3 little blessings...then some!

 So… it’s been a while. I have been a little busy and preoccupied with my 3 young charges. We’re getting used to being a family of five and Daddy is sure taking advantage of having another man in the house. He tells Eli all the time about how they are going to have to stick up for each other with the crazy women in our house! But that’s ok, we love our men and they do put up with a lot from us hormonal females.

  I really don’t have anything super inspiring to say today but just that-even though I am beyond exhausted and recovery seems a little slower with chasing the two girls while recovering from having the little man, I am beyond blessed. Blessed to have a Savior and be child of the King; blessed to have a beautiful healthy family; blessed to have such an awesome support system in both sides of our family; and blessed to be the a body of Christ that I know has prayed and cooked meals and just been awesome with the coming of our new addition. Just blessed! So in the wee hours of the night feeding Eli, or when the girls decide to make a “mountain” in their floor with all the clothes in their dresser, or when our bathroom floor becomes a lake from bath time, or any of the countless exciting and tiring things that happen when you have babies; I just take a moment and say thank you Lord for my little blessings and thank you for being Lord of my life. I love you my blessed Savior, my Keeper, my Redeemer and Friend!

a few seconds....

Things I love....

SNOW  DAYS!!

ZOO DAYS!

 I just thought this peacock was beautiful!

and of course these gals are beautiful!)

Date nights!

Abigail and her puppy love!

 these girls keep me busy...love the personality in these pictures!

 cheese!

 They are getting so big!

and of course we love our new little man! 



Just wanted to add...we went to a wic appointment on Thursday the 19th, and Emma was 1in taller than Abigail and Abby weighed 1 pound more. lol! Abigail is going to outgrow her sister soon! They are both healthy. Eli was also back to birth weight. We had his 2 week check the following week and he weighed in at 9lbs 1oz! Love you

Weaklings

 I was just setting here pouting a little and letting myself get depressed and sad that all our family lives so far away. We have had lots of visitors since Elijah has been born and blessed that our family got to come visit, but when they leave it is a hard. It’s bitter sweet. They are such a strong support system to us. Yes it would be awesome if there were less miles between us; and we could go visit and have family dinners; and what would really be awesome is to have a ready and more than willing babysitter anytime=), but then I am reminded that the Lord is the one that has called us to where we are and that we are a part of the family and body of Christ here in El Dorado. And there is nothing like being within the Perfect Will of our King Jesus. So when I am sad or lonesome for our family I give it to Him and sweet Peace like a river flows within!

   I just wanted to take a lil moment to say, “thank you Lord for all you have done to us, for us, and in us. It’s not always easy or pretty but, oh Lord, we love you and we know that in our weaknesses You are our strength! So we will be tried with fire and not found wanting because You the maker of all and deliverer from ourselves has placed your ever loving hand on our lives. We will trust in you, our King!”

The Vandenberg Five!!



our sweet little man!



The story of Eli

 I found out I was pregnant with Eli while I was going thru the hardest season that I have ever been in. I had a 2 yr old and 1 yr old and had been feeling extremely insecure in who I was as a believer, wife, and mother. It seems like it is in these times when satan tries his hardest to make you believe that his lies are true. And he was lying to me constantly during this season. I was starting to believe him and his lies-that I was in over my head and that God didn’t love me. Its funny how the Lord and His timing works because right in the midst of my darkest season I found out I was pregnant with Eli.=) Which came as a huge surprise since Ryan and I were using birth control religiously. We had actually been talking about having another kid. If we went by our original plan than it was time, but I just kept telling Ryan that I was not ready and didn’t think it was time. I am so thankful that the Lord goes by His perfect plan and not our own! He is so so very good. Several times I had to give everything (fears, insecurities, exhaustion) over to Him. And it did take me a long time to get used to the idea. I literally think I lived in shock for the first 6 months of my pregnancy. It wasn’t like it was the girls… We didn’t necessarily plan either of the girls but we were not preventing so we were not too surprised but super excited. But we are absolutely in love with our little man! He is Gods perfect will and gift to us and we in turn want to dedicate Eli to Him! The meaning of the name Elijah means “Yahweh is God” and we truly pray that Eli will be a great testimony to the Lord’s name! Thank you King Jesus for our precious gift Elijah Cole Vandenberg!

He is fabulous!!

He's got a head full of hair!



He is just perfect and we love him so!!!


<><><><><><><><><><><> Very healthy boy!)

This is one of very first pictures, as you can see the girls are not to sure about mommy in the hospital, with Abigail staring at my IV and Emma crying and trying to get away. lol We did warm up eventually!






Grandma and Grandpa love their babies!!!



