The Schreurs

In case I need proof

2010-04-06T19:28:00.000-07:00

We had quit the hail storm here today and I had no place to put my van, since our garage is full. So it got pelted with the hail. I thought that if it some how got damaged that I should have proof. So I took a video of it.

In honor of Daddy

2010-04-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

In honor of daddy (Pete that is) we had oreos and milk for bedtime snack. That is one of Pete's favorites and is now our kids favorite. They use to just eat the cookies but now they think they need milk every time to dip them in since that is what daddy does. They make a mess anyway with out the milk so I don't really care if they have it. Plus I think they taste better that way too.

Miss you and Love you Daddy aka Pete

Mohawks

2010-03-27T19:31:00.001-07:00

Starting a little young

2010-03-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

Joe found the bottle tonight. I guess he likes the red wine.

(just so you know, he did not drink any, just licked the rim)

Ball Boy

2010-03-27T19:13:00.001-07:00

If he doesn't play sports, he sure will be a good ball boy

Bringing the balls over to Bup

Making sure they are all in place

Waiting for when they need a new ball

It was a little hard pushing them thru the grass

First time at the park

2010-03-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

Even though it was a little brisk the sun was out and we were bored. Pete is out of town so we quick ate dinner and headed to the park. The boys had so much fun. PJ was laughing and was so excited. I think he had been contained in our house for too long. We got to feed the ducks finally. In NC we would just walk down to the lake and feed them, so we are kinda missing feeding the ducks. Joe actually fed them and did not eat it himself.

The ducks were so close to them I was afraid they were going to snatch it out of their hands.

"This is fun Mom"

"Bye ducks" Joe said bye to them 10 times I think

Their expressions say it all

Almost a Every Day Occurrence

2010-03-23T18:12:00.001-07:00

This is almost an every day occurrence in our house. The boys go upstairs into our bedroom, take off all our sheets and jump, tackle, cry, laugh, scream for a long time. It is a great way to get energy out and brings alot of entertainment to them.

PJ is the one to push off the sheets

PJ is usually tackling, pushing or pulling Joe down. Then Joe screams.

Jump, Jump, Jump

Jump Jump Jump

2010-02-27T20:52:00.000-08:00

My kids love to jump of anything and everything. We let our kids jump on our couch, I don't know why but we do. It brings them entertainment plus it burns energy. Here is PJ doing his trick.

(notice he does say sorry to Joe)

Joe thinks he is pretty tricky as well, so here is Joe "jumping" with Donald Duck in his hand.

Not Healthy but Easy and Convenient

2010-02-27T20:35:00.000-08:00

Eating their Smore pop tarts

I know, I know, but the kids like them and they are good for on the run or just when I am to tired to do anything else. I usually ask PJ what he wants and normally it ends up being a bowl of cereal but sometimes it is a pop tart, on a towel, on the couch with a sippy of milk or orange juice. And of course if that is what PJ has, Joe needs it too.

Finally...

2010-02-25T13:01:00.001-08:00

the boys played outside. I have been trying to get PJ to go play in the snow but he wanted nothing to do with it. I tried to put his snow pants on one time when ALL the kids were outside except for him. He still did not care or want to. So finally, I was cleaning the kitchen the other day (rare occasion, but the sun was out so it motivated me) and had thrown my rugs outside to do the floors. I had the door open a little bit and PJ decided he wanted to go outside. So we put his coat and shoes on and he went outside. Well then Joe wanted to go outside so we put his coat and shoes on too. Then PJ decided that he wanted to stay out there a little longer, so we added the hat and gloves. Joe just got a hat since I do not know where his gloves are. I had to stop cleaning ( I was disappointed, let me tell you) cause I do not trust them outside by themselves. So I went out with just shoes on thinking they will want to come in any minute. Well surprisingly that did not happen, so I added a coat. After shoveling most of the snow back onto the sidewalk they decided to get a little daring and go walk in the snow. PJ just had shoes on it was getting his pants wet. So we had to switch to boots (second time that he has put them on all winter). Since PJ has boots, Joe needs boots. So I found him a pair of shoes that look like boots. I also added my gloves to Joe too since his hands were freezing. The boys had such a great time, we tried to build a snowman but the snow wasn't good for one. So we just through snowballs and pushed the lawnmower through the snow. I think we were out there for at least a hour. It was so nice to get fresh cold air.

Because he is cute

2010-02-24T20:19:00.001-08:00

I thought I would give you a taste of what I get to hug, kiss and love everyday.

Best $40 dollars spent

2010-02-16T20:21:00.000-08:00

When I knew we were going to be moving back to MI I knew I wanted to get something to put in the basement for the boys to get their energy out. I was in NC and looking on Craigslist and came across this Little Tikes slide. I think they were asking more but when I got there and offered them 40 dollars for it, they agreed. It was very dirty since it had been outside, so we gave it a good scrubbing and got it all cleaned up. It is now an almost everyday toy that gets played on. They boys run around, climb, and slide on it so much. It is so great to have, and a life savor for me since my boys do not like to play outside at all in the winter. If your kids need to get some energy out take them over and they can play on it.

It actually worked

2010-02-16T20:04:00.000-08:00

We got a chain letter about a month ago for stickers. I have never done chain letters as I tend to put them in the "go through later pile" and then never go through it until it is too late. Since this one was only stickers I thought I would try it cause PJ loves stickers. I did my duty and sent stickers to the person on the top line and then sent out 6 other letters and hoping they did the same. Lo and behold we got one set of stickers. I do not think we will be getting anymore so I am glad at least we got one.

How do you Sleep?

2010-02-13T19:29:00.000-08:00

For some reason my boys have been really tired this week. PJ does not take naps any more. He kinda stopped when he turned 2, so it is very rare to find him sleeping in the middle of the afternoon. They both have been sick so I am guessing that is part of it. PJ took 2 naps this week so it was really weird. The only problem with him napping is he stays up late. I mean real late like 11:30. So that is why I don't encourage them when he is tired. Anyways, this is their positions of sleeping.

Joe did not want to take a nap during the day, so he fell asleep on the way home from Pete's parents house. Pete brought him in from the car and then layed him down. This is how he slept for the next 20 minutes. Yes, he was still in his jammies at 5 o'clock at night. It is just nice to stay in them all day sometimes.

PJ feel asleep in the car and I brought him in and he went right to the couch and feel asleep like this. Looks comfortable huh?

If not one maybe the other then

2010-02-01T18:28:00.001-08:00

I have been trying to potty train PJ and it is just not working. I feel like it is harder for me than it is for him. I am finding that I don't have a lot of patients for it and after not making any progress I am just ready to throw a diaper back on and call it good. I try and make it fun and exciting, but after the 5th or 6th time of him just peeing in his pants I kinda loose that excitment and get frusterated. I try to keep my cool and Joe helps with that too. He thinks that every time PJ sits on the potty he has to too. So I put him up there and he sits there for a loooong time. He hasn't peed on it yet but I wouldn't be surprised if he is potty trained before PJ. Only time will tell.

