Thanksgiving 2012 was great!! We started the day with some delicious breakfast bread made by Aunt Brenda (thank you!!), before Kincaid and I headed out to Grandma C's to start cooking! While growing up, I spent many hours baking with my grandma, so I was pumpted to be able to help her out again! We had a great time cooking and talking as we prepared the Thanksgiving meal! I learned so much from her, and am so grateful for that time together!
We had a delicious meal with Grandma, Dad and Aunt Dianne and Uncle Shane, and Kincaid had fun hanging out with them for the first time! We had a great afternoon full of conversation and football (tough loss for the Lions, but great game!!), and we wrapped it up by hanging out with Tyson in the evening! It was a fun, relaxing day for all of us, and so happy to be home with family!
(I'll add some pictures to this post later this weekend!)
Friday, November 23, 2012
Day 21 - "adopted" family
A year or so after moving to Michigan, I began working with a family, helping out with their new babies and a spunky 5 year old. Little did I know that 7 1/2 years later, they would be some of the most important people in my life! I have been incredibly blessed to know this family, to spend hours reading, playing, comforting, feeding, diaper changing, spit-up cleaning, laughing, listening, talking, and more with these kiddos and their parents! I've grown so much because of Rob, Karen and the kids! Rob and Karen have provided encouragement, a listening ear, and advice to both me and Jon. They've spoken honestly and with genuine care. I could go on and on about how much I've benefited from them, and hope that they have from me in some way! I am forever grateful for each of them!
Day 20 - Extended Family
Our extended family is awesome! I'm so thankful for all of my aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, great aunts/uncles, etc.! We are blessed with a diverse group of extended family in terms of their interests, personalities, and work! They have all contributed to our lives in different ways and to different degrees, and I am thankful for all of it! Hope they know how much they are loved and appreciated!
Day 19 - Friendship
Very grateful for some amazing, trustworthy, beautiful friends! I'm thankful for friendships that began in childhood and have endured time, distance and life changes. I'm thankful for friendships that were discovered through expected circumstances and through stepping out in faith. Thankful for new friendships and being welcomed into our new town!
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Day 18 - R&R
So thankful for a day to just rest and relax with my guys!! We had a great discussion this morning in Sunday school about observing the Sabbath, and it's something that we really want to strive to do better at in our family! So, this afternoon, Jon, Caid and I spent a lot of time just being with each other, listening to hymns and praise music, and just relaxing! Right now, Jon is getting rejuvenated by taking in God's creation at a local lake, Kincaid is napping, and I'm getting ready to bake some bread and pick up my knitting! So thankful for these restful moments!
Day 17 - Delicious
These are delicious, fluffy, chocolate-chip pancakes made by Jon! They were so good! So fortunate and grateful to have yummy food at our disposal, and to have a hubby to whip up breakfast for me every now and then!
Friday, November 16, 2012
Day 16 - Sleep
Kincaid has slept the last 2 nights without waking up!! So happy and thankful for two full nights of uninterrupted sleep!!!
Day 15 - coworkers
I'm thankful to have a great group of people that I work with each day! I am blessed to get to carpool because I not only save on gas money, but also have gotten to know some great women! The whole crew at our office makes it fun to go to work each day, and I'm blessed to know them! Kincaid has been exposed to such different and amazing people, and will be influenced by that forever!
Day 14 - Brothers & Sister - in -laws
I'm grateful that I have smart, funny, hard working brothers in law (James, Jason & Joel) and sister in law (Kathy)! Each of them are so unique and are so loved by three of my favorite people (Jon, Tyson & Caitlin) and therefore by me. Kincaid is blessed to have each of them in his life, and I love that he'll learn so much from them. He'll get some mad soccer and fishing skills from the VK uncles, his KState football knowledge & crazy math skills from Aunt Kathy, and a great example of what it means to take care of others and yourself form Uncle James!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Day 13 - Date nights
I'm so thankful for date nights!! Jon and I have had a date night nearly each week for our entire relationship! Sometimes our dates involve extensively thought out endeavors, and sometimes our dates are easy meals watching a show on hulu or a movie from netflix! No matter what we do, I'm thankful for these nights we have devoted to each other each week! I love my man, and love the time we get to invest in each other!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Day 12 - Time
We had such a great day today! I'm so thankful for the day I got to spend at home with Kincaid! We had a blast and got in a lot of quality time! It felt so good to be home, playing with him, and also tackling some housework while he napped! I also got to talk with two amazing ladies and friends that I've missed connecting with so much! What a great day!
