Time flies when...

You're having fun!  And boy are we having fun!

Halloween was great this year.  Braylee dressed up as a peacock, and Paitin as a mermaid and little S joined us for some trick-or-treating fun!

AND, we found out that we are expecting our 3rd little miracle in June!!!

It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  Or at least it did for one day back in November.  But, nonetheless, the kids had a ball in the snow! 

Scott, Braylee and CB worked on a snowman lovingly named "Eye Carrot".

While I worked on a little snow family of VanDusens. 

And P, B, and CB thoroughly enjoyed hot cocoa and marshmallows afterwards!

Paitin and Braylee helped me decorate the bottom half of the tree the day after Thanksgiving while Scott did the outside of the house.

Since Braylee is going to be a big sister, we decided to move her to a different room to open up what we'll call the nursery.  And she "helped" me paint her new room...look, she doesn't even have to look at what she's painting next! 

I think in the end, more paint ended up on her hands and feet than on the walls.  :)

Here are the big sisters standing against Braylee's fully painted wall showing off the shirts that I made them.  They each have a little '6-4-12' on them which is my due date.  This is how we told our families.  Who figured it out first? 

And here I am at 13 weeks (which was last week)...Scott swears it's twins.

We have SO MUCH to be thankful for this year (and every year).  I pray that this finds you well and happy.  Have a Blessed Christmas!!

Good-bye summer...

Scott wanted to wait 'til the Fall Equinox to make it official, but I'll jump the gun:  We went a whole year without a hospital visit!!!  This was something that we were really excited about!  It's almost unbelievable that we are already back in the groove of school and work after a fun and busy summer.  Here is just a quick overview of the last month or so:

We tried blueberry picking again...this time went a lost smoother than when the kids were younger!  I think CB ate her body weight in blueberries in ~45 minutes.

We enjoyed lots of popsicles on the deck.  This is one satisfied customer! 

Braylee loves everything baby.  Scott found her sleeping like this and had to get a photo.

Paitin looking like Mitta.

Paitin showing her excitement over her second lost tooth.

My babies went to school! 

If you remember me saying in a previous post that this swimsuit matches Braylee's personality...I felt obligated to make her a skirt for her 1st day so that her teachers knew exactly what they were in for!

Braylee's first day of 3 year old preschool.  (and she didn't get kicked out!  yet.)

Paitin's first day of Kindergarten! 

And first time off the bus. 

Eating breakfast before their first dance class, buns and all! 

I love these girls!!! 

Cousins having a snack together.

We are so blessed.  We have many things to be thankful for...God is SO great!

Praying this finds everyone doing well,

Kristen

Summer 2011

 I can't believe it is almost August already! 

These last few weeks have flown by...and we've had a ton of fun!

Near the end of June we rented a beautiful cottage near Grand Haven and spent a lot of time at the beach, relaxing, and spending awesome quality time with family.  At no point did we want to strangle each other...

Paitin playing with chalk at the cottage.

Uncle Mike was playing hide-and-go-seek with the girls when he called me into the room...notice the bottom shelf.  

 Yes, those are Braylee's legs.

Braylee being silly at the cottage. 

We stopped at Mulligan's Hollow on our last day in Grand Haven. 

For the 4th of July we went to see fireworks downtown and (I think) Paitin finished off the whole bag of Doritos by herself!

After fireworks, we had to say goodbye to Uncle Mike.  We will miss you! 

7-6-11  Braylee writes her name legibly 

We have enjoyed spending a lot of time in our neighborhood pool.

Both girls can now swim across the deep end independently! 

Doesn't this suit match Braylee's personality?!

Paitin loves diving for anything that sinks! 

In July, we took a weekend trip with the Sarber's to Arbutus (near Traverse City).  LOTS of fun on the lake! 

We've had friends come over to play!

And visited Grandpa and Grandma VanDusen up in Fremont for the National Baby Food Festival. 

