January's gone.

I can't believe February is already here, and with less than two months to go before Anna arrives, I have a feeling things will not be slowing down any time soon. In fact, time will probably fly by even faster!

January was a fun, busy month, mainly because the 26th was Nate's 3rd birthday. We had a great time celebrating. Our families came over Monday the 26th after work and gave Nate his presents. We got him a little cake and some ice cream, and a few of his neighborhood friends came over, played, and ate cake and ice cream with him.

We had the big birthday blowout bash on Super Bowl Sunday. Right after church we headed to Pump It Up, a big place full of moonwalks, inflatable slides, obstacle courses, etc. Many friends and family came to celebrate with Nate on his special day. We had some folks come from out of town and make a special trip just for the occasion. We feel very blessed to have so many friends in our lives that love and support us and our child.

Unfortunately, the party was pretty hectic, and the pictures we took didn't turn out all that great. So, instead of posting a bunch of random pictures, I've decided to show some recent photos of Nate in the last month. He's getting so big! Happy birthday, Nate! We love you!

Nate Eating Birthday Cake

Nate and Papa at Pump It Up

White Boys CAN Jump (a little...)

Rise and shine! Breakfast with a smile.

He loves his new robe.

The next two months are going to be a whirlwind. We are busy preparing for Anna's arrival, but we'll do our best to keep everyone updated. Please keep Melissa and Anna in your prayers these next few weeks. We want to bring home a healthy mommy and baby in March. Nate and I just need our sanity and strength. (I'll probably get hit for that.) Till next time...take care.

The Eickenhorsts

And the winner is...

In case you didn't notice...and apparently many of you didn't because we only received 7 votes...the poll for our daughter's name ended in a tie. So, we decided to let Nate break the tie. He originally chose Jesus which appropriately received 0 votes. (There is and always will be only one Jesus.) But given the choice between Sacagawea and Anna Marie, he chose Sacagawea. So, we decided to pretend like he said Anna Marie. He's too young to remember anyway, right?

This was all for fun. In all seriousness, we have chosen to give our daughter the name Anna Marie. We chose Marie in honor of Melissa's sister, Kristina. Come to find out, Marie is a very popular middle name in both mine and Melissa's family. Also, my cousin Sandy informed me that Anna was my great grandmother's name on my dad's side. Pretty cool.

Now we just need to finish little Anna's nursery. Less than 3 months...Melissa is getting that wild "I've got WAY too much to do!" look in her eyes. You might want to keep your distance till the end of March.

Happy New Year

Christmas is already gone? 2008 has passed? Willie has been alive for over 30 years? Anna will be here in less than 3 months? Whoa, whoa, whoa............Whoa! Slow down a minute here. How did all of this happen?

It's been a while since we last posted, so this is a bit long. A lot has happened since the middle of December. We'll try to keep it short and sweet.

The weekend before Christmas, we traveled to Houston to celebrate with Willie's family. We got to see Willie's cousin's recently remodeled home, and it is beautiful. Blake bought Nate a new remote controlled monster truck. As you can see below, Nate thoroughly enjoyed driving his new toy. (Blake is as happy as can be in the background.) All of the family was able to be there and had a blast.

Aren't we a handsome bunch?

On Christmas Eve we attended church service at TOL and then went to Willie's parent's house to celebrate Christmas. Nate loves his new Gator, and drives it everyday.

We capped off the night with a little Guitar Hero...

Christmas morning was spent at home with just the 3 of us.

Once we finished opening presents at our house, we headed straight to Mimi and Aunt Nana's where Nate was spoiled some more with an excavator from Mimi and car transporter from Aunt Nana, among many other awesome gifts.


That night, Jake brought Guitar Hero over to our house and spent the night. Nate and Melissa helped out on the drums. Willie and Jake stayed up until 2:30 rocking the house!


Willie's birthday was on the 29th, so the Friday night after Christmas, Melissa and Willie went to dinner at his favorite restaurant, Pappadeaux's courtesy of Mike. Nate stayed the night at Mimi and Aunt Nana's house.
Sunday after church, Melissa's family came over to the house to celebrate Willie's birthday with sandwiches, and a delicious ice cream pie.

Monday, Willie's family came over for pizza, cake, and ice cream. THEN, Melissa and Willie stayed the night in Kemah courtesy of Willie's cousin Sandy. We had dinner at the Saltgrass Steakhouse on the boardwalk, ate dessert at Marble Slab, then went to the dollar theater and saw Fireproof for $1.50...total. Pretty sweet.

Last night we blew up some fireworks in the city limits, and Nate loved every minute of it.

Today marks the first day of 2009. Goal number one...burn the 1.5 million calories we consumed in the last few days. Also, we want to thank our family and friends for making Christmas and Willie's birthday so incredible. We are truly blessed to have such amazing people in our lives. Nate thanks you, too! We love you all. God bless, and we pray that everyone has a happy and successful 2009!

Something to consider as we begin the new year...
My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:1-6

The Eickenhorst Family

Just Another Saturday Night In Texas!

Nate loves monster trucks, so when Papa asked if we wanted to go, Nate went nuts! We went down on the floor and got to meet the drivers and see the trucks up close. It was loud and a lot of fun. Nate had a blast! Thanks, Papa!

Nate and Daddy checking out the trucks.

Nate cheering them on!

Papa, Nate, and Daddy

Papa and Nate taking it all in.

What a Saturday!

Well, we have had a very busy day. Our church participated in the Conroe Christmas Parade this year. We arrived at the church this morning with the intentions of helping to prepare those who would be riding in the float. Little did we know that we would be riding along, too. Melissa and I played the part of Joseph and Mary, while Nate was Joseph in his "coat of many colors." We had a wonderful time. Many children, adults, and one stubborn donkey participated to help bring the true message of Christmas to the annual parade. The folks at Tree of Life did an amazing job on our float and costumes, and it was so much fun seeing all of the smiling faces in the crowd. What a way to experience the spirit of the season! Check out the pics below.

After the parade, we went back to church and visited with Santa Claus and heard the story of Christmas. When Santa asked Nate what he wanted for Christmas this year, Nate simply said, "Jesus!" I think he's got it figured out!

Now, off we go to the monster truck rally....HAHA!

You think I'm kidding? Pics will be up soon! We'll try not to ruin him before the 25th.

Let It Snow!!!

It snowed in The Woodlands! I knew a lot of you wouldn't believe us, so here are the pics!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a wonderful holiday weekend full of family, friends, and fun!

Before heading out to visit family, we had some time to chill at home with friends on our street. Nate loves to dig with his trucks and has a lot of friends who love to hang out with him. Once the sun set, we went inside to hang out by the fire and play trains.

Thursday, Pappa, Lou Lou, and Uncle Jake joined us for a drive to Giddings to hang out with Willie's aunt and cousins. Aaron, Blake, and Nate had a lot of fun with their remote controlled cars. We enjoyed a "Texas Thanksgiving" with lots of Bar-b-que.

From there, Willie, Pappa, and Jake went straight to the deer lease while Melissa, Lou Lou and Nate headed home. Melissa and Nate had a traditional turkey dinner on Friday with Mimi, Mike, and Kristina.

All in all, it lead right back to digging in the dirt. Hey, the kid knows what he likes! We are truly blessed and have so much to be thankful for! We hope you feel the same during this special time of year. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!