Triple the Love

A night away!

2012-02-13T11:22:00.003-05:00

We had great week last week, leading up to a night away! Bill helped us out by coming out Tuesday to paint the inside of our glass cabinets (and keep Noah company, who was home sick). We love the transformation the white insides make, and had a blast putting things in there!! The girls are taking an art class after school, and all 3 continue to wow me with their creations in art class at school. Have I mentioned how much I love my art wall? After a nearly 6 hour snowy/icy drive to Detroit Friday night Tom and I enjoyed a relaxing and wonderful time with our dear friends the Bolt's. We stayed in Greek Town, ate at 'The Rattlesnake Club' and Avalon Bakery downtown Detroit. We visited Eastern Market and Belle Isle (garden statue pic above). The girls also enjoyed an afternoon of shopping. It was the perfect combination of relaxation and fun. We treasure our weekends together, and our time in Downtown Detroit.

Collage from last week!

2012-02-08T18:54:00.003-05:00

I know I posted a lot of photos from last week, but to keep with my pattern of 'looking' throughout the week, here is a collage.

MY AMAZING NEW KITCHEN!!!!
Beautiful glass knobs I had to choose from for the kitchen!
My Perry the Platypus cupcake for the class party.
The rainbow cake!
Frosting dipped oreos for the class treat (in school Monday....yes, I know the entire class was AT the party WITH cupcakes on Saturday....but the kids really wanted a school treat too! I consented, but did not bake!!)
Baking pans on Friday night!
A beautiful coffee shop we stopped at on their birthday.
My 8 year olds heading out in the van WITHOUT car seats for the first time.
Singing to the kids on their actual birthday night with the 1/2 of the cake that was left, while watching the Superbowl!

Oh what a beautiful week it was!!

Mighty Oaks from Tiny Acorns Grow: Happy 8th Birthday

2012-02-05T21:12:00.008-05:00

The celebration began at 8:31 this morning when we began the 'birth-time' hugs (followed by 8:32 and 8:33). We enjoyed homemade cinnamon rolls, lots of snuggles, and a special day in Grand Rapids. We took the kids to a wonderful lunch at Mongolian BBQ. The next stop was Barnes and Noble where they got to pick out a book (and enjoy a cookie/cupcake). Followed by a stop at Crazy 8 to pick out an outfit. The last shopping stop was Toys R Us where they got to pick out a toy. On the way to the next stop (a great local coffee/tea shop I researched in EGR) they decided they were too full for hot chocolate! The parents and grandparents who were meeting up there enjoyed a coffee/tea! The final stop of the day was at Devos Children's Hospital in GR, where their wonderful 8 years began, to donate the toys from their birthday party yesterday. This is such a special way for us to give back, and always brings a tear to our eyes. Back in Holland we had a Superbowl 'party' with nachos and popcorn and a few more birthday snuggles. They started out so tiny 8 years ago today, and since then they have brought us infinite amounts of love, laughter, and joy. They are amazing, they are strong, they are smart. We are blessed beyond measure.

The Celebration Begins

2012-02-04T16:24:00.007-05:00

Today (actually, the baking began last night) began the 8th birthday celebration! This morning we had the kids class party at Hope College. The theme was 'The Science of Phineas and Ferb: Roller coaster Physics!". It was awesome! The kids built roller coasters in small groups, as the entire class, and even learned about Newton's Laws! 22 kids from their class were able to attend. Following the party we had lunch at Froggy's with grandparents and the Bolt's. That was followed by cake and presents at home. We are having a great day, and their actual birthday isn't even until tomorrow. We have fun plans with the family tomorrow, stay tuned! Now we are enjoying a little relaxation, the sunshine, and giving thanks....

A few fun winter shots!

2012-01-31T22:02:00.002-05:00

Do you know who this is?

Snapped these pictures last weekend when it looked like winter around here! Today temps were in the 50's!

Answer: The picture above is Sophie, for the first time Abby selected a brown winter coat, and Sophie picked the pink one!

Another wonderful week!

2012-01-30T20:14:00.002-05:00

With a half day and a day off for the kids last week was full of lazy afternoons and snuggles! Can't beat that! What a great way to spend the last full week of January, and lead in to a busy week of kitchen cabinet refacing and pre birthday excitement!
Ernie's new favorite spot!! On the half day we met Tom for lunch, Abby couldn't stop snuggling him and Noah joined in the fun loving on Sophie! Thursday afternoon the kids made a 'nest' to snuggle up to watch a movie. While the girls were at art class Noah and I got a chance to relax at Barnes and Noble! Saturday night while Noah was at a slumber party (they girls went to one Friday night) we went out to Mexican and I snapped a picture of beautiful Abby with her crimped hair! Sunday morning the girls snuggled up in the chair while the snow fell outside!

Our week in pictures

2012-01-22T13:32:00.002-05:00

We had a busy, but wonderful winter week! Last Sunday we went sledding at a school near our house. On the way home we went out to the beach just in time for an AMAZING January sunset! Monday-Thursday Noah took snowboarding lessons in Grand Haven. He learned so much and had a blast (as I type this on Sunday he is back out there having fun!) It was a very cold a snowy week, the bottom L picture was taken of Grand Haven State Park on our drive to his lessons. Friday for our "hot chocolate" tradition I made the kids 'melted frostys' (family fun). Yumm! It was such a fun week!

Go Noah!!

2012-01-17T20:19:00.003-05:00

Noah is taking snowboarding lessons this week in Grand Haven. After two days he is doing great with the tow rope, and awesome at boarding down the hill! It's amazing!!

Last week in pictures

2012-01-17T12:35:00.002-05:00

I'm running behind with the blog, but here is a collage from last week....

A foggy morning at the garden, Abby drawing from her bird drawing book, beautiful snowfall, catching snowflakes, snuggling up to read "Wonderstruck" while daddy is in Vegas, a quiet night of reading for me after the kids are in bed. What a beautiful week it was.

Weekend Love

2012-01-08T16:55:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful weekend that included the ice carving competition downtown Holland (even though temps were near 50!), individual time with each kiddo (I took Abby for a milkshake, Tom took Noah downtown for hot chocolate and to view the ice carvings, and Sophie to have a milkshake), the Lions game (bummer!), and lots of snuggling. We even got our tree taken down (finally!). Weekends are a gift, we loved every minute of this one!

Gifts

2012-01-07T15:03:00.003-05:00

This morning at basketball Abby was putting on her shoes (slower than Sophie's velcro ones). Sophie sat down and said, "Want me to start tying this shoe?" Abby, "Sure, thanks" Teamwork, a gift.
The kids brought home their Christmas gifts for us yesterday. They made them over a period of 5 weeks in art class at school. We LOVE them. They learned about southwestern storytellers (google Helen Cordero and southwestern storytellers...very cool!) The premise is that it is an object, the teller, is telling a story to a smaller object, the teller. Helen Cordero created the first one for her grandfather who always had kids on him listening to his stories. The objects can be people or animals and the listeners can be placed anywhere on the teller. They are amazing!! We love reading to our kids and this is such a treasure!