Braylee and Claire rode the biggest roller coaster there!  (*make sure you click on this picture so you can get a better look of their faces!*)

AND, we went to the zoo! 

I'm exhausted just typing about all that we've done in the last month!  We are so thankful to have been healthy this summer...we needed a break from the "real-life" of the last couple years.  Sorry if we haven't seen you in awhile, but I think we'll be home here really soon. 

Let me introduce you...

                                               To our wonderful second born, Braylee.

She's got more personality than we know what to do with!

In none of these pictures did we say 'make a silly face, Brayles'

again.

Or

It's just so hard to stand still for that millisecond to take a picture!

She's always challenging us (in the best ways possible).

She's just so full of life and can't contain it!

She looks so happy to be next to her favorite sister.

How about a good family picture?

Or not.

And these are just from the last 6 weeks.  I've got more.  Lots more.  Please pray for us.

Paitin turns 5!!!

Little Miss Princess Paitin

My birthday Princess on her 5th birthday:  May 22, 2011

 She got her Ariel doll (the only thing she's ever requested for past birthdays or Christmas')

...and she also got her ears pierced!

Paitin and Braylee acted like they liked each other for a split second while I took this photo.

This is what happens when you are not a professional water-balloon-filler like me!

Paitin with her crowd of pint sized on-lookers as she opens her gifts.

Paitin playing with Uncle Steve's gift!

Best Buds

  

A trip down 'Memory Lane' for little Miss Paitin...

It was love at first sight for these two.  This is one of my favorite pictures of all time!

At 3 months old.  She couldn't have been a better baby - Always happy, laid back, and a good sleeper. 

Daddy with his twin.  They will always share a bond because of those oriental eyes!

p.s. Her shirt says "I get my good looks from my dad"

Paitin playing in the leaves. (November 2006)

1st Birthday! (May 2007)

Paitin showing off her femullet (a.k.a. a female mullet - business in the front, party in the back!).  (December-ish 2007)

She became a big sister when she was only 19 months old.  (April 2008)

Stopping to smell the flowers.  (Spring 2008)

That's not where your swimsuit goes, silly goose!

Playing in the sprinkler at her 2nd Birthday.  (May 2008)

Posing pretty for the camera. (Summer 2009)

Paitin with Papa and 'Carrie the Caribou' (August 2009)

Learning how to play the guitar with Uncle Mike (Christmas time 2009)

Trying to feel baby Claire.  (February 2009)

Paitin's 3rd Birthday...always the ham!  (May 2009)

Paitin's 4th Birthday (May 2010).

Paitin's 5th Birthday - showing off her sorting skills...or is is OCD?!  (May 22, 2011)

It has happened in the blink of an eye.  My baby has grown into a little girl and I'm so unbelievably proud of who she's become!  I remember the day (36 hours total) that I was in labor with Pait and the short push (3 hours and 6 minutes worth) to bring her little life into this world like it was yesterday!  I remember the moments after birth when I couldn't believe God had blessed us with a little girl (which I was secretly hoping and praying for!!).  She was amazing from her first breath.  She always had a very quiet cry and she's still quite soft spoken...soft spoken, yes, but will talk your ear off if you let her!  She was always really laid back and didn't mind not being mobile until she was 11 months old.  She was a great sleeper early on, and it seemed like she was always smiling.  I remember times when she was a baby when she would laugh so hard that I thought she was going to throw up!  She was God's little *surprise* baby for us, but He knew exactly what we needed when she came into this world.  She has been one of the biggest blessings in our life because we always wanted to be parents, it was just in God's timing and not our own.  The day that she was born was in the top 3 best days of my life (the other being my wedding and later Braylee's birth), and she has been so awesome ever since.  She is such a great kiddo now and can't believe that she's on the cusp of Kindergarten.  I still see her as a baby, how can she be old enough to go to school?!   I'm so proud to be called her Mommy and I'm calling a front row seat to see what God has planned next in her life!