Memorable Mock Moments

Stretchmarks

2012-02-02T23:23:00.000-05:00

Stretchmarks: striae on the skin (as of the hips, abdomen, and breasts) from excessive stretching and rupture of elastic fibers especially due to pregnancy or obesity

If you are like me, when you hear the word stretchmarks, you think of those ugly, squiggly and normally red marks left on a woman's belly after pregnancy. Unfortunately, I acquired stretchmarks long before the thought of a baby ever entered my mind. Thanks to a rapid growth spurt in middle school my hips were the first victims of stretchmarks. I hated them from the moment they arrived on my body. I didn't like wearing a bathing suit and was embarassed about what people would think of me. Thankfully they faded over the next several years and were barely noticeable. I didn't give much thought to stretchmarks until the word "pregnant" showed up on that little white stick in April of 2010.

I knew that a majority of pregnant women got stretchmarks on their body while carrying their children. I was just so ecstatic about being pregnant I didn't care what happened to my body....... until I was about 8 months pregnant. My first pregnancy stretchmarks showed up on my hips. They would just blend in right? Then I got them on my thighs, breasts and belly. I felt like I was scarred and ugly. Would Kyle ever think of me as beautiful when I had these ugly, squiggly, red marks on my body? Was pregnancy worth these ugly, squiggly, red marks? These were the thoughts of an overly emotional pregnant woman.

Of course pregnancy was worth it! All I had ever wanted was to be a mother. I would take any "maiming" of my body to bring this precious life into the world. But the thought still lingered in my mind if Kyle would find me beautiful any longer. I know some of you think that is a silly thought. You think, "He is your husband, of course he will still find you beautiful." But when your body changes so radically and most days you don't find yourself beautiful, you wonder how someone else could. To my amazement at the time, Kyle did find me beautiful. He told me I had never been more beautiful. I knew he wasn't just saying that to appease his pregnant wife. He truly meant it. To this day he loves every single stretchmark that is on my body. Whether it be from a growth spurt or from a growing belly!

When I look at myself in the mirror, I think to myself that only God can put that kind of love in a mans' heart. If my gracious Father will give me a man who loves me for me and not just for my physical beauty then how much more does He love me?

These physical stretchmarks also make me stop and think about my spiritual stretchmarks. Those that mean so much more. I like to think that if I could see a picture of my "heart" that it would be covered in stretchmarks. When I asked Jesus to by my Savior my heart was "perfect". Not a single mark covered it. My faith has grown abundantly since that day. I have learned and I have failed. My "heart" has gotten bigger and from that there are stretchmarks. They are beautiful because they show my growth in my faith.

I know that my Father looks at my "stretchmarks" and says they are beautiful, just as Kyle looks at my "stretchmarks" and says they are beautiful!

Chicago Trip

2011-10-01T23:55:00.000-04:00

July 30 and 31 we went with Kyle's dad and mom, Jeff and Deb, and brother, Sam, to Chicago. We took the train and got to Chicago on Saturday morning. The main event was going to the Boston Red Sox/Chicago White Sox game. We had lots of fun! Here are some pictures from our trip!

Leaving on a train! Addison's first train ride!

Hanging with Uncle Sam on the train.

So excited to go to the Red Sox game!

First cab ride! Kinda scary without her being in a carseat!

Kodak Moment

Moody church with Uncle Sam

First bus ride in Chicago... she looks thrilled huh?!

On our way to the Red Sox game!

Kyle, Sam and Jeff walking into the ballpark.

Yay Red Sox!

So sweet!

Cheering for the Red Sox!

Deb and I with our matching shirts!

Addison was a "lucky charm"! The Red Sox won!

The Boys

What are you talking about momma?! haha!

Hey there!

Addison and Daddy at Rainforest Cafe

My family!

The "Things" tour Chicago

My love!

Sweet, sweet baby girl

Addison's first trip to a museum.

Taking a ride on a cow!


Such a good little traveler! After 2 long days she was still so happy!

Addison News!

2011-09-24T15:15:00.000-04:00

We have been pretty busy since my last post. We have taken a few trips and life in general with our sweet Addison keeps us going! Here are picture highlights from the past 2 months!

Walking Notre Dame's campus with daddy!

She hardly believe it that she saw the football stadium.

Such a happy baby!

Mommy and Daddy went out to eat for their anniversary and Addison stayed with Gommie for the first time!

Sitting up in the cart like a big girl! Grammie (Kyle's mom) made her cart cover!

Playing with Ezra Hoyt! It's fun making new friends!

Visiting with her Great Great Grandma Holder before she passed away the beginning of August.

Little water bug!

Bathing beauty

A fun afternoon swimming with Anne and Ezra Hoyt!

Such a big girl sitting up in the bathtub!

8 Months Old!

At the Fort Wayne Tin Caps game with daddy!

Her picks from the farmer's market

Addison loves to be outside! And loves to swing!

My little love!

Watching the first Notre Dame game of the season with daddy.

Her newest trick! Making her squishy face!

9 Months Old!

So excited to get ahold of her dolly!

