Top 10 of 2010

We have had another very good year...and as I glance back at some of the pictures we have taken, and posts I have written, I am reminded of how much God has blessed us. Starting from the beginning of this past year, here is our top 10 highlighted/thankful moments:

1. Our visit to Disney World. When I asked my hubby what one of his favorite events of this past year was, this was his top event. It is probably mine as well. There is something magical about seeing things through your children's eyes. My sister in-law was kind enough to watch Andrew for the day, so we had a great time with just the girls.

2. Andrew's successful surgery. When Andrew was born, we were told that he would soon need minor surgery. For the first 10 months of his life I was very nervous of how it would go, but he did so well, and recovered very quickly. I am thankful God watched over him and the surgeon and gave me peace.

3. Our many trips to the beach. I was a little nervous taking all three of my kids by myself to the beach, but was determined to not let nap times tie me down the whole summer. And although it was a little hairy at times taking all of our beach gear by myself, we had a great time. And it was great to see how much Andrew enjoyed the sand and water, and how much the girls grew as swimmers.

4. The Hub's job. At the end of the summer, we were told that there was not a lot of work for my husband in the foreseeable future. He had a few weeks where he was laid off, but in the end his company was able to find little jobs here and there to keep him busy. At a time where the ecomomy is still very much struggling, I am very thankful for the work he's been able to secure, and pray for so many who continue look for work.

5. Homeschooling Katie. Over the summer, I had thought a lot about giving homeschooling a try, and asked a few homeschooling moms about their personal experience. After doing a little more research and deciding on a curriculum, I gave it a go. And I am so glad I did. Katie is doing very well. The first week I was ready to throw in the towel, but soon after we figured what things had to be thrown out of the curriculum, and which things she thrived upon. I am enjoying the bonding time with my daughter, as well as loving to learn from her as well. We've done lots of outdoor discoveries, projects, sang lots of new songs, and read some really great books. I look forward to our new year of revelations.

6. Watching Kyra play soccer. I never would have pictured Kyra wanting to play soccer, but after one summer night of goofing around with a ball, she was determined to play. Even the first day of a game, where the rain POURED the whole entire game...she had a great time. And I couldn't believe how competitive I became as a viewing parent! It's like my inner beast was coming out!

7. Running a 5K. At the beginning of the school year, I vowed I was going to become healthier with some sort of exercise. So I decided to start running. Let me tell you, I didn't enjoy it very much. In fact every time I ran, I said that I wasn't going to keep up with it because I hated it so much. But I would get up the next day and determine to do better than the day before. So, when our family decided to do their own race at Thanksgiving time, I was pumped and ready to go. Although I didn't run the whole entire 5K, I did better than I have ever done in my whole entire life, and was very proud of my accomplishment. I am hoping to try and enter another 5K in the spring.

8. Losing weight. Of course, along with running, I had wanted to lose weight this past year. And although I didn't reach my goal, I still lost 22lbs. I hope to lose another 20lbs this next year, but am happy going at it slow and steady. It feels great just to fit into some old clothes that haven't fit in years...and buy some new of course!

9. Seeing Kyra read. It's funny how a lightbulb seems to go on with some milestones. Kyra had been sounding out words for quite some time, and reading too, but she struggled with a lot of words as well. Then just in the past couple of months, she took off. She reads without hesitation and began reading chapter books! I loved waking up during this Christmas break, finding her curled up on the chair, reading by the light of the Christmas tree.

10. Our Christmas together as a family. For some reason this year, Christmas seemed to take on so much more meaning. Maybe it was the daily devotions we did together as a family, or the fact that for some random reason I was more relaxed. But we had a great Christmas. Even the girls seemed more thankful for the gifts they received. But it was especially wonderful to see the look on their faces when they opened their bedroom door to find a surprise. Their dad had put their bunk beds together while they were playing in the basement. They said it was the best Christmas present EVER! And they have been having fun playing on it every day since then.

Top Ten of Summer

It's hard to believe it is September 1st already!! Before we know it, we'll be gathering around for Thanksgiving dinner and preparing to bake for Christmas cookies. Of course it's hard to imagine (and who wants to rush it anyway) the holidays when we've been having 90+ degree weather lately. And though the heat has been hard to take on occasion, I have been very pleased with our warm summer. The weather has permitted lots of welcomed trips to the beach and enjoyment in our little plastic pool. The girls have played better than ever, which makes it that much harder to break them up as Kyra prepares to leave for all day, every day school in a few short days. But seeing as I have hardly written all summer, I'd like to reflect on some of the fun things we did this summer.

1. Numerous trips to the beach. Having taken swimming lesson in the beginning of the summer, I wanted to keep their exposure to the water high, so we took advantage of our local beaches and had lots of play time in the water. I even ventured out on my own a few times with the 3 kiddos by myself (a big accomplishment for me, when you consider the 1 year old has to be watched like a hawk because of the love for the water).