I even put underwear on Joe, over his diaper, cause he thought he needed that too

Joe really likes sitting on the potty

Our friend for the week

2010-02-01T18:16:00.001-08:00

I took PJ in to the doctor for his 3 year appointment today. I normally take pictures but of course I forgot my camera. PJ is growing, which is a good thing cause I still feel like he is so little. He weighed 30 lbs and is 36 inches tall. I think he was 40% for weight, which was kinda surprising to me and 25% for height. He used to be in the 10 percential for most things so he is moving up. We found out though that he had a double ear infection. He said that he ear hurt yesterday so I wasn't totally surprised. Joe and PJ both have had colds over the past couple of weeks and Joe has not been able to kick it to the curb. He has had this cough pretty much since Christmas. So I was able to sneak him in when we were there as well and found out the he too has a double ear infection. It is a good thing that Amoxicillin is free at Meijers cause we got a lot of it. Hopefully it works.

So sweet

2010-01-31T18:46:00.000-08:00

We are so BLESSED to have parents who love our kids and are so involved in their lives. They take care of them pretty much anytime we ask and they play with them all the time. Our kids adore them so much and are always asking to go over to their houses. The other day we were over at Pete's parents house and Joe for some reason would not take a nap. Then his dad came home from work and went in sat in his chair to take a nap. Joe walked right over to him, cause I think he knew what he was going to do, and wanted to be picked up. They both laid right back and fell asleep. It was so cute to see Joe go running over to him so that he could take a nap with him. Once again we are SO blessed to have our parents around again all the time. Even though I miss the weather in NC, I would rather have friends and family around all the time.

Butter him up

2010-01-31T18:31:00.000-08:00

Joe thought it would be fun to wear the butter rather than eat it today. It was a good thing that they were getting baths tonight anyway.

After Pete just took a wash cloth to his hair to get it out and this is how he looked.

Oh Toodles

2010-01-31T18:17:00.000-08:00

I was getting lunch ready today after church and all of a sudden PJ goes "Mom, Oh Toodles" I was like what are you talking about. Then he said that I had toodles on my necklace. I looked down and sure enough there was toodles. It is so fun to see what kids observe and pick out.

Here is the full necklace, do you see toodles?

There it is, for those of you who do not know who Toodles is watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and you will know what we are talking about.

Weekend away!!

2010-01-25T21:24:00.000-08:00

We are in the "30" phase with all our friends. Some are 30 (a few of them 31) but most of us are turning 30 this year. A couple weekends again we went up to Boyne Mountain for the weekend to celebrate a few of them. We had a 1/2 off weekend so it was pretty cheap and a lot of fun. We got up there early afternoon on Friday and then from 6-8 we had FREE beer, wine and appetizers, can't beat that deal, oh and I got a free mini massage. They had a heated pool and hot tub that we went in, which is fun when you have snow and really cold weather all around you. We got to sit in there and watch the crazy night time skiers come flying down the hill. Then on Saturday we went skiing which I have not done for a LONG time. It was so much fun though and I got to ski with Pete for the FIRST time since I have known him. Just so you know we have known each other for 13 1/2 years. Which means that is how long it has been since Pete skied. He was usually playing basketball in the winter which forbidden him from skiing. He did good and I was impressed. Then we got a FREE lunch which consisted of hot dogs and burgers. At night we hung out, got pizza, and played some games. It was a great get away weekend that I think we all needed. We are so blessed to have such a great group of friends and we are loving hanging out with them all the time now. We have been making up for the 2 1/2 years of sitting at home most weekends when we lived in NC. Those were nice but I would much rather be sociable and get out.

Joey Joey

2010-01-25T20:59:00.000-08:00

I feel like I say that alot everyday. He is such happy kid but has a little bit of a redheaded temper. It has been coming out more and more everyday. If things are not going his way he throws himself on the ground and cries, or swings his arms around and flips out. He definitly keeps us on our toes these days.

Potty Training Again

2010-01-25T20:13:00.000-08:00

I think that this is my 3rd attempt at potty training PJ. The first one he would put the underwear on but then cried and screamed every time I tried to put him on the potty. The second attempt he screamed when I took the underwear out. So today I wasn't really planning on trying but thought, hey we are home today so why not. I had to force him to put the underwear on today but we got them on. He fought for a while to take them off but I distracted him and then we was ok with it. He did pretty good though and I was impressed. He never told me before he had to pee but either during or after. So then we would go sit on the potty, for a very long time, and he would go a little more. So we definitely made progress. Hopefully tomorrow he will get the hang of it more. I found out that potty training is a good way to catch up on laundry though. So lets home for a good day tomorrow.

Fun with the cousins

2010-01-22T19:35:00.001-08:00

I had the privelege of watching my sisters kids a day this week while she went to work. One nice perk of living back in Michigan. I am loving that PJ gets to play with his cousins ALL the time now. He loves it too as well as Joe. This is some of the activities that went on.

A new craft that I found, you get the ends wet and then you stick

them together and make whatever.

Joe helping out

Ty's creation

Lindsey "J"

Ty reading to PJ

All the kids reading

This is Ty's version of the story

Who needs a dishwasher when you have kids?

2010-01-12T19:23:00.000-08:00

The apartment we are living right now does not have a dish washer. It really kinda stinks since I have never not had one. So I do a lot of dishes and get sick of it quickly. It is a good thing that my boys like to play with water. I just through so dish soap in there and give them a brush and away they go. It is also nice cause it entertains them for a while.

Meet PJ's new friend -- Mr. Robot

2010-01-12T19:11:00.000-08:00

PJ got these build it up blocks for Christmas and you can make a robot out of them. Pete would put it together and then act like he is the robot talking. He will ask PJ to shake his hand and give him a hug. It is pretty funny, to me atleast. Here is PJ and his new friend - Mr. Robot.

Joe + yogurt = a mess

2010-01-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

When a 19 month old is determined to feed himself this is what you get. I guess he has to learn somehow so why not with yogurt. He has really gotten good with utensils though. He has to have one with every meal, even a peanut butter sandwich. I cut it in fours stick a fork in one piece and he is all set.

