More of Christmas

Here are some more of our Christmas Parties. Evan actually knew what he was doing with the gifts. He actually opened them.

Christmas Time

I also thought I would post some Christmas photos. We had my family's christmas party yesterday at my parents house. It was a lot of fun. We had brunch and then kinda just hung out all day. Because the weather was so good for some snowmobiling, of course my brothers and a few others went out to play, I however did not. Not my thing. Too cold. They looked like they had fun tho.
It was so much fun watching the kids open gifts. Exspecially my niece Jenna. She was squeling and kept saying, "Just what I wanted!" It was great watching a 3 1/2 year old get so excited about Christmas. Evan could care less. He had no idea what was going on. Here are a few photos of the day.

Tub Tub Time

This is Evan and one of our best friends daughter Jordyn, and their first shared tub. They are so cute. They play together so well too. It is so nice that they are to the age where they can kinda do their own thing and play. I thought I liked the baby stage, but this is just getting fun. We didnt know what else to do on this snowy sunday night so we had our friends Will and Denise (and Jordyn) over for some uker (sp?) and a movie. (they live literly right down our road) Seeing how the kids both needed a bath, we thought we'd try it out together. What fun!

FOX Motors

Well, just thought I would share that the dealership I work for got bought out by FOX motors. (Dan DeVos) It is actually a really good thing, and I am really excited about working with everyone from FOX. They are great people and a lot of them share the same beliefs and views as I, so all in all i think it will be a positive change for us.
Unfortunatly with the switch we lost one of our great employees in the office and are now looking for a FULL TIME with benifits office person. Not sure on the pay or exact hours but it would be during the day, 5 days a week kinda deal. If anyone is intrested with any office experiance let me know, or drop in with a resume. We are hoping to get someone in here SOON! Thanks!

My little goober

Oh so handsome.

11 months

Ok so he is a day shy of 11 months. I remember last year at this time with my big ole' belly thinking, "A year from now I will have a kid almost walking." And that he is almost doing. He walks behind things really well, and he walks holding onto your hand, but not quite on his own.
Is my baby really almost a year old though? Where did time go? Sometimes I want to cry! He isnt that little baby anymore, he is practically a toddler! I am in so much awe of him. That little man gets me. Its amazing how his little smile and little looks just melt my heart. My sister put it well one time when she told me, "He owns you Meg, you just cant let him know it." God has given me the most amazing gift of Evan and it is the greatest gig in the world being his mommy. Its the best when I come home from work, and Ryan and Evan are waiting by the door for me and Evan gets so excited to see me. Nothing can top that. I love his hugs, his messy kisses and the way he says "tub tub," its just so precious. Sorry to go on about my kid, but hey, its my blog. :)
Anyway...nothing else too exciting going on this week. Another open house on Saturday, so we will see...

Uhhh.

Why do people make offers they cant afford? Uuuhhh. Apparently these people were throughing out offers they couldnt back up...so looks like we will be in our house for a little while longer. On the bright side, we got to welcome our new little niece Ashley to the family on Thursday. Congrats Corey and Heather, Brooke and Kenzie for another beutiful little girl!

SOLD!

Ryan and I are so excited we are going to be selling our house! Dont know all the details as far as a closing date and moving date, but we cant wait! God is so good!

Thanksgiving

We had a very nice thanksgiving this year. We werent really sure what we were going to do, but we ended up going to my aunts house for turkey dinner and all the fixin's for noon and again to my other aunts home at night with my other side of the family. It was nice and relaxing! We needed this week. Ryan had off all week and I have been off since Tuesday so it was so nice being able to just chill out.
A little bit of exciting news, we have had a little action on our house which is so nice! We have a showing tomorrow and another one next week. Although this could mean nothing, we still are excited and praying for a sale. It would be nice.
Ryan is getting excited. He starts school the begining of January for all his general requirements before he gets excepted into nursing school. How crazy is this? We totally didnt think we would be at this point in our life right now with him going back to school, but it is amazing what God will do and how He leads you to the places you are. Amazing!
We have so much to be thankful for this thanksgiving I cant even begin to find a place to start. Too many times I find myself ungrateful for what I already have and praying God will give me MORE! It sounds ridiculus when you think about it, but really, we've been blessed with good health and a roof over our heads and food to eat, I think we forget what is important, and become ungrateful for all those things. Today, my heart has just been aching for family, friends and neighbors who have gone through so much heartache and pain this year. It doesnt seem fair or right it the slightest. It puts our problems in perspective and actually realize they arent problems at all. We have our baby boy when some dont, and my heart breaks for them. I pray I can be more grateful for the things I have, and more grateful for Evan too. I take him for granted sometimes and I shouldnt. Just thought I'd share that thought today. Please pray for those who have lost this year. The holidays are going to be hard for them expecially.