She steals my heart every time I look at her!

Reading with Gommie

She loves books just like mommy!

Photo Update

2011-07-12T22:31:00.000-04:00

Here is a quick photo update of Addison!

5 Months Old and First Mother's Day! Such a pretty girl!

5 Months!

She found her piggies!

So happy with Gommie!

First try with baby food! She loves it! Such a good eater!

Lovin on Great Grandma

Grandpa came for a visit!

Addison got to meet Carter! My friend Sandra's new baby!

Visiting with Great Great Grandma Jessie

6 Months Old! So Stinkin Cute

Great Grandpa hugs are the best!

First Father's Day! She loves her daddy!

On a walk with mommy

Loving bath time

She is starting to make some of the funniest faces! I love it!

Cutie Patootie

Such a happy girl!

First 4th of July! Getting ready for the fireworks! She loved them!

7 Months Old

7 Months Old and of course blowing bubbles!

Sitting up all by herself in the tub! Such a big girl!

First time swimming! Loves the pool as much as the tub!

Bikini Baby!

Addison's First Easter

2011-06-01T15:59:00.000-04:00

Cuddling with Grammy

Having a chat with Great Uncle Dave

Addison and her cousin Grace dressed alike!

Happy girls!

Wanna hold hands?! So sweet!

Her Easter goodies from Grampy and Grammy Mock

Sharing a sweet moment with Great Grandpa Holder

Sink bath on Easter morning with daddy! She loves the water!

My wonderful family on Easter morning!

My perfect little family

Addison with her Easter baskets from Mommy and Daddy on the left and Gommie on the right.

Happy Easter Sweet Baby!

Blessed

2011-05-21T17:30:00.002-04:00

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a mom. Growing up I was always playing house and being the mommy. I loved playing with dolls. I have loved children forever. As soon as I was old enough to babysit I was. I didn't think there could be a better job than taking care of children. Because of my love for children I thought being a teacher would be awesome!

I still do think being a teacher is what my paying job should be and will be one day! I love watching children discover new things. I love seeing that light in their eyes when they achieve something they thought they couldn't. I love the joy it brings to my heart when these things happen! I love the challenge of teaching! But for now that paying job is on hold. I believe I have the BEST job in the world!

The role of mother is probably the most important career a woman can have. -Janet Mary Riley

This job doesn't pay in dollars. There are no promotions or vacations. There are many late nights and early mornings. It's a messy job at times. But it's the most rewarding job! It pays in cuddles, kisses and most importantly LOVE! I cannot dream of a better job than being the mother to my sweet baby girl!

During my long life of 25 years (haha) I have been asked several times what my biggest fear was. I am sure as a child it was some sort of bug or reptile. As I got older it could have been losing one of my parents or dying a horrific death.... something along those lines. When I was in high school I really thought about what my BIGGEST fear was. I finally had an answer to that question. It was that I would never be able to have children of my own. I know that there are other options. But I truly desired to be pregnant and give birth to my own child. The older I got the more my fear deepened. It wasn't the kind of fear that kept me from living life or experiencing things. It was something deep down that I thought about often. Especially when I married the man of my dreams, Kyle! Would I be able to give him a child? Would my dream come true?

On April 12, 2010 I found out that my dream was coming true! This is the day that I found out I was pregnant with Addison. I didn't have a preference of boy or girl. I was just so excited that I was pregnant! In about 9 months I was going to give birth to MY baby! (Well our baby!) I no longer had to worry about my biggest fear. God had blessed me with the gift of carrying my child and giving birth to her.

I can truthfully say that I have never been happier in my life! We don't have lots of money and we don't have the most expensive top of the line things. But I do have the love of the most amazing man and the sweetest baby girl! God has provided for us from the moment we became husband and wife. He saw us through Kyle's layoff. He provided a job for both of us during that time. And now He is still providing for us through Kyle's job so that I can stay home with Addison.

Along with having children I always hoped that I would be able to stay at home and care for them. I am so thankful for Kyle who works hard to provide for us every day. He is not a huge fan of his job and we are praying every day that the perfect job will come soon! We know that it will when the time is right! It's just hard waiting on God's timing sometimes. We are learning a lot about patience!

I feel incredibly blessed to be able to stay at home! I have loved being able to witness all of Addison's firsts! I can't imagine leaving her with someone else every day. I thank God every day that He has made all of this possible. I cannot imagine a better "job" than taking care of our home and daughter!

I always had a hard time answering the question, "If you could describe your life in one word what would it be?" I no longer have a hard time. My answer would simply be....

BLESSED

Sweet Baby Girl

2011-04-23T00:56:00.000-04:00

An update on our little princess! Addison was 4 months old on April 8.... where did the time go?! She now weighs 12lb. 14oz. and is 24in! She has found her hands and loves them! If she isn't holding a toy they are in her mouth! She is so close to rolling over, it will be any day now. She has learned how to blow bubbles and it's the cutest thing! We have a good little sleeper on our hands. She sleeps 10 hrs through the night and takes 2-3 2 hour naps during the day. We are blessed with this happy little girl! Thank you for your prayers for Addison and our family! Here are few of my favorites from the last month!

