Merry Christmas!

Yes, it is December 27th and I am just sending out Christmas wishes. Lately, I have felt like I have had nothing but discouraging news; so, I haven't written much. Nobody like a Debbie Downer.

We had a nice Christmas with my family in Concord and Brook's in Grand Rapids. Christmas eve, we went to my Uncle Jeff's - most of my mom's extended family was there - all 60 of us! Unfortunately, I accidentally deleted all my pictures from that night. :( Later that evening, we went to Christmas Mass, which was held at the Lumen Christi gymnasium. (The church staff did a really nice job transforming a gym into a worship space.)

On Christmas day, Brook and I opened our gifts to each other and then went out to my parents' house. Usually, all my siblings come over in the morning, but Wes and Jaime stayed home, since they have 2 little ones now. Veronica and Brandon and Hannah were there, though, and we had a fun time with them and my mom and dad. As always, my parents were very generous. My big gift was a vacuum (you know you're a "grown up" when getting a vacuum is exciting!) and Brook's big gift was a Taylor Made golf bag. He was so impressed that my mom got the exact one he wanted!

We headed to Grand Rapids early in the afternoon for Christmas with the Bisonets. Carey was there, as well as Trent and his family. Brook's parents made so much delicious food! After we ate, we opened gifts and again, received many nice things. I think my favorites were the Grand Rapids Entertainment book, iPod Nano (thanks, Carey!) and Gucci purse. I can't remember what Brook got, I was too enthralled with my book. Haha.

The last few days, we have been pretty relaxing. Yesterday, Brook worked and I hit the after-Christmas sales. Last night, we went the the Griffin's hockey game. (Dollar beer and dollar hot dogs on Friday night!) And today, we did some more shopping and then just vegged. It was great! I can't believe Christmas is over. I love having all the Christmas decorations up, especially the tree. It makes the house feel so warm and cozy. Jane's home tour inspired me to do the same, especially since this is my last Christmas in my house. It is somewhat bittersweet and I wanted to remember every decoration. I'll have to post those pics when I get home . . .

It is crazy to think that our wedding is less than 4 months away! I re-listed my house with a different realtor last week. If it doesn't sell, she said she would help me get it rented. I thought I would be moving in April, but I am not sure now. The Friday before Christmas, I found out that the position at Consumers, on the west side of the state, is not going to happen. So, I need to look for a job now. I didn't know whether I should laugh or cry (I did a little of both that day), but I have been surprisingly calm this last week. I have been feeling like things will eventually work out, which is SO not like me. It is definitely a grace from God that I am very thankful for. I hope you all had a very grace-filled Christmas, as well!

Saturday

It is 7:30, Saturday morning. . . I was awake at 5am. A lot is on my mind these days. Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts regarding the church and for understanding my sadness. The latest estimate is that the church will be restored by the "spring or summer." Well, our wedding is April 25th, so we are holding out that we may still be able to be married at Queens. If not, it looks as though it will be at St. Stan's.

We are in the middle of our marriage prep retreat. It was last night from 6-9 and this morning from 9-noon. I was honestly dreading having to go. I wanted nothing more than to sit at home and relax with Brook. But it ended up being at St. Stan's and the church was unlocked, as Queens is having all their Sunday Masses there now. I was able to show Brook the church, since he had never been inside. It really is a pretty church and the same Jesus is there and the same groom will be there. :) We decided not to get the invitations reprinted. If the marriage cannot take place at Queens, at least there will be some mention of my beloved church. We will just put inserts into the invite package to announce the new location.

Now, back to the marriage retreat. . . It is a course to help couples communicate better. Brook and I are such an anomaly - I am a HUGE talker and he is an attorney, need I say more? We talk ALL the time! We talk our problems to DEATH! Haha! We even stay pretty civil when dealing with our issues. But this course is not just for couples, it can be used for all sorts of relationships. Which is why the timing couldn't be more perfect. We are going through some tough times with Brook's former employer, which is to be expected, but it still doesn't make it easy. This course gave some great tools to deal with Mr. Former Employer. It is a Scripture-based class, which brings a lot of things into perspective. This is one of the verses mentioned last night, "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing. . ."

