let's see....
not much has been happening the last couple weeks..... so not much to write about.
(sorry, we don't lead very exciting lives!)

Matt has been working quite a bit... over time here and there and then he was out of town for 2 nights this week for a class at Purdue. And soon will be his busy season with the spring coming up.... so he'll be out of town quite a bit more.

Don't you feel great when you have time to organize and clean stuff that you have been wanting to but not really motivated to do when you get home from work? Well, I felt that way Wednesday! With my day off, I was able to organize closets that i have been wanting to go through since I moved all my stuff into the house. I cleaned in places that were bugging me and that i knew i wanted to get a head start on with my OPEN HOUSE coming up next Saturday.

this weekend is looking good!! tonight is the fireman's FISH FRY (not that i'd go to it, b/c i hate fish).... but I am meeting up Renee at the bar for some drinks!! And hopefully more people will join us later! =) Then Saturday we FINALLY get to get together with Erika & Darrin Schultz!! We have been trying to get our schedules to work out since we got back from our honeymoon! So it will be great to see them again! Then Sunday... well, some NAPS will probably sound good right about then!! =)

This past week, there were a lot of ups and downs. With the exciting news that Camryn was doing much better after the doctor had opened up her incision more and her heart started beating on its own and coming off the lung machine to Wednesday morning, getting a phone call that Camryn had taken a turn for the worse. And then getting the news that she had passed away in the arms of Patti and TJ on Wednesday morning. With all the wake/funeral things that went on this week.... I have learned so much from Patti and TJ. Through this trial in their lives, they have been such WITNESSES of how you can truly have comfort and PEACE in the words of our faithful HEAVENLY FATHER. I can't speak for everyone else, but PERSONALLY, I know that because of their strength and faith in Christ, it helped me get through that day a whole lot easier! I have no idea what they are going through, I won't pretend to. I am just so grateful that God gave me the chance to go over to Patti & TJ's house that day before she went into the hospital. I was able to take many priceless photos of her that I KNOW Patti and TJ will cherish forever. Besides that... all I can do is be there for them, whenever and for whatever they need!

Besides from the funeral that was on Saturday, we did go out for dinner on Friday night for "Valentine's Day!" Dinner at BW3's and then to Walmart! A very romantic night! Haha.... but really, anything with Matt is special to me!

Until next time.... (time to do some dishes..... =\)

Constantly Praying.....

Well, since I last wrote on our blog, A LOT of things have happened. So, brace yourself, I think this is going to be a LOOOONG one!!!! I'm just going to down a list:

1. Just about a week after Camryn was born, my cousin Patti and her husband TJ had to take Camryn to the emergency room. Ended up finding out that she had hypotherma because she had a very narrow (if not closed aorta) and they needed to get her help very quickly. They were sent to Comer Children's Hospital up in Chicago, the best place for her to be at really! Patti and TJ have been through a lot through the past 2 weeks they have been at the hospital.... the ups and downs of Camryn taking a step forward and then two steps back are finally taking a toll on them. I have absolutely NO CLUE whatsoever of what they are going through, I don't have kids, I've never been in any situation that is like theirs at all! I feel helpless, but what i do know is that one thing will help tremendously... and that is prayer. The power of pray and the power of our amazing, loving, wonderful Savior is truly incredible! And because we as Christians know who is in total control and how the power of prayer can help, that has been what we have been doing. It's been amazing to me how many people are praying for this little baby, just over 3 weeks old. People that don't even know Patti, TJ, or Camryn are just pleading with God to bring this baby back to good health. Matt and I's church has put it on the prayer chain, and I'm pretty positive that many more churches have done the same thing. I think about the 3 of them constantly, as well as many other people I'm sure! As it stands right now.... Camryn's heart really needs to get stronger for them to take her off the heart lung machine. She is getting to the point where she really shouldn't be on it that much longer. So, they have said the word transplant, so we will see where it goes from here!