Officially Michiganders again

2010-01-05T19:24:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have not heard yet, we have moved back to MI. Just after Thanksgiving Pete and I went down after Thanksgiving and packed up the rest of our stuff. I made a lot of trips that week. I rode down with Pete on a Saturday, packed up Sunday and realized that we were not going to fit everything in. So I headed back up with the truck on Sunday afternoon. I got stuck in the Holiday traffic for a few hours so I had to stop overnight and then got home on Monday around noon. Got my haircut, emptied the truck and saw my boys for a little bit. Then Tuesday got in the truck and rode back down with his dad. It took like 13 hours for some reason so it was another long day. Packed up stuff on Wednesday and headed out that afternoon. Made it about half way and stopped overnight. Got home on Thursday for good. So Saturday-Thursday I was traveling and I was so sick of it. But I am SO glad my traveling days are over. It is SO nice to know that I do not have to make that trip again unless I want to go visit someone. Which is not going to happen anytime soon. I am so THANKFUL for ALL our safe travels over the past 2 1/2 years. There was never any accidents or major car problems. A few break downs but it was always a quick fix. I only got pulled over once, one of my last trips up there, but did not get a ticket. Living in NC was a great experience and I am glad I got live there but I am really glad to be back by friends and family.

Joe helping me pack

Joe playing Peek-a-Boo

Saying good by to my good friend Vonda and her kids

Joe riding in the truck with Pete, getting ready to head out with a work load.

My mom came down to make the last trip with the boys cause Pete had to work

Boys LAST morning in NC (November 22, 2009)

I must say that is was one of our best trips with the boys.

They were such troopers over the past few years.

Then this is what you get when you move. Since we kinda

downsized again I needed to find room for all our crap.

We are settled now and it is feeling like home again.

After every meal

2009-12-23T21:02:00.001-08:00

After every meal we ask PJ and Joe if they are full and every time they have to show us their bellies to prove it. Then they ask Daddy if he is full and to see his belly and then they ask Mommy if I am full. They have learned to not ask Mom or any Lady for that matter to see their bellies. Just boys and men. But this has become a nightly tradition in our house.

Joe was REALLY full

PJ's full belly

2009-11-08T20:57:00.000-08:00

We got to spend Halloween in MI this year again. It was a short trip cause we had to come back down to NC so Pete could get back to work. The boys rode up with Pete's parents the Friday before so they were there a little over a week, and then I drove up on Tuesday and Pete on Thursday. Then we all drove home on Sunday. We were happy to see family and friends though, cause it had been a while. We had a party with just our friends on Friday then did the trick-or-treat thing on Saturday with the kids. We did brunch at my parents and then dinner with the Schreur side and trick-or-treating. It was nice a cold so just PJ went with the big kids. We made it to enough houses to fill up the bag. We had a good time, even though PJ would NOT get in his outfit. Thats ok though, maybe next year.

This doesn't happen often or ever

2009-11-05T19:30:00.001-08:00

PJ had a rough day yesterday with a few MAJOR meltdowns which turned into tantrums (major tantrums might I add). We went to the store and he was terrible through the whole store. When we got home he was still crying about nothing so I sent him to his room. Oh boy, he did not like that. He turned into a child that I have never seen before. He was screaming and yelling. So after I calmed him down he was fine. Well then he went through the same thing at night, where something just set him off. Then by dinner time he was SO tired that he fell asleep in the chair. This never happens cause he doesnt sit long enough to relax. I hope these tantrums are slim to nun, but we had another few today. I think he just might be turning 3 and this might be coming along with him.

Today would have been the day

2009-10-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

That I would have had child #3 if I had them the same age difference as PJ and Joe. That is just CRAZY to me. I just look at Joe and could not imagine him being a BIG brother. Here are few pictures of when Joe was born and a few recent ones of Joe.

PJ when he came to visit me, that still does not fit him

First day home from the hospital (Joe 5 days)

Joe given me kisses through the bars

Feeding the ducks

Enjoying oreos

My helper

2009-10-07T19:49:00.000-07:00

So this is kind of a boring video, but it shows how much PJ is a big helper to his brother. He has such a great heart and loves to help out when needed. He recently started sitting in one of the big chairs and happened to end up next to Joe. So he has helped with feeding Joe since he is the closest to him.

Good thing Joe Doesn't Care

2009-10-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

It is a good thing that Joe just doesn't care what PJ does to him most of the time. There are times where PJ gets to him, but for the most part Joe doesn't care. It also helped that Joe doesn't care if he is wet unlike PJ who would not like all that wet clothes on. It is so fun to watch them interact these days.

PJ's following in the footsteps

2009-09-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

PJ's new favorite thing is pounding nails into the board. He is pretty much destined to be in some kind of construction work, since that is what most of the men (6 out of the 8) in our families do.

Look what I found!!

2009-09-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

I went to a consignment sale down in NC the other day and I ran across this outfit. Crazy! So I had to buy it. It is actually a 18 month outfit that I bought for Joe to wear this winter but of course PJ still fits into it. The jacket is a little small but the pants fit good.

More Brotherly Love

2009-09-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

We got some free stickers in the mail the other day, so tonight we opened them up to use them. Normally I just hand them to the boys and they put them on paper. Well tonight PJ decided to put them on his brother. Joe didn't really care, he was a good sport.

PJ told us he put them on Joe's "elbows" and this is what we found.

This is a night in the Schreur house

2009-08-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

This is what we often do at night. The video is kinda long, but I got a good chuckle from it. So enjoy a little piece of our evening.

What is end of summer/fall without corn on the cob!

2009-08-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

As you can see we enjoyed corn on the cob tonight. Here is PJ wanting me to take a picture of it of course.
Joe loves it, and actually does pretty good with it.

Like Father Like Son

Take a picture of this Mom!

2009-08-04T19:23:00.000-07:00

PJ has this thing these days that when I get the camera out I have to take pictures of everything. So a couple weeks ago we were playing outside and these are the things that he wanted a picture of. I didn't take a picture of everything but most of them. Here are just a few of the items.

Hi Nana and Bup!!

2009-08-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

We talk to my parents on the webcam all the time when we are in NC. I had the computer sitting out the other day when we were down there and this is what Joe did. He just thinks that someone is always on the other end ready to wave back. It was cute.Joe waving at the Itunes page

Looking at a picture of him

4th of July

2009-07-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

We started our day off by going to the Dorr parade with Knolls and Harkemas. It was a perfect weather for a parade. We sat at the very beginning of it so we got enough candy for a 2 year old. PJ actually ran out there and got it. He was not a fan of loud noises but they didn't seem to bother Joe. Joe just sat on the side lines and ate his first sucker. At night we went over to Harkemas and hung out for a while. It has been a long time since we got to hang out like that. It was great having the kids play and us adults just hanging out. The boys got to do some fireworks. Carson and PJ did their first sparklers. Good times had by all.

