn't get the longer one turned correctly.

Megan's Slide show-now you can see it!

2009-05-27T16:27:00.004-04:00

At school, Megan's class has been learning about the rainforest. this is her slide show she created on google documents at school and I thought I'd share it with you! You do have to cut and paste into your bar to be able to see it! Thanks! Sorry for the confusion, because I was signed in on our computer, I didn't realize you couldn't see it! Enjoy my talented third grader(almost 4th grader) girl!

Happy Memorial Day!

2009-05-25T07:07:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to say I hope you all have a good day today and enjoy your families! Above is a picture from the Veteran's home/cemetery in downtown Grand Rapids. We as a Girl Scout Troop were able to help place flags on the headstones of fallen veterans. I think it is such an honor that we can do this as a small way to thank those who have fought for our freedom! Thank you veteran's for all you have done!

10 Years!

2009-05-22T06:20:00.002-04:00

Wow, I can hardly believe it's been 10 years since I married my best friend. Some days it seems like yesterday, other days it seems like we've been married forever! If you had told me 10 years ago all that we would have gone through, I wouldn't have believed it. We have had many ups and downs but I know that they have made us better people and gave us the 2 wonderful kids we have today! I love you Scott and I'm glad that everything we've been through, it's been with you!

Growing Plants

2009-05-06T16:39:00.001-04:00

I never keep plants because I don't ever water them. It's just something I can't ever remember for some reason! Megan apparently has the opposite problem. Yesterday, she came home with a plant she'd been growing at school. She told us you hold it under the water for 10 seconds and you do it 3 times a day! I thought it sounded like a lot for a little plant but she knew what she'd been doing in school. Wrong, don't trust third grader! Her dirt was floating in the cup this morning and she asked if I could water it at lunch! I dumped the water out while trying not to laugh and told her I thought it was good for a few days.

I asked her teacher about it today and I was told they spray the plant 10 times with a water bottle. Not sure how she got it so confused but it made me smile! Another day with my kids, another funny story! Love them!!!

Happy 15th Birthday Katie!

2009-05-05T07:13:00.002-04:00

Just quick wanted to say happy birthday to my niece Katie. I hope you have a great day and we'll see you on Sunday! Katie is so great with my kids and always keeps them occupied when we have get togethers so I'm able to visit and not worry about the kids. I really appreciate that Katie, Thanks!!

ABC's of Me

2009-05-04T07:11:00.002-04:00

I did this on facebook and thought it would make a fun post!

A - Age: 30

B - Bed size: Queen

C - Chore you hate: folding laundry

D - Dog or Cat: Cat-if I had to do it all over again though, I'd make them outdoor cats
E - Essential start your day item: Shower/ Mountain Dew

F - Favorite color: pink

G - Gold or Silver: Gold

H - Height: 5' 1"

I - Instruments you play(ed): Flute, Piano

J - Job title: Mommy

K - Kid(s): 1 daughter and 1 son

L - Living arrangements: My kids and my husband

M - Mom's name: Karen

N - Nicknames: Kel/ Mommy/ Mama

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: When I was a baby different times for seizures and reflux(I think those were the reasons!)

P - Pet Peeve: kids high pitch screaming

Q - Quote from a movie: I don't watch enough movies!

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: 1 sister, 1 brother

T - Time you wake up: 6:30

U- Underwear:really? not going to answer that one!

V-Vegetable you dislike? most of them but especially broccoli

W - Ways you run late? kids, husband

X - X-rays you've had? Teeth,wrist

Y - Yummy food you make: Chicken Enchiladas, Sloppy Joes

Z - Zoo favorite: Tigers, Lions, and Zebras

Happy Birthday Anna

2009-05-03T07:40:00.003-04:00

Just quick wanted to say happy birthday to Anna. We miss you and hope to see you soon! We hope you have an awesome 13th birthday! You are such a sweet teenager, you deserve a great day! Love you!

Love this song!

2009-04-30T20:55:00.002-04:00

Tonight I was looking for new songs for my blog and stumbled across this song. I have listened to and even sang along with this song many times. Tonight though, this song spoke to me. I listened to the words and thought about what it really means to lean on Jesus. That is my struggle with God, is leaning on him and giving him my whole problem and believing that He will resolve it how He wants. I believe God gave this to me at the perfect time and I wanted to share it with you! Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Kim!

2009-04-29T12:59:00.003-04:00

Just a quick post to say happy birthday to my sister! I don't have any pictures of her that she would want posted. Kim is a great sister, aunt, mother, daughter, and friend. The kids love spending time with her and so do I. Kim is always there to answer any question I have and I'm so lucky to have her as a sister! Hope you have a great day Kim, and look, your age was not posted!!!

Busy times!

2009-04-21T08:21:00.002-04:00

Whew! The last few weeks have flown by! We've had lots going on with the kids and everything. A few weeks ago, a friend's sister cut, and colored my hair. When she was styling it, she straightened it. It was fun to have it straight but it took her a long time so I won't be doing it myself. It was fun to see all the reactions to it though, I have had it straight in over 15 years, and I'm not sure Scott ever really liked it!!!

We had Spring Break last week and for the first time in 5 years, we didn't go to North Carolina. We normally go see Anna but because of the trip to Disney, we decided we couldn't afford for Scott to take more time off. We really missed her though and hope to see her sometime this fall!

Cody and Megan have started soccer again. This adds to Awana, bowling, and Girl Scouts! Thankfully Awana and bowling will be coming to an end so we can concentrate on soccer and Girl Scouts instead of tiring out the kids by doing so much in a week. Last Saturday was their first game and Megan had an assist! She is doing so well in soccer this year, I'm very proud of her. Cody's team lost again, but that's ok, this is a learning year for all of them!!! I will post some pictures/video to go along with the post later!

Cody's Performance

2009-03-18T06:02:00.006-04:00

Cody's Kindergarten class had his music performance last night! It was so cute. They did the story from the book Hats for Sale with all 4 kindergarten classes. The morning classes were birds and the afternoon classes were the monkeys! Cody did really well and I think he enjoyed it. He did spend a lot of time wiping his nose though, a new nervous habit perhaps?! My parents are in Florida enjoying the nice sun so this post is for them! Cody is in the front in the yellow t-shirt between the little girl in blue and the boy in green.

Happy 30th Birthday Scott!

2009-03-07T20:47:00.006-05:00

Today is Scott's birthday and I wanted to just say that I am so thankful that he is in my life! I am blessed to have him and so are the kids. He is a great Dad, playing with them all the time and caring for us. He is also a great husband and I am thankful that he goes to work everyday so that I can be a stay at home mom! I love that we are able to do that! Below are some pictures from when we celebrated his birthday at Chef Mickey's last month. Anyway, leave Scott some birthday wishes, he does read this every now and then!!

