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What we've been up to (so I can look back and remember)

Highlights from the last year and a half.....(so we can keep record of all the things that have gone on in our family)........

  • July 2010 - I started working full-time teaching an intensive Business ESL summer course at the university (teaching M-F, 9am-3:30pm; then lots of marking essays, prep every night).  My students in this program were so great and worked very hard.  Aiden started Montessori. 

  • July -Aug 2010 - Brandon led the youth mission trip to NYC with Urban Impact, and also did day camp and VBS.  Aiden got really sick a couple times in the summer, including while Brandon was in NYC, and had to overnight in the hospital.

  • Sept - Dec 2010 - I started working part-time in the ESL program at the university, teaching 4 hours of class four days a week (though still spent hours every night in grading essays, and prepping).  Justin and Sherri had Elijah in Sept! 

  • Oct 2010 - We found out we were pregnant again!  I had more morning sickness this time around, and found it hard to keep up with all the marking at night while caring for Aiden and feeling tired much of the time. 

  • Oct 21, 2010 - Holly and Dan had their triplets - Maddie, Josiah and Jackson.  We were able to visit them while still in the NICU - they were such little troopers and did so well!

  • Nov-Dec 2010 - We missed Thanksgiving with my family since I was working, but had a nice time over Christmas with Brandon's family and then down in Indy with my parents,  Nate, Andrea and Max, and Haeyoon and her family even came down!

  • Feb 2011 - Brandon took the youth to Word of Life Snow Camp and I took Aiden down to Indy to be with family.  Holly and Dan came down as well with the triplets so we had a mini-family reunion.  I started to feel more pregnant, so it was rough making the trip in the winter by myself. 

  • March 2011 - Brandon and Dan went together to a Youth Conference in Chicago and Aiden and I joined Holly and the triplets at her home.  Mom came up to help.  I started feeling more and more pregnant.  Brandon, Aiden and I took our first family vacation to Disney World and had an absolutely amazing time!

  • April - May 2011 - I started having more pregnancy complications and was put on bedrest.  Aiden was so fun and active during this time and I felt overwhelmed not knowing how to be there for him when it was so hard for me to get around.  God brought us through this time though and I was stretched in many good ways.  Brandon was an amazing help during this time at home!

  • May 2011 - My blood pressure was high and I was having weekly ultrasounds and non-stress tests because of IntraUterine Growth Restriction (Hudson was measuring very small and not growing very much).  I felt very uncomfortable.  It was a rough time and Aiden could sense the changes. 

  • May 22 2011 - Hudson was born a month early! (full birth story to come)  Brandon's family (especially his mom) and my parents, and our church family and friends were so much help during this time, and we're so thankful for how they helped us care for Aiden and all the meals provided, etc during the two weeks Hudson was in the NICU. 

  • June 2011-  We celebrated Aiden's 2nd birthday (June 2nd) 11 days after Hudson was born.  What a joy Aiden has been!  We had a party for him with friends and family at Monkeytown mid-June and even brought Hudson! 

  • Since then - Having two in under two years has been a crazy, fun, often chaotic, sometimes hard, whirlwind, and I actually don't remember alot of details from the first months Hudson was home.  We were in survival mode.  Nate, Andrea, and Max came to visti over 4th of July, my parents came up several times, and Holly, Dan, and the triplets came up to meet Hudson the first week of Sept. Brandon led an outreach Day Camp and Church Day camp as well as helped with VBS at church. We spent a week at the cottage in Aug.  Nate and Andrea had Bennett on Sept 7. I started taking online classes in the fall to renew my Michigan teaching licencse.  We spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with our families.  Brandon has continued to serve faithfully and diligently at Campbell with the Youth, teaching Sunday School, preaching at times, and coordinating all the children's ministry workers and summer missions.  I admire him so much and love how he comes home and loves to tell me all about what he's been learning from God's Word and doing at church. I pray God continues to use him greatly.  We love our church family! It's been weird not being as involved in youth stuff with him like I used to be, but we know that God has an important ministry for me to do right now in the home every day taking care of our boys. 

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