Just a few quick pictures for all of you. I promised Aaron I would get some up. We are busy moving all of his cute little things in now. Tim and Kryna are setting up his crib while I get lunch on. Setting up the crib deserves a Nobel Prize of some sort. It is from when my siblings and I were babies and I think it may have been my Dad's before that, which is really awesome, but I took it all apart to paint and now its just a little sketchy getting it back together. I have to go, my kitchen timer is beckoning.

A Little Man's Room

I'm so excited; I'm finally able to get the little Peanut's things ready for him. I do realize that baby rooms and all these fun things are fairly new inventions, but they have been invented and I'm glad I get to participate in them.

Kryna is on her way to my house, coming home from being a counselor at church camp. She is going to stay a few days to just plain have fun and enjoy the fact that we are sisters and are on the same continent. These are things you learn to appreciate on a whole new level when you're not able to spend that much time in the same country. We are going to paint the Baby's room and set it up just for His Little Majesty. The wall is finished now except one small part needs to have the drywall mud sanded one last time, then it will be ready for its primer; all very exciting to me.
The laundry room is actually a room now; complete with wall, door, and all those wonderful conveniences. Tim is busy working on my pantry closet now. I thought he might not get to it for a while, but when it looked like my pantry things might encroach on his office space the closet started to immediately take form. :) I am very excited about having an actual pantry closet though; it will be so nice to have everything in one place, organized and easily accessible.
Ok, gotta go pick up my sista.

Remodeling Progress

This is what was formerly my laundry room/pantry that is attatched to the kitchen. Last night Tim tore out all of the cupboards that lined the wall to make room temporarily for his office. Today we will be moving him in and building a wall to seperate the room from the kitchen.

Tim just loves to take pictures of me when I don't know he's there. It was fun getting a little destructive, but things that used to come as second nature to me as breathing now seem to be work; like sqatting, sitting, getting up, bending over, etc. I'm such a woos, there's just no more room for any thing to go.

Here's the result of all the hard work, its ready for Tim to move in.

This is in the Baby's room. The wall is rebuilt(the stairs will be built on the other side of this wall), sheet rocked, and mudded for the first time(it will take about three times). So now I am off to move Tim(he wants me to clarify that we are moving his office, not him literally) into the laundry room and then we'll start that wall. So hopefully Mon. Auntie K and I will be painting TJ's room and moving all his sweet little things in.

Natural Induction of Labor

Yesterday afternoon I decided I was going to lay down for a nap and then when I got up I was going to go into labor. I didn't get either accomplished. My best friend from my high school days came over for a visit right after lunch. I had not seen her since she was a bridesmaid at our wedding (must I clarify that I am talking about mine and Tim’s) two and a half years ago. She got married about a month after Tim and I and moved to VA. It was really good to get to see her again. You haven't changed a bit Jenn. I wish we could have spent more time together, but so it always is with good friends. We'll defiantly have to drop down to see you when we head out to DC.

After she and her mom left I decided it wasn't too late to go into labor. I got on the internet and looked up "Inducing labor naturally". My search was very productive apparently a fairly common topic among mothers 38 weeks and past. I believe I tried at least four of the methods recommended. I drank Evening Primrose Oil, rubbed Clary Sage Oil on my tummy, made Eggplant Parmesan for supper (which was to die for...yum); also I helped Tim carry sheets of drywall around and so on. After dinner we were scheduled to take a long walk but by this time I was in too much pain. Did I go into labor?? No. So apparently my little Monster (I call him this in love) isn't ready yet even though I am. Now I will wait patiently till at least till Tues. Mom will be out of town till then. This poor baby is probably so confused one day his Mommy is doing everything she can to get him to come and the next she's telling him to get comfy for a while. Next week would be good though. His room should be ready, Grandma will be in town, and so will Auntie K. What more could a kid want? Well I'm off to work in my recipe book (I need to add that eggplant) and help my husband with more drywall.

