BABY STAR

A new family of three...this is hours after the birth.
Mommy and baby.....

Estrella Frances VanderValk was born on Friday, September 5th at 4:51pm. She is a little thing...7lbs 6oz at birth and a mere 18" long er..short. She has her Daddy's nose and a whole lot of hair!!!

We haven't seen her awake yet...though we've been to visit 3 times....

A new cousin to play with!!!!

So sweet...isn't she small!!

My first niece....Michael kept looking at her like...wow.....

Michael was so cute with her!! He put out his arms to hold her and was sooooo gentle.

A parting shot...

SILLY

Here are some fun shots.....

Peek-a-boo!!

The things that this guy comes up with..He is just too funny. Too bad I didn't have my camera handy last night. Michael found one of Daddy's cigars and decided to "try it out." It was still in the package (a gift from a customer) and not something we want to encourage...but it was pretty funny to see him with a big cigar hanging out of his mouth. Little eyes see everything......I don't even know where he picked that up.

This little girl can pack away food!!! She took her first step last night....hopefully more to come. She has been trying a variety of "table food" and I haven't found anything that she does not like yet.

Sitting pretty....I don't know why this picture is so blurry.

That is all for now. I guess I have to go back to scanning in every picture--thats how I finally got these up.

Aaannnnddddd...lets just hope that no news is good news...we still do not have a closing date. :( Patience is a virtue.

DAY OFF

Happy Saturday!! This is the first Saturday in 3 years (that is a slight exaggeration--though it feels like not by much) that we have had an entire day together as a family with NO plans!!!!!!!

It was nice not to have to rush around and beat the clock or worry about having to go into work...

Of course, we had expected to be closing on "our" yesterday... and so today was dedicated to painting and what not...but thats okay.

We had a nice breakfast, worked on this computer (arg!!) trying to get some internet connection, did laundry, got haircuts, went to the mall to check out dishwashers--(big labor day sales!!), stopped by Sherilyn and Joe and now we're home again...Mike is making dinner (thank you.) Michael is sleeping...he is exhausted and Carina is playing.

I don't know what the deal is...I haven't been able to get pictures up here for a couple of weeks. I'm sorry. I"m getting really frustrated. I hope this posts, cause I've tried to post a few times in the past 2 weeks and I haven't been able to.

So, I bet you're wondering what the deal is with our home buying fiasco...yeah??? Well, Praise the Lord, it seems all is well. We did a bit of scrambling the past 2 weeks. We hope to close next week, Lord willing. When the papers are all signed and the deal is done...I'll give you the whole scoop. :)

I guess that is all for now...sorry no pictures. I'll have to figure out what is wrong and rectify it in the near future. Ya know--in my spare time.

LOL.

BUMPS

HELLO EVERYONE...


YES, WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED..ERR...ARE ENCOUNTERING, SOME BUMPS ALONG THE HOME BUYING ROAD....AS WE SEE IT, EACH BUMP IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PRAISE AND A HUMBLING FACTOR.


WORST CASE SCENARIO: WE CANNOT MOVE THIS MONTH BECAUSE THE LORD HAS SOMETHING BETTER IN STORE FOR US DOWN THE ROAD. AND WE'RE SURE IT IS WORTH WAITING FOR. DISAPPOINTING...OF COURSE--BUT GOD IS IN CONTROL. IT MAY "WORK OUT" YET.



I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO DETAILS, BUT DO KEEP US AND THIS SITUATION IN PRAYER. (MEANING--DON'T ASK). THANKS IN ADVANCE. :) WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED...

FAMILY SHOT...

IN OTHER NEWS, IT WAS NENA AND POPI'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY ON THE 2ND. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY. THEY HAD A HAWAIIAN THEMED PARTY. AUNT SUSAN CAME OUT FROM UTAH FOR THE EVENT. IT WAS NICE TO SEE HER. CONGRATS TO MICHAEL AND PENNY ON THE NEW BABY..

CARVING THE PIG....

NENA AND "JAKIE"......

RENA HANGING OUT.....

THE HAPPY COUPLE.... :) CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY THE PHOTOGRAPHER.

MICHAEL ALL DECKED OUT FOR THE PARTY......

SINCE THIS IS MY 3RD TIME TRYING TO GET PICTURES UP. I'M GOING TO LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR NOW. TILL NEXT TIME

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

CUTE KIDS.........(IF WE DO SAY SO..) :)

WE JUST LOVE THIS PICTURE. SITTING ON THE STEPS OUTSIDE OUR APARTMENT.

TODAY IS JOEY'S BIRTHDAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. HERE ARE A FEW PICTURES FROM MICHAEL'S BIRTHDAY--MOST OF THEM ARE ON ANOTHER ROLL OF FILM THAT IS WAITING FOR ME AT SHOP RITE. SO, WE'LL HAVE PART ONE AND PART TWO.

BLOWING OUT THE CANDLE...........

OPENING PRESENTS..........

PLAYING BALL WITH UNCLE MATT...

CARINA ENJOYING SOME ICE CREAM CAKE.......


UP CLOSE...YUMMY CAKE!!!

ALSO, SO YOU KNOW--I REALIZED THAT I TOOK THE PICTURES AT SHERILYN'S SHOWER ON ESTHER'S CAMERA. SO UNLESS SHE WANTS TO SHARE THEM WITH ME (BRIEFLY) I DON'T HAVE ANY TO SHOW YOU. SO SORRY.

