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Hey everyone... I've heard from a few people that our blog isn't working so this is just a test.

New house, new shoes, new love for Grey's Anatomy

Hey everyone! Just want to give you a few updates from us Stenders. I just got back from Canada last Saturday. Had a great trip there for one week. It got a little chaotic at times with all 9 of my nieces and nephews but it was so fun. I will post some pics but our home computer is packed away at the moment.
While I was visiting family and friends in Canada, my wonderful hubby was busy moving our belongings to our new purchased home. We haven't actually moved in to live because he's been ripping out gross carpet and refinishing the beautiful hardwood floors underneath. Next, we will paint the whole main level with colors of our choice. Right now, it has awful wallpaper and spongepainting. Urgh. We are living at Wayne's brother and sister-in-law's house. They are so great to let us come and move in on them! Hopefully, we can get into our home this weekend.
As for the rest of our lives...I have blisters on my feet because I got some new shoes that I love and keep wearing even though my feet are suffering. Baby Breiden is doing somersaults and karate kicks ALL THE TIME and I love it. Wayne too! We are now hooked into some great TV like Project Runway, the Office and of course... Grey's Anatomy! We didn't have a TV last year, so we didn't watch a lot. I missed out on last season but I've been caught up and now we both love Grey's.
Work is going good for both of us. It's been fun for Wayne to be up at the school. He really enjoys what he does and he's definately good at it. The students LOVE him and they all hang out in the Campus Ministries office all the time. It's great. I'm at Bethel Church and it's awesome. I'm learning some new computer programs and really enjoying the staff. I also love that it's part-time.
Good things happening with the Stenders! We love you all!

Pregs 23 weeks

Okay okay, I know all these pictures on here are of me...but I'm trying to show off Breiden and how big he's growing! I will soon post pics of my loving hubby and maybe some other random pics I can find. For now, enjoy yet another picture of your truly. (Maybe a little different scenery in the background)

21 Weeks

It's a....

Self-explanitory!

Left forearm with his hand over his face... probably trying to suck his thumb!

Cute little baby feet! They are crossed, one over the other.

Baby stender's profile. He was lying on his back. The dark part in his body is his little heart!

Well, there you have it! If you haven't figured it out from the top picture with the big arrow and the word...BOY, on the left side...then I don't know where your brain is! Yay, baby stender is a BOY! We are so excited with this little blessing. And can't wait to meet him. I had my first ultrasound today and that was such a cool experience. We got to see everything from his little fingers and toes to his kidneys and inside his brain! So neat. He is healthy and growing at a good rate. His heartbeat is totally normal and he was movin' around like crazy...kicking and trying to suck his thumb! I still haven't felt him yet but any day now, I'm sure! His estimated time of arrival is January 23, 2007. So we'll see if he sticks to that date! Maybe he'll enter the world on his daddy's birthday...Jan 21. God is so good!

17 weeks

Girls night out

Larissa, Hallie, Alison and Meghan all ready to rock the track

Me, Larissa, Alison, scary pirate guy, Meghan, Hallie and Keisha at Bug-a-boo Bay

Here's some of the girls in my 'monthly' group! We went to Bug-a-boo Bay in Alexandria for supper and then went go-karting. Keisha (the other prego) and I opted to cheer them on and take photos. Looking forward to our next evening together, ladies!

Baby Stender's little heartbeat

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Oh to get him to smile normal...

Good times at Tuscarora

These are some of my girls that I had as campers. They loved it that I'm preggers and were so sweet to let me sleep when I needed to. They took good care of me!


Randi Jacobsen and I. She's a senior this year at HLA and such a dear!


These crazy girls got dressed up in bright, tacky 80's clothes for the Counselor Program. All the counselors did a rendition of "Joyful Joyful" from Sister Act 2. It was so great!

14 weeks and counting

Okay, we finally are home and getting settled and so I thought I'd start with a picture of yours truly. It's a self-taken-photo so don't mind the background and the camera.

