So, I have alot of time by myself at work for my mind to wander. This is always potentially dangerous. It was most decidedly the opposite today however. I was off by myself grumbling about how, being generally awesome at what I do, means that I get stuck with some extra work. Its important also to know too that I lived with with my In-Laws for a couple months before Tanya and I got married. And here is where the train of thought leaves the station...

How did I get stuck working my butt off, and staying an extra half hour? Don't they know that I want to spend the afternoon with Tanya? Ha! and maybe if we have time run over to see Kolbee(our nephew) while he is at "Grandma's." Little guy! we hardly ever see him anymore now that we live on the opposite end of town. How great was it being able to get back from work and having him there waiting to play cars, or ride bikes, or go for a golf cart ride. And Sunday afternoons! all the food and people coming over. . .

Into my head popped the Sunday afternoon when I spent most of the afternoon trying to get away from Tanya so I could ask her parents for permission to marry her. There was a brief flash to the day I bought the ring, being so nervous I would lose it or get stolen, that I actually started locking my truck, and proceeded to forget my keys in it, and had to call AAA. The box, and the ring inside of it, was stuck in my sock as Kolbee pulled "Grandma" into the barn for something. I saw my chance and darted in after them to show her, and get her blessing. She knew something was up as I produced the box. Her reaction wasn't what I expected. Her mother, ours, now, is fairly stoic, and I watched as she teared up and then spontaneously hugged me as Kolbee looked on, intuitively knowing something was different. Now her Dad was slightly different. He looked at me, as only a father of the girl you haven't yet married, can look. There was a shade of skepticism as he got up, to my silent motioning of him into the kitchen. As soon as the words spilled out, his demeanor changed too. He had the biggest grin I had seen on his face prior and immediately shook my hand. I remember all the emotions vividly, the nerves,(yes I actually got nervous), the joy and the sudden sense of family.

It was an awesome day, and two days later I would have a better one when to her surprise, I proposed. She had no idea I had the ring, or the permission to do so, though she knew it eventually was gonna happen. I have no idea why my thoughts went that direction, but I am so glad they did. When my thoughts track that way, thinking about the girl, so awesome to be the driving force behind the events of the previous paragraphs, is enough, even on a rough day, to put a smile on my face.

Oh, and that proposal? well, thats a story for another time...

Life lately...

So, apparently I'm not as good at keeping this thing going as I thought I would be. Honestly, I didn't know Tim had made that previous post (super sweet!) until a week or so ago! I guess I just have a lot less to say than I thought I would! Shocking to some I know :) So in a (somewhat large) nutshell, here's whats been going on with the Konings:

*Honeymoon to the Dominican!
Our trip was FABULOUS! We had so much fun and got some much needed relaxing in. Our days were filled with relaxing mornings by the pool, naps in the afternoon on the beach, and some great meals! The craziest part to me was how long it took me to actually be able to relax. Since we couldn't have our cell phones on, and didn't have a computer next to us 24/7, I found myself so bored the first couple days!! Which is actually kinda funny, because I was almost positive it would have been Tim having the seperation anxiety from society. I survived though :)

*Househunting:
Before we left for our trip and ever since, our lives have been almost consumed with trying to buy a house! We have a few in mind in the Hamilton/Holland area, but we need the pre-approval process to be complete first. Thats been a very long and aggrivating process! Without going into details, lets just say its been one roadblock after another, after another, after another, etc. The positive note is that it sounds like the tax credit is going to be extended, so the pressure to have everything done by the end of the month is off!

*Bible study:
Every Wednesday night I'm so extraordinarily blessed to get to meet with some AMAZING women for a Bible study on the women in the Bible. Most of the group is part of Tim's side of the family; a sister and a couple cousins, and others are friends and co-workers. We have such a blast and I feel like I'm learning a lot and getting to dive deeper in the word, which I'm ashamed to say isn't something I've always done. I'm always looking forward to Wednesday nights to see the girls!

*Holiday season!!
Its finallly holiday season! I love this time of the year, its always so full of joy and giving and gatherings and of course the grand-daddy of them all, Christmas! Last year so much time was spent on the wedding that I'm so happy to actually get to feel like it'll be Thanksgiving and Christmas and get to fully celebrate both! I know a lot of people think its a little early to begin thinking and planning, but to me its never too early! I love seeing Christmas items in the store, the sales, the music started to play... ahhh its so fun!

