Trans Siberian Orchestra

So... yesterday was a blur!  In the morning I got to have coffee with the girls I used to play in a quintet with.  We've been together since about 7th grade and played many a gig together.  We got to chat for a couple of hours and catch up on eachother's lives.... our viola player is getting her masters at Rice (In TX) and our cellist is a hall director up at Alma college.  Our bass player (Beaker, of whom I wrote about before) is in Seattle and the other violinist teaches at Grand Rapids Public schools.  Lots of different places!

I decided to walk home from the coffee house because the weather wasn't so bad, and I figured I could use the exercise.  On the way home Gaetan called (which is a bit unusual... we usually text) and asked if I wanted to go to a concert.  This was around 2:07.   I got home around 2:10 (we live pretty close to the coffee place) and he said that one of his friends got free tickets to see Trans Siberian!  WHOO!!!  We went and saw them when I was hatching Tristan, so now Lucy got to experience it too!  I had to quick call my Mom and see if she could watch Tristan while we went, and she graciously accepted.  I think that she loves playing Grandma so much :)  However... the concert was at 3 and we live probably a good 30 minutes away from the venue.  So we hauled booty and got Tristan to my parents and downtown all in time for the whole thing!

The concert was AWESOME.  Not only where the tickets free but we were on the floor about 11 rows back from the stage.  AMAZING!  We had looked at ticket prices before and they were WAY to expensive... but free is more our style :)  So we got to enjoy a free date.

 Before the concert... see how close we were!

 Crazy band!

On the way home I called Mom to see how everything was going and she said that they were getting food and wanted to know if we wanted some too... SCORE.  Free dinner!  So basically my day went like this:

1.) Got to have coffee with gal pals and catch up for a few hours
2.) See a SWEET FREE concert with amazing seats
3.) Didn't have to make dinner

It was such an amazing fast paced day, but it was worth it.  God blesses us in ways we can't even imagine.  I felt so spoiled that day... thank you God for that special treat!

JVG

Break so far...

I don't know how the days go by so quickly, but they have!  Gaetan has been on break now for almost a week and it's been AWESOME.  I love having him home and I know that Bugga is really enjoying all the extra Daddy time.

The first weekend of break we had our first OB appointment.  Due to the nature of my C-section I got transferred down there for the rest of this pregnancy.  They said all sounded good and Lucy's heart rate was about 155ish.  She's quite active and is a kicker!  :)  Its fun to watch my belly do the wave.

Then, we went to Detroit for their pre-batizado.  It was nice to see all the capo folk on that side of the state, and to play some new people.  We also got to hang out with our faves Ashley and Sunil.  I wish we knew where we were going to be and that it would be close to them because they are such a fun couple to be around.

This break has been filled with a lot of relaxation, hide and seek, Grandma and Grandpa and food!  Yesterday Grandma and Grandpa watched Bugga while Gaetan and I went on a mid-day date.  We went and saw the new Narnia movie :)  We have started reading the books over again to baby Lucy, which is fun.  I am glad that we have people we can trust to watch Bugga while we do something like go to a movie.  And it's a nice break for us for a little while... I don't think that I could take too long of a break from him!

Today was kinda a busy one for me.  I got to have breakfast with a really good friend Beaker.  He lives in Seattle now and is in town for the holidays.  It was really good catching up with him.  Then, I played these two Christmas gigs with my Dad and some friends.  It was fun to play jazzy Christmas music together!  We did it last year, and I think that we're probably going to do it next year too.

My brother Jon is home for the holidays also.  That is a rare treat that he isn't in Iraq and is able to be home with family.  He just moved bases from Washington to Colorado, so at least the drive was a little closer for him this time.

God is just really taking care of us this holiday season and we are so thankful for the little blessings.  Looking forward to seeing what other things we will encounter this break!

JVG

Thoughtful Daddy

For the past couple of days I have been exhausted!  I have been getting plenty of sleep though... believe me.  So, I guess it's lucky that Gaetan's on break now so he can help out... which he does all the time!

For example, this morning Bugga got up and was playing and Gaetan took care of him.  Then, he decided that he was going to take him to the grocery store to pick up a few items that he knew we needed so I could get some more rest.  Well, he came home with presents for everyone!  haha.

Bugga got this new toy that is an Elmo mailbox.  There are different shapes cut out for him to put shape into.  HE LOVES it.  He played with it all day, which isn't something he normally does with toys.  Books... yes, toys no.  Gaetan also got me some cereal that I had been craving and ginger ale because he knew my tummy has been upset lately.  I know they don't sound like exciting things, but its the little thing that count.  I told him that it reminded me of something my Dad would do.  And I love my Dad.  Gaetan said it was quite the compliment... :)

I am completely blessed and I cherish every moment of it!  Bugga has been letting me read more 'grown' up books to him outloud in the morning too, which is nice.  Don't get me wrong, I love reading about Waddle like a Penguin and numbers but its nice that I can read other things to him too.  :)  We finished up Crazy Love and now we're onto 'Velvet Elvis' by Rob Bell.  Exciting things are unfolding here.

