The VanHoveln Family

Wisconsin Vacation

2011-11-20T16:47:00.000-08:00

We went to Wisconsin in August and enjoyed a week of relaxation and lots of fishing, napping, and eating. It was a great time with family as Chris' whole side went too. I wanted to post a few of the pictures because we did get some good ones.

Kinley is Five

2011-11-20T16:41:00.000-08:00

I know this post is a little late, but our Kinley boy turned 5 on Oct. 14th. He had a blast at his birthday parties and we made an animal cake, which was his choice. He still is our animal man and loves to play with his animals, read animal books, and watch animal movies. He started pre-school in August and loves to learn! We are thankful for our wonderful 5 year old!

Terrific Two!

2011-06-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

Well, our Joshua turned two yesterday. Wow! Time goes so fast! We are so very thankful for our littlest bundle of joy! He fills our days with smiles and excitement over every discovery. He loves tractors and trucks and makes sure we don't miss them by exclaiming "VROOM VROOM" every time one passes. He also loves to see cows in the fields and any other animals we might happen to come across. He loved both of his birthday parties, especially opening presents and ice-cream! We are so blessed with both of our boys!

As They Grow

2011-04-28T11:32:00.000-07:00

It has been so neat to watch Kinley and Joshua in the last month. They are really starting to become good buddies...playing together, making each other laugh, making Mommy keep a closer eye, and even snuggling up together to watch a "show" or just on the floor playing vacation or nap time. I love to hear them giggling together or sharing a toy or playing a game together. It makes my heart smile. I pray that they remain good buddies as they continue to grow and have a lifetime best friend in the form of a brother.

Blog World

2011-04-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been reading over some of my old posts and have decided to try to start blogging again....I love reading about glimpses from the past and hope that someday my boys might enjoy reading it too.
So, with that said, life has been peaceful lately...there are ups and downs as always but Jesus is our Rock, our Fortress, our Peace, our Refuge and when we keep our eyes on Him life is so much clearer.
Kinley is 4 and 1/2 and a bundle of energy, imagination, and fun! Sure we have our challenging moments when he thinks he doesn't have to listen, but for the most part our time together is lots of fun. One of his new things to do is make up his own animals...much more imagination than his mom. He LOVES being outside, playing with anyone who is willing (which right now seem to be our neighbor kids), and playing Go Fish and other games. I love to see his mind turning and figuring things out.
Joshua is 22 months and not afraid to try anything....he is much more of a climber than Kinley ever was and tries to get into cabinets, closets, and the bathroom anytime he gets a chance. He has great personality and communicates very well, although he doesn't say many words. He has said Momma, Dadda, and Grandma...but we don't hear them all that often. He babbles in his own language all the time and then looks at you as though you should understand every word.
I am so blessed by my boys and love life with them.

Miller Park Zoo

2010-08-19T06:24:00.001-07:00

The kids popping up like ground hogs.

Kinley petting the goats.

Kinley and David on the caterpillar.

Checking out the monkies.

Looking at the wallabys.

Joshua's first hair cut

2010-08-19T06:22:00.001-07:00

The Fair

2010-08-19T06:18:00.001-07:00

Joshua got a little tired of the stroller!

Kinley loved the rides!

Vacation to the Smokies

2010-08-19T06:07:00.001-07:00

Riding the tram up the side of the mountain!

Ready to ride the tram.

All smiles for vacation!

Jess and Drew went out to eat with us for steak! Yummy!

Kinley LOVED playing in the mountain stream!

Daddy and his load.

Mommy and Joshy at the Aquarium.

Kinley at the Aquarium.

On our way!

We're still Here

2010-08-19T05:51:00.000-07:00

Wow! A long time has passed since I last blogged! We've gone through some ups and downs in the last four months, but our faith remains in Jesus, the one who remains the steadfast through it all. Since my last post was in April, I will try to hit the highlights of the last four months.
I turned 30 in May and I feel old....not really....I don't feel much different at all....Chris had a family surprise party for me which was sweet and fun.
June....Our little Joshua turned one!!! He is such a sweet little guy! He started really crawling at 12 and 1/2 months...He is all over now and pulling up on EVERYTHING! I'm so thankful for him! We went to the Smoky Mountains with my side of the family. We all stayed in one big house which the kids called "the castle". It was a lot of fun even though all of the kids except Jessica came down with a fever bug either while we were there or soon after we got home. Kinley's favorite part by far was the Aquarium which had a really cool tunnel that you walked through with sharks and other fish all around you. He was fascinated....so was Joshua. Kinley didn't know what to do for a few days when we got home and his cousins weren't there 24/7 to play with him.
July....we swam a lot in my Mom's pool...both boys LOVE the water! We also enjoyed the Iroquois County fair watching Cory, Emily, and Austin show their pigs and Jess and Katie dance in the talent show...and of course the yummy food!!!
Living Hope also had tent meetings for four days which were awesome!
August....Mom and Chris' birthdays....hotness....enjoyed a day at Miller Park Zoo yesterday which was a lot of fun!!!
Over all it has been a great summer! I'm enjoy my boys...all three of them and our life together. Excited to see what God has in store for us!

Long time, no blog

2010-04-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

Wow! it has been a really long time since I wrote anything. Things have seemed pretty busy crazy here lately. First of all, we are finally moved into the new addition. There are still little details to be done, but it is so great to be able to move in! The boys are both doing great in their new rooms! And so are Mommy and Daddy!
Kinley boy is still in the process of potty training. I am trying big boy underwear this week again. So far we've had quite a few accidents and a frustrated Mommy and Kinley. He does great with telling me when he has to go poo, but for some reason doesn't want to tell me when he has to pee. I'm not giving up this time though!! I'm open to any suggestions. Other than that he has been so happy to be able to outside and play and go see the chickens next door again, which has been fun for all of us. :)
Joshua turned 10 months old yesterday, which is so hard to believe. He is still a very easy baby. He has changed a lot just in the last two weeks . . . he is really bouncy now, more talkative, and is starting to act like he wants to MOVE! He doesn't get to far yet, just scoots in a circle or backwards. :)
I'm so thankful for my boys, including the big boy. :) My heart overflows with thankfulness to our awesome God who covers me in His grace each day as I care for these wonderful little people.

8 Months

2010-02-26T07:44:00.001-08:00

Well, our little Joshua is 8 months old as of February 19th. He is still a very relaxed, easy baby. He hasn't even started rolling around on the floor yet, he just lays there and watches Kinley or entertains himself with whatever toys are lying near. Honestly, it is a lot easier for me being mommy, but I wonder when he will decide to move? Anywho, he is also teething his four top teeth right now and wants to chew on everything. He's still smiley though for the most part.
Kinley is a great big brother, however, he has started to get upset if Joshua reaches for his animals or blocks . . . the fun begins. He gives Joshua lots of hugs and kisses though and wants him close most of the time throughout the day.

In other news: Olivia and Jake tied the knot this past Saturday. It was a beautiful wedding and a fun reception! So happy for them both! It was a great date night for Chris and I since the boys spent the night at Chris' mom and dad's house. We even got to dance a couple of dances! Can't remember the last time we did that?

House news: All we have left is a little electrical, which should get done tomorrow, and then we can have inspections and move in!!!! I'm a little excited!!!!

Sorry for the random post!

6 Month Check-up

2010-01-13T13:44:00.001-08:00

Joshua had his six month check-up/shots today. He weighs 20 pounds and is 28 and 3/4 in. long. He is a solid little guy! :) That is almost 4 pounds heavier and 1 and 3/4 in. bigger than Kinley at 6 months. :) It will be fun to see them both as they grow. He did great with his shots, just cried a little and made his sad face which we don't see very often. And he has exema like Kinley did/does too. :( We have some special cream now, so hopefully that will help. I'm so thankful for my little 20 pounder!