Thanks to all the Veterans and those currently serving in the military! No words or actions can express enough gratitude for the freedom and rights you fought or are fighting for! Thank you for the risks taken and the sacrifices made by you and your families so that we can live freely in the U.S.A.!
Thanks to all the Veterans and those currently serving in the military! No words or actions can express enough gratitude for the freedom and rights you fought or are fighting for! Thank you for the risks taken and the sacrifices made by you and your families so that we can live freely in the U.S.A.!
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Day 11 - First time evers
I'm so thankful for first-time-ever things! Today, Kincaid got to have another first time ever - eating something besides breast milk!! I had decided that I wasn't going to give him any rice cereal until 6 months because he's been doing great with nursing, and he's continued to sleep pretty well through the night. And THEN the time change happened! He's been going to sleep early and waking up at crazy hours at night! Cait told me Zayley was doing the same thing, so she introduced rice. I was still hesitant to add anything into Kincaid's diet - what is one more month of interrupted sleep???
Well, on a whim, I decided to grab some rice cereal tonight while at the grocery store, and we gave it a try! Check it out the first bites....
He did really great - so fingers crossed he sleeps great :) Either way, our little guy is quickly moving towards solids, and we are in for lots of fun and messy meal times!
Well, on a whim, I decided to grab some rice cereal tonight while at the grocery store, and we gave it a try! Check it out the first bites....
Day 10 - Caitlin
Today, I'm thankful for Cait! I wouldn't say that we were particularly close for the first several years our parents were married. In fact, because all of us kids were out of school, and I was living in Michigan when they got married, I hardly even saw her let alone talked to her. For me, the turning point was when she and I met mom and John in NY for Thanksgiving in 2005 I think. They dropped us off at the airport for our return home flights, and we had a few hours to kill. At least from my perspective, it turned out to be a great gift. I think it was the first time it'd been just the two of us, and I felt like I actually got to know her a bit!
Anyways, fast forward to 2011, we both turn up preggo within a few weeks of each other, and I feel like that was an even greater gift! I'm so thankful that we both got to go through pregnancy together, and I'll be forever grateful for the support, advice and encouragement she gave me over the 9 months!
Caitlin is creative, smart, and funny. She has the best laugh, and knows how to have a good time! She is hard working, outgoing, and adventurous. She enjoys life in big and small ways. She is a beautiful lady with a great heart, and she is an awesome mom to the most beautiful little girl! I admire her for all of these reasons, and know there are others that I could add! So glad to have her as a sister, and thankful for all of the fun memories our little ones will share in the future!
Anyways, fast forward to 2011, we both turn up preggo within a few weeks of each other, and I feel like that was an even greater gift! I'm so thankful that we both got to go through pregnancy together, and I'll be forever grateful for the support, advice and encouragement she gave me over the 9 months!
Caitlin is creative, smart, and funny. She has the best laugh, and knows how to have a good time! She is hard working, outgoing, and adventurous. She enjoys life in big and small ways. She is a beautiful lady with a great heart, and she is an awesome mom to the most beautiful little girl! I admire her for all of these reasons, and know there are others that I could add! So glad to have her as a sister, and thankful for all of the fun memories our little ones will share in the future!
Day 9 - Tyson
Today, I'm thankful for Tyson!
I'm so thankful for Tyson! I admire him for so many reasons!! He is one of the funniest people I know, and I laugh nearly every time I talk to him or exchange texts! He really is hilarious if you ask me! I'm jealous of his ability to tell a good story, and I respect his work ethic. He can fix just about anything, and is incredibly skilled at home repairs even though he hates anything related to remodeling! I admire that he is committed to the people in his life, that he is a good friend, and that he will stand up for his family through thick and thin. I think it's awesome that he helps out Grandma Wilma by taking out her trash, taking care of the lawn, or moving items from one space to another in her house. He is also incredibly knowledgeable (and surprisingly passionate) about politics - which I have no interest in at all! He is stubborn, and smart. He's a self-described shy guy, but is really quite outgoing and personable. He's sensitive and kind.
