2007...2008...

It is New Year's Eve! A whole year gone already - and it feels like it went so quick, although when I look back it seems so full. Here are some of the bigger moments from our year:

*We took trips to Tennessee (twice) and Washington, D.C. to visit family members. We went to Ohio numerous times, as usual.

*We also took a trip to Lafayette, IN to visit our friends, the Baker family. We went to a fun little park and zoo while there.

*Noah and I were in a car accident that totalled the Camry. It was not our fault and the car turned out to be more worth more than we thought, so we were able to buy a used mini-van with cash. We should be able to get a couple years out of it before having to think about a new vehicle.

*Tim interviewed for and was offered a dream job in Ann Arbor. After much prayer, conversation, and research he decided it wouldn't be wise to accept. He really feels that God has him here in West Michigan for a reason and we will stay to see what that is.

*Our summer vacation was with the Lewis family to Ohio. We stayed at my in-laws while they were away in California. We took a trip to the Cleveland Zoo, which is very bigger than we thought and pretty cool.



*We moved from a small 2 bedroom apartment in Muskegon to a smaller 2 bedroom duplex in Grand Haven. It is nice to not be in an apartment, though it definitely feels more cramped. The difference in rent is nice as well since it is $200 cheaper and there is a yard for Noah to safely play outside in.

*After moving we celebrated Noah's 2nd birthday.

*After Noah's birthday, we celebrated a positive pregnancy test!*Tim started playing the djembe in church and also now sings occasionally. I volunteer as a girls small group leader with the high school youth group. I was also in the nursery once a month, but that is not something I want to continue doing.

*Tim and I celebrated his birthday with a visit to Mill Run, PA and a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. He is already dreaming of the next house for us to tour but I told him with a baby coming, that won't be for awhile.*We experienced two times this year, one in the spring and one in the winter, where Tim went multiple weeks with no work and no paycheck. The first time we had a savings account to fall back on but we used it all up during that time so when fall rolled around we experienced much stress. God, of course, was faithful both times in carrying us through.

Last night Tim and I were reading an article on the speculations that there will be a recession in 2008. I thought it was funny because when I think about the upcoming year, I think it will be a time of growth. I think that because of the lessons we did learn this past year, Tim's business will grow and we will be better prepared for how to handle our budget. Our family will see all sorts of growth. Tim and I are growing in our own personal faith walks and we are growing closer as a couple. Eleanor will join our family in April, leading to growth as a family. Many people we know are expecting babies, leading to growth in our different communities.

So recession shmecession. I'm making 2008 a year of growth and prosperity.

What A Christmas!

This Christmas season has been all-around weird for us. We didn't get a tree, which actually was kind of nice because there were no needles or watering to be concerned with (and, yes, I know that if we would convert to a fake tree we wouldn't have those problems anyways...but the conversion will not be happening in this household.) I remembered the night before we left that we were supposed to be celebrating Christmas between the 3 of us. When I went to wrap Noah's gifts I couldn't find my wrapping paper or tape! Tim searched high and low in the scary storage area (at least he said he did) and came up with nothing. I am confused about my tape because I just had it a couple weeks ago. Oh, well. I ended up wrapping Noah's gifts in newspaper and stapled it all together. It sounds pathetic but quite honestly, he didn't even care. Just ripped the paper off to see what it covered. We didn't read as many of our Christmas books this year, the house didn't seem as decorated, and we started off playing lots of Christmas music and then just became lazy about it. I was also mildly disappointed that we didn't sing more Christmas songs at church throughout the month, especially when the ones they did sing were just the opener songs and no one really participates in those because you don't know if you should or not.Noah's present from us this year was a camping tent. He loved it and couldn't wait to bring his stuffed animals inside as well.
So I wasn't sure how Christmas would even feel this year when it came to celebrating with family. It turned out to be great! We left on a Friday evening, and after a quick stop to meet Samuel Brewer, the newest addition to our friends', Chris and Rachel's, family, we were off to Fowlerville. We celebrated with my family on Saturday and Noah received more gifts than we have room for! He and Tim are playing with his new GeoTrax train set right now. He loves it. We had a fun time visiting with my parents and sister and her family. Since we were tight on finances this year, I had to get creative with Christmas presents. Tim and I had a small amount we set to buy stocking stuffers for each other so we would have something to exchange. Just about everything else I made or enlisted the help of friends (i.e. my friend Jeana is going to take family photos for my parents and my sister's family. Christina is going to do a family photo during Labor Day for the Ross side.) I found some fun fabric I had bought a while ago and made Kailyn a doll blanket for her cradle (she has a doll cradle that was my sister's when she was young, but this Christmas she was finally receiving her first doll.) I also made her a little pillow to go along with it that I forgot to take a picture of, and an art smock with a fun little pocket on the front that was from the book "Bend the Rules Sewing," which I highly recommend.

