Matt specifically asked for me to put this picture on our blog! This was one of his Christmas presents. A fathead of the Cubs logo to go in our "cubbie blue" office. He seems pretty excited about it!  And actually, I like it, but I don't love it. It's not exactly what I pictured my head for the office to look like, but it is a shared office, so i can't have my way with all of it! =)

Besides that... we are just winding down the big Christmas weekend. It was a long and fun weekend filled with presents, family, food, food, more food, food and even MORE food... plus a little bit of  work (yes, matt got called into work on Christmas Day/Night). But it was great to have extra time with Matt, bake some cookies and just get some stuff done around the house.

Hope you all had a great Christmas and that you have a wonderful New Year's Eve!

Christmas Gatherings

Just some photos of our Holiday Season so far:

BIG NEWS!

BIG NEWS!!! (again, no we are not pregnant)

but a lot of NEW & EXCITING things have happened in the last week for matt and i. (well,

expensive things really.... but they are still fun!)

we got new furniture last week saturday and it got delivered on Wednesday. we had only gone to one store before we found this one (which i didn't expect at all!). 

We found it at Turk Furniture while they were having moving sale.... so what we saw is what we got and what i saw was exactly what i had been looking for.  Kinda modern, but functional. Matt's only request really when picking out the couches was that one part of it had to recline if he was going to have to get rid of his lazy boy.... so he got his request... actually 4 seats on it recline!  Well, when we got it, we realized that it takes up a lot more space in the living room than we had thought, but once the christmas tree comes down, I think it will feel at least a little more spacious! We will be able to move the tv around hopefully and maybe Matt could make some bookshelves for me! =)  But the next immediate (after Christmas) project is... PAINTING!

and, ANOTHER NEW thing that we bought was a new car!  Yes, the Cadillac is gone.  Sad to say. I did like the car, but it's just not fun to drive in the ice and snow.  So, we said good-bye to the caddy and bought an "as close as you can get to a mini-van vehicle, but not a mini-van" FORD EDGE!  It's a cross-over and it's pretty sweet!  I enjoy driving it a lot!   

* bye bye caddy =( *

hello "LIVING ON THE EDGE!" haha.... 2008 Ford Edge (used)

(sorry it is a stock image.... haven't taken a photo of it in real life yet)

We hope everyone's Christmas season is going well. Last weekend was a little bit busy, and this coming weekend will be even busier!  We have b'day party on Friday night, Saturday night Derks Christmas Party, Sunday our immediate Hoekstra Christmas Party. It's just crazy!

normal life is setting in... and christmas is coming!!

well, normal life is finally setting in...

i have been keeping busy with business stuff til weeeee hours of the night, cleaning/ maintaining/laundry chores are part of the daily/weekly routine, and matt now has church stuff to take care of and is back into his normal routine of falling asleep in his chair at night.  it's what i've always dreamed of and i love everything about it. we are getting into the routine of our days and the schedules that go with them.

and the holidays are coming! (including some b'days!!!)

i can't believe it... thanksgiving has come and gone and christmas is fastly approaching!

for thanksgiving we were at matt's sister amy's house... good food, good company, some games and a small nap made a wonderful day! and now, this weekend we start with a b'day celebration for esther and i and then the next weekend, the craziness of christmas parties start.  we have the extended stouwie party on the 13th and is always a good time with the house filled with loud laughs and children running around.  then the weekend before christmas is the hoekstra b'day party for amy, rich and i, then the derks party, and then the hoekstra christmas. christmas eve is a party at church with the hoekstra extended family and then we end up with christmas day at the derks party at my mom's house. 

and how much shopping have i got done for christmas?? not even a 1/4 of it..... sheesh... i feel really behind! but it will all come together soon... the day that i'm supposed to have off every week to work on business stuff is now filling up with shopping and getting ready for the holiday parties... but oh well.... i'm thankful to have those days off! =) 

One Month (YESTERDAY!)

I can't believe that it as been a MONTH since Matt and I got married!  It has been the greatest month of my life, HANDS DOWN!!!!!  It has been everything I've ever dreamed of!  Something so natural and comfortable!  I love him more and more every day!

I had the day off yesterday, so I decided to make a little extra special dinner for matt and when he came home, he had roses in hand for me, saying HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BABY! I didn't even think he'd realize it!  But that's Matt, he surprises me in different ways all the time!  

photos are online!

welp, our photos are online now! i'm super excited!
check 'em out:
http://www.walcottimaging.com/
LOGIN: (top right corner) hoekstraderks

Something new to me....

Well, Monday when I came home... I did something that I haven't done before or if I have it's been a LOOOONG time since I had to! =)  What is that you ask? RAKE LEAVES! And on top of that.... Matt was burning them in the backyard!  Haha.... I guess it really hit me that I'm in the country.  They are allowed to do that in country!  Haha.... 

