Visits!

Just wanted to share some photos from our recent visits from friends and family! Our friends Hannah, Pete, Deke, and Lorraine came to visit and we enjoyed alot of activities including:

A Helicopter Ride!

World's best margaritas!

Spending time with family!



and of course, what else do you do at the Lake of the Ozarks besides BOATING!

It was so awesome to have a "full house" for a week. Miss you guys already!

MOVING!!!

It has been way too long since I've posted- I've been so busy but there is alot to catch up on!

Matt, Jeda, Maya, Koda and I are MOVING!!!! About two weeks ago Matt accepted a position as Assistant Manager of Recreation for Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri. He starts exactly two weeks from today.

We have decided to buy a house down there and that has been an intense process. We have to go off of Matt's planned income alone since we don't know what job I will have down there yet. So I am job hunting, we are trying to sell Matt's truck and buy something a little cheaper, we are looking at and making offers on houses, and I am still training at my new job here on top of it all!!! Let's just say I've been pretty stressed but still excited. At this point we've made an offer on one house that we really like but have had two counter offers come back from the sellers. So we are not sure if we will end up with this house or not, which is sad because its the one that we definitely agreed that we both loved! Its hard to shop for your first home on a low budget but with solid ideas about what kind of space we need inside (for us) and outside (for the dogs!)

Which has led me to this thought... I have decided I hate the term "Plan B". No one wants to go to their Plan B-thats why it is Plan B! Because there is a "Plan A" that is in some way superior to Plan B in the first place! Currently I am talking about our housing situation- we really don't have much of a Plan B at this point because we both can't agree on what our second choice home is. Matt likes one that I agree is fantastic but has ZERO space outside for our dogs, and close neighbors-which I don't think it the right way to raise a German Shepherd puppy. But my second choice, while more logical in layout, isn't as nice or "loaded" inside. Oh the joys of becoming an adult! And trying to accomplish everything in a time crunch, becuase the longer it takes to buy a house, the longer Matt and I will live apart. There is no room for our pets in the place he will stay in until we close on a house- so that means living apart so I can stay in Pella, keep working here and job hunting for something down there, and take care of our pets. :(

Anyway I think I am ranting a bit. We are both super excited for this move, just getting through all of the details feels like walking through mud. And we are both sad anticipating time spent apart and living further away from our families and great friends. I guess that is the risk in life- trying something new always has downsides but you just have to hope the good outweighs the bad, which I think is definitely true in this case.

That's enough for today, but I will definitely post again when we have pictures to share of our new home!

Update

Hi Everyone
I realize we haven't been staying up to date, so just in case anyone does read our blog, here is a quick update for you!

Matt is staying busy with work picking up at the golf course, playing basketball with friends, and caring for our dogs. He was recently promoted to "assistant manager" at the golf course and we are very happy about this. He also recently finished remodeling the upstairs hallway and bathroom, a project he has been working on for a while. He is currently enjoying an indoor golf league with his co-workers and is excited for spring to get here.

Rachel (me) has had a lot going on lately with the closing of Gowns, the bridal store I was working full time at. Besides helping Mother-in-law Jill with closing duties, I have been busy with interviews and just recently was hired as first assistant manager (full time) at Maurices in Pella. I'm excited about the new job and looking forward to getting into it. Besides that I've enjoyed visiting niece Edie for her birthday, babysitting for friends the Reuter's and the Kanis's, and babysitting for niece Addy who just got back from vacation to Florida.

We are both enjoying spending time with pets Jeda, Maya, and now 6 month old Koda, who we recently enrolled in obedience school. Rachel is looking forward to a girls trip to Chicago in March and Matt is looking forward to a guys camping trip in nothern Iowa in April.

That's all I can think of for now. Thanks for reading!

2010 in review

I've seen others doing this so just thought I would jump on the bandwagon- with as much as I can remember!

January

Matt turned 26

Surprise 50th birthday party for Jill, my mother in law

February

I turned 22

Celebrated my birthday and Valentine's day by going to Lady Antebellum/Tim McGraw concert in Des Moines, which was awesome

April

Attended Matt's friend Brian Steenhoek's wedding in Des Moines. Matt was a groomsman.

May

Matt and I's first camping trip together with friends Pete and Hannah, in northeast Iowa. It was really cold!

I graduated from Central College with my bachelor's in sociology and business administration

June

I started working full time at Gowns Bridal and Prom in Pella

Celebrated our anniversary by attending Zac Brown Band concert at Steamboat days in Burlington

July

Vandevoort family trip to the Ozarks! Spent a week boating, fishing, swimming, playing with Adalynn, and relaxing!

August

Spent a relaxing weekend at Spring Lake near Kirksville, Mo with friends Carson and Chauncy

September

We brought home Koda, our german shepherd puppy! He gained over 25 pounds in 2010.

October

I attended the Chicago Bridal Market with MIL Jill, SIL Sarah, and cousin Alicia. Enjoyed shopping, eating out, and a carriage ride! Looking forward to going back and seeing museums, aquarium, etc sometime in 2011

November

We spent Thanksgiving in Burlington with friends and family

December

I spent the first weekend of December in Burlington to celebrate my niece Kaitlyn's and my Mom's birthdays.

We both enjoyed staying at my in laws for Christmas weekend

Rang in the New Year weekend in Burlington, Abingdon, and Danville.

Adalynn's First Birthday

Almost two weeks ago we celebrated Matt's niece Adalynn's first birthday. She looked super cute in her pink tutu and seemed excited about all of her great presents! She is really mastering walking now so we enjoy seeing how much better she is at it every time we see her! She didn't get too crazy about her own personal Elmo cake and instead chowed down on the frosting only. She had an Elmo themed birthday party because he is her favorite character right now, she calls him "Mo". The last picture is of Sarah, Matt's sister (and Addy's mom).

Happy first Birthday Adalynn!!!!!!

Puppy Update

Hey Everyone! I thought that it was about time to share some more pictures of our "kids". Koda is almost 16 weeks old now and weighs more than 20 pounds. He is now taller and longer than Maya and we can tell that she is not liking that! Maya weighs around 25 pounds so he will soon outweigh her too. It's hard to believe that my little puppy who I used to carry around in one hand, and who couldn't even climb up our back steps is now too big for my lap, almost too heavy to carry, and able to jump over babygates! He still likes to "mouth" alot but otherwise he is a very good boy. The first photo below is taken by Urban Village Photography as a part of our family photos in early November.

The next photos are ones taken in the last week or so. You can see Koda's growth just from the first photo to the others! Besides playing and being rambunctious together Maya and Koda also like to sleep together on the loveseat, so we couldn't resist snapping a few photos of that.

Enjoy!

Family Photo

Vandevoort family photo taken after Grandma Bernice's funeral.

From left to right:

Evan (Matt's uncle),

Pat (Evan's wife),

Mike (Matt's cousin),

Nathan (Mike's son),

Stephen (Mike's son),

Charma (Mike's wife),

Lindsay (Mike's daughter),

Scott (Lisa's husband),

Michael (Lindsay's husband),

Lisa (Matt's cousin),

Jeff (Matt's cousin),

Airen (Matt's cousin, holding Isla)

Joe (our brother in law),

Sarah (Matt's sister, holding Adalynn),

Matt,

Me,

Mark (Matt's Dad),

Jill (Matt's mom),

Jayne (Matt's Aunt) and

Ed (Jayne's husband).