A picture with mommy! (Had to get one since I am the one who is normally behind the camera.)

Talking with Grampa and Gramma Mock

Great Great Aunt Mary Ann came to visit. Addison is wearing the sweater that she made her!

Daddy's Sweet Girl

On her first walk up to get the mail. It was sunny but a bit chilly.

3 months old! So happy!

Love this beautiful smile!

Rocking with daddy.... I love watching them together!

Precious

Red Sox fans!

Isn't she just the cutest thing ever?!


4 months old! Blowing bubbles.... her newest trick!

Addison Update!

2011-03-16T15:58:00.007-04:00

I know that I have not held up to my promise to keep updated on our family..... but I will do better! :)

Our sweet little girl is growing and growing! She is now 3 months and 1 week! It is amazing how fast time goes by! I feel like we just brought her home. She is a happy baby! It truly is a miracle to watch her discover new things. She is a good sleeper as well! She takes a 2 hr nap in the morning and afternoon and a 1 hr nap in the evening. At night she sleeps between 8 and 9 hrs! We are blessed by this baby girl! Here are some pictures to catch you up!

One month old! Cute ruffles on her little bottom!

Trying out a bottle for the first time. She takes a bottle well when I need her to! So thankful for that!

This is the face we get when she gets unhappy..... sweet little pouty lip!

Her first smile! My heart melted!

She loves to be on her changing table! Addison smiles and talks when the clothes and diaper come off! She loves to be naked! :)

Precious! 2 months old!

Sophie, who I babysat, meeting Addison! What a sweet moment!

Ava, who I also babysat, meeting Addison!

Happy Valentine's Day! She sure does love her daddy!

Sink bath at Gommie's house! I was so excited for her to get a bath in the sink!

What a sweet face!

Taking a nap during church! Kyle said she is saying, "Can I get a what, what?" haha

I will post more pictures as soon as I get them uploaded! Thank you for your prayers for our precious baby girl and our family!

Five Generations

2011-03-15T18:22:00.002-04:00

Addison is blessed to have 5 great-great grandparents! We were able to get pictures with 3 of them. Hopefully we will get pictures with her Great Great Grandma Frederick in Wisconsin and her Great Great Grandma Fockler soon!

Great Great Grandpa Carl and Grandma Mildred Holder, Great Grandpa Jack Holder, Grandma Lori Moore (Holder), Amanda Mock (Moore) and Addison Lane Mock

Great Great Grandma Jessie Wines (Moore), Great Grandpa Bob Moore, Grandpa Rob Moore, Amanda Mock (Moore) and Addison Lane Mock

Addison Lane is Here!

2011-01-06T23:35:00.006-05:00

Addison Lane was born on December 8, 2010 at 9:59 pm. She weighed 7 lb. 4 oz. and was 19 in. I was induced at 7 am, after being diagnosed with gestational hypertension a week earlier, and labored for 15 hours. After 15 minutes of pushing and no epidural, she made her debut! Nothing could have prepared us for this most precious moment. Seeing my baby girl for the first time was so amazing! I couldn't believe that she was the perfect little girl that I had been carrying for 9 months. My mom, Lori, Kyle's parents, Jeff and Deb, my sisters, Adi and Jessie, and my best friend and Addison's godmother, Amanda, were all there to share this special day with us! We had several visitors over the next few days. We couldn't be more blessed by our baby girl! We are excited to watch her grow and to see what God does in the life of our daughter! Here are some pictures over the last few weeks! Thank you so much for your prayers during my pregnancy and for your continued prayers for Addison!

Our New Family!

Daddy watching his baby girl. He is so in love with her!

Mommy's first time holding her!

Getting all cleaned up. So precious!

So happy that she is finally here! Can't believe how perfect she is!

First night in the hospital.

Snuggled up with daddy!

So sweet!

Smiling baby!

Merry Christmas from the Mocks!

Mommy's Little Dear!

Isn't she just the cutest?!

Addison's first Sunday at Lakeview, Christmas picture with my family!

So calm and pretty after her first bath.

Cuddling with my princess.

So happy it's her first Christmas!

Cuddle time with Gramma!

Sweet Baby Girl!

She's getting bigger!

2010-10-04T17:33:00.002-04:00

Little Miss Addison is getting bigger and bigger! I love seeing my belly grow and watching her dance around in there. It is so fun to watch her respond to Kyle and I! Our families are so excited for her arrival and love every chance they get to see and feel her move as well. When we found out we were pregnant it felt like 9 months would take forever to go by. Now we are down to 10 weeks! I can't believe how quickly time has gone. She will be here before we know it!

My best friend Amanda and I! Can you guess who's pregnant?! LOL!

My wonderful husband and I! He takes such good care of us! 27 weeks in this picture!

Gramma feeling Addison dance around! She is already one deeply loved little girl!