BIG NEWS!  (No, I'm not pregnant!) Haha.... I went down to only working 4 days a week! To give myself a little bit more time to the wifey things, but also get caught up on the business stuff!  (Since I've been slacking a little bit in that area!)! I'm very excited about it and hope 

This weekend we are off to Wisconsin for my friend Steph's wedding!  And I will be shooting it!  So it should be a fun day! Just hopefully the weather cooperates! But we are getting into winter, so it may be kind unpredictable! 

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Honeymoon - Day 8, 9, & 10

Day #8 – Monday – October 27th - Final Destination!

It was time to leave Maui and go to Oahu. We really didn’t know what to expect in Honolulu. We knew that it would be busier, but I think we were in a little bit of a shock of how much busier it actually was. It is pretty much different as night and day from Kauai. But the main reason we were there was to see Pearl Harbor. So we got off the plane and found a shuttle to take us to our hotel because we decided not to waste the money on renting a car for the 2 days we were going to be Oahu.

So once we got to our hotel… we walked over to Waikiki Beach. And let me just tell you… I don’t know if it’s because we had the amazing beaches and sand in Kauai & Maui or what, but the sand/beach at Waikiki was just NOTHING compared to that. It wasn’t even inviting to us. The sand was course and it was SWARMING with people. So since it really wasn’t screaming our name, we just walked along the sidewalk and then found a place to eat. And since Diamond Head was closed (we found that out from our bus driver from the airport)… we decided to EAT!!!! So we found a great place that had MANY, and I mean, a HUGE WRAP AROUND ISLAND of so many different kinds of beer on TAP! It was pretty cool! But we had great food there!!!!! Then it was back to our hotel to rest!

(Wakiki Beach) (sp?)

Day #9 – Tuesday – October 28th – A Day of History

Well, it was the big PEARL HARBOR day. We heard from SO many people to get there early so you don’t have to wait! So we scheduled ourselves the EARLIEST bus shuttle over there as we could (which put us there 45 minutes before it even opened!!). Well, much to our surprise, we WERE the FIRST people in line! Haha… but not much after we got there did the line fill in and wrap around to the end of the street! So we were thankful that we got their early and didn’t have to wait to get into the 1st group! =)

Now as much as I’d love to write you ALLLL that we did with Pearl Harbor and all the other history stuff that we did that day…. It’s going to take WAY to long to write it all. So I’ll just write the highlights.
Pearl Harbor (USS Arizona Memorial & Museum)
Bowfin Submarine
USS Missouri Battleship
Pacific Aviation Museum

Then because it was our LAST NIGHT in Hawaii, Matt was sweet enough to take me out a nice/fancier dinner date! We found this little Italian restaurant that had wonderful pasta and a great atmosphere! It was a great last night out before we had to go home.

Day #10 – Wednesday – October 29th – Ready, but not Ready

Well, we were able to sleep in and enjoy our last morning in Hawaii. Even though it wasn’t the same as listening to the waves crash on the rocks, it was still Hawaii. We even had some time even after checkout, so there was one more historical army museum that Matt thought could fill in some time. So we just browsed around there and then caught our bus shuttle over to the airport. As much as we wanted to go home, we didn’t want to either. It was back to reality when we got home. Work, unpacking, house stuff. But after an 8 hr. straight to Chicago, we were back home and ready to start our NORMAL LIFE (not Hawaiian fantasy!) together!!
Hawaii was beautiful and I recommend it to EVERYONE!!!!

A couple more photos from the Honeymoon

Adjusting.....

Welp, it has been 3+ weeks that we have been married! I can't believe it! The time is already flying by!  Granted, 2 weeks of it was our HONEYMOON, but last week was our 1st full week back home!  

We are adjusting to living together, pretty well I must say!!! Because Matt had the house before I came along, he has his way of doing things, but thankfully he is being open to my "newer" ways! (well, sort of)  He has been a good influence on me.... I ACTUALLY MAKE OUR BED EVERY MORNING! And that is something i RARELY if EVER did when I was living with my parents! Haha.... but in all honesty... things have been going great.  The house is starting to come together (pictures getting hung up... shelves... candles... etc!)  and we are making it our HOME!

Since we have been home, not too much new is happening with us besides the things I just mention above, but we did have a good weekend of hanging out with friends, eating pizza (which we love!), playing games, chores, and family time!  This coming weekend we have my friend Steph's wedding up in WI!  I can't wait!  I am shooting it and I can't wait!! Another vacation for Matt and I too!!! How exciting! =) 

We are eagerly awaiting the proofs from the photographers, so when we get the okay that they are on their website... we will surely let you know! =)

Photos from Friends/Family!

I know, I know.... I'm slacking on updating the honeymoon stuff.... but it will get done sooner or later!  But for right now, I have saved some people's photos from FACEBOOK and FLICKR and put 'em on here!  We would LOOOOOOOOOVE to have anyone that has taken photos at our wedding to EMAIL US your photos!!! thehoekstras101808@gmail.com!  Thanks.........