Family Faces - Thanksgiving 2008

The holiday season has started and we embraced it in a grand way. We traveled to Chattanooga for Thanksgiving week and then returned home to Bluffton with Kylee's great grandparents, the Lindaueres and Matt & Katie, to continue the celebration of family. Many great meals, a couple extra pounds and a little work on the golf swing, some bowling and baby showers were just a few activities that took place. All in all it was a wonderful time. Katie made a comment that every time we gather with family she gets to meet someone new. Tim, Barb and the kids visited for Thanksgiving also. (One of many cousins from Denise's family tree). And when she came here to Bluffton she got to spend time with Kylee.
Now everything is quiet and the dust is settling (oh yea, no dust in a Dutch house), lol, we are getting ready to continue the holiday with a quick trip to Maryland. Then during the Christmas to New Year's week Denise's sister Dee and b-i-l Russ are coming to visit. A tradition we truly embrace. Here's hoping you also embrace family during this holiday season and focus your thoughts on our Lord and Savior, Jesus, who has given us all things.

Kylee Almost 2 Months

I haven't been posted for a while now. Here's why. The creation of Facebook has made it so easy to keep up with photos and friends. Log on and post a quick note and the responses start flying. A picture here and there; then you find yourself navigating to look at your friends albums. And so on.... So as Denise is busy having pillow fights, searching Jenny's page for the latest Kylee updates and generally seeing what people are up to on Facebook daily, I forget to download pics of my granddaughter for the world to see. Some of us are Old School and are still posting on blogger.

So you don't have to read to much more of me rambling....here's some of the latest pics. The pink dress (her first) is what she wore to church on Sunday (16th) and then to Oma and Opas for dinner. As with all of us wearing the fancy clothes, it was short lived.

A few photos and then into comfy clothes.

Kylee's first PINK DRESS

Oh, yea I almost forgot that if you wear a PINK dress you

must have PINK ballerina slippers too!

A perfect smile for a perfect dress!

Sean and Jenny fight for camera time. It's more about Kylee, guys!

Bailey checks out this little person that getting all the attention.

What a face!

Not so sure about that big dog, yet.

It's official !!!

Well, it's official. Stephen has asked Courtney to marry him. They have been dating for a little over a year and he really felt that she is the one that God has called to be his partner in life. So last weekend on a trip to see her grandma in NC, he popped the question. We of course, couldn't be happier. She is so full of life and brings some southern charm into the Jansen tree, too. Courtney said yes to Stephen with only one stipulation...She will finish school first. I think this will test the devotion they have for each other, as well as help them grow closer together. In addition, this gives us time to save up for our 3rd and final wedding.


So start planning to pack your bags and spend some time in HHI 'cause they're planning a wedding in 2010, sometime between May and October. That narrowed t down, right? Keep watching for updates.

Almost Two weeks old

After a great Friday night, Saturday was busy cleaning the house and then over to the church to do the same. Denise and I have taken over the care of the church building as a ministry to the church, as the Jansen brothers did for the Washington, D.C. CRC years ago. Now with all the work done we decided that we both needed a Kylee fix. So after cleaning the house, church and ourselves we dropped by Sean and Jenny's place to see them.
When I began posting today I soon realized that it's been almost two weeks since we commented on our grand daughter. We can't say enough about how this little girl has affected our lives both in our relationships with our family, but also our Creator. It is such a pleasure to watch our kids experience being parents for the first time. Knowing they will struggle, and sometimes fail, we stand ready to offer our love and advice. All in all Kylee's parents are doing great!
Kylee is also doing quite well, too.

Crabs, Maryland Style

We were approached by John Ring (Seans F-I-L) to see if, maybe, just maybe, we might be interested in doing a crab feast with a few friends. Without thinking we said sure. So John proceeded to shape up the guest list and then he said "Oh yea, we'll have it at your place okay?" Again we said sure. As it turns out, we had about 14 people, some expert and some novice crab pickers. The weather was perfect, a little chill in the air which of course kept the bugs down to a minimum bother. Citronella candles and tiki lanterns soon proved no match for the ankle biters, which helped us get back to the business at hand. Unlike Maryland we were able to find two bushels (about 14 dozen) of male crabs for the amazing price of $75.00 WOW! We sat on the porch chatting and picking until we could pick no more. A great time was enjoyed by all. As with all friendly gatherings, there were so many side dishes that the guests brought, no one went hungry. Thanks again to all who brought food! We also enjoyed the guest appearance from Kylee and her parents.

Another great Maryland tradition shared, Crabs and Old Bay. The pic attached is all that remains of our crab feast, a pile of claws.

Claw pile

Crab cakes coming up!

More Kylee

This is going to be so much fun and take a lot of my attention. So if I don't give you as much about Bluffton you now know why. These pics are from the eyes of John Ring "Poppy". We are watching her closely to see who she takes after....you be the judge. All I know is she will be a 'Skins Fan' if her daddy (Opa, too!) has a say so! Dallas what? Sorry 'Poppy'.

Kylee Faye is here!