2. An over night trip to Traverse City with my hubby. Although I was hesitant to leave the kids on the day first day Kyra got out of school, this trip was absolutely wonderful. The northern part of Michigan is beautiful no matter what time of year you go. And we got to enjoy time alone together while wine sampling and touring the country side. Loved it!

3. Andrew's birthday. It's hard to believe my little guy is one now, but we had a wonderful 1st birthday with family, and I am embracing the steps of progress he is making into becoming an older child (like sleeping through the night, walking, no naps...pretty soon we'll be able to go on more adventures as a family of 5)

4. Trip to Hessel. Although this was not my favorite event of the summer, the kids had a blast playing with cousins they haven't seen in a long time and it was nice to chat with family while lazily sitting at "our" small beach.

5. Visiting relatives for "daycations" while they camped at Pioneer Campground. Although we did not camp here, we still enjoyed the benefits of camping, while being able to sleep in our comfy beds at night. Seriously, it was a wonderful campground, with just a simply beautiful beach.

6. Visiting family in Chicago. While I do go to Chicago a fair amount of time to visit family, this time we went on a few day adventures. We all had a blast going to Splash Country and visiting Blackberry Farms. And although the sprinklers were broken, we enjoyed a picnic at Cantigny with fried mushrooms from Brown's Chicken....mmmm.

7. Raising 3 caterpillars. Never mind that all of the caterpillars passed away and never made it to the chrysalis stage, but the whole family really enjoyed watching how fast they grew. It was fun to watch how involved the girls got into feeding their little friends, and even see their compassionate heart reach out as the caterpillars started to fade. **We later found out that the first caterpillar probably had a virus that spread to the others.

8. Going camping at Gun Lake with my family. Although this trip was uncomfortable at times with the extreme heat and humidity (and mosquitos), we still had fun eating, talking, swimming, and reliving some previous camping trips. It's also amazing to see how resilient kids are, because I don't think the heat bothered them hardly at all...they just enjoyed being outdoors and with each other.

9. Going to the Hudsonville Fair. This has become a yearly tradition of ours, and the girls dared to go on more rides then ever this year. They were brave in going on the tall ferris wheel, and even went on a few new ones that they weren't sure of.

10. Going to a Whitecaps minor league baseball game. Again, it was another hot day, which made it almost to hot to view from our seats, but the kids had fun eating the food and it was nice doing something different. My hubs even broke down and got everyone ice cream (in which the girls got a souvenir baseball cap bowl).

We still have yet to go to the zoo (the one thing on Kyra's summer to do list we haven't done yet), but otherwise it's been a fulfilling summer. So now I am just holding on to the last few days I have to sleep in before we take on schedules, fall sports, and the busyness of the school year. I am excited at the prospects of a new year and what it has in store for us (I am taking on some new challenges), but am also thankful that we have a season like summer to rejuvenate, be lazy, and spend as a family.

Hessel

Well, another year has come and gone at our cabin in Hessel. After my hubby missed going last year for the first time ever (minor set back with having a baby and all), he was chomping at the bit to go. And he wasn't disappointed with the fishing either. They seemed to catch more fish then they have in the last few years. They caught pike, herring, salmon, perch, and some suckers too. Unfortunately I don't have a single picture of any of their fish. I do however, have plenty pictures of my little fish. My kiddos were lovin the water this year. Perhaps it was because the normally cool temps in Hessel were just about warmer than we've ever seen, and warrented a good dip in the lake. Seriously, the mornings in Hessel usually require a sweatshirt until about 11:00 am, and cool off around 7:00 pm...and that's on a warm day. But I don't think we needed a sweatshirt once. It was even in the 90's a few of the days...and the only air conditioning we had was the warm breeze that floated into our rooms off the water's edge. But even in the heat, the kids had a blast.

The girls followed my hubby's cousin's kids around like shadows the whole time. Thank goodness they stay for the whole week (their parents typically go home after a few days, and leave the kids with their grandma and grandpa) otherwise our kids would be lost without them. Kyra would be up at the crack of dawn asking to see Carlye at her cabin. I would have to tell her that unlike her, Carlye was probably still sleeping at the hour of 6:30 am on vacation...hoping she'd take the hint. If it were up to Kyra, she'd stay another week. Yes, the girls really had a great time running around in the sand, riding bikes down to the little grocery store by the marina, and fishing as well. They both loved fishing with daddy, but for the first time Kyra caught 3 perch by herself. She cast it out, and reeled it in. Katie caught a couple too, but needed help reeling it in. The girls also made friends with a woman at the marina...who had a 65 foot boat! They had a tour and everything. Must be rough with granite kitchen countertops in your yacht.

