Odds and ends in Feb.

Ella giving cousin Connor a kiss

Nathan's idea of painting

Ella giving Nathan a kiss

Carissa curled and frilled up Ella's hair. She looked pretty cute all dolled up. Even lip gloss to boot.

Play dates can be tiring

Busy at their table coloring

Finger painting that always lead to bath time

Climbing the mountain

Nathan and Ella have found a new adventure in climbing up the mattress. They want to do this everytime we go downstairs.

Ella repeating ABC's

Ella likes to repeat the ABC's now and then. She was pretty preoccupied with her ice cream cone, but you can still hear her get them out.

Nathan's acrobatic talent

Here is Nathan finding a new way to get out of the playhouse. A couple of the times, he just shot out of the window. Little dare devil!

We're expecting!

Not that this is new news for most of you, but for the few who read this and might not know, we are expecting a baby at the end of July. We found out we are only having one! Nathan and Ella are pretty excited (from what they can understand). Ella kisses my tummy and pats the baby daily. Their biggest saying is, "Out?" and I say, " not yet, when it is...." Ella replies, "hot" and then I end by saying, "yes and when we can put our feet in the...." and Ella replies, "pool!"

It will be an interesting 6-7 months since we will also be looking and moving into a house too. God is great and we are so thankful for this miracle. Pray with us for a healthy pregnancy and delivery!

In loving memory of Grandpa Lance

Grandpa Lance Van Dyke passed away on Jan. 4, 2010. I was able to get back to Minnesota for the funeral. We had a sad, but great time reminiscing about how wonderful of a Grandpa he was and how much he was going to be missed by all his 27 grandchildren.

Beckering Family Christmas 2009/ Minnesota Blizzard

Grandpa reading to the grand kids

Ella and Nathan thought the snow was cool

Grandpa snow plowing so we could get off the driveway

Tim and Darin scooping snow off the roof

Cold but beautiful

Avery "loves" Christmas. Look at that expression

Brayden and Brianna investigating their new toys

Princess Kylie

Caleb and Bennet protecting Grandma

Ella not liking her fairy outfit

Nathan doesn't seem to mind it!

You wouldn't call the Christmas dinner this year "relaxing"

Cousin time

Nathan and Ella loved Grandma's paints


Well finally getting around to the Beckering Christmas. It was great being home, but not being in the weather!!!!!!!! It was cold, snowing and blizzard like conditions. They closed most of the interstates in Minnesota and South Dakota. We were snowed in on Christmas day. Still we had a great time and loved being with family.

Stuive Family Christmas 2009

Welcome Connor Scott. He is Adam and Tara's first born. He was born on the 24th too, so Ella and Nathan can share a birthday with their 2nd cousin

Ella loved to hold Connor.

Proud parents

Eric and boys, minus Jessica and Malachi

Todd and Kathy and family

Scott and Barb and their growing family

Ella and Nathan opening up their presents

Christmas and Birthday.. presents galore!

We celebrated Christmas with Tim's family on the 21st. We had a great time celebrating Christmas and Ella and Nathan's birthdays. They loved all the attention. Tim's parents left the next day for Florida (till April). We will miss them a lot.

Happy 2nd Birthday!

Hard to believe that Nathan and Ella are 2 years old. They love Elmo, so they got an Elmo cake for their birthday. They need a little practice on blowing out candles as you can see. Good thing the Stuive family was okay with a little bit of Nathan's spit on the cake.

Winter is here

Occasionally Ella will sit still so I can do her hair. We call is "Salon Time!"

Close up

First big snow in Michigan. Ella liked it.

Nathan wasn't so sure after awhile

Here cousins Ashley and Megan help with sledding

Ella and Nathan showing off their big boy and girl underwear

They appear to be all amazed with their new underwear. Too bad they were not just as amazed as potty training. We are going to try harder after the holidays!

Well winter is definitely upon us. Grand Rapids area schools were called off at least three times in the last week and a half. Were doing good here. Nathan and Ella have enjoyed watching the snow and playing in it. Yesterday we went tubing/sledding and they had fun (as well as the parents). Their new love is listening to music and doing actions. Their favorite song is "Wheels on the bus" and "If your happy and you know it." Sometimes they do the actions perfect and other times, like when I have my camera out, they refuse. Typical two year old. It is so hard to believe they are going to be 2 in a couple weeks. We can see such growth in them lately. They can say 2-3 word sentences and they pick up on things and remember things more than I thought they ever would. They have an obsession with dogs. They love my parents dog and lately they have had contact with "Auntie Tara's dog Cooper and one of our small group's who has a dog named Yoshi. They get pretty upset when they have to leave the dog. It is pretty cute to see their bond, but not enough to make us want one just yet! Ella loves to play with her dolls. You can find her busy feeding them, burping them, and changing their diapers. They "poop" (as Ella loves to tell you) alot. Nathan likes dolls to and mostly messing up anything Ella is doing. They have also gotten into coloring and using markers. We are traveling home for Christmas on the 22nd, weather permitting. I'll try get a couple more Christmas pictures out soon.

Wheels on the bus

Ella and Nathan love the "Wheels on the Bus" song. I have tried many times to get them to do it, but this is by best shot. Watch Nathan totally not do it. Stinkers!!!

October excitement

Proud Grandpa Scott and Grandma Barb with Mitch and Kendra's new little girl MacKenzie

My college friends and I got together last weekend in Wisconsin


Having some fun at the Hat store

Here we are ready to start shopping

Megan, Nathan and I with the puppy Dakota at a Stuive Birthday party

Ella in her Elephant costume

Nathan trying it out too

Darin, Tricia, and family

Mom and Dad with the grand kids

Dan, Laura, and Family

Tim and I

The whole Beckering gang

Celebrating Avery's 1st Birthday

Nathan and Ella checking out the soybeans

"I think they're ready Grandpa!"

Nathan and Ella loved Grandpa's big truck

Caleb and Benett

Sharing a "cousin" moment

Nathan joined later to make it 6 in the tub!

Helping Dad rake the leaves

We love to hug (sometimes)

Picking out pumpkins

This farming stuff is great

Ella loved jumping in the hay

Amazing how quickly time gets away from you. We have had some busy weekends and I finally have a little time to get the blog updated. The weekend of Oct. 24th, we headed back to Leota to visit family. I have to work Thanksgiving so we thought we would go early to possibly have Tim help my dad do some harvesting. Well the weather did not cooperate, but we had a great time being with family. We got to spend time going to Aunt Nadine and Aunt Karen's (who each spoiled Nathan and Ella royally with treats) and then we got to spend a day with my aunts, cousins, and grandparents. It was so nice to see everyone again and I cannot believe how big my nephews and nieces are getting. Nathan and Ella loved being on the farm and seeing the cows and Ella, especially fell in love with my parent's dog Hershey. Ella nicknamed him "Doo..ahhh!" The next weekend I went up to Green Bay, Wisconsin area with 6 other college girlfriends. It was our 10 year college reunion, and we finally made plans for all of us to get together. We had a blast up in Door County. We did a lot of shopping and eating and tried our best to keep the local economy alive. Now I am back to reality. Our November should be quiet and then we are planning to go back to Minnesota for Christmas. We have been spending some quality time outside raking leaves. This is the only time living in a forest is not so fun. Otherwise not too much new going on here. Talk to you soon.