I never knew a grocery bag along side a goofy sound could be such a funny experience.

This was well into the laugh fest. She was already winding down a bit when we started taking a video.

Grandpa Van Beek, you're going to love this one!

Life is Buzzing

Wow, life is really getting interesting now. On July 12 I was in my first Helping Hands Pantry board meeting where I was brought on as the director of programs, officially a volunteer position, partly because of Helping Hands strong desire to be an organization consisting of 100% volunteers (which will likely change as the organization grows and matures) and also partly because they simply aren't established enough for their budget to contain payroll and all of the complexities that go along with that. After writing a letter to the council of my church, they agreed to be my sending missions agency. The River CRC agreed to add me to their payroll and absorb the costs that go along with adding a staff member so that the fund raising I do in order to contribute to a salary for myself may be strictly for me. Thus far this journey has continually proven to me just how faithful and great our God really is.
There are many different branches to what I will be doing. Helping Hands Pantry, which is a DBA (doing business as) of Help for the Hurting is an organization that seeks to unite to Churches of the Redlands area in order to care for those that are in need. Four days out of the week we are distributing bags of groceries from our distribution center Near Norton Air Force base. At this location we are also meeting with individuals and families, building a relationship with them and beginning the discernment process on their level of need. At this location we are also making plans for there to be parenting classes, tutoring for children and/or adults that need it, and other counseling/resourcing. We will be doing home visits with everyone that is new to Helping Hands in order to deepen our relationship with them and understand better their needs. For those that are recently out of prison we will meet and council them in order to resource them for normal life again. Much of the produce that is distributed by Helping Hands is home grown at the community gardens, one on a city lot in Redlands and another coming soon from a acreage in the Wildwood canyon area. It is all brought to and packaged by volunteers in our warehouse in Loma Linda. There really is so much going on it's hard to picture without seeing the places that I'm writing about.
There is so much more that needs to be done in order for this ministry position to be sustainable in the long-run for Katie, Eden and I. I have already received generous pledges of monthly financial support from close friends and family as I go about the business of running and organizing the ministries of Helping Hands Pantry. More is needed and time is short. I've said several times that in the economy that we're in it would have to be a God thing for the fund raising that I will be doing to bear much fruit. At no point in that last sentence would I want there to have been an impression that I was fearful for the lack of the ability for God to sustain us in this God-endeavor. I just hope that once our goals have been obtained that you will look to God to praise him for His faithfulness and truth.
I ask, first of all for your prayers, and secondly, I ask for you to consider partnering with us financially as we seek to do justice and mercy and lead others to justice and mercy in this area of the country.

If interested Please call me at (909)794-6776 or email me at joelandKatie@hotmail.com

This sort of thing makes me smile... wide!

tell me, how wide is your smile now?

Day with Oma

Yesterday Eden got to spend the day with Oma while Katie taught the last day of school. Here are a few great pictures of the day.

So, it's been a while since I last make a post. Katies parents have come and gone, and are yet to come again, work for me has slowed to a near halt, giving me time with Katie and Eden, and Eden has started to have some belly problems resulting in much crying and crabbiness as well as much much much much spitting up.... We've been staining baby clothes like crazy. All in all parenthood is awesome!!! :) Here are a few baby pictures to make you smile...

Cookie Monster!!!!!! fitting for life in this house

3 weeks after giving birth Katie is back into her pre-pregnancy jeans and looking GRRRRRRRRRRRREAT!!!!! I still can't beleive I'm married to that!!! I mean, look at her!!! wowza!!!

I was randomly taking a few pictures of Katie and Eden and got this shot... looking straight in the camera and smiling.

Katie was getting Eden ready to go to Liz Lyon's wedding shower at the Lemm's house. We just had to take a picture of this outfit... ;)

I realize it's been a few days since my last update. Here are just a few pictures that I love.

So Katie and I have been struggleing a little bit the last few days because it seems like there are times that Eden needs constant motion. We have a bouncy seat that she likes alot but often she get's grumpy when it isn't bouncing so we've had to sit next to her and bounce it. Uncle Greg and Aunt Rachel lent us a swing which appears to be the greatest thing on the planet for right now at least. Eden was crying pretty hard when Uncle Greg showed up, we put Eden in and she was content inside of 20 seconds. Way to go Uncle Greg, you are our hero!!!! Cousin Tessa, thank you for sharing.

the first bath

We gave Eden her first bath today. It was a somewhat traumatic experience although the pictures and videos wouldn't show that at all.

So now we have a sqeaky clean little girl. :)

here are just another few things I took today. Eden was wide awake, I couldn't help but pull out the camera.

I smell candy on your breath, are you holding out on me?

Here's a little vid from the hospital showing her cute baby noises

Here is a bunch of pictures from the hospital. Enjoy!

Baby Room

Yep, I know, it's been almost a month since I've posted. But not much has happened in the last month worth posting. Besides, I'm still struggling with why I can't get video downloaded onto the blog. But here it is, the long anticipated baby room.

I've been sick most of this week. 102 fever started Tuesday evening and finally broke Friday morning. To celebrate Katie and I made the effort to finish moving things around. My brother-in-law Greg Treur made a quick stop by to help me move the dresser into the room (he tried to hold his breath the entire time he was here to avoid being infected with "the sickness"). Valiant effort but all for naught. :)

Tonight was a service project/performance by the Gems and they asked Katie to play a couple of songs that the third grade girls can sing with. It turns out that Katie is quite the celebrity, kinda fun, here's the vid...... ohhhh k, looks like I'm going to have to get lessons on uploading videos. expect me to upload them in the near future.

An interesting and exiting thing has happened for Katie and I in the past week. Classis California South met on Thursday and nominated/voted me in as the classis' delegate to the board of the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee. Meetings will be next week Thursday through Sunday in Chicago. This link will bring you to the conference site. www.thepowerofwith.com

So now I am a board member of the CRWRC and I am exited and ready for what's coming with that..

The progress

in reverse order from super prego to not so prego