The Church Has Left The Building

I wish I had pictures but I dont. :( Anyway- Today was a very unique Sunday for our church. We did something called, "The church has left the building" for our "service." This is part of the reason why I love our church so much. It isnt like most churches. There were many differnt groups that went out today and actually served. Some people went door to door asking for any groceries they could donate to organizations like His Harvest Stands, some people went to differnt people's homes who needed some yardwork done, maitnence in thier home, ect.. We were supposed to go to a womans home today and clean it for her, however, when we showed up there she was unable..or unwilling to get up or let us in, so that plan failed. We somehow came across the idea to clean a local ministry building Golgatha. It is a place for kids/teens to go on Wednesday nights just where the leaders can be Jesus to them and love on them. Even tho we didnt serve a specific hurting person, we still felt like it was were God wanted us to be. We were serving other people who needed help so they could serve these kids. All in all it was a great time. Ryan went to a couple in West Olive who had some disabilities and needed some maitnence done on the house, so he went with my dad and some other guys from our church. It was a great experiance and an awesome way to BE the church. That was the whole idea of this. So many times, people get so caught up with the church as the building and not as much the church as the body. It was an awesome way to be Christ to people who needed loving on.

Again...please pray for our cousins Chad and Angel Harmsen. Angel did have to give birth to thier baby, which was a baby girl. Emma Grace. Pray for healing, peace, and rest for thier souls. It is heartbreaking and they will need a lot of prayer. Thanks!

My heart is breaking again today for someone close to our family. Sometimes you ask God why aweful things happen to such great God loving people. Please pray for our cousins who found out thier unborn baby is no longer living on this earth but in Jesus arms. It doesnt seem fair, it isnt right. They are such great people, who love God, and loved this baby. It was so evident how excited they were. Please pray for rest on thier souls and that the Great Healer will heal thier broken hearts.

Yes...I know its early...

I am sure I will get yelled at a lot for this, but I guess this is where I am ALOT like my mother...(scary) I did it. I put my christmas tree up! Ok...but in my defense, I have been SO busy, and today was the perfect day to do it because I had nothing to do. I really was planning on waiting until after Thanksgiving but I couldnt help myself. I went into Hobby Lobby today for something, and saw all the chritmas stuff...I love Christmas stuff. :) Ryan isnt home yet. I am sure he will have something to say about it. He may even call me Sandy a few times. Uhh.

10 month, really?

Wow. I didnt even realize evan was ten months today until looking at his lily pie tracker. I cant believe my little baby isnt so much a baby anymore. He is looking more and more like a toddler. :-( That depresses me. I know kids grow up, but just to hold him as an infant again...I guess I have to tresure those times when the only time he will sleep is if I am holding him. I cant believe it! He is almost a year already! It boggles my mind that he is older than as long as I was pregnant with him. It seemed like my pregnancy took FOREVER and yet this last ten months flew. I love him to pieces and he truly makes life amazing. Thank you God for giving me my little man!

