Leeuw Family

A Couple Randoms

2011-03-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago my friend Heather got married. It was such a wonderful day and I am so happy for both her and Mark. They deserve all the best and know that they will have such a blessed marriage. Some of the kids were able to attend the wedding which was super special to all of them. So here is a picture of Parker, Lily and Ava ready to dance the night away. I don't know if "dance" is the right word for Parker, the boys was literally out of control and loving every second of it.

Now that I have a girl in the house, I have to get used to all the bows and headbands. However I have found that they are sooooo stinkin expensive. I have also found that they just don't match perfectly. So what do you do when you cant find the right bow??? You make your own. My sister-in-law Sarah and I have decided to take up a new hobby and save ourselves a lot of money. Her more than me since she has three girls that can all wear pigtails at the same time. Whew thats a lot of bows. So here is my first go around at the bow making. Much more to come but so far I LOVE it! And the best thing is she will have one for every outfit that matches perfectly rather than just wearing a simple White or Pink. I have a lot of work but the bigger the better right?

Since I haven't posted in a while we have been through our baby turing 2 and 3 months. So here are her monthly pics. I didn't have these onesie stickers with the boys which I am bummed about because they are so helpful and perfect for the baby book. Oh well, live and learn right. Anyway, Tessa is doing wonderful. Growing like crazy. She is now down to 4 bottles a day, 3 naps a day and done with those late night feedings. A couple weeks ago she started going down around 7:30 pm and is good till 7:30 am. I keep saying that I feel like we have arrived. PRetty proud of my little girl. She is a big girl sitting at 96% for weight and 95% for height. Best time to be chunky right? Smiles and giggles all day long.

Here is one I couldn't resist. Morning story time. These are the times that I treasure. Boys quiet and getting along. Have to admit that these are few and far between. Sometimes I think I have to have more than Three children because the amount of running, jumping, pounding and screaming that goes on in my house can not possibly be from just Two boys.

Sibling Love!

2011-02-03T18:21:00.001-08:00

He loves his sister! This kind of thing happens more often than not. I will walk into a room to find Griffin either "playing" with Tessa or talking to her in the cutest little baby voice. This particular time he was laying under her gym pointing things out to her. Melts my heart and brings a smile to my face. Lets just hope it stays this way.

1 month

2011-01-22T09:27:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks late, but here is our babe at one month. Had to wait for the stickers to arrive. Gotta love snail mail.

2011-01-13T12:56:00.001-08:00

Time is flying by so fast. I can not believe that Tessa is almost 7 weeks already. She has been such a joy and all around good baby. Had a couple fussier weeks but we are back on track. I have actually had to put some clothes away already that don't fit her already. Officially in 0-3 months clothes. Her rolls are accumulating on the thighs and under the chin. I so love this stage and wish we could stay in it a little longer.

We did a little photo shoot last night with all three of them. Had a couple that turned out and thought we would share them.

Bring On The Pink!

2010-12-14T12:45:00.001-08:00

On November 26, we welcomed Tessa Brooklyn into our family. She has been such a blessing and we are so thankful for a healthy, strong little girl. She has been more than spoiled already with pink clothes, pink toys, pink everything and a whole lot of love. She weighed in at 7lb 14oz and was 18 inches long. So far she has been the most content out of all three. Hopefully she stays this way. It is an adjustment to having Three children. Surely takes more time for everything. The boys have been doing amazing with her. A little bit of jealousy here and there but nothing too extreme. We have been able to have some one on one time with all of them, which I think has helped. Thank You Lord for our newest little blessing!

Worth A Try

2010-11-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

While looking through some of my friends blogs, I noticed that one of them had a little something about shutterfly. They talked about how if you do a little advertising for them and their Holiday or Christmas cards, you have a chance to earn 50 free ones. So, i thought it was worth a try.

I have used shutterfly for my Holiday cards for many years now. Every year I continue to be happy with the outcome and this year I plan to do the same. I have looked through them trying to figure out the perfect one for this year, but it is so hard b/c of the great selection. My plan is to do combination of Holiday card and Baby announcement, so I have to wait for the little one to arrive before I can do anything. In the past I have gone with the 5 x 7 flat card however they have folded cards as well and sizes ranging from 4 x 6, 5 x 7 and even a square collection in glossy or matte. The options are endless! Look here http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards or here http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards

So if you haven't tried shutterfly for your Holiday cards yet, I would highly recommend them!

They even have gift tags that you can customize http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-gift-tags

The Tooth Fairy is on her way!

2010-10-26T16:29:00.000-07:00

Parker has literally had a loose tooth for about 2 months now. Everyday he comes to us and says, my tooth is going to fall out today. He walks around with a tissue wiggling, pulling and pushing on it with no success up to this point. Mommy and Daddy are not much help because we are not the teeth pulling type. I couldn't even look at the tooth without my stomach rolling over. Well today PaPa came to the rescue. Without thinking twice, Parker walked right up to him with the tissue, opened wide and out it came. Thanks so much PaPa we love you! Now he is just hoping that the tooth fairy doesn't blow past our house tonight with all this wind!

Pumpkin Carving and Fun

2010-10-25T10:17:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we had some friends of our over for the annual pumpkin carving. The kids had a great time picking out the face that they wanted but were not too excited about actually gutting the it. In the end the parents did most of the work which I think is pretty usual. In the end it was a fun night with some great friends.

Wordless Wednesday!

2010-10-06T05:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary!

2010-09-19T14:11:00.000-07:00

8 years ago tomorrow I was blessed to marry my best friend. I am so thankful for who he is and what he brings to my life. He is an amazing Husband and Father. He is dedicated, honest, fun loving, confident and my very own handy man. Babe, I just want to say Thank You! You have given me two beautiful boys with another baby on the way. Seeing you as a Daddy and how happy you make them just melts my heart. I love you more than you know and can't wait to see what the rest of our future holds. Thank You for choosing me!

Apple Picking and Soccer Kicking

2010-09-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

Last night we took our second annual trip to Crane's so we could pick some apples and have an amazing dinner. The boys had sooo much fun and may have grabbed a couple too many apples to eat. Griffin literally ate one entire apple, core and everything. We now have bags and bags of apples that we need to figure out what to do with. Applesauce is our main thing, but if anyone has some good recipes including apples, we would love to hear about them.

Parker is in his first year of playing soccer through Holland Rec. He is loving every minute of it and is doing much better than I thought he was going to do. They have had practic twice a week and last Saturday was his first game. In this first pic you can see he is in the goal. He was there for the first quarter and kept telling me he was bored b/c the ball seriously never came by him. I told him that was a good thing, but he didn't really agree with me.

Here he is in his second position and yes that is his Daddy who is the assistant coach for his team. It is soo stinkin cute to see both of my boys out on the field. Can't wait to see how the rest of the season goes.

Stretching, getting ready for the game! That is one little body in front of one big goal!

Back To School!

2010-09-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

So we had our first day back at school today! Parker is now in a Young 5's class at HC. He was super excited all Summer long and the day has finally come. Too fun! Loved bringing him today and seeing his locker and room all over again! He has the same wonderful teacher as last year and a lot of the same kids in his class as well. Which of course makes me feel better. Can't wait to be a part of this next school year and see how much he learns.

Parker and Ava have lockers right next to eachother, just like last year.

Weekend Away!

2010-08-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago we had the privilege of staying at a cottage with my extended family. This is the second year that we have done this and it is more fun every year. The boys swam all weekend long, even in the rain. Tubing, knee boarding, boating, sea dooing and a whole lot of eating.

Waiting for the fireworks

Parker standing on the tube

A Whole Hand!