Dorr Parade Getting all the candy Natalee looking cute as always
Joe enjoying his sucker

I would think that a fire truck was going by at this point in time

Pete and PJ doing "snakes" very entertaining

PJ's first sparkler

Carson and his sparkler

Joe enjoying the "show"

Oh to be a kid

2009-07-03T23:27:00.000-07:00

I am starting to learn more and more that my boys are quit different. PJ does not like to be cold, wet, or dirty. Where as you can see from these pictures that Joe just doesn't care. I have a feeling that PJ is going to be standing behind Joe and letting Joe do everything first. It is so fun to watch their personalities come out.

Looks who's walking!

2009-07-03T20:28:00.000-07:00

It has been so fun watching Joe learn to walk. He gets so excited. In the video from outside, it looks worse that what it actually was. He is about 50/50 between walking and crawling, but he really just started walking like this about 3 days ago. I am so ready for him to walk all the time.

Mmmm Good Breakfast Mom!

2009-07-03T19:44:00.001-07:00

Do you ever have one of those mornings where you really don't care what you child eats for breakfast? Well I did this morning and let PJ have chocolate donuts and M&M's. It sure makes you the best mom for the day.

This is Joe at his best

2009-06-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

Joe LOVES to be outside these days, but is not quit walking yet. He has taken about 4-5 steps and does it when he wants to but just not all the time. He loves to push stuff around and then crawl and eat whatever he comes across.

His other favorite thing is climbing on everything. He has no fear so he will just climb on whatever is near by.

This is what he did the other night. He thought is was so cool to be on this chair.

Wow Mom look at what I can do. No Hands!

Brotherly Love?

2009-06-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

I think this is called brotherly love, what do you think?

Oops

2009-06-06T19:04:00.001-07:00

This is what happens when I am not paying attention to what I am doing. I didn't realize it until about 15 minutes after I put his shirt on. Sorry Joe.

Crazy Joe!

2009-06-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

Joe and I are down in NC for a few days for his 1 year appointment. I left PJ back in MI with his grandparents. It was so weird coming back here with JUST Joe. It was really sad actually, it felt very empty. I have never really been home alone since we have been married, almost 7 years ago. So to be alone and 700 something miles away from family was really weird. Pete is still in North Dakota so he is even further away. Anyway, so we made the trip in 12 1/2 hours of driving plus we stopped over night. Not bad for just Joe and I. Joe is really lovin all the attention since no one here to take it away from him. He was just full of it tonight and was laughing at anything I did. It was so fun to spend some quality one on one time with him. He is such a happy kid. Here are a few pictures from tonight.

Bottoms Up!

My little helper

2009-06-06T18:17:00.000-07:00

I was getting ready to make a short trip down to NC with just Joe the other day (he has his 1 year appointment) so I was vacuuming out the van. At first PJ thought it was loud, as he does alot of things, but he then wanted to help. I did all the nooks and crannys and he did the rest for me. I just sat in the chair in the sunshine and watched. If you know him he is a very picky/anal kid, gets that from his dad, so he was back there for a good half hour making sure he got everything cleaned up. It was so funny to watch.

Happy Birthday Joe!

2009-05-31T10:38:00.000-07:00

Of course I can not believe that a year has gone by already. It seems like forever ago that I was pregnant and ready to be done. This past year has been an eventful one for our family. Alot of traveling, moving, and adjusting to another child. It has been busy but a great year. When Joe was born he came out not breathing and a low heart rate. He was face up and got stuck, so they had to use the forceps to get him out. Not pleasant at ALL, but I was just thankful that I got him out on the first contraction with the forceps. If he was in there any longer it could have been a lot worse than what it was. The doctor had called in a whole bunch of people, after I had been pushing for 2 1/2 hours, and I had no idea what was going on. Once Joe came out, the doc cut the cord and quickly brought him over to the table where they started doing CPR on him. All I can see if Pete's face that does not look good and the doctors are saying "come on buddy" -- not good. They were able to get him back right away and then he was in the room for maybe 3 minutes until they rushed him off to NICU where he stayed for the next 5 days. I got to see him for a second, literally, and never got to hear him cry. It was a crazy morning and all I wanted to do was call my mom. So I did and I started bawling my eyes out. I had no idea what went wrong or what had really happened. I never did find out until 2 days later from the doctor in the NICU. I must say that I was soooo THANKFUL that I delivered him in NC, cause that morning was the morning that the helicopter hit Spectrum downtown and that is where I would have been. As of today, Joe is a very happy and healthy boy that did not suffer any effects of his traumatic birth. We are so thankful that God protected both Joe and I thru that delivery. It was not pleasant and I hope it never happens to any of you.

Joe brings us so much joy and happiness to our family, and is such a blessing. He has been through a lot in his first year of life, and is a real trooper. Here are some pictures of what he has done. First day in the NICU, they were scared the first few hours, but he perked up that night and then more the next day.

Here are my two babies meeting each other for the first time. PJ is 16 1/2 months Joe 5 daysWe made our first trip to MI when Joe was just two weeks old. I was determined to go to my cousins wedding and camping at Pentwater. We made it in 15 hours stopping every 3 to feed Joe. I was a loong trip. Here Joe is making his footprints on the Tshirts we made.Joe's first flight with me. We had to go back to NC for somethingOur trip to Bear Lake with our friends. We also did another camping trip about 3 weeks later with friends at Gun lake.Joe just starting to sit up on his ownPlaying in the rain

After a bath

He LOVES to swing, or any type of movement like that

What happens when you are the youngest cousin and are not able to say no yet

At Fredrick Meijer Gardens

Happy Birthday Joe!

He did well with the cake, he got to do this again the next night as well

Riding the tractor.

Happy Birthday Jodgee, we love you so much are so thankful God has trusted us as your parents. You are such a blessing to us and we so PROUD to call you our Son. We pray that we have many more birthdays with you and can not wait to see what God has in store for you. We love you!!

Joe's accomplishments in one year:

-- Made it through a traumatic birth

-- traveled to MI at two weeks old

-- made about 5-6 (maybe more) trips to MI,

--all of them in the car anywhere from 11 1/2 hours to 15 hours

-- Went camping 2 times plus a cottage vacation

-- Had a minor surgery at 2 months old and spent the night in the hospital

-- Flew at least 2 times that I remember, once to Charlotte from MI

and we went out to CO to visit Nick

-- survived living with his brother for the first year without ever really getting hurt

-- He only has 4 teeth and recently just got 2 of them

-- I think that is it. That is a busy year for him.

So wished I had my camera handy!

2009-04-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

We got PJ a sand and water table to go back on the deck since we don't really have a yard to play in. He was out there with Joe the other day and I watched him take a FULL shovel of sand and dump it on Joe's head. I SO wished I had my camera at that moment cause I totally saw it coming. Joe had no idea what had just happened to him. I found it kinda funny and tried not to laugh when I disciplined him. Here is what Joe's head looked like.

