So, somethings to note:

My parents came to church with us today! (not church goers) and actually liked it! We had dinner at my house afterwards with the in-laws and my parents. I made salmon, tilapia, habanero poppers (home grown), friend green tomatoes (home grown), salads (home grown), and Tim brought awesome home made bread, and a ton of salad fixings. We ate well, and surprisingly the habanero poppers were really good, and didn't give me a stomach ache like I expected. We also had "church" and watched a nooma together as a family - Noise. It was really good.

My dad is starting at Millbrook filling in for Karl as he has his first day at the middle school tomorrow. It's guaranteed to him for only one week, but we're hoping with good impressions, hard work, and a lot of prayer maybe it'll turn in to something long-term for him. He really needs a respectable long-term job.

There have been a lot of reminders lately to be thankful for life - especially with our children and family. A little boy drowned, and another died from a fever induced seizure. Both in extended circles (didn't know them personally), and around 18 months old - gut wrenching. A friends child making their way in to a busy street, friends who lost their children in early pregnancy. Another friend whose just gotten word their 20 week old child (in utero) has spina bifida. My grandpa's sister dying unexpectedly of a heart attack (in her 60's), and my grandma's sister dying unexpectedly of brain cancer (also 60's). All in the past few weeks....

So next time your child is having a tantrum, or your sister pisses you off - give them an extra hug and thank God that he's letting you be with them, even for just one more day...

In other news, Evelyn is 5 months! Guh - can you believe it!? She's totally teething, and is constantly bathing in her own spit. I'm just waiting for her to wake up one morning with a mouth full of teeth for how much she's chewing and slobbering!

And I got to take a 2.5 hour nap today!

Non-babysitting life is bliss.
I have so much time it's awesome!
I cleaned my kitchen and laundry/bathroom area top to bottom today and it felt so good!
I have had a "tidy" house (not cluttered or anything) but not a very *clean* house in a long time.
I love the way my sink looks after scrubbing it with bleach and baking soda...

So, what's new...
I put the kids in cloth diapers full time now.
I broke down and bought some.
Every time I'd make some they'd grow, and they'd be too small.
So, I got a bunch of "one size" diapers, meaning that they'll fit any size kid, because of the snap-system on them.
I really like them!
They're worth a small fortune, but it's so worth it in the long run with how much we'll save in diapering costs.

As far as fostering, we got all of our paperwork in.
Our social worker said our references came in, and that our driving records came in fine too.
Now we're waiting on our full background checks... assuming that those come back clean (they should..) then we will do our interviews.
I know we'll be totally fine for the interviews, but I am a little worried about our house.
We bought it as a foreclosure, so it needs work.
And I'm hoping they'll see it as the work-in-progress that it is...

Ethan is in a total word-boom.
He's talking up a storm.

Evelyn has completely grown out of her fussy stage, and is so amazingly cute!
She's starting to look like a baby now, instead of a newborn.
And she's really growing right now.
She spent her first 1/2 night in her own bed (in our room still though) earlier this week and slept for like 4 hours uninterrupted!

I'm not quite ready to let her out of my bed full time though...
I just love baby snuggles!

Ethan is a whole new man now that he's not competing for mom's and Abbi's attention.
He is so lovey, and cuddly, and has had a total attitude make over...
I'm loving it!

I love having time to do the things that I want to do, and enjoy doing.
And I'm hoping that I'll get to enjoy my beloved friends more now too...

Things are well,
Thanks to the Lord!

A second car...

Well tomorrow marks the end of an era in my life...

I am officially done baby-sitting after tomorrow evening.

I am very excited about spending more quality time with my kids.

We bought a mini-van the other day.

It's a 97 Doge Caravan, and it's truly a mini van with only a 4 cylinder engine.

It's much better than our 12mpg Suburban for driving around town.

Not having to babysit, and having a second car is going to be amazing.

I just know it.

He's still employed!

I totally hit the jack pot at Once Upon A Child today.
I got so many cute winter things for my kids, for so cheap, it's not even funny.
This is literally the first time I've had to go shopping for my kids since they've been born because we've always used hand-me-downs. But, for once we actually don't have enough to get us through the winter for Ethan.

So I got to go shopping.... and well little girl's clothes are so cute, I couldn't help myself.
It's so exciting to buy your kids clothes! I know it sounds cheesy, but I've never done it before!

On to something less fun...
So every one who marries, marries the blessings and curses of the in-laws right?
So, I've officially decided that one of the curses I've married in to is the Malefyt's bad luck with cars.
You mention cars to any Malefyt, and the first thing they'll say is "I hate cars"....
because it seems like no matter what kind of car any of them buy - they'll have problems with it.
Well, in true fashion our car has stopped working again.
Our fuel pump's completely out.
This is probably the 6th time since Karl and I have been dating that one of our cars completely pooped on us.
So, we're carless - yes completely, since we share a car.
Bummer.

Even more bummer - Karl's going backpacking this weekend and leaving me with the kids, and no car all weekend!

But once again I am reminded of that verse after I got an awesome phone call from Karl this morning...
He's keeping his job! FOR SURE!
They have moved the middle school manager to the High School,
and they've moved Karl to the Middle school (over the next couple weeks),
and he's going to keep his job for as long as he'd like it!
Of course there is still the stress of a new(ish) job - but I am so happy he's got one!