What A Week

I gotta say I have had better weeks. I need to keep reminding myself of how good God is, and how He always provides. (I know I have been venting a lot lately...and it has been very up and down with my emotions. Sorry it is just theraputic!) Anyway-Yes...Ryan still is employed with Tiara Yachts. Praise God he still has a job. Jobs are hard to come by these days so yes we are thankful. And yet, I find myself still being ungrateful. Ryan was a team leader there and because of the cut backs, they cut a lot of the team leaders positions based on seniority. Unfortunatly Ryan's job got eliminated so for now he is no longer a team leader, which means pay is also cut. How can I be so ungrateful in this time when he still has a job. I know that the extra money he lost will come up, and to be honest, I am not that worried about it, it is more my attitude this week. I dont know why but I have been so negative and depressing. I am praying my heart will change and think more of the positive.
On a positive note. Ryan and I have exciting news. This is going to be a shock to some people. Ryan is actually going to go back to school this winter. We have felt like this is a positive thing, and a great option for Ryan. He is going to be an RN. Although...he doesnt like to call it that. :) He likes to call it a "patient care specialist." :) Some people I know this will shock, but I know it is something Ryan will be awesome at. I cant brag about my hubby enough. He is going to be great, and he is so smart. This is one thing I absolutly love about him. When he is determined to do something...he does it. And he will succeed. Prayers will be needed of course for our family. I know it is going to be hard being away from him so much while he is in school, but I know it will be worth it.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!-Meg

Belated Halloween Photos

I have been so busy lately working and taking photos I hardly have any time to blog. Sorry! I thought I would post some of Evan in his pumpkin costume. I gotta say he was the cutest pumpkin I've ever seen. I am hoping to get some fall ones still before it starts snowing. I should have this week but didnt have time! Have a great weekend!

Any hunter would appreciate this

Well here it is!!! Ryan got an awesome 8 point last night by his parents. We are both so excited but I think Ryan will be glowing for weeks. Finally all his hunting paid off when he got this buck. I love the one with Evan. It was pitch black out so he is staring at the flash. Silly boy. Anyway-just thought I would post some better ones. Thanks Corey for taking such good ones!

Good news, Great news!

Well I have awesome news on two accounts. Number one, Ryan has his job! God is so amazing and we are so incredibly blessed. We are so excited and thrilled, however we cant help but feel it as bitter sweet. We are thankful obviously, but yet our hearts break for the people Ryan worked with who lost thier jobs. These are great people who deserved thier jobs. Sometimes we ask why God is so good to us. Its hard to be so happy yet in the midst of a lot of peoples pain. Praise God though for taking care of us again.
I also wanted to let everyone know that Evan had his kidney ultrasound at Devos childrens hospital today, and he did great. He didnt wiggle hardly at all. For almost a 10 month old...he did awesome. We then had to go to his urologist also in GR right from his ultrasound to go over it. His urologist was very pleased with how Evan is turning out. The way they rank the severity of his problem is 1-4. 4 being the most severe. He is still at a 3, however his doctor was happy to see from his 1 week old ultra sound-to his 3month ultrasound, and then 9 month ultrasound he has improved on every one. Praise God for that!! Most likely he will not need surgery. He will have to go back in July for another ultrasound, but his doctor was pretty convinced he wont have any complications!! Yay! I cant tell you how much I am in awe this week of our creator. (i know i have been oozing lately with God talk, but I cant help it!) This week has turned out to be great. Thanks again for those of you who have prayed for our family. Prayers have meant so much! Thanks!!!-MKDV

Oh This Week

I just wanted to update everyone. We dont know anything yet as far as Ryan's job goes yet. Unfortunatly they always do his area last which means we have to wait and think about it. Please continue to pray that God rests our hearts, regardless of the outcome. Worrying takes a toll on me and my thoughts are constantly on it. I know God is good and He will see us through no matter what happens.
I also wanted to ask for prayer for Wednesday. Evan has his next ultrasound at Devos on his kidney and we just ask for prayers that the ultrasound will show the dialation to be cleared. Also that Evan will handle everything ok. He is older now and moving around more. Please pray he does well for the doctors. Thank you so much for praying for us lately. I cant tell you enough how much it means! Thanks and God Bless-MKDV

Evan's 9 month Check up!

With everything going on lately I totally forgot to post about Evan's check up on Wednesday. He thankfully was caught up with all his immunizations-however he did get his flu shot...and because he is so young, he has to go back in november for the second dose of it. Poor little man. It breaks my heart everytime he gets shots. He was happy and laughing one minute...and then you know how when kids cry so hard its the silent cry? Yup...thats the one. It was panic all over his little face. Anyway- His stats are that he is 19lbs. 10oz. Just under 50% for weight, and he was 29 1/2 inches long, which is 80% for height. So pretty much he is tall and skinny. Its amazing that my little baby is almost 20 lbs. already. I remember bringing him home weighing just above 6. And now he is almost a year! Crazy how time flies.