Kylee Faye arived at 3:41pm September 23rd. She weighed 8.4 lbs and is 19". Mother is recovering from hard and fast labor, also Daddy is doing great. Little Kylee has a healthy set of lungs and doing great too! We shout out praise to the nurse "Sheila", she was great! Updates coming soon.... Love from Oma and Opa.

Opa's Ring Follow Up

As suggested the paper printed this follow up story. Admittedly it's not much, but it such a cool thing I just had to share it. Follow the link to our LOCAL paper....http://npaper-wehaa.com/bluffton-today;see-aCN386TNM23y7zPS#c-72395. Thanks for looking!

"...one of those European inheritance things"

On Tuesday morning I sat to read the local paper, as many of us do, and what happened next, well doesn't happen to many of us. I began viewing the cover (http://npaper-wehaa.com/bluffton-today;see-tG57W2ovnknkPKr1#c-70830;page-12)
and I looked at the picture a little closer and said to Denise "Do I still have Opa's ring?" So I went to my dresser just to check it out and yes it was still there. So I read the article to learn that a ring exactly like Opa's was lost at a beach in Bluffton. Now comes the really strange part; the owner Brugt Jonker was vacationing here from Holland. As the story unfolds there was not much hope of recovering the ring. Then the efforts of a local man with a metal detector produced the ring and it was returned to the owner in Holland.

How many dutchman own a black onyx ring like this? At least two.

Opa's Ring

The author of the article is an aquaintance of mine, so I emailed him the picture of Opa's ring with a quick note about the ring and I made a comment about his line in the article.."one of those European inheritance things". He called me back and asked if he could print my story in tomorrow's paper. Again, I find myself amazed at how small this world really is and how blessed we are.

Pinckney Island Pictures

Pinckney Island Cont'd

Don't know why but the slideshow comes first....then the text.
Late Sunday afternoon Stephen and I decided to go for a hike on Pinckney Island a local wildlfe refuge across the Intercoastal Waterway from Hilton Head. The island lies between Skull Creek (the Intracoastal Waterway) and Mackay Creek. The island's northern tip faces Port Royal Sound. Large concentrations of white ibis, herons and egrets, as well as osprey nests can be found on the refuge. Our hike took us 2.5 into the island and then the wildlife (mosquitoes) started eating Stephen alive so we decided to turn back. Almost back to the car I took one last venture to the shoreline (had to go) and heard Stephen shout "A gator !" It was right where we stopped on the trail waiting in the grass; so I scrambled back to the trail and just in time 'cause the gator wanted to be where I was. The gator was about 6-7 foot long and quick. That excitement made the trip sooo cool. All in all it was a great adventure.

Watching and Waiting

Well after a summer of entries that depict our town as a paradise location I finally am feeling a little homesick (at least for higher ground and not so close to the beach). Others would say I'm anxious,well that too. After watching the Weather Channel for days and hearing the Natales hightail it out of La. the reality of being in an EVACUATION ZONE is a lot more real! The only catch is how much value do we put in the forcasters? Don't know and neither do the "locals". So we sit and wait. Will it be Hanna or Ike or....?


Last night, Denise and I went to the beach for a stroll in the evening and tried to reaffirm the belief that we do live in paradise.



It worked, we really needed to see God's providence and rest in His grace that He has a plan for us. The water and the winds were stronger than normal, wind surfers were loving life. Then we came upon a river flowing from the island to the sea and took a few pics for you to see. Even the water has a place in His plan. Later we found out it's called Burke's Beach. Check it out.

The Nursery

Sean and Jenny have been busy painting and decorating the nursery and now they're waiting on Kylee.

We're a little excited, can you tell?

Jennys Having a Baby

Well we are in the midst of a house full of family and I need to make time to let you share in the moment. As I said earlier we are anticipating the arrival ofour granddaugther sometime in late September. So to celebrate, the baby showers have begun. First, one given by the girls at Jenny's work and now this Saturday for family the Mom's are hosting a shower. Family began to arrive Wednesday, first the Lindaure's (Grandma and Papo) with Dee from Chattanooga, and Thursday Matt and Katie with sister Debbi from Maryland. All this to celebrate family. So from peace and quiet we now have a house full. Denise will tell you it's GREAT. I agree. Our house is fulfilling it's purpose.

Jenny and Sean are expecting sometime in late September and both are doing so well. Especially Jenny. She is very camera shy so these are rare glimpses to show her progress. Sean and Jenny are busy at the house painting and setting up the room for Kylee Faye.

24 weeks

30 weeks

30+/- WEEKS

Just another day....of rain.

Its raining again, just another afternoon thunderstorm. This is the norm for almost a week now. It is much needed rain, since the SC area is in a drought, as most of the southeast. So with that, I guess it's time well spent entering my thoughts on the computer, even though I spend my day on the computer. How else are you going to get to know us? So you may or may not know that I (Brian) work from home. A telecommuter!