Andrew seemed to do pretty well at Hessel too. Although I did have to grab hands full of sand out of his mouth a few times and carry him a bit more than usual (so he wouldn't crawl through the gravel or race to the shore), he did pretty well. He took great naps and slept well through the night, allowing me to have some moments of rest. It definitely was nice to not be far from the beach. Because so many times we have gone to a beach and had to leave early, because Andrew was getting cranky. I would have to tell the girls we have to pack and up and leave, and they would grumble that we always leave because of Andrew. This time, the girls could continue in their fun while I put him down to rest.

And me? Well let's just say I had an aokay time. Now that a few weeks have gone by, I am able to reflect on more of a positive note, although I wasn't so positive a good deal of the time I was there. Let's just say I would have been a little more of a happy camper if my hubby would have come home from fishing at a decent time and not left me with the kids ALL day. But a lot of having fun has to come from your attitude and I just didn't have a great attitude after the guys missed dinner twice to allow for their fishing fix. Looking back though, I do realize it was very nice to get away and enjoy time chatting with extended family, watching my kids have a blast, and looking at the beautiful view. The water is so calm and peaceful in the morning, that it's almost mesmorizing to watch.

Perhaps my best moment though was our one and only family ride in our boat. We drove out just before dusk, and trolled in and out of the little islands by the bay. We docked the boat on a sandy shoal on one of the islands while trying to catch a few fish. The girls got off the boat to run around and chase each other for a few minutes. Just then the hubs caught a perch. It was a keeper, but we had nothing to put it in. Finally he found a plastic bag, in which Kyra filled up with a little water, and we slid him in. But then the girls wanted back in the boat, so the hubs needed to help them back aboard. I grabbed the plastic bag in one hand, while he gave me his huge cane fishing pole to hold in the other hand. Meanwhile, with both hands preoccupied, I had Andrew tugging on my legs trying to stand up in the wobbly boat. Then wouldn't you know, I caught a fish. The hubs shouted, pull it up...pull it up! So with one hand, and all other limbs preoccupied, I pulled up and caught a fish who then flew right at me (since I didn't have any hands to grab the line). Yes, it was quite a sight to see. I'm sure that would have been funniest video worthy had we caught it on tape.

Tulip Time

It was an exciting day for us today.  We were headed to Tulip Time to enjoy some fun activities for the kids and look at some beautiful tulips.  The kids were excited because we haven't done a whole lot of fun activities in awhile.  Spring cleaning, planting, weeding, gearing up for surgery, and trying to build a bathroom in our basement has been our focus for the last couple of months so I think they are feeling a little cooped up.  And this momma wasn't feeling too different.  I was ready to take a day off and enjoy the great outdoors.

Although the day started off rainy, the sun made its appearance later in the day and made for a pleasant afternoon.  The tulips were some of the best I've seen in years.  There were such vibrant colors and they were so incredibly tall.  They looked like tulips on steriods!  Being outside and seeing all the flowers really does wonders for your soul.  I know it doesn't produce food like a vegetable or fruit garden, but seeing so many variety of colors just brings out the beauty in God's creation. 

The fun part of the day though was taking part in the kinderplaats festivities at Tulip Time.  Although we have gone to the festival a couple years in a row now, we have never done Kinderplaats.  It basically consists of  booths with activities or crafts for kids, some dancing for entertainment, a petting zoo area, and a hand full of bouncy rides.  Yet, there were so many things to choose from, we had to leave to get lunch and come back again.

Kyra and Daddy holding a Boa Constrictor!  Didn't know either of them were that brave!

Speaking of lunch, that was one of the best parts as well.  We went to New Holland Brewing Co. for lunch, and it was wonderful.  I had one of the best pulled pork sandwiches I have had in a long time.  Of course spending the day with good friends we don't get to see very often made the day as well.  There really isn't much I could say that went bad today.  Perhaps it's because we haven't gone out as a family in awhile, or perhaps it is because the weather is turning around.  Either way, it was a very fulfilling day.

Florida 2010

It's hard to believe, just one week ago we were in sunny Florida (sunny maybe, warm...not so much).  It definitely was great to get away and spend time with the girls.  It was good to reconnect with our children while not having to think about work, laundry, dishes, errands, and the daily routines of life. 

We decided to drive the trip this year.  We've always flown in the past, but between trying to save a few pennies and not wanting to carry 3 car seats into the airport, we figured it best to drive.  Plus this way we could visit my Grandma and Aunts in Georgia.  It has been nearly 2 years since I saw them last, and I thought it was high time for a visit.  I was still a bit nervous about this long trek with an 8 month old though.  I knew the girls would do fairly well, but we had just gotten Andrew to sleep through the night not more than a month ago, and I wasn't sure if this would mess up our beloved schedule.  Fortunately, to our surprise he did great.  Not only was he a great traveler, he pretty much kept to his same routine during our whole weeks stay in Florida.  He was a bit fussy on the way back home, although so were the girls.  I think they just knew we would be getting back to the reality of winter for 8 more weeks.