Here are two photos I took of her a couple of days after she came home and only two days before she was rushed to the hospital.... I am SO happy that I took my camera that day and tried my hand at baby photography (b/c really that's the first time I've done that!). These photos are very precious to me, for many different reasons!

She truly is an amazing, precious gift from God.
She has touched MANY hearts and lives in the just the
3 weeks she has been alive so far!

Awwww.... BIG YAWN! So adorable!

2. There has been another baby born into our lives! Nathan & Leah Prairie had a baby girl on Saturday night, Dehlia Grace weighing 8 lbs. 13 oz. and stretching 22 in. long. Matt and I went to go see her last night! She is precious and adorable! I forgot that I had my camera in my purse, so I didn't take any photos, but maybe I'll be able to get copies of the ones that Nathan took?? (huh Nathan?)

3. So, on a totally different subject than the 2 previous things...... WORK has been going pretty well for both Matt and I. This winter Matt has actually been quite busy, I think I'm safe to say a lot busier than any winters in a long time! He has been randomly been out of town some nights during the week... but thankfully it has slowed down a little bit since the craziness of Rockford and the train derailment! Just in time for me to have a little time to him before his crazy SPRING schedule starts! But then hey, maybe I'll get a lot of work done around the house and with business stuff! As for me and work, well, I'm still working 4 days a week... and that seems to be working out pretty well. Not that I'm really doing with the day that I thought I would be doing... but I am getting errands done, cleaning the house, baking different desserts/cookies for co-workers (looong story... but the jist of that is, b/c i have off one day a week, they think that i should make them desserts every week... so i'm taking 'em up on it and i'm learning to bake different things!) but then i do do some business work too!

4. This weekend is Valentine's Day.... wow... that kinda creeped up! I can't believe it's the middle of February already! Wow! Soon we will be married 4 months! WOW... time just flies by when you're having fun I guess!

We do have plans for Valentine's Day! Yeah! It's not the most romantic thing, but I am quite excited about it because I have never been to .... THE AUTO SHOW!!! I'm not sure that Matt is all that excited about it (he'd probably be just as happy at home, on the couch watching a movie), but since I was able to get free tickets, I'm excited to go for the first time..... and with Matt especially!!!!

5. I want to say that there is something that I'm missing, but not too much else BIG has happened.... some little things like:
- I had my church papers transferred over to Faith Reformed in Kankakee so that I am a member now at Matt's church.
- Our living is coming along.... i was able to buy new lamps & some shelf decorations
- Warm weather is hopefully coming soon! We have been having glimpses of wonderful weather, so hopefully that will stick around!

I think that's all for now! I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Please keep Camryn, Patti & TJ in your prayers....

birth-day filled weekend......

Well, Saturday morning, I received a VERY EXCITING phone call!  Patti & TJ had their tiny bundle of joy earlier that morning!! =)  I am just so excited for them.  At 7:20am, January 24, Camryn Danae Slager was born in Crown Point, IN.  She is a HUGE gift in a very small package, weighing 6lbs. and only 19 inches long.  Here are some photos of when Matt and I went to go visit them at the hospital...

I think we could handle one of these! ;-)

Right honey????

Then after the hospital it was time for some more celebrating of someone's birth-day!  Madison will be turning 5 on the 30th. It was a HANNAH MONTANA themed party!  We also got into playing with Keith & Tricia's Wii system  (Guitar Hero & Wii Fit mainly!)  It was a lot of fun!

(Matt doing the Ski Jump)

(Dad doing the Soccer game)

(Cassidy playing hula hoop!)

It was a great weekend, and I look forward to this coming weekend just as much!  I get to see my "FABULOUS 4" 3 girlfriends and we are heading down to Champaign to see our cousin's Eric & Laura!  YEAH!