It's so funny because Tys and I used to fight like cats and dogs, and I'm sure our parents wondered if we'd ever get along for more than an hour! We used to drive each other crazy and do whatever we could to push each others buttons and get each other into trouble! I used to think he was spoiled rotten and always got his way, and he would say the same about me :) We've had quite the journey together, and I'm glad he was along for the ride!
I'm so thankful he is not only my brother but also my friend, and I could go on and on - but hopefully you get the gist of it! He is awesome and one of a kind. I wouldn't trade him for any other brother, and I'm so glad that Kincaid has him as an uncle! I'm super proud of him and love him!!
I'm so thankful for Tyson! I admire him for so many reasons!! He is one of the funniest people I know, and I laugh nearly every time I talk to him or exchange texts! He really is hilarious if you ask me! I'm jealous of his ability to tell a good story, and I respect his work ethic. He can fix just about anything, and is incredibly skilled at home repairs even though he hates anything related to remodeling! I admire that he is committed to the people in his life, that he is a good friend, and that he will stand up for his family through thick and thin. I think it's awesome that he helps out Grandma Wilma by taking out her trash, taking care of the lawn, or moving items from one space to another in her house. He is also incredibly knowledgeable (and surprisingly passionate) about politics - which I have no interest in at all! He is stubborn, and smart. He's a self-described shy guy, but is really quite outgoing and personable. He's sensitive and kind.
It's so funny because Tys and I used to fight like cats and dogs, and I'm sure our parents wondered if we'd ever get along for more than an hour! We used to drive each other crazy and do whatever we could to push each others buttons and get each other into trouble! I used to think he was spoiled rotten and always got his way, and he would say the same about me :) We've had quite the journey together, and I'm glad he was along for the ride!
I'm so thankful he is not only my brother but also my friend, and I could go on and on - but hopefully you get the gist of it! He is awesome and one of a kind. I wouldn't trade him for any other brother, and I'm so glad that Kincaid has him as an uncle! I'm super proud of him and love him!!
Day 8 - Parents
I'm so grateful that Jon and I have amazing parents! All of our parents have demonstrated love, understanding, and support year after year as we moved from one stage of life to the next! They showed us what it means to work hard and to sacrifice in order to achieve our goals! They taught us the importance of family and faith. We are so grateful for these lessons and so many others!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Day 7 - The Best Part of Waking Up
....the coffee in my cup
....seeing Kincaid's smile & snuggling him
....enjoying the cup of joe with Jon
....morning devotions with Jon
The best part of waking up each day is that I have a new day to try again! I will try to do this day better than the last, and in some ways will succeed and in some ways will fail. I love so many things about the morning - it's my favorite part of the day. A quite house, delicious coffee, and often some QT with by boys! Today in particular I am thankful for all of these things, and am thankful that 2 years 6 months ago today, I married the best guy!
....seeing Kincaid's smile & snuggling him
....enjoying the cup of joe with Jon
....morning devotions with Jon
The best part of waking up each day is that I have a new day to try again! I will try to do this day better than the last, and in some ways will succeed and in some ways will fail. I love so many things about the morning - it's my favorite part of the day. A quite house, delicious coffee, and often some QT with by boys! Today in particular I am thankful for all of these things, and am thankful that 2 years 6 months ago today, I married the best guy!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Day 6 - Life and Liberty
Today, I'm very thankful for Life and Liberty!
This little Life is what I'm particularly grateful for today!!
Our sweet boy is 5 months old! How this is possible, I really don't know! It has been the best 5 months, and is going too quickly! We'll go Monday to check out his measurements at the Health Department, but he is certainly healthy and happy!
Highlights from his 5th month:
Movement: Kincaid can now roll both ways!! He mastered rolling from his back to his tummy at the end of September (typically, infants roll from tummy to back first), and the last weekend in October, he started rolling from his tummy to his back. He still has to work quite a lot for this second roll, but is getting the hang of it! He also is a great sitter these days! It seems like his strength really developed quickly in a week's time! He can sit without toppling over for 5+ minutes!! It is so fun to see him learn how to stay balanced!