Once we arrived in Georgia, we were able to peel off our jackets and feel the warmth of the air.  I just love not having to take the time to layer up before you go outside.  Of course little did we know that the next few days were going to be the warmest days of our stay, but at least we experienced warmer temperatures for a short time.  Although it still amazes me that we saw ice instead of water running down the mountains in Tennessee.  It just shows you what a cold winter it's been all over, because in all my travels as a child I never saw ice on those mountains.

It was so nice to see my Aunts and Grandma too.  The girls quickly warmed up to relatives they hardly knew.  Of course it helped that my aunt had a little Shiatzu dog that they loved chasing around.  By the end of our stay they were ready to trade in our large dog for hers.  We stayed up and talked for awhile after the kids girls had gone to sleep.  It was definitely nice to catch up and chat for awhile.  And they were kind enough to stock us up with sandwiches for the next day's drive to Florida.

Finally we reached Kissimmee.  We unpacked, while the girls jumped from couch to couch in our new home for the week.  They were so giddy with excitement that they seemed to bounce off the walls.  The hubs parents were nice enough to rent two condo units for our whole extended family, and because we had the largest family, we had a whole unit to ourselves (which meant we even had our own bedroom)!

We spent the next few days simply swimming.  Although both girls were a little leary to swim at first (remember their ongoing fear of water), they quickly grew fond of the water.  Kyra had digressed from her swim lessons from last year a bit, but generally did very well.  Katie however had been petrified from swim lessons last year and would bearly get in the water to begin.  Then once we grabbed coaxed her gently into the water, she clung to us with enough vigor to leave nail imprints into our skin.  She was deathly afraid of us letting go.  I wasn't sure we would ever get her to relax until good friends of ours showed how much their son loved to go in the pool with the confidence of his life jacket.  Fortunately, the following day Katie let us put the life jacket on her, and I simply let her go.  Once she realized she was floating on her own, she didn't want us to touch her.  All week long she said, "No momma, let go.  I want to do it my own self."  By the third day she was even jumping in the pool with no one catching her.  It was fun to watch her grin from ear to ear.  She loved the pool.  I know the life jacket may give her a false sense of security, but at least we are making some progress.  She even said she was open to the idea of swim lessons once again.

Our final big adventure of the week was going to Magic Kingdom.  We had debated whether or not we should go, since we only had one day to pack it all in, but threw caution to the wind and decided to go for it.  We are very glad we did.  My sister in-law kindly offered to take Andrew for the day, so we could focus on spending time with the girls.  And after the packed day we had, we were glad we were sans Andrew that day.  We truly packed in everything we could that day.  I think the first time we stopped for a break was close to 5:30 pm.  I worried about tiring our girls out by doing too much, but at the same time wanted to make sure we did and saw everything we wanted to for that day.  I wasn't disappointed, except for the weather (which started out with 46 degrees!).  But even the colder temps didn't slow us down that much.  We started the day off by meeting Arial.  She was the only princess we met, but fortunately the girls aren't really in to having their picture taken with characters so that worked out okay (more time to do rides).  We went on almost all the rides too.  I wasn't sure how they would do on many of them (since their are a few with elements of pitch black...a little scary for Katie), but they did fine.  A few of the rides Katie told us at the end that she never ever wanted to go on that ride again, but at least she didn't cry.  The parades were fantastic too.  The girls were glued to music and dancing.  But perhaps the best was the light show at the end.  Tinker Bell flew from Cinderella's Castle, and the girls were facinated by that. 

When I asked the girls what the favorite part of their day was, they both mentioned the Jungle Cruise, exploration on the Swiss Family Robinson tree house, and watching the Bear Jamboree.  Although, I'm sure Katie would say her favorite part of the trip was just swimming.  I'm hoping they aren't too young to remember this fun filled day.  Fortunately we have many pictures to mark the occasion.  Yes, it was another memorable vacation, and I'm thankful that we were blessed enough to have been able to go.  

      

    

Bird Feeder or Critter Cuisine?

For Christmas, my hubby got the girls make your own bird feeders. He thought it would be a fun project they could make together. Of course Katie had a blast helping daddy screw in the screws, and using a mini hammer to pound in the nails. Between spending time with her dad and creating something with her hands, she was in all her glory. She really is a hands on type of girl. After seeing a girl become so impatient with so many things, it is nice to see her shine in a certain area. Although I hate to admit it, I find myself struggling sometimes to see where Katie excels, and this just proved that she is good with her hands. Maybe she'll be an architect, engineer, or craftswoman. There are endless possibilities!

