25 Random Things About Me

This is something from Facebook but I thought it was fun so I decided to post it on my blog as well. Enjoy!

1. It takes me forever to start things like this. I wish I could just start typing without having to think about it.
2. Bryan & I met because I went to Traverse City to run away from an old relationship. My broken heart lead me to the love of my life. God is good.
3. Payton’s giggle makes me giggle…and makes me just want to squeeze her!
4. I love ‘hosting’ things but I hate cleaning up afterward. We don’t have a good house for hosting things right now so someday when we do…watch out, I’m going to be a party queen!
5. I hate cleaning but LOVE it when my house is clean. I seriously need a cleaning lady.
6. My house has to be super clean before I leave for vacation, any vacation. I can’t imagine coming home to a dirty house…yuck. We are leaving for the Bahamas on Wed morning & Tuesday night I will be up cleaning my entire house.
7. I used to be a complete night owl..staying up past 2am was the best thing ever…now, if I’m in bed after 11:00 I freak out. Everyone always said that would happen.
8. I secretly want to be super successful at something…other then being a mom. It must feel good doing something you love & succeeding at it & being respected for it.
9. I was honestly worried Payton wasn’t going to be cute. Seriously, I told everyone that she was probably going to be funny looking. I was SO wrong about that!
10. My entire family…excluding my sister-in-law Jamie…lives within a 2-mile radius of each other. I hope that never changes. I would love to buy a whole bunch of land in Laketown someday and have my whole family live on it. It would have to be big enough that I couldn’t see their houses from mine but I think it would be so great…golf carts, 4 wheelers, tree forts…etc. 11. I have worked for the same company since I was in high school…it will be 9 years next month. Man, I have to find something different.
12. I like working out but I hate running. My favorite thing to do is swim but I don’t get to do that very often. I don’t make time for it like I should.
13. I coach (assistant) varsity swimming for Holland Christian and I love it! I would do it even if I didn’t get paid…but shhhh…don’t tell them that.
14. I like to read but find myself sitting in front of the TV or computer instead of picking up that book. I need to start turning the electronics off and start diving into a good book. I can’t let Payton turn into a TV/Computer junky.
15. I have a travel wish list. There are so many places I would love to go and people I need to visit.... my cousins in WA & NJ just to name a few.
16. Being a mom is the greatest thing in the world & I thank God everyday for entrusting me with Payton.
17. I would redo High School in a heartbeat…the good & the bad.
18. I wish I could go back in time & watch Bryan play football.
19. I hate laundry. Ours goes without being done for almost two weeks at a time. Bryan often has to tell me he’s out of boxers before I will do it. My hate for it might be partly because my washer & dryer are done in our ‘Michigan basement’. Not a fun place to be.
20. The house I live in is the house my sister-in-laws father grew up in. Her grandma lived in this house her entire married life until we bought it & raised 7 children here! I think it’s small with three people, a cat & a giant dog.
21. I love spending time with my family. Sunday family dinners are the best. (Hint, hint Mom!)22. I love big families. I think it would be so much fun to have 4 or 5 siblings…think of all the love! I don’t think Bryan will go for the 5 or 6 kid thing though…too bad.
23. My creative memory book is 3 years behind! It drives me CRAZY. I need to learn how to do digital scrap booking before Payton goes to college. First I best find a good program.
24. I love to pretend that I can cook and bake really well. I can’t but I like to pretend I can.
25. I love weddings, everything about them, even having to buy a gift. I look forward to going to weddings. I’m going to be the person that renews their vows just so I can plan another ‘wedding’.

One last thing...I'm totally addicted to Facebook & blogs so if you are my friend or I know your blog site there's a good chance I'm totally stalking your life...deal with it. :)

Mini Maroon

Holland Christian just started sending Maroon Platoon tee shirts to alum with new babies. If you take a pic of your Mini Maroon and send it in they will put in the next issue of 'Connections'. So here are the pics I took of Payton in her shirt. I had to put a bow in her hair to make her look like a girl.
She really likes being a Maroon! :)

Five Months & Cereal

Payton turned five months old last Tuesday and I can hardly believe it! She is getting so big & is just too much fun. God has blessed me with a truly happy baby and for that I am thankful. Bryan & I just laugh at her sometimes because she is entertained by the simplest of things and just giggles and talks to herself all the time. Chester is of great entertainment too. The other day she was sitting on the floor and he was chasing his ball...she thought this was the greatest. They are buddies for sure.