Well, I better get ready . . . busy day today . . . first the finale to this retreat, then the Bildner family Christmas in GR. Tomorrow, Brook has his "Rite of Acceptance," which is the first official step to becoming Catholic. Thanks again for all your prayers. Love to you all

Church Update

Now Thank We All Our God. That is what is written on the sign outside the church. I know it was up for Thanksgiving, but seeing those words brought tears to my eyes. In a way, it seems ironic. But we, as a church community, do have a lot to be thankful for. No one was hurt, structurally, the church is still sound and we still have each other - our faith community. I have a feeling this will make us much stronger.

Unfortunately, there is extensive smoke and water damage and it may take up to 1 year to restore the church to how it looked / smelled pre-fire. This makes me very, very sad. Walking down the aisle anywhere else, just doesn't seem right. I called Priscilla tonight and broke down. I knew she would understand, b/c she is also getting married next year. In a way, it seems silly to cry over a church, but I guess I don't have the words to express how important that place has been in shaping my life . . .

So, on to the practical matters - after the smoke clears (sorry for the bad pun), I am going to call the church to figure out where the wedding will be. I'm sure the parish staff will have enough to deal with, without me calling, asking about my wedding. SO, I will try to wait a few weeks. But not too long, b/c we will also have to get the invitations reprinted. I am so glad my sisters and I already stuffed all the invites. HA!

Bandit

I was checking my e-mail tonight and heard a rustling noise, coming from the living room. It sounded like a food wrapper. At first, I thought it was the TV, but when it continued, I decided to check it out. This is what I found.

Can you even tell what this is? Here's another shot.

Mr. Brady, my precious dog, found the 2 crackers that were leftover from dinner.

The animal has no shame - here he is licking his lips! He actually kept trying to get the crackers out of the package, while I was snapping pictures. If this is any indication of the way our kids are going to act, we are in big trouble!

In case there wasn't enough going on in our lives . . .

My mom just called and informed me that the church we are supposed to be married at (Queens) is on fire. Not a little fire, but flames shooting out of the building. This is heartbreaking, not because we are getting married there, but because of all the memories we have had in this church. I am trying to tell myself that it is just a building, but it is the church of my childhood and when I walk in, I sigh with a feeling of being home. Hopefully, the damage is not too extensive and all can be salvaged.

Tired

I am out of it today. How can I be tired? We didn't get out of our pajamas until 5pm yesterday! I came down with something Saturday and have been trying to fight it off with lots of sleep and Airborne. Neither has helped, but I am trying to convince myself that I would feel worse right now if I hadn't slept so much and taken Airborne like it was my job. I am honsetly close to tears, b/c I just had this a month ago for over 2 weeks!

Oh well. My head is kind-of foggy right now, so please forgive me if I don't make much sense. We had a nice weekend with our family and friends. Ate too much on Thursday and went to see "Four Christmases" with my family. It was decent, not the best Christmas movie, but ok. Here are some pics we took at my parents' house.

"Where should I sit?"

TAKE ONE


TAKE TWO

Grandpa & Grandma

Uncle Jeff & Aunt Cheryl's Family

Friday, we ended up getting up early to brave the crowds and attempt to get a good deal, b/c Brook wanted to get a laptop. Somehow, he came home empty-handed and I had all the bags! How does that happen? After a nap (which seems to be the recurring theme of the weekend), we ventured out to . . . Lowes to get our tree! So much for hiking out into the wilderness to get it! Then, I met Priscilla for dinner at Ground Round. We had a great time catching up and she asked me to be in her wedding! I am so honored to be a bridesmaid and lucky to have a friend like her.

Here we are, getting our tree at Lowes

Brady did not really enjoy the experience!

Saturday was Chass' baby shower in Concord and my 10 year class reunion at the Hunt Club. I have to admit that the reunion far exceeded my expectations! There were only a small group of people that showed up - 30 maybe? But it was fun to see everyone and catch up on what is going on in their lives. The funniest part of the evening was how much time we spent talking about our blogs! It seems that most people in attendance have a blog and we re-lived past posts. What did we ever do before blogging? :)

Yesterday, as I mentioned earlier, we didn't do much. We finished decorating the tree and barely managed to get out of our pajamas at 5 (after a nap, of course) to workout and grab some dinner. Sometimes, you just need a day like that, ya know?

Well, I hope you all had a fabulous weekend, safe travels and are feeling ok. May you have a blessed Advent season, as we prepare, once again, to celebrate the birth of our Saviour!

It's been awhile . . .

