head over heels

the ballernia & a donut

2012-01-26T11:42:00.000-08:00

if you know anything about ellington it's that she LOVES donuts!!! gets that from me, for sure. just before beckett was born josh started taking her out on various saturday mornings for donut dates with daddy. a fun memory i have with my own dad. she loves the one on one time and of course loves the donut!! she's evolved from the usually kiddie donut with sprinkles to now loving "fritters", yep the biggest donut there possibly is in the case. {that is not always the one she gets, but would definitely like to always have that one}. so of course for her birthday she wanted to have a donut date with daddy.

josh got her up early before he had to be work and took her to the grocery store for their donut date, well they ended up back at home due to a scary "life size" caribou dressed worker. she's NOT a fan of those characters. so instead of having their one on one time there, they came home and we sang to her and she got to open one of her presents from mommy and daddy. beckett slept through it all.

happy birthday to our donut loving little girl

yeah! a fancy nancy dress-up game. fancy nancy is a favorite, ellington loves hearing the fancy words for things and what they mean.

during the morning i took the kids to the children's museum in town. elle decided that was the day to do the full tiger face painting. we played for a while, grabbed lunch on the way home and then had a surprise dessert visit from the thomas family. garrent, ethan and sydney baked, frosted and decorated cupcakes just for elle. love having a good friends to celebrate with. ellington's birthday party was a girly party, so i think the boys wanted to be able to celebrate with her.

earlier in the week, lindsay, our awesome middle school babysitter came for a visit and brought elle an awesome birthday gift...minni mouse bubble tea set.

and, it actually works! it's the cutest thing. you pour the bubble mixture out of the teapot into your teacup and then pick it up and blow...and out pops the bubbles! so adorable and girly

*the ballerina and donut party*

ellington's birthday party invites

the table scape with craft #1: fruit loop necklaces

our brunch treats: cinnamon rolls, muffins and mini donuts

stuffed play donuts for the girls - thank you to pinterest for the idea!

mini muffins & mini donuts

getting help from grammie {candy}

more help from grammie {marcy}

our fancy breakfast necklaces

grammie and grampie with the birthday girl

unfortunately, this is the only group shot i got with the birthday girl and family {including the parents...oops, to busy partying i guess}

all our {girl}friends...love all of these girls.

game time: hot potato with the princesses

present time

ellington got some fun girly gifts...princess fishing game, my little ponies, candyland, jewelry box, sticker books, dr. set, pop beads, new sleds, dance slippers, highlight magazine, hello kitty sheets, and gymnastic class from mommy and daddy.

cake time

the "donut" birthday cake!

forgot to snap a picture of it before we cut into it. i think i missed a lot of detail pictures this party time, like the fun gift bags for the girls...oh well.

mommy and the birthday girl

we love you ellington and loved having a ballerina donut party. you love to dance, twirl, be a girl and enjoy your donuts!!! thank you to all of our family and friends who came to celebrate with us. we love you all

happy 3rd birthday, ellington

2012-01-20T18:26:00.000-08:00

ellington "hedgie" virginia white

you are 3 years old today...how can that be? 3 years ago you made us parents, what a blessing and privilege it has been.

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
Micah 6:8
this is our prayer for you as you continue to grow in God's love and grace. we pray that you learn to know him as your personal Savior and trust Him to help you through out your life.

you have always been a "lover", wanting to snuggle, cuddling and spend one on one time with either mommy or daddy

you LOVE your puppy and he LOVES you {especially when you have treats}

you're such a good helper taking care of him for us {first born girl thing...i think} you let him in and out, put him away when it's time to leave and feed him his breakfast and dinner.

you always have a smile on your face, ready to play, be silly and simply love life!

water babe...you LOVE the water. you are fearless! you have learned to swim on your own, float and go under the water. this summer...it's time to take on the diving board!

mommy's little helper

i love your thoughtfulness and willingness to help when needed. you love to help during dinner time and even cleaning up the house. you'll put your own clothes away and know just where things go. your brother is starting to follow your lead, so thank you!

you're mommy's test photo and usually don't mind taking the spotlight. you like to think of cute pictures and then see how they turn out.

you have conquered many things outside this year... your bike, scooter, trampoline, swing (pumping on your own) and teaching tackle how to chase and catch. you LOVE to be outside, doesn't matter if it's sunny, raining or even snowing.

you are a quick learner and want to know about everything. at 3 years old you know your...

colors, count 1-12, count one to one, a few letters, E is for Elle, Elizabeth, Emily & Ellery, B is for Beckett, Uncle Bryan, A is for apple, D is for Daddy, name spelling {sort of...elel is your version}, shapes, address/city, full name, birthdate

how to...use an ipad, iphone, & camera

you make us smile and laugh each day sweet girl. you have the sweetest laugh and voice. you get so excited about the littlest things.

dear ellington,

we love you very much..."to the moon and back". each day we fall more and more in love with the little girl God has made you to be. we enjoying teaching you about Him and His love for you. you have such a curious spirit, wanting to know about everything around you, your questions amaze us and show us just how much you are thinking. we are so thankful for the joy you have for life and how you have grown to be the big sister who is willing to teach, play and have fun with your little brother. a second little mommy for sure! it is our hope that you continue to find the joy in life each day, love others for who they are, and share God's love with everyone around. what a blessing you are in our life and family. we couldn't imagine it any other way. you make us think, laugh, and love more. happy 3rd birthday sweet ellington!

we love you..xoxo,

mommy & daddy

CKM..one of our favs!

2012-01-18T19:18:00.000-08:00

CKM..aka Curious Kids Museum is one of our favorite places right now, especially since it is FINALLY winter in michigan and we need an indoor place to play. beckett is no longer taking a morning nap so we've been enjoying the freedom to get out of the house for a few hours.

*volcano slide*

disclaimer to parents should be posted on this one...this slide must be greased with crisco because they come *flying* down! beckett thinks it's the greatest thing in the world. he's already laughing as he is climbing up the stairs, anticipating the flying feeling! love his smile and laugh as he come whipping down it. elle has quickly learned how to slow herself {feet down}

another slide...of course beckett has found it! this one not soo fast. CKM has a great little toddler room that is gated in so they {beckett} can play and not escape

auntie paulette joined us for a visit over the holidays. notice elle's face paint, that is favorite thing to do there. first it was asking me to draw something for her and now it's all about her doing it herself...which usually ends in a nice firework of colors on both cheeks.

grocery shopping...to be young again and love grocery shopping!

animal clinic. vet ellington checking out the dog and then giving it a bath. this is such a cute exhibit for kids. it's exhibits like these that make me want to join the CKM board and design new exhibits for kids.

beckett hitting on the girls with his killer smile:)

future career...new reporter??

this next picture doesn't really belong, but wanted to share a first for ellington. she has graduated from the nursery at church to the preschool classroom!!! she was so excited to join the big kids. one of our good friends {heather ring} was her first day's teacher. thanks heather for making her feel so welcomed and comfortable on her first day with the big kids.

family traditions

2012-01-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

finally, elle is old enough to participate in some of the family traditions. it's so fun to share these fond memories of our childhood with our kids.

josh's family has been making peanut butter balls for years, long before josh or anna. they are absolutely amazing and all of their close friends anticipate them each christmas {as do the family members!}. elle helped grammie and papa carefully mix the ingredients and then roll them into balls. papa is the pro at dipping so we left that to him.

helping get the pans ready

vogel christmas morning tradition: homemade cinnamon rolls

my mom would make the best homemade cinnamon rolls for christmas morning. so this year elle and i decided to try it for ourself since we'd home on christmas morning. we started it kind of late in the day so by the time it got to rolling out the dough and sprinkling in the good stuff, we were already in our pjs. she was a great helper! the recipe we used made 7 batches of cinnamon rolls. so we froze a few, ate a few and gave a few away.

i LOVE family traditions, creating new ones and continuing old ones.

more parties...