2009

2010-01-02T18:36:00.000-08:00

As I look back on 2009, I am so thankful for all that God has done in us and for us. First of all, for a clearer revelation of the Cross and all that Jesus did for us there . . . "It is finished!" Praise God! He is truely an awesome God! I am also so thankful for our little Joshua given to us in June. What a blessing and miracle he is. I thank God for giving us such an easy going baby. His sweet smiles and giggles make my days so joyful! I can't believe he is already 6 months old! And of course for my Kinley boy who is my buddy in so many ways. I really enjoy spending time with him and hearing all of his discoveries and thoughts. I pray that he will have a revelation of Jesus in his young heart! He loves to go to Wal-Mart and the grocery store with me and he is really good about riding in the cart, even though his long legs barely fit in it anymore. :) He is ready to go somewhere most days, it doesn't really matter where as long as we're together. I thank God for his sweet spirit as well. And my Christopher, what can I say about thee . . . I am so thankful for him in my life, my partner in all things. I am so glad that I can relax and just enjoy being his wife and spending time with him. That I don't have to strive to please him, we can just "be". . . the same as my relationship with Jesus (I'm learning), no striving, just being with Him and turning my eyes and heart upon Him. I am blessed so much and I haven't even mentioned my family beyond my boys who I am so blessed by-especially you, my sister, Sally! My church family, the new addition being done, the list could go on . . .
When I look forward to 2010 I pray that my faith would remain steadfast in Christ, the author and finisher . . . the rest will fall in line.

6 Months

2009-12-22T10:57:00.000-08:00

Well, my Joshua David. You turned 6 months on Dec. 19th. I can't believe you are that big already! It seems like just yesterday you were a teeny baby in my arms. You have to be one of the easiest babies ever. You wake up happy around 7 or 7:30am, drink a bottle sometime soon after that, although you don't fuss for it. You look around for big brother Kinley and wonder where he is. Then you are fully entertained for an hour or so when Kinley does get up. Mommy kisses you and lays you in your bed for a short morning nap which you don't fuss about. Then you get up again and take another bottle and are happy again until it is afternoon nap time, which you don't fuss about either. I think you are like your mommy, you like your sleep!!! :) When you wake up from nap you take another bottle and have some oatmeal cereal, which you really enjoy and then you are happy to watch Kinley or Mommy until Daddy comes home and then you give Daddy big smiles which makes his day. You take another short nap, wake up, take another bottle, and then go down for the night. I love you so much my little guy! I try to enjoy every moment I get to hold and snuggle you because I know the time goes so fast. I pray that you come to know Jesus young and that you cling to Him forever. You make my heart smile, Joshua, and I am so thankful for God's gift of your life!

My Beautiful Bible Study Ladies

2009-12-17T07:28:00.000-08:00

Thanks for seeking Jesus! I have missed being with you the last couple of months!

Thinkin' Hard or Barely Thinkin'

2009-12-09T15:52:00.000-08:00

Warning: Do Not Look at this Post if you Have a Weak Stomach: this is for my sister!

2009-12-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

Can you tell what this is?

Brotherly Love

2009-12-07T07:42:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad my boys get along so well! Kinley really loves his little brother and loves to make him giggle. It is too cute.

Pictures for the calendar sister

2009-11-30T07:17:00.000-08:00

Can you use the ones on the right side?

Great Weekend

2009-11-23T14:48:00.000-08:00

Chris and I had a great night together! We went to the Ribeye Steak House in Champaign. Yummy! Then we went and saw the movie 2012. We both really enjoyed it, although it almost made me come home and get my boys and smother them in motherly love. :) We ended up coming home to spend the night, but mom still kept the boys. It was really relaxing and we both slept really good in our own bed until 10am on Sunday. I can't remember the last time we got to do that. So, it was definetely a wonderful, relaxing time together!

Anniversary Getaway

2009-11-20T18:55:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited for tomorrow to get here! Chris and I are are going to Champaign and staying overnight for an early anniversary get away. I love that we do this every year. It is such a much needed time together. Thanks to my mom for keeping the boys!!
On a side note, Joshua turned 5 months old this week. I can't believe how big he is getting and how much more aware of everything he is. Kinley loves to play with (by) him now and try to make him laugh, which he does a lot. It is so sweet to watch, even when he randomly will yell "laugh Joshua"! Too funny. :)

Got Thumb?

2009-11-14T14:01:00.000-08:00

3 Years, 4 Months

2009-10-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

These are just pictures of the pictures we just got back. :) I have admit I think my boys are pretty cute! Kinley loved getting his picture taken this time and Joshua was a champ too. I can't believe how big they both are! Time goes so fast. Help me Lord to enjoy each moment!

My 3 Year Old

2009-10-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

Kinley turned three last Wednesday on the 14th. I can't believe my boy is 3 years old. He is so precious to us and the time has gone so quickly. Here are the top 10 reasons why I love my Kinley boy.
1. His bright blue eyes and big smile
2. The way he makes me laugh with all his antics.
3. The way he loves to "help" right now whatever I'm doing
4. The way he gives "his" Joshua kisses and talks in a high pitched voice to him
5. His excitement when Daddy comes home and his contentment when we are all together.
6. The way he loves his Papas and Grandmas
7. The was he greets me every morning with "Hi Mommy, it's light outside, time to get up!"
8. His love for books and animals.
9. The way he says "Pleeeease"
10. Because he is a special gift from God and I'm so thankful for him!

Crib or Bed?

2009-10-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

I am trying to decide if we should put Kinley in a regular bed or keep his crib up for awhile. He has started climbing out of his crib this week. So far it has only been when he is ready to get up in the morning and after his nap. So . . . part of me thinks he is ready for a bed and wouldn't do to bad in it. But . . . we will be moving him into his new room hopefully in the next month or two and I'm not sure I want him to have too many new things all at once. Any suggestions? I also have access to a crib tent and could go that way for awhile too. Decisions, decisions.

Bath time Chatter

2009-10-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

This is the conversation I had with Kinley during his bath this morning:
What's the kitty's name: CoCo
What's the whale's name: killer
What's the alligator's name: crocodile
What's the cow's name: moo

So funny. He is so much fun right now most of the time. We do have our moments though.

Apple and Pork Anyone?

2009-09-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to the Apple/Pork Festival in Clinton, IL with Leslie (mom-in-law), Tammy and Sara (sis-in-laws), and Cory and Emily (nephew and neice). I secretly went for the food and the company of course. I had a yummy baked potato, some of an onion blossom, and some of a funnel cake. Yummy! I did end up buying two dining room table chairs that will go with the table Leslie is giving us as soon as our addition is done. I got them both for $20. Yippee! I also bought some caramel cheesecake fudge. Haven't eaten it yet, but it is tempting every time I open the fridge. It was a fun day with family. :) Today I am spending relaxing-kind of-at home with my two little munchins. I missed them yesterday even though it was nice to have some mom time away. They are currently both sleeping which is such a peaceful part of the day. :)

Hannah and Joshua

2009-09-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this picture. It was awhile ago, I think Hannah is a month and a half and Joshua is a couple weeks old. I'm sure they will be good buddies growing up. :)

Christopher

2009-09-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

Chris has been working hard on our addition. It is all enclosed now, the guys are finishing the siding. It has been a longer process than we originally thought, but overall it is going well. I can't wait to have the extra space and an actual bedroom as opposed to the porch. :)
The pictures are kind of in reverse order, but I don't know how to move them around. :)

Three Months Already

2009-09-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

Well, hello blog world. I'm so excited to have our internet back at least for the time being. I'm not sure where to start, so I will start with our new precious gift from God. Joshua is such an easy baby I truly am spoiled. He started sleeping through the night at six weeks old and continues to amaze me with how much he sleeps. He smiles all the time and loves to be talked too. He has started watching Kinley more and I see him randomly smile at him while he watches him play. Kinley has adjusted well and really doesn't pay a whole lot of attention to Joshua. He'll stop everyone once in awhile and say "hi Joshua" and then keep on playing. He does like to get his hands in and help when it is Joshua's bathtime though. :) I can't imagine life without my two precious sons and I'm so thankful for them.