Our last post was 2 weeks ago and a lot has happened in the Stevens / Bisonet households. I went to Chicago last weekend to visit one of my best friends from college. I took the commuter train out of Michigan City Friday morning, since it is only $15 round trip - versus $100 for Amtrak (out of Jackson.) Since gas is so cheap now (don't you just want to hug the gas station attendant every time you fill up?), I figured driving part-way would be cheaper. I ran right into a major snow storm in Kalamazoo, which left me wishing I had shelled out the moolah for the Amtrak ticket! I did make it to Michigan City, just in time, to catch the train. Once in Chicago, I had my first experience on a city bus. Well, I had ridden the bus before, in Poland, with my cousins. But this was my first time alone and I was VERY nervous. What if I get on the wrong bus? How do I pay? What if I miss my stop? Yes, these questions were all racing through my head. With the help of a few kind strangers, I made it on the right bus. I even managed to pay without causing a scene. I found a seat and announced to the guy next to me, "This is my first time on a city bus!" What a dork I am. He was kind and talked to me for awhile. Then, someone else sat by me and taught me how to "pull the string" to get off. So yes, I even got off at the right stop. Besides all the bus excitement, the weekend was full of shopping, delicious food and martinis. It was great to catch up with a dear friend, who has shared so much of my life over the last 10 years. Hard to believe it has been that long!

The other noteworthy item (and most exciting) is that after a lot of thought and planning, Brook left the law firm he was at last week. He, along with 2 other attorneys, have decided to begin their own firm. Most of the details are still up in the air, but it looks like the office will be in Grand Haven. Brook is very excited about the possibilities this holds for him. Being a typical accountant, I honestly have to say that I have had my share of sleepless nights over this. After much discussion with Brook and a lot of prayer, I think he has made the right decision and support him 100%. We both believe this will allow us to achieve the dreams we have for ourselves and our future family. Please keep us in your prayers at this time of transition.

As for the holiday weekend, we are beginning the festivities by joining in the obligatory "Night before Thanksgiving bar night." My sister is having a get-together at her house and then we may go to the Hunt Club. Thanksgiving, we will spend time with both families and eat way too much - 2 meals, only 3 hours apart - ugh! Friday we are going to go out into the woods and chop down our Christmas tree, like Paul Bunyan. Ok, probably more like Clark Griswold. And Friday night, we are meeting some friends from DC for dinner (SO excited for that!) Chass' baby shower is Saturday afternoon (can't wait to see her baby bump!) and then my 10 year class reunion is that evening. Why am I not excited AT ALL for this? But I am definitely looking forward to seeing Katie, Meagan, Jane and Chass all at the same time!



We want to wish you a very "Happy Thanksgiving" and let you know that we are so grateful for your presence in our lives, no matter how small. We are truly blessed, b/c we know you.

Registry

Brook and I registered yesterday for wedding gifts. When I told some friends we were going, their eyes got really big, like they were afraid for us! And then they said, "Good luck and bring water." Like the good planner I am, I already had a list and we had discussed what colors we wanted in the house we don't have yet. So, I didn't think it would be too bad. We started at Target at 11am, then went to Bed, Bath & Beyond. We had to break for awhile to attend a marriage class, but then went back at it and didn't get home 'til after 8! It made for a very made long day, but we had fun.

As I was sitting on the couch, reviewing what we had registered for and taking notes on what we still needed, Brook started laughing and said, "You are in your element, aren't you?" I just looked at him and said, "We missed a taupe wash cloth." Then, we both started laughing! Who knew picking out stuff for other people to buy you could be so stressful? :-)

Thankful

I have been reflecting about my life a lot over the last 2 weeks and have had an overwhleming sense of thankfulness lately. Maybe it is b/c we are so close to Thanksgiving, I don't know. I am on the verge of tears a lot, but they are finally GOOD tears! I just have a resounding feeling of thankfulness. . . thankfulness to God for my family, good friends and Brook.

In Brook, I found someone who loves me more than I think I deserve to be loved. He loves, cares and understands me more than almost anyone. He is the person that deep in my heart I always wanted, but was too afraid to ask God for. I thought I was asking for too much. And it didn't help that people told me I was too picky. The last 7 years of my life have been quite a journey. I went thru so many highs and lows after leaving the Sisters. I dated a lot of guys that weren't right for me (I initially had "losers" here, but thought that wasn't very nice!) and cried many tears. I felt incomplete and doubted that God heard my prayers and even if God existed. I even wondered if I had made a mistake leaving the nuns. I became fiercly independent . . .