My purple Office

(Doesn't come with fuzzy slippers)

My employer is in Maryland and my office is here. After almost two years I have come to appreciate the finer things of working from home, such as being able to work when it's convenient or take time to work in the yard or play a round of golf. Really the best thing is being able to spend time with Denise at the pool. Note: She is working out of the house now so the pool is out. Yes, I have deadlines and need to put in 40 just like you, so it's not all fun and games. Since the move we downsized and now only have one car, so most days Denise takes the car to work and Bailey (the dog) and I are here at home, doing whatever. Some people have been heard saying that I'm a "kept man". Completely a myth.

Looking ahead in the near future, Denise and I will soon become grandparents, since Sean and Jenny are expecting in September sometime. Yet another perk for working out of the house, we will be helping out with the daily care of the baby,once Jenny goes back to work. That's a whole 'nother post. Maybe tomorrow I will start a post with Jenny's progress.

Down at the river's edge

Denise and I were out and about in town on Saturday and decided to take in a little riverside breeze to cool off from the summer heat. We ventured to the May River public dock which is right next door to the Church of The Cross, a church that has survived wars, weather and time. As we sat on the dock and dangled our feet in the water we noticed a gathering on the church lawn. We listened to see what was happening. Several people were dressed in white robes, however, they had old tennis shoes on. What could this be? After singing some praise songs,the people started to gather at the rivers edge. Yes, we were witnessing a baptism. As the parishoners climbed into the river, we heard the gospel choir begin singing "Down To The River To Pray" a traditional folk song. We were captivated by the serenity of the occassion and the melody floating across the river.

Next time we'll have our camera handy so you see what we saw.

Entrance from Calhoun street

Side yard view of the May River

Birthday's

June and July seems to be the months for celebrations, what with family and friends birthday's , it never slows down. Just this past week we were out on the town for Jenny's birthday, Courtney's birthday (Stephen's girlfriend) and night berfore last, Stephen's birthday. A good time for fellowship, laughter and always good food. Just a few pics.

Stephen, Sean at Jenny's Birthday Dinner at Bonefish Grill

Stephen and Courtney dinner at Carrabas

Bowling after dinner...

...Dessert from Ritter's (Custard not Ice Cream)!!!! Yumm.

Bluffton Life Con't.

We moved to Bluffton without knowing anything about the area, without knowing anything about the SEC and only with the dream of living near the ocean. We sold our home in Maryland and moved into our son's investment townhouse with the anticipation of getting to know the area and taking our time searching for the perfect home. Best laid plans and God's perfect timing lead us here to our current home within a month's time. The home we are in kept popping up on our list of homes to see. So we kept coming back over and over. The floorplan is typical lowcountry style....12' ceilings, open floor plan all on one level (no stairs for later in life). Plenty of space for family, visitors (NO reservations required just call ahead so you'll have clean sheets) and an office. A editorial note: Matt's townhome is still on the market for sale if your interested! Contact me.

So we've settled in to our new space and started to assimilate ourselves into Bluffton life. Where is Bluffton you ask? It is about 12 miles west of Hilton Head, 1/2 hour NW of Savannah, Ga. and 2 hours south of Charleston, SC. Surrounded by the May River and the River and acres of tidal marshland. The sourthern most county of South Carolina. Lots of beauty, lots of water and lots of wildlife. Bluffton is bordered by the May River and was once a fishing village, so as you can imagine, seafood abounds: shrimp, oysters, and the bounty of the sea. One of the things we quickly found out is that it's almost immpossible to find a "Maryland Crab Cake" in the south. The other thing that's hard to find is a "true" Blufftonian. Most everyone who is here is a transplant, just like us. Enough for now.

Temprary Quarters

Home sweet home

The backyard

Sitting room view to the great room

Foyer to great room

Bluffton Oyster Company on the May River

Sunset in the Lowcountry

Bluffton life...

As we got settled into Bluffton life, i noticed one thing is very different here than in the north. CRITTERS! The humid, warm climate brings out all sorts of wonderful things.

First, we had to get used to the "No-see-ums" (basically sand gnats) then the fire ants, anole's, frogs (of all shapes and sizes), wild boar roamin the highway and don't forget the alligators.

The gator pic was taken in our backyard or the 11th fairway to others. Just caught him strollin to the next lagoon. Thought that was basically it when I stepped out into the garage one evening to close the door. It was dark and I took a step down onto the garage floor, it felt squishy and the next thing I knew it was slithering around my leg. I screamed and jumped as I turned on light to find a Copperhead snake "warming up" in my garage. Everyone heard my girlish scream and came running'. We disposed of the snake with an 8 iron. And now I really take every precaution before stepping into the dark! Let someone else close the garage. I am a little more cautious now, but I still am convinced this is a great place to live.

We're Hooked

We have arrived. After several months of browsing and "lerking", we decided to give blogging a try. So here we are for the world to view and get to know a little bit more about us and South Carolina.

In 2006 Denise and I decided to visit our kids in SC to see what the atraction was in Hilton Head.......then several months later, much to the surprise of our family, we packed our bags and moved. Been here almost 2 years and lovin' it. The climate, the sites and the pace of life is what we dreamed about in Md. The past two years has brought many new experiences as well, I'll tell you about them later.

For now....see ya'll soon.