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!