Welcome to the Family...Collin Daniel

We want to introduce our new nephew. Ryan's sister Melanie and her husband Dan opened their arms to a very special little boy on Saturday. He is a true blessing and loved so much! We can't wait to see him again soon and have his cousin Levi meet him too.

Fathers Day

We spent time with both families this weekend to celebrate Father's Day. On Saturday we went up to Half Moon lake for the afternoon it was a beautiful day to be outside. Levi loved splashing in the water and playing in the sand. We went on a pontoon boat ride and Levi had his first tube ride with Daddy. He did not go to far because he got scared and started to cry..we will try again next time. On Sunday, we had lunch over at the Roedema's and relaxed at their house for the afternoon.

Getting Ready to Ride


Time to get off the tube


Fun with Daddy


Three Generations of Koopmans


Family Picture on the Boat


Grandpa Roedema with Levi and Katelyn


Roedema Clan


Daddy and Levi Playing


Another family Shot...Happy Fathers Day Ryan!

Girls Day Away

Today my friend Laura and I went on an all day away girls day. All moms know that is healthy and wise to get out and have some fun away from the kids and responsibilities of home and work. So we planned and we went. We enjoyed conversation, music, just driving in the car, some shopping and some tasting...wine tasting..:). The weather could have been nicer instead of rain and thunderstorms we would have loved some sun shine but we made the best of it. We started out for breakfast in Grand Haven at the Morning Star Cafe..if you have not been there they have great southwestern style breakfast and great bread and of course we both needed our coffee. Then we headed to Paw Paw to go to the St. Julian and Warner Wineries. We got a little side tracked but we made it and got to sample some great Michigan wines..made from grapes grown on the shores of Lake Michigan. We even tried a chocolate dessert wine in a chocolate shot glass..now that was a real treat well worth the drive. We both bought some wine to bring home and sample for later. After wine tasting, we made our way to the town of South Haven and spend some time in some shops and walking down by Lake Michigan...again the sun would have been a nice bonus.:) We ended up in Holland for more browsing in shops and had a drink and an appetizer outside at New Holland Brewery...and finally the sun came out. It was a fun day...I was grateful to have the day to spend time with a great friend...

Certified Lactation Counselor

Three years ago I took a week long class and then a pretty intensive test with written and with speaking parts on breastfeeding to become a Lactation Counselor. Last week, I got my recertification for Lacatation Counselor or CLC. Check out this website for info on what is really means to have a lacatation certification www.talpp.org. I have been attending seminars, workshops and conferences on breastfeeding to get my recertification of my CLC. At my job and outside of work I really enjoy helping moms and babies with breastfeeding. It can be stressful believe me, I know that first hand, but the benefits and rewards of breastfeeding are awesome. Here are 101 reasons why to breastfeed. www.promom.org. Let me know if you have any questions.

Jelly War

The other night at dinner Levi got crazy with his jelly sandwich. He sure thought he was funny..so did we.

okay..one more post...Cuddling Cousins

Today my sister Allison and Levi's cousin Katelyn and Grandma came for a visit. Levi says..."baby" when he sees her. He is learning how to share Grandma and also learning how to be very gentle with her. He will come up to her and give a hug and a couple of pats on the arm..most of the time the "pats" become harder...but he is learning..how to "be nice" these pictures are just too cute!

Then and Now...

Ryan and I thought that as long as he has his motorcycle we will make it a birthday tradition to have a picture with Levi and the motorcyle to see how much he has grown. We had the idea last year to put Levi in the helmet...well as you can see he has really grown. We also made a mark in the garage to see how tall Levi has gotten he has grown 9 inches since he has been born....he is 30 inches tall. We have an appt next month with the Dr. for the offical height and weight.

Happy Birthday Levi....One Year Old

Today is Levi's one year birthday.. Yeah! We celebrated with both sides of the family this past Saturday. It was a fun party. Levi loved his cake including the candle with the flame on top.:) He is a very loved little boy. He was a little shy and cautious opening his presents but is enjoying playing with all of them. He is currently talking all the time and saying mama, dada, uhoh, no no, whats that, uoff uoff (for doggie)and num num. He is a pretty fast crawler but no walking yet. He moves along furniture and can take a couple of small steps on his own. He loves holding Ryan and I's hands as he parades us around the room. He loves playing with anything that is not his toy...paper plates and tupperware are his favortite this week. He also has been really helpful in empty the dishwasher and the folded laundry. He is getting two more teeth on the bottom so that is four on top and four on the bottom...what a funny grin.:)