God is Good!

2009-03-06T18:34:00.002-05:00

Megan has been wanting to get baptized for quite a while now. I think it was because she was watching her friends do it. We decided that she needed to wait a while and think about if it's what she truly wants. I found a book at Family Christian by Stormie Omartian The Power of a Praying Kid. Stormie writes a whole series about prayer for husbands, wives, parents, etc and I've found that they're really easy to read. I bought this for Megan and she loves it! The first chapter is about accepting Christ into your heart. First night of reading this book and Megan prayed to ask Him in! Ever since then, she reads that chapters and writes things down that it asks her to. I found at the end of one chapter something extra she wrote that I wanted to share, it reminds me to have childlike faith: I love God so much. He is good. Let them praise your great and awesome name. He is holy! She then prceded to write God and Megan on either side of a heart like I used to do when I fell in love with someone!!

This was so cute and random I just had to share. Children do the cutest things and totally trust God with all their heart. I struggle with giving things over 100% but I thought Megan's words were a great reminder of how to love without limits!

Disney slide show(Attempt #2)

2009-02-17T08:27:00.001-05:00

Disney Slide Show #1

2009-02-17T07:19:00.001-05:00

http://s235.photobucket.com/albums/ee223/kve52299/Disney%202009/?action=view¤t=329d4e48.pbw

Here's the link for a cute slide show of our trip. I did it on photobucket and it's telling me the tag's not closed, whatever that means. I'll work on one I can post later but for now, just cut and paste the link!

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-14T15:30:00.002-05:00

Today is Valentines day and it will always be a special to us. Scott proposed 11 years ago today. I had been waiting for the day he would ask me for months. I remember thinking that my birthday would have been the day. That and Christmas came and went and no ring. I finally decided not to worry, he'd do it when he was ready. Scott doesn't love change so this was a big change for him. We went to his parents house(they were not there!) and he made me pizza. After the pizza, we exchanged gifts. He gave me a card that had a question on it which then led him to proposing. After he proposed, we danced to the song Valentine by Martin McBride. I love this man and I'm so glad we ended up together! I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else! I'll leave you with a picture my parents took Valentines Day 11 years ago. We've changed a lot since then!

2009-02-12T15:17:00.002-05:00

Here's a video of Cody doing Jedi Training. After he went back to the line, you can see a storm trooper point a gun at him. Cody's eyes got really big and you can see him trying to get away! Both kids were so funny during their training!

We're Back!

2009-02-12T06:02:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to say that we are back and had a great time! It was so much fun down there and warm the last 5 days. The first 3 park days were cold! It was maybe 55 at the high which would hit around 3 or 4 after we'd been in the park since 8 or 9! I really wish we had brought gloves those days! The rest of the time it was in the 70's and 80's. So nice to see the sun and feel warmth again. I think now I can make it until Spring. We landed yesterday with Cody throwing up from all the turbulence we experienced on the way home. Fun flight! I hate flying and it didn't help at all. If you see Megan or Cody, ask them about Pirate Training and Jedi Training. If you ask Cody, you'll get an earful but he had a blast! I will post some pictures and video later from our trip.

Bye Bye Cold!

2009-02-01T20:41:00.004-05:00

We are leaving for warmer weather. This time tomorrow, we should be landing in Orlando. I don't need hot, just no snow! The kids are so excited for Disney but it's been a hard couple days. I feel bad for being joyful when we've been with Scott's family who is having to bury a mother, grandmother, and sister. I know Grandma was looking forward to hear all about it, so it's kind of bittersweet. I will blog when we get home. There will be plenty of pictures to post and even some video because we upgraded our video camera today so we can hook it up to the computer! I'll leave you with two of my favorite pictures from last time, it was on my birthday and both kids are dressed up!

Lots to catch up on!

2009-01-29T07:08:00.003-05:00

It's been quite the week since I posted last. We are still so very excited about our trip, only 4 days to go!!!! The kids are so excited, I keep expecting to hear they've been naughty at school! We are looking forward to the sunshine and warmth. I know it's been a little cold down there but as long as there's no snow, I'll count it better than here!

In the meantime, Scott's grandma became very sick and was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She had dementia and wasn't very healthy to begin with so there was no possibility of treatment. Grandma went to be with Jesus last night, as Megan puts it. While we are sad she's not here anymore, we know it's better for her because she's not suffering anymore. We will definitely miss having her around!

I haven't been able to record Cody reading yet, every time I do, he of course won't read or gives up after one sentence! Anyway, I'm not sure I'll have time to post again before we leave, so please pray that the travel goes smooth. That is my biggest fear, is the plane ride and I try not to let the kids know of my fear so that they don't get scared. We take off from the Detroit airport on Monday at 6:30 pm with Spirit Air. We leave Orlando at 8:30 am on Wednesday the 11th. I'll make sure to post when we get back and I'll only have a few pictures to share! Last time we took 1500 in one week!

Bittersweet

2009-01-16T10:12:00.000-05:00

As a mom, there are moments in our children's lives that are very bittersweet. School starting and all that it brings is one I can think of. The last few weeks Cody's been really taking off with his reading. As a mom, I am happy because this means that all the work I've been doing with him the last 2 1/2 years is paying off. When he was 3, I did preschool with him while Megan was in school all day and have continued to work with him since then. This summer I blogged about him starting to read when we were working on the 100 easy lessons book. Now I, and his teacher, have noticed him reading everything he lays eyes on! This is happy for me but it's also a little sad because this is my baby. He's growing up and there's sometimes feels like he doesn't need me much anymore. I know this isn't totally true, he needs me to feed him, love him, and much more but this is just the beginning. I will have to record him reading on my camera when I have time so you all can see how well he's doing. Thanks for listening!

Christmas, New Years, and New Fears

2009-01-07T07:20:00.003-05:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks around here! Lots of fun but very busy. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were lots of fun. The kids were of course totally spoiled! On Christmas Eve, Scott got out of work early so he came home and played in the snow with the kids! They had so much fun throwing snowballs and Scott threw the kids in the air and they landed in all the snow!

After that we went the Scott's parents for our celebration with them. It was a nice night and we had lots of fun. The next morning was our family time to celebrate Christmas. We had the kids open the stockings and santa gifts.