These shoes were also made out of fabric I had in my stash and were given to Sam. Rachel, being a crafter as well, recognized the pattern (we frequent many of the same craft blogs) and it makes it all the more fun when you can discuss the process that goes into it. I could become addicted to making these shoes...which could be a good thing since we know lots of people having babies!

Noah received his first bike from Grandpa and Grandma. Since the ground is covered in snow here, he has been riding it around the kitchen and living room on what little hardwood he can find.

After waking early and having breakfast on Sunday, we were off for Tennessee! There is not much to tell about our travel except that Noah handled 12 hours in the van better than I did. By the time we got to Knoxville and I realized it would be close to another 2 hours (not the 1 hour Tim claimed it was) I started losing it, thrashing and tearing at my seatbelt and screaming out the open window like a banshee. Well, maybe it wasn't that dramatic but I was close to tears.

The week was great. Noah had 4 full days of interacting with his 5 other cousins ranging in age from 1 month to 7 years. Tim and I learned how to play a couple new games (Charoodles and something else that is part Pictionary, part something else and I cannot remember the name of it for the life of me now.) We had a great time visiting with family and playing with our niece and nephews and enjoyed some yummy food as well - the Ross family knows how to pull off a heck of a buffet spread that we snack on from morning until evening: cheese and crackers, shrimp and cocktail sauce, desserts, nuts, etc. Delicious!

This is the best I could get for the "cousins pictures" - and the newest addition, Ross, is not even in it! In the back are Cameron and Owen and the front is Alec, Noah and Wyndham.

Then Alec was missing from the next one we tried to get, although Ross made his appearance. The people in here are Owen, me, Wyndham, Joyce (my mother-in-law), Noah, Deidra, Cameron, Kristen and Ross (oh, and Ross' last name is not Ross since it is Tim's sister so don't be confused.)

My birthday is the day after Christmas and every year I am excited for it and in recent years I have felt depressed when it comes to the actual day. I think that even as I get older I expect it to hold all the excitement that it does when you're turning 10. Then I realize that it doesn't. Something changes when you become an adult - especially when you don't celebrate it with just your family anymore so you lose traditions along the way. I know it sounds very selfish of me; I had a recent conversation with a girlfriend whose birthday is on the 23rd and she was telling me about how let down she feels on her birthday. I was able to completely relate and was glad to not be alone in how I felt. I guess we Christmas babies tend to wallow in our self-pity when we're lost in the bustle of Christmas. Honestly, though, I got some great presents. My nephew, Cameron, made me a bracelet and my mother-in-law bought me two Karen Kingsbury books. Unfortunately, I had read both of them but said I wouldn't mind having them to keep since I had just borrowed the ones I read from the library. She decided to keep them for herself and give me money to buy some I have not read, which was a sweet thought. Tim bought me the new Sara Groves CD, "Tell Me What You Know," a Karen Kingsbury book that I absorbed myself in and finished in two days ("Between Sundays"), and a 40-day devotional book by Beth Moore called "Get Out of That Pit" which I have heard great things about the book that she wrote of the same title. I thought that gift was ironic since I felt in a pit on my birthday. I am actually quite excited to start it because in this pregnancy I have felt some sort of mild...depression, maybe?...that could be due to life events or who knows?

Something fun we were able to do on my birthday was visit Doe River Gorge, a Christian camp that our brother-in-law, David, works at and that all our family loves and supports. Tim was a counselor there while we were in college and we always make sure to visit to see what is new whenever we are down there. This day's visit started with a stop to say "hello" to the horses.

I was able to have some great conversations with my sister-in-law, Kristen, regarding parenting more than one child. I actually broke down to her one night and confessed I was scared to death to have another child and sometimes feel like I don't know what I was thinking in wanting to have another when sometimes I wonder how I'm going to make it through the day with just one. I told her that I have of course heard of post-partum depression, but is it possible to have prenatal depression? She assured me that everything I was feeling was normal and shared her personal experiences and wisdom, as well as the fact that the "terrible twos" don't last forever. I wish we didn't live 14 hours apart because sometimes I just need a dose of her and one of her hugs.