Please Explain This to Me

Last December Mom, Dad, Aaron and I went Christmas shopping at an outlet mall in Branson. We were walking along sipping on what we thought was a harmless bottle of water. (little did we know) When we tried to enter the Kitchen Collection we were attacked by this little Nazi of a woman who informed us that if we wanted to shop in her store we must give up our water. We gave her a look of horror and walked directly back out. Now how many of you would expect that an innocent bottle of water could be good cause to turn customers away from a store that carries kitchen utensils? As interesting as all this is it didn't become truly hysterical to me until I recently went clothes shopping with Aaron. Aaron loves quality; quality does not usually come cheap. He buys his clothes at stores that have been in business long enough to have the words "dry goods" in the name. The stores that you can see it being a bonding experience when a father takes his son shopping there for the first time just as his father did with him and his father before him. We enter this store that sells the $800 suit coats (I've bought cars for less) and we are met by two pleasant sales men and the smell of what can only be "dry goods". In the middle of the tables laden with ties are bowls of skittles and other assorted candies for any hungry shopper to enjoy. This is where the real irony comes in...after the quiet salesman offers assistance in finding merchandise he asks "Are you thirsty? We have coke, diet coke, sprite, bottled water (gasp), or a glass of wine perhaps?" An alarm goes off in my head triggering the memory of Christmas. This man is offering us soda right next to the suit coats while the Nazi confiscated our water by the Kitchen Aides. I guess Rachel Lind was right "You're never safe from surprise till you're dead."

Feast or Famine

It would seem that my life is feast or famine of things to do. For the record I am not complaining. This is the first time since Mon. I have had the time to post. This week has been filled with all those things that make life fun. Tues. Mom, Aaron and I went to Springfield to pick up Kryna and Bert as they were returning from his sister's wedding in AU. On the way we made use of our time by taking A on one last shopping trip before his return to GR. I'm so sad he's leaving me. This summer has been so fun with every one home I just kind of blocked out the fact that sooner or later it would be over and every one would return to their respective lives. (shame on you all you should stay here and continue the fun :)
Wed. Mom and Kryna came to my house to help me can peaches. Tues. I had gone early to the local Farmer's Market and bought two boxes of local peaches. Together we made short work of it and canned twenty-one pints of jam, fourteen quarts of pie filling and froze eighteen cups of sliced peaches. I love to can, I didn't think I would when I was growing up, but I have turned into Betty Crocker. I was so glad that Mom and Kryna came into help because together we could chat and have endless fun while it would have taken me forever to peel and slice all that fruit alone.
Thurs. we had our first profesional family portrait taken that did not involve a wedding. The photogragher kept telling us to show off the baby so he would truly be in the picture too. :) Now we just have to wait and see just how amazing we all look. Afterwards we (Mom, Kryna, Aaron, and I) were off on another shopping trip. This one turned out very well for Kryna and I (thanks Momma, we love you!) (not because you buy us stuff, but because you are the best Mom ever).
So this brings us to yesterday which found us (Tim and I) on yet another shopping trip, this time with Frank and Sonja and their adorable munchkins. All in all we had a fun and eventful week.
Usually I try not to give play by plays of my week but today it just seemed to be necessary. Till another post...

Life in general

All I have today is a wonderful thought Mom passed on to me a while ago and I still get a lot of enjoyment out of. I think if you let yourself you will all be able to relate to it.

SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES.......... THEY ARE NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING, BUT..... THEY STILL BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN YOU PUSH THEM DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS

Mmm...Fall

Thanksgiving '05 Everyone needs a diferent kind of pie and I am happy to supply.

Thanksgiving '05 Its always the man's job to carve the turkey, I cook you carve.

Do any of you just get achey for fall? I do. I love it, it is by far my favorite season. Every year about this time I start going nuts waiting for it to get here. This is mostly because there is just enough hint of it in the air to remind me that it exists and summer will not always reign the earth. Last week I stepped outside my door and there was one of those little leaf storms brewing on the street in front of the house. You know the ones where what leaves have fallen are blowing around with little sense of direction. Those kinds of things can make me happy for a whole day. You should see me the first time they put out the pumpkins. I make a big production of picking out pumpkins, mums and other fall related items and I always feel bad because I know that the ones I leave at the store are hurt that I didn't pick them. Its the same with Christmas trees, but I just can't buy them all. As if fall doesn't have enough reasons for being the best season it brings the promise that the holidays are almost here. Thanksgiving and Christmas have a feel you just can't beat. I thinks its all the family that surronds it. I usually scoff at tradition, but I have to admit during the holidays I'm all about it. Not that tradition has to be old (not that its bad if they are) I think you can make a new tradition any time you feel like it. Anyways thats just what I think.

