Here's what I'm thinking:

Sunday -I'd like Sunday's blog to be something about what I got out of church...but Salvation Sunday or Savior Sunday sounds corny...any good ideas???

Monday - I'd like Monday to be Motivation Monday...I'd like to post a picture of me, my weight, what I did for exercise all week, and what my meal plan is.

Tuesday - I'd like Tuesday to have something to do with being creative with food/recipes...like "Trying it out Tuesday" (that's too long) or something like that

Wednesday - Wordless Wednesday...just my absolute favorite picture(s) from the previous week.

Thursday - "Thursday's Thoughts"...I'd like to post here my thoughts about life in general, things that are applicable to MY life, either as a photographer, wife, mom, Christian, etc.

Friday - "Family Friday"...an update of all the Vanovens!

Saturday - This I'd like to have kind of like a wild card...just to blog about whatever...any good name for Saturday? I got nuthin'


So starting with Family Friday...I'll update on the Vanoven Clan!

Nick has been keeping busy with work...working 60 hour work weeks as a conductor again. Things look really promising for him being reinstated as a Dispatcher in January, so we are definitely looking forward to that! We are so thankful that even with him being a Conductor again, he is working enough overtime so that the job move has not affected our finances. Praise God!

Nick has been keeping active by joining a Football League with our church and absolutely loves it! I'm so glad that he has this group of friends, and the chance to burn off some steam for a few hours every Sunday!

Here he is in action:




Speaking of church...We absolutely LOVE ours. It's the Vineyard Community Church in Greenwood, and we have just found it to be hands down the perfect church for us. I leave every service feeling like we should have PAID to hear the pastor/speaker teach. It is always so applicable and engaging. The music is awesome, and they have FREE Starbuck's coffee! :) God has just really blessed the pants off of us lately, and leading us to this church has been one of the best blessings!

Moving on to me, I've been happily S-W-A-M-P-E-D with work this season! I tentatively ventured into weddings, and have found that I love them! I will never leave family/children photography, but it's nice to switch things up!

Back to the blessings, thing...for the past nearly four years that we've been married, I haven't made too many friends. The friends I have made have been too far away (Emily) or have been at separate stages in their lives and our schedules just clash (Sara...my close friend/awesome babysitter...but also a very busy college/nursing student!). I have been praying for a Christian Mommy friend, close in age (hard to find when you have your first baby at 19), with kids the same age.

Wouldn't you know it, God delivered. But not only did he bless me with Sarah (a friend who is A) a Christian B) A mom C) The same age D) All of our kids are the same age! And not only did he bless me with Sarah...I got Candace, Nansie, Ashley, and a whole bunch of other new friends and potential new friends! I feel so incredibly lucky :)

And since I love pictures, I'll cap off the "Rachel section" with this gem that Nick snapped of me with the kids the other night playing London Bridge :)





Brynn has had some major changes since my last post...she's a KINDERGARTENER!!! Ack. When did this happen? She's lost 7 teeth, can read, thinks Hannah Montana is cool, and totally was embarrassed by me at Chuck E. Cheese when I approached her and her friend. And here I was all set to be a cool mom! ;)

She is getting so sweet/thoughtful too. Today at breakfast, she prayed a quick, "ThankyouJesusforthisfood.Amen.", and then said, "Wait, let me do that better," and prayed, "Dear Lord, thank you for my three fathers, Daddy, Ray, and You. Amen." Seriously? How precious. And I can't say how happy it makes me that she acknowledges all three of the special men in her life, and is happy and comfortable with it.




Nicholas is crazy as ever. He is the silliest 2 year old I know. Also the biggest troublemaker. I found him the other day (after nursing and laying down Josie upstairs) pouring himself shots of Children's cough medicine. Yeah. About had a heart attack. I called poison control and they said he would be fine (after I told them how much he took), but that he would probably act, "funny".

Funny was an understatement...the kid was flat out toasted. He was a bucket of giggles who had a hard time walking straight! For about 3 straight hours he amused me by hanging on to the handrail for dear life and staggering up the stairs, falling over laughing, and being all around goofy...goofier than normal. Then, like the poison control lady warned, he crashed and took a 3 hour nap...only to wake up in an extremely bad mood. That's right, my 2 year old was a happy drunk, passed out, then woke up slightly hungover.

The cough medicine (which HAD a child lock and was on the tip top shelf in the kitchen) has now been moved to a secret location.





The littlest Vanoven has been an absolute joy lately. So full of smiles and giggles! The older two LOVE getting the belly laughs out of her, and it just fills my heart with so much love/happiness (yeah yeah, rainbows and unicorns) to see the three of them...they're mine and it's amazing.

Josie has started to not only rock back and forth on her hands and knees, but she gets up in push-up position (hands and feet)! No crawling yet, but I'm sure that's not far away! *sniff* She also can't sit up for the life of her, the girl has NO fat to sit on! She's the leanest little thing, even though she eats ALL THE TIME. I exclusively breast fed her up until about a week or so ago, and now she's eating 2 jars of baby food a day. But get this - she HATES fruit/sweet things and LOVES veggies...PEAS are her favorite!!! Such a little quirky girl :)





Welp, that's it for Family Friday! I promise next time it won't be a book, since I won't have so much catching up to do!! Wish me luck on this new blogging adventure!!