2012-01-01T20:20:00.000-08:00

what else do you do with kids that aren't in school yet....plan kid parties!

we had another fun morning with some great church friends and neighbors. ellington and beckett are blessed to have LOTS of kids their age and i'm blessed to have their moms at home!

craft #1 : reindeer food

sydney enjoying a story with her mama

craft #2: snow globes

cookie decorating

{pretty sure there was more frosting eaten than cookies}

love this girl! she's the oldest in the group, but is such a great older helper and is one of elle's favorites.

deeelish!

game time: christmas freeze dance

{love sydney's pig tails!}

& lunch time

sweet little maggie

{possible future date for beckett}

love having so many fun friends for ellington & beckett to play with. now onto planning for the next kids' party...valentine's day!!! love partying and planning :)

chicago adventure

2012-01-01T20:03:00.000-08:00

i'm really behind on the blogging..time to get you all caught up on what we've been doing during and since the holidays. so much to share!!! first up...

chicago: shedd's aquarium

we LOVE this place! josh had 2 weeks off from work so we took advantage of the extra family time and took a trip into the city. elle loves talking about the city and knows that 2 of her aunts live there, trains and airplanes go there to pick up people and that's where the aquarium is. we took the kids last year for her birthday and she's been talking about it ever since.

beckett taking it all in.

he had no interest in sitting in a stroller or being held. kind of a big place to let such a little guy roam, but he did great following us around and the occasionally darting off!

waiting for the dolphin show to start...elle's favorite part!

frosty made an appearance along with santa in a boat...very festive

driving the submarine

checking out the underwater caves

trying to read the signs...she was really into knowing what each animal was.

in the middle of the aquarium there is a huge tank where a diver will usually swim around feeding the fish and even talk to the kids on the outside. elle has in LOVE with the diver and wanted to watch him the whole time. i loved seeing the huge sea turtle...amazing!

daddy and beckett {trying} to sit still for the dolphin show

we also watched a 4D dora movie. if you haven't experienced 4D, it's something else! didn't realized that the 4thD was your senses. Water sprayed on us, seats shook, aromas filled the room and every object was flying at you...kind of strange, but elle loved it!

checking out the penguins. one of my favorite winter/christmas books is "My Penguin Osbert". Elle fell in love with it this year too and so we had to visit Osbert at the aquarium, which is where Osbert ends up in the storybook too. she also picked out an osbert with a pink sweatshirt to bring home...so cute.

on our way home the kids were still awake so we decided to stop at the Bass Pro Shop {a josh request} who knew it was filled with stuffed life size animals...crazy! so we snapped a quick picture to show we were there. surprisingly we only left with a pop and snack for the ride home.

phew...a long day, but well worth it even if naps didn't happen. it was fun to see the kids get so excited about all the animals and enjoy being with one another. more family fun to come...stay tuned.

girlz christmas party!

2011-12-25T12:22:00.000-08:00

love these girls

we have been so blessed to have these fun girls in our life for the past few years. all of us moms (julie, ani and i) taught together and now we get to hang out outside of school with our girls.

enjoying some breakfast treats

presents!

{thank you ani for the puzzle, elle LOVES it}

so fun! hopefully, we'll all be in lakeshore school district by the time they hit school so we can be room moms together :)

our first craft : gingerbread houses

the decorating team

sadly ours didn't stay standing...i think i used a little bit too much icing {oops}

craft #2 : santa faces

rocker girl {all she wanted for christmas & santa came through}

love fun times likes these to share with ellington. these girls have so much fun together and we're secretly hoping for a boy from ani come feb. beckett is holding his own though with these girls.

chillin' @ home

2011-12-23T05:13:00.000-08:00

this month has been filled with LOTS of family time {ONE of my favorite things} it's fun to see ellington and beckett interact and play with one another now. she is all about helping him and likes to "teach" him how to talk. no clear words yet, but she's persistent!

we've had a few christmas parties with friends, our small group from church, and a few kids' christmas parties {posts to come}but other than that it's been pretty quiet. so we've just enjoyed the extra time that we're all at home before we hit the road for the holidays.

family movie night - frosty the snowman

movie snacks - goldfish

{not the most flatter picture, but she got her self dressed for bed and added the headband so she could be the pirate princess....gotta love it}

movie snack - ice cream w. m&ms

learned our lesson quick with ice cream before bed...took a while to go to sleep and a tummy ache

nightly bath time - these 2 LOVE the water

beckett loves to stand in the bathtub, trying to break that habit and elle likes to float. this summer is going to be lots of fun at the pool and beach. water babes for sure!

the first snow is the BEST!

tackle LOVES the snow & LOVES the kids playing outside

taking it all in...not sure what to think of it. he did fall a few times {face plants} but took it in stride, got back up {with a little crying & brushing off} and tried it again.

sledding!

"mommy, i can do it"

"he's a little heavy...but, but, but i got it..."

"ok, mommy you can pull him"

"i'll just pull my baby"

she asked me to get her baby doll so she wouldn't be outside alone after i took beckett inside to warm up before nap. she sang to her and then pulled her around in the sled and even pushed her in the swing.

just a little snippet of what we've been up to.

25 days of christmas

2011-12-15T13:14:00.000-08:00

the holidays are here...and still no SNOW

i absolutely LOVE holidays and tradition. it's fun to have so many traditions between josh and i's families and the one's we've created and continue to create with our own family.

here's just a few of our favorite things about christmas so far...

2 kids + 1 big guy with a white beard = very cute pictures & NO TEARS!!

a few weeks ago we took the kids to the mall in south bend to visit Santa

we asked elle what she was going to ask Santa to bring her and well....

"i'd like a minni (minni mouse) guitar and beckett would like a mickey guitar"

a new tradition we started this year was to wrap up 25 Christmas/winter books and let the kids unwrap one each night before bed.

(ok, so this is a posed picture but you get the point...books wrapped for bedtime stories. ellington was helping me get my background set for a photo shoot)

last year we started an advent calendar with ellington and this year beckett has joined in on the fun. can be a little tricky to remember who does what each night, but surprisingly ellington can keep track (organization skills like her momma)!

each little sock is filled with a special treat or a little dollar toy item, sock, notebook or something fun

stay tuned, more traditions to come...

gingerbread houses

christmas eve pizza & pj party

u cut...u pull...u decorate

2011-12-06T12:41:00.000-08:00

the annual tree cutting...

having fun with the family

looking for the {perfect} one

helping papa cut it down

i do believe the tree fell on me as i was trying to capture this memory

lesson learned stand back and use the zoom!

the {one}

helping papa pull the tree out

love this time of year, all the traditions and special moments we get to share with our kids and families.

coming your way soon...

2011-12-03T20:55:00.001-08:00

Merry Bright Greeting Holiday

Create photo new year's cards at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

falling leaves

2011-11-26T19:10:00.000-08:00

fall for us has been filled with a little bit of everything

birthdays, girls weekend away, family visits, & lots of outside time

in michigan the weather is always a question mark...could be snow one day and low 60s the next, that's been the fall here. we've had one day of snow flurries but lots of warm days to play at the park and of course pick up LEAVES!

all fall we've been pointing out the leaves on the trees to elle and showing her how they change color. it's something that i absolutely love about michigan fall. of course they're much more beautiful to look at while on the trees and not on your lawn. but it was a warm afternoon (spite elle's choice in apparel) to rake the leaves, then JUMP & STOMP in them.

"the rakers"

helping transport the leaves

taking a break

trying to help

we've also enjoyed LOTS of fun visits from aunt sue.

WWF...kid style

2011-11-26T18:55:00.000-08:00

WWF anyone?

ellington & beckett LOVE to wrestle. usually it's with daddy or tackle, but lately they've been doing more playing with each other. the other day i was trying to take a few pictures of the 2 of them together (nice posed pictures mind you) and this is what occurred instead...

posed pictures seem to be overrated right now

then we have pictures like this...

these are the pictures we'll enjoy looking at in 10-20 years and find it hard to remember them at these young ages doing silly things. i'm sure by then posed family pictures will include a huff and puff of yet another request by mom for a "nice" picture. :) so i'll for now i'll enjoy the silliness that comes with "trying" posed pictures.

the big 3-0

2011-11-26T18:44:00.000-08:00

happy birthday josh!

i'm so thankful for you. you are amazing husband and father. can't wait to see what the next 30 years holds for you and us.

pepsi cake for the man who LOVES a good cold pepsi

capitalizing on the positive side of turning 30...it ROCKS!

wish i had a picture of elle trying the pop rocks...so cute to watch her reaction. brings back fond childhood memories of opening the pack from the gas station and let your mouth snap, crackle & pop!

love you daddy!

b-man checking out the goods...hoping they were for him :)

1st birthday tailgate

2011-11-08T13:06:00.001-08:00

beckett is 1!

{another post - the party post}

a little behind on my posting...

we had a great time partying with family and friends

beckett's actually birthday was on friday, oct.14th but his party wasn't until sunday. so we had a simple cupcake celebration just the 4 of us. elle loved picking out a gift for beckett and was so excited to have him open it.

josh had fun picking out his little boy's gift...his first workbench

{and of course the box was more fun than the gift}

fall birthdays are great and even better for a boy and dad who LOVE football

it was so much fun putting all the details together and finding little ways to make it cute, even though for a boy it should be cool. we are so thankful for the friends that have invested in our life and love our kids. and our family, what can we say...they're the best! it's so fun to get all 9 cousins together and watch how they play together, teach one another and really enjoy spending time with each other. i'm glad that ellington and beckett have the chance to really know their cousins and build friendships with them.

so there it is, beckett's 1st birthday down...now onto planning ellington's 3rd ballerina party.

fall and the {sorts}

2011-10-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

we've been pretty busy here this fall...

birthday celebrations

homeschooling

pumpkin patch & apple orchard

happy birthday beckett

2011-10-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

1 year ago God blessed us with a sweet baby boy and today he's turning 1

happy birthday beckett warren white

you are a sweet reminder to us that life is all about being patient, taking one day at a time and enjoying every minute of it.

you are dearly loved by your sister. there will be days soon to come when you won't always like one another, but we hope that you'll be the best of friends. we know you'll be her protector as you grow older. she loves helping you and teaching you new things.

you have turned into our little charmer, flashing your smile at just the right time to make someone laugh or to get out of trouble. you love life and love showing it.

you have mastered walking!!

you love to hug, snuggle and even tackle your doggy

happy birthday son

dear beckett,

we are so proud of the little boy you are growing up to be. we know that God has big plans for you. we pray that you continue to grow in Christ and someday you'll make him your personal savior. your love for life is contagious, we look forward to seeing how you encourage others to be their best and enjoy the life God has given them. thank you for teaching us patience this year as we've learned to be more flexible and take each day one at a time. we love seeing you and your sister grow together, laughing at the dinner table, wrestling with daddy and sharing your toys. you try so hard to keep up with her and do so for the most part. keep being just you and challenge others to be the same. we love you beckett and love that God has blessed us with the gift of being your parents. your a joy to parent and we look forward to seeing what He has in store for you this next year. much love!!

xoxo

mommy & daddy

a trip to the zoo...