Tuscarora!

Just a quick update... we're out in Pennsylvania at Tuscarora helping with Leisure Week (family camp) and Teen week. It's going really well. We're all exhausted because we're in charge of the kids groups during the morning and evening sessions. Especially me. I'm tired anyways but add 18 3-5 year olds and I'm spent. But the week is almost over and then we jump right into Teen week. Yikes. I'm ready to come home cuz this July has been a blur...quite the adventure. I had a doc appt the day that we left to come out here and everything is normal and looking good. I'm still in the 'fat' stage right now where my clothes are getting too tight but you can't really tell that I'm preggers. So, I'm hoping that I just start popping one of these days. I'll post a pic soon! Love you all.

Being crazy in the mountains!

Next stop... Glacier National Park

Glacier was AMAZING!! It was heartwarming to me to be in the mountains again and I loved it. There was a little bit of concern about Bears at the Rising Sun Campground where we stayed but we were fine and we kept everything in the van when we weren't around or when we were sleeping. It was a little chilly up there too so the last night Em and I zipped our sleeping bags together and we were much warmer! We went for a little hike to St. Mary falls. The whole two days we were there, the weather was perfect. We were told that we missed the sleet and snow and freezing rain by 3 days. Yikes! We drove up to Logan's Pass the first day but the road west of that was closed for road construction. Luckily it opened up the day that we had to leave so we got to drive the whole Road to the Sun. SO BEAUTIFUL!! I would love to go there again

And so the journey begins...Fort Peck, MT

We had an awesome time camping on our way out to Seattle. We made our first stop at the Downstream Campground in Fort Peck, Montana. Very nice!

I LOVE SEATTLE!

We are in Seattle right now and its fabulous! The weather has been perfect. We drove here from Fergus over 3 days and stopped in Glacier National Park to camp. It was wonderful! Then we made it to Seattle on Saturday. We've seen some friends from Hillcrest and we went to church in Marysville which was awesome. Today we've been spending the day downtown Seattle and we hit Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square and other things. We went for a sailboat ride on Puget Sound and it was absolutely PERFECT!! I'll have to post pics soon. Now we've met up with Jill ( a great friend from Hillcrest that Wayne went to school with) She's so awesome and she's been showing us around. We're going to have a bbq with some of her friends. It seriously is awesome here....the weather, the mountains, the cool atmosphere, the cute shops, all the different peeps...its so cool. I could definately see us living here some day. The only downfall is everything is so EXPENSIVE. The cost of living is so high and to buy a house out here would cost us an arm and a leg and more. Yikes...its crazy. Anyways, I've gotta go... peace out for now!

My beautiful sisters!

These are my beautiful sisters, Heather and Susanne. Heather and family have been here for a wonderful visit and it's just been so fun to be able to spend some time together. This doesn't happen all that often because Heather and fam live so far away from Sue and me. But we just enjoy so much the time we get together.

To my sisters: I love you so much and you mean so much to me. Thank you for the examples you are to me. I've looked up to you both for so long and still do. You are strong women who love the Lord and desire to raise your children to love Jesus! Thank you for your friendship to me and for supporting and praying for us while we enter this new world of parenthood! You're the best sisters ever!

Fun barbeque with the cousins!

All the kids!

Uncle Larry and Aunty Irene

Nancy and Wayne

Kirsten and Jeff

Eric at the barbeque while Duane relaxes!

Heather and Kirsten

Aunty Irene scolding Eric!

Jeff and Uncle Larry enjoying the sunshine

Family

It's so fun to have all the kids together. They are a hoot. I love hearing little Nate's voice. He talks so much. They are all growing up so fast. I can't even believe it. Pretty soon there'll be one more cousin in the group! Fun times. We're having a great time all together. It's a little crazy at times, but so fun! (Mom and Dad, we wish you were here with us.)