Please Pray

Ryan just got home from work a little bit ago. They had thier monthly meeting and he was informed Tiara will be laying off 130 more jobs. IT is a very good possiblility he could be one of them. Please pray for us and for the many many families that will be affected and hurting after all this.

Psalm 8

I have been reading the Psalm's a lot lately and came across the very familiar Psalm 8. I read it and kind of stuck it in the back of my head for a while until just the other day. I was driving down the road...in an annoyed mood. Frustrated. I guess I felt like everything was in chaos...Evan was babbling...and babbling...getting louder and louder. Just having fun, and of course me being in the mood I was in didnt care to hear it. Until I was reminded of Psalm 8.
1 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise [b]
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [c]
and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:

7 all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,

8 the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

When I heard Evan babbling...and was annoyed by it...I was reminded of verse 2. "from the lips of children and infants, You have ordained praise." I guess it was God's way of reminding me that to Him...it was nothing but music to His ears. It was kind of a cool picture to me of how children and infants ordain praise to our God. Thought I would share.
Not to mention the awesome colors out there! Ryan thinks I am such a dork because I always am comenting on the beautiful colors in the trees. That is one of the reasons this is my favorite time of year. I even asked Ryan if we could go for a sunday drive to look at the color...but he turned me down, reminding me I am only 22years old. :) Anyways- God's name is majestic, and so is His handiwork. Just two little examples of how I was reminded of it this week. Have a great day!-MDV

I dont usually like to get too deep on my posting but it is amazing how God can pull at your heart strings and lay something on your heart. It seems like everywhere you turn or anything you read you hear how horrible our economy is, things about the election, the stock market nose diving. The world, our world is hurting right now. It seems like everyone I know has been somehow affected by the economy. Hearing all this, knowing it is a reality...it can be kinda depressing. I know this last week I have been stressed about things...some related some not, and I have just felt God whispering. Somehow, even though things could happen that directly affect Ryan and I, I've been feeling God calming me. Its amazing how real He is. In prayer and devotion I've just felt like He was saying, "stop worrying Megan. This is worlding problems." I am a worrier. I am constantly thinking of all the negative things that could happen. All the things I could loose. And see that is the thing...it is all "things." With that said, I by no means think He wants Ryan to loose his job, nor do I think he wants bad things to happen to us, but He sure knows how to speak to put things in perspective. Our God is GREAT. And He is SO good. He is so cool how He speaks in the most random, and quietest ways, and yet knows how to be so loud. Thank you God for quieting my heart today.

Busy

Well I havent posted much at all lately. Sorry to all those people who read our blog daily. Shouldnt you be working? Anyway-not too much is new. We have had a little traffic on our house, nothing really too exciting. A few open houses and a showing. Everyone who has walked through has loved almost everything, they just wish the bedrooms were a touch bigger, or the house itself with no lower leval is too small for thier large families. So no luck there. We will just wait and see where God takes us with this.
I guess I shouldnt have titled this post "busy" just because I havent been too busy, just making myself that way. I am the kind of person who tries to promise multiple things to people, creating insanity on myself. I dont know why I do that, I guess I just think I have more time when really I dont. I have been working a lot lately and I absoutly hate it. I miss spending my days with my little boy. He is so big already, and learning and growing at such a fast rate. He now has his first tooth! Yay! Finally! I never thought he would get it. 9 months old already and finally getting his first tooth. He is crawling everywhere now and it is insane. I cant believe how much baby proofing we had to do. It is crazy. It is like in his brain that he just know what he isnt supposed to be doing, and then just goes for it anyway. He is getting naughtier and he grows. Maybe not naughty. Just curious. Finally he is sleeping ALL NIGHT! Yes people, ALL NIGHT! Again, nine months and sleeping all night. I have to laugh when my brother says when his son is two months old he (my brother) will get more sleep. Well, we thought that too, but it didnt work out that way. Evan has always been a bad sleeper. Thankfully he FINALLY got it. Praise God for that. I am already praying God gives us a break on the second one. --no, nothing on the way yet.
Ryan has been staying very busy hunting of course. He got back from Missouri a few weekends ago. He didnt really even see anything. (poor ryan) He has been sitting out almost every night he can, or every night I am not working. Nothing yet. He has seen a few small bucks, but I guess nothing really worth shooting.
I dont really know what else is new. I have been staying again, busy with taking photos for some people from work. It has been a lot of fun. I have a lot to learn yet, but its been great learning. I took Evan's 9 month tonight, and thought I would share some. And a few randoms...