Laughter: He laughs so much these days, continues to love to see all the people at work, and brings so much joy to everybody! He is such a great baby, and continues to spoil us!! He really enjoys peek-a-boo, funny faces, silly noises and happy chatter! Jon can make him laugh like nobody else, and it is awesome!
Eating & Sleeping: He is sleeping well, though he has started to fall asleep earlier and wake up at night. I really am not ready to start feeding him baby food yet, so as of right now, plan to just keep waking up to feed him and put him back to bed until he hits 6 months.
Adventure: Took his first flight on October 19 when we went to Michigan for the weekend to celebrate Grandpa and Grandma VK's 65th wedding anniversary. He was a rockstar as I mentioned in an earlier post.
Baptism: Kincaid was baptized on October 28 and we were so blessed to have all of his grandparents there along with Great Grandma Wilma and Uncle Tyson/Aunt Kathy.
Other: Kincaid loves to be in his exersaucer/jumper, on the floor to roll & play, and sitting up! He loves to see and "talk" to people, and is so curious! I LOVE to watch him when he notices something new or different! He kind of cocks his little head, or leans in to get a closer look, or gets this real determined look on his face/furrows his brow. It is so darn cute! He continues to be fascinated by Grace, and you can certainly tell who he recognizes by his big grin! Caid no longer "growls" but is more into this sort of frustrated sounding noise even though he makes it when he is happily playing. He has also been biting/sucking on his lower lip the past week and it's real cute! He has also been making this really cute face where he sort of bunches his lips and scrunches his nose at the same time! I hope i get a picture of it, because these little quirks are fleeting!!
Today I'm also thankful for Liberty. We have the right and freedom to go cast a vote today. I'm not really into politics, and I am certainly not about to go on a rant about either candidate. Simply grateful for the option to vote, and hope that all will take advantage of this opportunity to make an informed decision and prayerfully cast a vote today at the polls!
This little Life is what I'm particularly grateful for today!!
Our sweet boy is 5 months old! How this is possible, I really don't know! It has been the best 5 months, and is going too quickly! We'll go Monday to check out his measurements at the Health Department, but he is certainly healthy and happy!
Highlights from his 5th month:
Movement: Kincaid can now roll both ways!! He mastered rolling from his back to his tummy at the end of September (typically, infants roll from tummy to back first), and the last weekend in October, he started rolling from his tummy to his back. He still has to work quite a lot for this second roll, but is getting the hang of it! He also is a great sitter these days! It seems like his strength really developed quickly in a week's time! He can sit without toppling over for 5+ minutes!! It is so fun to see him learn how to stay balanced!
Laughter: He laughs so much these days, continues to love to see all the people at work, and brings so much joy to everybody! He is such a great baby, and continues to spoil us!! He really enjoys peek-a-boo, funny faces, silly noises and happy chatter! Jon can make him laugh like nobody else, and it is awesome!
Eating & Sleeping: He is sleeping well, though he has started to fall asleep earlier and wake up at night. I really am not ready to start feeding him baby food yet, so as of right now, plan to just keep waking up to feed him and put him back to bed until he hits 6 months.
Adventure: Took his first flight on October 19 when we went to Michigan for the weekend to celebrate Grandpa and Grandma VK's 65th wedding anniversary. He was a rockstar as I mentioned in an earlier post.
Baptism: Kincaid was baptized on October 28 and we were so blessed to have all of his grandparents there along with Great Grandma Wilma and Uncle Tyson/Aunt Kathy.
Other: Kincaid loves to be in his exersaucer/jumper, on the floor to roll & play, and sitting up! He loves to see and "talk" to people, and is so curious! I LOVE to watch him when he notices something new or different! He kind of cocks his little head, or leans in to get a closer look, or gets this real determined look on his face/furrows his brow. It is so darn cute! He continues to be fascinated by Grace, and you can certainly tell who he recognizes by his big grin! Caid no longer "growls" but is more into this sort of frustrated sounding noise even though he makes it when he is happily playing. He has also been biting/sucking on his lower lip the past week and it's real cute! He has also been making this really cute face where he sort of bunches his lips and scrunches his nose at the same time! I hope i get a picture of it, because these little quirks are fleeting!!
