Christmas!!

Christmas Day, 2008. Our family got an amazing gift... a new born nephew! Trenton Richard. He was a wee bit sooner than expected... but God's timing is perfect. :) In the evening of our beautiful day, we decided to open our gifts from Mom and Dad Haveman, after being encouraged to do so by Grampa... whoopee! We sure did appreciate our books... I remember the children's devotional from my childhood too! And James sure did like his chocolate! And the book too. What a great bedtime story... "Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!" heehee.

James has been working on using a fork with his dinner to feed himself. He's not doing too bad for a beginner, but last night he missed his mouth and the meat stuck to his nose. James wasn't phased a bit! He still had big smiles for the camera :) That's what Canadian blood will do to you, eh?


Here's James sporting his new winter hat... Isn't it just the warmest thing ever?

Jerry and his new gadget. Because a man can never have enough flashlights... he got 3 in 1, and it will stand on a tripod! Cool.

And here's the blanket I made for James... cowboys and indians. I think he's smiling more at his daddy than at the blanket... but someday he'll realize how wonderfully warm it is and how cool the cowboy is ;)... I mean on the blanket... but I suppose... never mind :)

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and pray God's blessings on you and yours for a wonderful New Year!

OH THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL!

They were calling for ice, and the ice came! The pictures don't quite do it justice... The trees are so beautiful with a lining of ice on every branch. See my icicles hanging from the eaves? They might not sparkle at night, but when the light catches them, I think they're amazing. And all the power lines are coated with about a 1/4 inch of ice also, with little icicles hanging down. ComEd let Jerry and his classmates graduate a day early so they could deal with all the "power"ful effects of the ice... so today, he may be working extra long. Thank goodness we still have power here, or it'd be mighty chilly!

Here's our little sweetheart getting into the cupboards... hmm. We tried to deter him with cupboard locks... but I guess I didn't pay enough for them. 3 of them broke already. Sheesh!

And here's our future Mozart, once again... tickling the ivorys. :)

Our family photo... this picture took MANY tries to get to where it's at.

And our humble little Christmas tree! I need to be making a tree skirt for it. I thought I had some material lying around, but now, of course, I can't find it. Ahh well. We just need to place some presents under. :)

40 Years, and Still Smiling

My parents were married 40 years ago on November 16, 1968. So to help them celebrate this monumental occasion, we made the trip up.

Aww... isn't that sweet? You should've heard all the grandkids gasp as this photo came up on the slide show! They couldn't believe their grandparents did that sort of thing!

And forty years later, they're still smiling and still VERY much in love! I have to add that Cole is standing there waiting for my parents reaction. He told them the gift was from his family and they had to scream when they opened it. Their artwork truly was awe inspiring! It was cute, he was so excited for them to see the gift. :)

This is the best shot we got of the family... too bad it's not everyone. It was a wonderful evening with all the grandkids performing a little something. Michael and Cheryl performed a little song "Do you love me" from fiddler on the roof that actually brought a tear to Mom's eye. I night to remember indeed!

Oh Deer!

So, one late afternoon I look out my kitchen window, and what do I spy? Two brave deer mowing my lawn. I was afraid to spook them so I first took a photo through the window which didn't work out, so I stepped outside. They didn't flinch to the noise of the door, so I walked closer... they looked up at me, but didn't move. So I walked closer, chatted a wee bit with them, took my photos, and went back inside. Those deer were far too tame, I'm thinking.

A fun treat that came today... my best friend from grade school! She was with her husband in Chicago for a conference and came down for the day to hang out. It was so nice to see her again and catch up on all the who's and where's. And she brought along her darling little boy, Gavin. He's 10 months old... only a few months younger than James!

Gavin... isn't he cute?
Gavin, Amanda, Me, and James.

Future Mozart, Eh?

James had jam with bread for lunch... and most of the jam ended up in his hair. So, forget hair gel. Jam is just as effective. Now James can "jam" at the piano! heehee.

Tearing Down of the Wall

Shortly after moving into our new home... we were able to sell that ogre of a TV. And it went for a good cause too! A couple from church wanted a big TV so they could host a bible study using videos. I'm thankful it wasn't just for some huge football fan. :)

James getting in on the fun with Daddy.
Jerry hard at work. I'm SOOO very happy that wall is gone!