Then, at my lowest point, I met Brook. Now, in less than 6 months, I will become Chrystal Bisonet. This is still somewhat unbelievable to me. It sounds so cliche', but makes all the waiting worth it. It makes all the tears seem like nothing and all the heartache a distant memory.

There are some things I will never forget, though. Like the excitement in Kathy's voice when I told her I was engaged. My cousins, Diana, Holly, Andrea and Phyllis, reacted the same. There were shreaks and screams as I told people the news. My aunts and uncles got on the phone to hear the news together. It makes me smile now. Or when Jill got tears in her eyes and said, "This is an answer to prayer." Yes, it is an answer to prayer. The prayer was not "Please help me meet my husband." It was so much bigger than that. My prayer was "Help me do what I am meant to do with my life" and always seeking the will of God. Mine is a story of God's faithfulness to me, even when I doubted Him and was angry with Him.

Words cannot express how I feel. Thank you to all of you who loved me and supported me through those years. Thank you for not letting me settle and for your encouragement. Thank you now for sharing my joy.

Lawyers . . . and other thoughts

We are back from our quick trip to Chicago. Believe it or not, the swearing in ceremony was rather inspiring. The Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court swore in over 1700 (!!) new attorneys yesterday morning. I know what you are thinking - 'That's all we need, 1700 more lawyers.' That is what my grandpa would say, at least! But most of them are good, decent people and passionate about what they do. (I am lucky to be marrying one of those people.) There was so much pride in that auditorium today. . . mostly, young people, with their parents. I can't imagine the dedication and hours of studying that got them to where they are today.

Of course, there was still much excitement around the city b/c of the events of this week. It definitely was a historic election! And whether you were a McCain or Obama supporter, one thing is for sure: the future of this country is very uncertain . . . economically and morally. When I find myself fretting, I bring myself back to the fact that I still know Who truly is in charge. And it isn't a president.

Stoked!

Tomorrow, Brook gets sworn in for the Illinois Bar. Since we are in the middle of our monthly Close process at work, I didn't even bother to see if I could take the day off. And Brook was going to go alone, which just didn't seem right. Someone needs to be there to celebrate with him. :) Well, I woke up today, really wanting to go, since I was sick and didn't get to see him sworn in for the MI Bar. I thought I would just take a chance and ask. I have such a great boss! I am heading to Chicago tonight to see Brook become an attorney in the state of Illinois!

I Did It!

I finally attended a wedding and got pictures of the bride and groom! Jennifer Zolner became Jennifer King on Saturday at a gorgeous ceremony and reception at the Amway Grand. It was an intimate affair with only 60 people in attendance, but extremely fun! Congratulations Jennifer and Tyler - we wish you nothing but joy and happiness. Thank-you for including us in your special day.

Stacie, Malia, Jennifer and I

Gannon and Nicholas really tore it up on the dance floor


Kathy and Karen with their girls

Brook was proud of this candid photo that he took

Happy Halloween!

We had fun on Friday, making the rounds to see our nieces and nephew, dressed up in their costumes. I went over to Wes and Jaime's before heading to GR and spent some QT with Maria and Connor.

Connor was more interested in the pumpkin than posing for me

Tigger and Sleeping Beauty

When I arrived in GR, we went over to Trent and April's to see Anna and Livia in their costumes, as well. Brook actually went trick or treating with the girls. I decided to stay inside with the pizza and the wine and keep Cindy company as she handed out candy.

A Little Pumpkin and Cheerleader
(enjoying the candy bracelets I gave them!)

Who would've thought that Halloween is almost, if not more, fun for adults than kids? I am amazed at the time and effort that goes into planning costumes. Can you guess what more people were dressed up as than anything else? I will give you a hint . . . lots of guys in Speedos, with gold medals around their necks. Yeah, it was Michael Phelps. Gross. We had an interesting and fun night out with Brook's roommates at McFaddens and got lots of ideas for next year!

Brook, as one of the guys from "Anchorman"
and me as a Go-Go Girl
(Thanks for the costume, Hannah!)