Joshua David

2009-07-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to write a quick update on Joshua. Sorry I haven't been blogging in so long. Our internet is down and still is, but I'm using a different computer. Joshua was born on June 19th at 4:49pm. He was 8lbs. 11 1/2 oz. and 21 1/2 inches long. He came out face up so it was a little harder delivery this time around. He came just when the doctor said he was going to let me push for 10 more minutes and then we would of had to have a c-section. So . . . praise God he came when he did. The first week was a bit rough, but we are all adjusting now and sleeping a little bit more at night. Kinley is a great big brother and doing really well most of the time with sharing Mommy and Daddy with the new little one. I hope you are all doing well. I'll try to post some pictures soon!

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a very Happy Easter! Kinley loved it this year. He got to hunt eggs outside at Grandma and Papa VanHoveln's house and then again at Mom's house in the evening. We are so thankful for the little guy! And even more thankful for the sacrifice of Jesus today and everyday!

What's missing in this picture?

2009-03-30T08:48:00.001-07:00

The funny this is he only thought he needed a coat to go bye bye. :)

Faith in the Fire

2009-03-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, Chris' Grandma Hynd (his mom's mom) died in a house fire last night. She lived in a mobile home next door to Chris' mom and dad in the country south of Crescent City. Paul and Leslie saw the fire, but they couldn't get in in time to get her out-the fire was already too out of control. The hardest part was that they found Granny close to the double glass doors which is only about 5 feet from the outside door. So, there is a lot of self blaming going on. Please pray especially for Chris Mom and Dad as well as the rest of the family. Granny was 92 and ready to go home, but the way she died has everyone in a state of shock and mourning right now. Thankfully, Jesus is our Rock and our Anchor and Chris' family does know the Lord, so pray that they would cling to the Rock at this time. Thanks!

Decision Made

2009-03-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

Well, Chris and I have decided officially that we are going to add on hopefully starting the middle to the end of April as long as we can get everything we need to the bank and get the loan quickly. We are already approved, but I guess a building loan can take awhile to finalize. Anyway, I am getting excited about this and a little overwhelmed since I know it won't be done by the time the little guy comes in June. I went to Kapers the other day to price and start to pick out carpet/linoleum and got overwhelmed by that as well. This is the first time I have ever picked out anything and I will be picking out everything, so I might be asking advice on colors and such in the future. I want it all to go together, but I don't really have the best eye for that. So anyway, we will start this new adventure hopefully middle of April. I will try and take pictures along the way. :)

FFA Auction & A Cool New Barn

2009-03-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday night Chris and I went to Crescent City's FFA Auction. Our nephew, Cory and neice, Emily are both in FFA there. We couldn't resist buying this barn for Kinley. We just hope it will survive at least two boys. :) Kinley loves it. In fact, he didn't want to leave for church yesterday morning because he was having so much fun with it.

Beautiful Day!!!

2009-03-06T15:30:00.000-08:00

Did anyone else get outside and enjoy this beautiful day? Kinley and I went for a walk--not a real long one since I haven't exercised all winter so I need to build up slowly with this little pouch on my belly. :) It felt so good to be outside though and Kinley loved it. After our walk we stopped and played with the neighbors since they were out and Kinley got to see the chickens again after a long winter. Our neighbors also got a cute little dog named Gordy so Kinley loved that as well. I hope this weather stays or at least comes back to stay soon!
My A. Connie and A. Carolyn came for lunch today too which was fun. Kinley loved having company and more attention of course. :) A. Connie brought him a little bunny and duck which he hasn't let out of his sight. :) I hope you enjoyed this glorious day!

So Cute

2009-02-24T11:12:00.000-08:00

I watch Ethan on Mondays, my cousin's little guy who is almost exactly a year younger than Kinley. Yesterday morning around 10am Kinley wanted to watch a cartoon, so I turned on "Handy Manny" and snuggled both boys up in the chair. I looked in on them about 5 minutes later and found Ethan asleep on Kinley's shoulder. It was so cute!

Can I Ride On Your Back?

2009-02-24T11:06:00.000-08:00

One of Kinley's favorite things to do right now when Chris gets home is ride on his back. Sometimes he is a Choo Choo Train, other times bears, other times monkeys. He has even found some other lovely people who will let him ride too. :)

And the Verdict is in

2009-02-05T07:21:00.000-08:00

Well . . . we found out we are having another boy! Of course we are both very excited. It was so fun to see him in there. He had his little legs stretched out straight and looked like he was sucking his thumb. :) The lady doing the sonogram messed up at first and said it was a girl, and then four or five minutes later she pointed out that she had made a mistake and it was definitely a little boy. My due date is June 22nd or the end of June sometime as everything seems to point to a little different date. Kinley went with us, but I don't think he is really catching on to what is about to happen. He kept saying "Mommy sleep? Mommy nap?" because I was laying down on the bed. We tried to point out the baby on the screen, but I'm sure it just looked like a blob to him. So, I guess we will be looking at blue again. :) Thank you God for a healthy baby boy!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow It's Only a Day Away

2009-02-03T11:25:00.000-08:00

We are having a sonogram done tomorrow, and hopefully this little bundle of joy will co-operate so we can find out if we are having a boy or a girl. I'm excited to see the little one in there. I can remember being amazed when we had Kinley's done. It is so fun to see them moving around and stretching, etc. I'll keep you all updated . . .

Ode to a Small House

2009-01-17T07:51:00.001-08:00

The five best things about having a small house . . .
1. You can clean the whole house in an hour and a half if you're really feeling energetic.
2. You know where everyone is all the time and what they are doing, which comes in handy with a 2 year old.
3. You would know if someone were breaking in very quickly.
4. It is easy to heat and stay warm and toasty.
5. You can say "we don't have room for that" when people offer you things you don't want.

This is me being thankful for the house God has given us for now. :)

Homebound

2009-01-09T09:33:00.000-08:00

Kinley has been running a temp and has had a cough, runny nose, seems achy, etc. for the last three days and nights. I have kept him dosed on Ibprofin and Tylenol and whenever that wears off his temp goes back up. So we are homebound for the day as well as yesterday, although Chris came home to stay with him while I went to the doctor, and probably tomorrow as well. Tomorrow makes me sad because we had planned on making an Aldis run with Mom and Sally. I guess I'll have to go next week. I just pray the little guy gets over this soon. It's so sad to see him sick.
My doctor's appointment went well. I got to hear the baby's heartbeat which is always cool to me. :) My due date is June 22nd, which is David's birthday so that could be fun. :) I was glad to hear I had only gained 3 pounds because it felt like I had gained 10 around my middle. I did feel the baby for the first time two nights ago laying in bed. So exciting! I get to have my sonogram in three or four weeks so that will be fun too. Hope you all have a great weekend! Ours may be spent hibernating. :)

Christmas Tree Photos

2008-12-18T14:21:00.001-08:00

1. I finally got Kinley to stand in front of our little tree.
2. Kinley on our family shopping day snuggled up with the soft blankie I bought him.
3. Our little Christmas tree that just fits in our little living room. :)

Back to June

2008-12-17T12:24:00.000-08:00

I had my sonogram today, and by the measurements it showed that I am at 13 weeks, so I guess the due date is back to June 22nd. We'll see what the doctor says in January. It was so cool to see our little one moving around in there and weird at the same time because I can't feel it yet. He/She was very active and we could see the tiny arms and legs moving all around. What an awesome miracle! It definitely is more real to me now!