All in all, it was a fabulous Christmas - although it is good to be back in my own bed.

Yea for Sleep!

We got the best night of sleep last night than we have in the past 2 or so weeks. We figured out that Noah is waking up at night because he is falling out of his bed. We purchased one of those safety railing things for the side of his bed and - woohoo! - he slept soundly all night. We even had an easy time putting him to bed.
Praise God!

Friends

I was thinking today of the friends Tim and I have. We have been blessed beyond belief with an amazing support system. Although many have moved, or we have moved away from many, we still manage to keep in touch with a good amount of old friends from college. I was realizing how proud I am of so many of them and the big things they are accomplishing.
I though of our friend Jack and how he will be finishing his course work for his doctorate at Purdue soon and beginning work on his dissertation. He will not only one day be to us Professor Baker, but Dr. Baker. He would like to teach at the college level.
An old roommate of mine will become Dr. Ennis by the end of the summer. Laura is studying physical therapy at Grand Valley. She is so talented - athletically, intellectually and she is all around a great friend.
We have so many friends who have started their own small businesses or side businesses. Tim Adam has shocked us with the sales of his custom metal designs - not because we don't think they're good but just with how quickly things have taken off for him and how many sales he has had! I told him about the Etsy website back in February and his goal was to have 100 sales by the end of the year. When I looked at his site today he had sold 353 items. Then there is his wife. She is a full-time nanny and on the side has started a small photography business. She gets better with every photo shoot she does and is so eager to learn and soak up every bit of knowledge she can.
Our friend, Chris, has a full-time job and is a husband and father to 2 (well, almost. Sam should be along any day to make it "officially" two.) He also is a seminary student and has been working on developing a Worldview Resource Center at their church. He is one busy guy!
Matt and Jeana are doing what they can to raise money as quickly as possible for their adoption. Matt works full time as a youth pastor and has a side job. Jeana works at Baker College and also does some photography on the side, though she doesn't market herself. It's more doing pictures for people she knows who ask. She also assists her sister-in-law during the busy wedding season with photography (her sister-in-law has a photography business.) During this holiday season, she has been running a toffee factory in her kitchen to sell at craft shows and anyone who wants some.
Then there is my husband. He has his own small business, run mainly on word-of-mouth referrals. He just entered into a business networking group that I think will help a bit to bring business and give him people to talk to about marketing, ideas, etc. There are days when financially I am so frustrated I feel like we should just pick up and move somewhere where home restoration is actually thriving and a good business, but he feels so strongly that God has us in West Michigan for a reason and he will stay. I love his faith, his efforts, the fact he loves to get up and go to work in the morning because it is something he enjoys and is passionate about.
There are more stories I could share, but I won't. I just love thinking that our friends are amazing. They tap into the talents and abilites God has given them. Some let them out in hobbies, others as businesses. Either way, they are not squandering their gifts. I'm so proud.
There are more, but I won't get in to everyone's stories. I am just so

The ups and downs of toddlerhood

There are times as a mother that I feel I am doing a good job. My son is fed, healthy, and clean. He is polite, outgoing, and a sweetheart. At church on Sunday I was told by at least 5 people how cute he is and how calm and laid-back.

Then there are the nights. My son is a monster in disguise of a light-brown hair, adorable blue-eyed 2-year old. The easy-going child is gone. The temper-tantrum-throwing terror is in his place.

That has been the down of the past week and a half for us. Noah, since infancy, has been a wonderful sleeper. He might wake up a couple times with what we called "sleep cries" where he wasn't really awake. All we had to do was go in, lay him back down, make sure he had his pacifier and he was instantly quiet again. However, he doesn't have a pacifier anymore. He is also sleeping in the toddler bed. When he first started sleeping in the bed, he did great. He would wake up and play for a bit in the morning, or read, but he wouldn't leave his room.