Kyra on the other hand wanted nothing to do with the project. She was perfectly happy to have her father construct the whole thing. Along with generally not liking to get her hands dirty, she received a couple splinters in years past and has decided wood is not her friend. So, she won't touch wood unless it has been properly painted or stained. Oh the joy of children's fears! Nevertheless, she did enjoy painting the bird house, and all three seemed to be really enjoying themselves.

After the feeders were painted and dry, they three got on all their winter gear and hung up the bird feeders. For days there were no takers. The girls would gaze out the window and see no sign of life. Then just a few days ago, the first birds began to appear!! Kyra and Katie have had a lot of fun seeing the feathered friends flurry about and tell their friends about the new source of food. We've been trying to identify the different types of birds and enjoy seeing the brightly colored blue jays or cardinals against the pure white snow.

Of course word spreads quickly, because it was not long before Mr. Squirrel found the bird feeder too. It took him only a day to figure out how to get the food for himself. He chewed the rope apart and down came the bird feeder. My hubs attempted to put it back twice now, but Mr. Squirrel prevails. Oh well, I guess now we can enjoy all the critters stopping by for cuisine. Now, if only we can get the dogs to stop from salivating from the windows!

Holiday Season of Long Ago

Wow....I can't believe it is already January, and almost a week into it at that. I remember not too long ago I wrote about our very busy October. Then for a short period of time November slowed down, but it has been full speed ahead ever since Thanksgiving. If months go by this quickly, I'm going to be 40 in no time!

Although it was a very busy season, it was filled with joy. I began the month feeling fairly calm about things that had to get done. We chopped down our tree from the backyard once again (or shall I say my hubby did that while I sipped coffee in my bathrobe!), and after a small battle with the lights it was all decorated the weekend after Thanksgiving. I already had several gifts bought, time to make goodies, and cards were ordered and sent out by the 10th. I decided to have our annual women's get together at a restaurant this year too, so as not to stress my self out with cleaning the house and figuring out where to put the kiddos. Of course in doing that I felt disappointed no one would see our lovely tree or decorated home, so I invited people over for New Year's Eve instead. Then the week before Christmas my sister in-law ended up having kidney stones and was unable to host her hub's 40th birthday party at her house, so I said why not mine? All in all I had 3 gatherings at my house the week of Christmas ranging from 13-35 people. It definitely was a little crazy that week, but we had a great time playing games with friends, gorging ourselves with food, and chatching up with people we hadn't seen in awhile.

I'd have to say one of our favorite things we did over the Christmas season was taking a ride on the Santa Train. The nostalgic train was all decorated for the season, complete with a conductor who took our ticket stubs, the town's queen dressed in a beautiful white gown who read Polar Express, and of course Santa. Our girls had just borrowed the Polar Express from the library, and watched the movie twice, so they were on cloud nine having their own personal Polar Express moment.

Kyra was hilarious to watch on the train, because she wanted so badly to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what she wanted for Christmas, but she has always been a bit afraid of him too. She asked her daddy what she should say when she went up to him, and he said "just tell him what you've been telling us for months...that you want a guitar." We had gotten her a guitar weeks ago, since that is all she could talk about. Yet, when she timidly walked up to Santa, stage fright must have got the best of her because that big jolly voice asked her what she wanted for Christmas, and she looked at her father (too afraid to make eye contact) and hastily said..."I'd like a cupcake maker please." My hubby couldn't believe it. We had spent a lot of time researching guitars on the internet, picked a certain one, and then she wanted a cupcake maker!? Fortunately, she wasn't disappointed on Christmas Day. She just said, Santa still got her something on her list and she'd ask for the cupcake maker for her birthday (hopefully she'll forget about it by then).

Yes, it was a very nice Christmas. We still haven't figured out all the traditions I would like to start instilling in our family to make Christmas more meaningful. I want the kids to understand more deeply that Christmas is about Our Savior and not so much the gifts, but we're working on it. We did read the Christmas Story, Christmas morning and spoke briefly what it would be like if we were there that day Jesus was born. Katie even understands more than I give her credit. So, as a New Year begins, I hope to be more purposeful in my every day teachings. I hope to really dive in the bible and learn together with the girls more about Jesus. I think God has great things in store for us, and I hope He does for you too!

This past October had been a busy month. Yes, fall is in full swing and we definitely tried making most out of the month to do some of our favorites. I had planned on writing about each occasion, but between an infant, dial up Internet, and illness, time simply slipped through my fingers.

For starters, we began the month going to one of our favorite fall festivals: the Zeeland Pumpkinfest. It's a great way to kick off the fall season. Everything is free, with the exception of vendors selling the usual elephant ears or hot dogs. They have face painting, a pumpkin seed spitting contest, a chili cook off, an animal petting zoo, and even a pie eating contest. Unfortunately this October the weather simply hasn't cooperated. It has rained almost every weekend, but we were determined to go, so we took our umbrellas and hopped in the car. Fortunately they had most of the events inside. The girls did their first pie eating contest, which was hilarious. Poor Kyra, daintily ate her pie without her hands as fast as she could, but was no match for a boy who could scarf his down in seconds. Kyra wondered why she didn't get a prize, she thought she was pretty fast (apparently not fast enough).