2011-10-05T12:34:00.000-07:00

with my grammie & grampie

a few weeks ago my parents came down and took ellington to the zoo. it was a day just about her, what kid doesn't love that. ellington loves animals and keeps talking about her trip and all the animals she saw, the train, the candy, the mask and of course the animal she didn't like...the lion.

the zoo had a craft area where kids could draw and color a red panda mask

"where'd ellington go?"

this is what she says when she holds up her mask at home and then cracks up at herself.

grammie & grampie let elle pick out a special animal to bring home. one for her and one for beckett. elle found "Leo" the leopard right away and a tiger for beckett. She sleeps with Leo every night now.

checking out all the animals

grampie and elle find a little duck waddling around

stopping for a lunch break with the flamingos

grammie and elle checking out the swans

{notice the black one in the pond}

sweet love

next up...train ride around the zoo

my dad told elle to "hang on!" she then asked "how do you do that?"

my dad replied with holding his arms...and so elle followed and did the WHOLE train ride. how funny! she's so stinkin' cute and for sure a rule follower

thanks for the fun train ride grammie & grampie

taking a break with leo and tiger

i think i see something in here...

grampie gave elle some fish food and boy did they love it...

that's a lot of fish..yikes!

and of course you have to make a stop at the candy store

these next 3 pictures just melt my heart...so much love

finding just the right one

thanks grammie

i love you!

thank you grammie and grampie for an AWESOME trip to the zoo. next year beckett can come too, but i for sure liked my day with just you 2.

a few days after the zoo i got a coupon for a photo book, so the mailbox should be full soon with a fun photo book of elle's trip the zoo. pretty sure she'll read it over and over and over again. it's so great to have family close and grandparents who love our kids. thanks mom and dad for spending a day with elle, she absolutely loved it.

walking {everywhere}

2011-10-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

and he's off...

beckett is pretty much walking everywhere now. he's getting better at not having his hands up and steadying himself instead of falling flat on the ground. it's amazing how much can change in just 1 week. so 2 weeks shy of his 1st birthday, i'd say he's walking!

he's also starting to pick up on social cues and playing with you or something.

so what does beckett know now?...

how to sign more {which looks a lot like clapping, but we'll take it}

the container of puffs or veggie sticks

to hold a phone up to his ear

that a spoon is for eating {tries to feed himself with some help}

what remote controls for the TV should do and that he shouldn't have them

socks and shoes go on your feet

blankie means nap time

he shouldn't eat the dog food but still scurries as fast as he can to get a bite before you catch him

the sound of the dishwasher opening, and again scurries to get to it before it closes

the sound of the bath and almost hyper-ventaltes with excitement

to climb up a flight of stairs and thinks there'll always be someone to catch him if he just feels like falling backwards

open the sandbox

climb in and out of the toy car

annoy the dog {pulling his hair, climbing over him, etc.}

but most of all...

beckett is a pro at getting us to laugh, he just flashes his sweet smile and thinks everything is O.K. and he's pretty much right!

can't believe in 10 days this little guy will be 1!

{home}schooling - kind of

2011-10-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

after 7 years of having a 1st day of school i'm now at home full time. i'm so grateful for this time to be at home, but i do miss the classroom. i love getting the room around each year, meeting the new kids and parents, and planning fun, creative projects for them to do all year. so this year i decided i can still do all that with ellington. she loves to learn and wants to know about everything.

::APPLES::

we read a little story about apples, the color of the apples and at the end of the apple had a worm in it. so we sewed up a felt apple, left a hole for the finger and now elle can retell the story whenever she wants.

sorting colors and making patterns with apple colors

coloring our apple book and of course the worm!

made red play dough

and don't forget every kid's favorite....RECESS!

pretty excited about painting!

i think we've painted 4 out of 5 days a week lately. she loves it and is getting really good at it. she'll usually ask me to draw her a picture and then she'll paint it. her favorite has been Clifford or a giraffe. we also do some handprint trees and add apples. they've become our artwork in our dinning room as it's the most convient place to let them dry.

next up...shapes & cutting

she loves this and is getting better at identifying the shape. i found some more on line so i don't have to draw them every time!

i saw this idea on pinterest to help kids practice cutting. they have to cut in between the stickers. we switched to real scissors and she's getting the hang of it

{a little nervous that a hair cut might be in the near future}

last week i found her playing store in the toy room. we inherited a fun cash register from a church family and she stacked up her doll clothes and other random items to scan. i had to tiptoe back and snap a picture quick before she saw me. so cute!!

last week we took our lunch to park

how could you not love being at home with these 2?

there are days when i miss the classroom, seeing my teacher friends, and just getting out of the house but then i sit back and enjoy the 2 hours i get with just elle in the morning teaching her new things, watching her soak everything up, asking me to read her books {love that!} and realizing this won't last forever.

family camp

2011-09-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

2 tents, 1 camper

10 adults

9 kids

2 nights

3 days

beach

sun

campfire

s'mores

horses

skate park

candy shop

a fun filled family camping trip

all 9 cousins in one place, sitting down...amazing & priceless

we spent a weekend with the vogel clan at cran hill ranch this august. it was a great little camp with lots of things for the kids to do.

a petting zoo with donkeys, llamas, goats, & bunnies

we celebrated some fall birthdays: dad & matt with some yummy cupcakes and a campfire later

there was this fun camp store that had a little bit of everything. ice cream, old fashioned soda & candy. elizabeth and i enjoyed an ice cold fanta with the girls. they thought it was so cool to have a glass bottle.

pretty much sums up our feeling of cran-hill ranch. we loved it!

hopefully next year we can go during the week and enjoy the extras: rock climbing, slip & slide, kids' camp, outdoor movie night, turtle & frog races and so much more. it's a great place to camp with kids.

a little this, a little that...

2011-08-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

of our summer days together

i can't believe it's already the end of August. this will be the first fall that i do NOT go back to school. i miss it a little, and i mean just a little. i am loving the time i get to be at home with the kids. elle may start a preschool this fall, which amazes me that she is old enough to do. so i'm cherishing all the time i get with them. our summer has been busy with family get togethers, weekend trips here and there and we love our time at home just the 4 of us too. josh has been working a lot this summer, so our evenings are short and we pack a lot in the 2 hours we get with him {including dinner, baths and bedtime routines..whew!}

practicing putting with daddy

figured out he could crawl onto the deck by himself and check out the backyard. this boy is going to be walking soon, which might be easier for him and me!!

our favorite thing!!!

a new found favorite...wagon rides.

a little photo session with mom one night...

our little man

i can't wait to see what he's like in a few months, walking and talking. he tries so hard to keep up with elle and they already play really well together. lately they've been making each other laugh in the car and it's hilarious. beckett has the best laugh, hard to explain but it just makes you laugh and love him even more.

my favorite!

our little sweet pea

ellington is an amazing big sister, a great helper and loves to be independent. she wants to do it all by herself, and usually can! she asks questions all the time and wants to know about everything...the "why" phase, although i think for her it will not just be a phase. she is just that curious. i'm pretty sure she'll be the teacher's pet! she's learning to write her name and really wants to learn how to read. she'll pick up a book and tell herself the story from the pictures after asking me "what's this one about, mommy?". makes me proud! she will for sure be the book worm. did not get that from either of us, maybe from my sister.

we're loving life and enjoying the last few weeks of summer before fall hits and we all know what that brings...FOOTBALL!!

a week away...

2011-08-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

at the end of july we joined josh's family for a week UP NORTH, but first...

we had a little detour to IONIA for the IFF (free fair)

my sister and the cheering crew after the Ionia Free Fair/CC Alumni 5k

this was my first race since having beckett and boy did i feel it! it felt great to get out and race again. hoping to do another race this fall and maybe even get josh to do one!!!