After that we made monkey bread and opened the presents from each other. The last big gift was the trip to Disney World. We did a scavenger hunt and had it end in Megan's room with a note saying 39 days until Disney. Neither kids saw the sign, they were looking below it! Finally we told them to look up and when they did, they didn't react near what we thought. Megan gasped and Cody asked where the next clue was! They are now getting more excited each day but we now know not to tell them Christmas Day!

After our time, we went to my parents and had lots of fun there! Megan got the Ruthie doll she wanted so bad! It made her day!

New Years Eve the kids celebrated with my sister and her family. They had fake champagne and were in bed by about 9! We went to a friends from church and celebrated with our Pointe Group. We had a great time and Scott loved playing Wii with the guys!

The latest new fear we have at our house is Cody's absolute fear of his room at night. He doesn't like how dark it is outside when he goes to bed. We are going to try to move things around so his bed's not by the window anymore but I'm not sure that will help. I really hope it does but I'm at a total loss as to why he's so scared. He won't tell us what happened to make it such a big deal every night with screaming and crying. Any ideas out there of what to do would be greatly appreciated! Below is a picture of how I found Cody Monday night when I was going to bed!

Sorry the post is so long! Have a great day!

Christmas Slide show

2009-01-07T06:30:00.000-05:00

Happy 40th Anniversary Mom and Dad!

2008-12-28T16:28:00.002-05:00

Ok, I know this is a day late but I spent all day yesterday trying to get their present(a scrapbook of their lives together) done before dinner. It didn't work but it was worth a shot! For my parents anniversary, they took all 16 of us out for dinner! It was a lot of fun and I'm glad they wanted to spend it with us! Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! I can't believe you've been together for 40 years, though I'm glad you did! Below is a picture of them 40 years ago and a picture of them in September of this year:

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T06:17:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy spending time with your families and celebrating the REAL reason of Christmas! Below is a video of Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant. One of my all time favorite Christmas Songs! Enjoy!

Snow Day!

2008-12-21T15:08:00.002-05:00

It has been to many days of snow for me. I know, it's the first day of winter so I'd better get used to it! Only 43 days though until we see Mickey and Minnie and warm sun!! I am getting so excited to tell the kids I can hardly stand it! Today I made them Mickey pancakes for breakfast and each day and dropping some clue/hint about going. I am planning on wrapping up things that I've got them and put in part of the sentence "We are going to Disney February 2" and letting them spell out the sentence. Any other ideas would be appreciated. Mickey may call about 9:40 in the morning but I'm not sure if our reservations qualify for the call so I'm debating whether or not to give them the gift before or after when the call is supposed to come.

Anyway, we have been doing a ton of baking the last 2 days! Yesterday I made sugar cookies, haystacks, and macaroons. Evan, Gretchen, and Kira came down to help decorate the sugar cookies. It was a lot of fun and the cookies had a little more sprinkles than normal! Today we made molasses cookies and Russian Tea Balls. The kids helped roll out the molasses cookies then we put belly buttons(raisins) and sugar on! I used to do this with my grandma and it's one of the only memories I have of her. I love that my kids are now doing this also! Below is a slide show of all the cookies and fun we've had. We didn't get any of decorating the sugar cookies, we were to busy assisting the kids to get pictures!

Disney!

2008-12-18T20:10:00.001-05:00

My sister in law, Sara, sent this by email! It's so cute I had to post it here!

Cody's Latest

2008-12-17T17:45:00.002-05:00

Just so I can remember I wanted to write this down. I think this might be the funniest thing Cody's said! If you don't know much about Cody, he's a 5 year old boy who has his mouth moving all day!

Monday we were at Walgreen's and Cody was talking to another lady in line about Star Wars (thanks Katie!). The woman gave me a look of pity that I had to listen to him all day (you really just eventually tune it out!). When we got in the car Cody told me that he didn't know how to shut his mouth properly! He then said he tries to shut his mouth but it doesn't stay closed! This is the most accurate description of Cody! I of course chose that second to take a sip of pop and just about spit it all over the van!!

Anyway, just thought I'd entertain you! Have a good day!

Happy Birthday Kristin!!

2008-12-16T06:20:00.002-05:00

Today is my friend Kristin's birthday today! She is an amazing woman! Kristin lost her husband, Ryan, 6 months ago and has truly been an inspiration to me and many others. Her faith is rock solid and you can tell she has a great relationship with God which is helping her get through this. I know today is going to be hard for her today, so please pray for her especially now and through the next few weeks as more firsts without Ryan are happening. Kristin, you are a great friend, awesome mother, and even though Ryan's not here anymore, I can see the love you have for him when you talk about him! I am so grateful you decided to come to Chapel Pointe so I could meet you and call you my friend. I am truly privileged to be able to call you my friend! Happy Birthday!

Chicago

2008-12-16T06:05:00.002-05:00

This past weekend I went to Chicago with 2 good friends, Kristin and Jessica to celebrate someone's 30th birthday, no names will be mentioned though! It was so much fun! We stayed right above the Weber Grill in downtown Chicago. The hotel was beautiful! We bought a lot and froze even more. I got a lot of Christmas shopping done finally! Megan is getting Ruthie and Cody I bought Star War Legos for. I am thankful for my parents watching the kids so I could enjoy myself. I brought the camera and when we were walking around at night, I was so glad I did. The city was just beautiful all lit up! Enjoy the slide show.

photo tag

2008-12-14T15:30:00.006-05:00

I read a blog about quads and the mom tagged all the blog readers for a photo tag. The rules are:

1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer

2) Select the 4th picture in the folder

3) Explain the picture

4) Tag 4 people to do the same

NO CHEATING! (cropping, editing, etc!)

My picture ended up being a picture of Megan at a park in Cutlerville. We had Lisa, Sarah, Allison, Betsy, and Grandma VE at the park to celebrate Cody's 3rd birthday in 2006. They have grown so much! Here's the picture:

I tag: Rachael, Tami, Sarah K., and Melissa.

Christmas Decorations & Santa

2008-12-07T15:05:00.000-05:00

I don't know why but I've not really felt like blogging lately. It's been a busy past couple weeks around here with my birthday, Thanksgiving and all the other little things going on.

We put up the Christmas decorations a couple weeks ago but I never got to show the pictures of that. The pictures of the outside of the house will now have to wait until Scott fixes the lights. They were ripped down by icicles today and our blow up Santa blew a fan so he no longer works either. All we have left outside that's working are 2 reindeer!

Today I was at Meijer and noticed they had Santa so when I got home I asked the kids if they wanted to go see him. To my shock they did. These are the kids that don't like going to Chuck E. Cheese because Chuck E. might come out. How they loved the Disney characters is beyond me! Anyway, the pictures are in the post below!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-07T15:03:00.001-05:00

Pennies from Heaven

2008-12-01T14:20:00.002-05:00

I received this in an email today and wanted to pass it along. It's cute and gets you thinking! Thanks Jen!