L-R: Sophie's (turtles), Abby's (turtles), Noah's (daddy and Noah)

My word for 2012: Look

2012-01-06T09:34:00.004-05:00

2012: Look

“I have to learn how to see, to Look through to the Largeness behind all the smallness” -Ann Voskamp
This is the quote that sparked the idea for my word for 2012. Look, Looking, really seeing. I can see this word being the focus of my life this year for many reasons. The quote reminds me to look through the chaos and clutter that sometimes threatens to overwhelm moments to see what is important. What is key. What needs to be seen. It will help me focus on what needs to be done at a given time, and what can wait. I had considered making this year #2 of ‘yes’ because I feel I can still improve my ability to say yes to my kids. Saying yes to more snuggles and less dishes, yes to playing catch in the yard while dinner waits 10 minutes, yes to jumping in the pool just to enjoy some laughter. Saying yes in these instances will be easier when I am looking at these moments, the largeness, the important things. Yes dinner can wait. Yes the dishes will still be here later. Yes I am listening. Yes I am looking at what is important. These two words go hand in hand.
In 2011 I looked at and recorded 1000 gifts and blessings in my journal. To start 2012 the list continues to grow (1,091 to date). I want to use my word to continue to look for and make note of the treasured moments that fly by so fast. To capture them on paper, with my camera (maybe more regular blog posts are in my future), and in my heart. I will look for blessings, and savor them.
Finally I wonder how many times a day I hear the phrase “LOOK MOM!” I hear it so often I think I become immune to it. Occasionally I grunt a reply, or mumble something about “just a second”. Not as often as I would like do I stop, turn, and give my undivided attention to the child that has an item of wonder to share with me. Sometimes it’s a drawing, sometimes it’s a trick on the monkey bars or in the pool, sometimes it’s a beautiful fall tree (actually, that was WOW, but Look works too!), or as I heard about from Sophie this morning a squirrel “looking for food in the snow”. I want to hear my kids, stop and turn my body, look them in the eyes and look, really look at what they want to show me. I know the day will come where my kids don’t really want to show me everything, so for this year I want to soak in their wonder and really look.
This year, 2012, I will look and really see what is important in my life. I will look and I will treasure what I see.

(photo collage: a few of my blessings from the week: kids playing in the snow, darling green birds downtown Holland...right Tom?, snack at the beach on Wednesday with grandpa M., sun on my morning walk, a heated basketball game in Noah's room)

SNOW!

2012-01-03T16:33:00.001-05:00

We finally have snow for the kids to play in! They dropped off their backpacks after school today and headed straight to the backyard! Happy Kids!!

ps: love my new camera lens (pics taken from inside the house where it's warm!!)

Chicago with Bill and Joan!

2011-12-31T16:11:00.001-05:00

We spent a wonderful 2 days in Chicago with Bill and Joan this past week! What fun! What memories! What a lot of food!! We are so thankful!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-26T21:23:00.008-05:00

We had an amazing first week of Christmas break, and a beautiful Christ-mas weekend. We are so thankful. We are so blessed.

Kids helping me wrap presents

Making Christmas cookies

Dressed in costume for the Christmas Eve program at church. They did great!!

Enjoying their gifts with grandmas on Christmas Eve night.

Noah trying on his new snowboard boots with grandpas

Checking out dad's new foosball table

Abby opens her AGD horse from Santa Christmas morning

Happy Sophie Christmas morning

Noah checking out his Airhog hyperactive (great name!)

Love this shot of the second book written by the author of 'Hugo' (that we loved!)

Sophie showing her new wheelchair off to grandpa and Ernie Christmas morning

I've been waiting to see the shadows made by the snowflakes we made last week, found this Christmas morning and was so excited.

Peaceful chaos :) Happy kids.

On Christmas night after many, many gifts and lots of toys, wrapping and bows Sophie wrote in her gratitude journal: "For Christ Jesus" and for that I am most thankful.

First Day of Christmas Break

2011-12-19T21:25:00.004-05:00

We had a wonderful first day of break. I'm pretty sure Sophie never got dressed! The other two shot hoops in the driveway for a little while so they got partially dressed for a time. The rest of the day was spent snuggling, reading, knitting, and making both sock puppets and paper snowflakes (no real ones in sight!). The kids loved creating their own puppets, and there were many puppet shows today and tonight! The paper snowflakes were also a big hit, and now hang in our kitchen, laundry room, and family room. Oh how I love having my kids at home!

Fun at School

2011-12-15T19:15:00.005-05:00

I was able to make 2 trips to the kids school today. This morning they had a Christmas breakfast. They had fun eating with their class and being silly! They also loved doing an art project! This afternoon I went back to work in their math groups. I love being in their classroom, interacting with their friends, and stealing a few extra snuggles from my kids.

We are looking forward to the last day of school tomorrow! Bring on the break!!

1000th gift

2011-12-09T09:41:00.003-05:00

#999: the joyful excitement of the first accumulating snow of the season
#1000: harvesting thyme (for a meal for my dear friend Kate) from our garden plot...in the snow

For the past 12 months I have been recording 'gifts' in my life. As I have said in an earlier post, it helps me to be present in the moment...the only way I can figure out to 'slow down time' with my kids. This morning, almost 1 year from the day I started I reached my 1000th gift. Of course, I've had many more than this, but these are the ones I slowed down to record. It has been an amazing journey, one that I will continue. One that my kids started on their own. They each have their own journals and are listing their gifts one by one each day. It is beautiful.

I am so thankful for the many gifts in my life.

We did it!

2011-12-08T17:16:00.005-05:00

Reading on the couch in front of the tree....
Reading in the backseat of the van at the beach between school and religious ed....
Finishing the book BEFORE dinner on Thursday (we couldn't wait!)

While Tom is in Tokyo this week the kids and I set the goal of reading, "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick. It is a 500+ page Caldecott medal winning book. We started on Saturday, and FINISHED it tonight. It was one of the best books I have ever read, and the kids were riveted as well. It is a "novel in pictures and words", you'd have to pick it up to understand what that means. It is truly a work of art. As a reward we are going to see the movie tomorrow after school. We highly recommend this book to you!

Rollerskating Party!

2011-12-07T08:41:00.003-05:00

The kids had their first rollerskating party last night! Their entire school was there and they had a blast! The best news was I didn't have to put on skates!! I have less pictures of Noah because he was in the 'big and fast' rink and I was sticking close to the girls in the smaller rink! It brought back memories of my childhood (I think it might be the same skates!!)

"Christmas" with cousins!

2011-12-05T20:30:00.008-05:00

Over thanksgiving both of my sisters were in town with their families (except Chuck, we missed you!). We enjoyed being together, watching our kids laugh, wrestle, and squeal with delight in each other presence. It was loud, but it was awesome! My favorite picture won't upload....all 7 cousins (8 including Chessa, but she wasn't in the picture) had homemade pj pants by Martha (yes, she has a newborn. no, I have no idea how she does it) and were snuggled up in sleeping bags for a slumber party in my parents basement...it was amazing! I'll try another time to get it to upload!

Pumpkin Pie

2011-12-05T20:24:00.004-05:00

On Thanksgiving Abby and I made a pumpkin pie together. It was so fun, and the pie was one of the best I've ever had! I am so thankful for that time, slowing down, laughing, and savoring the moments with Abby.

We are thankful for fun!

2011-11-22T13:35:00.005-05:00

The kids with their 'fans' after their "Bring in the Harvest" play at school
Abby speaking her part (as a pea farmer)

Noah speaking his part as a distraught bean farmer who did not have a good harvest.

Sophie speaking her part (as a potato farmer)

Snuggles during 'Sunday night movie night' We love having our cousins here from LA!

The girls relax on Saturday morning while.....

Tom and Noah head to East Lansing for Noah's first MSU football game! Go STATE!!!!

We are so thankful this week! We are blessed beyond words.

Sophie's feather

2011-11-15T21:47:00.003-05:00

Sophie saved her allowance to get a feather in her hair. Monday was the big day! She selected a great blue/black one, and she loves it!!

A Friday afternoon

2011-11-11T20:53:00.003-05:00

Here's how we spent our Friday after school.....working backwards....

Sophie's 'hip hop' dance class

The girls playing school in their room (they each have their own classroom)

Noah 'reading a little more' than the 'required' 20 minutes a night so he could finish his book! And Ernie with no more stitches!

Hot Chocolate Friday (back for the 2nd time this fall to their favorite place, Seattle's Best)

Wow, that's a lot of fun for only 4 hours!! Happy Weekend!

Sweet Sophie's Super Scarf

2011-11-11T15:28:00.001-05:00

Sophie finished her knitted scarf this week too! Awesome!!