I.F.F. {Ionia Free Fair}

a kid's best week of summer!! at least that's what I remember it as

checking out the baby chicks with grammie

enjoying the barn animals with grammie and grampie at the fair

elle loved seeing all the animals and getting the chance to pet a baby duck. surprisingly beckett reached right out to touch the baby duck as well.

josh took ellington to the fair with her cousins the night before and with 5 adults and 7 kids they closed the park down. {pictures to come}

then we headed UP NORTH...

cruisin' with the cousins

so sweet!

these 2 were best buds all week {at least to elle}

brian, you're going to be an amazing dad come january! we can't wait to meet your little one and enjoy a family vacation next year with 3 kids!!!

practicing fly fishing with papa & cousin john

on our way to Mackinac Island...

riding on top of the ferry boat with papa. elle was so excited to go on our "adventure" as she continues to refere to it to Mackinac Island

the sibs and in-laws heading out to dinner on the island

josh and i celebrated our 7 year anniversary at the start of the vacation and anna & bryan celebrated 3 years earlier in the month. so the grandparents treated us to free babysitting and a night out on the island.

thank you mom & dad

ellington and i touring the governor's mansion on the island

wow...what a view from their porch. it was neat to hear the history behind the house and to think it's built pretty much on a rock cliff.

off to the GRAND HOTEL...

celebrating 85 wonderful years with a ladies' tea at the Grand Hotel

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA

4 generations of "whites"

our pretty little tea place setting

champagne

tea

mini sandwiches

mini desserts

helping grammie pour some tea

elle loved being such a big girl and even had her own glass of sparkling juice. and yes it was a really champagne glass and RED juice, oh boy! she did great though and didn't spill a drop. her face was priceless though when she took the first sip. a little pucker and then mmmm..that's good, in for another sip, another pucker face and moved on to something else.

it was my first time in the GRAND HOTEL and it was beautiful. The porch lined with white rocking chairs was my favorite. I absolutely love porches!

josh and i took elle to the butterfly house while beckett was taking a morning nap. this was the best butterfly house i've been to yet. there were tons of butterflies and they were so active. she wanted one to land on her hand and patiently waited with her hand out several times, but no luck.

another family vacation filled with wonderful memories

thank you mom and dad for a great week together, we look forward to many more.

Heads up 7up...

2011-07-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago today at about this time...well ok at 4:19 pm I married the love of my life. Two recent college grads set out on an adventure and it has been seven of the most wonderful years of my life. Like the cheesy saying says "like a fine wine our marriage is getting better with age."

First there was Grosse Pointe and who could forget our dear friends there that helped us through the "leave and cleave" part of our marriage. There were the arguments over squeezing the tube vs. rolling from the end...I have lost this battle and we squeeze now. Then came our first major decision together...and over a frozen yogurt at the mall a week before Christmas we decide to begin our family and Tackle join our crew.

Then there was the move to St. Joe, when I graduated from high school I was certain I would never come back except to visit but God has a sense of humor and it has been our home for the last five years. After two and half years at our new jobs, countless house projects (still not all done), Ellington joined our family and then during the worst economic decline in modern history, we decided I should return to school. Following school and a new job, Beckett was born and now what had started as just two recent college grads was now a family of five (yes, we count Tackle).

So there you have it, the history of our family...well ok the abridged abbreviated version without all the details.

There has been a ton of changes over the last seven years, multiple jobs, moves, two kids and a dog, but the one constant among all of that has been my best friend and wife, yes they are the same person. I remember when we first started dating the butterflies and excitement around spending an evening with you and while now evenings spent together usually consist of bath time and folding laundry, I still love more than anything spending time with you. Emily, you have truly shaped me into a better person, you have shown me how to be compassionate, caring as well as driven and focused. You have encouraged me to pursue my dreams and to think big, you listen when I am frustrated and comfort me when it hurts. You love our children more than I thought was possible. I can't possibly thank you enough for being the woman, wife, mother and friend that you are and there is absolutely no one else I would rather share my life with. Today we celebrate seven years...and on July 24, 2074 we will celebrate 70 years, just two recent college grads getting ready to turn 93 years young. I love you more then I could ever say or show you.

All my love, forever and always,

Josh

...and since we are on vacation this week and flowers don't keep well on the road, seven hot pink gerber daisies (just like the flowers you carried down the aisle) will be delivered next Monday.

let {freedom} ring

2011-07-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

4th of july at the lake

a perfect day with family and cousins

the 4th weekend was going to be busy driving 3+ hours to Midland to celebrate hannah's 1st birthday so we decided to chop of the driving and make a day trip to my parents' cottage. we met my sister and her 4 kids there for a day of swimming, fishing, grilling, toasting, and eating.

yep, we both do it! take picture after picture and then compare

josie and ellington finally realized they were the "littles" and played so well together. up until now elle has usually just observed and played on her own, but this time they started playing together, so much fun to see.

this little guy did so great! took awesome naps and loved hanging out with the big kids, who all wanted to babysit.

ellington was fearless in the water. this is her first time at the lake since she was a baby. last year the cottage was under construction and wasn't open. she loves swimming but a pool is a lot different than a lake. josh took her out earlier in the day and she jumped right off into the water, no worries at all!

thanks to the dads {josh and tim} my sister and i were able to get a short run in, mind you it was well over 80 and in the middle of the afternoon. so needless to say we jumped right in when we got back from our run.

5 kids on a canoe ride...good idea??

thanks uncle tim and aunt elizabeth for taking the risk...thankfully no one rocked the boat

happy 4th of july everyone

we are truly thankful for our freedom and enjoyed a day with family

::hannah's 1st::

2011-07-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

happy birthday sweet hannah

we are so glad we had the chance to celebrate with you. you are one busy little girl and full of life. it's exciting to see how much you've changed in just 1 year. next year you'll be running around with all the other {big} kids! we continue to pray for you and encourage you to follow your heart and follow the plan God has laid out before you. we look forward to many more fun birthdays together.

love,

uncle josh, aunt emily, ellington & beckett

a little photo shoot with the birthday girl

{a few of my favorites...there are A LOT more}

{emily white} photography

2011-06-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

a family urban photo shoot...

the weather was perfect this weekend and we were actually home for once, so we decided to venture downtown after naps and snap a few photos of josh and the kids. i've been trying to find time to get down there and see what {urban} settings there are to use. i didn't find exactly what i was looking for, but manage to still capture a few sweet moments.

this is the only decent one of the 2 of them. beckett was more interested in the dirt on the ground and ellington telling him not to eat it. curious little guy!

a daddy's girl for sure...i love this one.

a little blurry but the best of all 3

safe and sound

this totally captures her personality...giving a smile so we can be done and get ICE CREAM

now that i'm staying at home full time, which i love, i'm hoping to enjoy more of my hobbies...photography being one of them. this summer i'm planning on doing an urban tutu photo shoot with some precious little ladies and possibly a fun dabber dudes set in the fall.

so....

i need some name suggestions for my photography business...any ideas?

so in love

2011-06-24T10:56:00.001-07:00

happy {father's} day

2011-06-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

a day to celebrate the fun, crazy, wrestle king, and protector of our family...daddy!

ellington, beckett and tackle are lucky to have such a fun dad

splashing in the pool together

we do love you to PIECES

{fun little dad treats i made for church}

ellington and beckett's art work for daddy's office

High 5 is a daddy thing...it all started after we went to Shedd's Aquarium and saw the dolphin show, from there on out it's been High 5 for anything daddy thinks up.

josh we love you

thank you for being an amazing father to ellington and beckett {and tackle}. you have captured their hearts! i love watching their eyes light up when they see you and ask to wrestle with you. you have special little kisses for both of them and of course you never run out of silly nicknames. hedgie and mo will always know their daddy loves them.

i appreciate the sacrifice you make daily so that i can stay home, and i love the fact that you WANT to know what the kids are doing and how you can HELP! you are such a great example of a godly man for them to look to; for beckett to grow into and for ellington to find in a husband.

thank you for being you!

i love you

camping

2011-06-13T20:28:00.000-07:00

our first camping trip of the season was a....

success!!!

we had a great time chilling with the kids and relaxing with good friends. it was the docks first time out camping and their kids did great, as did ellingtong and beckett...whew! we had 4 kids under 3 years old. ellington and micah loved playing with one another and the babes just tagged along, although aj is not really a baby anymore...he'll be celebrating his first birthday next weekend.

the weekend was chilly but it made for great campfires and snuggle time.

ellington and beckett gave micah and aj their birthday presents early...camp chairs!

roasting

enjoying

yum

a little chilly, but she jumped right in!

ellington found her cozy little spot quickly

she climbed up in the trunk of the truck and cuddled in for some reading and coloring...really, what 2 year old does that??? this one...she likes her quiet time. micah joined her for short little stints, which usually ended up in them climbing over the seats and tackling one another.

beckett wins the award for "best camping baby"

he did GREAT, slept awesome even with the noisy group behind us and just went with the flow {not his usual behavior}

going on a hike and dodging the skeeters

mr. and mrs. micah dock???

they had such a great time all weekend. em (dock) and i joke about them getting married, but really we'd love it! although we both promised to be honest about how our kid likes the other as a mother -in - law!

AJ trying his first ice cream...a little pre birthday treat

* *S P A R K L E R S* *

all around...great trip!

looking forward to planning our next one, anyone want to join us?

it's summer...