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.
Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than their house.
The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband.
He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.

Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny.

He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire sc ene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his

pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?

'Look at it.' He said. 'Read what it says.' She read the words ' United States of America '
'No, not that; read further.'
'One cent?' 'No, keep reading.'
'In God we Trust?' 'Yes!' 'And?'
'And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, 'In God We Trust,' and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient..

Thought for the Day:

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.
If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.
He sends you flowers every spring.
He sends you a sunrise every morning Face it, friend - He is crazy about you!

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

Read this line very slowly and let it sink in...

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Christmas Tag

2008-11-24T21:58:00.004-05:00

I found this tag on my friend Kristin's blog. I thought it was a fun to do. If you have a blog, you're it!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper
2. Real tree or Artificial? artificial
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the day after Thanksgiving; this year it went up early
4. When do you take the tree down? Usually after New Years
5. Do you like eggnog? NO
6. Favorite gift received as a child?
7. Hardest person to buy for? Scott
8. Easiest person to buy for? Megan
9. Do you have a nativity scene? 3
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I don't remember?!
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Polar Express
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? September-October
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cookies
16. Lights on the tree? yes, white
17. Favorite Christmas song? Breath of Heaven-Mary's Song by Amy Grant
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel to Kentwood!
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? No
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel-Precious Moments
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Both
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Snow
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Disney
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Ham
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Trip To Disney

Mystery Present Revealed!

2008-11-20T19:19:00.003-05:00

I opened my presents from Scott and the kids tonight and all I have to say is WOW!! The kids each got me a nutcracker to add to my collection and Scott got me a ring I've been wanting for 4 years! It's a mothers ring and it's beautiful. There were 4 diamonds and 2 were replaced with Megan and Cody's birthstones. The 2 diamonds left represent Brianna and the miscarriage I had before Megan. This way I have a reminder of all my babies! I love this ring and am very shocked he was able to get it! Scott has been saving for 4 years for this ring! The wait is totally worth it! Below is a picture of it (click on the picture to see it close up). The outer two stones are the diamonds and the kids stones are in the middle! Love it! Thanks Scott, what a perfect way to end an already great day!!

Blessed!

2008-11-20T16:00:00.002-05:00

Today has been such a great day I wanted to thank you all! I have felt so blessed that people have called and told me happy birthday! It means a lot from everything to the calls and the lunch my friends took me to! I was able to go out with four great friends for lunch at On The Border. Thanks Kristin, Jenny, Tami, and Nikki for coming with and for lunch. It was a great time! The kids have been so cute all week planning things and getting a present. I will post later the mystery gift that Scott got for me. He's been hilarious all week saying I know what it is and I honestly have not a clue. Our latest joke is he got a million dollar check off of Craigslist for less than $100! Then I can go to Disney in style!! Thanks again all for making this such a great day!

Fun Days

2008-11-19T06:12:00.008-05:00

This week I am so thankful for Scott and the kids. Monday Scott worked a very long day (13 1/2 hours)! Those days always seem to drag when he's gone. To make it even more interesting, it was a rollerskating party for the kids school. I decided to try it to get rid of the mood I was in and have some fun with the kids. This was Megan's 2nd time rollerskating and after warming up for a while, she did pretty good! Cody on the other hand, was interesting. Those of who know Cody well probably wonder why I put 8 wheels underneath the child who gets hurt with tennis shoes on! It wasn't near as bad as I thought it would be! I honestly was expecting to at least to be placing a call to the Dr. and describing the head injury! He never did hit his head but his rear end spent as much time on the floor as his feet! I laughed a lot watching him but did not get many pictures because I was busy picking him up all the time! Below are the pictures and one of them is my friend Katie who decided to use my camera when I left it with her!

Tuesday night we didn't have anything to do so the kids played and found lots of different things to do! The highlight of the night was hangman. Megan was playing that and so Cody decided to also! Scott and I laughed so hard at him while trying to hide it! He picks up a paper, makes the spot to draw the man and then just started drawing lines. After about 8 lines I finally asked if he knew what word he was doing, which he didn't! Scott and I guessed letters of the alphabet and even went through it twice! Sometimes one letter would be in there, the next time it wasn't! It was so funny watching him decide what letters were and weren't in his "word"! I am so thankful for the three of them, how else would I get my laughs? Below is a picture of his "word" and "man" which turned out to be circles and lines! Enjoy!

PS-be on the lookout for Christmas decorating pictures soon! Last year our stuff was only up like 3 weeks so I'm making the most of it this year! When does your stuff go up? Anyone else as eager as me?!

Great Veterans Day Video

2008-11-11T16:25:00.001-05:00

This video says everything I tried to say earlier, only better! Don't forgot to pause my music at the left.

Veterans Day

2008-11-11T06:34:00.002-05:00

Today is Veterans Day. It is a time to say thank you to all who have served our country. Those that were brave enough to go to war to protect our country and protect our rights. I can't even imagine what these men and women have been through when the go to war. Today I want to say thank you to those I know that have been there and protected us! My Dad is the first. He went to Vietnam war to protect us when our country was not supportive of our soldiers. For the most part, people now thank our soldiers and give them respect, my Dad and others in the Vietnam war did not receive that when they got home. How awful to fight for our rights and then get criticized for that! Thank you Dad! The second person I know if Aaron. He is in the service now and served in the current war. Thank you for the time you dedicated to serving our country and also for continuing to serve currently! Make sure you say thank you to all the veteran's out there today! They make us able to live in the great country we have today!

Fun Recipe Sites

2008-11-10T11:10:00.002-05:00

I was blog hopping today and found this fun blog. This blog is cooking everyday in a crock pot. She has a lot of good ideas and a new recipe everyday! What I like best is she cooks for her family and then gives honest feedback of how it went! The author was also on Rachel Ray a while ago. Here's her link http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ . Just thought I'd share, I'm always looking for new recipes to try! Enjoy!

Park Days Scrapbook

2008-11-07T13:08:00.002-05:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

November??