We started the rice cereal thing last week as well (I waited until the holidays were over). It was interesting to say the least. At first I thought she was really going to like it. She made a face but kept eating. Then... she lost it! I was laughing at her...poor thing...but it was funny because it took her so long to get mad. I don't know if the taste ticked her off or the feel of the spoon or the fact that it was running down her chin but whatever it was it was traumatic. :)

If One Part Hurts...

1 Corinthians 12:12: The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
Romans 12:5: So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others
1 Corinthians 12:26: If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing.
My heart has been heavy today thinking of the Busscher family. I do not know them personally but they have been in my thoughts and prayers often over the past five months. Today I have prayed unceasingly for them because today is Grace's birthday.
Payton was born less then two weeks after God brought Grace home. I remember the night after she was born sitting in the hospital room with just her & I and I thought about Kathy and Grace. About what it would feel like to have her taken away from me & my heart broke. I knew what it felt like to love like a mom for the first time and it made her pain a little more real to me.
So I pray for them today the best I know how...as a mom.



James 5:16...The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

Ephesians 3:14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father.

Romans 1:9God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart...

(I heard this song on my way home from work today - "There Will Be A Day" by Jeremy Camp. I added it to my playlist because I thought it fit)

Ugly Sweater Party

Friday night we had our 2nd annual Re-gift/Old Shit/Ugly Sweater Party. It's basically what it sounds like. We all get dressed up in fantastically ugly Christmas sweaters and exchange horrible gifts that no one really wants but loves to watch people open. I have to say there were some great gifts. The worst probably being used, unwashed coffee mug that said '#1 Lover' & bottle of mystery pills...good job on that one Jada. Of course there has to be the one gift that people actually wants so everyone fights over it. This year that was the box of hair product Jordan brought for the girls & the hula girl that sits on your dash board and dances for the guys. (Some boys never grow up :)
This years event was at Brad & Becca Kuipers way out in Dorr. (I think we actually fit in over there with our apparel.) But they were gracious enough to welcome us all into their lovely home. Because they too have a little one, Joshua, Payton & Josi got to come along which is a bonus for Mommy & Daddy because then we don't have to worry about a sitter and Mommy gets to spend more time with her.
I have yet to get the pics from this year but here is a nice picture from last years event...man, we look good.

Reflection on 2008

As I think back on the past year I realize how much God has blessed my life and the lives of the people I love. With so many people struggling in our world, our country and our town, I thank Him for all the gifts in my life. In this year alone He has given me SO much more then I could ever have imagined.
Payton of course being the number one blessing of the year for us but there are many many more. Such as Bryan's successful year at work despite the poor economy and 9 of our friends welcoming new babies into their families...wow! I guess 2007 was the year of weddings & 2008 was the year of babies.
I put together a list of some of the events that happened in 2008. I apologize if I missed anything or have incorrect dates on anything...
January -
5th - Cole Matthew Meiste was born
Bryan & I got to share our big news at the 1st annual re-gift/old shit/ugly sweater party
10th - My Dad celebrated his 59th Birthday
20th - Hannah turns the big 5
Febuary -
Our Ft. Lauderdale trip with the Brown's
March -
We found out our Gift was a girl!
21st - My mom celebrates another year (I'll leave the number off this one :)
April -
5th -Bryan's dad turned 60
We, once again, got to spend a week in Ft. Myers with my family
10th - We welcomed Sophia Elizabeth Terpstra & Kennedy Grace Van Nuil
17th - Another year older for Bryan...that makes 29
May -
13th - Addaline Lee Garvelink makes her entrance
30th - Josi Potter turns 1
June -
20th (?) (I think I'm close with the date...Jess??) - Abram Randell Zwiep arrives
25th - Jeff, Kylie & Parker announce Griffin James Leeuw
July -
3rd - Noah's 8th Birthday
August -
12th - Nicholas (I'm completely running a blank on his middle name...)Becksvoort is born on Payton's due date beating her to the punch. :)
13th - We are blessed beyond measure with our beautiful baby girl, Payton Renay
18th - Bryan & I celebrated our 2nd anniversary @ home with a brand new baby. Bryan still bought me dinner though...84 East take out...mmmmm so good.
26th - Ava turns 3
October -
We got to spend some time with my cousins & aunt & uncle from Washington who we hadn't seen since our wedding...some of them even longer.
November -
4th - The United States elects it's first African American president
11th - Brad & Becca are blessed with Joshua Allen Kuipers
13th - Brianna Sue Kamer is born
17th - Another birthday for me
December -
25th - Payton celebrates her 1st Christmas
29th - Rylie Elizabeth Lawerence joins the crew
We find out about 3 new babies for 2009! Baby Terpstra - July, Baby ? (I don't know if I can share this one yet...sorry. I'll update it when I get the ok :) , Baby Burgess - August