JVG

Big Boy Bed!

One of our friends gave us a toddler bed :)  We decided that since Gaetan is now on break this would be a great time to try it out... seeing how if Tristan is up all the time then the sleep deprivation wouldn't be as bad.

This is the 2nd night that Tristan has been in it.  We put it in our room just to see how it would go.  Last night he did surprisingly well!  He only woke up a few times and once was because he rolled out of bed.  Luckily, the bed isn't high off the ground at all, and we put a ton of pillows there, just in case he did.

We were thinking of getting him a big boy bed a little before Lucy came around... so he would be getting something new and exciting and then he wouldn't think that Lucy was taking his bed away from him.  I think that this is going to work out marvelously.

We will hopefully, at the end of break, move the bed into his own room :)  If it doesn't work out, and he is back in his crib, no harm.  We just wanted to see if he could handle it... and he seems to love it!  I can't believe that he is growing up so quickly... and doing such big boy things already.

JVG

Frederik Meijer Gardens

We got a chance to catch up with another couple we met in college.  Her name is Christina, and she was actually in my physics class.  We suffered together... and through going to class she met her husband, Ben.  We have been both pretty busy but they finally had a free weekend and we went to Frederik Meijer Gardens.  They had a Christmas display up and we got to see their outside gardens, even though it was cold out!  They are moving to Korea in February to teach English!  How exciting! 

Bugga checking out the tropical part of their gardens

 They had different elements from around the world of what their Christmas decorations might look like.  I really liked India's... with all the colored beans.

 Bugga chasing Daddy through the garden.

Christina and Ben in one of the outdoor huts

 

 

Play date

Tristan recently just had his first play date!  It was with a girl that I played softball with at GRCC who has a son who is a few months older than Tristan.  We took them to a play area in the mall and they could play together.  Her name is Jen and her son's name is Cameron.  Here are a few pictures of the little dudes together!

 Cam and Tristan in the boat

 Playing on a wall puzzle together

Going down the slide together!

It was interesting that softball brought us together and having children is keeping us friends!  :)

JVG

Open doors

So our ever growing and ever learning big boy has learned how to open all the doors in our apartment.  Even when I shut doors he can now reach the knobs, twist and pull/push to get into the desired room.  It's amazing how fast he learns...

More doors have been opened for us also.  Recently, we found an amazing church to attend.  We haven't been that satisfied with the church we were attending, and we would actually kinda dread going on Sundays.  But this one has us excited to go back after we just left.  It's amazing.  And this all happened when our obligations at our old church were ending.  We were working in the nursery, and we apart of a small group there.  They do things on semesters incase things get busy, or not working out so its not awkward to leave... so it was a nice chance to get out.  We are very excited to see what type of growth will happen at this new place.

JVG

Christmas cookies

This past weekend I got to make Christmas cookies with a few girlfriends.  Gaetan was gracious enough to watch Tristan so it was just us gals!  :)  It was nice to catch up with them and just be silly!  We baked cookies and Christmas treats for about 5 hours... here are some fun pictures.  We made sugar cookies, mint chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter balls, puppy chow and chocolate covered pretzel type things...

 Me helping Nae Nae cover the peanut butter balls in chocolate

 Kara making some puppy chow

 Me working on mint chocolate chip cookies

 Nae not realizing she had chocolate all over her face... haha

Our chocolate covered pretzel things.  Some we put rolos on top, and other with hershey kisses with M&M's.

Overall, it was a successful day!  Lots of treats to go around.  What fun!

JVG

New exciting things

So I finally uploaded a few pics of Lucy's ultrasound.  I was comparing Tristan and her's and found that they look very similar.  The first ultrasound picture will be of Tristan, then the next two will be of Lucy.  Look at how similar they look!  :) 

I then got a phone call from my brother today saying that he found a church to go to that he really liked.  It is a Korean/American church, which is interesting and nice that it fit him so well.  It all stemmed from him randomly going and getting a haircut today... God is good :)  He was so excited on the phone to go back next week!  We will hope that it sticks :)

JVG

SNOW!

So... with the first of December came a few inches of that white stuff we all love... SNOW!  The thing that amazes me is that every year the snow comes and yet every year the first couple of times it does people FREAK out... it happens every year people, this isn't new!  haha.  Bugga and I got all bundled up and went out and played on the balcony.  I think all the bundling took more time then how long we were outside!  He wasn't very interested, but I think next time he will be.  Here are a few pics from our adventure.

 Whats this Momma?

 Giving it a taste...

 Longingly looking inside...

And.... I'm done with it out here.  Haha.  We did play for a little longer but then he opened the door to go in so I thought he had enough.

JVG