The following weekend we had my old college roommate and family come to stay for the weekend. We had plans to go to one of our favorite apple orchards, but again the weather was not on it's best behavior. We did end up going to Post Farms, which is a pumpkin farm and has simply wonderful warm donuts. The kids had fun jumping on hay bails, riding on a hay ride, and running through a corn maze. We had a good time staying up late playing card games with our friends and catching up on old times.

Finally, it came time for Andrew's baptism. My family was all coming for the weekend, to help celebrate this joyous occasion while joining in on a few more fall activities. Of course, wouldn't you know the weather once more did not cooperate. My hopes of going to the apple orchard were pretty much squashed. I had hoped for a fun filled weekend for the kids and family, but between the weather and dreadful loom of H1N1, we pretty much stuck to the confines of our home. Of course, it didn't seem to matter much because the girls and their cousins had fun anyway. They just like to be with each other. We did end up carving the pumpkins that we grew (the heaviest being 78lbs!!) and ate a lot of good food (of course). The baptism went well too. All of the cousins went up in front of the congregation and sang "Jesus Loves Me." They sounded beautiful. I am so fortunate to have such a loving family.

So that was our month of October in a nutshell, busy but full of laughter, fun times and friends and family. The only thing missing was Halloween. I was so impressed that I made Kyra's costume this year, but much to my dismay only Katie went trick or treating. Sadly, Kyra developed H1N1 shortly before the day of gluttony. She seems to always get sick on holidays. I'm just glad she made it till after our family gathering to get sick. So as November kicks in, we are going into the new month quietly. We are taking it easy and hoping the remainder of the family stays healthy. Because it won't be long, and a few more major holidays will be coming before we know it!!

Splash Getaway

A week ago we were able to get away for our first vacation of the summer. The hub's job has finally calmed down a bit (he was terribly busy all summer...of course great timing with a little one, but certainly job security and that's nothing to complain about, so I'll quit). So, we decided to head north for an extended weekend to one of our favorite places...Petoskey, Michigan. That whole area is simply breath taking. Of course I love it even more in the fall, when all the leaves are changing, but we couldn't have had a more beautiful weekend to go (mid 70's and sunny).

We stayed at the Boyne Mountain Ski Resort with the hub's parents. We've been there before and always enjoy it, because they have lots for the kids to do, and great shopping for me too! We all enjoyed swimming, going up the ski lift and enjoying the view, bike riding, and pie tasting. The girls even caught a rather large trout in the local pond (which may have been a little more exciting for their fish deprived dad, I'm not sure:). We went to the beautiful marina in Petoskey, and enjoyed shopping downtown too. Of course, I was able to go to one of my favorite stores, The American Spoon, and test their dips. Mmm, go figure one of my favorite stores involves food! They certainly do have great bbqs, jellies, and salsas though.

But I'd have to say the highlight of the weekend was going to the indoor water park. We were a bit hesitant in going, just because our girls are not the biggest water fans. So, we checked the place out first and the girls both said they wanted to go. The entrance fee isn't the cheapest though, so I told Kyra she had to promise to go on some of slides or else it wasn't going to be worth the money (this cheap mamma's gotta get her money's worth you know!) She happily agreed (of course probably not knowing what she was getting into).

Fortunately, the hub's parents were willing to watch Andrew for awhile too, so we could focus our time with the girls. So, when we arrived, we perused the park, and I found a slide that looked suitable for Kyra. It was a rather tall ride, but the slide didn't look too steep, and it required a inner tube that you could share with an adult, which I figured would be less scary then sliding directly on the slide itself. It wasn't until after Katie and I waited at the bottom to take their picture that I found out I had put them on the scariest slide in the park. Yes, way to go momma. I had put my eldest daughter, who was afraid of water to begin with, to plummet to what she probably thought was the end of her short life. Yes, the ride began with a drop into pure blackness, then shoots you out into a huge bowl that twirls you round and round (kind of like you are twirling in a toilet bowl), until you drop into the bottom of the bowl and are flushed out into a lazy river. Yes, she came out screaming at the bottom. I felt so bad. There were so many more easy going slides I could have started her out on, but I had to chose the worst. Even the lazy river frightened her because around the bend were some rapids and a waterfall that pours on you. I doubted she would ever trust me again.

Fortunately, she did. The first hour or so of our time, she hesitated, going only on the kiddy slides or in the pool. But eventually, our forgiving girl went on some larger slides, and even after a few times down with the hub's or myself, went by herself. It was a great time, and it felt great to have some alone time with our girls. I even tried my hand at boogie boarding down the pressured wave. Yes, the weekend away was just what we needed after this busy summer adjusting to our little one, and a great entrance into the new season of fall.