*Work:
Work for both of us have been going well. I've actually just started a temporary 2nd job to help add some money into the savings account. I'll be working at Sears Portrait Studio in the evenings until Christmas. So far its only a couple nights a week, and really I've only gone once for some internet/computer training. I'm a little nervous, seeing as how I kind of freak out and get full of anxiety when I start something new in my life, but I figure I can do anything for 2 months so I'll make my way through it! And more than likely, as with most things, I'll end up really loving it lol.


So, ladies and gentlemen, thats about all for now! Hopefully it won't be so long until the next post. Also, I really pray the next post will be about something really exciting, like we're pre-approved for a mortgage.

just wanted to leave a little note to say how awesome my wife is. She is not feeling all that great, but she toughed it out at work, and found time to surprise me by making me a snack, and she sorted out all the money/bills today. i am a lucky guy, for sure:)

September.... Shut UP!

I can't beleive how fast the summer has gone! Between lots of working followed by taking close to 2 weeks of vacation in August (and not having very warm weather) I really can't wrap my head around the fact that its September. I think the August to September month change is probably one of the biggest. I don't know if I can fully explain it, but probably going from summer vacations to school back in session, the cooling down weather, and going from all sorts of summer activities to not so many fall activities really makes it a drastic change. I'm such a beach girl that its so hard for me to say goodbye to running off to the beach after work, even if its just for an hour or so.

However, I'm still a huge fan of fall! Had I not loved Christmas so much, I think I would have gotten married in the fall with pretty browns and oranges and yellows. I love a good fall bonfire, with jeans and hoodies and slightly chilled weather. I also love the whole "back to school" atmosphere. I kind of miss getting my books, moving to a new dorm/apartment, starting new classes, buying new school supplies, etc. I didn't realize how much I missed it until a couple girls I work with were getting ready to start college again. I don't miss it enough, however, to go back ;)

Other things to look forward to this fall:
*Anniversary trip/Honeymoon to the Dominican in October!
*My birthday, always a fabulous event! :)
*Fall colors!!
*Possibly buying a house (Crossing our fingers and praying hard about this one!)
*Tim's sister Linda moving home from Kentucky this week (and bringing our dog with her)
*Football starting and baseball playoffs... Go Tiges GO!

On the road again...

So we just completed vacation number 2 for August! Now, before you hate us too much for taking 2 vacations in a month, we justified it by not having taken an entire week off for our wedding. Boom: justified! This time we hung with my (Tanya's) family, an entirley different vacation. Not in a bad or good way, just different :) We come from 2 very different families in some ways, so we get the best of both worlds. My parents rented a cottage on Burt Lake for a week, and invited the kids/grandkids up for a few days.

A little Burt Lake background: This is the place my family vacationed EVERY summer from before I was born until about 12 years ago when my grandparents sold their cottage. I hadn't been back since, so I was beyond excited to go! While we stayed at a different part of the lake at a different resort, much was the same and childhood memories came flooding back to my brother and I! I even insisted on buying my 5 year old nephew a minnow net, because thats what we used to do.

Have Swedish Fish will travel

Ahhh we made it! View from the cottage


Kolbee playing on the swings

So, on the first day of swimming, Kolbee and Tim put their suits on, and they matched!

So on the 2nd day of swimming, Kolbee and Tim put their suits on, and they matched again! Same color shirt and all!

Mom and dad rented a pontoon boat for the family

We went to Hoppies!!! Its a restaurant on the other side of the lake that can drive your boat to and walk about 100ft the the restaurant. They have awesome food and it was another "childhood memory"

We had such an awesome time! While it was a little crowded (9 people, including 2 pre-teen girls and a 5 yr. old) it was definatley something we would love to do again next year! Sadly, no fish were caught, including minnows.