That is all gone. He now wakes up every night somewhere between the hours of midnight and one in the morning. He comes into our room, tries to crawl into our bed, we walk him back into his room and then the battle of the generations begins. He usually ends up screaming for up to 2 hours before tiring himself out. Last night he woke at 1:00 and was asleep again by 1:30, but it took him until 10:00pm to fall asleep in the first place, which is rare for us to go through. He was up at 6:30 in a great mood and ready to start the day with full on energy. Tim and I were not greeting the morning with as much energy.
That has been my main struggle of the "terrible twos." There are little things, like the open defiance and deliberate choosing of the opposite of what Mom and Dad want, but those I feel I can handle. Sleepless nights...well...let's just say that come April I'll have a new baby to keep me up at night. This is my time to sleep now and I want to cherish every moment of it.
On the upside of toddlerhood, he asked me if he could use the potty last week. We put the potty chair away a couple months ago and haven't even talked to him about it so I was in shock when he brought it up.
Me: "What?! You want to use the potty?"
Noah: "Yes."
Me: "You want to use the potty?"
Noah: "I do."
Me: long pause. "Ok. Let's go."
So I dragged the potty out of the closet and he sat on it and asked for a book to look at. He looked through a couple books and then said, "All done." He hadn't actually gone, but I praised him like crazy for trying. After that it has become an every day thing for him to want to use it. Sometimes we strike it rich and he actually goes, sometimes it's just him trying. However, the very idea that he is not running in the opposite direction of it is amazing. When we saw how interested he was in this potty business we decided to help in the process by buying a package of M&Ms and keeping them in a jar on top a cabinet in the bathroom. They are his reward for using the potty. Seeing as he is not usually allowed to have cookies and candy, this has actually become a huge motivation for him.
My boy is growing up so fast. I really just have a year and a half of him being at home before he starts preschool. Fortunately, by the time Eleanor starts her "terrible two" stage, Noah will be in school so I can tackle her issues one-on-one during the day like I can for him.
In issues relating to Eleanor, everything seems to be going well so far. Now that I am over the morning sickness, I am starting to put on the "recommended" weight gain. She can be quite an active one and her movements are becoming much stronger. I think Tim will be able to feel some kicks soon. Right now when he puts his hand on my belly, she decides to become shy. I have a feeling things will seem to speed up after the holidays are done and she will be here before we know it!
Financially, things are going much better. Tim started a job this week and will finish Friday. All next week we are gone in Tennessee celebrating Christmas with Tim's family (sing it with me now, all you who know Amy Grant, "A tender Tennessee Christmas is the only Christmas for me.") When we get back he will immediately jump into a new job, followed by another, in Grand Rapids. Things are starting to get back on track! We have learned our lessons and been humbled.
Well, I'm off to work on my niece, Kailyn's, doll blanket and pillow that I am making for Christmas. I'm not working off a pattern so we'll see if it turns out how I have pictured in my head!

Sunny With a High of Blessed

After a rough evening yesterday of finding out my 16 year old cousin tried to commit suicide and, thankfully, failed, I did not know what to expect this day would bring.
Even on a day that is so sunny we had to break out our sunglasses, it still cannot match the happy news we have continued to receive throughout today. From feeling less stress financially due to a gift from a family member as well as a new painting contact Tim spoke with on the phone and hearing other people's stories of good things happening today...it is just one of those days where I look up and say, "I am so sorry God. I am sorry for doubting You. I am sorry for believing lies satan placed in my mind. I am sorry for again putting You in a quaint little box. Thank You, thank You, thank You, THANK YOU for Your amazing blessings and mysterious ways."
Tim took a leap of faith today with the painting contact after praying and weighing issues this afternoon and when he spoke with the man on the phone about his concerns, things turned out different (and better!) than we thought. Another answer to prayer!
It is funny how differently we approach things now that we have experienced the past couple months. We also tend to rely on the memories of our dry patch last spring when Tim was thisclose to accepting a job in Ann Arbor. After much prayer and an emotional breakdown (mostly on my part of course) while there looking for housing, he made the decision to turn the job down. God blessed him abundantly with jobs after that, so much so that he was turning down people because he couldn't fit them in the schedule within the time frame they wanted. By experiencing this we have learned that it is not always beneficial to jump on an offer just because it is there and times seem desperate. We want to be wise and seek God's guidance to see all around if something is going to be good for our family, our faith, our marriage, etc.
Things are starting to look up. The important part for us now is to remember the lessons we have learned in 2007 and start applying them as 2008 draws closer.

Smoking or Non?