Family Shopping Day

2008-12-15T15:47:00.000-08:00

Chris, Kinley, and I went to Peoria Saturday with Chris' Mom and Dad, and his two sisters and their families. It was quite an adventure. I voted NOT to go back to Peoria next year since I will have a nursing baby and the mall's bathroom there didn't even have a changing station let alone anywhere to nurse. Kinley and I had a little fiasco to get him changed without anywhere to lay him down. We are starting to work on potty training, but we're not ready for public bathrooms yet! Other than that the day was pretty good, although unless you're looking for clothes the mall didn't have very many neat shops. We ate supper at Chili's which I always enjoy, but Chris got a migraine and sat in the van the whole time waiting, throwing up randomly. I ended up driving home as well as there and was exhausted by the time we got home. I had a hard time staying awake listening to Chris snore and Kinley make his little sleeping noises. We did get to see the festival of lights which was neat and Kinley loved it. I tried to take pictures but they didn't turn out. I guess it was a pretty hectic day, but fun to spend it with family.

Dr. Time

2008-12-09T14:03:00.000-08:00

Well, I had my first doctor's appointment today. It really wasn't too eventful. I do have a tentative due date of July 11th, but I am going to have a sonogram done to see for sure since my cycles are just craziness. I have to say I shaved my legs for this and then didn't even have to get examined . . . I'm not complaining! Sometimes I wonder if I'm really pregnant I have felt so good with this one but then I remember getting up to pee at 3am every morning and how tired I am in the afternoons. It actually reassures me.
A sweet after thought . . . on the way to the doctor today Kinley was singing to himself and what I caught of it was "baby Jesus" la la la. It was a really cute moment, and I'm pretty sure he was making it up himself because I've never sang him a song about baby Jesus.
Hope everyone is having fun preparing for Christmas!

A kiss in the pit of ick

2008-11-27T07:13:00.000-08:00

Yes, I stole Laura's "pit of ick". We have experienced that here at the VanHoveln household as well the last couple of days. Kinley got sick with the flu Tuesday afternoon. He threw up four or five times and then just layed around watching cartoons the rest of the day. I got it in the night Tuesday night. I can't say having the flu while being pregnant was very fun. By the end of the day I couldn't tell if I was naseuas because I needed to eat or because of the flu. The best part of the whole experience was that I put Kinley in bed with us Tuesday night because I couldn't even sit up to rock him or I had to go to the bathroom. He just snuggled up and after a few minutes he sat up, leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. What a precious gift in the middle of yuckiness. He hasn't done that for a really long time. Anyway, we are both feeling better this Thanksgiving morning, and I am very thankful for that. We are currently waiting for Chris to get home from morning chores so we can go to U. Joda and A. Janie's for Thanksgiving. Yummy! I thought it was a good sign when I got up to pee at 3:30am and couldn't go back to sleep for awhile just thinking about all the yummy food! Hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Check-Up

2008-11-17T11:16:00.001-08:00

I took Kinley to see our Nurse Practitioner today to talk to her about possibly putting Kinley on Singulair, which is a medicine that helps prevent asthma and allergy attacks. We have been in the emergency room four times this year with him because of wheezy breathing due to asthma attacks we think. Nurse Debbie thinks it is a good idea to try it with him since she hasn't ever had anyone have bad side effects from it, and it would probably prevent us from having to go to the E.R. I go back and forth because I hate the idea of having him on medicine all of the time, but I also hate watching my baby suffer when he has a hard time breathing. What do all you Mamas think?
As a side note: Kinley is 27 inches long and 30.4 lbs. He is so tall! I feel like I've got a monkey hanging on me when I'm carrying him around. That's ok though-he's a cute monkey! :)

Sleepytime

2008-11-12T11:09:00.000-08:00

All in all I have been feeling pretty good so far with this pregnancy. However, the last week or so I have gotten really really tired in the afternoons. I'm so glad Kinley takes great afternoon naps so I can lay down too!
Sally, Marci, Mom, and I got to go Christmas shopping yesterday with no kids! We helped mom get a lot of her shopping done which was great! We also ate lunch at Cheddars which was delicious! They have a great lunch special where you can choose two or three things for a good price. I got a loaded baked potato, ceasar salad, and half of a ham and turkey sandwich. It was so good that I was tempted to drive to Champaign today just to get it again. :) Just kidding. How is everyone comping on Christmas shopping? I'm actually about half done and it feels great!
Well, I'm off to take a nap! Have a great Wednesday!

Baby Bump

2008-11-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

Well, Chris and I aren't very good about keeping secrets around here, so I thought I would go ahead and blog this since I've told everyone I've seen. :) Chris and I are expecting our second baby! Hurray! We've been trying for awhile now and are so thankful for this baby on the way. I'm not even for sure how far along I am--I'm not going to the doctor until December. I've been feeling great so far and don't really have a baby bump yet I was just trying to think of something clever for the title. Praise God for His faithfulness in all things!

Birthday Party

2008-10-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

We had Kinley's birthday party Sunday night at Mom's house. Unfortunately I didn't get too many pictures, but mom did, so she is printing some off for me. Kinley loved it! I made him a "farm" cake with a barn and animals on it. He ended up eating his cake and ice-cream off of a plastic pig instead of a spoon. :) He loves animals right now. He really enjoyed opening all of his presents and has been busy playing with his new animals from G'pa and G'ma Johnson and feeding them plastic food my mom got him for his kitchen. He is a riot right now coming up with his own little games and things to do. He definetely has a better imagination than me. I still can't believe he is two! What a precious gift he is.

"To Me"

2008-10-14T11:48:00.000-07:00

Kinley Paul,

You turned two today and I really can't believe you are that old already. When I ask you how old you are you smile your great smile and say "two". I was singing happy birthday to you this morning and you decided to add "to me" at the end. :) You make me smile all of the time, and I love you so much! Your favorite things to do right now are: puzzles "pupples", wrestle with Daddy, and watch you doggy movie (Lady and the Tramp II). You can say a lot of the farm animals names and what sounds they make and you are starting to put words together to form sentences, even though a lot of times I can only make out one or two words. :) You still love crackers, but have broadened your taste buds and like pretty much anything especially fruits. I love you my little man and pray that you will continue to grow into a mighty man of God!

Love,

Your Mommy

Puzzled?

2008-10-04T06:40:00.001-07:00

Kinley has been doing three puzzles that A. Sally gave us awhile ago for hours the last few days-literally. It's so funny to watch him do them over and over and not get tired of them. Of course they all have animals on them which he loves right now too. This morning he has been sitting in his highchair for an hour already content to do one puzzle over and over. (note pictures) I am enjoying this stage in his life a lot. Not really because of the puzzles, but because he is starting to talk a lot more and it is cute to hear him say so many things. Not so cute that he learned "mine" I think from his older girl cousins at Leah's birthday party. Thursday he started saying it a lot. Oh well . . . he is also playing a lot more by himself and entertains himself more which is nice for me-even though I do enjoy playing with him too. :) Well, I hope everyone has a great weekend! We have two weiny roasts to enjoy! Yummy!