Spring Break 09'

2009-04-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

Well the DeJong's came down to visit again during the kids spring break. This time Ted joined them instead of my mom. We had great weather for the most part so the kids got to play outside a lot and go swimming (taking advantage of living on a lake). You will be able to tell who lives in NC and who lives in MI in one of the photos. They were so desperate to go swimming that they went when it was cold and rainy. Jake turned blue he was so cold. We did have a nice mid-70's day though where it was a little better. Another big event was the Lazy 5 Ranch. I had never been , but heard a lot about it. So we took the kids up there to check it out. It is a ranch that has a 3 1/2 mile trail where you take your car or you can go on a horse and trailer ride. Since Ted had his truck, we all jumped in back (except for Ted, Pete and Joe they sat in the cab) and went for the ride. The animals come right up to your car and we got to feed them. The emu's where a little aggressive, they even nipped Joe's hand ( he cried, but was ok). It was so neat seeing the animals up close. The kids had a great time and I think we are going to have to visit it every time they come down. It was so great having family come my way and we didn't have to travel. Thank you DeJong's for coming to visit. We had a great few days with you. Our home is open anytime you want. That goes for anyone who wants to visit. The house sure felt empty after they left and it took a little bit to get use to the four of us again. Great fun with the family.

Colorado Trip

2009-04-06T18:26:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I got to go out to Colorado to surprise my brother. I flew out there with my parents and the boys. My sister in law was going to Dubai to visit her aunt for the week, so we were going out there to take care of the kids while Nick worked. Nick had turned 30 the beginning of March so I decided that it would be fun to surprise him for his birthday and just to go out and see them. We had not seen them since last June when Joe was just 2 weeks old. Now he is 10 months old. It worked out great and he was totally surprised. We had a great, busy, fun week. The boys played great together. They have only met a few times before so it was nice for them to have a chance to spend some time together to get to know one another. Nick and Kristin bought a house a while ago and have been fixing it up so my dad helped him out during the week and made some good progress. In the mean time my mom and I kept the boys busy. We went to the park, zoo, swimming, the house a few times, gymnastics place, the mall, and just playing outside at home. We had great weather so they got to play in the sandbox a lot. My parents left on a Sunday and I stayed a few more days. That way I got to see Kristin for a few days. It was a great trip and I was so thankful that I was able to go spend some quality time with them. On the way home I braved traveling with both boys alone. I took my car seat, 2 bags, 2 kids and a stroller on the plane. I know, call me crazy, but it beat traveling 3 hours from Chicago and then another 12 back to NC. We had a layover in Detroit for a little bit so it was a pain unloading everything and then putting it all back on, but I had some nice people offer to help me. The last flight I sat in the very last row and was able to have to whole row to myself. It was so nice to have that extra seat. I usually had one kid in the car seat and then another on my lap or sitting next to me. We were on the descend into Charlotte when they came around with a bag of cashew nut mix. I shared it with PJ cause he was getting restless and was tired from traveling. When we were just about to land he started acting weird and I just thought he was overly tired. Well then he proceeded to start coughing like he was going to throw up. So I put Joe back in the car seat and took PJ out. He finally started to throw up. Luckily I had a blanket with me and all the dukes we normally carry with us. He threw up a few times then fell a sleep. Well by now we had landed and everyone was off the plane. The pilot came back to see what was going and told me that PJ looked dehydrated and that we needed to get him to the hospital before we go home. GREAT! just what I wanted to do after traveling al day. Joe had fallen asleep in the 5 minutes that he was in the car seat. So now I have 2 sleeping boys, 2 bags and a car seat to get off the plane. The staff helped me get Joe out and the bags and put me in a wheel chair since I was holding PJ. We were then put on a gulf cart thing to transfer us to Pete. They put Joe in the stroller and pushed him next to us. Well the guy driving the cart thought it was ok to stop and pick up someone else getting off a plane which took forever. The guy pushing Joe kept going and told me to have Pete meet him at gate B. Great, now Joe is out of my site and PJ is still sleeping not looking good at all. I was so mad and felt helpless. Well Joe made it safely to Pete and we joined him shortly after. We got everything in the car and was off the the hospital. Luckily Petes Dad was down by us so he meet us there to take Joe home. PJ woke up when we got there and proceeded to throw up again. Then he was just out of it for about another 20 minutes. When we went into triage he started to perk up a little more. We then noticed that he was starting to break out in hives. We got back in the room and was waiting for the doctor to come in. By now PJ was fully awake and fully broken out. He was itching all over. When the doctor finally came in PJ was jumping on the bed and messing around with Pete. I asked her if she thought he was dehydrated and she just laughed. She kinda just laughed at PJ the whole time cause he was acting like he had been confined on a air plane all day. It turned out that he had an allergic reaction to the cashews. So we were sent home and gave him some benadryl and he was fine by the next morning. He just slept in til 12:15. It was a combination of the 2 hour time change and the benadryl. It took him a few days to get back on schedule. We took him to the doctor the next day to get some blood drawn to have it tested. It turns out that he in only allergic to cashews. So we always have to carry and epi pen and benadryl with us at all times. I might still take him in to a allergist just to get more questions answered and just to make sure that that is all he is allergic too. So it was an exciting end to a week and a half long trip. Not a good way to come home, but I am just SOOO thankful that he did not stop breathing and that it was not any worse than what it was. Nut allergy's can be harsh. The perk to all of this was I wrote a letter complaining about the flight attendant that was sitting right behind during this whole thing. She heard him coughing, and then heard him throw up, and knew I was flying alone with 2 little ones and never got up to see if he was ok or if she could help me out. Even after we landed NO ONE paid any attention to me. The flight attendant casually said that she had nothing back there for me to put the blanket in and then proceeded to talk to the man that was sitting across from me. She said that she had had a long few days and was looking forward to her day off. The only thing she really did for me was call to have someone meet us. I was so mad and disappointed with her. She even told the pilot when he came back that PJ was coughing before he threw up so I know she heard him. So today I got an email with a 100 dollar voucher for both PJ and I. So I guess it pays to complain sometime. Here is a video of our trip. Sorry this post is long but I wanted to explain my story. Thanks Nick and Kristin for having us out there and invading your house for a while. It was a great trip and I hope we can do it again soon. Thanks Mom and Dad for all your help with the kids. Love you all.

Here "Jodgee" aka Joey

2009-03-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

If you have 5 minutes and want to watch "Jodgee" as PJ says (listen for it if you watch) eat cheerios by himself (for the first time that I can remember) here is a video. Enjoy.

This to this in just a few days

2009-03-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

We went from a snow storm to our first trip to Lake Norman all within a few days. This is PJ on March 4, playing in the "water" with his boots on. He has to wear them everyday. Which is ok cause he can easily put them on and take them off by himself.