2010-07-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

That is what our oldest will be tomorrow! Can you believe it? We are celebrating Parker's 5th Birthday already. I know everyone says this, but it really has gone by so fast. I never thought that when he was born we would be having so much fun with him! He has a personality like no other.

Parker, you are one special boy and your Daddy and I want you to know that we love you more than you can ever imagine. You are busy, spunky and task oriented. If we give you a task, you will not disappoint or quit until it is complete. You are an amazing helper and love to be involoved. You have been teaching your brother everything that you know and help out with him all the time. I can't wait to see how you are with this next baby. You have completed your first year of school and made us so very proud. You love to run, bike, dirt bike and you swim like a fish. This Summer you no longer need our help or even swimmies. You love to collect bugs, frogs and help us in the garden. We pray that you continue growing into a healthy, strong child of God. We Love You Parker and Happy Birthday!

Photo Shoot!

2010-07-05T07:34:00.000-07:00

So we went out the other day to take Griffins 2 Year and Parkers 5 Year pics. Here are a couple of them. Enjoy!

Two Years!

2010-06-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Griffin, Two years ago we welcomed you into our family and we have forever been changed. You bring so much joy to our lives it unimaginable. You wake up every morning with a smile and ready to face the day. You are a very busy boy but we can get a good cuddle out of you every once and a while. Your kisses and Hugs can make anyones day and are given out quite often. In the past month you have really blossomed into a toddler with learning many new words everyday. We are so very thankful for you and what you have brought to this family. You are an amazing little brother who looks up to his big brother with wide eyes. Don't worry bud you will get your chance and I know you will do just as well. We are loving watching you develop into who God wants you to be and pray that you will follow his path as well.

We love you Griffin!

Love, Mom and Dad

Little People Olympics!

2010-06-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Parker participated in the Little People Olympics. He did things like, tennis ball throw, soccer ball kick, long jump and a couple runs. Parker did so well and was such a good sport the whole time. Here are a couple pics of our day. The first one is of him and his friend Ben and their ribbons they got!!

Daddy and Griffin cheering him on!

We have a Graduate!

2010-06-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

So hard to believe, but we have our first school year done with. That is right Parker graduated from Preschool. It was a wonderful year with an awesome school, teacher and tons of new friends. His class put on a program for all the families and it was adorable.

One of his best friends and classmate
The whole class with their diplomas

They all made a poster that said "When I grow up I want to be a ...." and what was Parker?

You got it a Mailman. What else of course? We did not know they were doing this before hand. He kept telling us he had a surprise for us and yup, this was it.

Playing his part in the "Brown Bear" skit

We have some news for you!!!

2010-05-12T19:37:00.001-07:00

Thought it was about time that we let everyone in on a little secret we have going at our house! We will be expecting baby 3# in early December. That puts me at just over 10 weeks pregnant. It feels so good to actually be able to talk about it. We have never kept a pregnancy a secret this long before. It has been pretty difficult seeings how I haven't felt very well at all. The sickness this time around is way worse than any of the others. However, I am going to take it b/c that is supposed to mean great things and just reminds me everyday that I am still pregnant. So we will take whatever comes our way. We did find out what we were having with both of the boys mainly because of me. However, my husband really doesn't want to find out this time around, so I figure he should have his way at least one time right? Well, we invite you to come along on this journey with us and will keep you updated through out!

"Dutch" Town

2010-05-05T07:08:00.000-07:00

Last night we made our yearly trip to get some junk food and take a couple pictures. Parker was a little confused with the whole thing and kept telling people that we were going to "Dutch" Town instead of Downtown. Anyway the boys did pretty well. A bit busy which makes it hard to get some good pics, but we will take what we can get.

Spring Break Long Over Due!

2010-04-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

I know that Spring Break was a while back, but I wanted to still post about it. Jeff's Parents took us on an amazing trip to St. Martin for a week. We had amazing weather the entire week was right at 85 degrees with a breeze going at all times. We hit a different beach every day, did a little snorkeling and a ton of eating. Probably one of the most relaxing times in my life. Both boys stayed home with my parents which was a little bittersweet for us. Here are some of the pics from the week!

This is a view of our house from a boat that we rented for the day. Our house is the center one with two peaks.

Our Captain for the day

Uh Oh! Yes, my husband got into a little fender bender. No injuries but one large language barrier.

What do you do when you get in an accident with a rental car? Bring it back and get another one of course! With a little fee :(

View of our pool from the Master Suite

I don't know if you can see the island in the way back center but that was our view of St. Barts

Our Last night!

Just want to say a huge Thank You to Mom and Dad Leeuw for an amazing vacation. We are so grateful and our thanks could never be enough!

First Sunny Day Activity

2010-03-31T11:43:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day today! Why not get out the Slip 'n' Slide right? At least that is what Parker thought. I was washing windows outside and walked around the back of the house to find Parker who pulled out the Slip 'n' Slide and had changed into his suit! Well, okay then Lets Go!

This last one is my favorite!

I know, I know!!!

2010-03-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

Where have we been? I know. We really haven't been up to that much! However we have managed to keep busy. One thing we had was swimming lessons for Parker. We went to the Aquatic Center one night a week for 6 weeks with his friend Abby. What an experience that was. The first two weeks were great and then with no warning something flipped in his head and he had a huge fear of the lessons. When I say fear, I mean screaming, running away from the teacher and would not go in the water. Not just a tear here and there. After two more lessons the teacher who was amazing with him, slowly got him back in and by the end, he was in love again. I had my old Parker back. The one who would swim all day long and hates it when we tell him to get out of the water. Oh the joys of 4 years old boys!

Here is his friend Abby and her big brother Zack who came to watch!

18 month pics a month late! ooops

2010-02-15T12:37:00.000-08:00

DISNEY!!!

2010-01-30T17:28:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that the trip that we have been planning for so long is done already. There are way to many pictures to post all of them, so I just chose a couple and here they are. Most of them are self explanatory.

Dinner at Ohana the first night

Celebrating 35 years

The whole clan

Waiting at the bus stop

Animal Kingdom

Dad being a Wart hog as part of the Lion King show

Piarate Parker

Best seats in the house for the fireworks

Waiting in line for "Soarin" Favorite Ride

Mommy Son Dance

Quite a busy week!

Big Week!

2010-01-16T13:11:00.000-08:00

For Christmas my parents gave us the gift of a trip to Disney. This has been in the planning for years now. It is hard to believe that the time has actually come. We start our trip tomorrow by traveling to Detroit and flying out super early Monday morning. I know it is just going to be an amazing trip with so many wonderful memories made. We will be going with a large group of 13 of us. Yes for those of you who are counting we are leaving three of the munchkins at home. The three youngest. Which means I will be without my baby for a week. I know it will be better this way, but always hard to leave one behind. I am excited to have this special time with Parker, Jeff and I. So, send up some prayers for safe travels, good weather and fun times. I will post many pics I'm sure when we get back.

Have A Magical Day!

Fun Facts For The Day!

2010-01-15T13:12:00.001-08:00

This post is a little different than the ususal ones. However, I thought it was fun and just wanted to share it with you.

Can It Be True?

Can shopping honestly be good for you? Well, I know that when I get home from a long day of shopping, I am pooped. My feet hurt, my legs hurt and my back hurts as well. It always made me think that even though I am causing a lot of “damage” there has to be a part of this that is good for me. So, this week when I came upon some information to back up my thoughts, I just had to share them with you.

~ The average woman covers 2.96 miles on a shopping trip

~ They notch up 154 miles a year

~ The average woman burns around 385 calories - the equivalent of a piece of carrot cake or two large glasses of wine - trudging around stores each week.