2008-11-07T07:04:00.002-05:00

It is hard to believe these last few days have actually been in November! Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were so nice that we made the most of the nice weather!! How often can you send the kids to school in short sleeves? On Tuesday we went to Hagar Park after Cody got home from school. We met Nikki and Kristin there and the kids were able to play for an hour in the beautiful sunshine! When we pulled up to the park there were quite a few cars there. Cody's first thought when he saw how many cars were there was, "Look how many new friends I can make!" I love that he has that attitude! What a great way to look at that! Wednesday we had a friend from school come play. Cody had a great time with that! Thursday we got Megan out of school during lunch time and went to a park to eat and play. It was so much fun having her home in the middle of the day! Cody and Megan had a blast playing with each other. I have some pictures of Megan holding Cody's hand while he is on the balance beam! It's one of my favorites! I'll have to print it out and keep it somewhere so when they're fighting, I can remind them that they do get along!!

The 30 day challenge is still going on. I am on day 14 and it's a great one for Scott. Scott is definitely a man of integrity. Some construction workers aren't always the most honest and clean people yet Scott is able to show others a good example. I love that he is able to show them the good example that he can be and never change his ways! What a great example for our kids as well!
Following is today's post: Day Fourteen:
"The righteous man walks in his integrity . . ." Prov. 20:7a

Every week there are news reports about men who gave in to temptations and compromised what they said they believed. We hear countless reports about dishonest business dealings, hidden infidelity, and hypocritical leaders. It's so easy to focus on these things and ignore those who are being honest, faithful and genuine. As you continue in the "30-Day Encouragement Challenge," determine to look for ways that your husband stands against the culture.

Is your spouse a man of integrity? Is he fair in his dealings with people? Does he understand the meaning of justice? Is he honest in business? Unhypocritical in his faith? Consider all the ways a man can live in integrity, and praise your husband for one of them. As you have the opportunity—as it is appropriate—share examples of your husband's honesty and integrity with others.

Vote

2008-11-04T08:32:00.001-05:00

I voted today! Have you?

Halloween Slideshow!

2008-11-03T15:58:00.001-05:00

Hagar Park

2008-11-03T15:47:00.002-05:00

On Saturday we decided to go to Hagar Park to get some fall photos. I don't know how people do this for a living! I was going crazy trying to get the kids to smile, look at the camera, etc...! Below is the slide show of the pictures we did get. Let me know what your favorites are. By clicking on the slideshow, you can look at the whole album! Thanks! Above is the halloween slideshow. Enjoy!

Hagar Park Photos

2008-11-03T15:42:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T09:14:00.002-04:00

Wow, what a busy day! We started out trick or treating at Tendercare in Wyoming on Thursday night. Scott's Grandma is there after falling and breaking her wrist so we went to see her and get some candy! All the people there sat in their doorway and handed out candy to the little monsters who came around! The kids had a fun time there and it was nice to see Grandma again!

Friday I was on the go non stop. I dropped the kids at school and then ran to Target to get the candy for that night. I then had to be back to school by 10:30 for Cody's party and parade. That was fun watching the kids parade around the playground! The party was fun and all the kids had a blast. After that was done, we went to show off the firefighter at Grandma's work where we found one of the Doctor's dressed as Eeyore! After lunch and some down time, we went to Megan's school for her parade and party. Cody was able to go in Megan's parade as well. This time he was Buzz Lightyear! After that parade, Megan's classmates had planned the party and it was interesting to say the least!! All the kids had fun and that's what really matters, right?! Grandma and Grandpa T. came over for dinner and then handed out candy for us while we took the kids out. Grandpa was dressed as Bob the Builder! Cody thought that was so funny!! We had a ball but were all very tired last night!! The pictures of our day will be in the next post! Hope you all had a safe and happy Halloween!!

Encouraging the Husbands

2008-10-27T21:03:00.003-04:00

So day 3 is today and I still don't feel like I'm doing a good job of encouraging Scott. There are so many excuses but the bottom line is I need to try harder. I am looking forward to tomorrow because this is something I try anyway but it normally gets left behind in the craziness of our days. If any of you have joined the challenge, let me know how it's going for you! Tomorrow's challenge is this:
Day Four:
" . . . let him labor, working with his hands what is good . . . " Eph. 4:28

We are all accountable for the things we say, both negative and positive words. Have you embraced the challenge to speak only positive things to your husband and to others about him? Here's a suggestion that touches the core of your husband's world.

Some women take their husband's career for granted, and they show it in many ways. Do you "dump" on your husband at the end of the workday, or do you strengthen and encourage him with your words? A wise wife will make her husband feel that she values and appreciates his work. Let him know that you are glad he is a hard worker. Take opportunities to praise his diligence and resourcefulness to others.

If your husband is out of work, unable to work, or refuses to work, you'll need to be more creative. Praise him for a character quality that you see in him that would be a vital part of a successful career—such as persistence, decisiveness, strength, an analytical mind, organizational skills, good with people, good listener, determination, etc.

Scott works so hard at his job and I know it's something I could never do. I just don't think I'd ever in a million years be able to read a blue print. Then if I did figure it out, what to do from there and not burn places down for wiring things wrong!! I am so thankful that he goes to work and works hard so that I can raise our children! Thanks Scott for all you do! I love you!

Busy Weekend!

2008-10-26T08:07:00.002-04:00

I forgot to include the link to the 30 day challenge. http://www.reviveourhearts.com/downloads/?id=9471. This is the site with the challenge. I am looking forward to today when we actually have more than 5 minutes without kids interrupting so I can try day 2!!

This weekend has been a very fun and very busy! It started by carving a pumpkin with Cody's class on Friday morning. I had a group of 5 kids and we had to guess how much the pumpkin weighed, weigh it, guess how many seeds there were, then count and finally carve a face and name it! The kids had a blast but I only got 1 picture because I didn't want to get my camera all gross! There were over 470 seeds. That's pretty much a guess because I felt like we were running out of time so the kids counted groups of 10. Some didn't really want to so it's anyone's guess whether there were 10 in their piles or not!!! I'm so thankful that I'm able to stay home so I can participate in things like this!! That night we were supposed to go to a football game because it was Bauerwood night but we decided not to because it had rained all day. The kids were disappointed but we still had a great weekend.

Saturday we made up not going to the game by going to see High School Musical 3. It was OK, but I was reminded why we don't go to movies very often! We went to the matinee and it still cost $26 for all 4 of our tickets!! After the movie, we came home and carved pumpkins. Megan's says trick or treat and Cody designed his own from better homes and gardens site. He picked everything that looked like fire because we couldn't find a firefighter pattern. After carving pumpkins, I went to a benefit for my friend Kristin who lost her husband in June. Ryan's work, 5/3, put on a concert with a silent auction to help raise money for her! It was a little different than what I'm used to doing, but it was fun going with friends! Scott and I had a good laugh at the fact I was leaving the house at 8 when we are normally home for the night at that time! Below are a few pictures of the 3 pumpkins we carved this weekend!

