As requested...ADULTS!!

My good friend Angie Leverence had a valid comment....no pictures of us! (That is..the parents..) As I was scrolling through my ENORMOUS iphoto library, I made an astonishing discovery! Out of roughly 650 pictures, there wasn't ONE to be found of Jason and I!!! So...as we got ready to leave on a rare but much needed date (thank you Rachel, Stephanie and Dave), I grabbed the camera. Not only were we both in the house at the same time, we had both showered and done our hair on the same day!!!! SHOCKER! (Parents of children under 2, are ya feelin' me??) What results is not the best picture ever, but hey, it's a picture! Now that I've been made aware of the egregious lack of any pictures of Jason or I, I will be making the effort to prove to our descendants through photo history that yes, we actually did exist!! (Maybe we can enroll Elijah in a photo taking class?? Ha!)
Also...for those of you who didn't catch the memo, we will be moving; SOON! We are planning to load up the truck next Sat., so needless to say, I AM STRESSED! I have currently packed a whopping 4 boxes, can anyone say,"procrastination??" I am also suffering from a pretty serious spray paint high. This is a new experience for me, a novice furniture renovator. No, seriously, if this whole message seems disjointed, you know why... All this to say, pray for our little family as we journey through yet ANOTHER transition. (Is anyone sick of the caps yet? I am.) Ok, that's all for tonight, need to sleep of the spray paint... Will post again next week after we get settled in our new place!

It's a party!! (duh...)

We celebrated Ezekiel's 2nd birthday this past weekend here at the house. Just a small affair with mine and Jason's families. (Is 15 people technically considered small? Hmm..) Grandma Grate went a little Thomas the train crazy; Zeke loved every minute of it. I think he might actually be turning into a train.... But really, his "chug-a-chug-a-CHOO CHOO"-ing is just about the cutest thing EVER!
Here are some cute pics from the party.....

Grandma and her little man

Snappy little cake, huh? Nope, I didn't make it (thanks Mom!)

Auntie Andrea

Brothers...

Has the ice cream gone to his head???

THE train.

The new place!

Yup, after a year of looking, the Grate's have finally found the perfect house!!!! Well....maybe not perfect, but you know what I mean, right? It was a total God thing that we even stumbled upon it. We had been through the house across the street about 5 times(literally) and still weren't sure about it. Our realtor suggested we kill two birds with one stone and check out the house across the street. I was a bit hesitant as there were no pictures on the internet. This always makes me nervous and suggests embarrassing 70's wallpaper and turqoise bathtubs. Well, I was wrong on this one. One step through the front door and I swear I could hear someone singing the "Hallelujah Chorus". Gorgeous hardwood floors, grand oak staircase, adorable kitchen, great backyard, and hey- it's on a cul-de-sac!! What more could a girl want? Four bedrooms would've been the kicker, but beggars can't be choosers...
Just a sidenote, is anyone watching "My Name is Earl?" Major shift in gears, I know, but man is it funny!
Well, hopefully I'll be posting some additional pictures when we move in. Pray that our kids will adjust well to yet ANOTHER transition!

The terrible two's have OFFICIALLY arrived!!

Well, it's official!! Our precious little Ezekiel (a.k.a. Zeke, Zekey, Zekey boy) has turned 2! As you can tell by the above picture, HE KNOWS IT!! Mommy tried diligently all day to capture the sweetness that is my baby boy, but nope, he would have none of it. Oh well, I guess it's a much more accurate picture of day to day life than a perfectly coiffed, clean, smiling baby. 'Cuz let's be honest, anyone who has spent more than 5 minutes with him knows he's has a horrible case of CND (constant nasal drip!)


This picture is my vain attempt to have him show the world he was 2 (and very, very smart). Didn't quite get it, but you get the idea, right??
On a bit more serious note, (I can't seem to avoid them these days..), it became quite obvious today that I would never see another birthday through the same eyes again. One, I will always wonder at each birthday celebrated what Ava would've been like at that age. Second, I will forever cherish each birthday as more treasured that the last and determine to make every moment count.
Well, at this very late hour, my brain function is not at its utmost and i will sign off now.
P.S. We bought a new house!! Details and pictures to follow on a later blog..

Ava Nicole....

Just got back from my parent's house. We had a little Ohio State vs. Notre Dame party. Thank God OSU won (Jason would've been pouty 'til next week). As we were all (Josh, Shelly, Noah, Zoe, Mom, Dad, and the Grate clan) standing in the living room popping confetti to celebrate, a sad realization hit. We were making new memories. Memories with 5 kids, not 6. Memories without Ava. Where there should've been the sound of a sweet 7 month old giggle, there was silence.

But, it also occurred to me that we were ALL laughing. I'm sure our laughs will never EVER sound the same, but we were laughing all the same. In our little world that is often full of tears and heartbreak, God sent some welcome laughter. For anyone reading this who has been praying, know that in these moments, some your prayers are being answered.

Just for reference, the above pictures are two of my faves. These were taken at Josh and Shelly's when she was just a few days old. Such proud cousins! Such a beautiful baby.....

The FIRST Grate Update!

Well.... I've decided to finally join the ranks and start a blog. For those of you who know me really well, you know that the mere thought of writing gives me the hives, breaks me out in a cold sweat, etc., etc... Being the daughter of a quasi-famous author (who really needs to start one of these), I've always felt if I actually wrote something, it should at least seem profound. Well, needless to say, my blog won't be one of those...it will just be a catch me up for all of our friends and family scattered around the globe.
For those of you who don't know, we've recently moved into the Eastown neighborhood in downtown Grand Rapids and are renting a home. (Thanks Moms and Dads). Our home in Grand Haven is currently still for sale at a drop bottom price for those of you who'd like to live by Lake Michigan! My husband and brother-in-law Josh are the pastors at our new church-plant here in GR. You can check out the web-link for more info about it. It has been quite a journey... I know you all know about the heartbreaking loss of our 3 month old niece Ava Nicole, who went home with Jesus this past August 1st. This is no doubt the main reason for this blog. Experiencing such earth shattering tragedy will wake you up and make you look at your life in a completely different way. Because of this I feel the constant need to make every moment special and not to miss a moment with our 3 precious children...
Elijah is 7, Emmy is almost 4 (going on 25), and Ezekiel will be 2 on the sixth of this month. They are all thriving in their new environment; loving their new church and new schools. I'll do my best to post pictures of them here depending how internet savvy I am... Jason is crazy busy with the church plant and having a blast. It's been great to see his dream of an urban church plant finally come to fruition, it has really lit his fire!! He's enjoying preaching every week, getting to know new people, and just generally being an Eastown junkie!
Well, hope this finds all of you well, and hope to seen comments soon!
Holly (Jason is crashed out on the couch next to me underneath his treasured OSU blanket - thanks Derek!)