~ Women take an average 7,305 steps each time they head out on a spree, almost three quarters the 10,000 daily number recommended by the NHS

BREAKDOWN OF RESULTS:
Shopping trips per year x hours walked each time =
Total hours spent shopping each year

Clothes shopping 24 x 1 hour, 59 minutes
47 hours, 31 minutes

Food shopping 60 x 1 hour, 22 minutes
82 hours, 12 minutes

Local shopping 48 x 38 minutes
30 hours, 14 minutes

TOTAL 159 hours, 57 minutes

So using a rate of five calories per minute, the average woman will burn 47,985 calories each month.

(Calorie burn rate is based on an average body weight of 175 pounds, walking at an average speed of 3mph)

SO SHOP ON LADIES!

*stats from dailymail.com

2010-01-08T09:02:00.001-08:00

I know I didn't post any Christmas pics yet, but there are a ton to go through and I don't know what I am going to do with them yet. However, I thought I would put some up of the "Snow Day" that we had last weekend. Some of our cousins were in town so we invited a bunch of our family over to snowmobile, sled, golf cart, tube, knee board and anything else "Snowy." Everyone had a riot, grown men and the littles ones. So here are some pics of what they did that day. I had to put their names on them b/c you can't tell who is who with all the garb on!

Happy Birthday Lily!!!!!

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

Today is my Niece Lily's 4th Birthday! Just wanted to take this time to say Happy Birthday Lily and we love you so very much. You are such a sweet and special little girl. We enjoy watching you change and grow and are so glad that we get to be a part of your life.

Playing Catch-Up

2009-12-14T13:36:00.000-08:00

Don't be alarmed! This is what happens when you give an 18 month old yogurt. At least my 18 month old.

Last week we were able to celebrate my nephew Noah's 5th Bithday! He is my sisters youngest and I can not believe how fast he has grown. He is so fun to have around. Him and Parker can be Best Friends and Worst Enemies all at the same time! We Love You Noah!

Here is Parker pulling Griffin on his new toy. We got the snowmobile out for the first time last week with all the snow and he hopped right on and took off. I can tell it is going to be a very fun winter.

It will be fun that is if Griffin can manage to stay on his feet. He really struggles walking in the snow with all his Winter Garb on. I feel bad, but it really is cute!

Just over a week ago we celebrated our friends Michelle and Heather's 30th Birthday with a surprise party. It was a success, both girls were surprised and we all had a wonderful time. Love you girls!

Baby Shower and Rockettes!

2009-11-25T10:55:00.000-08:00

The Radio City Rockettes were in GR this week and the girls took the kids to go see them. It was great to see their faces and how excited they were. My Mom, Parker and I went for dinner before the show. So much fun to have that special one on one time with one of my boys. Couple years and you can come to Griffin!

The toy soldiers is my favorite part. They are amazing!

The many many santas is Parkers favorite part

Last weekend we were able to celebrate with my friend Abby who is expecting a baby in January. We are all so excited and have waited a long time to celebrate this one. It was great to get everyone together, play some games, eat and give some much needed gifts. We pray that in these last couple months, the baby may grow healthy and strong and that the delivery with go smooth. We love you Ab!

Birthday Girl!!!

2009-11-06T12:52:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to take a minute and say Happy Birthday to my niece Haylie!!! She is turning 8 today! Can't believe 8! And already quite the little lady. We love you Haylie!

Trick Or Treat

2009-11-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

Another year of great Halloween fun! We headed over to my brother and sister-in-laws house for some pizza and trick or treating. Even though it was freezing, there was no stopping them. A couple snap shots before of my boys.. the dog and ummm, the banana. Yes, of all the costumes in the world, Parker really wanted to be a banana.

All the cousins in their great costumes!

Griffin all cozy warm in the wagon.

Crane's

2009-10-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

Last week, we went to Cranes for some apple picking. We didn't get there until 5:40 and they close the orchards at 6 so we didn't have much time, but it was fun while it lastes. We picked a ton of apples and then went to the restaurant for dinner. Great food as always. The next day, I made applesauce all day along with some apple crisp and some apple cake. Always great to have the freezer stocked. I do have to add the Daddy had a great time on his first trip to Cranes as well. Yes you heard me, his first trip. You better believe that we will be back.

Fall Fun

2009-10-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

This past wednesday we were invited to the Slenks for a hay ride and some pumpkin picking. Griffin freaked out when he saw the tractor and trailor, but calmed down half way through. Both boys loved the pumpkin picking now for the carving. As you can tell by the first picture, Griffin is not at his best.

Butterfly Friend and Field Trip

2009-09-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

Last week, we were able to send off our butterfly of the year. We got it a couple weeks ago as a caterpillar and the kids watched the transformation over about 2 weeks. A great thing to watch and learn about.

Then today, Parker had his first field trip at Teusinks Pony Farm. Not the greatest day for it, but fun none the less. A little pony riding, goat feeding, duck petting and hay riding. What could be better?

Sunday Night Fun!

2009-09-13T17:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight we decided to take advantage of the great weather and spend a bunch of time outside. Went for a long walk and then played some soccer and baseball. Here are a couple pictures of our night.

Daddys still got some moves.
Spectator

Waiting to see if he got a goal

AND.... This is my favorite. Parker teeing up his little brother......

Just kidding, but it is lined up just perfectly isn't it?

His First Day!!!

2009-09-08T09:10:00.001-07:00

It is official my little boy is a maroon. And we are the parents of a school aged child (preschool, but school). We can not believe it and could not be more proud of him. He is so ready for this next adventure in his life. His first day went very well and the first thing he said to me was, "Mom, I had so much fun"! Who could ask for more. His teacher is amazing and we are just waiting to see how much he learns and grows from all of this.

Beach and Camping

2009-08-31T19:30:00.000-07:00

Before it got a bit chilly, we had one of the last beach days of the Summer! I brought my camera and think that this is getting to be a pretty common thing, b/c all of the sudden I hear, "Hey Mom, take my picture over here". I look over and he is in this pose waiting for me.

We also went on the last camping trip for the season. It was during the first cold weekend. Since we couldn't go to the beach, we tried out Craigs Cruisers with Parker for the first time. He couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

Getting ready to go!

Ava and Lily came to visit for one night with their Moms. The three of them had a riot and I do belive that we will now have a yearly camping trip. Don't ask me what the three of them are doing here.

His new best friend. Christine is so amazing with Parker and he just attatched right to her. He followed her around all weekend and wanted to be a part of everything she did. Thank you Christine!

Cottage Fun!

2009-08-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had the privilege of going to a cottage with my whole family. It was a great time. Hot, but fun. The kids had a blast splashing and swimming and even trying some knee boarding. This was Parkers first time trying and he loved it. Griffin just crawled around all day. He is such a busy body right now. Poor kids knees are all red at the end of the day, but it doesn't seem to bother him. So here are some pictures of our weekend. (sorry about the duplicates, guess I wasn't paying attention)

DIY

2009-07-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

We had a mini photo session today! Both boys just had a Birthday and I though I would try to take their pictures myself. I would have to say some of them turned out pretty well. I have to do a bunch of editing yet, but so far, so good! Take a peek!

This was a big chunk of out day today! Playing in the water. It may look like Griffin is terrified, but he is actually loving it and crazy excited!

4 wheels, down to 2 and back up to 4

2009-07-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

Just this week we were able to get Parker off of his training wheels of his pedal bike. He is doing so well. He always said that he would do it when he turned 4 and he lived up to his word. So, why not give him something else to work towards, right? My thoughts exactly! Our present to Parker for his birthday was a dirt bike. This is something that his Dad has wanted to get him for a long time. I was not so sure, but went along with it. And now I would have to admit that it is so stinkin cute!!! He was so excited to see it and has been doing unbelievable. It has training wheels and we can control how fast he is able to go. It is pretty slow for the time being, so he hopped right on and took off. He would literally ride this all day long if we let him. Just Sat, he was on it for over 3 hours. My baby is really growing up!