2011-06-09T20:03:00.000-07:00

finally!!

we're finally enjoying the nice weather and looking forward to more fun times outside

capturing ellington's first smile face!!

chalk paint!!

helping beckett with his snack...1 for beckett, 2 for ellington :)

mini garderner

living in the sandbox

chillin' on the trampoline

splashing with friends

a weekend to {remember}

2011-06-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

over memorial day weekend the kids and i spent a few days with my parents. we had a great time and the kids were spoiled as usual by grammie and grampie. the cupboards and fridge were filled with all sorts of treats, that i have to say were not allowed when i was a kid...way to much sugar!! ahhhh....the joys of being a grandparent, somehow the rules don't apply.

so here's how the weekend went....

first stop - meijer for some {extra} treats

popsicles

ice cream sandwiches

gummies

smarties

and yogurt for the lil'man

yep...all that PLUS what was already at grammie and grampie's house, and of course they sent it all home with us. let's just say it went in the "mommy/daddy" cupboard when we got home.

playing at the park...

off to school we go...checking on grammie's butterflies

no butterflies yet, but a few days later elle and beckett got a special email message from grammie with pictures of the hatched butterflies.

next up... spa night with grammie

toes and nails painted all pretty...one of elle's favorite things now

bedtime stories and snuggles

showing off her first manicure

ending the night with... a movie & popcorn with grampie

and the weekend continues... memorial day parade in ionia

the beginning of summer...flower planting

i loved doing this as a kid with my mom and this year elle got to help. i LOVE front porches with flowers and comfy chairs to sit in and just relax. to me that's the perfect start to summer.

enjoying some fun in the sun...

nothing says "summer" like a popsicle

we had a great time at home, visiting with my parents, sister, brother and nieces and of course being spoiled. ellington adores both her grandparents and we are so thankful to have them both so close. we're looking forward to more weekends away and trips to the cottage. hopefully, beckett will get to partake in more photos the next time.

handy daddy

2011-05-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

another house project in full force

the materials

the workers

the support & snack provider

the beginnings

the happy little guy who knows his days are coming when he'll HAVE to help daddy. at least for now he gets to hang out with the girls in the kitchen.

we're finally putting our deck on, just in time for summer. we love being outside, it's usually the first thing elle asks to do when she gets up (at 7am!). we're looking forward to eating lunches, snacks and dinners out on the deck and just relaxing while the kids play. now if the michigan weather would just cooperate and warm up we could enjoy it even more. as of right now the deck is just a few floor boards short of being done!

deck party in the works

alex's army

2011-05-25T18:02:00.000-07:00

playing games and enjoying carnival food for a sweet 3 year old

{Alex Mandarino}

it's amazing the support of the community over the last few months. business and individual people are hosting fundraisers to help raise support to cover the medical costs for the Mandarino family. Alex is fighting a battle with cancer but has an army behind him

"Alex's Army"

we've been trying to take part in the community events and finally got a chance to last week at the children's museum. we met up with some friends and enjoyed just watching our healthy kids laugh, run and soak up all the joys of being a kid.

our prayers are with the Mandarino family

thank you God for 2 very healthy kids

i do it

2011-05-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

ellington is all about independence

you'll often hear her say "I do it, mommy."

she's the typical first born; independent, rule follower, reminds others of the rules, and confident

(don't mind our heap of shoes)

her newest task to accomplish...zipping her coat

a few weeks ago at playgroup she saw an older girl zip her own coat and now that's all she tries to do. "I do it, like Olivia."

so close!

actually just yesterday she got the ends hooked in and started to zip it up, but something somewhere got stuck...she almost had it!!!

her independence is a blessing, at least for now.

my buddy, my buddy, my buddy and me

2011-05-25T12:10:00.000-07:00

everyone has a "buddy", right?

well ellington & beckett have plenty of buddies

a boy's best friend besides the real thing

ellington's girlfriend

elle use to play with just the boys, but know she's realizing the fun of having sydney around. they play dolls together and were found "nursing" their babies in church together...and they say kids don't pay attention!

the boyz

trying to PopCoRn each other

beckett trying to hang with the big boy...soon enough

we love all our buddies!!

my friend lindsay...a post by elle

2011-05-15T18:08:00.000-07:00

"where's lindsay?"

a question elle asks often, especially after church and Thursday at bedtime.

who's lindsay? you ask...an amazing 6th grader who loves to hang out with our kids. who could ask for more. it's so fun to see the three of them play together. lindsay's family ties with the white family have come full circle now. when she was much younger anna {josh's sister} use to babysit lindsay and her younger sister abbey. now it's lindsay in the babysitter role. we've had a great time getting to know lindsay and love that we can spend an afternoon each week with her. what a gift she has been to ellington and beckett.

while she's still a little too young to babysit alone, we love the fact that she wants to learn. a few months ago we were approached by her parents to let her do this, so she could learn more about responsibility and spend time with other christian young couples. amazing idea! how could you say no to that? lindsay has such a strong and confident personality {something i wish i had had at her age, or even now}, she doesn't mind stepping in and doing usually household tasks, juggling both kids so i can make dinner, or even reminding elle to obey.

each week i try to plan something fun for them to do together. bubbles was obviously a hit!

lindsay is positive beckett is going to walk soon!...keep trying buddy :)

and of course in the middle of the heat wave for May, we had to bust out the sprinkler. lindsay didn't want any pictures taken since she was wearing one of my "lakeshore" shirts and she goes to "st.joe" it's amazing we even let her come to our house!!! :)

THANK YOU Lindsay & WE LOVE YOU!!!

from ellington & beckett

TRAMPOLINE...

2011-05-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

need I say more?

thanks to our awesome neighbor we are now owners of a trampoline. elle {and the rest of us} are in love with it. it's safe to say that we jump on it at least once a day, minus the rainy days we've had lately. elle loves to play "ring around the rosie" and "popcorn" on it. beckett doesn't seem to mind it either. summer is going to be a blast now! our good friend and "mommy's helper" lindsay came over last week and showed elle the joys of combining a trampoline and sprinkler...lots of giggling and sliding.

jump with me aunt paulette

thanks paulette for helping us put it together, brings back some memories...right?

{with josh & anna}

curious elle

2011-05-10T17:52:00.000-07:00

a little peek into our time outside today

hmmm...i know there's something out there

maybe if i can get a little higher

and higher

yep, that's as high as i can go...still don't know what's out there

we are loving the warm weather finally and of course our trampoline...post to come

:: stud ::

2011-05-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

just a stud {muffin}

@ 6 months... 19.10lbs & 27 inches

he for sure has a muffin top right now!

my favorite things right now about mr. man....

-he loves to SMILE

-snuggles with his blanket

-laughs at tackle or ellington

- getting him from his naps or waking him up in the morning (what an adorable sleeping boy)

our little stud muffin is growing so fast, while i'm excited to see him start crawling and walking i'm missing his newborn days.

:: tiny dancer ::

2011-05-03T19:57:00.000-07:00

just a little camera time with my sweet girl

she loves life to the fullest and is so much fun to be with everyday.

my favorite things about her...

- calls Amazing Grace - Amazin' Crazies

- sings "Jesus Loves Me" all the time

- reads to Beckett & Tackle (she actually does, she'll tell them what the charters are doing on the page. makes me proud!)

- talks or sings to Beckett if he's crying

- wants to be outside ALL the time

- gets herself dress

- prays for her cousins

- ask questions about everything (you think that would be annoying, but i love how her mind works and how fast she picks things up)

- loves to dance!!

: 6 months :

2011-04-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

happy 1/2 birthday little man

i can't believe you're already 6 months old. time has stood still at moments and flown by at others. you are such a HAPPY little boy. you still charm everyone with your sweet smile (hoping to get free coffee out of that at the store sometime). you love to watch your sister bounce around you and of course have already fallen in love with your puppy dog. not so sure he's up for another one crawling all over him, but as usual he's being a good sport. here's what you're up to these days...

napping 2 times a day

eating lots of veggies - orange ones!!

sleeping 12 hours

rolling everywhere - even in places we can't see you :)

laughing

grabbing at anything you can reach

sporting a mini mo most days - which has become your nickname from daddy

sitting up almost all on your own - still a little top heavy, but you're getting it.

you are still a cuddlier and have found your comfort - blankie

(had to dig out the summer jams during our crazy warm up last week, back to the fleece footy pjs )

each day you change more and more. you are a joy to parent, although we know that your smile may cause some trouble during the teenage years. we continue to pray that you would walk with Christ some day and that all the way you'll meet godly friends and men who will build into your life. you are truly a blessing "mini mo"

outside...finally

2011-04-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

michigan spring is taking a long time to arrive, but we had a taste of it a week ago.

"i see you"

just chillin' in the swing

playing with daddy

running with tackle

time for a rest..playing outside is exhausting!

can't wait to play outside more...to bad a week later we had snow. that's michigan for you..

grammy's visit

2011-04-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

over spring break we enjoyed a few days with just my mom. we had a great time, laughing, reading lots of stories, baking, dying easter eggs, playing, and visiting the sights in town.

grammy and her boy snuggling with his easter bunny

dying easter eggs together...beckett had to get in on the action

we visited the carousel and children's museum town as usual. this is one of elle's favorite things to do. while we were there grammy found a little musical carousel so of course she had to get it. elle LOVES it and likes to pick out which one is grammy, mommy, beckett and her.

baking muffins with grammy

reading "The Little Engine That Could" for probably the 10th time...it's become a favorite, but man is it a long story.

more pictures to come of the rest of our time with grammy

thank you grammy for coming to visit.

we love you!!

bou*nce

2011-04-08T18:46:00.001-07:00

a great way to tire out a busy body 2 year old!

over spring break we played with the cousins at bounceland

obviously only got pictures of elle and blurry ones at that

a little busy trying to watch her and hold beckett at the same time

it's been years since i've been on these toys, actually can't remember when. elle wasn't a fan of the slides and i know why....they're a little scary! i could only handle going down twice and that was enough for me. i'll stick to the bounce house ones instead. speaking of bounce houses...we just became the owners of a trampoline thanks to our neighbors!!! we'll be bouncing all spring and summer long. come on over anytime and take a turn.