Abby's scarf

2011-11-07T20:46:00.003-05:00

Yeah Abby!! She finished her first knitting project!! It was started and forgotten several times, but she finished it just in time for the first snowflakes in the forcast! A beautiful scarf knitted lovingly by a beautiful girl!!

The costumes!!

2011-10-31T21:13:00.002-04:00

Abby the artist (with her amazing dog painting from her after school art class) Sophie the Princess Leia
Noah the earth
It's been an amazing few days of school parties, Halloween hikes at the nature preserve, and trick or treating! Such fun!!!

Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T11:21:00.001-04:00

Costume photos to come.....so much fun!

Fall with our cousins!

2011-10-29T12:36:00.007-04:00

We had a great time last weekend with the McDaniel family in town! We had perfect fall weather for a morning at Post Family Farm! It was so amazing to show our Florida cousins a real Michigan pumpkin patch! So fun!!

Ice Cream for Breakfast!

2011-10-21T12:42:00.002-04:00

This morning before school the kids and I joined my parents, Laura and her family, and my aunt and uncle at Hudsonville Ice Cream Factory for a private tour. My mom won this tour last fall along with 4 FREE half gallons of ice cream a month for a year! We had a blast learning about how ice cream is made, flavors are selected, and how much science and math is involved! It was a blast (of cold air as we visited a freezer kept at -20!)! The highlight for the kids was the GIANT bowl of vanilla ice cream that was taken right off the line and served to us! GIANT!! Nothing like Ice Cream for breakfast as a great way to start a Friday! Hopefully the kids could sit still in school the rest of the day!!

Weekend update

2011-10-16T15:27:00.004-04:00

We had a wonderful fall weekend!

First, a shot of our art wall in the kitchen. L-R: 1. Noah's tree from art class 2. Noah's self portrait from art class. 3. Abby 4. Sophie (all three have favorite things and stats in Spanish...I had to ask for translations!) 5. Abby's dog done in her after school art class 6. Abby's tree 7. Sophie's tree 8. Abby's flowers from after school art class 9. Abby's bird on 'bark' from after school art class
I love this art wall! I love their creativity!

Note the picture on the side bar, taken UM/MSU game many years ago. I thought it was time for a new one. On a victory day too!

Big wind at the beach Saturday!

Crazy kids getting sandblasted!!

PS the true highlight of the weekend was not the MSU victory, but Noah's first touchdown at his last flag football game of the season. He received the hand off, looked and found a hole, and ran pretty much the full length of the field to score. It was amazing. I did not capture it on film, but enjoyed watching the entire thing (and jumping up and down and screaming!). As for Noah, he loved his whole team running up to congratulate him (and even a chest bump!) Ha!!

I wish you laughter this week!!

Brotherly Love!

2011-10-14T16:20:00.003-04:00

Sophie was home sick from school today and missed her class trip to Hemlock Crossing Nature Preserve. Noah was so sad for her that he literally took notes so he could report all the details back to Sophie when they got home. It was precious.

2011-10-06T23:06:00.000-04:00

On the drive to school today during our morning prayer Sophie exclaimed, "Wow!!". I stopped praying and asked her what was going on. We had been working on not interrupting during our prayers. She said, "look at that beautiful tree mom!" I paused, then asked her who made that amazing tree. "God" We then talked about how much God wants us to notice, appreciate, and love the beautiful gifts he gives us everyday. Sophie thought for a moment and asked, "even during a prayer?" I answered honestly, "yes Sophie, even during a prayer. And I bet that prayer even made God smile."
This was one of my favorite faith conversations ever. How often do I stop what I'm doing to exclaim, "Wow!" when I notice an amazing gift? Not as much as I should. Thank you sweet Sophie.

Wednesday Tradition

2011-10-06T11:11:00.002-04:00

view full image

"Wednesday at the beach"

Wacky Tacky Day!

2011-10-05T12:41:00.001-04:00

Football, Apples, and Art

2011-10-03T11:54:00.009-04:00

We kicked off October with a true fall weekend! Starting with Noah's flag football game. He has so much fun playing, and having his dad for a coach. It's so fun to watch him play hard, with a big smile! From there Tom headed up north for a weekend with friends and we went to Crane's with Bill and Joan. We enjoyed perfect fall weather to pick apples and have a great lunch! Sunday the kids and I visited 'ArtPrize' in GR for the afternoon. It was amazing!

I decided on the drive home from GR Sunday that we needed a 'fall list'. We love our summer list, when the days are long and we have no school. But, fall is great too, and even though our days are full of work and school we still have time to make wonderful memories. (Drumroll please....) Fall List 2011 was born. It's not as long as the summer list, and Noah isn't sure we'll find the time, but I am looking forward to making fall memories in every free moment we can. Savoring. Treasuring.

Wednesday Tradition

2011-09-29T12:22:00.002-04:00

We started back up last years Wednesday tradition....I pick the kids up from school and we fill the 30 minutes before religious ed with a quick trip to the beach. No matter the weather. Yesterday we watched the rain roll in with a walk out to the pier. It is such a great way to fill those minutes being together, laughing, and getting fresh air!

A blur of happiness...

2011-09-29T11:55:00.003-04:00

The past two weeks have past in a blur of happiness.....

A change of travel plans and last minute flight to Los Angeles

A couple of days to relax and play with my beautiful sister Martha.

Being present for the birth of my new niece Chessa Noelle. Words cannot explain: beauty, peace, miracle.....

"Girls Night" at the hospital (Chuck and the kids had 'movie night' at home, so I was on hospital duty for a few hours). We chatted, stared in awe at Chessa, shared sprite and jello...it was perfect.

Special time with Adelee and Gordie while their mommy and daddy were in the hospital. Including baseball and frisbee, a trip to make fossils, a walk to Whole Foods for flowers, and making welcome home signs!

Wonderful time playing, eating (amazing restaraunt) and exploring Santa Monica with Laura, Ben, Amelia, and Annemieke!

After the fun in LA, I sure missed my kids. I was happy to get home to celebrate 'hot chocolate Friday' with them!

And to attend Noah's 2nd flag football game on Saturday (Coach Tom!)

As September winds down, I am so thankful for the precious memories that were made this month. Treasured moments.

The first week!

2011-09-12T15:22:00.004-04:00

Whew! For as much as I dread the start of the first week of school, I am very happy to have it behind us. The kids had a great week with exciting things to report each day including the use of their new planner, caterpillars on recess, the new tricks they learned on the parallel bars, soccer games with friends on recess, art class, and tons of new Spanish words and phrases. But, it was exhausting! The kids come home tired and very hungry. It's hard to do homework when it's 75 degrees out and there is fun to be had! And honestly, mommy is working hard to get used to her new schedule and classes at Hope too (I come home tired and hungry and not really wanting to do homework!!). We were so excited for Friday and decided to reinstate a tradition from their Kindergarten year, 'Hot Chocolate Fridays' (it does sound much better when the temps dip!). Each week that the kids stay on 'green light' all week in school (no warnings...or worse!) we go for hot chocolate on Friday. We search high and low for new places and new things to try!
Over the weekend we attended Hope College's 'Community Day' picnic and football game.
We also enjoyed time with my parents at their new house!
It was really the first year we talked much to the kids about September 11. I particularly liked this cartoon from Sunday morning: http://www.gocomics.com/grand-avenue/2011/09/11
I spent time Sunday holding my kids close. We put out the flag together. We discussed heroes. We talked about service. We prayed. We heard a message of forgiveness at church (the readings in the Catholic church are pre set for the year, it happened that the readings for Sunday September 11 discussed forgiveness.) We remembered.

Bring on week #2, we are ready! This week we look forward to the start of flag football for Noah and Coach Tom!