Brook and the rest of the Anchormen


Kendra, as Deal or No Deal model, me and Jen, as Sarah Palin

TGIF

It has been a loonnggg & emotionally draining week, with me being sick and funeral arrangements, due to a death in my family. I am looking forward to this weekend and being with Brook. Unfortunately, it will not be a relaxing weekend! We will be in Grand Rapids for part of it . . . celebrating Halloween tonight at McFadden's and attending Jennifer and Tyler's wedding at the Amway Grand with so many of our close friends Saturday. Sunday, we head back to Jackson for our required 4 week class "Overview of the Catholic Church." (Poor Brook . . . so much driving back and forth lately.) We have to take this course to get married. I love being Catholic, but come on . . . I have been a strong Catholic my whole life and Brook is going thru the RCIA classes to become Catholic. Oh well, it is only 4 weeks and is worth it to get married in the Church. Maybe we will learn something this weekend?

Anyway, my goal for the weekend: get some pictures of the BRIDE & GROOM! Since there will only be 50 people at the wedding, this shouldn't be difficult. Wish me luck!

Home Sick

I have been feeling under the weather for the last few days and decided to stay home from work today, instead of spreading my germs around the office. And since I am incredibly bored, I thought I would do a little blogging.

Last weekend, we went to Kelly Hull and Melissa Ott's wedding. (Kelly is Brook's cousin on his mom's side.) The wedding was beautiful and we had a great time with the Bildner side of the family. Once again, I did not get any pics of the bride and groom (I really need to work on that!), but here are some of the moments I did capture . . .

Trent, Brook and Carey

Brook's parentsApril (Trent's wife) and I

Blessing of the Pets

In honor of the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, our church did its annual blessing of the pets today. Brady and Prince (Veronica's dog), along with about 8 other dogs showed up in the parking lot of Queens for the blessing, accompanied by their owners. The dogs received a short blessing and (their favorite part) animal cracker treats.

Engagement Pictures

As promised, here is the slide show of our engagement pictures. As a side note, if anyone is looking for a good photographer, we would highly recommend ours! His name is Barry Tilson - he is very reasonably priced, great to work with and does awesome work.

A Busy Weekend

We had another busy weekend (what's new?) I took Friday off and my sister-in-law, Jaime, and I took Maria, Connor and Luke (a little boy she watches, who is the same age as Maria) to the Treehouse in Chelsea. Maria had a blast! Luke was busy playing with the trains, so Maria left him behind and made new friends. She kept asking other kids, "Do you want to be my friend and play with me?" It was so adorable. We tried to make a day of it, but the kids (and grown-ups!) were exhausted by early-afternoon.


Luckily, I had time to take a quick nap before Brook arrived at my house Friday evening. Playing with kids is tiring! We went to Concord for a chili dinner at the high school that my sister's class was hosting to raise money for their prom. Then, we watched a quarter of the football game - it was the 1st game I have been to in ages. To make it fair, we also had to stop at Western High School to watch some of their game, as well. (That's where Brook graduated from.) I believe both teams lost pretty badly - how sad.

Saturday morning, it was misting and foggy, which worried me a little, since we had our engagement pictures that day. I thought the fog would burn off, but when we left for East Lansing, it hadn't yet. By the time we arrived at the Botanical Gardens on MSU's campus, it was a beautiful, sunny morning! YAY! We had a great meeting with our photographer and can't wait to see the pictures he took. (I will post the link to the on-line gallery when he sends it to me.)

Saturday was also the anniversary of our first date. After the infamous ND/MSU game, Brook called and asked if I wanted to meet him for dinner at Champps Eastwood Towne Center. As you can imagine, I said, "Yes." I was on time for that date, but Brook was trying to "play it cool," as he now says, and was late. (He went to the shoe store to buy boots instead of being on time.) Anyway, we went there for lunch after our pictures and (by coincidence) even sat at the same table. I know, we are dorks! :)

Later in the afternoon, Brook booked Bella Notte's for our rehearsal dinner and I took another nap. Come on, I had a drink at lunch and it made me sleepy. Saturday night, Stacie and Jason Tello went to the Tiger's game with us. We never get to hang out with just the 2 of them and had a great time! We got there early (free parking - yay!) and visited Cheli's for a few drinks. This also gave Brook an opportunity to watch the end of the Michigan game. Thanks to their miraculous comeback, he was a happy camper. We all had a great time at the game and are thankful for having such great friends.

Sunday, after church, we met some friends for lunch and then went hiking along the Waterloo Trail. It was a gorgeous day to be outside, but we were whipped by the end of the day. What a weekend!