Favorite Five

2008-10-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

I would have to say my top five things are:

1. "Bear-bear"-Kinley's very soft bear/blankie that he loves to snuggle with and has to have for naps and bedtime. It is always great too when he gets hurt. We have 2 to rotate when one is being washed.
2. divided bowls by tupperware--I use them for every meal at home except breakfast and they are great to take to restaraunts too. They come with lids so you can stick a spoon in and some fruit or whatever when you know you are going to be eating out.
3. Children't Ibuprofin-I agree with you Lindsey. I prefer this to tylenol. I always make sure I have some in the house.
4. I know I'm copying Sally, but I'd have to say my super comfy rocking chair Chris got me when I was expecting Kinley. It is great to rock in for both of us!
5. My footstool that Marci gave me to use with my rocking chair. We didn't have room for the big one that came with the chair. But this little wooden one is just the right height for my feet to be comfy.

Garage Sale Finds

2008-09-20T06:02:00.000-07:00

The last picture is for Laura. :) These are my boots I found.
And Kinley loves his new little kitchen I got for $10! He likes to play while I do dishes or cook. Its a lot better then having him grabbing my legs trying to pull me away to play. :)

Garage Sales

2008-09-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to be going to Crescent City's town wide garage sales tomorrow with Sally! We hit the Cissna Park townwide ones last Friday and I did pretty well. I found 3 like new pairs of Carhart jeans for Chris, a pair of cowgirl boots for me, and some clothes for Kinley. :) I'm hoping to do as well this weekend. I now this is not a very exciting blog. Life has been fairly laid back lately and I'm not complaining.

The Race

2008-09-11T09:51:00.001-07:00

I got scolded last night at Bible study-I love you ladies!-about not blogging very often later, so here goes. First of all, I would like to say that our Bible study on Wednesday nights is awesome! We are going through Mark, simply reading the word and seeing what God is saying through it. Every time we dig into the word, the Holy Spirit teaches us and opens our eyes to see what is really being said. It has been a rich time with all of you ladies! Thanks for seeking Jesus!

As for the title of my blog, Chris finally let me go to a race with him in Joliet. The last couple of years he has bought tickets for four races. There was an extra ticket for the one on Saturday so I got to go. It was really a lot of fun. We went pretty early and tailgated the whole day. I got to sit and read a book almost whole day! The race was at 5:00pm and it was pretty cool when they started their engines and went flying by. I'm glad I went, although I might be a little more deaf now. :) Maybe if they have another extra ticket next year I'll get to go again. :)

Growing Up

2008-08-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I think it is official. Kinley is really going to be turning two in October. The last few weeks it seems that he has really "grown up" too fast. New things he has learned include but are not limited to:
* Learning to turn his light on and off in his room since he can reach his lightswitch now. (I have to pull his crib away from the wall at night otherwise he thinks he needs his light on.)
* Every morning when I go in to get him he makes sure the "cock-a-doos" are still outside his window (our neighbors have about 30).
* Daddy works with "pigs" (we went to visit Daddy at work this week and he asks at lest 5 times a day "Daddy-bye-bye-pigs?" One day he even thought he was going to walk to see Daddy and the pigs. When I caught up to him before he made it to the road I asked him where he was going since he never heads for the road and he says "Daddy-Pigs" so matter of factly I had to smile. It wasn't very easy to convince him that he couldn't walk to see daddy and the pigs.)
*How to pull a 12 pack of pop out from under the microwave stand to stand on it to reach the buttons on the microwave.
He is so precious to us and we are so thankful for the sweet boy God has given us. I just can't believe he is growing up so fast!

Kinley's First Camping Extravaganza

2008-08-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

So, Kinley and I got to go camping at Turkey Run Sunday night and Monday night with Grandma Susie, The Parmenter clan, and Jess and Drew. Kinley did very well for his first camping experience. He didn't get much time to run since he would head straight for all of the tress with poisen ivy all over or the road. So, he spent a lot of time in his stroller at the camp sight. Hopefully Sally will post some pics, as I did not get my camera out. Silly me. I have to admit the first night was pretty miserable for Mommy. We got to bed late to start with, Kinley finally falling asleep in the pack-n-play. We didn't zip the camper up, so it was freezing in the middle of the night, so Kinley ended up on the bunk with Anna and I. I didn't sleep at all since I couldn't hardly move to get comfortable and I had to make sure Anna didn't roll on or kick kinley since she moves a lot in her sleep. The next morning we went for a hike. For any of you who have been to Turkey Run, we made the smart decision to take the ladder trail with Kinley on my back in a back pack and David on Erik's back in a packpack. My legs were jell-o by the time we got to the ladders and my heart was beating wildly as I took Kinley down those ladders. We should have chosen an easier trail! Anyway, the rest of the day went pretty smoothly. That night Kinley and I had a bunk to ourselves, so once he got to sleep we both slept pretty good until 2:30am when I HAD to go to the bathroom. No choice. So, I found my flashlight, put pillows on the edge of the bed, prayed that Kinley would not wake up and roll off of the bunk, and took the hike up the hill and to the bathroom. All went well until the way back to the camper when my flashlight started to go out. I proceeded to run the rest of the way back to the camper to beat the fading flashlight. I finally made it back and into my warm bad to find Kinley still asleep. Thanks God! The next day I took Jess and Drew horseback riding, which was fun! I always love to do that even if they do walk nose to butt the whole time. All in all I'm glad we went, but I think I could wait another year to go again. :)

Zoo Time

2008-08-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

Chris, Kinley, and I went to Brookfield Zoo yesterday with Chris' Mom and Dad, his two sisters and their families. It was a lot of fun, but a very long day for all of us. Kinley did really well considering we got there right when he normally takes his nap. He loved the animals and getting carried around on everyone's shoulders. I was a little disappointed that some of the animals were hiding, but I think my favorite was the lion. I will try to post the picture I got sometime soon. Such a symbol of strength.

We also all went to my 10 year high-school reunion Saturday night. It was interesting and a bit sad to see everyone there. I did enjoy talking to my friend Ginger that I never see anymore. It was fun to let our kids play together and chat. Time goes by so quickly and I wonder if they even know what it is truely all about.

Fun at the Fair

2008-07-19T06:34:00.000-07:00

I have to say that the goats were pretty cute! Leah and Kinley loved getting to feed them.
They both had fun seeing all of the animals and they liked the merry go round too. That picture didn't turn out. I love the bottom picture of the goats. It was so cute to see them all cuddled up together. :)

The Cross, His Blood, His Resurrection

2008-07-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

Well . . . all I can say about the camp meetings is that I feel like a "new creation". Most of the teachings were on the cross, which Ben has been teaching/preaching on for the last few months. At times I have thought-are we going to learn about anything else? But it hit me this weekend as Ben and another pastor taught--What else it there? I need to stay at the cross at all times because that is where His grace, mercy, healing, strength, forgiveness flows. I have been a Christian since I was 12, really surrendering at age 20ish, but God revealed Jesus, His Cross, and His blood to me this past week in a way I have never known. I am dead. The old Mandy is gone and a new creation now lives--Jesus. I don't have to strive because I have nothing to bring anyway. I just have to come and fall into His grace and be united with Christ. This may sound simple, but it has hit my heart in such a new way. Praise Jesus for He is so good to me! I pray that my heart would stay at the cross at all times! That is where real life is!