CHICAGO

2011-04-08T18:04:00.000-07:00

we love chicago!!

especially when there is family and fun things to do with the kids

our trip was filled with lots of fun things, time with family and relaxing a bit

activity 1 - shedd's aquarium

some of the pictures are little blurry, but they show ell's excitement the BEST! she absolutely loved every part of it. beckett did great too, always a trooper and just takes it all in. it was so fun to see her face light up at everything she saw.

taking in all the fish and huge sea turtle

penguins - elle loved watching them swim in the water

loving the penguins

waiting for the dolphin show to start

the beluga whales & sea lion tricks...still waiting for the dolphins
loving the dolphins and her new "purple sparkly fish"
the "purple sparkly fish" she had to have! we let her pick any stuffed animal out and this is what she chose. she wouldn't let go of it all weekend. it now lays on her bedroom floor...oh well!

activity 2 - children's museum w/ aunt sue

what an awesome place to take kids. elle was the perfect age to take her. they had a fort building area filled with bed sheets, chairs, blankets, stools, ladders, anything and everything to make a fort. elle of coursed loved the water area, fire department, dinosaur bone digging, and the treehouse for toddlers. beckett again just along for the ride, maybe next year buddy.

water table

treehouse climbing
digging for bones - i think i found a BIG one, mom!
crazy mirrors like a bug's eye...how funny!

mr. beckett chilling as usual

activity 3 - hockey game for josh and hanging with family

unfortunately i didn't get a chance to snap a picture of josh and aunt sue heading the blackhawks game. they were sporting their fan wear and all. i stayed in with the kids and enjoyed a night of peace and quiet.

aunt sue surprised with cupcakes from "sprinkles" - delicious! i love cupcakes and love the creative side of decorating them. i've tossed around the idea of starting a cupcake business...more to come on that in the next post.

aunt mary and uncle dalius visited with us and the kids. it was so fun to see elle play with both of them. so how only snapped a photo of aunt mary and beckett.

snuggle time with aunt sue

thanks aunt sue for a fun weekend in the city

we love chicago & you!

movie night...scene 1, 2, 3

2011-04-04T19:37:00.000-07:00

*family movie night*

scene 1

ellington too excited about the movie & popcorn to look

scene 2

i'm smiling mom, just take the picture and START the movie

scene 3

OK...I'm looking!

this girl makes me laugh

i'm a little behind in my blogging but had to share these recent photos. more to come of what we've been up to. a trip to chicago and playing with the cousins at bounce land. stay tuned

: happy birthday :

2011-03-22T19:08:00.000-07:00

still celebrating my 20's

at least for 1 more year

we had a fun week & weekend with lots of celebrations...thank you to all the friends & family who made it extra special

the celebrating started with a few days spent with great grammie white. it was so fun to see ell light up when great grammie showed up to play each day she was in the ville. and for days later she'd still ask where great grammie was.

on my actual birthday we celebrated with my family with a fun game of bowling!

i LOVE bowling

(something you probably didn't know about me)

all 9 grandkids posing for a photo is always a challenge...but so worth it!

we also celebrated my mom's birthday from feb. i loved sharing the day with her

and what are you to do when the little one is fussy and it's your turn to bowl...take him with you. it was fine for about one time bowling and then realized there were plenty of empty hands to pass it off to. gotta love a big family for that reason.

elle LOVED bowling

can you tell from the picture below that she couldn't take her eye off the ball until it hit the pins. just after i snapped this one, the ball did HIT the pins and she jumped up so quickly that she knocked josh backwards...pretty funny!! maybe someday she'll have her own birthday bowling party.

had to snap this one...ryan, why so serious?

before bowling we met our GREAT friends for lunch

thanks docks for making time for us and letting us crash your place for naptime, which ended up with the older ones sleeping and these 2 rascals winning the nap war.

how could you not love these two sweethearts?

thank you honey for a wonderful birthday

i'm so grateful for all the blessings the Lord has given me and my family. each year it is a reminder of the gifts and grace God has blessed me with. what an amazing 29 years so far!

you've got to love a husband who enjoys giving little "blue" boxes

when i get time

2011-03-18T11:31:00.000-07:00

in my few minutes of spare these days i search the endless world of DIY blogs for new projects to add to my list. there are so many fun ideas out there, but i have to say as i read these other so called "stay at home mom" blogs i wonder who's watching there kids while they do all this?? or maybe it's me who hasn't figured out the art of multi-tasking while the littles are up. anyway here are few of the things i hope to try, finish and enjoy while staying at home. note i'm not giving myself a deadline.

animal art work for beckett's room

through the year handprints - actually have already started this!!

recycled t-shirt dress for ellington

recycled crayon creations

yarn wrapped letters for Beckett - actually have the B mostly done

bubble painting with ellington...and any other kid that wants to join us

yummy doughnuts- if you know ellington at all you'll know she's in love with doughnuts

takes after her dad and grampie

so these are just a few of things i'd like to make sometime soon.

i a big girl!!

2011-03-16T12:04:00.001-07:00

daddy: elle are you a hedgie?

elle: NO! I a BIG girl!!

daddy: elle you'll always be my hedgie, even when you're a mommy you'll still be my hedgie

it's true BIG GIRL you'll always be our little hedgie

but you are definitely growing up!

- 5 months -

2011-03-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

at 5 months you're

17 lbs

wearing 6-12 month outfits

still some 3 month pants

on again off again with sucking your thumb, right now it seems to be your whole hand at times. but you're definitely NOT a pac kid, spite elle's attempt to give you one

you're starting some solids

bananas, pears, prunes & sweet potatoes

you love sitting in your chair with us at lunch and dinner

you think your sister and puppy are pretty funny. and love to watch what they do, as they usually run circles around you. not for long though!

you love to sit in your exersaucer, watch basketball with daddy, and you're starting to grab for things and even roll your body towards things you want. it won't be long and you'll be moving!

you're still our little charmer. you can turn on the charm in a heartbeat when someone shows you some attention. you've learned to roll from your tummy to your back, which is not good for naps and night time. you haven't figured out how to roll back and you do NOT like to be left on your back for long, especially to sleep.

we love you little man

: want to play? :

2011-03-10T11:20:00.000-08:00

it's always :playtime: here

after almost 5 months we're settling into a good routine and i'm realizing how much i love being at home. it's such a blessing to be with these 2 precious little ones all day. ellington is talking ALL the time and is very curious about EVERYTHING and hears EVERYTHING. if you've spent even a hour with her you'd hear her say "noise?" waiting for your response as to what the "noise" is. which is typically a truck. and, well beckett is still mr. flirt. he smiles all the time and is beginning to recognize tackle. he gets really excited when he comes by and will give a little screech sometimes. his laugh is the best and just melts your heart. ahhh...these are the moments to remember, right!?

during beckett's morning nap i spend sometime with just ellington. we do a craft project, work on our colors, letters, or her newest obsession piano - via the iphone/itouch. i guess it's just the next generation of piano lessons, at least they're FREE lessons. it's fun to have these few hours with just her. she's growing up so fast...i know a phrase every parent says, but it's hard to remember her any other way right now.

painting our paper plate shakers

play dough & mr. potato head

free piano lessons

dance, dance, dance

another favorite of elle's

so if you ever want to just come and play...come on over!

a few of our favorite things

2011-03-02T18:35:00.000-08:00

sunday mornings are BUSY at our house, but we still find time to make pancakes and enjoy ellington's rather colorful circus like pajamas she picked out. we hustle in the morning to get to church early so we set up for kidport. i've recently taken on the director of children's ministry at our church and while it's busy and makes our sundays hectic, i'm loving it. usually elle comes with me since it's beckett's naptime and josh brings him later. but this sunday we decided to go all together, so we really had to hustle. ellington loves to get herself dressed and usually picks out decent options. of course we tweak her choices just a bit. don't worry she wore a matching outfit to church.

so... a few of our favorite things

pancakes, pajamas & cooking

the bean bucket

flip flops!

well, really any shoe. she's for sure a GIRL

stretching & football

iphone!

i know i said i'd never get one...well, really i said i didn't NEED one. which is true! but i caved and got one. thanks babe for the new phone. i thought he'd give me a hard time for holding out so long and giving him grief about it, but really he was more than happy to pick it up for me on his way home from work out of the blue. AWESOME!