First Corn of the Season

It's that time of the year again!! Corn pickin time! Yes, this past week we had the first fruits of our labor (my hubby's labor anyway). We've had beans, cukes, lettuce, tomatoes, zucchinis, potatoes, and eggplant. But, it doesn't feel like summer until we've had corn from our own garden. After all, planting corn runs deep in the blood of the hub's family. I think my hubby would give up hunting before he would give up planting. He just gets a deep satisfaction out of watching our acres fill with corn. He will often take daily walks to see how much the stalks have filled out (I can't say that I could see much progress daily, but maybe he can). I bet he could even hear it grow. Okay, enough already, you get the picture. He LOVES corn.

My husband's love for corn has been inherently passed on to the girls. They have been eating it off the cob since they were 16 months old. They ask for it at every birthday meal, and are known to eat 3 cobs at a meal. This past week, Kyra even learned how to pick the ears off the stalk. She knows how to feel for fullness and everything. I was quite impressed. And I'm sure my hubby was beaming at his budding farmer.

So with out further adieu, here are this years pics of our kiddos eating their corn (we've taken a picture every year).

(Might as well start him out early!!)

Fourth of July

This year we missed our yearly trip to Hessel (up north), and therefore missed their little town's parade. My hubby has never been in town over the fourth of July because for the first 30 years of his life, he has always been in the U.P. Although, he was a little sad to be missing his annual vacation, and I a little sad to miss a cousin's wedding in Washington D.C., we made due.

Andrew was 1 1/2 weeks old and made his first parade. The local parade was actually very nice. It was a bit more crowded then our little hobunk town up north, but we managed to find a spot without too much trouble. Andrew winced with the fighter jets flew by, but the rest of the time he slept. The rest of the day we just relaxed at home and took it easy. We contemplated fireworks, but decided the parade was enough excitement for one day. So, we headed into town for ice cream, and then called it a day. It was a quiet day, but a nice one. We missed family and friends this past week, but know we got a very good blessing out of the deal! Hope you all had a wonderful 4th!

Catching Up

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted last. And I'm afraid it's just going to become fewer and farther between. I so wanted to keep up with blogging, taking care to write all the cute things my kids say and record their precious sayings. I wanted to record how this pregnancy went so I could tell the kids stories later in their life (considering I forgot so much about the first two). But alas it didn't happen, because life happened. And that's okay. I'd like to recap some of the things that have been going on though...

The Girls
A couple months ago, the girls began swimming lessons. I know we aren't going to go swimming much this summer, but we do have a boat and I think it is important for them to learn swimming safety. Plus, they have shown a lot of fear in the past and I was hoping to have them get over that (to the point they don't even want to take a shower!!) Both girls went through some tears over the last 5 weeks, but I have definitely seen improvement. I especially couldn't be prouder of Kyra. She went from not being able to let go of my arms to jumping in the pool all by herself and turning around and swimming to the edge of the pool. She dove off the diving board, and even went under water to reach for rings at the bottom of the pool (although she wasn't thrilled about that exercise). Katie needs a little of work still, and fought going to lessons almost every time, but at least she'll jump of the edge to someone in the pool and is starting to kick and move her arms. It was a joy to watch them both.

The Hubs
My hubby has been extremely busy, much to my dismay, but at least as this baby approaches quickly his time away from home seems to be lessening. He has become head foreman of his big job site, which requires more of his time, and hence comes home a little later sometimes (which don't get me wrong I am grateful for, because he has a job, and a job in this economy is definitely a plus). He also, along with his brothers, just put in over 50 acres of field corn among 4 property parcels. His father become ill with a burst appendix over a month ago, and has been unable to help, so the boys had to put in some overtime. Of course planting corn and watching it grow is one of my hubby's ultimate joys. He gets a high off corn.

Me
I have slowly been trying to give up control in trying to have everything ready for baby #3. It would have been nice to have this boy's room all decorated nicely, had my computer ready to print out baby announcements, and have Katie all potty trained (so I won't have two in diapers), but I'm afraid it's not going to happen.

It was my New Year's resolution to have Katie potty trained by the time the baby was born. And considering the fact that she is already 3, it seemed like an obtainable goal. However, she is a strong willed child, and along with having so many constipation issues, I think it's going to take awhile yet. To her credit, she does go #1 on the potty a great deal of the time, we just have to work on the other half. I know it will come, I just need to work on patience.

Our computer has died on us too. And while this doesn't seem like a huge problem, I lost the program I loved best to download pictures, and haven't been able to find an equally good program (don't remember what I had before). I have also spent a good deal of what seems like wasted time trying to download software, when I could have been washing baby clothes or watering flowers. So, we finally drug our feet to the store to buy a new desktop after installing a new hard drive in the old computer and not receiving the results we expected. Hopefully this computer will last awhile, and I can download everything I need before baby comes.