I would first like to say "Cheers!" to all those talented bloggers out there. My pictures did not quite end up in the order I wanted, but they are there all the same. I hope you enjoy them!

Oh... And for a nice slide show, visit Mom Haveman's blog. Wow! You did a great job!! A special "Cheers!" goes out to you!!

We took a nice day trip out to Starved Rock. We were hoping for some colour, but c'est la vie, eh? Above is Dad and Mom Haveman posing on top of the famous rock.
Family photo.... "Cheese!!"
Our trip to the Harley Davidson Museum was great! I think it was the first museum that I didn't yawn the whole way through. That says something about a museum. :) Above you see the side car I could've riden in with Jerry manning the wheel... if we lived in the 20's. Picture scarf, goggles, leather cap... and miles and miles of scenic road as we make our way across North America.
James wants to take a ride too!
Alright, but just a short one.
This is the cake that Bernice built! Mmmm.
James is presented with the cake and I'm thinking he's a wee bit excited, don't you?
James tastes the cake... and thinks it's grrr-eat!
James is full.
This is for Marie! Marie... he loves his blocks! Unfortunately, we're already missing one :( I think it may have gone down the heating vent when we were painting. Do you have the name of the guy who makes them? I was wondering if I could replace it.

Heeeeeere's Grampa. James... say "grandpa".
The feast is spread for James' special 1st birthday.
James got a fun book of songs and nursery rhymes with CDs to go with. He also got a cement mixer that makes noises from his Grandpa and Grandma.
I just thought this was so darn cute! What a gift, eh?
And from his Dad and Mom, James got a logging truck. I'm happy to say he likes it too!

So folks, that's all for now. Hope you enjoyed another peak into the life and times of Jerry Bernice and James. Cheers, eh!

Welcome to our new home... in Crete, Illinois!

This is our backyard. The home is on .55 acre lot which leaves us with a fabulous yard to play in!
Another angle of our backyard. The previous owners left us their tramboline. Excercise anyone? Man am I out of shape!!!
This is the livingroom. And the humungo TV they left us. Any bids? We're asking $500.oo OBO. It's a Sony TV, rear projection, 61 in. This is PERFECT for watching ATV videos, but you'll have to come and get it. And if someone from Nevada is willing to drive all the way out to pick it up... we'll give it for free!
And this, my friends, is a hot mug of cocoa's best friend on a cold winter night. Isn't it a beautiful fireplace?
This is in the Master bedroom. The room has a vaulted ceiling and two skylights. The pillar I'm leaning against is the other side of the fireplace. I thought that was a neat idea. And as much as I love the colour orange... this room will be painted!
The hallway to the two bedrooms and bathroom.

This is the road view of the house.
This is the garage. Major selling point... wink wink. Actually, the garage will need a bit of work to make it great... but it's alright for now!
Another great view of the backyard from the property line.
View from the road down garage side of house.

A Visit from Opa and Oma Hanemaayer

Mom and Dad Hanemaayer came out for a visit over Labour Day weekend. It sure was nice to see them again!! And James could smile for them and laugh for them and drool on them and cry for them. It was great bonding time!

Lucky for them, they had the best accomadations they'll have for a long time because of the home we're blessed to stay in right now. The home is about 10 years old, and because my Dad is redoing their own home, it was a wealth of ideas... some good, some not.

Our schedule of events included antiqueing, thrifts shopping, and regular shopping; we also went to a fall festival in Frankfort and saw a b'zillion crafts (I think it was the second hottest day of the season that day); and we headed up to the north end to visit the Botanical Gardens. What beautiful gardens they have there!! Below are my favourite pictures from there. Please enjoy!

I'm always amazed at the beautiful blooms that come from cacti... which on its own is quite dull. ...actually it's prickly but you get my point. (hahaha.. another pun.. smile)
This was an archway of apple trees. Isn't it amazing how they train them to do that?
Lily pads. Sorry Marie, I didn't see any princes.
A waterfall from the Waterfall Gardens.
My sweet Mom and Dad... aww!

The sun is in our eyes... hence the squinting.
This is a ball of orchids that I thought was cool! They planted them in a ball of moss.
This is Dad, stopping to smell the flowers.
A little family portrait.
The beautiful hibiscus. I love this flower!!