THINGS ARE GOING WELL WITH "OUR" HOUSE...WE'RE OUT OF ATTORNEY REVIEW AND OUR INSPECTIONS ARE SCHEDULED FOR THIS COMING SATURDAY--2 DAYS AWAY. PRAISE GOD!! EVERYTHING IS GOING SMOOTHLY THUS FAR. MICHAEL AND I CAN'T WAIT TO HAVE A YARD TO PLAY IN...HE IS VERY CRAMPED HERE WHICH IN TURN AFFECTS US ALL....

HERE IT IS.......

THIS IS OUR SOON TO BE LIVING ROOM (D.V.)....PART OF IT ANYWAY.....

I HOPE TO GET MORE PICTURES ON SATURDAY...

TILL THEN--

TA TA!!

A LITTLE BIT O' SUNSHINE

HERE ARE SOME PROMISED PICTURES. I HAVE BUNCHES MORE I'D LOVE TO SHARE, BUT NOT THE TIME TODAY TO POST THEM. LIKE I SAID EARLIER...LOTSA HAPPENINGS IN JULY. :)

ON FRIDAY, JULY 18TH WE WENT TO VISIT TIRZAH! THESE KIDDIES WERE CRAZY!! IT WAS LATER IN THE AFTERNOON AND THEY WERE WOUND!!!!!

HERE SHE IS!! DADDY'S GIRL.... :)

MICHAEL ADMIRING THE NEW BABY....WOW! SHE IS LITTLE!!

ANSWERED PRAYERS

HAPPY JULY! LOTSA HAPPENINGS IN JULY.

THE ABOVE IS A PICTURE OF OUR HRC CHURCH FAMILY AT THE ANNUAL PICNIC. SADLY, SEVERAL FAMILIES ARE MISSING--INCLUDING MOST OF OURS. IT WAS THE SAME DAY WE HAD MICHAEL'S BIRTHDAY PARTY...AND IT WAS A HOT ONE!! AFTER THE BIRTHDAY PARTY WE WENT TO GO LOOK AT A HOUSE AND WE WERE ALL JUST PLAIN OLD POOPED. SO I STAYED HOME WITH THE KIDDIES, WHO HAD AN EARLY NIGHT OF IT, AND MIKE WENT TO THE PICNIC SOLO. WE WERE SORRY TO MISS IT, BUT ALAS, THERE ARE SACRIFICES THAT HAVE TO BE MADE AS A PARENT.

MICHAEL TURNED 2..WE HAVE YET TO DEVELOP THE PICTURES. I HOPE TO RUN (WELL, ACTUALLY DRIVE) TO SHOP RITE TONIGHT AND DROP THEM OFF IN ADDITION TO STOCKING UP ON SOME GROCERIES. SO HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, I'LL HAVE SOME PICS FOR YOU. HE WAS SO CUTE OPENING HIS PRESENTS.

WE ALSO WELCOME LITTLE(!!) TIRZAH ADRIANA. SHE WAS BORN LAST FRIDAY. BEST WISHES AND BLESSINGS TO MOMMY AND BABY--QUICK HEALING AND MUCH SLEEP!!! :)

SHERILYN AND JOE MOVED INTO A NEW--VERY NICE, I MIGHT ADD-- APARTMENT. WE'RE STILL AWAITING LITTLE "STAR"...BUT HOPING SHE'LL HOLD OFF FOR A FEW MORE WEEKS. THE WELCOMING BABY SHOWER WAS THIS PAST WEEKEND..AGAIN, PICTURES PENDING. :)

WE FOUND OUT THAT THE HOUSE WE HAD PUT AN OFFER ON BACK IN JUNE WENT TO SOMEONE ELSE...NOT THAT WE WERE SURPRISED AFTER WAITING A WHOLE MONTH TO FIND OUT. BUUUUTTTT....THE HOUSE WE WENT TO LOOK AT ON MICHAEL'S BIRTHDAY MAY (LORD WILLING) SOON BECOME OURS. WE'RE ANTICIPATING ATTORNEY REVIEW THIS WEEK...WE'LL DEFINITELY KEEP YOU POSTED.

PASTOR LIPSY AND FAMILY ARE DEPARTING FOR ARKANSAS...I MUST SAY, IT DOES NOT SEEM REAL YET. I'M SURE THAT WILL CHANGE VERY QUICKLY..WE'LL MISS YOU BUNCHES. SAFE TRAVELS AND GOD'S BLESSINGS IN EVERYTHING...

THE 6 PACK, (MINUS 2) WERE ABLE TO GET TOGETHER FOR A LONG OVERDUE PICNIC LAST WEEK AT SWARTSWOOD STATE PARK. IT WAS LOVELY TO SEE EVERYONE..HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO IT AGAIN BEFORE SUMMER IS GONE...ITS STRANGE TO THINK..WE'VE BEEN FRIENDS NEARLY 15 YEARS. THATS A LONG TIME!! THE ABOVE PICTURE IS FROM ERIN'S WEDDING BACK IN MAY.

I GUESS THAT IS ALL FOR NOW. OH!! IT IS SO EXCITING--THE CORN ON THE COB TRUCK IS OUT FOR THE SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!! YUMMY!! ;)