30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge

2008-10-24T20:56:00.003-04:00

I found this on another blog and found this to be a great idea! It's a 30 day challenge to encourage your husband instead of being discouraging. I know I am not the greatest and seeing the best of everything but I do love Scott with all my heart and am so thankful I made a decision to switch high schools, which is where I ended up meeting Scott. I can't imagine what life would be like without Scott in my life. I'm getting to the point in my life where Scott and I will have been together more than apart. We started dating our Sophomore year of high school and have been married for 9 1/2 years. The past 13 years have had many highs and a lows but Scott's always been there for me no matter what! I am joining this 30 day challenge and will try my hardest to do this for Scott but also my children as well! Let me know if you are joining this as well! It is such a great thing to do!!! Following is the first day's expectations:

Day One:
"The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life." Prov. 31:11-12

To refresh your memory . . . here's the 30-Day Encouragement Challenge: for the next 30 days:

You can't say anything negative about your husband . . . to your husband . . . or to anyone else, about your husband.
Say something that you admire or appreciate about your husband. . . to your husband . . . and to someone else, about your husband!
To help you get started, have you ever thanked your husband for "choosing you" above all other women? He found you attractive as a person, and appreciated you. Though many circumstances in your marriage may have changed, let your husband know that you are glad God led you together, and that you want to be a blessing to him for the rest of your marriage. Let him know that he can trust you to be in his corner.

One of the best opportunities to express your gratitude is first thing in the morning. How do you greet your husband each morning? Is he confident in your love? Give him a "wake up call" that he'll never forget-a big "I love you" and an "I'm so glad I'm your wife!"

Post Op Appointment

2008-10-21T18:39:00.001-04:00

All went well at my post-op. I have been experiencing some different pain the last 2days that the doctor says is related to my surgery I had when I was little. They put a valve in when they did that surgery that keeps the stuff in the stomach. Since I had surgery, it's staying closed longer because the stomach is staying fuller longer. This creates an awful pain in my chest that woke me up early Sunday morning. The doctor says this will eventually work itself out. I also have not been keeping too much down yet and so I need to try Metamucil type medicine to see if that helps. Other than that, he said everything's looking well! Thanks again for your prayers and help!!!

Soccer and Hayride Pictures

2008-10-20T13:24:00.001-04:00

Life is Finally Slowing down!

2008-10-20T13:00:00.003-04:00

Saturday was the last game of the season! It starts again in April but I am ready for a break. The last 7 weeks have been crazy! We had Soccer practice on Monday and Tuesday, Awana on Wednesday, 2 games on Saturday and church twice on Sunday. I know we're not the only ones with that crazy of a schedule, but it gets exhausting after a while! Both kids did really well on Saturday. Megan scored her 2nd goal! She was so excited and it made it even better when she had 9 people cheering for her! Megan's teacher came along with Aunt Kim, Jessie and Grandma T., and Grandma and Grandpa VE. There was a very loud cheer when she scored!! The pictures below are of Megan's goal going in and Cody getting ready for the ball to be thrown in. Anyone else think the kids in the wrong sport getting ready like that?!

On Friday we went to a hayride and bonfire with our Pointe Group. The kids and Scott really are the only ones who did anything. I wasn't feeling well so I went home and joined them for the bonfire. The kids seemed to have lots of fun and needed a shower when we got home to get the hay off.

After the games on Saturday we went to Gemmens so Scott could get things to do work at a friends house. When we pulled in, there was a few things for the kids to do in the parking lot so we stayed outside while Scott ran in. The kids enjoyed the firetruck, monster truck and especially the moon bounce! It was better than shopping in Gemmens with 2 kids!!!

I am starting to feel better each day and hopefully it's only a matter of time before I feel better completely! Thank you all for your prayers and help! I thought things would be so different than how they turned out so I needed some extra help! Thanks again!

Great Song

2008-10-16T06:41:00.002-04:00

I was reading another blog this morning and came across this song. Wow is this a great reminder! Enjoy!

Soccer and Rambling

2008-10-13T06:31:00.003-04:00

Saturday was the kids soccer games. Sorry no pictures the camera's up stairs and I'm not going to get it now! The kids did very well and had tons of fans on Saturday. Cody is still disappointed that he doesn't get to play in the rain! Both Megan and Cody were very tired from running all over the field on such a nice warm day! They both got pumpkins at the end of Cody's game from Grandma and Grandpa T. They are giant pumpkins and Cody keeps asking when he can carve them. He doesn't quite get how far away Halloween is. Both kids have their outfits picked out and Cody actually has 2! 1 for school and 1 for at night! He couldn't decide so he's being both, saving the warmest for at night.

As for me, I am starting to feel somewhat better. There's an incision below where my ribs join that is bugging me the most. Any time I sit up right, it stretches and really hurts. The recovery time is driving me nuts! I had it all planned so I'd be better by yesterday so today would be no problem taking care of the kids by myself! Of course my plans may have been a little ambitious seeing how I was cut open in 4 different areas and a piece of me taken out. Live and learn! Thanks again for all your prayers! I forgot to tell Kristin thanks for filling in on Thursday!

Surgery

2008-10-11T06:47:00.003-04:00

Surgery went well but waking up did not. I have never before responded to the anesthesia like that before. The medicine made me so sick I was dry heaving/throwing up from the time I left the recovery room until about 10 pm. That was definitely not in my plans! I had the whole night planned out including Scott finishing his day at work and going to a meeting to my mom watching a volleyball game! Thanks Kristin and Katie for filling in for me on Thursday. It was nice to know even though things weren't going as planned, I had great friends filling in for me. My mom was great and left at 7 to get the kids and put them to bed. I finally left the hospital about 8 pm, 4 hours later than planned! I did get downstairs this morning to update but I am very tender and this will be my one trip down! Thank you all for your prayers and help! I appreciate everything you've all done!! It will be a couple more days before I update on the soccer games!

Out of Surgery

2008-10-09T14:24:00.001-04:00

I just talked to Scott; Kelly is out of surgery. Everything went as planned and really well. She will be in recovery for about 45 minutes before they thought she would start waking up.

Kristin

Surgery

2008-10-08T07:05:00.002-04:00

As many of you know, I am having surgery tomorrow at 12:30 pm. Please pray that all goes well and there's no complications. I am pretty calm about this but the closer it's getting, the more nervous I get. I have been getting sicker each week and now almost everything I eat makes me sick. I have a lot of great people offering to help! My mom is taking the day off to take care of me so Scott can work before and after the surgery. Kristin and Katie are getting the kids after school and my friend Mandy is bringing a meal on Friday. Jen was going to on Thursday but the surgery's so late I didn't think I'd be eating. I feel so blessed to have such great family and friends willing to help out! Thanks everyone for your help, I'll update as soon as I'm feeling better!