My little pumpkin. I thought I should get a few pictures of Evan while it wasnt freezing out, and more so while I was thinking about it. I thought these turned out cute. Thought I would share. He is growing up so fast. He looks like a little man.

Silas Johnathan Kapenga

He is here! 2 weeks early but he is here and healthy. My brother John and his wife Christi were blessed with a baby boy on Sunday. Silas Johnathan Kapenga. 6lbs 7oz. 20inches long. He is beautiful. God is so good. He is so amazing and it is so evident exspecially to me in newborns. Praise God for another healthy and beautiful addition to the family. Congrats John and Christi!

Little Red

I had the opportunity to shoot a friend from work's daughter. She is absolutly adorable. For some reason I wasnt able to upload them to my website so I thought I would let her preview a few here. These are a few of my favorites. We will just call her "Little Red," seeing how that is her nick name at work. Hope you like them Jill!

Evan being naughty

And the fun begins of chasing our little man all over the house. It is amazing how fast he went from slow crawling to being anywhere in a turn of the head. He knows the tv is off limits but heads for it anyway. I got a few of him for the first time really disobeying mommy.

Another post with out pictures

Yes I know, I have been slacking lately. I havent posted anything really with pictures lately. I havent even touched my camera in almost a week which is so out of the ordinary for me. We have been working working working lately to get out house in order for our open house. Unfortunatly for our realator, her grandma passed away this week so the open house has been pose poned until next weekend. I wish it was on differnt circumstances, but it gives Ryan another week to get all the painting out side done.
Unfortunatly the boat market is not picking up at all and Ryan is layed off for another two weeks. However, after he gets back they do have work for a while, but it looks like there will be more periodicly through the rest of the year. (Temperory lay-offs) It is really sad how bad our economy is right now. All we can do is hope and pray things change, and trust and have faith God will provide as He always does.
Not much else to say today. Evan is screaming so I better go see what he and dad are up to.

And he is off!

Evan is now crawling like a champ. He is still kinda slow but he is doing it! Mom and Dad are so proud of him!

Here we go again!

Its offical! Our house is on the market! I am excited and now starting to realize i cant let my house go like I sometimes would. I think that is going to be my biggest thing. Having a kid now, it is amazing how disorganized and messy I have become! I never used to be like that, but now I guess I better step it up and make sure my house is picked up on more of a regular basis. I think our neighbors are wondering what in the world is going on with the sign in our yard. We are really excited and hope it sells. It could take a while though so we will see. We got lucky with our first house. I never had to have an open house, in fact the first people who walked through our house after a week of it being on the market, made an offer and bought it. I highly doubt that is the way it will go this time, but just in case, my house is spotless!
Evan is pretty much crawling. It is kinda army crawl/ real crawling. It is more of a sideways crawl but he is getting were he wants to go. It is so cute. He also knows the word "bottle" and refers to it as "baba" He is such a funny little guy.
Not much else is new. I'll keep ya posted!

