Adventure Clubs

We hosted Adventure Clubs at our house this year. Similar to VBS but held in 9 different communities throughout Jacksonville. There were 3 different teams, consisting of a bunch of teens from our youth group, a college person, and a group leader. Each team went to 3 different locations a day. One at 10-11:30, another at 1-2:30 and the last one at 6:30-8! It was a long day for them. Our team did an excellent job leading, sharing, interacting and teaching the children. By the end of the week the kids were given the full gospel. How exciting to be part of this! They were all invited to worship with us on Sunday, and sing their songs during the service. 4 kids from our group came with us on Sunday. We had a great week. We will definitely do this again next year.

the group at our house

singing time

Bible lesson time

craft time

water game time

29 weeks pregnant and counting...

She and I are getting there! Can't wait to meet her!

Oma's Visit!

We love it when Oma comes to visit. It's a vacation at home for us too! We eat, drink, and play all day long. Oma gives all her attention to the kids. From early morning till bedtime. She taught us how to play Dominoes, which we loved playing. And of course, we played Scrabble...she doesn't seem to mind losing.


playing Dice with Asher...looks intense!

we always have a puzzle going when Oma comes

the kids love, love, love Dutch pancakes....always a treat!

Too bad I don't have any pictures of Julianna and Oma. They played numerous games of Uno and Memory. Julianna kept saying, "I want Oma to stay forever!" Now that Oma's gone, she says, "I want to go to Oma's because she has winter!" She has only been to Oma's twice in her life, and she doesn't remember either time.

Thanks for coming Oma!

Anticipating Oma's Visit

Asher and Julianna brushing up on their Uno skills.

Asher: Julianna when you only have one card left you have to yell "Uno" and you have to be quick!
Julianna: "Why do I have to be quick, Ash?"
Asher: Because Oma is very quick at Uno and if she says "Uno" before you, you will have to pick up another card!

The kids are very excited to see Oma...so am I!!

I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, wonderful are your works!

18 week baby bump
taken April 6th

All bets were on! On the way to our ultrasound we each said what we thought we were having. I thought we were having a boy, based on the fact that all my dreams confirmed that. Arianna had a feeling she was getting a brother, Asher was hoping for a brother of course, but had a feeling the babe was a girl. Julianna only wanted a sister, and said, " if the baby is a boy, I am running up a tree!" and if it is a girl, "I don't have to run". Cor, being a logical man said we have no way of knowing.

The ultrasound was fun. For some reason I had forgotten how amazing it is to see this tiny 10 oz babe kicking and squirming inside me. The technician was great and showed us all the body parts. It's was surprising to me how quickly she could identify them all, but I guess after 18 years she should know what's what! The heart was the most incredible part to see, beating at 137 bpm.

To say that I am in love with this little girl already is an understatement! I just can't wait to hold her in my arms. She is due on Labor Day, September 7, 2009! Now to think of a name!

Julianna announced after the ultrasound was over that she didn't have to run!

The baby is no longer a baby...Julianna turns 4!!!

Sally(as she is affectionately called) turned 4 on March 30!! Wow, wow, wow! We have been blessed to have her in our family bringing joy and laughter for 4 years. She is fun, affectionate and a little sassy. We had a great day celebrating her life.

the birthday girl... up bright and early to open presents before Daddy goes to work

beach toys

thrilled with her iPod shuffle and baby clothes
I know, what 4 year old gets a shuffle?
A spoiled one, whose older siblings each have one!

Julianna and her great friend Gracie

took the kids to the Children's Museum~
playing store here

Arianna checking them out

being firemen

Mommy and the birthday girl, and the cake

beautiful hat from Gracie

Arianna turns 10!!

Our sweet Arianna turned double digits on March 9!! Where, oh where has the time gone? 10 more years and she could be off to college~YIKES! But for now we are enjoying having her, watching her develop her interests and talents and watching her mature. She is a joy to have as a daughter. Love you sweetie. She invited her friends over for a party. I took them all swimming for a while and we had pizza and coke floats and enjoyed the birthday cupcakes. The girls had a blast together.

making party favors~ bath salts

Arianna excited with her present...a camera

a towel she has been wanting for a while~
bought it with her money from Oma

we went out for lunch with Daddy to the Hibachi grill

Arianna and Asher

Daddy and the birthday girl!

mommy and Julianna

Arianna opening her presents from her friends...
can't have too many Webkinz!

Arianna and her friends

Cor-Boy turns 35!!

On March 3rd Cor turned 35!! We celebrated a day early since our friends were visiting.

the birthday boy with his favorite cake~
Black Forest Cake covered with whipping cream

we are all having fun!

watching Cor make Coke floats
I remember my mom treating us to these when I was young, everyone loved them!

Cor enjoying his present~Guitar Hero!!
a very captive audience watches

and we saved one gift for the morning
a Gator coozie!!

We enjoyed celebrating Cor's birthday!

Visiting friends in Orlando

Last weekend we visited our friends from Canada in Orlando! It was so much fun to see John & Wendy and their 3 kids again. It had been 4 years since we saw each other. I was 8 months pregnant with Julianna. Time is a funny thing, especially with friends. It dissolves, immediately we were catching each other up on different things, and carrying on where we left off 4 years ago. It didn't take long...20 minutes for Julianna and Caleb to be friends. I hope she is a little more discerning later in life!:)

I really think John set Cor up for this!
Cor knows I'm not a fan of his silliness, but now I humor him and take his picture!

nothing better than water

looks like Caleb he's stirring the pot, and wondering where his little girlfriend went

our 2 families
Lauren(16), Caleb (4) Julianna (3) Asher(7)
Arianna (9) and Karissa (13)

someone commented that our children were really well behaved in the restaurant
I thanked Cor for "showing me proud"!

my precious, precious kids
the time is ticking, their getting so big

OTHER FUN:

Julianna and Gracie at Gracie's 4th birthday

sisters,
the older Arianna gets the more 'mothering' she is to Julianna
it's really quite a sweet thing to see

at a great park in St. Augustine, it's surrounded by great oak trees which is great in the summer but very cold in the winter...I was very, very cold

Uncle Cor with the triplets
twin nephews and a niece

The floors are finished...

The floor were finished just before Christmas. We haven't done any more home improvements since. We plan to put tile in all the bathrooms, kitchen and laundry room, and new baseboards through out the house. Lots of work and a some cash, so it will all take time. If you haven't heard the news yet...Cor's helper is pregnant, so who knows when all this will get done. Thankfully, the hardwood is done!

hallway to the kids bathroom and bedrooms

front foyer looking into the dining room

from the front foyer looking into the family/great room

living room

hallway into the master bedroom

dining room

hallway into the guest room off of the great room

great room

It was a lot of work, more work than I ever thought, but so worth it. Sorry for the redundancy in some of the pictures, I don't have the energy to sort through them. (We did buy some area rugs which were not purchased before the pictures were taken)