2nd Grade

2011-09-06T21:47:00.004-04:00

The kids woke up excited and ready to go this morning. 2nd grade was calling! They couldn't wait to see their friends, their teacher, and start the new adventure.

On the way to the bus stop I asked Noah (who was walking next to me) to walk up ahead with his sisters for a picture. He did. A minute later he said, "Mom, are you done taking the picture?" I responded, "yes". He said, "Good, because I'm going to walk back by you so I can spend every minute next to you before school"

I could not speak, only wrap my 'youngest' in my arm and walk the rest of the way to the bus stop.

After school the kids ran to me from the bus and all three of them hugged me. They were all smiles with stories to tell about technology class, name tags, and their new planners! The next question was when we could go to grandma and grandpa Mosher's NEW house in HOLLAND! My parents received the keys to their new home last night about 8pm. The truck delivered their stuff today. We packed our 'after school snack' and drove the 2 miles to their house to share it with grandma (my dad is in Ann Arbor working, as it will be a weekend home for the next year before they both retire for good). It was amazing! Welcome to Holland Mom and Dad.

Welcome to 2nd grade my precious kids!

Goodbye summer....

2011-09-05T20:37:00.003-04:00

We checked everything off of our summer list 2011. We made even more memories. I wrote down over 200 'gifts' or moments that I am thankful for this summer, little snapshots saved...treasured. I love summer, I love having my kids home with me. Yes, it's loud and crazy and some days I admit to pulling my hair out. Overall though, I love having them close. I love random hugs and kisses in the middle of a Wednesday. Today as we wound down summer vacation I was almost too busy to be sad for long. I had a class to teach at Hope (they are open today), my parents got in to their house in Holland for the first time (yeah!!), and it made for a busy day. Tonight as all is quiet I'm not sobbing like last year. My heart is heavy and I am sure a few tears will fall, but I am choosing to treasure the moments, the memories, the laughter and fun of our summer. Tomorrow starts 2nd grade, and with it will come an entirely new set of joys and memories. Tonight I am peaceful, and very, very thankful. Goodnight Summer Vacation, see you next year.

Guest Blogger: Noah

2011-09-05T17:08:00.004-04:00

We went to the cottage with the whole Bonnema and Lappenga family. I took this picture from the window of the adults talking on the deck.

Me holding Annemieke.

Grandpa and Dad grilling my favorite burgers in the world!

Tori playing the clarinet.

We had a great weekend!

Annemieke is here!

2011-09-01T21:34:00.002-04:00

We are thrilled to have Laura, Ben, Amelia and Annemieke in Michigan for a couple of weeks! Our new niece is amazing!!

Annapolis part 2: Baltimore

2011-09-01T21:19:00.006-04:00

While on vacation in Maryland we were able to spend a day in Baltimore. It was the first time the kids had visited that city. We visited and toured Camden yards (awesome!) and the Inner Harbor (where we hunkered down during an hour plus thunder storm). It was amazing!! What a perfect trip with wonderful friends! Summer Memories!

Annapolis Part 1

2011-08-31T08:28:00.006-04:00

A couple of weeks ago we had opportunity to make our annual trip to Annapolis to stay with our friends. Luckily we missed the earthquake and hurricane. We are so thankful to say our friends were fine after both of those natural disasters (a little water and no power however)! Our trip was full of laughter, fun, and memories in the making! Much of the time was spent outside, enjoying the dock, the bay, and the boat. The kids loved crabbing for blue crabs and Noah had a blast tubing behind the boat! More pictures to come!!

Guest Blogger: Sophie

2011-08-23T19:06:00.005-04:00

At the garden we got these tomatos!!! (Anna here: this is one of my favorite pictures of the summer, look at her sweet shadow)

We rode our bikes to the capt and we got ice cream!!!

I took this picture on the big tree at capt.
Mom took this picture before we went back 2 miles home!!!

This is a picture of Noah and his lego food truck!!!

In God's heart I am....

2011-08-17T12:46:00.005-04:00

http://www.holleygerth.com/heart-to-heart-with-holley/2011/8/15/gods-heart-for-you-my-new-book-a-fun-giveaway.html

I came across an amazing video/new book the other day (see above). When I started to watch the video, the kids gathered around. At the end of the video, I asked them, "What word do you think of when I say, In God's heart I am...."

Immediately Abby said, "In God's heart I'm pretty" Sophie said, "In God's heart I am joyful" It took Noah a few minutes, and he returned to building his legos but a few minutes later he said, "In God's heart I'm gentle" I flashed in my mind to his crazy wrestling with a friend who is younger than him last week. In the midst of crazy boy play, Noah would put his had behind his friend's head to catch his fall. He would catch himself with his arms so as to avoid smashing him. Yes, for this one reason and so many more my energetic boy is most definitely gentle in God's heart.

It took me a little longer to come up with the word, "able". I am tying that word in to my 'year of yes' in the context that sometimes I have a lot on my plate (as my hours at Hope continue to grow this fall, as the kids start 2nd grade....) but I am able to say yes to the plan God has for my life. I am able.

It took Tom the longest, but around midnight last night he added his word of "Willing".

The kids and I spent some time creating a canvas to showcase our words, it is a treasure. Abby wrote the wording at the top, Sophie drew the heart, and each person wrote their own word. Perhaps the most unexpected blessing came as we rode our bikes to Captain Sundae (post later by Sophie). I was watching them as they rode and was able to focus on the word they had selected and look at each of them through God's heart. Amazing.

What is your word?

Guest Blogger: Abby Jane

2011-08-13T17:37:00.004-04:00

Photos and post by Abby today!

today we went to the grand rapids art museum. to see the audubon exhibit. we made collages in the studio.

these are my feathers for my collage.one is red velvet.

next we went to the aquatic center.

this is ernie.
what a fun day!

We did it!

2011-08-11T20:46:00.010-04:00

Today was our third annual 'park hopping' day. It is always a highlight of the summer and something we look forward to all year. You will not believe our total! Let me just say we left he house at 10 am and returned home at 7pm. It was amazing. Even though we were rushed at some parks, and exhausted at others I was amazed that the kids would fly out of the van at each stop like they had never seen a park before in their lives! I think there is a great lesson to be found in that, but right now I'm a little too tired to dig it out! (Cut me some slack, even the kids were exhausted tonight!!) Enjoy the pictures!

#1

#2

#3

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15

Yep, 15 parks in one day. We did it!

Surprise trip to the beach

2011-08-10T23:04:00.003-04:00

Last night as the girls and I drove home from a bridal shower we noticed the beautiful sky as the sun began to set at the beach. We quickly stopped by at home to grab Noah and headed to the beach a little before 9! The kids couldn't believe it! By the time we got to the beach the sun had set (fall is sneaking in), but we still had fun spinning in the sand and savoring a few true summer moments.

Rocking Whale

2011-08-09T22:50:00.003-04:00

When the kids were 'little' I used to love returning to a familiar park summer after summer. It was always amazing to see how much bigger the kids were than the year before. They could reach the monkey bars, they could go down the slide, they could reach the swings.... Yesterday we visited a park we have been going to for years. The kids fondly named it 'rocking whale' after the blue whale they used to enjoy rocking in endlessly. They would also serve me food from a pretend restaurant in the 'little' play structure. This week the whale was only rocked on once and the kids recalled the restaurant they used to 'run'. They had moved on to bigger things, namely spinning ENDLESSLY on the saucer type merry-go-round. Laughing all the while, that part does not change as they grow and for that I am thankful.

Traditions

2011-08-07T20:45:00.010-04:00

We had a wonderful weekend camping in Pentwater. I wondered as we drove in to town Thursday evening how many times I've made that drive? (A. I have been going to Pentwater since I was 1) I wondered as we set up our pop up camper (that was my parents, and I have camped in since 1987) how many times have I done this? Tom and I spent time this weekend talking about traditions, the ones we had as children and the ones we are starting with our children. Tom talked about his cottage, I talked about our trips to Pentwater. We are so excited to be carrying on some of the summer traditions of our childhood while starting new ones for our family as well.