After his first lap around our circle. All smiles!

Daddy teaching him how everything works!

And... He's off!

As you can see the weather wasn't too great that day. Jeff and I had great intentions of taking him camping that night with just the three of us. Well, it was like 50 degrees and raining. Sooo....

We set up the tent in the basement and the boys camped out downstairs. Too Cute! His Daddy is such a good sport. Wouldn't even think about letting his boy down! He said they were going to go camping and they went camping. Lantern and all.

We had his last birthday party on Sun. with Jeff's Family. It was for Parker and Grandpa Harry!

Here is is opening some of the gifts... A tool belt with real tools and some safety gear for all his riding.

Grandpa is pretty into sports. Parker is getting into it as well, so he thought it would be fun to make a football cake for him and Grandpa to share. Parker's team against Grandpa's team. Michigan colors of course!

I won't say it out loud, but if you look at the end zones, you can tell how old they both turned! SHHH!

Happy Birthday Parker and Grandpa!

Happy Fourth Birthday Parker!

2009-07-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

Four years ago today, I was induced and 21 hours later we welcomed Parker D Leeuw into this world. He was 8lb 6oz and has been growing strong ever since. I can not believe that we have been blessed with him in our lives for that long. So, I thought we could take a little trip down memory lane....

Here he is digging into his cake on his 2nd Birthday!

Getting ready to dig into his cake on his 3rd Birthday!

And... Opening one of his presents at a party we had for him last weekend!

Dear Parker,

Four years has come and gone so quickly. It has been amazing to see how much you have grown from our first baby, to a toddler and now our big boy! You are so much fun and make us laugh everyday. You have facial expressions that can raise a couple eyebrows, and we love so much. One of my favorite things is when you sneak out of your bed in the morning and crawl in with me. You snuggle up nice and close and whisper "I Love You Mommy"! Could there be anything better. The questions you ask and how you take in every detail is just beyond me. You have a memory that can put anyone to shame! You have taken on the roll of a big brother whithout hesitation and you are amazing at it. You are the biggest helper and the best teacher. Thank you for who you are and what you have brought to our family. We pray for you everday and who you will become! Make The Lord as proud of you as we are!

Love, Mom and Dad

WIN A $200 SHOPPING SPREE!!!!!

2009-07-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!!!!! jbandme.com is giving away a $200.00 SHOPPING SPREE this week. Just check out the blog at www.jbandme.com/blog answer 6 quick, and I mean quick, questions. Details on the site, but one lucky winner will be randomly picked on Aug. 13th.

GOOD LUCK!

How quickly things change!

2009-07-02T19:47:00.001-07:00

So, after checking out a friends blog, I decided to try a new website to edit some photo's. I thought I would start with this picture, that I started taking annually just last year on Father's Day. It is obviously of Jeff's hand with first just Parker's hand and then this year with both of the boys. That way we can see how fast they are growing and always remember their precious hands. My intent is to print each years pictures out and put them in a little photo book so I can always have access to it. It is so fun to play around with pictures. I don't get much time to do it, but when I do, I love it! Thanks Jen for posting about this website picnik.com You should all try it!

Griffin has a case of what we call rubberband wrists at our house!

We are beyond blessed!

Happy First Birthday Griffin!

2009-06-25T19:41:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to believe that exactly one year ago right now, we were in the hospital about to meet our 2nd child! We are so very thankful for a pretty quick and easy delivery. Everything went so well and we were blessed with an 8lb 8oz healthy boy!

Dear Griffin,
Your Mommy and Daddy want you to know how much we love you and how much you mean to us. Also know that as much as we love you, Jesus loves you even more. He placed you here on this earth and picked us to be your parents for a reason. You are such a special child and we pray that we may show you the real meaning of life and what is really important. Thank you for being such a blessing and bringing a smile to our faces every day. We love you Griffin James!

First Birthday!

2009-06-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we had a Birthday Party for Griffin. It is one of two, and so much fun. I can't believe that he is already one, Friday actually but close enough. He has grown so much and become an amazing little blessing in our lives. He has a smile that can brighten your day. I get the best of both world with him when he is crazy and all over the place and cuddly all in the same day. We love you so much Griffin and can't wait to spend the rest of your life with you!

The Cake

Enjoying his cake

All Done!

"The Olympics"

2009-06-08T13:18:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Holland Rec had the annual Little People Olympics. Parker was in it for the first time and it was sooo cute. About 150 kids were there and they were all able to do 4 events. Tennis Ball Throw, Soccer Ball Kick, Standing Long Jump and Running. Here he is getting ready for the Tennis Ball Throw.

Giving PaPa a high five after his Soccer Ball Kick
Action shot of the Standing Long Jump

Running the 40 Yard Dash. Every event up until the race he was so happy and excited when he was done. Not the case with the 40 or 60 yard dash. He is a bit competitive and didn't like not winning. Believe me when I say we know he has this side of him and we have been talking to him and preparing him for this. Saying it is fine to finish wherever as long as you try your best and it is all for fun. As you can see, his dad was at the send off and I was at the finish line and the second he crossed the finish line, he lost it. Sooo heartbroken that he didn't win. I felt so bad for him, but we need to put an end to this, quickly. So, that is our goal for the Summer.

Getting his two ribbons at the end of the morning! So Proud!

The Zoo!

2009-06-02T12:58:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday we took the kids to Binder Park Zoo for the first time. They loved it! Parker more than Griffin obviously, but it was a great time. Parker is in love with Giraffes and was able to get one painted on his face. That was pretty cool until five minutes later he fell while runing and had tears that smeared everything. Then another five minutes later while using sanitizer, it splashed off his hand into his eye and we had to wipe more off. Needless to say, you couldn't really tell what it was 10 minutes after getting it. Money well spent!

Parker wanting to feed them

We had to take a picture with every fake animal we saw.

Here is Griffin taking the one 10 minute nap he had all day. That is right only 10 minutes from morning to evening, at least he was content.

Mother's Day and Crawling

2009-05-12T08:31:00.001-07:00

To celebrate Mother's day we had both families over to our house. Jeff's side for lunch and my side for Dinner. It was a nice relaxing day for myself, thanks to my husband. Him and the boys made me breakfast in bed with a gigantic home made card. Doesn't get any better. I don't think I changed any diapers or cleaned up anything that day. Thanks again babe! I love ya!

Thanks also to our Mom's! We are so thankful for all that you do for us and have taught us. Being parents ourselves, we now understand how hard you have worked and how much you must love us.

Mom Leeuw and the boys!
Mom Leeuw and all her kids

Grandma Leeuw and her only Great Grandkids

And here is Griffin finally mastering the art of crawling on hands and knees. He has been getting around with the army crawl, but just realized that this works a little better. Time to baby-proof!

Tulip TIme 09

2009-05-05T18:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went downtown tonight with the extended Terpstra Family for some junk food and fun times. The kids did great and we got a couple pictures of them. So... Enjoy!!!!

Grandma and Papa with all of their Grandkids.

Me and My Boys!

Best Buds... Lily, Parker and Ava

My little munchkin got a little tired. Lucky Aunt Wendie, he doesn't do that with me!

Family Pics!

2009-05-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

We had some family photos taken last week. Thought I would share a couple with you!

Style Show!

2009-05-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

Hey ladies....Just wanted to let you all know that Jb and me is having the annual Spring Fashion Show on Thursday, May 14th.

The show starts at 6:30PM and will feature a "How To" theme including How To: Wear fashion scarves, the Boyfriend Trend, Dress for a Wedding, Build an Outfit around Shoes, Solve your Fashion Problems with Simple Tricks and Beauty on a Budget.