29 weeks! I love having a pregnant belly! I know I will miss feeling her dance around but I can't wait to meet her! We have our last ultrasound in 4 weeks and then she will hopefully be here 6 weeks after that! Thank you for your continued prayers!

Baby Mock!!!

2010-09-11T15:32:00.004-04:00

Wow we have not been very good at this blog thing lately! I have no clue how many people read it but we are getting back in the swing of things. A lot has changed since February! We moved to a duplex the beginning of April and shortly after found out we were expecting our first child! We weren't necessarily trying but we weren't doing anything to prevent it either. I have wanted to be a mommy for so long and was elated when the tests came back positive!

I have been planning for a long time how I wanted to tell our families. We told them the weekend before Easter. We bought our mom's the Grandmother Willow Tree. Everyone was very surprised and so happy that we are going to be bringing a new little one to the family! At this point I was feeling great! I was 6 weeks along in the picture below!

At my 16 week appt they did a blood test that came back abnormal. So we had an ultrasound to check and make sure everything was okay. It was perfectly fine! I was just not as far along as my doctor thought I was. I was only 14 weeks! It was God's way of letting us see our little one sooner than we thought. It was breathtaking to see him/her moving around and hear his/her heart beat! After seeing him/her this time we were anxiously awaiting our next ultrasound appt when we would find out if we were having a boy or girl! Below is our first picture of our precious baby!

Around 10 weeks I really started feeling sick. And I was sick all day long. It wasn't very much fun but I knew it was totally worth it. Thankfully around 19 weeks it just went away one day! It was so much fun when my belly finally started to look like there was a baby in there! Below I am at 17 weeks!

Kyle is a huge Red Sox fan and when I started dating him I became one too! We knew that no matter if the baby was a boy or a girl, there was not doubt that he/she would be a Red Sox fan! I was so excited to get this shirt and proudly support our team! And show off my bump! It felt good to go out to eat again and enjoy what I was eating since I wasn't sick anymore. Below we are waiting to eat at Red Lobster at 21 weeks!

At my 22 week appt we had our second ultrasound. We were hopefully going to find out today if we were going to have a boy or girl. Again I was amazed at the little life that was growing inside me. This is one of my favorite pictures! Such a tiny little footprint!

Of course I thought it would be wonderful to have a little girl but it really didn't matter what God blessed us with first. The ultrasound tech started our appt and the first thing she did was determine the sex of the baby. Tears instantly came when she told us that we were having a little girl! My mind rolled with thoughts of what life would be like with my precious daughter! We already knew what we wanted to name the baby whether it was a boy or girl.

We can't wait for Addison Lane to join our family around December 14!

Over Labor Day weekend we took one last getaway before Addison gets here. We went up to Saugatuck, MI and had the most wonderful, relaxing weekend. It was the best Babymoon we could have planned! Below I am getting quite round at 25 weeks!

I decided that I am going to make a conscious effort to keep up with this blog. I want to keep things documented because I know that I will start to forget as life gets even busier in the next few months. So for those of you that still take a look at what's going on in our life, I hope you enjoy!

It's Been Forever!

2010-02-16T16:34:00.002-05:00

I know it's been a long time since we have updated so for anyone who reads this I thought I would.

Kyle and I are doing wonderfully! We still live in Defiance, OH and are enjoying all the time we spend together. Kyle was called back to Defiance Metal Products in September and is currently working 2nd shift. I don't like that shift very much but we are so thankful for his job. Please keep him in your prayers as he is still applying for jobs in his career field of Sports Management. We know the perfect job is out there we are just getting anxious for that time.

I started working at Dental Excellence of Napoleon for Dr. Carpenter on November 16 and am really enjoying my new job. I am currently learning everything that the front desk entails. When I am well trained there I will move to the back and start that adventure. God has blessed me with some wonderful new friends and a great work environment.

Theo, our dog, turned 1 on January 26. He brings us lots of joy as he is a playful and cuddly little guy. I look forward to seeing him when I get home from work every evening.

In August of 2009 we traded in my old 95 Grand Prix and got a 2006 Malibu Maxx. I love it and it's the perfect car for me. Kyle and I enjoyed celebrating the holidays with our families and seeing some family members that we hadn't seen in awhile.

We are looking forward to this summer when we will make a trip to Pittsburgh, PA for a friends wedding and hopefully a trip for our 2nd anniversary in July! I personally cannot wait for the warm weather!

Thank you for your continued prayers as we continue on with what God has planned for us. I hope to post some pictures for you soon. God bless you!

Summertime is here!

2009-06-21T23:18:00.009-04:00

The last month and a half have been kind of crazy for us. Kyle had a second interview with IWU but was not offered the job. We were really upset about it but we know that God has something much better out there for us and when He knows we are ready for it, it will happen. So we are still searching and trusting in God to show us where we are supposed to go. So many things have happened in our lives. Here are a few pictures to show you.

My baby sister Jessie attended her first prom this year!

She looked absolutely beautiful!

Jessie and her prom date Alex! He asked her to his prom at Marion High.

Jessie and Alex went with her best friend Elise and Jake.

The best picture of the night!