Then this is PJ on March 7 playing in the real water. We moved into a condo which is on the lake by us, so I have a feeling we will be spending a lot of time here this summer.

Joe just hung out on the beach. By the end of the summer I am sure he will be right in there with PJ.

Doctor appointements

2009-03-05T10:52:00.001-08:00

Both the boys had a doctors appointment today, PJ-2 year and Joe-9 months. I took my camera and the battery was dead so no pictures. They are both healthy and doing well. The doctor made a comment on how she only sees our kids on their well visits and not for being sick. I thought that was a good complement. So here are the stats:

Joe

weight: 20.6 lbs 10-25th %

height: 27 1/2 in 25th %

head: 18 50-75th% (hes got a big head)

weight: 25.1 lbs 10-25th %

height: 33 3/4 25th %

head: 19 25th % (did you notice his head is only a inch bigger than Joes?)

they are both doing great and are growing perfectly. We thank God all the time for our healthy and happy boys.

Free window washing!

2009-03-03T19:31:00.000-08:00

Free window washing, if you want him to come over and do yours give me a call.

This is what happens

2009-02-13T20:05:00.001-08:00

This is what happens when you let a 2 year old eat yogurt unassisted. I was feeding Joe while PJ was attempting to eat most of his yogurt. Good thing we have a washing machine.

Taking matters in our own hands

2009-02-04T18:21:00.001-08:00

Pete's mom normally cuts PJ's but it was getting really long. So Pete decided to take his clippers to his hair. PJ normally doesn't mind getting it done but he didn't really like the clippers. It was a little bit of a challenge, but we got it done. Now he looks like his cousin Jake.

I am sure we will have to do it again in a couple of weeks.

Winter Blast 09'

2009-02-04T18:07:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning to a sound that sounded familiar but couldn't figure it out. It was about 6:15 am and I hear this crunching noise. So I look outside and I thought I was in MI for a second. We had received about a inch of snow over night. It was quit icey and really crunchy. So I took some pictures since we don't normally see it that often down here. I think most schools were closed and I know some buisnesses closed. Crazy crazy.

There is another new post farther down

2009-02-01T10:29:00.001-08:00

I just made a new post but it published it on a different date, so if you scroll down you will find it. It is the one of Joe crawling.

Well, maybe PJ will be a volleyball player?

2009-01-31T20:40:00.000-08:00

Here is another video of PJ trying out another sport (kind of). I will be shocked if he doesn't play any sport.

Eight months today!

2009-01-29T21:49:00.001-08:00

Since I still can not figure out how to move pictures they will just have to be backwards order. This is how the photo session ended.

PJ at eight months
Joe at Eight Months

Can't wait til summer

2009-01-29T21:32:00.000-08:00

I was cleaning out the garage today, so when PJ woke up he wanted to play outside. It was sunny and 50 but we were in the shade so it was cooler. Anyway, he found his beach toys and pool and played in them for a while. Now we just need the warm weather and a beach and we are all set.

He wanted me to blow up his beach ball so I told him he had to smile and say cheese. This is what I got. He never looks at me as soon as he sees the camera, so it can be difficult to get a good picture. I got a few though today. The last one is my favorite.

Joe's crawling phases

2009-01-29T19:36:00.000-08:00

Here is Joe's journey from crawling to pulling himself up.

This was the first night he took a few arms length (January 13th)

Then the next night it was halfway across the room (January 14th)

Then it was this on January 28th

Then the next step was this on January 29 (kind of a lengthy video)

Then of course he started doing this. I would have done a video but you wouldn't want to hear the scream that was coming from him. (January 30)

Hopefully the next step is he learns how to get down from this position.

All the Pillows

2009-01-29T19:28:00.001-08:00

PJ likes to likes to sit on our bed and was "webe" aka TV. He always has to have all the pillows when he is up there too. This is how he sat one morning.

I'm 2!!

2009-01-13T11:29:00.000-08:00

Well, I am now a mother of a two year old. Where has time gone. It has been the most exciting and rewarding two years. PJ has brought so much joy and laughter to our family. He is definitely a junior that is for sure. He is such a happy, laid back child with lots of character. I am amazed everyday at how he changes and is now learning so much. It is so fun to watch. PJ -- we love you and are so happy that God put you in our lives.

Here are a few pictures from his party. Sorry they are not in order but I can not figure out how to move them yet.

Jack in a box (literally)

All the kids on his new beanbag (that I made by the way)

He always gets celebrate with Aunt Erin, and Bup

Attempt for a Christmas Card

2009-01-01T19:54:00.001-08:00

Normally I send out a Christmas Card every year. I usually have a good picture and card picked out by the beginning of December, and then just waiting for the mail man to deliver them. Well, this year it just didn't happen. I tried to get a good picture of the boys together numerous times and it never happened. I should have just done separate pictures cause I have cute pictures of them by themselves. By the time I actually got one that would work it was too late. So here are some pictures in my attempt to make a card.

We tried using a ball, but that did not work

I like this one, but Joe made that face the whole time.

My little boy who is almost 2 already

If you have never met Joe, this is what he looks like all day long. A smile for anyone who will look at him.

Once again Joe with his facial expression

Merry Christmas!!

Love Pete, Annie, PJ and Joe

This is the best picture I got, so pretend this is the Christmas card you got in the mail from us.

Preparing for the Snow!!

2008-12-19T20:31:00.001-08:00

Before we left for MI we had to try on PJ's winter wear to see if it fit. He surprisingly left his boots on for like 45 min (he never keeps his socks on for more than 2 minutes, and that is while we carry him to the car). He also didn't complain about the hat. So hopefully he will keep it all on when he is playing in the snow.

Leg Hold!!

2008-12-14T20:09:00.001-08:00

I have a feeling that this is going to be one of many wrestling matches.

How do you wear your diapers?

2008-12-12T19:15:00.001-08:00

Pete was getting the boys ready for bed and this is how PJ turned out. I was surprised that he really didn't care it was on his head. He is not one to keep hats or anything on his head. If you forget a hat this could be a good ear warmer too. Keep that is mind this winter.

When Pete gets PJ ready he has this little ritual that he does with him. He acts like a forklift and puts him in his jammies. Then he usually makes PJ give him a hug and kiss but that didnt happen tonight.

PJ finally says the KA sound

2008-12-09T19:17:00.000-08:00

Here is how PJ says some of his words, he sounds so cute with his little voice. I thought I would share with you to what I listen to all day. He is talking so much within the past few weeks and it has been so fun to hear how he says things.

