3 Months

Unbelievable! 3 months has flown by! Eli is the sweetest and happiest baby! We feel so blessed every day! The biggest news is he just rolled over today! Woohoo! It is so funny how the smallest things are so exciting when it is your own child!
Excuse the wrinkly blanket again!


We can't wait to go to MN on Sunday, but we are going to miss Ben like crazy! Can't wait to see you all! Love you!
"You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples." Psalm 77:14

Read below about our great Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving!

What a fun Thanksgiving we had with the Thuls! Although Ben would have to say it didn't start out so great!

It is supposed to be about a 4.5 hour drive to Portland. We figured traffic would be a little crazy since we were driving down Wednesday night, so we had planned on 5-6 hours, especially by the time we stopped and fed Eli. Well we started our trip south and no more than 20 miles into our drive we were stopped in traffic..."what in the world," we were both thinking. Come to find out there was a rock slide and a huge boulder was blocking the road...of course! So that put us back right away, but we were still keeping a positive attitude! Not long after we drove past the huge rock on the road we slowed down again and unbeknownst to us we would not be going much faster than that the rest of our trip. Long story short, we ended up being in the car for about 8 hours and Eli was a champ! Unfortunately I can't say the same for Ben!:) But who can blame him, driving in traffic for almost 8 hours, I thought he was going to lose his mind!

Once we were in the Thuls home we couldn't have been happier! The weekend was so wonderful! They are the most wonderful hosts! What a blessing they were to us, to let us invade their home for an entire weekend! It was so fun to share Eli with family and they loved to "love" on him! Thanks for EVERYTHING Thul family! Eli misses you guys so much...especially the soothing piano, Buddy and the silly noises and faces you all made at him!


"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Colossians 4:2

Eli's Dedication

Eli was dedicated at church this past Sunday. Even though we were sad none of our family could be there to support us in giving Eli to the Lord, it was still an awesome day and we had so much fun with all our friends! And thankfully our good friends brought their camera to church, because ours decided to take the day off right when we got to church! Thanks B family!

The B family also took video of Eli being prayed over but I can't seem to get it to upload. I will keep trying.
Eli's Grandpa Tom emailed us some great insight the morning of his dedication! Thanks Tom! He reminded us of a really cool bible passage in 1 Samuel that deals with one of the first accounts of child dedication.
Hannah went to Eli the high priest and asked for his intercessory prayer to bring her with a child, who she would then dedicate his life to the Lord. And she (Hannah) made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head." 1 Samuel 1:11 When God answered Hannah's prayer by giving her a son, she remembered her vow: "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there. 1 Samuel 1:26-28

The Sweetest Thing!

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Deuteronomy 6:5

Big Peanut and Our Favorite Time of the Year

I promise that almost every time I go get Eli out of his crib after his nap I look at him and think he has grown. Is it possible that we may have bought a specialized crib? :) Our "little peanut" no longer fits that description, we should now call him our "growing too fast peanut"! Even though he continues to grow like a weed, he is still the sweetest boy who makes his mommy and daddy laugh and smile every day!

He could also have the nickname alfalfa after that middle picture! His crazy hair sometimes has a mind of its own, as you can tell in all the pictures.

Look what Eli found!

We have almost finished our Christmas decorating and we love it! Of course this is earlier than we have ever decorated before, but we wanted to enjoy our favorite time of the year before we head off to MN. No tree this year so these 3 cute little ones in the corner of the living room will have to suffice!


We love you and miss you all! We are so excited for everyone to spend time with Eli next month!
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters..."Colossians 3:23

Minnesota Pride

Ben is now a master pumpkin carver! And always a Minnesotan at heart...as am I!

Eli got to meet his newest friend Eva Claire(4 days old)! She is so precious, but Eli looked like a monster compared to her! :)

Eli LOVES his fist!

Let's play a little game...Where's Eli's Pointer Finger? :) Ha!


By the way, Happy November...it is officially holiday season! Ben told me he heard Christmas music on the radio yesterday, and he was appalled! So I responded with, "That is weird." But secretly I was SO excited about it! I LOVE Christmas music and this time of year, as long as it starts after October 31! I even get to decorate for Christmas extra early this year since Eli and I will be coming to MN in the beginning of December! So stay tuned for some snazzy decorations!
We love you and miss you all!
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.” Ephesians 1:18

2 Months!

Have I already said how much I have loved every minute of Eli's life?! Yes, there seem to be a few more worries in life than before(and many more to come as a mom), but that is where my faith and trust in the Lord come in!