Pulling the camper to Pentwater, August 2011

Rolling down the hill in the park in Pentwater (insert Anna, Martha, Laura years ago)

Good and Plenty in the Park in Pentwater (another Anna tradition)

Silly girls

Abby Jane

My boys

Sophie Grace

Cannon Ball (learned from 'Uncle Ben! Cannonball!!')

1-2-3 JUMP!!!!

Abby at the beach

When the kids were really little we would swing like this and whisper, "I love you, I love you, I love you so much". They turned 7 1/2 the day this was taken.

Did I mention....silly girls!!

Flying Sophie

Beauty

Ernie loves waking up in the camper

Those of you who have followed our camping 'saga' since the kids were really little will smile to know that we camped for 3 nights in Pentwater with my parents and aunts and uncles. Yes, of course it rained, but we 'weathered the storm' and had a wonderful time making memories and carrying on traditions with our family.

Blue

2011-08-03T23:06:00.003-04:00

Today we had a very 'blue' day. Not in a sad way, we did lots of laughing!

We had a wonderful afternoon picking blueberries with friends at an organic field north of Holland. The kids were excellent pickers and we went home with about 8 lbs after less than an hour! A short time later we went to see our most anticipated movie of the summer, "SMURFS" I grew up watching Smurfs at 9:30 on Saturday morning. I own not one but two smurf vintage t-shirts (yes, the girls are wearing them today!). I own Season 1 of the cartoons on DVD. Hence, my kids also love Smurfs! We LOVED the movie about the darling little blue creatures. After the disappointment of removing Cars 2 from the summer list because of many horrible reviews, the kids were thrilled to head to the movies. We ended the day with a trip to the library for some new books for the kids, and then the grocery store for a bedtime snack (warm pretzels). The kids actually followed me around the store with their noses in their books. I had to tell them about 10 times to watch out for people! As we left the store I looked behind me to see a line of readers somehow silently following me. I laughed out loud, and then took their picture.

Lots of laughing on our blue day!

Summer Fun!!

2011-07-30T17:59:00.007-04:00

We had a wonderful week with no camps, no sports, no activities! It was awesome! Here are some of our adventures:

Lazy breakfasts at 9:30am!
Making homemade granola with Noah

Still working!

Noah's homemade granola...all finished!
Putt-Putt golf!

Elephant ear at the fair!

Mommy and Sophie on the Scrambler!
Mommy and Abby on the Tilt-a-whirl

Dancing in the rain...check off the summer list!

Thank you Major Matt

2011-07-26T21:57:00.003-04:00

Tonight we had the honor and privilege of having Tom's college buddy Matt over for dinner. He is in Holland for the wedding we attended last weekend. He is what our kids call a, 'Real, live hero'. Matt is a Major in the United States Air force. He has done several tours of the Middle East. He is currently stationed in Germany for the next few years. We try to teach our children to be respectful of our military 'heroes'. It was very special for them to share a meal with him. To laugh with him. To learn from him. The sign Abby made says it all, "Thank (or Theank) you Major Matt"

One More!

2011-07-26T09:20:00.003-04:00

I forgot to post this one last night! The kids got a kick out of this sign posted outside of Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor. We told them we had to sneak in to get ice cream (seriously the best ice cream ever...cherry pie flavor!)

A Weekend Away

2011-07-25T21:18:00.005-04:00

My favorite flowers picked by my amazing husband on the side of the road when we were almost home.

An AMAZING dune (Sleeping Bear) that we did not hike (not allowed in this spot due to erosion...whew!)

Sunset over Lake Michigan right down the street from our cabin in Glen Arbor.

A perfect spot for a pizza dinner in Glen Arbor.

Beautiful flowers at Tandem Ciders on Leelenau Pennsiula.

Our new favorite ciders!

The amazing site of our friend's wedding in Maple City. (Snow Moon Ranch-see Martha Stewart's pictures of a wedding there!)

My new yellow shoes on the drive to Glen Arbor Friday night.

Tom and I enjoyed an amazing weekend away in Glen Arbor this past weekend. We are thankful for our parents who played with the kids while we were gone. We celebrated a wedding of one of Tom's college friends on Saturday night and stayed in town until Monday to enjoy a little r and r. It was both beautiful and relaxing. Of course we were thrilled to get home to snuggle the kids! By the way, we forgot the new camera but I had fun with my i phone!

The girls!

2011-07-22T13:29:00.003-04:00

Noah had his second slumber party on last Sunday so the girls enjoyed another 'special' day. They played in the sprinkler (I am still learning my new camera and deleted THE most amazing picture of Abby... :( ). That evening we decided daddy would take us out to a 'fancy' dinner at City Vu. I told the girls to get a dress on, and as you can see they selected their Easter dresses. :) As we sat the the restaurant looking out at the city we were in awe of their amazing manners and their sweetness. It was so special! They were thrilled to find out that Thursday night they would have their first sleepover at a friends house. They returned this morning a little tired (ok, a lot tired!), but having had an amazing time!

By the way, Noah had an awesome week too between the slumber party, his last baseball game (in which he hit a grand slam home run to end the season), and Pirate Science Camp at Hope!!

We love summer!

The Beach!

2011-07-15T22:04:00.003-04:00

When I was a kid we had Snoopy sheets that said, "Happiness is....a warm puppy, a new raincoat, etc. I loved reading all of the sentiments as I drifted off to sleep. It's a similar concept to the "1000 Gifts" list that I started about 6 months ago. Today I say "happiness is....#604 sandy fingers and toes, #611 Mermaids in the sand and #607 watching the kids swim from under my beach umbrella."

Volleyball Camp!

2011-07-14T19:25:00.003-04:00

Abby in the grey shirt

Sophie in the bright blue shirt.

Today the girls finished up 3 days of volleyball camp! They had a blast and loved it! As we dropped them off Noah asked me if it hurt their thumbs to hit the ball like that....I told him it sure hurt mine but people who love it don't seem to think so :) (I'm sure my volleyball playing sisters are smiling right now! )

Cherries!!

2011-07-14T19:14:00.005-04:00

We spent a beautiful morning picking cherries yesterday. The picking was slim (mostly under the tree and way up high on the ladder), but the weather was amazing and we still had fun. We love cherry smoothies and cherry pies from our frozen cherries!! We love summer in Michigan! About 3:00 Noah decided he wanted cheese soup for dinner (not a typical July dinner, but it sounded good!). We were downtown and were surprised to find one farmer left at the market who could provide us with the celery, onions, and potatoes that we needed. We had carrots from the market earlier in the week. That evening all three kids washed, cut and prepped ALL of the ingredients for our amazing soup. Before we ate we bowed our heads and thanked God for those who had grown, harvested and prepared our food...we are thankful.

My All star

2011-07-12T21:22:00.004-04:00

Noah playing catcher.

In honor of the All star game tonight, Noah hit two home runs at his coach pitch baseball game. His third at bat went to the fence too (they must have played him deeper!) and he got a double. He did such a great job. It's so fun to watch his abilities grow and develop, and to see him having so much fun! He even got to play catcher (like his mommy!).

Anniversary and Birthday!

2011-07-12T09:39:00.008-04:00

We celebrated our 12th anniversary on Sunday July 10th (so did my wonderful in laws...number 42!). My parents took our kids camping (thank you!) and we spent the weekend at their house in Livonia. Tom surprised me with tickets to the Mitch Album play, "Ernie". If you know me (and my dog) you know I love Ernie Harwell. I have many childhood memories of his voice, the voice of the Tigers. The play was incredible, simply amazing. If you are a Tigers fan, you MUST make the trip to Detroit to see it. We also had an amazing dinner at 'The RattleSnake Club' on the Detroit River. It was delicious and beautiful. When we arrived to our table, a wedding was just starting in front of the restaurant. It was a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary, remembering our beautiful wedding 12 years before.