Where he gets his talent, I don't know

2008-12-09T18:55:00.000-08:00

The video says it all

This is for the records

2008-12-04T15:26:00.000-08:00

Well, some of you may have wondered what has happened to us and why haven't I updated the blog. There are a few reasons for that. One, we got a new computer and it just took a while to transfer and get the pictures back in order. Second, I was in MI for a month again cause Pete had to work in Wyoming for 3 weeks. Third, I am on facebook way to much (like a lot of you) and I just keep putting off updating the blog. Last and most importantly, I have two boys that are very dependent on me, and demand a lot of attention. There really isn't much new with us other than we have been back and forth from MI. We have been hanging out with the family a lot which has been fun. PJ LOVES playing with his cousins. I like him playing with them cause they distract him and it gives me a little more free time. Joe turned 6 months old (in the slide show the first one is Joe and the second is PJ). He went to the doctor today and he weighs 18.6. He is in the 50% for both height and weight. He is still the happiest baby and smiles all day long, literally. PJ and Joe have been interacting a lot more lately and it has been so fun watching them. Joe just watches and laughs at him all the time. PJ loves to take his pipe from him and put it back in. PJ is talking ALOT more lately so that has been exciting as well. Other than that this is a slide show so you can see my growing boys. Hope you enjoy. Pete picked out the lyrics for the video so I hope you like it.

Erdmanns-- if you see this, I put in a picture of PJ with the jammies you got him when he was born. He finally fits into them. He really likes them cause they have balls all over them.

What friends and older cousins do to PJ

2008-11-03T18:47:00.000-08:00

At Petes parents house the kids always play downstairs. PJ is at that age where we trust him down there with the kids. Well the other day this is how he came up. Then again like this

and again like this
The older kids had fun playing dress up on him. Then I was over at our friends house the other weekend and this is what they did to PJ. It was pretty funny

Now he always wants to put balls up or down his shirt.

Joe's six pack

2008-10-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

Pretty impressive for a almost 5 month old, huh!

PJ and Ty

2008-10-21T11:47:00.001-07:00

Since we have been up here the boys have had a lot of playing time together. They are at the age where they actually pay attention and play with each other. They both can just bug the crap out of each other or play really nice. It has been so fun watching them. Here is what they have been up too.Playing on Bup and Nanas bedEating ice and finding noses and eyes.Feeding corn to the nature animals at Bup and Nanas houseBeing goofy

And jumping!!

Joe's built in Toy

2008-10-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

Don't we all wish we were this flexible? Joe has found his toes and when I need to do something, I just take his pants off and socks and the toes entertain him for me. The only time I don't like it is when I am changing his diaper. He doesn't cooperate with me very much.

Fall Festives

2008-10-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

We went up to a farm up on the north end with the Knolls. They were only open from like 5-9 so we tried to get there early before it got to dark. We were going to go on a hayride and pick pumpkins and do all that fall fun stuff. Well we got there at 6:20 and they were just taking there last hayride out. It was going to be too dark by the time they got back. So we just missed it. So the boys (Carson and PJ) did a few other things. PJ's first pony ride -- he even did no handsIt cooled off real quick and we forgot Joe's hat. So this is what Pete came up with to stay warm
They had this fire engine that was suppose to take them for a ride, but the battery was dead. Another let down.

Watch out David Beckham ...

2008-10-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

PJ loves balls as most of you know. We noticed that he is very coordinated as far as throwing and kicking them. It will be interesting to see what sport he actually will play. He will probably want to be a bat boy or a ball fetcher for tennis just so he can say ball all the time and run and go get them. Lets hope not though. No offence to anyone out there who is one. Anyway, we were at the park yesterday and he walked around for a long time just kicking the ball. So yesterday I was thinking he just might be the next David Beckham. We will have to wait and see.

Joe of many faces

2008-10-06T10:41:00.001-07:00

We have the book Joseph with the coat of many colors. Well, we have Joe with the face of many expressions.

I think he is trying to look like the turtle on his shirt. Joe looks like he would be speedy doesn't he.
Then he just has his cute smile that brings so much joy to our family.

He did it!!

2008-10-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

Well, Joe made another milestone tonight. He can officially role over. The earlier post of him trying was taken last night and then he rolled over today. Now I have to remember that I can not just leave him on the bed or couch and go do something. I might just come back to him crying on the floor. That would not be good. Again, he is growing up so fast.

ALMOST!!!

2008-10-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry it is sideways, I wasn't thinking when I was taking it. Joe is so close to rolling over. If it wasn't for that arm he would be on his belly in not time.

Now that you watched this are you all leaning to one side trying to help out Joe? I was at least. I will let you know when he makes it to his belly.

mmm cereal!

2008-10-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry it is a little lengthy and boring, but it is more for the record than anything. You can watch a little Dukes of Hazard as you wait for Joe to eat his cereal.

Just for fun

2008-10-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

Just Cute! "Move over Joe"

We went and tried on some shoes for PJ and they made him but "socks" on. Then we had to try on a few hats

I should submit this picture for him to be a gap model.

Tricky Tricky

2008-10-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

PJ thought he was pretty tricky when he figured out he could put raspberries on his fingers

4 months

2008-10-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

Joe turned four months this past Monday. We went to the doctor and everything looked great. He weighed in at 16.8 lbs and 25 inches long. He is about 2lbs heavier than PJ was at that age and a 1/2 in longer than him. Joe is such a happy healthy kid and brings lots of smiles to our family. We are so blessed to have two great kids that bring so much joy and laughter to our life. We cant wait to see what else God has in store for our family. Here are a few photos from the docs appt.He was so happy before the apptGetting his temperature takenHe actually weighs 16.8 but the other picture shows you know what. I didnt think he would like thatOf course PJ had to get weighed as wellThe final statsEach room has a theme and this time it was under the sea To keep PJ entertained I had him look for bubbles on the wall.He also found some glassesThis was Joe when we left. Poor guy had 4 shots. I had asked for Tylenol for him and normally they give you a little sample bottle, but this time she came back with it in a medicine cup. I was like, how am I suppose to get a 4 month old to drink out of a cup. Well it ended up going all over him. So I was kinda annoyed already, then they normally have two ppl giving shots so they can do it at the same time instead of poking 4 different times. Well she did it by herself, so I felt bad for him. He did better than last time though.

PJ at 4 months

Joe at 4 months

Gun Lake

2008-09-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

For the past few years we have been going camping with our friends. This year we ventured over to Gun Lake. It was the best setup we have ever had. All our trailers (5 of them and only one of us owns one, thanks to the other 4 who were all borrowed) were in a circle to try and keep all 9 kids, 4 and under, in eyes sight. Last year only two were walking and this year, all but two were walking. Crazy but fun. We had great weather and great company. We were really close to the lake and it was easy to walk too. Other years we had to walk almost 10 minutes plus we had to truck through the sand. I think there were only 2 kids at that time though and 3 more on the way. We figured out that this is our 4th year doing this. Hopefully we will keep the trend going for many more years.