My mother-in-law, Deb graduated from Northwest State! We are so proud of her!

Sam graduated from Ayersville High School and will be attending Moody Bible Institute in Chicago in the fall!

Theo still brings a lot of joy to our lives! He loves being close to us! Here he is blocking Kyle's video game. Lol!

Eating a yummy baseball cookie treat!

He's so cute!

Picnic in the Park!

Sam and Kyle are finally playing baseball on the same team! And their cousin, James is on the team too! It will be lots of fun watching them this summer!

My mom and I hosted a bridal shower for my best friend, Amanda Armes! It was a wonderful day to celebrate such a wonderful woman!

Me and my best friend! So excited for her wedding in August!

Kyle and I are looking forward to a wonderful summer together! We are getting ready to celebrate our first anniversay on July 19th! It has been an amazing year and I can't believe how fast it has gone! Looking forward to our anniversary trip!

Updates On Our Life

2009-05-04T20:49:00.009-04:00

The month of April was pretty exciting for us. Kyle had a phone interview at IWU for an admissions counselor position and was called for an on campus interview that will take place on May 14. Please pray that it goes well and if this is God's will for us that we will know and Kyle will be offered the job.

Our little Theo is getting big quick. Sporting his summer shirt!

Happy Easter from the Mocks!

So cute!

Our traditional crazy picture before our annual Easter egg hunt at my mom's!
I turned 23 on April 22! Our family helped make my birthday really special! Here is my fabulous new Vera Bradley purse from my hubby!
Theo playing with his kitty in his new bed!
My best friend, Amanda, graduated from IWU on April 25! I am so proud of her!
Brittany Beard became Mrs. Logan Moser on April 25! She was a beautiful bride and the wedding was so sweet! Here are the EDS/EDU girls with the bride!
Kyle and I at Brittany and Logan's wedding!
I planted pink gerbera daisies in my new hanging basket! I love pink!
Pink and purple petunias! I can't wait to have a garden!
Theo chewing on his big boy bone. I can't believe how big he has gotten in just one month. He sure is a bundle of fun!
God sure is blessing us right now! Our jobs are both going well even though we pray that this job at IWU is the one for Kyle. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we live a life pleasing to our Lord!

Meet Theo!

2009-04-01T17:00:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, March 28, we got our puppy Theo! He is a pure bred Chihuahua. We never thought we would get a chihuahua but he is the one we fell in love with!

Hi!

Sleeping on his new blankie!

I'm as big as dad's foot!

Playing with Frankie!

I might be little but I can still get ya!

He sure loves to play!

Theo's first night at home!

Playing with Dad!

He is so precious and he brings us lots of joy!

Happy in Love!

2009-03-28T13:11:00.002-04:00

This is a new song by Brad Paisley that I love. I have felt this way many times over the last 8 months. And I know that I will have these feelings many times over the years. Marriage is more than I ever dreamed it would be. Yes we have had some rough times but we have grown more through it and God has been there for us every step of the way. Just like we knew He would be. I just wanted to share this with all of you.

I remember, trying not to stare the night that I first met you. You had me mesmerized.
And three weeks later in the front porch light, taking forty five minutes to kiss goodnight.
I hadn't told you yet, but I thought I loved you then.

Now you're my whole life, now you're my whole world. And I just can't believe, the way I feel about you girl.
Like a river meets the sea, stronger than it's ever been. We've come so far since that day.
And I thought I loved you then.

I remember, taking you back to right where I first met you. You were so surprised.
There people around but I didn't care. I got down on one knee right there.
And once again, I thought I loved you then.

Now you're my whole life, now you're my whole world.
And I just can't believe, the way I feel about you girl.
Like a river meets the sea, stronger than it's ever been. We've come so far since that day.
And I thought I loved you then.

I can just see you, with a baby on the way. I can just see you, when your hair is turning gray.
What I can't see is how I'm ever going to love you more. But I've said that before.

Now you're my whole life, now you're my whole world.
And I just can't believe the way I feel about you girl.
We'll look back someday, at this moment that we're in and I'll look at you and say, "And I thought I loved you then."
And I thought I loved you then.

We have jobs now!

2009-03-02T20:19:00.003-05:00

We would like to thank all of you for your prayers! God has blessed us with jobs for now! Kyle accepted a job at Family Video and I accepted a job at Leaping and Learning Preschool and Child Care. Kyle is still applying and interviewing for jobs for his career. We are very happy and a lot more relaxed now. Thanks again for your prayers and please continue that we go wherever God leads us!

Our First Married Valentine's Day

2009-02-20T19:18:00.004-05:00

Our first married Valentine's day was a wonderful one! My amazing husband woke me up with a very sweet card, a new picture frame and two incredibly smelling candles. It was a nice surprise! I gave Kyle a card, the movie Jerry McGuire and Peanut Butter Twix. We thought it was great to finally be able to buy husband and wife cards! What a great way to start our day!

Our Valentine's picture that I put in my new frame! Oh how I love him!

