all moved in!

HOME!!

We are home!! I cant believe we're finally in here. Twelve years ago Dan and I started dating and quickly started talking about our future together. There is a pond right near our house that we used to go fishing and swimming in and do a lot of talking!! Many of our talks were of Dan saying how much he wanted this property someday, that it would just be a great place to live and raise a family....well, here we are. It seems so surreal to be sitting here in this beautiful home. We woke up this morning to watching a deer in our backyard and some super crazy squirrels. I feel so blessed. Ellie said it best in her prayer the other night "thank you Jesus for this lovely, lovely, lovely home, its so lovely!" Our prayer is that this house is a home of comfort, happiness and safety. That God will use this house to bring others closer to Him for its because of Him we are here!!!

crafts and house

Okay, so I'm making another slide to show you progress. Things are moving along and that makes me happy!! Sinks are going in and being hooked up, electrical is all going in and fixtures going up, paint is on almost all the walls, the island was put together today and i love it!! Dan will have a majority of the next week off so that will be a huge help and I am hoping we will get far!! Hoping to move in in a few weeks!! Hallelujah, we will have a home again!!

I absolutely cant wait to put up all our Christmas decorations! I love to do it anyway, but in a new house...oh I just cant wait!! I have been inspired to come up with some crafts from a MOPS meeting a few weeks ago. I have a few pics of the things I made. So cheap, and so fun!!

This will be a busy week of house work, thanksgiving parties,shopping, and more house stuff!! I will however take the time to be thankful for the blessings that God has given us. I cant put into words how thankful I am for the life God has given me and my family. For the promise of eternal life with Him, for the opportunity to share His love! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

(this blog post is dedicated to Kim T.... ha ha! Here's your update babe!!)

So, this is where we are at...its getting there and im getting excited and antsy!! I cant wait to be in there!!! The more changes I see, the more excited we get!!! It may look like we have a ways to go but a lot will be happening in the next few weeks. Painting, counters, island, flooring...finishing touches!!
Dan has had a very busy job that has set us back 3-4 weeks. We are so blessed he has the job and is so busy but yet we bummed that he couldnt do as much. Oh well, hopefully we will be in sometime in november!
Besides the house, we are all doing good. So far, healthy besides colds/coughs. Ellie still loves school and has lots of new friends, Aubs is going through a major stinker stage (again) and she still isnt potty trained. Im pretty sure she will never go to school because she wont use a dog gone toilet! GRRR!! Its a very frustrating thing for me! Good thing shes cute and can crack me up!
I have recently learned to crochet and I love to do it. Im not great but good enough! I'd love to take a class on using a sewing machine this winter...after we're settled in. I cant wait for my craft room (dan calls it an exercise room..ha ha) to be done to throw all this fun stuff in it!! Anyway, thats where we are at!

blog slacker!!

I have totally been slacking again! Sorry!! Summers are busy and fun and full of camping and this year building the new house!!!Its fun to watch the progress but im not gonna lie, I miss dan!!! I am also glad that hes able to do a ton of work himself and save us money!!
We have had three camping trips already with one more to go! We have had such great times and made so many memories. As soon as we get back the girls start asking when the next trip is! Aubrey turned three and Ellies going to be turning five in august! School is right around the corner! Summer just flies!!! The girls finished swimming lessons and did great. Im just going to let the slideshow do the talkin'!!!

May

May was a great month! Weather is warmer, tulip time, camping begins, school ends, its just a super kick off to summer!! Ellie graduated from preschool which was bittersweet. It was such a fun year, all of it so new for us. We were so proud of her and all she has learned and how she has grown. Shes excited for a break and looking forward to young 5s next fall!! Our first camping trip was fabulous! Well, croup invaded camping so it got cut short for a few of us but other than that it was a super week!!! Today we celebrated our freedom by playing in the mud at the Meistes!!! Take a look at these pictures...the kids love playing there!!! Oh, and we went to Binder zoo on mothers day which was just a perfect day with my girls, dan and my dad! I will just post all the pics.... ((apparently my computer is giving me issues so you will have to stay tuned for the pics, sometimes technology just drives me crazy!))