During the event, jb and me will give away three gift certificates, a fashion handbook, and a Love Quote Scarf. Everything in the store will be 15% off throughout the event. Appetizers and drinks will be provided. There is a $5.00 cover charge that will go to the Center for Women in Transition.

Come and enjoy a night out with the girls while learning how to wear the latest trends. Enjoy drinks and appetizers, store discounts, and the chance to win one of our giveaways. Must register in advance to participate in the giveaways. Call the store to register 616-392-8902.

Hope to see you all there!

Florida (Part Two)

2009-04-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple more pictures from the last couple days of our Florida Vacation! This first one is Jeff's favorite pic and he said it is a must for the blog! Parker waving his Daddy off for the afternoon!

Taking some pictures at the beach on our last night there.

Griffin and his then new trick of clapping!

We were able to celebrate Sophia's first Birthday while we were there. Complete with an Easter Egg Hunt! Happy Birthday Sophia!

Parker and Noah "Surfing"

Parker's name in the sand!

Florida!!!! (part one)

2009-04-13T12:29:00.001-07:00

The past week and a half we have enjoyed an amazing family vacation in Florida. The entire Terpstra family was there, which was busy but very fun. It was our first trip with two munchkins and it went so much better than we could have ever imagined. Just thought that I would share a couple of the great memories that we made.

Starting off with a yearly family picture. Actually pretty painless this year!

My two boys before going out for supper at one of our favorite restaurants.

Some of our cousins were down there at the same time. Here is a group pic of all that were there. A total of 16 and a half!

Waiting to catch a fish!

The Leeuw Family after a breakfast date!

Lily and Parker playing on the beach!

Grandma Kathy with her two youngest Grandkids!

How Griffin and Sophia spent there time at the beach!

Another pic of the cousins that were there in age order.

First time for Griffin in a pool. It took him a couple minutes, but then realized he loved it!

One of the first nights the kids enjoyed splashing in the water and jumping over the waves still fully clothed! Oh the joys!

Teeth and Spring have Sprung!!!!

2009-03-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

First off, Griffin is the proud owner of two bottom teeth!!! He has been working on them for a couple weeks now but I was just recently able to get an okay picture of them. He did really well with them too. You never know what you are going to get with a teething child but I'll take what I got. I love to hear the different noises they make and see the expressions they give when they have teeth. It is like a whole new kid.

So, like everyone else I'm sure, we have been enjoying this weather so much!!! Long walks, sand box, side walk chalk and just running around! Here we are enjoying the weather while it lasts!

Parker has loved getting his bike back out and riding it around our circle over and over and over! He has really caught onto the bike and keeps talking about when he is going to take the training wheels off. Little does he know that he is so not ready for that.

Had to put this one in, because it is one of my favorite things when little ones eat there feet. Call me crazy, but I love it!

Griffin's first time in a swing. Needless to say.... He loved it!

My three boys!

Birthdays!!!!

2009-03-03T11:27:00.001-08:00

This one is a little late, but not forgotten. A couple of weeks ago we decided to "kidnap" Sarah and Abby for there birthdays which were in Feb. We ended Up North in a family condo of one of the friends and stayed overnight. Had a great time playing games, Relaxing and catching up with everyone. So... Happy Birthday Abby and Sarah We Love You!

One of the teams trying to figure out Mad Gab. Great game!

Heather and Kristin acting something out for another great game!

Friends 4 Ever

2009-02-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

Last week Parker got some pictures taken with two of his best friens. They have been friends since the day they were born . The session was so relaxed and the kids were able to just run around and be themselves. It was a riot! Thought I would share some of the pics with you, enjoy!

Parker and Ava

Parker, Lily and Ava

Sorry this one is so small, but that is all I could get!

Showing off the wink he just learned!

First Visit To The Dentist!

2009-02-09T12:02:00.001-08:00

So today we went to the Dentist for the first time with Parker. I didn't know what to expect with him, and I don't know why I was so worried. He did amazing. He climbed right up into the chair and was talking to everyone. They were so great with showing him all the tools and he was excited for them to use the "Squirt Gun" on him. On an episode of John and Kate plus eight (which we love) the kids had there sunglasses on while they were at the dentist. Parker thought that was cool so right when he sat down, he asked for his sunglasses. From then on, he thought he was big stuff.

Getting ready to check for all those sugar bugs!

And then there is Griffin, no teeth just a cute pic.

Just a couple pictures of my favorite boys!

2009-02-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

Nightly ritual... Cuddle time, reading a book before going to bed!

Bananas and King of the Mountain!

2009-01-26T17:53:00.000-08:00

Today was the first time that Griffin had some bananas and I know that it may not look like it from the pic, but he hated them. This was the first food I have found that he would not eat. As you can see he is wearing much more than he ate. I had to take a picture of him with an awful look on his face and when I got the camera out, I got nothin but grins!

Parker and I went outside for a while today and it was a riot. I pulled him on the sled behind the golf cart and I think that people a mile away could probably hear him laughing. Then I introduced him to the game King on the Mountain, I love being a kid again!
Needless to say, I let him win!

And then inside for some Hot Cocoa!

Play Date and When I Grown Up!!!

2009-01-20T20:09:00.000-08:00

These two munchkins have been asking their mothers if they can play together pretty much everyday for the last week or two. We thought maybe it was time to get them together. So, yesterday Lily and Sophia came over to play with the boys and they had a great time.

My brother-in-law is the Freshman coach for boys basketball at Unity. And tonight they played HC so a couple of us went to the game and got to see Chris in action. He did great but HC still beat by three. Sorry Chris! Parker loved seeing him in action and trying to figure out what was going on and who was ahead.

He loved it so much that he played for a little bit after the game and now wants to be a "Basketball Player" when he grows up.

Sleep, Snow and Happy Birthday!!!

2009-01-12T18:48:00.000-08:00

So, I am thinking growth spurt or something b/c I was sitting right next to this little munchkin and looked over and this is what I saw. Then I looked at the clock and realized it was only 6:45pm. Just over an hour before beditme. Crazy, but cute as ever!

While Griffin was falling asleep inside, my other boys were on the go. Jeff took Parker for a snowmobile ride and to build a fort in one of our big snow piles. Jeff becomes a little kid again when he is with the boys. I love to see them playing together.
On Saturday night we had a party for my brother Nick who turned 30!!!! It was sooo much fun and just wanted to say Happy Birthday again and hope this next year brings you many blessing!

6 Months and counting!!!!

2009-01-09T18:56:00.000-08:00

So, the day after Christmas Griffin officially turned 6 months. My how time goes by. I can still remember thinking how crazy it was that Parker was 6 months and now I have another one. He is such a joy and just makes me smile every time that I look at him. He has this grin that makes me clench my teeth and just want to squish him. Maybe it's the chubby cheeks or the many rolls that he has taking over his body, I don't know but I love it! Griffin is now rolling all over the place and sitting up on his own without a problem. The other day I actually heard Parker say "No, that's mine" because Griffin had rolled over to him and stole a toy. And the fighting begins. Time to baby proof!

Bath time! I think he would spend all day in here if I let him.

This is a pic of him after he got 4 different pokes at the Dr. He was not a happy camper at the time, but it only took a couple seconds to get over it. And thankfully he did not react at all. He has always done really well with his immunizations. Like those thighs? Sorry Griffin!
Here he is waiting for the doctor to check him out.

And we are back....

2009-01-06T18:01:00.000-08:00

We had a little accident with Jeff's parents computer on Christmas day, so they have been using our computer for a while. But, we are back and will give a quick update of our Holiday Season.

Parker and Griffin had sooo much fun and it was so enjoyable to see the smiles on there faces. We had quite a few parties which made for a busy couple of weeks, but what could be better than spending time with family. The first pic is of the boys at Jeff's families party.