Eli is the sweetest boy! He is always making me smile with his quirky faces and sounds, that seriously sound like a giggle (but I know he isn't laughing)! We can't wait to bring him home in Dec. to share him with everyone!

“speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:19-20

The Sun Really Does Shine Here!

Isn't family the best? We were so lucky to have the Thorps spend the weekend with us! We had so much fun but it went WAY too fast! It was hard to say bye, especially to smiley little Caleb!

We pretty much just hung out, watched football, played with our boys and enjoyed some yummy food!

But then it happened...Sunday the sun came OUT!!! We were all so excited! This was Megan's third time here and she still had not seen it be sunny here! We were so thankful and enjoyed every bit of it!

Thanks again Thorps! We missed you already yesterday!:)

We love you all!
P.S. Happy 2 Month Eli! I will post about that later today or tomorrow!
"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?" Psalm 56:3-4

8 Weeks, Stoney Ridge and the Vikes

Eli will be 8 weeks tomorrow. As I say in almost every post now...time goes so fast! Eli seems much bigger than these pictures even show! He is such a sweet boy, we truly can't get enough of him! He has the most kissable cheeks in the whole stinkin' world!

We went to the same pumpkin patch/apple orchard last year! This year was much more fun with Eli! As Emily said, "It looks like he is really interested!" Ha, he sure was!

We got to watch our first Vikes game this year! We were so excited that they were finally going to be on out here, so we got all ready for the game...in our awesome apparel and... WAH WAH...terrible game. Total Bummer, but Eli and daddy still looked snazzy!

We love you and miss you all! We are super excited that the Thorps are coming to visit us tomorrow...woohoo! Praying they finally get to see Mt.Baker, but the northwest weather isn't looking promising!
"Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:26-27

A week already?

Well, it has already been a week since we have been home. I have to say it went MUCH too fast. It was a whirlwind of a weekend. We were so thankful to get that quick trip to MN for our families to meet sweet little Eli and I think they all enjoyed it too!


I somehow didn't get any pics. of my mom and dad, even though they were the ones with Eli the most?!

My good friend Melissa even got a chance to sneak over to my parents house and take some beautiful(or "handsome", as my mother would want me to say) photos of Eli! She is the sweetest friend and most amazing photographer. She is just starting out and boy is she great! You can check her out here.

We love you and miss you all! Hope you are enjoying your "warm" fall weather in MN. It is definitely fall here...cloudy, rainy and cool. Ahhh, the dreariness begins.

"...You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1

1 Month!

I can not believe he is 1 month old! He is getting to be such a big boy and his looks are changing every day! So excited for (some of) you to meet him this week! He can't wait!

We Love You All!
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22

Have I forgotten how to cook?

I am not sure I will be able to whip up a meal the way I used to. Why you may ask? Well, the reason is this! Ben and I have been abundantly blessed with family who stays at our house and makes delicious meals for us, and good friends who graciously bring us meals. By the time all my freezer meals that I had prepared ahead of time are gone, Eli will be almost a month and a half old. Don't even say it because I know what you are thinking..."Amanda, you are SO lucky"! And yes, I am, but I am NOT taking it for granted!

This last week was spent with Grandpa Tom and Grandma Pam! The week flew by and they had so much fun loving on Eli, and we had fun enjoying them loving on Eli!:) Thank you for EVERYTHING Tom and Pam! Eli misses all your kisses already!

4 weeks in 2 days! Wowser, does time go fast!

We love you all!!!!
"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

At least he is only 0 :)

It seems like Eli is growing bigger by the second. And it makes me sad:( Ben tries to remind me that it is good he is growing...I don't know if I agree yet! Then my sis-in-law, Megan, reminded me I needed to take his "monthly" picture. When I got ready to do that I realized I had to put the number 0 on his onesie. I guess that made me feel better, knowing he is still "0 months"! :) I just love the stage he is at! I love snuggling with him, I love his round little body just rolling into a ball when I burp him on my shoulder, and there is so much more I love! But I also know that there will be that much, and more I love at all his next stages, I just don't want it to go so fast.