Alright, so I have been yelled at by more than one person that my blog is outdated and I had to update it. Oops. I guess I didnt realize how long it had been since I had been on here. We have been so busy the last couple weeks, they just fley right by. I cant believe we are already done with the first week of September!
Anyway, Ryan and I have been busy "finishing" the rest of our house. There were so many little things here and there that had to get done and we just kept putting off. I have been painting the walls a new main house color because we hated the one we first chose. I was 7 1/2 months pregnant when we finished this house and I just wanted to be in. (What can I say, I was pregnant and living with my in laws! NOT THAT THEY ARE BAD PEOPLE!:) ) Anyway-so I have been painting and ryan has been finishing all the other good stuff. He put the brick stone on the back of our island, and in the entry way did the brick stone on the bench when you walk in. Yesterday he took a half day from work and did the crown molding on the cabinets. So yeah, we have been busy people. I know when we have told people this they have thought we were mad, or just plain sick, but we have actually met with our realator and as of next week it will be officially on the market again. We are very excited about this and hope it sells. We realize in todays market that houses dont always sell right away, and that is fine but we just thought it would be nice to get our money in our pocket now in case something happens with Ryan's job situation. Today's economy is just not good and it doesnt seem to be getting any bettter. We would rather be safe right now, wait a year and build again. We are really excited and as you can see have been seriously busy trying to get it ready.
Not much is new with Evan. He is SO close to crawling. Hasnt down it quite yet but he is scootiung everywhere he wants to go, so I dont know when it will be. He does say Dada now, but not as frequently as mama. :) I carried him for nine months so I deserve that right? No teeth yet either. Which amazes me because all his other friends have at least 2 already.
Anyways- Tonight we are off to our anual cousins party. Cant wait. We always have a good time. Alright now, I updated so no one yell at me again! :)

Boring Weekend

Well this weekend was long and boring. Uugh. I dont think I have ever wished Monday to come sooner. Ryan was gone all weekend with his brother and Dad in Missouri looking for hunting land to hunt on. I am sure they had fun, but I was so bored! I guess I never realized how much Ryan and I do together until he leaves. What can I say though, he is my best friend. His mom always makes comments about how much we talk on the phone, and cant believe we talk so much. Half the time we talk about nothing, but it is like talking to your best friend I guess. Not being able to have more than a 2 minute conversation is just really wierd. Anyway...Friday night after the guys left, Heather my sister in law and her kids, and Kathy Ryan's mom and I went out for dinner to Crazy Horse. Where else? I wasnt feeling too well and Evan has been sick all week too so we just came home afterward and hung out. Saturday I actually had to work at the cleaners which I never have to do but they didnt have anyone and I figured I didnt have anything else to do, and I had taken off at the dealership, but I just went in anyway. I thought I better make a little money while Ryan went out and spent some. Saturday night we did NOTHING. Wow, it was boring. I came home from work and watched HBO movies all night. I must say though, it was nice being able to watch tv in my own bed as late as I want without anyone telling me they have to go to bed. :)Today- Sunday I went to church with Evan, but of course he only makes it 1/4 of the way through the service and then gets fidgety and I have to take him to the parent room. I really think next week I am going to stick him in the nursery. I havent really been able to listen to a full sermon in a while. After church we went to my grandma and grandpas house for lunch. Nothing speacil just a normal sunday dinner. After that we came home, sat around for a while, and then realized how bored I was, so I called my parents and made them go for ice cream with me. My sister was husband-less to this weekend so she came too with Oliver and Jonas. That about covers it. Now I am watching "My big fat greek wedding." I forgot how much I love that movie. THere are some parts i cant help but laugh out loud. Anyway- That is enough of my boring weekend. I hope yours was better than mine. I did want to share some cute pics I took before Ryan left. Kathy his mom went to a garage sale and found these cute rubber boots and camo hat. Grandpa loved them too. And here are a few random ones too. :) I cant help myself.

Birthday Boys

Tuesday night was Ryan's birthday so we celebrated by having Andy (whose it was also his birthday) and Jenny  over for dinner and birthday cake. It was another opportunity for Evan to see his little girlfriend. It was a good time just to hang out again and watch the kids play. They are getting so big! At one point we both were changing thier clothes so decided to get a naked picture of them. I am sure they will love it when they're older haha but as parents we couldnt resist. Evan is getting sick again. I should have known better. He is ususally a healthy kid, but I had to watch my nephews monday who, usually are not and unfortunatly my sanitizing wipes didnt work because Evan now is starting with the runny nose and cough. I tried sanitizing EVERYTHING Oliver my nephew touched but it must have just been in the air. Hopefully he wont get so sick he has to go on the nebulizer again. I took Evan to GR on Tuesday for his FINAL helmet appointment. Even though he hasnt been wearing it for a month. (We forgot it when we went on vacation and when we got back he had out grown it. Oops!) HIs doctor agreed that he is done with it and doesnt need any further treatment. YAY! It really wasnt that bad but it is nice that he doesnt have to wear it anymore. I think that is all I have to say today. I dont have anything planned at all this weekend. I am looking forward to it actually. Ryan is going away with his brother and dad down to Missori to look for hunting land to hunt on, so I have the whole weekend to do whatever I want! I will miss Ryan, but secretly I am looking forward to it. :) Anyway-- Have a great Day!!!!