My mom gave us a gift card for Olive Garden so we had a wonderful dinner in Fort Wayne! It was nice to be out of the house together! We talked about our relationship and how wonderful the past 7 months have been being married! Life is wonderful with my best friend!

This decadent Black Tie Mousse Cake was a great way to end our day of love! I look forward to many more holidays with my husband!

Hard Times

2009-02-07T14:53:00.004-05:00

We knew that there would be hard times but we didn't know what that would entail in our lives. Kyle has been searching for his career job in Sports Management and still is. We are praying that doors will be opened and we will be blessed with the job God has for him. During this time Kyle has been working for Defiance Metal Products, a factory in our town. On January 27 he was layed off from his job. We were shocked and never thought we would be in this situation. We sat together and cried and prayed. We know there is lots to learn from this time in our lives but we are praying it doesn't last long.

I have been subbing but not enough to provide for us. I interviewed for a teaching job at a preschool and am awaiting any news from there. Kyle is looking for anything right now until his career job comes along.

We know that we will make it through this rough time and we have an amazing family that is helping us. Please pray along with us that Kyle finds a job and that we can live without worry. Thank you all for your support! We love you!

Happy Birthday Kyle!

2009-01-09T01:05:00.003-05:00

Kyle turned 23 on January 5!!! We had his parents, brother and grandparents over for cake and presents! It was a great day!My handsome husband!

I made shrimp alfredo, one of Kyle's favorite meals, for his birthday dinner!

He loved it!

Blowing out all 23 candles! In one breath!

He got a new razor from his mom and dad!

A trimmer from Grandpa and Grandma Nagel.

I gave him a new watch! It was lots of fun celebrating his birthday and having family over to our home!

Christmas 2008

2009-01-09T00:34:00.006-05:00

Kyle and I spent our first Christmas together! We were so excited to celebrate as a married couple. It was wonderful to wake up together on Christmas morning and open presents with my husband! I look forward to many more holidays together!!!All dressed up in our Christmas outfits for church!

Kyle's stocking stuffers.

My stocking stuffers.

Mom got us ornaments when she went on her cruise to the Bahamas!

Kyle loves Notre Dame and got new shirts from my mom!

Thanks mom for my very own tool kit!

Mom also gave us diploma frames from IWU! They are awesome!

All of us kids got a Wii!!!!! Too bad it stays in Indiana... :(

Baby Cousin Tate! He's so sweet!!!

Mom and all her kids!

My crazy family! But that's us!!! We had a great time playing games and hanging out!

Christmas was lots of fun and definitely one I'll remember forever! Many new memories were made and lots of old memories relived! We hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday season!

The Lights Before Christmas at the Toledo Zoo

2008-12-15T21:56:00.007-05:00

I have always wanted to go to the zoo at Christmas time! My amazing husband took me to the Toledo Zoo for our date night this past weekend!

It was a cold night but lots of fun! We enjoyed experiencing it all together!

There were not a lot of animals out but the ones that were out were the most active I have ever seen them. There were four wolves and they walked all around their habitat.All of the trees were decorated and I thought this purple tree was really pretty!

We loved seeing the bald eagles! They were all fluffy and ready for winter!The lights were incredible! There were millions of lights lit up all over the place. Some of them were even set to music!

The tiger was definitely a highlight of our night! When you go to the zoo during the summer he is normally just laying around because it is so hot but not this night. He came right up to the front and just watched the people! It was incredible to see him up close!

More of the pretty lights!

This ice sculpture was pretty cool! A little elf stacking presents!

This tree was decorated with 27,000 lights! (More than the tree in Rockefeller Center) And I thought my tree had a lots of lights on it!!! It was beautiful!

We are so excited to celebrate our first Christmas together as Mr. & Mrs. Mock!

We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas has arrived at the Mock House!!!

2008-12-04T10:22:00.007-05:00

It was so much fun to decorate for Christmas with my husband this year! It took us a couple days to get it all done but I love our apartment all decorated for Christmas!

Oh the fun of putting the tree together!Looking pretty bareAll put together.... it's so huge in our little living room!Adding the lights, my mom has made me crazy and I couldn't just put a couple hundred on.....I put 2200 lights on our tree! But oh how it sparkles!!!Adding the ornaments... it was fun to do this with Kyle!I wanted us both to put the angel on top of the tree... so we used the self timer and I made a jump for it and we did it!!!!!There it is!!! Our first tree together as a married couple! Kyle didn't really care what colors our tree was so I picked pink and silver!We bought this ornament at Disney World on our honeymoon!!! I love it!I bought this when I saw the Lion King!

We are so thankful for our families and are blessed by all that God has done for us!

Baseball and pink! They help make the perfect tree!

Our stockings that I painted! I can't wait to have a fireplace to hang them on!

Our table even got a few decorations!

An up close shot of the centerpiece.

Outside looking into our apartment!

Jingle bells on the door!

It's okay to say Merry Christmas!The holidays are my favorite time of year! You get to spend lots of time with family and friends and decorate your home! But the best part is that we are celebrating our Lord's birth and all that He has done for us! Kyle and I are so blessed and are very thankful! Remember why we celebrate Christmas and never stop being thankful!

