Mom and Dad Evoy Visit

Justin's parents came to Cleveland last weekend. As always we had a wonderful time! Kathy and I worked to put all of baby's "odds and ends" away while Justin and his dad organized the basement! They were such a huge help! We also had time to go out to eat, play cards and go to church together. Love my in-laws--they really are awesome and they'll be such great grandparents very soon!!

The Latest

It's been awhile since I've updated the Evoy family blog--so I thought I'd fill you all in on what's been going on :) We just got home from a walk in the local metropark--it was 35 degrees so we had to take advantage of the heat wave!

Justin got a Dave Ramsey book for Christmas and as a result we've been busy revamping our budget in order to eliminate debt. We have been kicking around the idea of taking a break from cable tv and have decided that we are going to take a hiatus from it until at least June. So, you ask--what will you guys do in the meantime? Puzzles!! We got a 1,000 piece puzzle to work on--our goal is to finish it before our baby arrives

We got our fireplace working! Gas logs keep our living room warm and make a nice place to spend time.

Last night we got to visit with some Indiana family. It was wonderful spending time with them while they were in Cleveland :)

Christmas in Indiana

Our last big trip of the year (and before baby) was to Indiana. We had THREE awesome Christmas gatherings while we were there--here are just a few of the pictures we captured! We hope everyone had a blessed time with family as we did :) Displaying baby girl's first Hard Rock t-shirt from Papaw and Froggy onesie from Auntie Lauren and Uncle James

Mom and Dad Evoy

James, Lauren and Chloe

Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa Stower's House

Kathy, Aunt Julie and Evan

Aunt Lisa and Uncle Mike

Grandma Deanna

All of us on Christmas Eve

Grandma and Grandpa with grandkids

Grandma and Grandpa Stowers with their kids

Lauren and Justin

Christmas Day at Grandma Jackie's House

Aubree, Kylie and Lauren

Justin and I

Kathy and Mark

Aubree and Lauren

Aunt Susan, Uncle Kent and Kelsie

Kelsie, Allison and Uncle Kerry

Uncle Kerry and Kirk

James, Grandma Jackie and Aunt Susan

Uncle Dick and Aunt Kathy

Michigan Christmas 2010

We had an action packed weekend! After our shower on Saturday our family headed to a hotel in Grand Rapids to celebrate Christmas. We had time to swim, eat pizza and enjoy some great family time! Following family tradition--Chandy the Elf passed out the gifts

Ericka and her friend Nick

Chandy and Brandon got a little excited :)

Madison and Grandpa

Daddy opened Baby Girl's first ever Christmas present

Madison really liked what she got!

Jake and Auntie Tara

Dad with his Life is Good camping shirt

Juliann and Brandon

Justin opening gifts

Provided a great time for everyone!

A nursery rhyme book from Auntie Juliann--she recorded her voice reading for Baby Girl

Maddy couldn't get enough of the Bible we got to celebrate her baptism :)

Chandy's Graduation

My little sister graduated from college on Friday! Chandy attended SVSU (and majored in elementary education and early childhood education) just like I did--it was great to be back watching a graduation that I was a part of seven years ago! It's hard to believe I've been done with college for seven years already!! Chandra graduated with honors and we are all so proud of her! December 17, 2010--graduation day!!

Sweet Chandy with her temporary diploma

Brandon and I showcasing Chandy's diploma :)

Chandy with parents

Kids with Mom

Chandy with boyfriend Marc

Teacher Chandy found a chalk board to write on

Go SVSU Cardinals!

Heading to our cars after graduation

11 Years Ago Today

I have been thinking quite a bit today about what happened 11 years ago. It's hard to believe it has been that long. Here is a little back story--Thanksgiving day 1999. Brandon and I spent the day with our big sister, Juliann, and some of her in laws. On the way home, with us sitting together in the back seat, he looked at me strangely. After asking him what he was looking at, he told me that he didn't want to tell me because it would just scare me. I continued to ask and he said, "that dot in your eye, it means something is going to go medically wrong with you." Of course I asked what he meant, and this is how he responded, "you know, something permanent...like when you are blind you are blind or when you go deaf you are deaf." I thought that was strange, but we sort of just let it go.

Fast forward to the next day--black Friday 1999. I had worked two 8 hour shifts at Quality Farm & Fleet as a cashier. My friend Sara and I slept at my dorm room Thanksgiving night in Saginaw and worked our first shift at the store near campus. After that shift we drove to Mt. Pleasant and worked another shift. I remember that I didn't eat much that day--and what I did wasn't healthy--chips, Mt. Dew--junk that was put in the break rooms for us.

At the end of my shift in Mt. Pleasant I was (of course!) exhausted. I couldn't wait to get home and into my bed. It was about 10:30pm and I was making myself a pb&j when the phone rang. It was a high school friend of mine asking me to join a group of people going to see a midnight movie. Everything in me said no, in fact I told him no. And then I heard a voice--seriously, an almost audible voice that told me I needed to go. So I went. During that movie my heart stopped beating for a moment and I experienced my first seizure. I remember thinking that my arms were feeling heavy and weird right before it happened. When I became aware I was surrounded by concerned friends and paramedics. They put me on a stretcher and into an ambulance. Within minutes of arriving at the hospital my little brother Brandon (18 at the time) was by my side. I kept telling the doctors and nurses that I was just really tired--that nothing was really wrong with me. Brandon must have called my dad who was in Texas with my family who insisted that I listen to the doctors. So I did.

The doctors told me that I was going to have to be transferred to another hospital, that something was wrong with my heart, and wanted to know if I'd rather go to Saginaw or Ann Arbor. Of course I said Saginaw since it's where I went to college. We were back in an ambulance and on our way. Brandon stayed with me every minute. Once at Covenant hospital, they ran various tests on me and told me pretty quickly that I was going to have to have a pacemaker installed. I only asked that they wait until my dad could make it--they were already on their way--and they told me they couldn't wait. I remember Brandon telling me that he felt "surprisingly optimistic about everything" and what a comfort that was to me. It was quite scary-me 19, Brandon 18 and yet with him there I was okay. It's always been that way for us--brother and sister as well as best friends. So, he went with me to pre-op, said a prayer and gave me a hug.

When I got into the operating room I was nervous and the nurses could tell. What one of them said I will never forget. She looked at me with the sweetest eyes and said, "we are all moms in here and we are going to take care of you." After that I was good--thank God for sweet nurses! When I woke up after surgery there were friends with me and soon my family arrived.

Life ever since has been a blessing. I am so thankful for the life I have been given. One of the doctors told me that 1 out of 10 people survive what I did--and I was that 1. It's hard not to be thankful after hearing something like that. Remember that voice I heard? I didn't know then, but I believe now that the voice I heard was God. Even though at that point in my life I didn't know Him, but He sure knew me and I am so thankful for that!

Thanksgiving 2010

Happy Thanksgiving! We hosted our first Thanksgiving this year and had such a great time! My parents, sister Chandy, niece Madison, and nephew Jacob came to stay with us for a few days.

Maddy helped Auntie Tara decorate the living room for Christmas

So blessed with family--we missed those who weren't with us this year

Jacob helped Uncle Justin hang all of the outdoor lights

We have so much to be thankful for! Before dinner it was nice to hear each person share what they were especially thankful for this year. We are so looking forward to adding another small family member around the table next year!