Vacation with a Purpose

So, as Tim previously mentioned, we just got back from vacation at Maranatha Bible and Missionary Conference. If you don't know what/where that is, its a Christian conference grounds located in Muskegon right on Lake Michigan. Each week they have a different speaker and a different missionary representative. Both of the above were fantastic, however the speaker we had was originally from Edinburgh, Scottland; so that made his sermons even more fun to listen to :) They call it Vacation with a Purpose, and that it is! Not only is it a very relaxing week, its also rejuvinating in body, mind, and spirit. This was my fourth year going with Tim's family, and Tim's families' 22nd year. All 4 years I've attended I've left the week feeling so much closer to God. You are surrounded by other God-loving families and hearing their stories/testimonies really gives you a bost in your faith. Its an amazing week!

Along with hearing sermons and mission stories, the rest of the time was spent hanging with Tim's family, some friends, playing Scattegories and Apples to Apples, cooking/eating amazing meals, visits to the sweetshop and my all-time favorite: lying on the beach all afternoon. This by far is one of my favorite vacations every year, and I look forward to many more years there, as well as bringing our future children there.

Here are some pictures from the week:

The living room of the house we stayed in

The Kitchen

So, we stayed in a different place than years past, one with 3 bedrooms. This meant Tim and I, now married, would be given our own room. We were excited about this, then we saw our room:Twin beds!!

Our first day to the beach!

This was the lake on the first day... you can't really tell but the waves were huge! The water was also warm...

Tim and I on the tammy train to take us back to the lodge

The girls in the back of the car after lunch at Sam's Joint

Spaghetti night! Delicious!

Linda decided to play in the water... she later went swimming in this same outfit (minus the ipod)

Apples to Apples with the Arends family

Sunset with the one I love

So its about 9:30 when I am starting this blog, its Sunday, and Mrs. Koning is back at work. By back at work I mean, we just got back from vacation. This is Tanya's first day at work since we spent a week at Maranatha, with my immediate family, (this means you too, Erika.) I would also like to add, I have 3 cups of coffee, and some delicious breakfast tacos in my belly, fueling me.
And that's a great place to start. I was awake this morning around 6:30ish this morning, when my wife kissed me goodbye. I laid in bed for an hour or so, and with a few minor setbacks, I eventually got my wits about me enough to head to "The Shoe" for the previously mentioned deliciousness. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and The Wooden Shoe Restaurant is second to none. The real reason I went however, was I wanted to see the blond haired waitress I have had a crush on for the last several years. Last night I had the privilege of taking her out to dinner and then some shopping for an upcoming tropical getaway we have planned. I came around the corner last night to grab a shirt before we left, and spotted her in a little black dress, and her recently tanned skin, and her big blues eyes, and the beginning of a thought started to form in my head. We went to CrazyHorse for dinner and splurged just alittle more than we might, and then hit Kohls and then DQ to split a blizzard. We then took the short drive home playfully arguing over who was eating the greater share of the ice cream. Back at my apartment, we turned on the Tiger game and made short work of what was left. Game, well in hand, my date grabbed a book she had just bought, and not too long after, went to get some sleep since she had her first day back at work in about a week.
My wife in bed, and the Tigers victorious, I put the pieces of my earlier thought together. Vacation was great. We went to the beach almost everyday, the weather was perfect and Lake Michigan was clear and warm enough to swim in when the sun got to hot. I loved sleeping in, and ate a lot (maybe too much) good food. Hanging out in close proximity with my family is always an adventure, and the speakers were great. But it hit me. Coming home isn't something to be sad about. It wasn't just "awl-right" (inside joke, stupid hootie). Its awesome. I love my life, its definitely more than I deserve. I love my apartment. I love the peace and quiet. If it allowed dogs, i'd want to stay a couple more years. I missed our bed, (In Muskegon we had to a room ourselves... with two single beds...)I love the town where I live, I can be at the beach in 5 minutes if I am so inclined and the people around here, are my kind of people. I got great family, the ones I was born with, and the ones I inherited. I feel like they are two halves that balance out the person I am. Then there is Tanya. Last night I got to go on a date with a beautiful, sexy, incredible girl, who can turn my head, just in the hallway of our little place. In a cocktail dress and heels, or blue jeans and a t-shirt. She can amaze me anytime she wants too, and she amazes me even without trying. We have two more vacations this year. One up north, and one to the Dominican. I am excited for both. Just dont ask me if I am more excited than i am about my day-to-day life around here. Becuase to be honest? its a tough call...