A Mock November!!!!

2008-12-02T10:16:00.007-05:00

Kyle and I have really enjoyed the month of November! Married life is treating us well and sometimes it's hard to believe we have been married for 5 months but we know that really isn't that long at all. God has truly blessed us!

One of our date nights this month was to the Candy Cane Christmas Shop to find an angel for our tree. This store was incredible, it had everything you could want for Christmas and more!
Here is our angel! She looks incredible on top of our tree. If this is what the angels looked like that came to the shepherds I would have been stunned too!

We ate dinner at this cute little diner called "Mom's Diner". Our food was good even though we had a weird pizza with pickles on it.

Enjoying our dinner and talking together! It's still so much fun to date even after you are married!

Grandpa Holder turned 70 on November 14! He is an amazing man and we are so thankful for him! We met my family in Fort Wayne and had a birthday dinner at Red Lobster. It was great to see my family again since we live 2 hours away and don't see them as often.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GPA!!!

Our youngest sister Jessie also had a birthday this month. She turned Sweet 16 on November 18! I was able to be there for her surprise party! Oh what a fun night with teenagers, lol!!!

The weekend before Thanksgiving I was able to go see the Lion King with my mom, sisters, Amanda and Janell! It was incredible and would definitely see it again! Thanks Mom! And Janell for an amazing dinner!

Being goofy while waiting to get into the theatre!

Beautiful Girls

We are so blessed that our families live close to each other. We were able to spend Thanksgiving with both sides of the family this year! God has been so gracious to us and we are so thankful for all that we have. The holiday season is upon us and I couldn't be more excited!

Date Day in Toledo

2008-11-02T19:16:00.007-05:00

On Saturday Kyle took me to the Toledo Art Museum. We had a lot of fun admiring the paintings and sculptures. Here are a few pictures of our favorites.A beautiful chandelier! I want it in my home one day.

Rainy Day in Boston.....our favorite city!

One of Kyle's favorites from the day.

The Garden of Eden. It was beautiful painting.... definitely one of my favorites!

The coffin of Ta-Mit. It was really cool!

We ate lunch at the Museum Cafe. All of the sandwhiches were named after artists. I ordered the Da Vinci.

Kyle had the Warhol. They were very yummy.On our way home we stopped to get me a Sweet Tea. So good!

We also stopped at Rouche du Boute, a small park. It had a cool old broken down bridge that provided a good photo op.

I love taking pictures! Making memories!!!

The scenery was absolutely beautiful! God sure created an incredible earth!

We had a great day together! Date days/nights are so much fun and they give us another way to learn more about each other. Marriage sure is a wonderful thing!

John McCain Rally!

2008-11-02T18:59:00.005-05:00

On Thursday, Oct. 30, I (Amanda) was able to attend the McCain rally right here in Defiance. It had been 54 years since a candidate for president had been to Defiance. It was a neat experience and I'm glad I was able to be a part of it.

The secret service were everywhere. I guess it's better to be on the safe side.

They had this huge flag and a sign that read Country First. I surprised myself and actually got choked up seeing our flag and the sign. John McCain getting ready to speak.I personally hope that McCain is elected president. I fear what will happen to our country if that is not the outcome. Please pray that God's will is done in our country during this election.The Obama protestors that were there.My ticket and campaign buttons! A piece of history.

Corn Maze and Pumpkin Carving

2008-11-02T18:23:00.008-05:00

On October 25 we went to a corn maze and pumpkin patch! We had so much fun together! Here we are on our way to a day of fun!

The corn maze was a little muddy but well worth it!

We were given a paper that had 10 questions on it. When you came to a post that had that number on it you answered the question and if you were right you would be going the right way. It took us awhile sometimes but we made it through.We finally made it to post 10 and we're on our way out!We picked our own pumpkins to carve that afternoon.They had a cute pumpkin measuring stick!I'm not any bigger this year.On our way home we stopped at the Independence Dam. It was beautiful with all of the trees around it changing colors!Of course we took a few pictures!Kyle cleaning out the insides of our pumpkins.Kyle's finished product! It was freezing the whole time we carved them but we did it!My finished product! I was completely frozen.Our pumpkins all lit up! They looked pretty awesome!We had an incredible day together and even though it was really, really cold at times we would have done it all over again!

Apple Pie

2008-10-23T18:28:00.002-04:00

Today I decided to try making a homemade apple pie. It took me awhile to get the dough made and to figure out how to put it all together but I did it! I baked my very first homemade apple pie!

Fall Fun

2008-10-20T18:06:00.003-04:00

The leaves are changing colors like crazy around Defiance. I love the colors of fall and wanted to capture their beauty along with my husband! I also tried out some of my editing skills. I hope that you enjoy! :)

Happy Sweetest Day!

2008-10-18T22:03:00.005-04:00

I have the best husband in the world!!! He definitely did a great job on this "love day". Kyle got up before I did and went to the store to get my gifts. He came home and surprised me with these beautiful flowers, yummy cookies and funny yet romantic card!