Daddy couldn't be happier!



going  home!!!

Elijah is not too sure......

Elijah Cole Vandenberg

Elijah means "Yaweh is God".

Cole is my maiden name, it means "victory of the people".





xoxoxox

1st day at home...shh..he thinks someone is holding him=)



We're in love!

This is my dad with the girls at the hospital

Checking out the new bro



Mimi and Papa and their Vberg grandkids





Couldn't resist Tor Bears smile in this one!!



Terri Lynn and Tori love their new cousin!



We love our new addition!

YEP, HE'S A KEEPER!!

Elijah Cole Vandenberg!!

 Elijah has decided to join the world!!! He was born on Monday at 11:14 am, weighing in at a whopping 8lbs 10.5oz and was 20 inches long!! We love the little chub! Pics to come soon!!

My Beautiful Mommy!!

   Just wanted to get on and give a shout out to my mom!! She truly is a mom/woman that loves God and spends her life in dedication to Him and in turn strives to teach us to follow Christ as well. She is an awesome example of being a Godly wife and mother and I owe so much for who I am today for her obedience to Him and His call on her life to be a wife and mom. I love you, mom. You are my hero. xoxo.

My hubby and his mommy!!

 Also would like to say happy Mother’s Day to my MIL(mother in law). She is an awesome woman and I know that she was and is instrumental in who my husband is today. So, thanks MIL. Your son ROCKS and I know he must have had a rockin mom. xoxo.

My sweet angels and I! (Eli is there too but he preferred to stay in mommies tummy this Mother's day!)

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL YOU AWESOME MOM’S!!

I love, love being a mommy. I remember growing up that when people used to ask me what I wanted to be when I grow up I would tell them that I just wanted to be a wife and stay at home mommy! I know that to the world today this seems like low goals in life and not counted or esteemed in much regard but I would not change it for the world. We are blessed that I am capable to stay home with my babies and I guarantee it is not easy and there are days that I would love to check out and take a break. But it’s on those days that I am learning to call upon the name of the Lord. The Lord has placed in me a strong call to shepherd our children, not just raise them to go to church or be “good.” I want them to be able to see Jesus in their Mommy and Daddy. What greater responsibility could there be! I am not perfect and I know that I fail so much but the Lord is shepherding me as I learn to shepherd our sweet, ornery children! My call is to my family! I want to teach them to grow up to be little blessing carriers. I love you Emma, Abigail, and sweet Elijah!!! You guys make my life chaos but I would never trade it for anything! xoxoxo



FOLLOW!!

hey family! click the follow button so i look interesting! this is dif from email follow..this just says you like me and is good for my stats, all for my own ego of course! please and thank you! xoxo

Abigails birthday.

Abby is 2!!!

  Ok, so I know I said in another post that Eli would be born between Abigail’s birthday and Emma’s, well turns out I lied! I know, I know I am a retched, retched sinner of a person... But apparently I make a pretty good oven because this kid just doesn’t want to leave it! So, I like to say, I am still LARGE and apparently not so much in charge.

  But our sweet Bab’s birthday did come and we enjoyed a simple day since we already had her party, but she did get to choose where we ate at! Her choice was of course “donalds” (aka McDonalds), which is quite funny being that she doesn’t really play on the playplace. She just sets and enjoys the chaos, which of course McDonald’s playplace always delivers. We did have some excitement while we were there though. Emma is just now getting to where she climbs up into the playplace but sometimes, just sometimes, she gets a little overwhelmed and can’t get down. This turns into a dramatic panic cry and guess who gets to climb up and rescue her?! That’s right Mommy or Daddy! I of course wasn’t even going to offer in my 30 month pregnant state so Daddy was the chosen one. (Just want to throw in there that I climbed up to rescue Emma once when I was 5 months pregnant!) Anyways, so Daddy gets the honors for the very first time. Just want to give all you daddies a shout out, you Rock! On Ryan’s way up some kid who was trying to cram past my 6ft husband in the small kid size tunnel quite possibly got kicked in the face=] (by accident of course) They were fine, thank goodness. But when Ryan made it to the top some 9 or 10 year old proceeds to lecture him because he had his shoes on! It really was quite a show! Ryan and Emma both made it down and Daddy swears he will not climb that again… But we all know he will if one of his ladies needs rescuing!

  All in all we had a great day! Abigail is telling everyone she is 3 like sissy when she is in fact 2. Lol. We love her though; our family would not be the same without out sweet spirited sensitive Abigail! Xoxoxo-my love! Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of being a mother. And also if you wouldn’t mind speeding up the arrival of numero tres I would appreciate it. Only if it is within your will, of course. Many blessings! Time to go walking!