Our Nephew: Cutie Pie!

So we just can't show off our nephew, Ethan, enough! He's three months old now and getting so big. Here are some pictures from their trip to Michigan back in the beginning of October. After over seven hundred miles in the car, the little guy was worn out! He got passed from person to person and slept the whole time! He's so darn cute!

Sleeping again...

Ethan, my sister Rachel and brother-in-law Allen made the trip home to Michigan so my grandpa could meet Ethan. Although he wasn't feeling well, he was so excited to see the little guy and hold him. My grandma was pretty excited too!

His eyes are open in this one...barely! He was all bundled up for the cold Michigan weather, very different from the warm South Carolina sun!

MSU Tailgating

We spent several Saturdays during football season tailgating with friends in East Lansing. Here are some pictures from our tailgating adventures! Here we are after the MSU vs. Flordia Atlantic game with Stacie and Brian. It was a very rainy day!

For the MSU vs. Notre Dame game the weather was much nicer...awesome for tailgating! Here we are and our friend Mark, hanging out at the Miller Lite tent.

Vacation Pictures...Finally!!!

Here's a few pictures from our Southern road trip...

Nate and I had a great time on our vacation to South and North Carolina at the end of August. We started our trip in Sumter, South Carolina, where we met our adorable nephew Ethan and spent some time with my family. From Sumter we head to Charleston, SC...and had so much fun! We endured the hot, humid August weather...sight seeing around Charleston, eating awesome food, and shopping! Here I am on the pier along the harbor in Charleston and at a local lake in Sumter. Nate is enjoying a glass of wine at our bed and breakfast in Charleston and digging into some yuumy southern BBQ!




Here we are at Middleton Place, a plantation outside of Charleston, SC. This was such a beautiful spot! Nate and I went for wine tasting and dinner one evening and were able to wonder the grounds and take in the scenery...and the food was amazing. Here's a pic of our bed and breakfast, The Battery Carriage House. It was one steet west of the ocean and we stayed in a cozy little room that opened onto the gardens on the lower level of the house. It's a huge, beautiful old Southern house!







From Charleston, we headed to Myrtle Beach, SC for a few days. While there, we visited with Nate's cousin Renee and her boyfriend Adam (sorry I don't have a picture with them). Nate enjoyed golfing while I soaked up some of the sunshine. From Myrtle Beach we headed to Wilmington, NC, to visit our friend Steve. Here is a pic of he and Nate...although we had to help Steve pack up his apartment and move, we still have a ton of fun.

New Camera, No Pictures :(

So I got a fancy new camera for my birthday and have taken a ton of pictures from our vacation to South Carolina and tailgating, but unfortunatley I can't post any of them. Our very old computer thinks it doesn't have a CD drive any longer, so I can't figure out how to get the camera software onto it so I can download all my pictures. Neither Nate or I know how to fix this problem, so until I get a new computer I can't post any pics. BOO!

But I do have some pictures that others have been sending me...check out how big our nephew is getting! We can't wait to see him soon.

Welcome Baby Ethan!

As many of you already now, we have a new nephew, Ethan Zachary Kallenberg! Ethan was born August 14, 2008, at 2:32pm weighing in at 8lbs. 9oz. and 21 inches long! Rachel did an amazing job...she was strong, focused and determined. I was able to be in the delivery room for his birth and it was awesome. He is so cute!

We spent a few weeks enjoying the hot, humid South Carolina weather visiting and getting to know our new godson. We were also able to spend some time touring around the state...sight seeing and visiting friends and family in Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Wilmington, NC. More pics of our vacation to follow soon.

Before bed, after his bath and tummy time. He's already loving the camera!





I was reading but I think he was sleeping!!!!

Baby's first John Deere tractor ride with Daddy!

Summer Fun

We spent the weekend of July 4th at my parents' cottage in Coldwater. The weather was beautiful and we were outside enjoying it all weekend. The girls took a day trip to Shippshawana, IN to check out all the little Amish shops and bake goods and then stopped at a local winery, Satek Winery, on the way home for some tasting and purchasing! We were able to see the grapes on the vines right in the front yard! All of my wonderful aunts bought me a bottle of wine for my birthday...alcohol is always a great gift :)

We also spent lots of time on the boat boat...this was the first run with the new tube for it on the lake. Nate and I both had fun tubing, as well as my cousin Brad (who was getting more and more adventurous on it). It was so relaxing to just chill out and enjoy the sun. It was a great weekend and birthday!