Van Hofwegen Reunion

This past weekend Tim and I flew to Portland, OR for a family reunion. Every three years the Van Hofwegens get together to catch up on everything we've missed about eachother in the last three years. Its amazing the bond you can have with people when you see them little more than three times a decade. The VH clan is my Dad's Mom's family, she was one of two girls out of 13 children. They just don't make families like these any more. This family's ties are a little tighter than most and its awesome. I am extremly proud to be a part of it. Just look at Mom's face and you can see how much fun we all had. :) Tim and I have volunteered to plan the '09 reunion with help from the other Rozeboom grandchildren.
It amazes me and and makes me very thankful when I look over this family. There is an overwhelming sense of Christianity when you are with them. It seems to be a very natural part of thier lives. They don't act as if they are always reminding themselves to say the right things or do what others would have them to do. It actually seems to ooz out of them. I find this very much to be admired. So many times people seem so concerned about convincing others that they are Christians it seems they are actually trying to convince themselves. When really, if they would just live thier lives it is MORE than evident where thier hearts are. Great Grandpa and Grandma VH were very Christian people and I think they would be happy to see the family today. Praise the Lord, He really does keep His promises.

Johny Come Latly

People were always asking me if I liked Michael Buble and I was always kind of like "MMM I'm not sure". I have to say that I was actually very skeptical. I just asumed that he was one of the latest teeny boppers trying to replace my well deserving idols (reverently speaking :). But I have to admit I was wrong. I have now joined the gaggle of Michael Buble fans. Most of the time I do not like the new big band/jazz (its really hard to classify this kind of music) artists, they seem so weak and kind of pittiful generaly, not this time. I love this type of music. The world always seems alright when you pop in some Frank, Ella, Louie, etc.

When we were growing up and any kind of holiday or special event was approaching my siblings and I would always get out a potato. We would take this potato and make a porcupine out of it by sticking as many tooth picks into it as there were days to the exciting event we were awaiting. Every day till this day we would pull out one tooth pick until the poor little guys had been stripped even of his last leg, then harrah the day was finaly there. Well I have to say I'm about to start a potato. I'm having a hard time being patient for this baby. Oh well I guess I'm just going to have to be, potato or no potato.

OH NO! NOT NESTING

Studies have shown that around the 5th month of pregnancy, the female exhibits peculiar and even sometimes irrational behavior around the home. One of the activities associated with this behavior (known as nesting) is the irresistible urge to CLEAN!

While Lanette is a clean person by nature (being Dutch after all) the kind of behavior pictured here is quite out of the ordinary. She attributes her actions to the fact that Zelda/Castro, our cat, is no longer in the house and therefore she is able to clean effectively without having to worry about cat hair being strewn around within five minutes. I personally am not convinced. What I do believe now is that the nesting instinct is NOT, I repeat, IS NOT an urban myth.

Why is it so hard to find a customer service rep that speaks intelligible english? I was recently trying to find United Airlines policy on third trimester travel only to realize I would have to call customer service because apparently this info is classified. After waiting for about fifteen min. (patiently) I was greeted by someone who sounded like they were reading out of a how to dictionary for the english language. Even though the call has ended I am still unsure of this person's gender, name, or half of the information they gave me for that matter. All I know for sure is that there was mention of a "certificate" which I assume would be a Dr.'s note. You would think of all the qualifications for a position made up almost solely of talking on the phone that clear speach would be fairly highly ranked.


Today my loving husband is out once again looking for a job. Yesterday his supervisor at the nursing home made it clear to him that if he wanted to work there he would have to basicly quit at the Post Office, to which of course he responded "Are you insane, Lady?!?" Actually he didn't, but I can just imagine the look he gave her. No one in their right mind would give up a chance to eventually work full time at the Post Office only to stay at a nasty job that pays peanuts and has no future. I'm not bitter, really. :) Its just sad that this is how the world is. Tim and I have put a lot of time in at that nursing home and bent over backwards to do what they wanted and as soon as they have to make a tiny sacrifice on thier side its over. I guess its no surprise only a disappointment. As long as he can find a replacement job that will work with his Post Office schedule it will actually turn out to be quite a blessing. He's allways disliked it there so a new direction will be good. So if you happen to think about it we could really use your prayers that he find a new job.