Today I'm also thankful for Liberty. We have the right and freedom to go cast a vote today. I'm not really into politics, and I am certainly not about to go on a rant about either candidate. Simply grateful for the option to vote, and hope that all will take advantage of this opportunity to make an informed decision and prayerfully cast a vote today at the polls!
Day 5 - night night, sleep tight
Today, I am grateful I got to drink 3 (or was it 4) glasses of cold, purified water from my faucet between dinner and bedtime! I am thankful that I have a warm, safe, home in a small, supportive community! I'm grateful to have a cozy bed to crawl into at 9pm :) after having a good dinner from a kitchen full of food at our fingertips! I'm thankful that, tonight, as we sleep, I don't have to worry about the safety of my family. So many conveniences and luxuries that many people in our nation and world do not have and that I take for granted most days!
Thankful to God for all He has provided!
Thankful to God for all He has provided!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Day 4 - This is the day
This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! So So So thankful for this day! To have time to rest, laugh, and enjoy family! So thankful that we have a Lord and Savior who loves us so dearly; our Lord is so mind-blowingly creative and we get to enjoy his creativity daily!
Here are just a handful of ways that have struck me lately regarding the Lord's incredible gifts:
Dawn/Dusk:
Something I really enjoy about being back in Kansas is the wide open space. The lack of trees allows us the honor of seeing a sunrise or sunet almost daily! I am blown away by the beauty of the horizon, and so thankful that I have eyes to see!
Children:
One of the most incredible miracles of life! I look at Kincaid daily and am in awe of this tiny creation that is growing so rapidly! How he is unique and wonderfully made! Kiddos are a great blessing and teach us so much about life!
Relationships:
We are created for relationships. First and foremost, a relationship with God. We are also created for community and relationships with family and friends. The Lord works in mysterious and wonderful ways through the relationships we have in our lives, even in the midst of struggles with others.
So many things I take for granted, and am trying to slow down and just appreciate!
Here are just a handful of ways that have struck me lately regarding the Lord's incredible gifts:
Dawn/Dusk:
Something I really enjoy about being back in Kansas is the wide open space. The lack of trees allows us the honor of seeing a sunrise or sunet almost daily! I am blown away by the beauty of the horizon, and so thankful that I have eyes to see!
Children:
One of the most incredible miracles of life! I look at Kincaid daily and am in awe of this tiny creation that is growing so rapidly! How he is unique and wonderfully made! Kiddos are a great blessing and teach us so much about life!
Relationships:
We are created for relationships. First and foremost, a relationship with God. We are also created for community and relationships with family and friends. The Lord works in mysterious and wonderful ways through the relationships we have in our lives, even in the midst of struggles with others.
So many things I take for granted, and am trying to slow down and just appreciate!
Day 3 - Mr. Incredible
My Mr. Incredible
This guy does it all! From errands like grocery shopping, yard work, laundry folding, and toilet cleaning, to just being there when he is needed most to support and encourage! Doing household chores and errands does not even come close to his top "50 things I'd love to do with my free time." However, he chips in (and has even begun to do so willingly) in order to give me a break and help us to both have balanced lives! Jon is the best father, and some of the best moments of my days are when I see Kincaid's eyes light up when he spots his papa, or when I hear the two of them laughing and playing together!! I love that he is the one I get to raise Kincaid with; to laugh and cry with; to be silly and real with! So very thankful for my Mr. Incredible! I've been known to fuss about this or that from time to time, but really, I am so very blessed to have this guy as my partner and BFF!
Friday, November 2, 2012
Day 2 - my daily lunch date & halloween
I am so SO thankful that my lunch date for the last few months has been this fella! I will miss him so much after Dec 6!!!
This is our little slugger on his first Halloween! No trick-or-treating for him this year, but we had plenty of fun at the office party!
This is our little slugger on his first Halloween! No trick-or-treating for him this year, but we had plenty of fun at the office party!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Thanksgiving
What a great month! November is the month for thanksgiving! Today I am so very very very thankful for these guys!
It's fuzzy because Caid was too busy playing to bother with a picture :) I LOVE and am so BLESSED by the giggles and joy I can hear right now coming from Jon and Kincaid! A girl couldn't ask for two better boys to have in her life!!
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