Tent Meeting Time

2008-07-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

We're really excited for all that God is going to do at the Tent Meetings! Yesterday was fun setting up everything. The big tent is really cool!

Happy July!

2008-07-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

Our July has been pretty fun so far. Kinley and I traveled to Litchfield on the 2nd with Sally, Anna, David, Mom, and Drew. Grandpa and Grandma Johnson and A. Janie, Kara, Kenzie, and Jessica came down Thursday morning. We had a fun day watching all of the little ones-nine under five. They all had fun playing on the closed in deck. It was great to see everyone again. Kinley especially enjoyed finishing everyone's lasagna that was left on the little table. :)
Yesterday on the fourth we went to the parade in Onarga, which I have to admit wasn't real impressive. We ate lunch at Chris' mom and dads and then had David and Anna's birthday party at Sally and Erik's last night. Kinley enjoyed watching his first fireworks show from their back yard. He was still up and happy at 9:30pm. Hope everyone had a fun 4th of July!

Summer Colds are the Worst!

2008-06-24T06:20:00.000-07:00

Chris, Kinley, and I have all had summer colds this week. Yuck! I think we are finally all feeling better although Kinley and I still have runny noses a little. Kinley was up four or five times in the night . . . I think he is getting his bottom eye teeth. Ouch! Hope they don't take too long.
Continue to pray for Mom and Erik. They get back Friday from Guatemala. I can't wait to hear all that God has done!
Chris started his second "hobby" job again for the summer. I'm not looking forward to the next four or five weeks since we probably won't see him much. Kinley won't see him at all a lot of days since he will go straight from the piggies to the roof. :( Pray for us . . . that we would be loving towards eachother. It is always hard for me when we don't get much time to talk or be together.
Sorry this is such a random blog. :)

First Hair Cut

2008-06-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

Well . . . Our internet has been down the last three days, so I have enjoyed catching up on all or your blogs. :) I've been wanting to put pictures of Kinley's first hair cut on for awhile now. Thanks Lindsey for cutting Kinley's hair! I love it and so does Chris. They really look alike now. :) It was hard to say good bye to the curls, but it is so much cooler for him this summer and since we don't have air conditioning . . .

Now I'm It!

2008-06-08T14:43:00.000-07:00

The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
1. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
2. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.
3. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

Q. What were you doing 5 years ago today?
1. Planning my wedding to Chris (even though we weren't officially engaged until August).
2. Living at home with Mom and Dad.
3. Planning my college graduation party! :)
4. Looking for a job.
5. Enjoying family and friends!

Q. 5 things on your to do list today
1- Rest
2-Rest
3-Rest
4-Rest
5-Rest at home with my guys!

Q. 5 snacks you enjoy
1- Chocolate chip cookie dough ice-cream
2-Cheddar/sour cream potato chips
3-anything chocolate and caramel
4-Tomatos
5-honey mustard pretzels

Q. 5 things you would do if you were a billionare
1- Build Rod and Laura K. a house in India and a mission house/orphanage
2-pay off our debt and families debts
3-build a new house on a farm
4-adopt girls from India
5-buy two or three horses

Q. 5 jobs you have had
1- receptionist at Heartland Spa
2-before and after school person at YWCA
3-Worked with the handicapped at the ARC
4-Teacher's Aide
5-Administrative Assistant at Youth for Christ

Q. 5 people you want to tag
1- Kristin
2-Kim
3-Chad/Alison
4-Jennifer
5-Lindsey

Who needs toys?

2008-06-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

Kinley has had fun playing in the big box that our new desk chair came in. It still amazes me what really entertains him and other kids that I have seen. They really don't play with "toys" a whole lot. They wonder around playing with whatever they can around the house. Kinley's favorites are clothes, shoes, kitchen utensils, and now this big box. Good thing we don't go buy him new toys all the time, because they would just go to waste. I'm sitting in our new desk chair. . . it is so comfy! A lot better than the folding chair we were using. I put it together yesterday and was very impressed with myself. :) Happy Friday everyone!

MP3

2008-06-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

I finally opened my MP3 player that Chris got me for my birthday. I didn't think I would be able to figure out how to download songs onto it, but after playing with it awhile yesterday I figured it out! Hurray! I know have some dance songs on it so I can walk or jog with it. Hopefully it will motivate me to get moving! :)

Campfire DooDaa

2008-05-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

Last night we had our Wednesday night ladies Bible study around a campfire at Olivia's. It was great fun! We also had smores, which I'm not supposed to eat (because it's a sweet), but I did anyway. Yummy! I just thought I would share with you some of the deep conversation:
1. Fire is hot, stay away from hell!
2. Bugs run from fire, so should we.
It was a very deep night. :)
Seriously though, we did spend some time in prayer and decided to study Jesus' words in the next few weeks. We're going to work through the gospels just reading His words and context around them if needed. I'm very excited about doing this. I'm expectant of new revelation of who Jesus is.

Dinner & A Movie

2008-05-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

Chris and I got to go with a big group of ADULTS from our church to see Prince Caspian yesterday afternoon. First we ate at O'Charlies which was really yummy and then we all headed to the movie. We followed Ben to one of the front rows, which made me a little dizzy during some scenes, but it was fun. The movie was good although I didn't care for the ending (I won't ruin it). It was a great day out. Thanks to Aunt Sally and Uncle Erik who took care of Kinley for the day. He slept long and hard last night so he must of had fun.

Side Note: Kinley is doing fine now. We did take him this morning for a follow up chest x-ray that we should hear about later this week, but I'm sure it will be fine. Thank you Jesus!

Emergency Room Again!

2008-05-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

Well . . . my Mother's Day morning was spent in the ER with Kinley. As you know, I wrote a couple of days ago about Kinley having a bad cold. Well, Sunday morning he was wheezing again and couldn't breathe very well. So, we took him to the ER. They gave him a breathing treatment, took a chest x-ray, checked for RSV, etc. The breathing treatment helped plus a little steriod to open up his lungs. He tested negative for RSV. His x-ray looked like the beginning of viral pneumonia. So . . . he is now getting 4 breathing treatments a day at home and is on an antibiotic. We also bought a humidifier for his bedroom. He is doing much better but tires very easily. One interesting thing is that both times this has happened it has been a week after his shots. Any connection? I don't know. It could be some type of allergy or asthma. We are just praying for a complete healing for him!

Doggy Bye Bye

2008-05-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

Just one more thought. Tonight I went for a walk after putting Kinley down for bed. I was almost back home when one of our neighbors' dogs (which they never keep track of) started growling at me and running at me. He got right on my heals and followed me for awhile growling the whole time. I seriously thought he was going to take a chunk out of my tushie. Chris has also experienced this same dog in our yard growling at him when he has stepped outside to "get fresh air". Do you think it would be ok for me to mention this to our neighbors? I don't appreciate being growled at, and I really don't want Kinley around that dog. Chris told me he was going to get me a paint ball gun so I can shoot it when it comes in our yard and then call animal control. I thought I should just get a bee bee (spelling?) gun and let it know we don't appreciate it in our yard. Seriously though? Any thoughts?

Sniffles and Sneezes

2008-05-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

Kinley has a really bad cold today. He is sleeping peacefully though, thankfully. He sneezed so many times today we almost went through a whole box a puffs! Poor guy! His eyes are red and puffy and he just wanted to lay around. This is not normal behavior! I hope he wakes up feeling a lot better since we are supposed to be taking my mom shopping tomorrow for Mother's Day. I hope all of you mothers have a wonderful mother's day! Hopefully I won't have a sick little boy.

What was that?

