Saturday Morning Beauty

Working PM (7p-7a) shifts is tough. I'm always tired. I rarely see my husband. I miss out on daytime festivities. However, it has a good handful of perks. I only work 3 days a week. I have the BEST co-workers I could ever ask for. I get an 8 day stretch off every month. It pretty much rocks!

 Another perk...God's beauty. This was a sunrise at our house one morning when I got home. Gorgeous! 

God of wonders beyond our galaxy, You are Holy. Lord of heaven and earth.

Where do we belong?

Where do I belong? A question everyone asks themselves from time to time. We all have that deep desire to feel wanted, appreciated, and loved. But...what makes us feel that way? Posessions? Family? Friends? Work? Kids? Our home? Church? School? 

 Brad and I have been extremely blessed. We both have careers that we love! Work isnt a chore but rather something we enjoy on a regular basis. We have been blessed with two fabulous Christian families. Our house is a welcoming home that is soon to be growing as we welcome a little one in May. With all that we have been blessed with, we can't help but be thankful for our relationship with our heavenly father.

 Having said that, we have felt "alone" for way too long. Why? Churchless. Possibly the worst feeling I remember. We have been church shopping for several months and I believe that has officially come to an end!!! We attended Fairway CRC in Jension, MI and loved it. Welcoming environment, friendly people, and a place where we feel can be called home. What a feeling! Belonging feels great. This has been a huge answer to prayer for us as we start our marriage.

We're EXPECTING!!!

On September 8, we found out that we are expecting a little one on May 15, 2014. We are extremely excited!

Yesterday we heard the baby's heartbeat. He/She was plugging away at 160 bpm and active. The doctor kept having to move the doppler since baby was moving around. Julia is on week 13 of her pregnancy and so at this point she can't feel the baby kicking. We look forward to Christmas because by that time we will be able to find out the gender of the baby and Julia will be able to feel the baby moving.

 We will be sure to keep you posted as time goes along! Only 27 weeks to go :)

Detroit Tigers

Every year at Brad's store the high ups come in to evaluate the store and give them a grade. Well, Brad puts in many long hours that week to prepare and it always pays off. This year...fabulous! So, one of the ways he was rewarded was through some free tickets to a Detroit Tigers baseball game.

Last Wednesday evening we went to the game. Besides the Tigers getting creamed 0-8, we had fun. Bailey went off to Camp Bow Wow for the night, that way we didn't have to worry about her. Anyways-the game was great. Sun shining, 70 degree temps, and close up seats :) 

Bailey Bear

People keep asking us "How are things going with Bailey?" My response...GREAT! She has adjusted to life at the Doornbos house, no problem. In fact, sometimes I think she has adjusted too well. Her favorite place to sleep is laying right on me. She's not allowed on our bed and she has no issues abiding by that rule. However, a soon as one of us lays on the couch, she is instantly there as well. On my 3-day stretches of work, I usually crash on the couch because she needs lots of attention in the day. See here...

 As well behaved as she is, she does have her moments. One of her worst habits is walking in the bathroom/laundry room and forgetting that the door will automatically close behind her. Oops! This happens daily! Normally we hear her and just open it so that there are no problems. Well, one day I was sleeping soundly after a long night of work. Three hours later i woke up to a small bark and whining. Uhoh! The rest is history...

She is smart. VERY intelligent. She has picked up on our varies word combos.

For example...

-"DinDin" ...and she runs to her room and sits down in front of her food dish while she waits to be fed.

-"Potties"...she runs to the back door and knows she will be put on her line to go in the backyard.

And the ultimate..."Wanna go for a walk?!?!" She goes nuts. She runs everywhere. Tries to pull at her leash. Eagerly awaits the moment when you stand up, put your shoes on, and grab a plastic bag incase she poops along the way. Well, she also knows she doesn't get to go with us unless she sits and waits. Can this get any cuter?!?!?!

 

So in answer to your question, "Yes, she's adjusting well because she is spoiled!" One lucky dog she is.

Canning

Right now I am on my 8-day stretch of no work. Well, I should correct that. It is supposed to be that; however, I have managed to pick up a few overtime shifts. Saving for a few new things around the house.

 That being said, I love my time off. Last night I decided that I am going to take on a few canning projects. Applesauce, Peach Jam, Salsa, and Salsa Verde. First one was a huge success...Salsa Verde. I only made 5 jars because we don't need much. It is extremely spicy and perfect for all of the mexican food Brad & I like to eat.