We enjoyed spending the day with each other and family in Toledo! Let's hope the Red Sox win to make this a really great Sweetest Day!!!!!

I love my husband!!!

Go Red Sox!!!

2008-10-11T20:04:00.004-04:00

Last night we went to Buffalo Wild Wings with Kyle's mom and dad to watch Game 1 of the ALCS. We were excited to watch the Red Sox play on the big screen and to eat some wings. We enjoyed talking with mom and dad and had a great time! Our food was delicious!!!

All decked out in our Red Sox gear!!!

And the Red Sox won game 1!!! It was a great game and we can't wait to watch them play tomorrow night!

Loving Life

2008-10-11T19:32:00.004-04:00

We are loving life!!! No one can ever prepare you for the joys of married life. People can tell you how great it is to spend every day with your best friend, how nice it is to not have to take the other one home and how incredible it is to not have to say good-bye, but it doesn't mean a whole lot to you until you actually experience it. Kyle and I enjoy doing the simple every day life things together: like washing dishes, playing games and really talking! I absolutely love married life!!!

A couple of weekends ago we attended the Rib Fest in downtown Defiance. It was fun to get out and be around people. There were several places to choose from and they all smelled so good. We picked out where we wanted our ribs from and then sat down to enjoy them! We were not disappointed. What a fun night!

So Good!

We also watched our parents dog Frankie for the weekend. It was fun having the little guy around. He can be quite entertaining!

Last weekend, Oct. 3-5, we went home to Marion for Indiana Wesleyan's Homecoming and to visit my family. Our main reason for attending homecoming was so that Kyle could play in the Alumni baseball game. It was good to watch him play again. It was also great to see two of my greatest friends, Cindy and Nessa. I have missed you girls a lot!

Kyle was glad to see some of his buddies again. Especially Dan and Dave Wagley! Go Wildcats!

While we were in town we got some very exciting news! My best friend, Amanda Marie Armes, got engaged to David Clarence Hopkins!!! I was so excited to be there and see the beautiful ring on her finger! We are so happy for the two of them and can't wait to celebrate their special day with them!

Another highlight of the weekend was getting my hair cut! I had grown it out for the wedding and was ready to have it short again. Thanks Aunt Marcy for cutting it!

The weekend was lots of fun and it was wonderful seeing my family again! You don't realize how much you miss someone until you see them again. I am looking forward to seeing them again soon but am so thankful to spend every day with my incredible husband!!!!

Married Couples Retreat

2008-09-24T13:03:00.007-04:00

Last weekend we were able to attend the Wesleyan Married Couples Retreat. It was a wonderful weekend! We were able to spend time with old friends and meet some really neat new couples. I (Amanda) was really excited for Kyle to meet our speakers, Brandon and Jennifer Bruce, who were also my youth pastors. They hit it off well and I am sure we will be making a visit to Lansing, MI sometime!!!

The committee planned some really neat activities. Kyle was able to play in a 3 on 3 basketball tournament with Brandon and couple other guys. Here are a few pictures of my handsome husband in action.Saturday evening was the luau and "Date Night". The food was good at the luau and we had fun dressing up for it!For our date we went bowling and then caught the end of the IWU Baseball game.
Definitely one of the highlights was hearing Brandon and Jen speak. I have known them for a long time but we were able to get to know them as married couples rather than youth and youth leader. They both shared some pretty awesome tips for marriage! We both learned a lot.
We had a lot of fun at the retreat and look forward to other retreats! We learned things about each other and ways to enhance our marriage!

Welcome to the Man's Perspective

2008-09-17T19:31:00.002-04:00

men are totally different from women. we all know this for a fact. people assume that most men enjoy marriage for the little "perks" that they weren't allowed to indulge in before they had the ring on their finger. i on the other hand, have found marriage to be an absolutely amazing experience. let me expand on this a bit.

never in my life did i ever feel that i couldnt live without someone until i met amanda. throughout our time dating, i fell in love with her more and more on a daily basis until it came to the point where i knew there was no way i could live the rest of my life without her in it. i had never felt that way before, and i never thought i could love her more than i did. but since we have been married, those feelings have expanded into something beyond my wildest imagination. Amanda has become a part of me. its kinda hard to explain, but if she isnt there with me, it just doesn't feel right. she is my other half, and its completely amazing to think about how God had paired us together long before either of us were born. God is an absolutely amazing father and savior, and i have way too much to say about him to type about in my first blog post.

so i think this concludes my first blog post. i will enlighten those of you reading this with future thoughts and feelings. i hope you enjoy this and i ll blog to you all later.

Kyle

Our First Blog

2008-09-16T16:58:00.002-04:00

Well, we decided we should start our own blog to stay in touch with family and friends. We are finally getting settled in our apartment and are enjoying married life. Kyle is still looking for a job in Sports Management and will hopefully find something soon. We are praying and we know that it's all in God's timing. We are looking forward to the Wesleyan Married Couples Retreat this weekend and should have something good to post after that. We hope you enjoy our blog!