I am conservative, tend to vote more Republican based on my moral beliefs because, yes, they are a big deal to me. I don't believe abortion should be legal, I don't believe gay marriage should be legalized - you can call me narrow-minded. That's ok. I just prefer to stand firm in my beliefs like the people who think the opposite of me do as well. I have family members who have had abortions and some who are gay as well. I don't not love them. I just don't agree with their choices. But those are not the issues on my mind today.
Why in the world are the Republicans in Michigan's Senate choosing to ignore the warnings of a U.S. surgeon general report? They have thrown a recent smoking in public places ban to the place "where many bills go to die." (See article at http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=84874)
Why? Why? Why? Don't they know how long I have waited for something like this? To be able to go into a restaurant and sit down in a non-smoking area that is truly non-smoke filled? Do they actually think 3 feet of space and a half-wall between two sections is enough to keep the nasty, lung-killing secondhand smoke away? What heaven it would be to go into a restaurant and come out smelling like how you went in! What a glorious and brilliant idea to be able to take my pregnant, semi-asthmatic self along with my toddler to a place where they just automatically seat you in clean air!
I want to find a Republican that opposes this ban and kick him. More specifically I would like to find Republican Leader Mike Bishop and interrogate him. "Oh, hello Mike. It says here, that you think workplaces should be free to decide whether to allow smoking or not, and government shouldn't interfere with private businesses. Did you realize how hypocritical you just were? Did you want the Democrats to attack you? They will tell you that you don't think a woman should have the right to her own body in the case of an abortion but a workplace should decide whether or not to kill the rest of the public by allowing the slow killer Second-hand Smoke to fill their lungs?"
I am not real sure where to stand politically anymore. Republican, Democrat, Moderate. There are issues that I have with both the major parties. The word "moderate" always makes me laugh. Before an election I tend to browse all information on candidates that I can get my hands on so I can make a decision that I feel good about.
Some of you might not even think this ban is a big deal. I have had two grandparents die from smoking related diseases so to me it is a huge deal. I have never in my life smoked a cigarette or had a desire to. If I am not putting this crap in myself, why would I want someone else to do it for me?
Ban the secondhand!
(Sorry, Journey pastors, I really have been listening to the "Words" series. Some of the things said in this post are not kind, like kicking certain Republicans. It is something I'm passionate about, so it is true and kind of necessary.)

A Great Big Thank You

We just want to take the time to say "thank you" to our friends who have been a large support to us in this stressed out financial time. Whether they are inviting us over for dinner or hiding money in our kitchen and then calling us later to tell us about it, we are so appreciative. You have truly shown us the meaning of community without making us feel like a charity case. We know that God is going to bring us through this time eventually and when He does we will be able to turn around and show others the same generosity and love you all have shown to us.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. There is a bid that Tim has in on a house that is being flipped and it would be incredible to get the work for it so we are praying specifically that his bid is accepted.

It's A Girl!!

Mark Your Calendar - Come On Out!

On Saturday, December 15, Jeana and I will be participating in local radio station JQ99's Craft and Care Holiday Fair. It is held at the Holland Civic Center and you can find information here: http://www.jq99.com/pages/news/fair.shtml. They do ask for a donation to help one of three charities and you can find that information on the same page.


Jeana's profits will be going to her and Matt's adoption fund. They have quite a bit of money to raise yet, but every bit brings the reality of Emma one step closer. You can read their adoption blog by clicking on the "Matt & Jeana" link to the right of this post. My profits will go toward our financial situation at the moment. I wish it could be something more fun, but that's life. =)


Here are items you can find for sale at our booth:

Toddler/Preschooler Elf Hats - Some have ties, some do not. There are 3 different designs. The flower is shown here and there is also a snowman and a star. I wish I could have a picture of the hat on a real head but seeing as Noah won't keep it on long enough for a photo (he's anti-hats) and I didn't have a camera at the last craft show to take a picture of this adorable little girl wearing one...a water bottle will have to do.

*Sorry, baby not for sale! Unless you want the toddler that he is now. Just kidding.* My knitting soulmate, Rachel, made this one for Noah before he was born, but we work off the same pattern. My mom and sister nicknamed them acorn caps. Mine are sold in brown, pink, and blue and the I-cord on the top varies in length on mine. Some knot, some are just large enough to resemble the top of an acorn cap without knotting.
Jeana has the most delicious toffee you'll ever taste for sale. She has some baby items as well that she has made. You can also find that information and pictures on a recent post on her blog. If you can't come out to support us but are interested in purchasing something you see in the pictures on her or my website, let us know! If you can make it out, we'd love for you stop by and say "Hello!" We'll be at The Red Thread table - December 15th from 9:00-2:00.