Here is Griffin who learned to sit really well during the Holidays. One happy boy!
Grandma and Papa Terps gave Parker a welding set to match his Daddy's. Needless to say, he walks around all the time asking what he can fix and weld back together.

Daddy and one of his boys!Mommy and two of her favorite boys!

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!!

2008-12-19T07:28:00.000-08:00

Last week one of my friends moms invited our kids to a Birthday Party for Jesus that she put on! She talked about who Jesus is, read stories about the Shepard and Sheep, had an art project for them and even brought cupcakes for them to decorate. They had so much fun and we just wanted to say Thank You again!

This first picture is probably the best picture that we have of the 3 Musketeers.

Parker, Ava and cousin Lily

Here Parker is wearing the sheep hat

And now taking his turn as the Shepard

They were each able to make their own door knob hanger and decorate it however they wanted.

After the party, we hung out with the kids for a little while and discovered the size difference between Griffin and his cousin Sophia. They are 11 weeks apart and well, you can see with your own eyes.

Christmas Program!

2008-12-08T19:49:00.001-08:00

Last night Parker had his Sunday School Christmas Program. It was so much fun to see him in a setting like that and he did so well. This first picture is of us passing the time with Griffin waiting for the program to start.

His friend Ava is in the same class as him and they got to run around together when the show was done. We managed to stop them for just a second in order to snap a picture.

This is Parker up front standing becuase the girl next to him stood up. It is not time for his class to do anything and everyone else it sitting down, but not Parker.

This is when Parker finally spotted us and wanted to make sure that we saw him.

When I was putting Parker to bed last night I was talking to him and letting him know how proud Jeff and I were of him. I told him that we had such big smiles on our faces and that Jesus was smiling too. He comes back saying "Where was Jesus? I didn't see him and I didn't see him smile." I love how everything is so literal with 3 year olds.

Thanksgiving or Christmas!!!!

2008-11-29T20:34:00.000-08:00

This is a pic of all the cousins that were together in Ohio for Thanksgiving! Can you imagine how much fun they have when we are all there? Can you also imagine how loud it can be at times???? Anyway, as tradition the two Grandmas get all the munchkins Christmas PJ's for the Holiday Season. So what do you think we do? Get them all dressed in their Christmas pajamas, line all 16 of them up and take a Thanksgiving picture! What else would we do?

This is our smaller family with just "our 7"

Griffin and Sophia had some matching ones to show how much Grandma loves them!

Watch out Santa, Me and my many chins may just steal your job!

Kalahari!

2008-11-29T20:16:00.000-08:00

We headed to Ohio this week for Thanksgiving with our cousins. On our way we met them at Kalahari, an indoor waterpark, for a night. We had 16 kids under the age of 9 and all the parents. Grand total of 32 people I believe. The kids had so much fun with each other. They had everything there from 2 kiddie pools, a wave pool, lazy river, simulated surfing and countless waterslides. I really don't know who had more fun, the kids or the parents. I think we have made a new tradtion which is fine with me.

A big boy slide that Parker could go down all on his own!

Part of the clan taking a break!

Parker and Lily racing once again!

Parker, Hunter and their cousin Carson

A Gift From God!

2008-11-23T12:41:00.000-08:00

Today we had Griffin's Dedication which takes the place of Infant Baptism in our church. We as his parents are making the commitment to Christ that we will do the best we can to raise him in a Christian home and teaching him about Christ to the best of our ability. We will try to instill good morals and values and raise him to love the Lord with all of his heart. Our verse for Griffin is James 1: 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above. So, below is a picture of our precious gift.

After church we had family over for lunch and some cake. Thank you to everyone that shared in Griffin's special day.

After dinner some of the kids went outside to play in the snow. Jeff and Jeremy pulled them behind the golf cart in the sled and had the first snowball fight of the season.

Jesus Loves You Griffin!

And Winter Is Here!

2008-11-17T07:55:00.000-08:00

This morning I was woke up by Parker running into my room yelling..."There is snow outside, there is snow outside." From that point on I heard, "Can we go outside yet" about every two minutes. So I got the sled and all there snow stuff ready and this is what I found not even 5 minutes later when I went back to get Griffin. Out cold. I would fall asleep if I was that warm and cozy too! Anyway, we went outside, played in the snow and had a riot. Hope everyone else gets to enjoy it as well!

4 Months Old!!!!

2008-11-07T12:36:00.000-08:00

So, Griffin is already over 4 months and we had his check up just the other day. He is growing wonderfully and as healthy as can be. Weighing in at 17.5lb which is between 75% and 90%. He is 40% for head and 50% for height. We are so very thankful for him and feel so blessed to have him in our lives. Parker thought he was along for the ride at the Dr. and then we threw the whole flu shot on him. I think this was the first time that he was really, really mad at me. I felt horrible b/c I didn't know we could get one at Griffins appt. I planned to go in for the Sat. clinic. As a matter of fact I felt so bad that I made the Dr. tell him so I could blame it on someone else. I am so sorry Parker!

And Here are a couple more Halloween pics of the boys! It was such a fun night!

The Cowboy and the Pea!

2008-10-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

I wanted to capture the boys in there costumes this year so we went to get there pics taken. They turned out pretty good. It was one of those times where it was a last minute idea and the time slots they had left were really bad times. Like nap time. I was totally prepared for major disaster, but I think being in the costumes made everything really fun, at least for Parker. We were in and out in like 15 minutes (record) and wanted to share the end product with everyone.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

FYI!!!!! 40% off

2008-10-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you all know that jbandme.com is having a huge sale for the next couple days! From today 10.29.08 to 11.2.08 jbandme.com is 40% off web wide. That means anything that you see on the web can be ordered at 40% off. That is huge! When checking out just type in the code jbkylie and you it will take 40% off your total. Remember this is only on the web. But we have pretty much everything on the web that is in the store. So Happy Hunting and please let me know if you have any questions! Pass this on to all your friends. 40% off for everyone! And Free shipping on orders $75.00 or more. Or you can do an instore pickup if you would like.

Football Fun!

2008-10-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went to our first HC Football game! We heard that they were having such an awesome season that we decided to check it out for ourselves. My brother and sister and there families came over to our house first for pizza and then we headed over to the old stomping grounds. It was actually more fun than I thought it would be. Parker watched for a while but much prefered running and chasing and tackling his cousins.

Griffin enjoyed it as well until he fell asleep that is. It's hard to keep those cubby cheeks warm when they stick out so far but we did our best!

All smiles!

2008-10-17T19:17:00.000-07:00

So the first two pics I put on just because I love to see kids with huge smiles and so happy that they can't hold it in. Griffin is just enjoying tummy time and it's so fun because he is laughing now and can hold his end of a conversation. Baby talk of course. He'll go back an forth with you no problem.

And what 3 year old wouldn't have a grin from ear to ear if they were on the carousel at the Grandville Mall. You would think it was Disney World. Fine with me, it's a whole lot cheaper!

After the mall, we went to a local park with our friend Ava. The kids had a riot running around and we thought that we would take advantage of one of the last warmer days.

Griffin is like his mommy in the sense that he is 100% content with just people watching at the park. Pretyy bad isn't it!

Smores 'n' more

2008-10-12T07:42:00.001-07:00

First of all, as some of you know Parker's Grandma brought over a caterpillar about two weeks ago that was going to turn into a butterfly. Within 1 day of having it, things already started changing. It was a cricila (sp) for two weeks and just this morning we found that it had made it's final change and was now a beautiful butterfly. Parker has loved having this in the house and running every morning to see what has changed. Grandma is so good with all these learning experiences. Thanks again Grandma! His wings are still pretty wet and kind of rolly poly, but when it is ready to fly, we will let it go. I kind of thought Parker would want to keep it even after it had changed but he is ready to let it go. Let's see if it stays that way!