Here's view of the back of the cottage from the boat as we were heading out to the lake

Road trip to Illinois

We headed to Peru, Illinois for our friends' Kevin and Alison's wedding on June 21, 2008. There was a huge group of us friends from all over (Grand Rapids, Bay City, Novi, Chicago, etc) who all made the trip for the big day. We all had a ton of fun and their wedding was beautiful!

Auntie and Uncle

Nate and I are going to be an Aunt and Uncle in August! My sister Rachel and her husband Allen are expecting a baby boy in just a few short weeks. We are so excited to meet our nephew...we'll be vacationing/meeting baby in South Carolina the last two weeks in August.

Here's the most recent picture of the belly...he'll be here before we know it!

Our newest family members!

Nate and I have added two new members to our family...two kittens named Ernie and Oreo. We adopted them from the Humane Society about three weeks ago and they are keeping us very busy!

They are litter mates who were so playful and fun that we had to take them home. We love our new babies!

St. Paddy's Day in Bay City

Every year we have a tradition for St. Patrick's Day...green beer at Mulligan's in Bay City the Sunday of the St. Patrick's Day Parade. This year we all pulled our green apparell (beads, buttons, stickers, etc.) and headed out in the cold to wait in line for our table.

We arrived at Mulligan's at about 10am and waited the 2 hours outside to be the first ones in the bar. Once inside we all drank green beer (probably too much) and sang Irish tunes with the band!

Can't wait to celebrate again next year!

Above picture from left to right: Naryn (Nate's sister), Melissa (our soon to be sister-in law/Neil's fiance), Neil (Nate's brother), Stacie and Brian (good friends), Dave (good friend) and myself!

Iowa here we come!!!

The weekend before my trip to DC, I left Nate at home again for another fun girls trip! Maris, one of my good friends, recently moved to Iowa City to pursue her master's degree. So all of us college roommates decided to make a weekend trip to visit her. Theresa, Karen and I all loaded up in the car and drove the six hours from Grand Rapids to Iowa...not much to see on the way there, but we had fun! It was just like old times...all four of us crammed into a tiny apartment laughing and giggling all night.

Since visiting Iowa in February means you're going to see a lot of snow, we've decided to go back when the weather is little nicer and the car doesn't get stuck in a snow bank. Maris showed us all around Iowa City and the University of Iowa...we shopped, had a few cocktails and enjoyed a weekend without husbands and boyfriends!

(Picture: Regina, Karen, Maris, Theresa)

Trip to Washington DC

I recently had the opportunity to visit Washington DC with my mom, Beth, and my Aunt Jeanne the first week of March (I know...it's been awhile since my last post). So I left Nate at home in the cold and snow and made a girls' week of it! None of us had visited before, so when my mom's company decided to send her to a 3 day training session in DC, Aunt Jeanne and I went along too.

Aunt Jeanne and I spent the days touring around the city while my mom went to "school". We rode the subway, visited many of the memorials and museums and walked miles and miles around the city. The Washington Monument was one of our favorites...probably because whenever we got turned around, we could spot the monument right away! I was really impressed with the Lincoln Memorial and the FDR Memorial also...I was wishing, though, that I had payed a little more attention in US History class. Oh, well...that's what the tour books are for!

(I made Aunt Jeanne hold FDR's hand!!!:)

Luckily, my friend Sarah lives in Washington DC and she was the best tour guide ever! She gave us a driving tour of the city at night, made dinner for us at her apartment and helped us navagate around the city! It was great seeing her as well as my friend Diane from nursing school, who now lives in Baltimore, MD.

Another high light of the trip...we saw Carrie Bradshaw's computer!!! That's right, at the Museum of American History they actually have the lap top Sarah Jessica Parker used on the set while filming Sex and the City. I was thrilled...who knew museums could be so much fun. We had a great time and can't wait to go back soon!

MSU Basketball Game

GO SPARTANS! Nate and I went to the MSU basketball game against Northwestern on February 9th and had a blast. The tickets were part of Nate's Christmas present from his wonderful wife! Here are just a few of the pictures from the game!