Jeremiah 29:11

Jeremiah 29:11 is starting to present itself as my "life verse" the past few years.
I don't have time to sit and recollect every time, and memory that's attached to it right now...
But, it seems like every season in my life it becomes relevant, prevalent, and comforting all on it's own.
I don't seek to find it, but it finds me.
A few quick memories that come to mind are at a youth leaders' retreat with Mars, we put it on clay pots as a visual exercise.
When I was stressing over Karl's job security, it popped up randomly.
I thought about it randomly the other night, and seriously contemplated what it meant to me, my family, and my life...
even seriously considered getting it tattooed at a sweet reminder.
Then today as I wrote in my journal about my heartache and excitement (yes, you can have both!) about Evelyn spending the first part of the night in a play yard next to the bed, instead of snuggled tightly in my arms... it was on the bottom of my journal page for the day...
I just love that verse and what it does to my type A mind when I can't figure things out myself and be a future-fortune-teller...

Jeremiah 29:11, I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Anyways, moving on...
I spent Saturday and Sunday in Indiana at my grandma's family picnic.
It was nice.
Ethan swung back and forth between angle and devil child.... as to be expected for this age, ...right?

Evelyn had a go at solids again this weekend, and I think she's crossed the threshold as far as being developmentally ready to start trying a little here and there. She no longer makes faces, and spits the food back out. But, she's starting to grasp the concept that when a spoon comes near her face, so does food. She braces for it, and actually swallows now! She also has sufficient enough head control to be in her exercauser for short amounts of time now.. which is really cool! I think she really likes it.

Today I am going over to my mom's with the kids, returning Daniel, helping them to get settled and possibly taking my sister School shopping in exchange for my dad to come over and finish painting the font of our house that is driving me crazy! I need to take advantage while I can before he gets a job! I think he's going to take care of some leaking issues we're having with our shower doors too before too much water damage is done...

I have to babysit Tuesday-Friday this week - so I'll be back to my usual business here soon....

Oh, and we have our first social worker interview Tuesday at 10AM for Fostering! YAY!

So, that's my craziness

My parents officially moved to Michigan. 

We spent the better part of this last weekend helping them move. 

I'm so glad that they're finally here!

Evelyn had her 4 month visit earlier. 

Let's just say she's my little porker!

Almost 14 pounds!

She's about the 60th percentile for weight, and get this - 96th% for height!

We have a super model on our hands!

We didn't do the DTaP vaccine this round, and she had absolutely no adverse reactions to the vaccinations. She ran a fever for a bit, but that's about it. 

Before vaccinations: Nice and calm

 

After vaccinations, and just as calm!

Doc said for how often she eats, combined with her developmental mile stones and weight that we should start introducing rice cereal, and apple sauce. 

We tried Organic Rice Cereal first...

She wasn't having it.

We tried Organic Stage One Apple Sauce next, she wasn't having that either.

I don't think that she's ready for solid foods. 

They go in, and then they razz back out. 

We'll try again in a week or two. 

I am in no rush. 

The other day I had a photo shoot up in Rockford, 

So Karl and the kids came along so we could eat at The Corner Bar. 

It's one of our favorite places, but we don't ever go because it's so far North. 

But, we figured while I had to be there anyway...

might as well go. 

I also took advantage of their cute little down town, and did a mini-session with Ethan. 

 

I can't believe how big he's getting. 

I think I love this stage the most. 

I guess I really love every stage...

but toddlers are just so full of personality!

Last night I got a good amount of time to watch Evelyn sleep, 

and to actually do some reading. 

It was really nice. 

I'm watching the baby sitting kids plus my brother this week, 

Daniel until 9:30PM...

So, it was much needed and appreciated.

Weeks Just Fly By!

I can't get over how fast the last 2 week have flown by.

I have been consumed by babysitting, photo-retouching, and going mad trying to keep up with every day life.

Evelyn turned 4 months a few days ago - can you believe it!?

• She has shot up and gotten a lot bigger over the last month! She grew a whole diaper and clothing size in what seemed like a mere 2 weeks.
• She is wearing 0-3 and some 3-6 month clothing, and a size 2 diaper
• She is starting to get her "permanent" hair. It's slightly lighter than her newborn hair, but it's still darker, and I hope it stays that way.
• She loves chewing on anything, but especially her feet
• She's started sucking her thumb to self-soothe
• She occasionally takes a bottle of formula (I would have never thought I'd ever do that!) when we're gone.
• She doesn't take a pacifier much anymore
• She's still sleeping in bed with us
• She grabs on to rattles and anything graspable
• She does not like to stand up, she has a case of noodle-legs every time I try
• People compliment her eyes - she has very bright eyes with long lashes
• Se doesn't mind being on her belly and can hold her head up for a very long time before giving up.
• She's started "talking" a lot and she's started a new "fuss" cry that is different than her "immediate needs" cry.
• She can roll over, but isn't happy about it when she does

My parents are moving up this weekend.

I'm so excited! I think it's going to be very good for me and my kids to have them close.

We are also finishing up our applications for foster-parenting today, and turning them in at training tonight. We have one more class next week, and then we're done! We'll be assigned a social worker, and given a home-study, and then we'll know if we're going to be foster parents.

I am so excited about this.

Karl and I feel a huge calling to do this...

I know it sounds corny but when you feel God-led to do something, you step out and do it in faith, and things start to fall in place - it feels so good, and reassuring, and purposeful.

I am so excited about the prospect of stepping outside myself and my family, and actually doing something to (hopefully) genuinely change the life of someone else with out foreseeing any "gain" for myself. It's not often you get a chance to be excited about doing something self-less and life-changing. So, we're pretty pumped.

I'm done babysitting September 5th - and I should have significantly more time then.

I am excited to get to spend more quality one-on-one time with my kids for a while.