Never thought I would see this

2008-09-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

Since hurricane Ike has come gas prices have gone up right. This weekend we went up to the mountains for a retreat for church. I filled up before we went and when we got home yesterday gas had gone up even more. We saw a few stations for $3.65 but we did not fill up of course. Then all the other stations were $4.29. Then we noticed that a lot of gas stations didn't even have gas. There were so many stations empty it was crazy. Then I went to the farmers market and this is what I saw.That is the highest I have ever seen it. But this is what the pumps looked like at the station and at many other stations. Crazy I say.
Looking out on Black Mountain

Where's PJ

2008-09-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

There he is!!

New Record

2008-09-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that PJ loves his dukes (aka burp cloths). Since he was a spitter for the first 9 months of his life we have a lot of them. He does not have a certain one he likes, which is good, but he has to have all the ones he sees. I keep the clean ones on his dresser by his bed, so that in case we dont have any there are some there. Well last night Pete put him to bed and I had just folded my whites, which means there are a lot of clean dukes. PJ had to have them all in bed with him of course. So when I got him out this morning we counted 11 of them. We can not leave any behind either so we had to take them all downstairs with us as well. Thats a big arm full for PJ.
Then he had to share them with Joe

Labor Day

2008-09-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

On Labor Day we went up to Salisbury (a town about 45 min away) to pick up a power wheels lil' quad for PJ. I found it on craigslist. We went camping with our friends to Gun Lake (pictures of that are coming. I forgot the CD in MI so my mom is mailing it to me) and one of our friends had one. It was the toy of the week. So I got PJ one. Then after that we went to a park up in that area. It has a pond, carousel ride, train ride, play ground, petting zoo, and a few other exhibits as well. It is quit the park, so we spent a couple hours there sweating out rears off.

PJ was a big fan of the donkey. It was the only animal tall enough to pet over the railing.I had to take this picture, cause Dr. Peacock was my OB that delivered Joe.We tired old man PJ out. When we got home he got to ride his new quad.

Senior picture by the car.

This is a cool ride.

Look what I found

2008-09-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

I went to a consignment sale this weekend and ran across this book. I was so excited and shocked that there was a book with this title. I was a little disappointed when I read it though. On one said it has a line for example, "Pete and PJ like to splash in the water." (it is all about Pete and PJ (the dog) taking a bath. Then after a line like that it says "Wishy washy, wishy washy, wishy washy, WEE!" Oh well the the name of the book is cool though.

The last page is cool too cause PJ always says 'All Done" and he likes dogs so it actually is a good book for him.

Joe's Baptism

2008-08-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

We had to squeeze one more thing into our month long trip to MI. Since we are still members at Corinth Reformed we were able to get Joe baptized. It was great to have all our friends and family celebrate with us. We had it in the evening service then after we went to Pete's parents house for dinner. I counted and we had a total of 47 people come over afterwards (that is including a bunch of kids). We were having BBQ and had picked up 48 buns. We only had one lonely bun left at the end so that worked out well. I know that 3 (couples) of our friends did not come for dinner which would have sent someone to the store to buy more buns. So in a way thank you to some of our friends for not coming. Even though we would have loved your company. It was a busy but great day. We pray that Joe will someday want to accept the Lord as his personal Savior. It is awesome to know that the Lord is protecting and watching over him. We are truly blessed to have great friends and family that believe what we do and can celebrate in these type of occasions. Thanks to all who came.

3 months today

2008-08-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

I cant believe that Joe is 3 months already. I think back to that day and all that we went through. It was a rough, emotional, happy day. We thank God for protecting both Joe and I and for keeping us safe. Joe is doing very well. You can obviously see that he is a healthy and happy boy. PJ is doing great too. He will actually hold Joe for a few seconds now. When Joe sits on PJ's lap he (Joe) makes PJ look really small. PJ loves to help out whenever and however he can. He likes to talk to Joe now and make him smile. It is cute to see them interact. We have a lot to look forward too as they both get older. Here are a few pics. Enjoy!

Joe at 3 months

PJ at 3 months

This is cool!!

PJ showing Joe how everything works

Then he had to try it out for himself

Here is the few seconds of holding Joe

2 months

2008-08-17T21:35:00.001-07:00

PJ

12 lbs and 22 in

Joe

12 lbs 8 oz and 23 in

Everyone says they see PJ in Joe but I keep saying that he is more Muller and PJ is more Schreur, but looking at PJ at this age they do look alike. We will have to see when Joe gets older. These pictures you cant really tell in, maybe I will post some and show you what I am talking about.

Look what opened up while I was gone!!

2008-08-17T20:25:00.001-07:00

Isn't it nice! New and Improved
Joe sleeping peacefully so mom can take her time and look around
First of many purchases to come

Not only do I have a Target just 5 minutes ( 3 if you hit the lights right) but I have a SUPER Target just 10 minutes away. A few exits down from us there is a lot of new things going up and the Super Target is now open. That is my favorite store. Since I only had one quiet sleeping child with me I was able to browse through there and take my time. I was delightful. They even have a new style of carts and they hold a car seat well. It was a nice afternoon for me.

Life with one child

2008-08-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

I decided to go back to NC to be with Pete for the weekend. Since Joe is kinda attached to me he flew with me. It was his first time flying and he did a great job. The only problem I had was trying to find a private area to feed him in Chicago airport. There are not many private places, plus our flight got in late so we were in a hurry as well. We got the job done though just in time. Pete and I went back memory lane of only having one child that did not talk, walk, or eat solid food. It was wonderful not having to come up with a meal that you don't even know if they will eat it. We definitely missed PJ and are looking forward to seeing him again, but it was a nice little break from that. He was in great hands of our parents and they enjoy having him to themselves since they do not get that that often. So this weekend on Friday while Pete worked I went out to the stores and Joe slept happily in his car seat. I didn't have to worry about naps or anything. We went out for dinner a few times, and could have an adult conversation. It was nice. But back to reality tomorrow.

Waiting for our plane, which was lateHe was a happy boy patiently waitingthen he got bored

So he went to sleep and slept on most of both plane rides.

August 2008

2008-08-16T16:55:00.000-07:00

After the cottage PJ, Joe and I are staying in MI for a few weeks cause we are going camping next week. So we got to spend a lot of time with friends and family. This is what we have been doing.

Bear Lake

2008-08-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

We went to Bear Lake with a couple of our friends for the week. We had great weather and great company. At first we thought it would be a long week cause there isn't anything real close around, but we made a few day trips and had a great time. We went to Manistee, Traverse City and a water park called Fun Country. We made more memories and got caught up on each others lives.