We are spending the weekend in Traverse City which is about 4 hours NW of where we live in Michigan. We came up to visit some friends of ours, Aaron and Terrilyn Bump, who work with Lake Ann Camp near Traverse City. Aaron is worship leader and official nature guide at the camp. (OK, I... Continue Reading →

Today my wonderful mom turns 50! I am so thankful for her and the many ways she has influenced my life. She raised me as a single mom, working hard to provide for us, overcoming numerous obstacles to get her college degree, and making countless sacrifices - I'm sure more than I even know. The... Continue Reading →

but have you heard of the Blue Baby Group? Stelly is the first and only member at this point. If you know another baby who might qualify, please submit photos to:whydidiletmy1yearoldusemarkers@yahoo.com

My grandmother went home to be with the Lord last Thursday at 5 PM, just like Jesus has promised to everyone who believes in him. Erica, Stella, and I were able to see her in some of her last lucid moments. We were able to let her look at Stella a little while and let... Continue Reading →

"Asher's Candy Shoppe" has closed so our lives have returned to normal! Here are some pics from the past few weeks... Mommy and Stelly at Jungle Java This was typical of our morning at JJ - Stelly was in the way no matter what toy she was on! She would sit in the middle of... Continue Reading →

i'm working myself out of a job - she helps unload the dishwasher and now she's into vacuuming!

stelly turned 18 mos old this past sunday. she has had a nasty cold for over a week now (so what else is new for us MI moms???). today she looked and seemed to feel a little better when she got up from her nap. here are some bday pics of her and then one... Continue Reading →

Our hearts are so full with praise to the Lord for giving Will and Rachel a safe delivery of their baby girl today! We are thrilled for the way God's purposes have ripened in their lives. We don't know any specifics yet b/c Will just texted us, but I will post them ASAP. I hope... Continue Reading →

even down to her little toes (JUST moved into size 3 shoes - still so tiny)!our little monkey is holding a monkey of her own!below she's showing off some new "skeels" (as daddy would say) - putting her own shoes on! i can't handle this flash anymore!!

This is what you feel like when you lose a friendly bet (or wager if you prefer) about the big game. Thats right, I'm talking OSU vs. Michigan-the annual Big 10 showdown of conference heavyweights. Living in Michigan is difficult for an OSU fan to put it mildly. My friend Jason Elwart and I had... Continue Reading →

Thanksgiving this year took on new meaning for our family. As most of you know by now, we went to the doctor on Monday (11/20) for a routine ultrasound and to find out the gender of our baby. The technician was unable to find a heartbeat and we ultimately found out that we had lost... Continue Reading →

In our circles, what married girlfriends don't think it would be fun to be pregnant together? Charisse and I are no exception! We were totally taken by surprise when we found out back in August we were both expecting and even due within just 5 days of each other! How fun! (Not sure how fun... Continue Reading →