Please ignore the wrinkles on the blanket. An iron will be used next time! I am planning on using the same blanket for each monthly picture so we can see his growth!

Just a few more pics to peek at of Sweet Eli!Check out his CRAZY hair in the top picture! :)

We love you and miss you all! Eli is so excited to meet all of you...he sends you all BIG hugs!
“A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
Psalm 121:1-2

Eli is still doing wonderful...and we still love him to pieces!:) I know that will never change! I LOVE being at home with him every day and Ben LOVES coming home to him every day!

He has a "big" dr. appt today. Pray for him...and me, I think I will struggle more than he does! It is amazing how your heart changes when you become a mom! God knows what He is doing!

I haven't taken new pictures in a couple days and I truly think he has grown within those days...even my mom thought that when we were skyping. I will try to take some and blog again in a couple days!

We love you and miss you all! It is so hard to not be able to share Eli with all of you! He can't wait to meet all of you!

“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.” Colossians 1:28

Sweet Baby Eli is Here!

Eli Thomas Wetzell
August 25th
8lbs. 2 oz. 20 1/2 in. long

Click on the collages to make the pictures bigger! :)


God is so good and so faithful!We love you all so much!
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

Per Request and What I have been Meaning to do

I have had a few peeps in my life (ahem...Megan) ask me to blog about the nursery again because they want me to show everything I handmade in the room and tell of all my fabuloso deals I got on things.

So, here goes it...

Crib Skirt: Handmade, fabric-$6 and I still have leftover fabric.

Curtains: Inexpensive black-out curtains from Target. I handmade the ruffle on the bottom and sewed it on.
Fabric-Sheet from thrift store $2. Gross, you are all saying, right?! Not really, I washed it like 3 times! :)

Chair: $30 from Antique Store in Lynden. Ben painted it white. I had planned on making pillows for it, but by end of pregnancy I was getting tired. So I found the SUPER comfy brown pillow at Pier 1 for $8. We probably would have painted it a different color if I would have known I wasn't going to make the pillows but I still love it anyway!

Verse: Handstitched, used fabric I had

Mobile: Made with old shirts, scarf and two sewing rings

Cutie Patootie Little Blue Chair: $1 at garage sale

Super Cute Hanging Thing: Also $1 at garage sale, Ben did an awesome job repainting with spray paint we already had.

Pictures on Wall: Painted picture in the middle from our babe's sweet cousin Gabrielle:), Other two framed pictures-Barn picture we took while driving around Lynden and the other is just cute scrapbooking paper, Last two farm pictures-Lynden thrift store 50 cents each.

Favorite Part of Nursery for Benny:The stinking beautiful dresser, Craigslist-$75

Well, I think that's it. Thanks for caring! And we KNOW that our little sweetie is going to love their room as much as Ben and I do!

Now as for "What I have been meaning to do". Ben and I have been going to this beautiful golf course all summer. Every time we are there we talk about how amazing the views are. So this time I finally remembered to bring our camera and capture God's wonderful creation!



The course is called Raspberry Ridge, because those are all raspberry fields.

38 weeks

In as few of details as possible...after "checking me" last week, the Dr. said he doesn't think it will be too much longer for us now!! I really hope he wasn't pulling my leg! I am trying to not to get my hopes up. I have been praying for peace with the timing of everything right now as we are in the home stretch! Oh My Word...I am so excited!

I think this is the first time Ben and I have dressed up since living out here, we had a wedding for one of Ben's co-workers. It was kind of fun getting dolled up...even though I only had one dress that (thankfully) covered my basketball.

We love you and miss you all! Hopefully our next blog post will include our new family member!
"Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings." Psalm 63:7

Nursery

The moment you have all been waiting for (not really, but a few family members have been on my case!)...

The unveiling of our sweetie's nursery! (We are still waiting on the crib mattress and...the baby:), but other than that it is finished!

Enjoy!!!
I tried to make it as bright as I could in there, but a few of the pictures are a little dark!






37 weeks!

I am still feeling great! Getting more and more excited to meet our little one! We truly can not wait for our bambino to arrive, but I am trying to enjoy each day before he or she comes, because like my mom says, "I will never get these days back!"
We love you all!!!
"Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you?And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:23-26