So last night we decided to have a bunch of friends over. It was a perfect night for it and we had so much fun. Everyone took there kids which is always great to see all the different stages they are all in. The oldest kids were able to makes smores and roast there own marshmellows. Below is a pic of (left to right) Ava, Jenna and Parker. Jenna (Dave and Wendy Kapenga's little girl) came over for the first time last night and the kids had a riot with her. I believe that the three of them are only a total of 6 weeks apart. You will have to come over again sometime soon!

Yeah, still can't get a normal smile out of the kid. Maybe someday!

New BFF's Ava and Jenna

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WENDIE!

2008-10-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

So tomorrow is my sister Wendie's Birthday! When it was my Birthday she had a post for me with some pics and a great wish to go along with it. So, I thought I would do the same for her. Thanks for being such a wonderful sister! Love you and wish you the very best with many more years to come!

This first pic is when she came to the birth of Griffin! It was 1:30 in the morning and she climbed out of bed so she could be there to hear his first cry. This is a tradition that my family does. We all wait outside the door when a new addition is brought to the family. She had the majority of her children during the day but Sarah and I are making it a bit difficult for her. They have all been between 1:30 and 4:00 am. But she is there. Thanks again!

This next one is from a Spring Break trip a year and a half ago. My whole family goes to the same place for Spring Break every year. Jeff and I didn't go for the first time last year so I had to grab a pic from the year before. The kids have changed just a little bit!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WENDIE! WE LOVE YOU!

Chubby cheeks, tuckered out and natural photographer!

2008-10-07T15:54:00.000-07:00

So the Chubby cheeks part is pretty self explanatory. Although it does pose one problem which is sometimes when I give him his pipe, it falls back out b/c his cheeks stick out so far that it can't get all the way in his mouth. Couldn't you just pinch them though!

Best Buds!
So, we got the exersaucer out the other day! He loves it but it is obviously the most exercise that he has had in his whole life. I went in another room for a minute and when I came back this is how I found him. Sucking his thumb and sleeping.
Two weeks or so ago I was looking through my pics that where on my camera and noticed that Parker had gotten a hold of it and took 176 pictures all around the house. (Don't know what I was doing while he was doing that.) Ever since then he asks me all the time if he can take some pictures. I gave in after and while and realized that he is really good at it. He will even tell me what he wants us to do or how to pose for it. Below is just one of the very many pics that he has taken. No cropping done to it at all this is the original. Not bad huh?

Learn something new everyday!

2008-10-02T11:52:00.000-07:00

So while catching up with all the blogs I usually read, I found out that October is not only Breast Cancer Awareness month but also Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month. It was declared this by President Reagan in 1988. I think this is a really great idea, because so many times these pregnancies and losses are forgotten so quickly. I know that when we had our miscarriage it felt good to know that people were praying for us. So, just wanted to encourage everyone to stop and say a prayer for all of those you know that have lost a precious one.

The Fall Fun has started!

2008-09-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

So last Friday I took the boys to Cranes to pick some apples and have some lunch. (I think the lunch part was more for me though.) Parker loved it. He got right into it and did really good. Although he couldn't understand why we couldn't take all the ones off of the ground.

After apple picking we went to get some pumpkins. Of course he wanted the one that was about 3 ft around. Not gonna happen buddy!
This is how Griffin passed the time. You can tell it really meant a lot to him.
Then came the making the applesause part. This is something that I have never done and have always wanted to try. We love applesauce at our house so why not make our own. Well it really is pretty easy once I perfected my technique but it is also really time consuming. We are going to have to split that up between a couple different days. I got the peel, core, slice thing from my mother-in-law and that was great b/c I just load it up and Parker can do it all by himself while I get something else ready. Life really does get easier once the kids get older.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF!

2008-09-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

Today is Jeff's Birthday! He is 29! One more before the big 3-0! I just want to say a big Happy Birthday to him! I love you babe and Thank God for every day for you! Thanks for all that you do for our family! You are such a wonderful husband and an amazing Dad!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Wedding!

2008-09-20T12:43:00.000-07:00

Last night, Jeff's brother Scott got married. It was such a beautiful day and everything went so well. Jeff was the Best man, I was Val's personal attendant and Parker was the ringbearer. They are a great couple and perfect for eachother. We welcome Val into the family with open arms!

We were a little worried that Parker wasn't going to walk down b/c the night before he really wanted nothing to do with it. But after many prayers and Sierra the flower girl sharing some of her flowers, he did perfect. Went right down without a problem.

He thought he was pretty cool sitting up at the head table with his Mom and Dad!

Congrats Scott and Val!

Walks, Brotherly Love and Swadle Free!!!

2008-09-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

The past couple of months, we have been taking many family walks and have been loving it. This is something that we couldn't do a lot of at our last house b/c we lived on a busy road and it just wasn't safe. Now, we go right out our subdivision onto a bike path and the options are endless from there. One more reason why we love our new house and location. The boys love every minute of it.
I can't get enough of them! Just like Parker can't get enough of Griffin. The most common question out of his mouth is "Can I hold Griffin?" Time has been flying and I can't believe how fast they are growing. However, I think Griffin is growing faster than Parker. It kind of looks like his head is bigger than Parkers. Or at least wider! Gotta love those chunky cheeks! You can't see it very well in this pic, but both Parker and Griffin got the one and only one dimple from there Daddy! I love seeing parts of him in them!
Peaceful sleeper! (don't worry the little blankie is only in at naptime when I check on him all the time.)

What are we thinking!!!!!!

2008-09-04T11:19:00.000-07:00

My girlfriends and I have this ongoing thing that every Wednesday anyone who wants to and is available gets together to hang out, have some social time and maybe a well needed glass of wine. This tradition started over three years ago when there were not children. Then the three below were born all within 6 months, so we just took them along with us.
Below is where we have ended up. Last night, we had almost all of the children there. We are missing our little Elle that joins us sometimes. But let me explain it to you. From left to right.... Sophia 4.5 months, Lily 2.5, Ava 3, Payton 2 weeks, Cole (the blurry one b/c he doesn't stop moving) 8 months, Parker 3, Griffin 9 weeks, and on the bottom Nicholas 2 weeks, Ben 18 months. Yes the oldest one (Parker) just turned 3 a month ago and the two youngest are 2 weeks, only a day apart. Quite the spread. Can you say mass chaos. Although, every week we manage to find a place for all of them to sleep and to get them all to sleep at the same time. This is something that we are quite proud of. I am so glad that I have such great friends and I treasure this time that we have together every week. Seeing the kids all change so much even from week to week is so fun and such a blessing.

One Tall, One Wide

2008-09-02T09:32:00.000-07:00

So, we had Parker's 3 year and Griffin's 2 month check up this morning. Our cousin , Abi Lamar, just started working at there office so we were lucky enough to see her. She made it so fun and easy on us. That is the kind of appointment I like. We found out a couple of surprises, like Parker being the 90% for height. Where did that come from but on the other hand we had some confirmations like Griffin weighing in at the 90% at 14 lb. Yeah, I was shocked too. I knew he was big, but didn't think he was that big. I guess now is as good as time as ever to be over squishy. Everything else for both of them looked great and right on track. Thank the Lord for such wonderfully healthy children. We sure are blessed.

Poor little guy! I never know if shots are harder on them or us! He was such a trooper and was done crying within 15 sec. Thanks to the tag team of nurses.

Birthday Celebration!

