March for Babies

Dads turn...Its been a while since Ive done one of these,so bare with me. Ive been gettin a few requests today for pictures of the March for Babies that we had today in Holland for the March of Dimes.







It was a very sunny day for it, but very windy and cold. We started near the lake shore at Lake Macatawa, which didnt help any because of the west wind, but once we got to walking, we warmed up a little because we got out of the wind.
What a wonderful experience this was. The Melanie Marchers, and probably 2-300 other people walking today which was really cool. There were people walking in remembrance of the children they lost, and those walking for the victory of a premature child born that survived like we have been blessed with. It was really neat seeing so many people and their compassion for the cause of the March of Dimes. It was humbling seeing everyone registering and handing in the money they collected.
Being the Ambassador family meant we had to speak in front of all these people though. That was not nearly the highlight, although it went pretty smooth. Nicki did great :)
We also got to hang out with some friends from the hospital. The Lamar Twinners, as they are called looked adorable. They grew like crazy as well. Its hard to believe these kids born a few months ago weighing 2 + pounds look as well as they do. We are all very greatful.
Afterwards, there were some activities, although it was very cold, so not a lot of people hung around for that. There was a dunk tank, and some poor sap kept getting wet. He was shivering like crazy...unbelievable. There was a girl in a chicken suit whom Jayden despised, pizza, a few games, and of course, the jungle gym for the girls to play on.


All in all, it went pretty well. We now know what we're doing a little better, so we hope to be able to do a better job next year. Sounds like they might want us to do a little more volunteering as well next year, which is cool. Means we weren't total failures this year :)
We again want to thank the March of Dimes for what they do. What a wonderful experience we had at the hospital. It was good to do some reflecting today, especially with the Lamars while on our 5 mile walk. God has blessed this family with a very healthy Melanie, and we are thankful for this.
Hope you are all doing well!

Til next time

March for Babies on Saturday

Somehow it is the middle of April already. The March of Dimes Walk is Saturday. Yes, Saturday, I was just as surprised when I realized how quickly the past month has gone by. As ambassadors for the MOD, we will be giving a quick (hopefully very quick) talk on Saturday morning before we begin the 5 mile walk downtown Holland. The purpose of the MOD is to help all babies, the unborn, the premature, and the healthy ones. They do this through many different avenues; educating parents, hosting programs at the hospital, research, and so much more. We are so thankful for an organization like the MOD that helped research the surfactant Melanie received at birth to help her lungs. Without that surfactant her lungs may not have been able to breath at 26 weeks outside of the womb. The MOD has helped our family in numerous ways so we will be walking on Saturday to give back.

Yes, we are trying to raise money before the walk. We are also looking for others to walk along with us. If the weather is nice we will be taking the whole family and would love to see you and your family too. For those of you that are already walking with us we would love it if you could e-mail us with your phone number and we'll send out a text Saturday morning(after we scout it out) with a place we can all meet and then walk together if possible. Our e-mail is jeffwestra11@yahoo.com

The walk begins and ends at Kollen's Park in Holland

April 17, 2010
East 10th St. & VanRaalte Ave
Holland, MI 49423

Walk Distance: 5 miles
Registration Time: 8:00 AM
Start Time: 8:30 AM
Chapter: Grand Rapids Division
Phone: (616) 247-6861
(I've heard there's a $15 or $20 registration fee which includes a t-shirt, I'm checking on that)

For those of you that are unable to walk and would like to help through donations, check out the website below.
http://www.marchforbabies.org/team/t1377031
Melanie-first week of life.
Melanie compared to Dad's hand.Melanie-growing, growing, growing!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Jayden at OneTrueMedia.com

Oh Jayden, can it be you're 2 already?? I still remember the details of the day you were born. You showed us that day already that you were going to have a stubborn side :) We love you so much and can not imagine what this house would be like without you. You add so much humor and silliness to our everyday lives! You LOVE to have fun and will giggle at almost anything. You are a daredevil, always climbing on things, touching, and never afraid to try anything new. Your favorite color is purple (even though every color is purple to you), your favorite thing to play right now is house with Miya. You are so tender and caring (with your babies), feeding them while I feed Melanie and always asking us if we want to hold them. Your favorite food is mac and cheese and fruit snacks. You have just begun to string words together to make sentences and are now talking a blue streak. I remember the days when all you'd say was "aah, aah", it seems like sooo long ago but it was really only a few months ago. You LOVE your daddy and run to him every night when he gets home. You always ask to hold Melanie even though it usually lasts for less then a minute. Reading books is another of your favorite pass times; something we thought you'd never enjoy as you wouldn't sit for more then 30 seconds. You are always the one to remind us to read the bible after meals and will cry if you can't put it away when we finish. You like to pick on your big sister and are often found hitting, biting, pinching, or pulling her hair. However, you love her so much and try to do everything she does and go everywhere she goes. You two have so much fun together!

Jayden, we have enjoyed watching you grow into a toddler over the last year and are so thankful for every minute God has given us with you. We are so excited to see the plans the Lord has for your future. Our prayer is that you will serve Him in all that you do. For now, we'll continue to enjoy the moments God blesses us with you. We love you Jades!!!!!!!!!

Before hitting play on the slide show you'll want to scroll to the bottom of this blog and pause the music...even though the first song is the one I wanted to use...those of you that know how to download and upload music let me know!! Just hit the green triangle to start the slide show, ENJOY!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com