2008-05-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took Kinley for his 18 month check up and shots. We didn't have our usual nurse who we love, so we were a little disappointed (at least I was). Anyway, after seeing the Nurse Practioner, who we also love, we proceeded to wait 25 minutes for a nurse to come to give Kinley his shots!!! Give me a break. Sitting in a small room with things all around he CAN'T touch with a little boy who wants DOWN! Needless to say it was not very fun. Thankfully Grandma Van went with us so at least we had two people to try and entertain him. The nurse finally came in then went back out because she had forgot papers for us. When she actually did give Kinley his shots he just looked at her for the first one like "What did you just do?" He didn't cry or move. The second one he looked at her, gave one cry then was done. He's so brave! :) What I thought would be a fairly quick trip turned into an hour and a half. Glad that's over!

Soaking Wet

2008-05-02T10:10:00.001-07:00

So . . . as I was doing the dishes yesterday afternoon I heard a thump from the living room. I didn't think too much about it until Kinley started screaming. I ran in to see what was wrong and found him soaking wet trying to wipe himself off. At first I panicked thinking: What did he get into? But then I saw my glass on the floor empty. I had forgotten my glass of water on the dresser. I'm not sure how he reached it, but it sure gave him a shock and me too.

Happy May Day Everyone!

2008-05-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Can't say that we did anything today for May Day, but I did think about it. I had to go to the doctor this morning for some blood tests and then we went to meet Chris' mom and grandma for lunch. By the time we were done eating, Kinley was too tired to do anything else. He fell asleep really fast in the van. So, I got some cleaning done which was good. Nothing too exciting to report. Thank you Sally for keeping Kinley this morning! :)

Bathing Pooper

2008-04-23T17:09:00.001-07:00

Yes, you guessed correctly. Kinley pooped in the bathtub AGAIN! Yuck! At least this time it was time for him to get out instead of at the beginning. I tried to get him on the potty, but I was too late. I bleached all his bath toys this morning. I hope this doesn't become a regular thing.
Kinley and I went to Fiesta with my mom. It is really nice if you haven't been in it since the flood. I highly recommend going. Afterwards we went for a walk. It is so nice to be able to be in the fresh air, and Kinley absolutely loves being outside. We got to visit with Great Grandpa and Grandma Johnson too which was fun!

Ode to the Swiffer

2008-04-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

I just have to say that I am in love with my swiffer! I bought a Swiffer wet jet two weeks ago, and I love it! I was not good at getting mopping done, so this is a big help. I still have to scrub tough spots with a rag, but other than that I love it. The wet jet came with a duster stick and pad, so I thought I would try that too and low and behold I love it as well! I dusted everything in my house, pictures, baseboards, plus the normal stuff all in like fifteen minutes! Yee-ha! Cleaning is not so bad anymore. Just thought I would share!

Back to Reality

2008-04-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

Well, it is back to reality today. Chris and I had a great time getting away. We stayed at the Baymont Inn in Lafayette. It was nice, and I sat in the hot tub which was wonderful! My husband took a nap during this--party pooper. Anyway, we walked around the mall and Chris got me some new clothes for my birthday. :) We ate supper at Texas Roadhouse which was awesome! We both had steak. YUMMY! Kinley stayed with my mom and didn't seem too excited to see us when we got home. I guess that means we can stay away longer next time! :)

Getaway Time

2008-04-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

I'm anxiously awaiting this weekend. Chris and I are going to go away for a night. I know it is only one night, but I am really looking forward to just getting away from the every day things. I think we are going to go to Lafayette. We haven't stayed there before. Kinley is going to stay with my mom so I hope he sleeps ok for her. I think he might be getting his eye teeth. Ouch! Poor thing. Well, I hope you all have a great weekend!

Weekend Fun

2008-04-13T17:45:00.001-07:00

Hope you all had a great weekend! We did. We had a friend over Friday night that we haven't seen in awhile. It was good to catch up. Saturday Kinley and I ate at Monicals with Sally, Anna, David, Mom, and Drew. Yummy! We also watched Alvin and the Chipmunks at Mom's which was really cute. Then Saturday night we went to Jason and Laura's house for supper. We had yummy lasagna. Thanks Laura! Today we had a good service at church. The message was on the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues. I only caught part of it because I was in the nursery, but what I heard was good. Ben just went scripture by scripture. We ate lunch at Chris' mom and dads and Kinley and I just got back from my mom's where we ate supper. It was a busy weekend but fun. In case you are wondering, the picture is of Kinley's pile of clothes after he has unloaded his bottom two drawers, which he does at least once a day. Just thought I would catch it on camera. He has also been putting any clothes he can get his hands on of Chris and mine on the floor and rolling on them. Not sure what that is about but it is cute. :)
I also wanted to say a little bit about my sister, Sally since it is her birthday today.
So, these are the top 5 reasons why I love my sister. (in no special order)
1. She is always there to listen to me, even if I'm just rambling
2. She loves me enough to tell me the truth when I need to hear it
3. Her heart for worship and to see others enter in to worship
4. The way she loves her kids and husband
5. Her love for Christ and others
Love you sister! Happy Birthday!

Exciting Times

2008-04-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

Well, it was an eventful night last night. Kinley decided to climb to a standing position on a kitchen chair to get to Daddy's cigarettes last night. Side note: Chris is still struggling with this so please pray for him. Anyway, he had put them up on a shelf we have in the kitchen. We were in the other room watching American Idol when I heard Kinley start to gag. I ran into the kitchen and found him spitting pieces of cigarette onto the floor. He had only put one in his mouth and thankfully we found most of it on the floor. Needless to say we had a tense couple of minutes. I have to admit I lost it for a few moments. The event didn't seem to effect Kinley a whole lot besides crying when we told him no. He acted fine and went to bed fine 20 minutes later and slept all night. I on the other hand checked to make sure he was still breathing before I went to bed and didn't sleep real well the rest of the night.
On a brighter side, Sally, Anna, and David and Marci, Emma, Leah, Abby, Kinley and I went to a petting zoo today put on by the FFA kids in Crescent City. They enjoyed the animals. Kinley especially liked the turkeys. His cousin Cory let him in the pen with some goats and little pigs. Then we went to the playland at McDonalds in Kentland, which was fun. Kinley is sound asleep now and I am hoping he takes a really long nap today. Well, have a great weekend!

What is that?

2008-04-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I had my first experience with Kinley pooping in the bathtub Sunday morning. Yuck! At first I just looked at it floating there thinking what is that? Then it struck me as I grabbed Kinley right before he touched it. With Kinley screaming because he loves his bath, I got it out, let the water drain, wiped the tub out with clorox wipes, then refilled the tub with water for him. He of course quit crying as soon as I put him back in the tub. I just hope that is the last experience with poop in the bathtub! :)

God is Good.

2008-04-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that the last few months I have not been spending time in the word or much in prayer. I'm just so thankful that God gently draws us near again and again even when we have been unfaithful to Him. He really spoke to my heart this Wednesday and I just need to share. On the way to Olivia's house for Bible study I was praying for forgiveness for being lazy in my relationship with Him. Then, when I get there, Marci shares that God gave her a verse out of Isaiah. It was about women at ease and complacent with God and of course how we should NOT BE. It was such a conviction to my heart! We spent some time in prayer listening to what God would have to say to us and God spoke to me: Col. 3:2, which I had no idea what that verse was. When I went there it was: "Set your mind on heavenly things not on the things on the earth." As many of you know I have been wanting to add on or move for quite some time now. In and of itself is probably not a bad thing, but it had been consuming me. It was also taking a toll on my relationship with Chris. I know I need to submit to Chris in this decision and ultimately to Christ. This verse brought me back to the realization that the things of this earth don't really matter, and I need to keep my eyes and heart on Him!