4 months

2011-02-19T18:14:00.000-08:00

beckett @ 4 months

15.14 lbs

25 inches

you're a great sleeper and love to sleep on your tummy.

you take 3 naps a day and are in bed around 8:30 and most importantly you're sleeping through the night. you love to be sung (hummed) to and have your back patted, but usually you'll just put yourself to sleep.

you just started rice cereal and actually like it quite well.

daddy decided to give you your first mohawk...which came with a new nickname "mini mo"

you are for sure mr. smiley.

you'll smile at anyone and at anytime. your smile makes me melt, but most of all it let's me know you're happy (even if you should be sleeping)

you've been trying out some new toys and love them all. you've been sucking on your hands more and try to put your softy toys and rings in your mouth. you've also figured out how to clasp your hands together. the best thing that you've started to do is {laugh}. you're ticklish on your tummy and we can usually get a pretty good laugh out of you.

your big sister loves to help. she cares a lot about you and i can't wait to see your friendship grow. you love to watch her run all over the room along with your puppy, tackle. you've added so much to our family in just 4 short months. it's hard to remember life without you.

we love you little man, bdubs, mini mo, mr. bear...so many nicknames for such a sweet little boy.

love,

mommy & daddy

:: i heart you ::

2011-02-15T19:07:00.000-08:00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

to our sweet little hedgie

and to our handsome little man

and yes even to our puppy dog

::sweet little valentines::

and

::yummy valentine cookies::

we love you!!

mom & dad

pitter patter

2011-02-09T12:54:00.000-08:00

the 2 year streak is over

these little feet now know how to get OUT of bed

last weekend we had my sister's family over for a fun filled weekend

and since nap time could be way more fun with a cousin, elle decided she hop out of bed and "try" to join josie for a nap. not so fast little one! after 2 attempts she finally went to sleep.

the girls enjoyed a little tub time

we also took a trip to Sarfari Joe's waterpark. 6 kids under the age of 8 +3 adults = an afternoon of hopping between kiddie pools, the lazy river, slides, & the "real" pool.

thanks for a fun time cousins & aunt elizabeth

and uncle tim i do believe the kids are with you next time, seeing how you had a kid free weekend.

b*dubs

2011-02-08T11:52:00.000-08:00

b*dubs aka beckett

just a few shots of our little man

what to do??

2011-02-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

when little brother is sleeping...

act like we're on the silly farm with a barnyard hullabaloo

practice our artistic skills and mastering the fine art of cutting with scissors

and, well of course...

bundle up for some snow action outside

we keep ourselves busy while little bro is sleeping, but i have to say i'm looking forward to warmer weather so we play outside longer and hit the trails running & biking

what do you do??

::the BIG rival::

2011-01-29T18:05:00.000-08:00

CALVIN vs HOPE

so even though the knights let us down today it was till a lot of fun to sport our alum. and surprisingly we had enough calvin attire to outfit the whole family. we met up with some other calvin {and a few hope} fans at the local sandbar. yes it was a little strange taking our kids to the bar for a basketball game but i promise you it was smoke free and there were plenty of other kids there too. it actually felt like a homey place {that just doesn't seem right, but it did}.

our dear friends jeff & emily and their sweet boy micah joined the party. emily's an alumni director at calvin and hosted the party in the ville. ellington and micah played together and beckett was held most the time by some calvin alumni. don't worry we actually knew the person, they go to our church. but let's be honest if they're wearing calvin gear...they're good people!

::what's new::

2011-01-27T11:59:00.000-08:00

so what's new around here?

well...

beckett is enjoying the view from a new spot, which means he's not a fan of laying flat anymore looking at the same octopus day after day on his floor mat. it's fun to see him start interacting more with his surroundings. elle didn't try out the exersaucer until she was 4 months. so advanced, he might be?? or it was just time for a change of pace. he is smiling a ton and will definitely be the flirt as he gets older. i don't think he'll be the shy one, that's for sure!

my latest crafty project...

leggings for ellington & felt hair clips

i got the idea from some DIY blog stalking. i love finding do-it-yourself projects.

at last but not least, we have a 2 year old POTTY TRAINED little girl. she is soo good that it makes we wonder what we're in for with beckett down the road. because we all know it can't happen this easy twice. this week she had her 2 year dr. appointment. she did great minus the shots, but what kid enjoys those?? she weighed in at 24lbs. and 2'11. tall. according to the doctor's formula she'll be about 5'9...obviously taller than her mother.

so that's what's new around our house

it's the little things...

2011-01-25T17:54:00.000-08:00

that make me smile & give a little chuckle...

papa being silly with his hedgie

the intense desire to do something alone & fully enjoy it

sibling love

good friends

in the chaos of the daily life it's easy to miss the little things. our days are pretty much the same; eat, play, snuggle, play, nap, repeat x3. but i wouldn't change it. ellington is at such a fun age, exploring everything and beckett is just soaking it all in. there are times when i look forward to beckett doing more, and then i remember he'll never be this little again. and i'm sure since he's a boy and will most likely take after his sister he won't be sitting for long once he learns to move. so for now i'll just soak it all in too.

it's the little things that make each day a success

i'm 2

2011-01-23T11:44:00.000-08:00

ellington is 2...wow!

what an amazing 2 years it's been. we had a great weekend partying with friends and family. we are so blessed to have family close by and friends near to celebrate with us. we cherish the time spent with both and love hearing all the chatter that comes with having lots of kids in one house. ellington is becoming more of a playmate with her cousins. last year she'd stand and just watch and once in a while try to catch up with them, but they would have already moved onto something else. not this year...she quickly joined in on the fun or was the starter.

testing out all the yummy treats

what girl doesn't like minnie mouse

spending time with family and friends

the 2 birthday girls

happy birthday josie, feb.1st!!! we loved celebrating with you too

happy birthday sweet ellington

2011-01-20T20:17:00.000-08:00

happy 2nd birthday sweet girl

dear ellington,

you're 2, i can't believe it! it's hard to remember our house with just you, now that beckett has joined the family. you were such an easy baby and loved to be snuggled, which you still do and ask now to "snuggle". i love our snuggle time. it won't last for long so we'll take as much of it now as we can. you amaze us with your intuitative nature, you are very curious about the world around you and want to know everything. you talk all the time and ask about everything. you love to repeat anything we say, including "bummer" which you find so fun and crack up immediately as do we. we absolutely love it! you love to play mommy and chase your puppy around. you are such a loving and caring big sister, beckett loves all your kisses and hugs. we are so proud that you are potty trained and love being a big girl. here are a few of your favorite things right now...

*blankie

*bubble baths

*swimming

*snuggling

*singing- amazing grace before bed

*mickey & minnie mouse

*baby dolls

*tackle

*running

*coloring

*washing dishes

*helping mommy

*boots - shoes in general

*getting dressed by yourself

*bows

*books

*donuts {sat. date with dad}

we love you sweet ellington. you will forever be our little hedige. we are so thankful that God blessed us with you and your spunky personality. you fill our days with wonder and laughter. we hope this next year is filled with many fun memories, new adventures, and more love than you know.

love,

mommy & daddy

2011-01-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

@ 3 months

sleeping through the night!!!

up at 7 am

naps 3 times a day: 2, 2hrs & a 45 min.

bed at 8:30

smiles

laughs

ticklish under his arms

tracks tackle & elle around the room

goes to sleep on his own

drools

sucks on his first finger

p.t. {day 2}

2011-01-11T18:37:00.000-08:00

day 2

ellington stayed dry ALL NIGHT!!! i'm totally amazed.

we had the extra sheets ready to go but didn't need them. we'll see how night 2 goes tonight.

during day 2 elle only had 2 accidents to her defense 1 of them was my fault. she wanted to play in the sink with her suds and cups so i warmed up her water a bit and let's just say the running water technique works! she stopped herself though and we quickly made it to the bathroom to finish.

the 3 day program we're doing encourages the drinking liquids non-stop, well elle isn't much a drinker so we're trying everything even juice which she's not been a huge fan of. so we push as much liquid as she'll take but day 2 we backed off the reminder her and just waited for her to tell us - ok actually me.

this is probably too much information, but it's more for me to remember the process so here goes. today she actually went {poopy} on the toilet TWICE! and yes she asked for "magz" to read. actually this is what she said while on the toilet looking at the pile of magazines in the cupboard. "daddy magz, daddy magz " i guess modeling does pay off. so of course i had a snap a shot to capture the moment. (again another one she'll hate later in life)

potty training is trying...asked to be covered up on the dinning table bench after a 3 hr. nap

proud little brother & a great trooper when he gets pushed aside to take elle to the bathroom

cuddling with her dollies and my cardio workout for the day - pushing her up/down the hallway while dodging tackle. try it sometime, she's not all that light as dead weight.

here's to day 2 night and one more official day of potty training

looking forward to going out of the house on day 4. i'm not crazy though we're just going to a friend's house. i'm not sure we're ready to try the store just yet. maybe with daddy this weekend. i'm not pushing my luck right now.

potty training {day 1}

2011-01-10T19:14:00.000-08:00

since we're back from all the holiday traveling and beckett is onto a more regular schedule and even sleeping through the night {for the most part} we thought why not add another change to our life...potty training for ellington

the upside: only one kid in diapers

the downside: constantly monitoring a 2 year old and being prepared for middle of the night accidents.

so we got all the essentials to help prepare us for this new milestone the best we could

cool new undies - check

incentives - check

day 1 progress

so far so good, here's the stats from the day

5 total accidents all before lunch time

dry undies after nap

*couldn't help snapping this shot...too cute*

i'm sure someday she'll hate me for it, but for now it's cute

so proud of all of her stickers, and yes she loves to brush her teeth multiple times a day!

stay tuned for night 1 and day 2 progress

we're still working on her telling us that she "has to go"

ellington we're so proud of you!!!

our little man

2011-01-07T19:34:00.000-08:00

we love you beckett

sometimes...