One Year and Counting!

Brook and I celebrated our "1 year anniversary" September 22nd. It is hard to believe that we met only a year ago at the MSU / Notre Dame football game in South Bend. What a great memory that day will always be for us. (Except the Notre Dame lost, of course!) So much has happened in the last year and now we are preparing to be married in less than 7 months.

Brook sent me a dozen long-stemmed roses - it was a huge surprise and they were absolutely beautiful!

Introducing Diggity

My college roommate and good friend, Lisa, just bought a new puppy. He is only 8 weeks old and the cutest thing EVER! He is a a miniature dachsund and Lisa named him Diggity, short for Hot Doggity Dog. Leave to Lisa to come up with a creative name like that! :)Brady and I went to visit Lisa and meet Diggity last night. We also had yummy Thai food (my first) and watched "The Other Boleyn Girl." Poor Diggity misses his mom and cries a lot, especially when he is in his crate. This does not make for a peaceful night's sleep for Lisa! He also whined a lot when we went for a short, slow walk. Does anyone know why he would do this? Diggity liked his new friend, but it took Brady a while to warm up to Diggity.

Traverse City

Last weekend, we went to Traverse City for the annual Harvest Stompede. What exactly is the "Harvest Stompede?" Welllll, it is actually a 5k walk or run (which we skipped), followed by wine tasting and gourmet foods at up to 15 wineries in the Leelanua Penninsula (which, of course, we did not skip! Haha!) Unfortunatley, after 8 wineries on Saturday, we were not feeling up to visiting the remaining 7 on Sunday. We are getting old! It was fun to taste so many different wines and bring some bottles home to enjoy at a later (much later) date.

We started the weekend with a friendly game of mini-golf and . . .

we both got holes-in-one!

One of the many vineyards we visited.

This picture doesn't do justice to the beauty of the area.
Many of the vineyards overlook the bay and it is a breathtaking view!

Welcome Bennett Russell!

"Baby Boy" Gaston has finally arrived! Bennett Russell entered the world on Monday, September 15th. Proud parents are Karen and Russell Gaston. And lil sis, Avah, seems to have taken quite a liking her her little brother. Congratulations Russ and Karen on such a beautiful and healthy baby!

Congratulations Sr. Christina!

My dear friend, Sr. Christina Frey, made her final vows to be a Catholic nun on September 13th at Christ the King church in Ann Arbor. Not only did I live with Tina for 8 months with the Servants of God's Love , I was also there when she moved in 6 years ago. My, how time flies! We shared many good memories, as we were given the duty of food planning and grocery shopping for 10 women. Our weekly trips to Meijer were always an adventure! :)

Her final vow ceremony was incredibly moving and I am blessed that I was able to share in her very special day. Brook also got to meet all of the Sisters (see below!) that have touched my life in such an enormous way. Thank-you, Sr. Christina, for being such a strong Christian witness in the world!

Happy Birthday Brook!

Brook celebrated his 26th birthday today. It is about time! I turned 28 in June, so I was feeling like a cradle robber for the last few months! :) His birthday actually started last week, when we celebrated with my family and ended today with dinner at his parents'. Today is a perfect day to thank God for the gift of Brook's life. You are an incredible person and I cannot wait to spend many, many more birthdays with you. I love you, Brook!

He did it!

My cousin Henry got married last Saturday! He married Samantha Cartwright, who is a great fit into our family. Brook and I were really excited for this wedding, since it was like a preview of our wedding, which will be in the same church and banquet facility. We "danced the night away" (see pic of Brook below) and had such a great time with my family. We can't wait for our turn! :)

(I am a little embarrassed to admit that I do not have any pictures of the bride and groom. . . oops!)

Babies, babies and more babies!

This is an exciting time in our lives, b/c we get to share in the joy of our friends and family members who are expecting! My sister (Veronica) and her husband (Brandon) are expecting their first in early February. They just found out they will be having a little girl.

My brother and his wife (Jaime) are also due in early February, with their third child. 2009 will definitely be a busy year for the Stevens' family!

Last Friday, we got to celebrate with many of our good friends the upcoming arrival of Baby Gaston. Our friends, Russ and Karen, are expecting their 2nd child later this month.

Just the girls . . .

Our adorable ring bearer (and future Tiger)

Look at Avah . . . can't even imagine how cute her baby brother will be!