oh hello...

i started this blog with the intention of keeping folks back home up to date...then after we found out we were going to have parker i wanted to document our life so we would remember fun events, ordinary days, and just to see the changes in our little family.

fast forward to today and my last post was in june! aah! so much has happened and i just couldn't find the time or the motivation to blog. in a way i'm sad because we have done so many great things and the kids have changed soon much and i have the pictures to document but no thoughts written down to go along. oh well. a quick catch up post! and maybe if i get a chance ill go back and write about the past!

last spring we made the decision to move back to michigan. in june we went to michigan on vacation and put our house on the market while we were gone. it sold in 5 days ;)

the rest of june and july were spent packing and preparing to move, enjoying the seattle summer and preparing for my last mission trip with the bcrcyg. 

the last week of july i went to manhattan with the first intergenerational mission trip group. it was an amazing trip and definitely bittersweet seeing that it was my last time with the yg. during that time madelyn decided to start walking (that stinker!)

and she hasn't slowed down since!

we moved three days after i returned from new york. note to self: that was dumb!

it was exciting to move back to michigan but also super stressful. saying good bye to all our seattle friends was difficult.

we moved to michigan and moved in with garth and mary. brandon worked remotely for his company in seattle and we began our house search!

shortly after arriving in michigan we discovered that we would be have baby #3! so exciting!!

we found a house in late september and by the first week in october it was ours ;)

the house in in the downtown holland area and needs some work. so a complete renovation of the main floor began at the beginning of november.

we are currently living in a condo while the renovations take place and are hoping to be in the house before april (when baby #3 is due!)

madalyn's first birthday.

party. party. party.

party animal that madalyn.

one!

one. she's one, people. 

how did this happen?

one moment she was a helpless baby

and now she is a determined, silly little girl.

she gets herself ready for photo shoots now ;) 

 first of two good pictures

 (had about 30 like this)

 not moving but not gunna smile

food- noodles, smoothies, berries, really just food in general!

toys: big brother's cars, balls, the farm, her dolly
loves: to snuggle (but only for a second), rock in the rocking chair, play with parker, sing and dance, eat, climb stairs, and splash in the tub.

can we just recap the past year? as i shed a tear...

10 months!

happy birthday missy moo! we love you so much!

madalyn's baptism

on mother's day we had madalyn baptized! it was a wonderful day!

she was great spirits! she loved getting the water on her head ;)

 parker at this point "mama, i kind of want to make a loud noise right now!" 

"um, no"

 WATER!

so glad that nana and papa could be there for this special day!

baptism is welcoming a child into god's family. what i love is that is also a promise from the church family to love and encourage and help raise this child in god's family. i love that it reminds us all that we are all responsible for each other and that we should be involved in one another's lives. it shows that we should share in lives ups and downs and god's love.

oh, and i should have a video of this special day soon! hope to share it with everyone :)

eleven months.

Ahh...technology difficulties! i've had these pictures on my camera for a month! madalyn turns one tomorrow but here are the 11 month pictures!

new teeth! (two top teeth...the eye ones not the middle! fangs!)

standing up on your own!

into everything!

lots of babbling...mama, baba, dada, uhh,

signing: more (always more) thank you