2011-01-07T18:42:00.000-08:00

sometimes you just have to enjoy the little things

like...

making cookies for no reason

eating frosting out of the can

and of course

bubble baths

messy little hands

2011-01-05T19:35:00.000-08:00

i've been out of the classroom from almost 3 months, so i was feeling like a little school time at home. today ethan and garrett visited for a little while, so martha could take sydney to the doctor. the boys are 3 and ellington is almost 2 so why not start working on our names. ethan did a great job tracing his name with paint using a q-tip, garrett is much more of an abstract artist. ellington just got to enjoy painting with her friends. she is my little crafter, although it usually only last 5 minutes. just long enough to get it all out, get messy and be ready for the next thing.

i love watching little kids explore new things and simply have FUN. so bring on the mess, i don't mind...usually!!

here we go...365 daily snapshots

2011-01-05T19:21:00.000-08:00

is it possible...

to take 1 picture everyday for 365 days?

well we're about to find out

so here's the plan:

take a picture each day for a year that shows what happens in a year's time

then turn it into a book

so far so good

checkout the new blog

365. a daily snapshot

{there is a link on the side of head over heels to keep up with it}

celebrating christmas 2010

2011-01-05T18:29:00.000-08:00

we are thankful for all the family we have and even more thankful that most of them live in michigan! we traveled across the state and back, but it was worth all the fun memories and time spent with family and friends.

we kicked off the holidays with a visit to santa in GR, that didn't go as well as we'd hoped. but pretty sure as good as it could with a 2 year old and a 2 month old. beckett did great, sat and looked at the camera...ellington stood with me and did actually tell santa she wanted a doll. we also had a chance to visit with sarah and mark {old college friend & husband}. sarah has never met the kids and now we have 2...wow! it doesn't matter how long it's been since we've seen or talked with one another, it's always like we're back in college.

then we started the christmas celebration with a brunch with the Hostetter side of the family, of course the kids enjoyed a visit from their auntie paulette. beckett and ellington were outfitted as Notre Dame cheerleaders...pom-poms and everything for ellington.

family traditions:

1. christmas eve pj & pizza party

this year we enjoyed sharing our christmas eve tradition with josh's family. auntie paulette, aunt anna, uncle bryan, gram & papa joined the fun. pjs were required!!! elle was so excited to open her new jammies and well beckett crashed early before we had a chance to open his, so he got to open them on christmas morning.

2. undies in the stocking

might be {too much information} but that's what we do, and this year ellington got BIG girl undies. she was so excited she put them on over her diaper. hoping to have just 1 in diapers soon enough.

3. new tradition - family gift

josh picked out a family gift this year...PATRIOT outfits

he is always keeping us decked out in his favorite teams. thanks honey for thinking of a new tradition this year.

4. sibling gifts

ellington went shopping with daddy this year for beckett and got him some trucks, she was so excite for him to open them. and in return he got her a fun new puzzle. we have such a cute video of her opening it and saying "thank you brudther, thank you beckett". love that sweet little voice of thankfulness. she also picked out some bones for tackle at the store. which she forced him to eat all day long. he just wanted to hide them for a later time.

sporting the new patriot attire and visiting family in midland. game day!!

a special little hedgehog for our little hedgie

NYE celebration with friends

this year we a week between family christmas so we enjoyed NYE with some friends. i'm not sure the last time i actually stayed up for midnight, probably college, but this year we chose to celebrate 2011 by sleeping. these days sleep is more important!!

here's a few pics of our little man growing up. he is becoming our smiley boy.

whatcha think dad...quarterback or linemen material??

happy 2011

i know the whites are in matching outfits AGAIN...it was ND bowl game, so it was our last time to sport the jerseys.

vogel christmas 2010

grammie found matching outfits for all 9 grandkids...wow, i'm sure that was a full day at the mall finding the right sizes. it was so fun to see all the kids dressed up and enjoying one another. they are all at such a fun age, the little ones try so hard to keep up with the older ones. and surprisingly they don't fight! i'm sure that's coming down the road.

so with 9 kids in one house it was hard to find a time when they were all up from naps and fed. good thing my parents have a big house, we still had a hard time finding enough rooms for naps.

snuggling with grammie

snuggling with grampie and ellington's pillow pet

all the kids got pillow pets this year. it's the latest craze with kids and it was so fun to see the kids get excited about theirs. ellington got a pig and beckett got a dog. what a great idea grammie and grampie.

vogel christmas isn't complete without a few special things...

celebrating baby jesus' birthday, christmas story reading, winter birthday celebration, and game time. this year i brought some fun games from the new hit show "minute to win it".

and finally...

we stayed an extra day with mom and dad and enjoyed some extra cousin time. ellington's favorite person is josie. she calls josie on her {fake} cell phone frequently and asked to pray for her at lunch, dinner, and bed. josie we love that ellington cares so much for you. we hope your friendship continues to grow as you both grow up. olivia you a great big cousin, spending your sunday afternoon pulling these 2 crazy girls around the house just to keep the giggling.

garrett, beckett and ryan...our dapper little dudes. i can't wait to see these 3 get into trouble as they get older. beckett you're in for a lot of fun with these 2 cousins.

and what's the holidays with out a little JUST DANCE

my sister and i trying out her new zumba wii game from christmas. and yes the jingle skirts are a must. thank you olivia for letting me borrow hers and for documenting this event with plenty of pictures.

whew...so there you have it, christmas 2010

we love, love, love the holidays and seeing family. thank you to both of our families for making the holidays such a memorable time.

MerRy ChRistMaS

2010-12-18T19:15:00.000-08:00

here's a little preview of our Christmas card since they're going to be late this year

we had a friend from church take some family pictures last weekend and they turned out

AWESOME

so of course we waited to get the pictures back

and what do you know it's already a week before Christmas

so enjoy a sneak peek

MerRy ChRisTmaS

may you holiday season be filled with memories

we cherish this time to spend with family and friends

enjoy the chaos and busyness that goes along with this season

above all else BELIEVE

"for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son."

john 3:16

blessings to all

the whites

josh . emily . ellington . beckett . tackle

@ 2 months

2010-12-18T19:10:00.000-08:00

at two months...

13.9 lbs

23 inches long

3- 4 naps

bed at 8

sleeps 8-9 hours

smiling

cooing

kicking

melting our hearts more and more each day

snow day

2010-12-13T13:57:00.000-08:00

melting our hearts

2010-12-12T19:29:00.000-08:00

priceless smiles in our house these days

melting our hearts for sure

we love you

beckett & ellington

happy birthday sis

2010-12-12T19:08:00.000-08:00

happy birthday elizabeth!

this pictures a little outdated, but it shows how much we're the ones taking pictures. so thanks to josh or tim for snapping this one. sorry elizabeth it's the only pic i have of us together.

anyway...

elizabeth,

thanks for being a great big sister. it's been fun to look back on all of our fun times sharing a room, bugging the boys on long car rides, and planning outfits while you were in college and i was back at home. i loved visiting you at college and have always looked up to. as we get older i cherish our times of getting together to run early in the morning or meet half way at kensington park with the kids and of course signing up for race after race. by the way, what's are next one? thanks for sharing your creativity and knowledge of motherhood with me. here's to many more birthday celebrations.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS!

love,

p.s. happy birthday to uncle paul & jon

then & now

2010-12-12T18:48:00.000-08:00

will always be daddy's little girl

then: 2 weeks

now: 23 months

true & simple love

head over heels

the ballernia & a donut

happy 3rd birthday, ellington

CKM..one of our favs!

family traditions

more parties...

chicago adventure

girlz christmas party!

chillin' @ home

25 days of christmas

u cut...u pull...u decorate

coming your way soon...

falling leaves

WWF...kid style

the big 3-0

1st birthday tailgate

fall and the {sorts}

happy birthday beckett

a trip to the zoo...

walking {everywhere}

{home}schooling - kind of

family camp

a little this, a little that...

a week away...

Heads up 7up...

let {freedom} ring

::hannah's 1st::

{emily white} photography

so in love

happy {father's} day

camping

it's summer...

a weekend to {remember}

handy daddy

alex's army

i do it

my buddy, my buddy, my buddy and me

my friend lindsay...a post by elle

TRAMPOLINE...

curious elle

:: stud ::

:: tiny dancer ::

: 6 months :

outside...finally

grammy's visit

b*o*u*n*c*e

CHICAGO

movie night...scene 1, 2, 3

: happy birthday :

when i get time

i a big girl!!

- 5 months -

: want to play? :

a few of our favorite things

4 months

:: i heart you ::

pitter patter

b*dubs

what to do??

::the BIG rival::

::what's new::

it's the little things...

i'm 2

happy birthday sweet ellington

p.t. {day 2}

potty training {day 1}

our little man

sometimes...

messy little hands

here we go...365 daily snapshots

celebrating christmas 2010

MerRy ChRistMaS

@ 2 months

snow day

melting our hearts

happy birthday sis

then & now

bou*nce