New Pictures

I took these today. Thought they were cute.

Evan and His Girlfriend

Friday night we went to the beach with our good friends Andy and Jenny and thier daughter Abigail. I got some really cute pictures of the two of them. I love the one of Abby pulling Evan's ear. Notice Evan's face. She's an aggressive one. :) Anyway, we didnt do much, just some photo's and then ice cream. It was a nice way to end the week.

The VanHouten's

I was able to take some family pictures and 9 month photos of our really good friends this past friday. Here are some of my favorites. I thought they turned out really cute. It was a lot of fun and hope you guys like them!

Mind of His Own.

I've come to the conclusion that Mr. Evan knows exactly what to do to push my buttons at the age of 7 months. He knows what it means when I lay him in his crib, give him his blankie, and stick his pipe in his mouth. And yet, he knows that if he screams and screams...mommy will come back and put his pipe back in his mouth, give him his blankie again and say goodnight. However, I have put a stop to that. I let him cry...and cry...and cry. This can go on for an hour...or more depends on what mood he is in. Sometimes I win and he actually does fall asleep, but more often than not he sceams and whines for an hour at least. Yesterday however, I did the same thing I always do, laid him down with his blankie and pipe, and he rolled over and closed his eyes and slept for almost 3 hours!!! I couldnt believe it. Sooo...today nap time rolls around...and I thought, alright, he finally has it. Laid him down, and nope. Wouldnt sleep. Youre probably thinking just let him cry it out, but people I do! But how long do you let him cry for? I dont know where he gets his stubborness from but I dont think I was that way when I was a baby. Uhhhh. I guess I will keep trying. Suggestions anyone?

7 Months Already

It is amazing to me that I had Evan 7 months ago today. He is growing so fast. Not just that, but it seems crazy to me that he is 7 months already. He is developing such a little personality too. He is definatly all boy. Even his little voice sounds like a boy. He has a stuborn personality where if he wants something, he lets you know it. He is such a gift. Being his mommy is so awesome. We've been so blessed to have him.

Another Reason To Celebrate!

This weekend was so much fun. FINALLY Dave and Wendi got married Friday night. It was so much fun and it was just a perfect wedding. Everything was just beautiful and the weather was AWESOME. You couldnt have asked for a better night. Wendi looked absoulutly stuning. I've posted just a few of my own pictures, but I cant wait to see what Tracy has. I am sure they are beautiful. She does such a good job. Anyway- I must say, the flowers looked awesome too. Not bad for a bunch of amatures. I was a little worried going into it, but was so happy with how they all turned out. I am so glad I could help Wendi with that. It was a lot of fun and the end result was great.
Something else to celebrate...Evan said "mama" and has continued to say it. Yes, I know it seems early and I didnt believe it when he did it, but you ask him to say it, and he says it! It is so cool! Kathy Ryan's mom didnt believe me either until she heard him do it. It was pretty cool, I had just put Evan down and Ryan and I were getting ready for bed ourselves when all of a sudden we heard Evan saying, "Mama, Mama," from his crib. Ryan said he was calling for me so sure enough I went in there and he was all smiles when he saw me. What a great feeling. :) Those moments are the best about being a mom.
It is almost 10:30 Saturday night and I am missing my husband. He actually volunteered to work tonight. 10:45-7:15. CRAZY! I feel really bad for him and can only imagine how tired he is going to be tomorrow, but we are so thankful still that he has a job to go to. God is so good to us.
I think that is all that is going on in my life right now...not too much new. I just thought I would share my crazy fun weekend. (minus tonight.) Oh and Steph Hill...your parents can really dance. Haha..it was really funny watching all those old people dancing at the wedding.