What's in it? Tomatillos, Anaheim Green Chile Peppers, Garlic, Jalapeno's, Onion, Cilantro, and then a ton of seasonings. Fabulous!

 It was Honduras where I first discovered my love for Salsa Verde. Hopefully after about a month this recipe will come close to what i remember.

 Today...peach jam. Last night we went to a local farm and purchased 1/2 a bushel of peaches. Of course we couldn't resist their smell and had to eat a few the moment we walked in the door! Later today I will pick up some jars and a canning kettle from my mother-in-law. I'm so excited to see the end result of all the jam. Beginners luck is what I am hoping for! Stay tuned for pictures.

Phase 2: Complete!

Yesterday we completed phase 2 of our basement project. The floors look great. The walls are tan and then the floor is a darker brown. It turned out fabulous!!!

First we scrubbed the floor. Then we scraped and scraped and scraped. Lastly, we used special chemicals to clean. Painting was a project, but thankfully we are finished!

 

What's next?!?! Trim. Hopefully Brad and I can make a trip to Lowes on Sunday to pick up the necessary supplies. Stay posted; however, things will progress slowly now since the paint takes 5 days to dry and more importantly, we are no longer on vacation :(

Favorites

Here are some of our favorite Bible verses that carry us through life, in a world God created perfect and yet man destroyed.

Lifehouse/Daughtry Concert

One of the many perks to working for Spectrum Health is occasional 'FREE Stuff'. Last week, Spectrum was handing out free tickets to the Lifehouse/Daughtry concert at FifthThird Ballpark. So, I figure that would be a fun thing to do while on vacation. So, last night Brad and I made our way on over to the concert. Doors opened at 6:00 and thats about what time we arrived. Opening band started at 6:30 and Lifehouse didn't start until about 7:40. Lifehouse did a fabulous job. We both enjoyed listening to them. But...Daughtry wasn't starting until about 9:00, so we actually took off. Lame? Yes. Apparently we are kinda old and not big into concerts. However, we had a great time for the 3 hours that we were there.

After arriving home, we got back to our painting project (floor basement). Pictures coming very soon! Stay tuned.

Chicago

The past EIGHT days has been incredible! Brad and I have both been off work which means we have enjoyed a fabulous vacation together.

Our first adventure: Chicago.

Brad is waiting for the train in Michigan City to take us downtown Chicago.

Off we go!

Train arrived and we were on our way to our hotel to check in.

Beautiful downtown. We were on our way to Shedd Aquarium, but didn't want to wait in line for an hour. So, we kept on walking :)

Next stop: Millennium Park. Of course, we took our picture at the bean.

Then we went over to Navy Pier. Sorry, no pictures due to the mass amount of people. Well, we actually did stop to eat at Bubba Gumps...highly recommended!

All in all, one fabulous trip to Chi-town. It was great just getting away for a couple of days. Bailey spent time at Camp Bow-Wow and loved it.

Basement Remodel-Phase 1 COMPLETE!

We have a great Michigan basement. Unfinished, lots of storage, and it is nicely about 10 degrees cooler than the main floor. Well...we decided to tidy it up a bit down there. Over the next 2 months we plan on having 4 phases. Phase 1-paint walls. Phase 2-paint floors. Phase 3-put up trim. Phase 4-decorate! (Aka-my favorite part because I get to be creative; however, this will also be the longest phase).

BEFORE:

 Phase 1 complete! Brad and I spent the first day emptying out the entire room. Then we had to sand down the walls with paneling and scrub the cement walls in preparation for painting. Lots of prep work! Paint eventually came. What a night and day difference to have clean, freshly painted tan walls instead of the old dirty yellow.

Let Phase 2 begin! We have to scrub and  remove all of the old paint, so that will be a HUGE project for us. Stay tuned!

Half Human/Half Dog

Our dog Bailey is now 18months old. She is a puggle but somedays I swear she thinks she has some human in her...

Yup...apparently I can't sit outside in the sun by myself...

Coastguard 2013 Kid's Parade

Weather has cooled down immensely! The humidity was taken right out and we are in 60 degree weather (sweatshirt and pants in July? What?!?!). Well, it worked out in our favor today because we had the Coastguard Parade in Grand Haven. We had a blast!

Sadly, I remember seeing shopping carts in the parade when I was a kid and I always thought, "That will NEVER be me! How embarrassing!??!" Well, here I am!

I am on my 8 day stretch off, so it was nice being able to support Brad and his company, Spartan Stores.

 Overall, we have had a great summer! Lots of outdoor time and relaxation. Can hardly believe that we only have one short month of summer weather left.

Wedding Pictures