2008-09-02T08:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend we celebrated my 27th birthday with my side of the family. We went over to my brother Nick and Sister-in-law Sarah's house. The kids had a riot outside in the sprinklers and running wild. It was a little hot but fun for sure. It is so fun to see the kids grow up but it happens so fast. So, I got a pic of almost everyone to try and remember them at this age. Sometimes I wish there was a hold button on them to keep them just the way they are.
Here is Parker with his famous smile. We struggle with it sometimes
The whole clan Hunter (5), Griffin (9 weeks), Noah (3), Lily (2.5), Parker (3), Haylie (6) and Sophia (4.5 months)
Haylie and Griffin
Noah
Lily
Hunter
I must have missed Sophia and Griffin, I'll get you two next time!

A Camping We Will Go!

2008-08-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend we went on our first camping trip with our family of four. We joined our friends Abby and Evan, and Matt and Laura and their son Cole. It was soo fun. I was a bit worried b/c we were in Manistee National Forest. No running water or electrical hook-up. It turned out perfect b/c Jeff brought a generator which made me more comfortable. Griffin has been sleeping through the night for two weeks now so that made it easier as well. I don't think we would have gone if that wasn't the case.

It rained for a bit on Saturday morning, so we just played some cards which is always fun. By 2:00 it had cleared up, so we packed up and went to the beach.
Griffin enjoyed watching all of us play cards!
Parker had so much fun with "Uncle Evan"! I thought I had a pic of The Smith family but I guess I don't. Sorry Abby!
The Meiste Family
Thanks everyone for a great weekend!

Ride 'em Cowboy!

2008-08-18T12:53:00.001-07:00

This past weekend Jeff had his ten year reunion (Your Gettin' old babe!) and part of it was at Tuesink's Pony farm with the kids so we could all meet the other kids. Parker had a riot. His favorite part was riding the pony named "Lucky".

They had many things for the kids to do. First we Grilled out and after that they could go on a hay ride, visit the petting and feeding area, walk through there barns and even hunt for pennies. Above is a pic of him on the hay ride. They had baby bunnies on the ride that the kids could hold and of course now Parker wants one of his own. Sorry honey, not going to happen. They were really cute though!

The many faces of the Leeuw boy's

2008-08-18T12:34:00.000-07:00

"Yeah, I know I'm cute"
Mad about the fact that he now has two chins!

Excited about working for Daddy some day!
Just chillin

This is him trying to make a "sad" face.
This is how dirty you get when you help your Daddy put the sprinkling system in. Gotta love it!

Ride The Waves!

2008-08-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

Parker was able to go on some of his first boat rides this summer and he absolutely loves it. He even got to drive it this time, with his daddy's help of course. The water was really rough that night though so when we were on the big lake all the kids had to be in the room down under. So, below is a pic of all the kids jumping on the bed and enjoying the big waves. Until.... we found out that Parker is just like his mommy in the sense that he gets sea sick. That put an end to his fun pretty quickly. He was such a trooper through the whole thing, but kept saying "Mommy, I just really don't like big waves!"
These are his friends, Madison, Mackenzie and Mikayla (triplets) and Cassie. He really has to hold his own being the only boy

Beach Time!

2008-08-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to the beach for the first time with both kids. It was pretty windy but we found a spot up in the grass out of the wind and it ended up being the perfect day. We went with some friends of ours that have identicle triplets. Parker loves to play with them. I think that this one is Mikayla, but with out seeing the other two I can't be positive.

Griffin was able to go as well but he didn't play much. He pretty much slept the whole time but looked really cute doing it. I think the sound of the wind and the waves crashing was some nice background music for his dreams.

3 Year Pictures!

2008-07-31T10:44:00.001-07:00

A couple of days ago we got Parker's 3 year pictures taken. We had a couple of the two boys taken as well. We had soo much fun and wanted to share them with you. Enjoy!

Once you are in, click on the client and then type in leeuw for the password.

http://www.clpphotography.com/index2.php?v=v1

Treasure the memories!

2008-07-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

After seeing how fast Parker has grown up, I really wanted to take some time out and capture Griffin in all the fun stages. So here are a few of my favorites over the past week....

The eyes that get more alert with everyday that passes! The big cheeks, sorry Griffin those would be from me, that rest right on his shoulders. He has been smiling quite a bit as well but I haven't captured that one yet.
Rolly Polly! This is my favorite because it great to be chubby at this stage!

We are so blessed to have a healthy baby! We take it for granted all too often in our busy and hectic lives. So I just want to thank God for both Parker and Griffin and all the joy they have brought to our lives. They truely are miracles!

Take me out to the ball game!

2008-07-30T07:56:00.000-07:00

What a fun night! Monday night we were able to go to a White Caps game with my brother and sister-in-law and all the munchkins. We had a suite which allowed to kids to roam around a bit. It would not have been as pleasant of an evening if they were confined to there chairs. Parker and his cousin Lily had a riot. They ran around and ate peanuts all night long. The best part of the night was when Uncle Nick caught a fly ball which would have landed directly on top of me and Griffin if he wasn't there. Thanks again Uncle Nick!

Franky the pig came by our suite to say Hello! I have never seen the kids run as fast as they did when he or she, I'm not really sure, walked through that door. It took a little bit but they warmed up to it and we finally got a picture.
The Mom's sitting in the back row taking care of the babies. Griffin 4 1/2 weeks and his cousin Sophia who is 3 1/2 months. Start 'em young!

Summer Time Fun!

2008-07-30T07:49:00.001-07:00

So this next one is a first for both Parker and I. I know, I know, I am how old and have never been to the local fair. That is pretty sad. I already had a talk with my parents about it. However, I am so glad that Jeff had the idea to go. Parker had such a blast on all the rides and really loved the race they had going on that night.

Daddy was able to go with him on this one because he was just a it short. That's okay Jeff loved it!

Happy Birthday Parker!

2008-07-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend we celebrated Parkers 3rd Birthday! I can not believe it has been three years since God blessed us with him in our family. He is such an amazing little boy and we are so thankful that he is happy and healthy and continues to grow every day. It is such a joy to watch him learn and explore the things that he loves. We Love You Parker! We had both sides of the family over to Jeff's parents house that they were so gracious to open up to us!
Parker with Grandma and Papa Terpstra!
His parents have a great pond in there backyard so all the kids were able to go fishing. They loved it but weren't too excited about actually touching the fish.
Parkers soon to be Aunt Val helped him catch this one and this is about as close as he would get to it!
As you can see, the cake has Diego on it! That was the theme of his party! I always promised that I would never have a cartoon themed birthday for my children, but when they beg over and over and that is all they want, you can't break there little heart!

Family and Friends!

2008-07-13T16:55:00.000-07:00

We had some of our friends over this weekend and Parker's cousin Lily was one of them. This is how we found them. They were laying on the deck looking at stones and rocks. They have sooo much fun together and we are very thankful that he has such wonderful friends and cousins in his life. It doesn't get any better than that, having your best friends at all your family functions.

Some more pics!

2008-07-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

My two boys during "The first bath"! Parker is such a big help and the best big brother anyone could ask for!

One of Parkers favorite things to do.... SIt and hold his "Baby Brother" He always wants to know what his "Baby Brother" is doing or where he is.
He loves to suck so he will suck on whatever he finds. His arm is a favorite!

Introducing Griffin James Leeuw!

2008-06-28T19:03:00.000-07:00

He finally made his long awaited entrance on Thursday morning at 1:32. Weighed in at 8lb 8oz. and 21 inches long. Everything went so well and we are thankful for a strong, healthy baby boy. We are grateful to be home starting are transition into a 2 child household. So far, so good. He has a great, laid back personality. Parker is doing amazing as well. He loves to be involved with the things Griffin needs but not so much that I can't get anything done.

Daddy and his two boys!
Grandma Leeuw is a nurse on Boven at Holland Hospital so she gets to give them all there first bath which is soo special. It was great to have her there and to have someone so close that knows what is going on and can answer any questions that we have!
That is one proud Big Brother!
Griffin James Leeuw!