waiting patiently!

new friends

reading to her animals

Uncle jeffy reading

So, I frequently have been asked how the house is coming and whats happening so I thought I would post whats going on. Unfortunetly I have nothing to share with you. Dan continues to burn wood and cut it but thats it. We would love to get going but the title company says to wait 30 days. From what I understand, title companies have always had this rule but until recently havent enforced it. So, everything is set with the bank, with who we plan on using for all of the different things being done, (I think, thats kind of dans department), colors are picked for the outside. (thanks gdk ladies for helping out with that one!!) So, were ready to roll just abiding by all the rules first!

Living with the VDKs has been going great. We are all used to schedules and what we do and when. I think the kids think they have two sets of parents. Just this morning Aubrey woke up about 6am and came up to uncle jeff who was getting ready for work. She was all distraught saying that Ellie was going to drive her away...dreaming. So uncle jeffy calmed her down and brought her back to bed and tucked her back in. Dan and I slept through it, we had no idea until he came home from work and told us. I just think its sweet that she went to him and he totally took care of it! I am pumped up to get outside and hopefully put in some landscaping with them soon. The kids are making friends with kids in the neighborhood. One in particular named Kennedy! They wake up asking if today they can play with her! Its so cute! So, thats us lately. Hopefully I can post pictures of some kind of progress with the house soon!!!

We are in Drenthe!!

Sooo, heres the update on us! We have moved out of the hotel this past weekend and are now at Jeff and Angies. The basement they finished for us is so nice. I love the smell of new carpet and paint. The girls are adjusting wonderfully. They love having more room to run and this weather has been perfect for bike rides and just running around outside. Praise the Lord for warmer weather!!! I have enjoyed being back in the kitchen and being able to clean again, and do laundry without using quarters and taking the elevator to do it!! (although I do miss all of the sweet people we got to hang out with all day there!!) Weird how I missed all of that housework but I so did. Its my calling in life right now I guess?!

I am so excited to have spring finally around the corner!! I cant wait to help outside with landscaping stuff,grilling, mowing and just sitting out there soaking up some vitamin D. The girls ask almost everyday when we are going camping, that is definitely a high lite of our summer!!! I cant wait either!!!!

Oh, I was so excited talking summer I forgot that we are still in the house building process. Right now I can honestly say its not going like I thought. I really thought we would have started by now but were not. Drawings just aren't coming together like I thought they would. We keep looking and tweaking it but something isn't flowing just right yet and that's so frustrating and its not something you can just say "oh, good enough"...its a house for goodness sakes!! So, I just keep praying that God will make it clear to us what should be happening with the drawing plans and hopefully soon we will know!! Patience right!!?

The Suite Life of Dan and Val...

...is still doing great! The kids, Dan, and I are still having a great time. We are often in the pool at night. We hang out in the lobby during the day chatting with the workers, and drawing them beautiful pictures! I know the housekeepers schedule, what meals are good and which are not! I think when we move out of here (probably in 3 weeks) we will miss all the people around all the time!

Last week was a big craft day at mops and these are the crafts my craft buddy Katie and I came up with. We took these clear glass stone things cut out paper circles, and glued them all together to magnets and this is what we came up with...

The next thing we made where coasters. We got ahold of some tiles that were donated and bought a whole lot of rub ons from hobby lobby. Once the rub ons were applied we applied a sealer and felt pads to the bottom and there ya have it! Cute huh!?

HOME...for now.

The house is officially sold and we are out!! I thought it was going to be super hard but I was so sick of packing that I just wanted out so bad!! Living here isnt bad at all. I have played a lot with the kids and am thankful for all the time I get to just play!!! All I have to do is my laundry...everything else is done!!! The above picture is what our living area is suppost to look like, later I will have to take a picture of what it looks like when the Nyhofs invade!!!

Here is where we eat breakfast and supper and its always really good! Last night was taco and nacho night! Yummy!! The pool isnt up and running yet but hopefully in the next few days. It is being repainted and cleaned! The girls and I have also taken some toys to play here just for a change of scenery.