Hope everyone had a good weekend!  

secret pal..... i've never done this before! eeek!

well, I'm VERY BORED here at work... (which is nothing new to me!)  So, I am trying to come up with ideas for my secret pal.   at church they started a new round of it for the new year.  so, i thought it would be a good way to get to know some more people.   at the meeting i received a piece of paper with some interests that my secret pal has, but sadly, my secret pal didn't give me enough, especially since i really don't know everyone at church that well yet.  so, it might not be enough for me to go off of..... i want to be creative and i don't want to do the typical little trinkets that I think of when i think of secret pal gifts.....

so i have been doing a little bit of research.....  there are not as many ideas as I thought there would be out there.... but i did find one good list..... but certainly came up with some of my own.... but i would love to hear from any of you if you have any ideas.  email me (thehoekstras101808@gmail.com) and let me know if you've been in this situation and had a good experience from something you gave.

but here is a little list of things that i research and thought i could twist to make my own:

1. Tin/Jar/Box with Bible verses in it  

   (One for every day of the year/a new one to put in there every so often)

2. Homemade Journal 

   (that you would give at the end) - it would have prayers/verses/poems that you want to share/tell your secret pal.

3. Worship CD's 

   (hymns/praise/christian songs)

4. Candles

5. Homemade Baked Goodies! 

    (with recipes to go with 'em!)

6. Spa Day Set 

    (Bubble Bath, Nail Polish, Pedicure/Manicure, etc)

7. Include their kids in what they like to do!

    (Cooking with Mommy, Scrapbooking for Mom & Me, etc.)

8. Flowers

    (Real or fake) 

9. Books/Magazines that go with hobbies that they like!

10. Gourmet coffee/coffee mug

11. Gift Certificate to a place they really like to shop/eat/go 

     (nothing expensive, just to help lighten their load)

12. Things to go with their interests  - little by little learn your self how to do that hobby and see what is something they would appreciate getting for that hobby!

(Cooking/Baking, Jewelry Making, Scrapbooking, Quilting, Needlework, Sketching/Drawing)

13. Themed presents  

     (to go along with Bible verses that you think might help them out, even it's just a little thing       and a bible verse attached to it)

14. Christian Book/Plaque/Saying

15. Cards every now and then to just encourage them

16. Candy & Chocolate is ALWAYS good... 

  (unless they are allergic to it!)

that's all i got..... help?

in other news.....  we have finally got a treadmill. Matt put it together last night and I am so super excited about it and can't wait to go on it tonight for the first time! (thanks again babe... you're the best!!!)  i have been feeling like a bump on a log with no energy ever since we got back from our honeymoon and really haven't had the resources to go walking/running as i would like!  So, hopefully this will boost my energy and get me back on the right track!

I guess I knew....

Goooooooood Moooooooornin'.......................

Even though I knew what I was getting myself into, marrying a pipeliner... it is all coming reality to me now! I find it harder than I thought to have nights to myself, especially unexpected nights. It is one thing to know when he'll be gone and I can mentally prepare for that.... but when it's an emergency and it could last a couple of days..... that is something I'm not good at! The reason I bring this up is because Wednesday and Thursday night, Matt was up in Rockford again, doing the same stuff he was doing the week before, and those nights, I don't enjoy, but I know that he is going to be gone. But Friday night, Matt got a call saying that the Freight Train that got derailed in Buffalo Grove was RIGHT ON TOP of the pipeline and workers needed to be there to make sure no damage was being done to the pipeline (which is quite a few feet underneath all that happened). This is a picture of the mess that needed to be cleaned up even before they could even start checking out the pipeline to see if any damage was done to the line.

I will say that I am thankful I have a man that is a hard worker and enjoys the work that he does. He cares about the work he does and he likes to do it right.

As for me, I had a wedding to shoot yesterday for THE NEW MR. & MRS. GARY ZEKVELD (Gary & Hannah "Smith"). It was a beautiful wedding. The weather could have cooperated a little bit better, but man, those girls "MAN-ed UP" and fought the cold to take pictures outside! Hannah was beautiful, Gary was handsome and I'm jealous they will be in the warm weather of Mexico today. Here is a beautiful picture of the bride & groom:

Hope everyone has a relaxing day......

Snowy Busy Couple of Days!

Painting the Living Room & the Hallway!

Snowy Days in Grant Park..... View from my back window!