Finally I was broadsided in a parking lot by an older couple. Fortunately I was okay, but we have a small dent in the car that bugs me. And due to Michigan's no fault law, I would have to pay for the damage even though I didn't create it (not to mention if claimed, my insurance rates would go up). We thought about small claims court, but at this point in the pregnancy, I think I'm just going to let it go.

To be honest though, this has been the best pregnancy I have had. Even though my ducks aren't all in a row, I have felt good almost the entire pregnancy and still don't even sleep with any side pillows. I have had a few rough spots, but all in all I feel great. Even this cooler weather is a blessing, because my feet and legs are not swelling up as much as the past pregnancy's. This baby is a mover and a shaker though. I have felt more kicks and punches then with either girls combined. He must be ready to take on the world!

So, after this long winded blog entry (sorry), I will leave you with this prego picture some of you have been requesting. I don't normally like photographing myself, but also regret not taking more pregnant pictures of me with my girls either. So with 19 days before baby comes, here I am smiling and ready (hopefully) to relinquish control to God and his foreseeable future for our life as a family of five!!

Florida Trip, part 2

Our time in Florida was simply wonderful. I kept on thinking, "I can't believe I have 8 warm sunny days with my family!" I think the only bummer part of the trip was that we were going to spend the first day and 1/2 with our friends who live in Florida. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we found out their son had the stomach flu. Although we still had breakfast with them the following day, and stayed at their "house next door," we didn't get to stay up and chat or play "greedy" with them. But we weren't about to get all chummy chummy with the thought of getting the stomach flu ourselves and virtually ruining our week of relaxation. Thank you for your hospitality, Jon and Stacey, despite feeling so sick.

The rest of our vacation was spent at a resort in Kissimmee, thanks to my in-laws. We each (all of my hubs family members) had a one bedroom condo with a little kitchenette so we could make the majority of our meals. There wasn't a stove to cook on, but my in-laws are always well equipped with alternatives. They brought two electric skillets to make pancakes, stir fry, eggs, etc. You name it, they were willing to make it. We really only ate out for dinner two times. And the meals were hilarious. Try fitting 8 grown adults, and 3 little children in a 9'x12' room. We sat on coolers, the floor, arm rests, basically any little corner we could find. I'm sure housekeeping ended up having a fun time cleaning up that room too, because 3 kids under 4 years old can only keep their food on their plates so well. But we were together and having fun.

We spent most of our days just relaxing by the pool side (my idea of a perfect vacation). My hubs was very wonderful in taking the girls to the pool the majority of the time so I could take in maximum sun time on the lounge chairs and chat with the sister in-laws. The pool had a big waterfall in the center where kids could race underneath. Of course our girls were going no where near that. Their petrified fear of water subsided some over the week, but not as much as I would have hoped. The hubs actually got Katie to swim from him to the steps (with swimmies on) one day, but the next she wanted nothing to do with it. Both girls were satisfied sticking to depths they could reach or clinging to our arms. Oh well, baby steps right?

Perhaps my favorite part of the trip was going to Sea World. We debated whether or not to do the whole Disney thing, but thought maybe one adventure park for the week would be enough. As it ended, we were glad with our decision, because that day really tuckered them out. The park was just great though. I almost had more fun watching my kids in awe reactions to the shows than the shows themselves. What surprised me most was my emotional response. The magnificence of "Shampoo" (as Katie called him) jumping out of the water simply brought me to tears. Yes, this pregnant momma had a few emotional moments that day. The shows were elegant, humorous, and entertaining. Kyra's favorite show was a dog and cat show. These dogs and cats were walking on tight ropes, driving cars, jumping through hoops, and more. Although it was at the end of the day, the girls stood in laughter through almost the whole show. Her least favorite was the sea lion show, because the "pirates were fighting and being mean." It was actually a pretty funny show, but she thought the pretend fight was real. I told her they were just pretending. She said, "you mean the pirates aren't real humans?"

The park also had quite a few kiddy rides. We even took them on a relatively high, and fast roller coaster. Although it was a kiddy ride, it took quite a drop, that even I was surprised. Half way through the ride, Kyra nervously asked when it would be over. I was afraid if she had that reaction, how Katie was doing, but when we got off, the hubs said Katie had a great time. I should have known the younger one wouldn't be afraid of a little coaster ride!

Yes, the trip was a great success. And after being home a few days now, I am definitely missing the mid 70 degree weather. Although we feel rejuvenated as a family and are thankful that spring is near.

"Shampoo" giving the diver a ride

This dog pushed a cart, a door opened and out popped 5 wiener dogs!

The Sea Lion Pirate Show

The girls give a manatee statue a hug, after seeing the real deal