Monday was my birthday! I woke up to a crazy thunderstorm and the kids and I started the day by candle light. It was quiet, and actually quite wonderful. Our plans for cherry picking with our friends the Bolt's were cancelled due to another crazy storm that blew in when we arrived at their house. We weathered the storm (and the chaos of fallen trees and closed roads that followed) with joy and adventure with our friends. The kids played, made crafts with glitter and glue, ate an amazing blueberry, lemon, thyme cake and enjoyed lunch (with a candle in my risotto!). It wasn't the morning we planned, but just goes to show you that sometimes the most fun is unexpected! The kids and I spent the bulk of the afternoon playing at home (we had power) and were even able to have a late 'ice cream for lunch' once Captain Sundae regained power about 4:00! We ended the day with an amazing dinner prepared by Tom (with zucchini and basil from our garden) and watching Noah play a great baseball game.

It was a wonderful celebration weekend! We are thankful that the storm damage passed by our home and trees! We are thankful for 12 amazing years of marriage. We are thankful!

My birthday flowers (white from Tom, red from the kids!)

Ice Cream on my birthday!

A birthday lunch at the Bolt's!

The best gifts ever, promises of hugs, kisses and snuggles by candlelight!

A beautiful anniversary dinner (with a 'happy anniversary' painted plate of dessert!) See the wedding ending behind us!

Beautiful dinner!!

Happy 4th of July!!

2011-07-04T23:48:00.007-04:00

Building our new picnic table!

We had a wonderful holiday weekend! Perhaps the best part was the 1am phone call announcing the birth of our new niece Annemieke (pronounced ahh-na-MEE-kah) Mae Lappenga on Saturday night. It is a beautiful dutch name (for a beautiful Dutch girl!!), I was so proud when they told me she was named with me in mind! We cannot wait to meet her in about 7 weeks! Isn't she amazing??!!

We also had a wonderful celebration at our house on Sunday afternoon that included my parents, Bill and Joan, Aunt Melanie and Uncle Brian and my grandpa. We enjoyed beautiful weather in the backyard, amazing food, a water balloon toss, and a fire! It was perfect.

Monday we hiked at Rosy Mound in Grand Haven with my parents, ate at a favorite summer spot, "Butch's Beach Burrito" and even stuck it out for the kids first fireworks display Downtown Holland. It was a super late night (the fireworks didn't start until 10:30!) but the show (with a live choir) was amazing. We made some wonderful memories this weekend!

A great start!

2011-07-02T19:00:00.003-04:00

We started the holiday weekend off right with a trip to the Muskegon Summer Celebration. My parents joined us at a lunch put on by Tom's work and then an afternoon of spinning rides :) Wow, I used to be able to do so much better on those rides!! The kids had a BLAST, and so did we! What a great way to kick off the weekend!!

Sigh

2011-06-30T16:31:00.003-04:00

This afternoon I dropped Noah off at his first sleep over at a friend's house. He was SO excited!! If my memory serves me, this is the first time the kids have slept apart since Abby was hospitalized with Pneumonia when she was 1 1/2. Noah was having no problem with this milestone, I on the other hand am struggling. It didn't help that when I dropped him off he ran in to the house with his friends. I yelled in the door, "Noah, come say good-bye" and he yelled back, "BYE!". That was it. No hug and kiss. Needless to say I cried quietly all the way to Michael's where the girls and I were starting our 'girls day' with a craft.

We are having a wonderful day which will include painting our nails, shopping, and snuggling up to watch Enchanted. The night will be topped off with me sleeping in their room, our own slumber party!

Have I mentioned how fast my kids are growing?

Play Everyday!!

2011-06-29T08:18:00.003-04:00

Even though summer vacation has been going for a few weeks, this week really feels like summer vacation! We are in the groove. We are loving it! In the spirit of summer, here is our summer list 2011!

The cottage weekend #2

2011-06-27T16:11:00.004-04:00

We had another amazing weekend at the cottage! The kids made memories to last them until next year!! We are so blessed!

Beauty

2011-06-27T16:08:00.001-04:00

The first Radish from our garden.
A treasure found by Abby

Noah

2011-06-27T15:50:00.004-04:00

Noah heading home
Noah making a catch at pitcher

Noah throwing from third base to first base

Noah in red

Noah has been busy with wrestling camp and baseball (coach pitch). It's been so much fun to watch him grow in his sports abilities and interests!

The Cottage!

2011-06-21T18:32:00.006-04:00

Abby and Mommy!

Grandpa M and Abby

Noah and Tori watching Abby (L) and Sophie (R)

One of Noah's fish!

Fun on the boat!

L-R Noah, Sophie, and Tori

Fishing!

We had a wonderful weekend at the cottage! The kids swam, tubed, played, and laughed! Noah even gave skiing another try. We enjoyed time with grandma and grandpa, Aunt Lynn, Uncle Steve, cousins, and even my dad came over on Sunday so we could celebrate father's day! It was wonderful! We are looking forward to spending next weekend there too....

Camping with my NEW CAMERA!!

2011-06-14T10:53:00.003-04:00

Yippee!! I have joined the world of DSLR cameras! I got my new Canon T1i last Friday, and carefully packed it up and took it on our first camping trip of the season last weekend! We didn't go up until Saturday because I don't like camping in the rain :) but we had a wonderful couple of days! We played a lot of catch, hiked, enjoyed time with friends who visited (Bolts!), and even read. It was amazing!

And just like that I have 2nd graders....

2011-06-10T17:05:00.004-04:00

1st Day of 1st Grade: Sept 2010
Last Day of 1st Grade: June 2011

Today was the last day of 1st grade. It was a long year of long days in school (for me). The kids of course, loved their teacher, love their friends, and love learning! It took me almost until Christmas to get adjusted, just in time for break! I am thrilled to have my kiddos home for the summer. We are looking forward to making our summer list, being lazy, and playing...a lot.

Happy Summer!! (the funny part is that it's rainy and about 58 degrees today!!)

Discovery Day!

2011-06-09T22:19:00.003-04:00

Today was Discovery Day (aka Field Day) for the kids. I was able to work the 'camel relay' game all morning. It was so much fun to see the kids' class come through and enjoy the activity (it involved keeping a pillow on your back as you crawled down and back...). The temps cooled down for the day and the kids had a BLAST! One more (half) day....summer, we are ready for you!

1st Grade Field Trip to the Zoo

2011-06-06T20:49:00.005-04:00

Friday we went to John Ball Zoo with the kids 1st grade class. It was a great day with the kids and all their friends!

The class!

The kids with their awesome teacher! They will miss her!

Abby feeding a bird (as you can imagine, favorite moment for her!)

Our group

My beautiful (and handsome) kids

2011-05-31T20:54:00.003-04:00

"Sophie Style" this is what Sophie wanted to wear to school today, right down to the knee socks on a 85 degree day. I love her style and her passion! I thought maybe the socks would be rolled down by the end of the day (including 3 recesses) but no, she got off the bus looking just like she did at the start of the day! Go Girl!
Abby LOVING every moment of driving the boat!
Captain Noah, my handsome boy...he looks so old.

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T20:55:00.005-04:00

We spent the day at one of our favorite places in the world....the cottage. Temps were supposed to reach near 90 so we made a last minute decision to head out for the day. The kids had a blast swimming in the (very cold!) lake, riding on jet skiis, taking boat rides, and seeing family. We also enjoyed watching them laugh and splash, seeing family, sitting under the birch tree on the deck, and taking boat rides. We even got back to Holland in time to get a little of our garden planted. What a wonderful weekend!!

Planting

2011-05-28T21:26:00.006-04:00

Noah is currently a bit attached to Tom's football helmet....even while eating dinner!! Boys!!??