What's in here?

2008-04-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

My son loves to load and unload laundry baskets and hampers. It doesn't matter if the clothes are clean or dirty. I try my best to keep him from the dirty clothes, but it doesn't always work. I find his dirty clothes back in his drawers and clean clothes in his hamper. Oh well. . . he enjoys his "job" of helping with the laundry. :) Thought I would share this picture with you all. Makes me smile.

Spoiled

2008-03-29T07:03:00.001-07:00

I think I am getting spoiled because I have had two nights in a row adult interaction without having to take care of Kinley at the same time. Last night we went to our friends house for supper with the India mission team. It was a lot of fun-lots of laughter. The best part was that Laura K. made chocolate mint brownies-my favorite! I think I ate four! Bad girl! Oh well. They were worth it. I never knew I would be so thankful for "adult" nights.
Kinley has discovered the world of cartoons. He is watching Tom and Jerry right now. It is cute to see him crawl up in the big chair and point to the tv although I really don't know that I want him watching too much.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Ladies Night

2008-03-28T06:13:00.000-07:00

Last night Mom, Sally, and I went to Kankakee with no children! It was a lot of fun. The trip included Target, one of my favorite stores, eating at Steak and Shake (yummy!), and Aldis. I of course spent more money that I brought which was very embarrasing, but my sister came through for me. :) I think we're stocked up again for awhile. It wasn't a real fun time driving home because there was sleet for half of the way, but it was nice getting away without any of the kiddies. The sense of freedom is nice once in awhile!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! We had a great worship service and then went to my Grandpa and Grandma Johnson's house for lunch. It was fun seeing all of the kids hunt candy. They all had their own baskets. Kinley didn't really catch on. He grabbed a few pieces of candy and put them in his mouth wrapper and all. Oh well . . . he had fun. It was a great time with family!

Frustrating Night

2008-03-21T10:17:00.001-07:00

Have any of you moms felt frustrated after going to a church service and ending up downstairs or in a nursery and missing the whole service because your child is being too loud? That's what happened to me last night. We went to Shcwer (the church that Chris grew up in) for Connor's (our nephew) first communion. It is a Lutheran church, so there is not much activity during the service so you are sitting most of the time. Kinley was exhausted from playing outside yesterday and getting a short nap, so he was being very disruptive to the very quiet service. I ended up down in the basement since the church doesn't really have a nursery for the hour and a half service and missed the communion service. In the van and when we got home I felt very frustrated for a long time and I don't think I was very nice to my husband. When I got into bed at 9:30, after Kinley finally fell asleep which took awhile because he was overtired, Chris informed me that I was grumpy. I know it really isn't very logical to feel that way, but I have to admit so very firery feelings!

Kinley Paul

2008-03-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would tell how we came to name our son. (Yes stealing from Sally and Jody) Kinley is named after his great Grandpa Hynd whose name was Harold McKinley Hynd, but everyone called him Kinley. Chris' middle name is also Kinley. Paul is Chris' Dad's name. So thankful for the heritage God has given us in family. The girl's name we had decided on was Christina Grace. Hopefully we will still be able to use that one, but only the Lord knows. We're just so thankful for Kinley!

Careful Climber

2008-03-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

Kinley has started to climb this week. It started when I pulled out some tubs to sort through his clothes to see what we needed to get for the summer. He decided it would be fun to pull himself up onto the tub, which at first was very cute. He would get on top sit there and clap for himself. (Daddy and Mommy clapped also.) However, he then started to stand on top of the tub. That was really fine too as long as I was right there to hand onto him. Later that evening I was in the middle of watching American Idol-which I have become addicted to thanks to Olivia-when I looked in the living room and saw Kinley standing on top of the tub clapping. Well . . . the tubs got put away very quickly. He is started to pull up on furniture and things too though. I am thankful that he seems to be careful when he wants to get down. He doesn't just walk off of things or jump. He actually waits for me to come and get him down. I'll try and catch him in action sometime soon. Hope everyone is having a great Saturday!

Great Man

2008-03-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

I love this picture of my dad. Just thought I would share it. I've thought a lot about him this week and how much I miss him. My heart hurts knowing that Kinley will never know him this side of heaven. He was such a great grandpa and father!

Ten Reasons Why I Love My Dad

2008-03-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

1. His gentle strength.
2. His bear hugs.
3. His loving support.
4. The way he only had to look at me a certain way and I knew I needed to shape up.
5. His commitment to Christ and his willingness to follow no matter what.
6. He took time to teach me things: basketball, softball, how to pound a nail, etc.
7. The way he loved my mom.
8. The way he loved to buy us presents that he knew we would love.
9. The way he loved everyone around him with Christ's love.
10. His sense of humor.

These of course can not fully express my love for my Dad. I've never met anyone that I admire so much. I miss him so much and can't wait to see him again in heaven!

Next Year

2008-03-07T18:14:00.001-08:00

Well . . . the guys (at least Chris and Sean) are already talking about next year's mission trip to India. Jennifer and I informed them on the way home from the airport that they needed to give us a month or two to forget what it was like to have them gone for two weeks before they started talking about leaving again. I think Chris may have to pack a little boy next year if he tries to leave again! Kinley has been keeping a close eye on Daddy and has enjoyed playing with his empty suitcase.

Emergency Room

2008-03-07T09:55:00.001-08:00

Well, Kinley and I just returned from a trip to the emergency room. He woke up this morning with wheezy breathing. He has had a cough, but it definetely had turned into something worse in the night. So now we have a nebulizer machine to give him breathing treatments. He does sound a lot better after the two treatments at the hospital. They said that he has "stuff" in his right lung that could have turned into pneumonia. So . . . I'm glad I took him in. He is sleeping soundly now. I had a little bit of a hard time with the E.R. doctor. He kept telling me the same things over and over like I didn't understand. Do I look that dull? I didn't think so. Anyway, glad to have some medicine to help the little guy get better. I hate when he is sick! Kinley of course had the nurses wrapped around his finger as he was blowing them all kisses! :) What a cutie!
Chris had to go back to work today. It was so nice having him home the last two days!

Hurray for Daddy!

2008-03-05T16:22:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to say how good it is to have Daddy home again! Kinley walked across Erik and Sally's living room with very wide eyes and smile when he say Daddy again for the first time. I don't think I held him for more than a few seconds for the rest of the night and he hasn't wanted Chris too far from his sight today. God new what he was doing when he created "family". It is so nice to be under the protection and love of a wonderful, Godly man.

My Mommy

2008-02-29T18:00:00.000-08:00

Tonight Kinley and I went to Marci and Ben's house for pizza. It was just Marci and the girls and Kinley and I which was nice. Although both Marci and I are ready for our husbands to be home! After pizza we were sitting on the floor playing with the kids. Kinley likes to "tackle" me when I sit on the floor, which of course he started to do. I fall backwards when he runs at me, and he thinks this is great fun. Well, Abby thought it looked like fun as well, so she grabbed onto my legs to tackle me too. Kinley, however, did not find this fun. He started crying. I tried to play with both of them, but eventually Marci had to grab Abby because Kinley did NOT want to share his mommy tonight! Being honest moms, doesn't it make you feel good when your kids want you all to themselves? I know I probably am in the need of feeling "needed" even more right now when Chris is gone. I'm sure it won't be as cute if he is still doing it when (no we are not pregnant) he has a little brother or sister around. Ah well. . . it made my heart smile tonight.
Good night everyone . . . it is only 8pm and I'm thinking about hitting the hay!