Goal!! (#2)

2008-10-05T07:27:00.002-04:00

This week was Megan's turn to get her goal! She has been so good this year and so close to getting her first goal. Last week Aunt Sara and Uncle James watched Cody get his first goal and Megan told them that she'd get one this week when they came to watch her. They are good luck for the kids! She was so happy when she got it, it was so cute.

Cody didn't do as well this week in his game. It was like he was in slow motion! He would run and then just stop after a little while. I don't know if it's because he was up so late the night before watching the game. Maybe next week, he'll have a little more energy! He was so funny though yesterday. Those who know him well, knows that he will say things that you just laugh at! Yesterday he got to his game and was playing against a kid in his class, Brock. Brock's mom saw Cody and said hi. Cody looked at her and said how did you recognize me with my gloves on? It's like he thought they made him look completely different or something! After Megan's game, he was talking about his goal. He told us that the ball just popped out in front of him and he decided he'd get a point for his teammates! We laughed so hard and laughed even harder when he asked Megan if she decided to get a point for her teammates also! Hope you all got a few laughs in from him!!

Homecoming

2008-10-03T22:08:00.002-04:00

Tonight was the Jenison's homecoming game. We watched the parade after school and forgot the camera. It really wasn't much but it still amazes me that in the short amount of time the parade is, the kids still end up with a bunch of candy! After that we went to eat and then went back to the high school to watch the game. Megan and I went to a tastefully simple party and then joined the boys at halftime. I really don't think I could've taken much more than that. We left with almost 9 minutes left in the last quarter and it was almost 9:45. Cody has a soccer game in less than 12 hours! He should be lots of fun in the morning. When we left the game, Jenison was losing 30-13, they scored the first 13 pts and then apparently decided they were done! It was kind of funny going to a homecoming game for a high school we didn't go to, but they kids enjoyed themselves and that's all that matters right? Stay tuned for pictures of the games tomorrow, maybe we'll actually do things right and get pictures of Megan with our camera for once!

Soccer Slideshow

2008-09-29T14:35:00.001-04:00

GOAL!!!!

2008-09-29T07:05:00.004-04:00

Cody scored his first goal on Saturday in soccer. From where we were on the sidelines it was hard to figure out who scored until Cody ran back to Scott all excited and raising his fist in the air! There were so many kids around him that we weren't sure but Cody will tell you that a yellow person passed it to him and he kicked it in the goal! He's soo cute when he tells stories, especially when he's excited! Megan did great also at her game. She needs to be a little more aggressive and then she'll finally get her goal. She does great getting the ball to the net but then doesn't kick hard or if someone else is near her, she tends to back off. She has improved a ton since last year though and we know it's a matter of time.

We had an interesting time after the games though. Scott lost his car keys to the Windemuller Van. He has no idea where they went. Scott and I searched the whole house and Grandpa T. and Megan walked to school and back looking for the keys. We still have not found them but I'm going to look at school this morning to see if they dropped out there. The police officer down the street was nice enough to break into Scott's van so he could at least have the spare key. He left that in the car! Long weekend of looking for those keys when we had other things we could have been doing! Anyway, another busy week starting! I love it though and often wonder, what did we do before kids? It's honestly so hard to remember a time when we didn't have them. They are both great kids and I'm lucky to be their mom!
***Update: Found the keys!! I also added pictures.

School

2008-09-26T07:07:00.003-04:00

School has now been going for 4 weeks now. I am getting used to Cody being gone every morning but I do live for the time that bus comes down our street. When he gets off the bus, he takes forever saying by to all his friends. When he sees me waiting, he gets the biggest smile on his face. Both of the kids are doing great in school. No big problems and they both seem to enjoy it! School pictures were yesterday and I am very nervous to see what Cody did. I'll try to take a picture of it, but he showed us a cheeseball smile and told me he smiled like that. Thank goodness we only ordered a class picture. I'm going to get pictures done somewhere else for them to save on money, so I'll be able to choose what picture to buy! It seems hard to believe summer vacation ended 4 weeks ago, time has flown since school started. We have been so busy with school, Awana, and soccer that we rarely slow down!

Anna Slide Show

2008-09-22T07:23:00.001-04:00

Anna

2008-09-22T07:00:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we were able to see Anna all day. It was a lot of fun to see how she's grown. I think that she's taller than me, I know that's not hard! We drove to Muskegon and picked her up. We then brought her back here and had a lot of fun. We took her to lunch and to the park. At night the Grandparents came over for dinner and to see her. All the kids love to play together, especially the girls! She left at bedtime and we were able to see her dad and brother. It was good to see all of them and I know the kids will miss her but we bought them paper and envelopes so they can write each other if they want. I think Cody's will be a lot of pictures for a while but that's OK! Enjoy the slide show! There's a lot of pictures but there was 3 cameras and I have a hard time deleting cute pics!

Soccer Slide shows

2008-09-22T06:35:00.002-04:00

Here are the slideshows as promised! Stay tuned to the slide show of our visit with Anna! It was lots of fun!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

BUSY Saturday!

2008-09-20T21:36:00.002-04:00

Today was a very busy day! We woke the kids up at 6:45am to begin our day! Megan had a soccer game at 8 am and we had to bring snack and be there by 7:45. I woke Cody up and he looked outside and told me it wasn't day yet because it was too dark!

Megan did really well with her game and she will get a goal soon. She had 3 or 4 that she shot and missed today and not by much! After the game, we went raspberry picking with Grandma and Grandpa T. at Delanges and picked 9 pounds of them! It was lots of fun. We went home to take care of them and then at lunch before leaving for Cody's game. Both Grandparents and Great-Grandma watched this game! He did his best but the team has a ways to go.

Megan then had a birthday party for Bryanna and we went to Grandma and Grandpa's to help clear out stuff. After that we picked up Megan and went to eat with Bryan, Jen and the kids at Texas Roadhouse! It was an exhausting but fun day. For those that don't know, I will be having my gallbladder out on October 9. I am not scared because I have been feeling sick for so long that I am relieved that they finally figured this out. I am having the surgery at Butterworth but it's outpatient so I'll be in and out in about 4 hours! Kind of funny to think 30 years ago when my mom had hers out, she stayed in the hospital for a week! How times have changed! I have been up for a very long time so the slideshow I'll finish tomorrow!