Today we enjoyed enough of a break from the rain to plant some flowers at home. Sophie and Abby loved helping. Next stop, our garden plot!

I am having a blast with my friend Kate's DSLR...she's away for the weekend and let me 'play' with it. I'm coming to the conclusion that if I get one of my own, I'll take a lot more pictures that do not include my kids faces :) Hands, dirty knees (Sophie thought it was a little strange!)... What fun!

Welcome Spring!

2011-05-27T19:42:00.004-04:00

Today was the first day of the Park Township Farmer's Market (which we can walk to!!). We didn't walk today, but I did pack up the kids and take them before school. It felt so summery (even though we were wearing jackets!)! The kids begged for spinach, a tomato (?since when do they like tomatoes?), rhubarb, and asparagus. Tonight we made an amazing dinner of salmon, rice pilaf, spinach salad (with non-Michigan strawberries), asparagus roasted with Parmesan, and for dessert Martha Stewart's raspberry rhubarb cobbler (love my cookbook Martha). It was amazing.
If you are counting with my 1000 gifts: #482 Local dirt on my hands while preparing a salad

(Ok, Kate I LOVE the camera!)

Update!

2011-05-21T21:23:00.005-04:00

So sorry it's been so long!! We are doing well, enjoying the late arrival of spring! We were overjoyed to have Nathan and Kaitlin (aka Nate the Great and Kate the Great) Laura, and Gavin here for a week this month! We even saw what life would be like with 5 kids for a few days while Laura and Gavin went up north (shout out to Beth!). Loved it!! It was amazing to have so much wonderful and quality time with all of them.

The kids marched in the Tulip Time Kinderparade this year in full Dutch costume! Temps reached near 90 that day, but they did great! (picture to come..it's not uploading!)

The girls have just finished their soccer season. They learned a lot and had a blast! They especially love having their friend/classmate 'Ella V' on their team for the 4th time!

We are counting down the (14) days until summer vacation and savoring the arrival of warmer temps, green, and longer days!

The girls after their last soccer game.

Friends!

Mother's Day gift at Cynthia Hagadorn's studio

Playing at Captain Sundae

Lunch with Kaitlin and Nathan

Happy Easter!

2011-04-27T12:18:00.001-04:00

What a difference a week makes!

2011-04-21T10:13:00.003-04:00

Here is the photo of our half hour at the beach this week! No coats and feet in the sand, to winter coats and hats!!

The kids have been enjoying their special birthday gifts to grandpa Bill this month. Each kiddo picked a restaurant gift certificate to give him. The gift certificate is used for a one on one date with grandpa. Noah went first and took grandpa to 84 East (his favorite!), Sophie went last night to Qdoba (her favorite). Abby has her turn next week. It has been very special! Sophie even got a corsage!

Crazy Hair Day

2011-04-15T08:53:00.003-04:00

Today the kids earned 'crazy hair day' at school for remembering to speak only Spanish when they have their 'Spanish hats on'. I'm not sure how they do it, I am impressed everyday with their Spanish abilities. Have I mentioned that their math homework (story problems!) now comes home in Spanish every night (with no parent translation). Again, they amaze me with their knowledge! We are thankful for Friday! Thankful for the promise of a relaxing weekend together. It's hard to tell but both Noah and Sophie have iridescent green in their hair. I love how each kiddo designs their hair-do.

The Beach

2011-04-13T21:06:00.003-04:00

We spent time at the beach after school today (in the 30 minutes before religious ed!). It was warm(er) and sunny and the kids were thrilled to peel off their socks and shoes and run barefoot through the sand. Summer...please hurry!

So many to choose from!!

2011-04-09T20:49:00.006-04:00

Ok, I have about 250 amazing pictures from the kids trip to Arizona! I can't begin to scratch the surface...but here are some to get started! Wow did they have fun. Tonight when we looked at the pictures together, they could tell us what each and every one was (or where it was taken). They learned so much, experienced so much, and made such beautiful memories...it really takes my breath away! How many times can I say THANK YOU!

Now if we could just get them to go to sleep back on Michigan time!! :)

Welcome Home!

2011-04-07T20:17:00.002-04:00

The kids are back and we couldn't be happier! Happier for their snuggles! Happier because of their laughter! Happier because of their stories...endless and amazing stories of their trip. They made memories they will cherish all of their lives. I am sifting through the 200 pictures my mom gave me and will post some soon. I never thought I'd say this, but I even welcomed the mess that came from them dumping their bags and laundry when they got home today. Loud kids laughing and loads of kiddo laundry made me smile today. Welcome home angels! Thank you mom! Thank you dad! Thank you grandpa! You are amazing and I wish you rest!!

Fun in the sun!

2011-04-04T12:14:00.004-04:00

The kids are having a blast in Arizona! We have Skyped with them twice and each time they are bursting with excitement, enthusiasm, and stories! We miss them so much it hurts, but are so very thankful for the memories that they are making with my parents and my grandpa.

And they're off...

2011-03-31T19:58:00.003-04:00

The kids left EARLY yesterday morning for Tucson with my parents. They will stay with my grandpa for the next 6 days. They could not be more excited before they left and are having a blast. They will enjoy 90 degree temps, swims in the pool, hikes, a theater show, and amazing Mexican food. My parents and grandpa have been planning this trip for weeks! We miss them terribly, but know they are making the most amazing memories!

"What will you do?" is the question we hear the most.... we started yesterday by taking the day off and spending it in downtown Detroit. I took Tom to a few of the places I discovered on my spring break trip (AMAZING places...if you are curious, please ask...Detroit isn't all what you think!) We had breakfast at a fabulous local bakery, visited the Rivera murals at the Detroit Institute of Art (as well as the other exhibits), ate at the best Mexican restaurant ever, visited the conservatory at Bell Isle...

We also have plans to see a movie, clean the house, have dinner with friends, and I must admit...sleep in.

Keep the kids in your prayers (it's a long week away from home), my parents and grandpa (for energy!!), and us (because we miss them so much!)

Happy Spring Break!

Detroit Metro Airport: 4:00am! The Rivera Murals at the DIA (have you seen them?)

Relaxing and Playing with my new iphone at Belle Isle

Celebration of Learning

2011-03-23T10:12:00.005-04:00

Noah's boat
Sophie's boat
Abby's boat
Noah dancing
Sophie (purple dress/white sweater) and Abby dancing (lt. green dress/white sweater)

The kids had a 'Celebration of Learning' at school last night. They did a wonderful dance and then we returned to the classroom to build boats and determine if they sank or floated. It was so fun!! My mom drove all the way over to be there and ended up driving back the same night to avoid the ice that may come today. Thanks mom!!

This evening (unless I'm iced in) I will head to Detroit to be part of a Social Justice Immersion Spring Break trip. I will be joining an amazing group of 8 women (students) from Hope College learning about and experiencing first hand Urban Agriculture. I am very excited for this adventure (and a little sad...or a lot to be leaving the kids). Please keep our group in your prayers. I will be home late Saturday night. You can follow some of what we are doing on the blog of the community where we are staying.
http://jeaniewyliecommunity.blogspot.com/

#214: 7 years of Awesome Abby in our house...

2011-03-18T14:53:00.005-04:00

and our family being at home, together. Funny, aside from Abby's hospitalization in 2006 (?) I struggle to think of another night that the kids have spent apart, not under the same roof. They've been away from us, but not from each other. Watching their bond and their love for each other is truly one of the most precious gifts in my life.

Abby Jane is a gift. She shows the best combination of spunky, spirited, love and thoughtfulness. I love Abby's smile. I love how she loves to snuggle in to my chest even as a 7 year old. I love her passion for her interests (currently BIRDS and Star Wars). I love watching her draw, paint and write. I love listening to her read.

Sophie forgot her homework today so I brought it to school (thanks Kate!). It gave me an extra opportunity to give each kiddo a kiss (story about Noah's response later). The classroom was in shambles because the kids were cleaning out their desks. Paper was piled EVERYWHERE! I literally had to tip toe around piles to get to Abby. Abby was sitting quietly at her very clean desk...reading. "look at the bird book I got from the library mom". This is the same child who got one finger at a time messy when finger painting.

Abby realized this year that she was in the hospital longer than her siblings. Just seeing her process this brought a tear to my eye. It was a terribly difficult time to have two preemies at home and one in the hospital. I am thankful for the amazing family support we had during this time. I did my best to stumble through an explanation of why she was there and how lovingly she was visited. Even showing her pictures. Noah piped up, "NO FAIR" Not my favorite comment and I assumed it was not going to end well, but I asked anyway, "what do you mean?" He responded "Abby got all that extra special hospital care". Abby smiled. Thank you Noah, you are wise beyond your years.

Today I am thankful for my Abby Jane. My AJ. My Birdie. And for the house full of love that I have. 7 years ago today a collective sigh of relief emanated from my house (as well as houses in Livonia, Byron Center, California, Florida, Seattle......) while we still had worries (does that ever really end?) our triplets were home. They were tiny but they were strong. God is good.

Happy St. Patrick's Day (early!)

2011-03-15T20:54:00.002-04:00

We had a wonderful time last weekend at the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Holland. The kids got to bring food to donate during the parade (and picked up their share of candy as well). They really wanted to know the 'real meaning' of the day this year. Sophie wanted to know what it had to do with God because holidays 'always have something to do with Him'. It was sweet and opened up good conversation about St. Patrick! (ok, I had to do a little research I have to be honest!)

Looking forward to Shepherd's pie and soda bread on Thursday! (though I'm not sure they are 'real' traditions!)

#176- 7 wonderful years with Sophie at home

2011-03-09T20:30:00.005-05:00

Do you see the football...you thought I was kidding didn't you?

Today is Sophie's special day, the day she joined her brother at home. Today we celebrated Sophie. Her amazing smile. Her passion for life. Her enthusiasm. Her laughter. Sophie had a wonderful day, after school the kids were surprised with the direction to "get in the van". We have a very important rule in our house and that is when Captain Sundae opens, we must eat there that day. The rainy, foggy, cold didn't keep us from our goal. The kids enjoyed the first Captain Sundae of the season (#172) in the van! Sophie selected homemade mac and cheese and fresh pineapple for her special dinner. It was perfect.

Tonight the girls went to the Ash Wednesday service with me. (Tom stayed home with Noah who is doing MUCH better and will return to school tomorrow!) For some reason one of the most beautiful moments in recent memory was my girls with crosses of ash singing beautifully from the red hymnals (psalm 103) (#173). What a beautiful day for a beautiful girl.

#169- 7 amazing years with Noah in my house

2011-03-08T18:02:00.003-05:00

Today is Noah's special day. Today I am thankful for Noah. I am thankful for his smile, his warm hands always ready to recharge my batteries, for his caring heart, his giving spirit, and his braveness. Today Noah had to go to the dr. He had a throat culture (which he greatly dislikes). He has strep. He also had to have bloodwork done. Everything is perfectly fine, but for just a moment it brought me back to the NICU days. IV's, bloodwork, hospitals....

Today I have a strong, healthy, amazing boy and I couldn't be more thankful.

An afternoon at the Grand Rapids Art Museum

2011-03-05T21:14:00.003-05:00

We spent a couple of hours at the Grand Rapids Art Museum today where the kids got to sculpt a caricature of themselves out of clay. They had a blast (and did a great job!) Afterwards we browsed the galleries and did a scavenger hunt. It was so much fun!

Abby at work

Sophie and Noah

Sophie's finished product

Noah's finished product

Abby's finished product

L-R Noah, Abby, Sophie

Our week

2011-03-04T09:10:00.004-05:00

Beauty at the beach

More beauty at the beach!

Tom told Noah he used to carry around a football when he was a kid. Because Noah would do anything to be like dad it's his new thing. When he is not at school, this football does not leave his side....day or NIGHT!

Noah waiting for a rebound

We had a wonderful week!

Last weekend the kids had their last basketball clinic and all three enjoyed scrimmages (I was watching Noah this week). It was a great experience for them! There was also sledding, the movie, 'Gnomeo and Juliet' and a birthday party for Bill. Sunday-Tuesday poor Noah was sick but was ready to roll by Wednesday! Wednesday is a super busy day around here where I pick the kids up from school at 3:55 and then get them to Religious Ed by 4:30. We've tried a couple of different things in that half hour but it usually brings crazy rushed stress. The best way we have found to fill the time involves a drive to the beach where we have a 'car snack' and watch the beauty. We can talk about their day and relax a bit before the next thing! Of course they really love it when I show up with hot chocolate or Shamrock Shakes! Thursday I was blessed to be able to spend a day in Chicago with my dear friend Kate and a local artist. We had a private tour of the Art Institute, an outstanding and very swanky lunch, time to draw (i know!) in a gallery, even a little time to shop, and a lot of time to chat, laugh, and relax. It was amazing (thanks Joan for helping with the kids).

Today, I am thankful that it is Friday and I look forward to a weekend of snuggles and laughter at home.

A great weekend leading in to a SNOW DAY!

2011-02-21T15:22:00.004-05:00

Snow day: Abby and Noah reading together.
Snow Day: Ernie waiting for me to come back to my reading spot.

Snow Day: Noah building Legos
Snow Day: Sophie and Abby reading together

Weekend: Abby's new bike (she thought it was Spring on Saturday...but not Sunday!!)

Weekend: Rosy cheeks after about 6 hours playing outside on Saturday

So blessed!

#100

2011-02-18T17:10:00.004-05:00

Some of you know that I am embarking on a life changing process of counting 1000 gifts. I read this blog http://www.aholyexperience.com/ and in her blog and book she asserts that counting every single beautiful blessing in life is the surest way to 'slow' time. To savor moments that I feel pass way to quickly. Sometimes the speed at which my kids are growing causes me to lose my breath, and some days even weep. BUT, in counting all the beautiful moments it helps me to pause, smile and enjoy each one.

Today #100: A sweet boy whose first words of the day are "how are you feeling mom?" (i'm fighting a cold)

#105: A speedy runner! (and the same sweet boy)

#104: basketballs bouncing outside in hats, coats and mittens

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-15T08:40:00.003-05:00

To see the kids at the Hope Girls Basketball Game "pink out for cancer" click here: http://www.hope.edu/pr/athletics/wbb/1011wbbfans.html

Sophie's heart shaped pizza we made for dinner!
Writing what we love about everyone on a heart before dinner

Sophie and Abby showing Valentine's Day love at school

Noah and Sophie at their school party

Yummy fruit tray I brought for the school party (their teacher did a great job requesting fruit and veggies..and a little candy for the party!)

I hope you had a Valentine's Day full of love. We did!!

Shining our Light

2011-02-06T19:47:00.004-05:00

Today in church we heard about the verse, "Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see so that everyone will praise our heavenly father." -Matthew 5:15-16
"Shine" is a word that we keep close to our hearts for the past year because of the way Grandma Bonnema lived her life. It was our "word" for last year. It was the perfect verse for our day. Today we took our kids to DeVos Children's Hospital to donate all of the gifts that were brought to their class birthday party yesterday. We put this on the invitation and our kids were fine with it the entire time. Not to say they didn't think about the concept of giving away all those toys! We were so incredibly proud of their enthusiasm for the donation. They did not complain. They did not ask to keep even one toy. Their class very generously donated.
Today a woman from the Children's Hospital came down to the lobby to meet us and was so excited to see the wonderful, enthusiastic 'success story' that our kids are returning to give back.
Today my amazing 7 year olds cheerfully 'shined'. We couldn't be more proud.