All About Cody

2008-09-15T13:13:00.007-04:00

Today Cody had show and tell at school. He brought home the all about me bag that had a sheet we filled out and then he was able to bring 2-3 things in to show. He brought his lanyard of Disney pins and his fire hat his buddy(Grandpa T.) gave him for his birthday. The following is his answers:
Full Name: Cody Scott Van Eerden
I have 1 Sister and her name is Megan.
Favorite Color: Green(He really wanted to put pink and purple!)
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite Sport: All(except Boxing)
Favorite thing to do: Play outside
Pet:Callie and Becca

I sent the camera to school so they could take pictures for me. His teacher is a lot like me because I ended up with 12 pictures! I was glad she took so many! Enjoy the pics! I also posted the only picture we have of our soccer players on the post below!
I tried 2 different slide shows and both failed so I resorted back to picasa so imagine this with cute graphics with it!!

The love of a father

2008-09-15T06:48:00.002-04:00

I recieved this email this morning and thought I'd share it here. It really is a neat video to watch the love the father has for his son! Remember to turn off my music to listen to this.

A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?' The father who, despite having a heart condition, says 'Yes'. They went on to complete the marathon together. Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's request of going through the race together.

One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman together.' To which, his father said 'Yes' too.
For those who don't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island . Father and son went on to complete the race together. Check out this race.

Check this video out:

WET!!!!

2008-09-13T15:53:00.004-04:00

Today was the kid's first soccer games and boy was it wet! The fields were wet, the fans were wet and the players and coaches were drenched!! If it wasn't the first games of the season, I might have stayed home. Megan did really well and broke away from the pack quite a few times. She had a hard time following through and wouldn't try to kick it in the goal but overall she did great! Cody went to the game without even having one practice! They were cancelled for Labor Day and rain. He did ok once he was done being nervous. The first half of the game he wouldn't try to kick the ball. The second half he was a lot better and so cute! Cody got nailed in the head with the ball once and it really didn't even phase him. I was ready to go on the field though and make sure he was ok! When Cody's team was warming up, he kept calling my name and waving. I thought for sure he was going to continue that for the game but he didn't. He did however stop and look at me when I was cheering! They were so cute out there but we didn't bring our camera because of the rain. Look next week for pictures!

PlayList

2008-09-08T14:14:00.003-04:00

I added some High School Musical Songs to my playlist for the kids thinking I could then delete them later. I cannot figure out how to delete them because they show on the blog but not my account on playlist.com. Anyone else ever have that? Should I make a new list? Let me know if you have any suggestions! Thanks! ******Update-Scott managed to somehow fix it. This is very funny for those who know him well and know that he flips out when some im's me and he's on the computer!!

Our Weekend

2008-09-07T20:00:00.006-04:00

We had quite a busy but fun weekend. Friday night we went to the Jenison Caledonia football game in Caledonia. We took my brothers girls who go to Caledonia and had a good time. They sat on the Caledonia side, we sat on the Jenison side but Cody and I walked around a couple times the whole field so we saw the girls off and on. I don't think that we'll be going back to a game until next year. It cost $20 for the four of us and only 1 really enjoyed himself.

Saturday I was lucky enough to baby sit my niece Julia so that Kathy and her girls could watch my niece Jenny play soccer at Jenison's soccer field. She is so cute and reminds me of Megan when she was that age. She weighs a lot less then Megan but she looks a lot like her! It was a lot of fun having a baby in the house again. I love cuddling her and trying to get her to smile. Julia is almost 4 months old and so cute! I took about 15 pictures in a 5 minute span!

After Julia left, we went and bought Cody a high back booster! He was so excited to get a big boy seat and now he can buckle himself. He has to work on practicing buckling as James found out this weekend! It is hard to believe that after 8 years of buckling car seats, that I no longer have to!

We then dropped the kids off and had a night to ourselves. We went to the cheap movies at woodland mall where it cost more for popcorn and pop($8.25) than it did for 2 tickets($7). We saw Swing Voter and it was very good movie about the election coming down to 1 man's vote to decide who becomes president. It was very good and shows you that 1 vote does count. I would recommend it to rent on video when it comes out. After the movie we went to dinner at Carlos! That is my absolute favorite restuarant and I miss it now that we're on the other side of town.

Anyway, it was very busy but a very nice weekend! The kids start soccer tomorrow and Cody is so excited he wants to get dressed in his soccer clothes when he wakes up in the morning! Soccer practice doesn't even start until 5:30 at night! He is so excited he can hardly stand it. He keeps getting out of bed saying, I know it's not a game and I'm not going to win tomorrow but.... followed by a question about practice! He cracks me up! I'll leave you with a couple cute pictures of Julia! Scott doesn't like the one with the big smile but I love those! I included one of Megan at 2 months with a smile like Julia. This shows the difference of the size of the two girls!

Tag!

2008-09-05T22:42:00.004-04:00

5 Things on my list to do today:

1. Take care of Julia during Jenny's Soccer game
2. Pack my kids to sleep over at Aunt Sara's
3. Visit my Aunt Nancy
4. Drop off Cody and Megan
5. Go on a date for our anniversary 4 months late!

5 Snacks I enjoy:

1. Stove popped popcorn
2. Chips and salsa
3. Lindt White Chocolate
4. Strawberries
5. ?

5 Things I would do if I was a sudden Billionaire:

1. I'm with Jess for giving lots to Chapel Pointe
2. Give to family members so we could share the fun!
3. Pay off our house and add on (especially a 2nd bathroom)
4. Go to Disney and stay in the Contemporary looking at the Castle!
5. Go on lots of vacations!

5 Bad Habits:

1. Spending too much time on the computer
2. Not picking up after myself all the time
3. Trying to do to many things at once and the ending up crabby
4. Not taking care of myself
5. Poor eating habits which I've had to change recently

5 Places I have lived:

1. Kentwood, Michigan
2. Grandville, Michigan
3. Wyoming, Michigan
4. Jenison, Michigan
5. ?

5 jobs I have had:

1. Paper Delivery
2. Sales Clerk
3. Hostess at Carlos O` Kelly's
4. Factory
5. Most importantly, Wife and Mother

5 things most people don't know about me:

1. Scott and I met in the bowling alley nursery when our mom's bowled in the same league!
2. I weighed less than 15 pounds when I was 1 year old.
3. I have epilepsy.
4. Scott wants me to add that I have naturally curly hair
5. I'm the youngest of 3 children!(I ran out of ideas at #3)

It's your turn to all those out there with their own blogs! Fill one out on yours so I can learn more about all of you!!