holidayz

It's been a busy couple weeks as we've headed full steam into the holidays! This was the year that my sister and her family came into town at Thanksgiving rather than at Christmas.  So, it was family overload time with the Steenwyk's and we had a lot of fun.  We have to soak it up and spend so much time together that we get sick of each other since it won't happen again until summer.  :) 

On Thanksgiving Day we had the whole family together for a turkey and ham dinner, then later on in the day we started our Christmas celebrations with our annual Bingo game.  It was a beautiful day, and several of us were able to go for a walk in the evening.  A brisk walk with my family out in the country?  Yes, please! 

Friday evening was a first for us - we split up for a Guys and Girls Night.  The guys hung out at Eric & Lea Anne's house, and the girls were at my parent's.  Mike even took Jackson with him, and all of us girls could not get over how QUIET it was without any of the males present.  We had a nice time as my mom laid out a bunch of jewelry (nothing valuable, just fun stuff) and knick knacks that were my grandma's, and we were able to pick out what we wanted.  I added a few things to my Delft collection, and now I have the bug!  After a fairly obvious hint to Mike, I'm pretty sure I'll get another piece at Christmas.  :) 

On Saturday we had our family Christmas party.  Of course we had breakfast (at lunchtime), sang carols, read the Christmas story (I think.  I was putting Jackson down for a nap...), prayed, and opened way too many presents.  :)  There were also a few birthday presents given, so basically, my kids should be all set for a loooong time.  We squeezed in another walk before dark, and just had a fun time together. 

Since we hadn't had quite enough, we got together Sunday afternoon, too.  :)  It's such a blessing to have family we enjoy being with, and to see how much our kids love being with their cousins. 

Last Wednesday was Caleb and Logan's 8th birthday!!!  They brought brownies to school for their birthday treat, and I heard something about the whole hallway singing to them after the older sister of one of their friends heard it was their birthday.  (Yay for small schools!)  Thursday evening we met up with all the grandparents at Pizza Ranch to celebrate. 

Friday during the day Mike had a crane here to take care of the dirt pile left from our basement project.  Yes!!!!  It is so nice to have that gone - the view out my kitchen window is much improved.  Friday evening Mike and I went out for a date.  Woo-hoo!  Jackson almost cried when we were about to leave, but I think he ended up doing fine.  We had dinner and walked around downtown Holland.  And I spent $8 on some ridiculous cookies (long story).  It was a fun evening and a beautiful night to be out.

Saturday morning the three older boys had practice for the church Christmas program, and in the afternoon was a Christmas party for the Tiemeyer's at my mom's. 

Sunday evening was the church Christmas program, and all the boys did great!  It was Jackson's first program, and he definitely isn't shy about being up on stage.  :)  He was happy to see his brother's watching him, and he was also pointing out other things he saw (light, clock, Papa, etc.).  Levi did well with his 4's and 5's class, and then he was also in the big kids' program as a sheep (so cute).  Caleb and Logan were dressed up as Bible times travellers for their program.  All the kids did a nice job.  This weekend we're going to be helping with the Live Nativity at our church.  Eeek! 

I've been busy rearranging rooms around here, and I'm trying to remind myself it's okay if it doesn't all get done at once.  Levi moved into Caleb and Logan's room, and Jackson moved into Levi's old room.  I got the extra bedroom cleared out upstairs, so it's actually useable as a bedroom now.  Now I've been working on getting Jackson's old room turned into an office/workspace/music room.  I got a lot of my crafty type stuff moved in there, but have some serious sorting to do, I know there's a lot I should get rid of.  The "open room" upstairs (the former home to my crafty/office stuff), I'm hoping to turn into a reading/play area for the boys.  It always feels good to do something like this and have the chance to go though things and get rid of a lot, but of course I'm doing it at a time of year when there's a lot of intake here.  I feel like it's two steps forward, one step back right now!

Tomorrow I get to go to the dentist to have a tooth worked on (he tried last time I was in, but I have issues with numbing up good on the side that needs to be worked on).  :(  And then Thursday I have two orthodontist consults for Caleb.  I hope it's clear which orthodontist we should go with. 

list

I've been trying to keep a list of some of my favorite words Jackson says.  We're past the point of being able to list everything he says, but I'm trying to keep track of some of the fun ones.  :)

• combine = "pombine"
• basketball hoop = "ball shoop"
• plane = "pane"
• ranch (as in ranch dressing) = "ree"
• bottle (as in water bottle) = "bowel"
• yogurt = something like "nonurt"
• waffle = "faffle"
• Levi (which is all his brothers) = "Wuvi"
• phone = "we-wo" (as in "hello")
• coffee = "coppie"

So much fun talking with this little guy, and I'm sure I forgot some words I would want on the list.  And, there are a few words he says that wouldn't be appropriate for this blog since it's G rated.  :) We've definitely had more of a "terrible two's" week, but he is still just too much fun.  I just need a little break by the end of the day (or maybe naptime...).  ;) 


In big news, Jackson did his #2 on the potty yesterday!!  I've done just a casual introduction to the potty so far.  He told me he had to go, I set him on, and after just a minute or two, he went!  He then proceeded to pee on the floor after I got him down....but, at least there's a light at the end of the diaper tunnel.  :)

conversation

I'm pretty sure this is one of those things that no one else will find as funny as we did at the time, but I'm going to record it anyways so that someday when I go back and read this hopefully I can have a good laugh.  :)  

Let me set the stage: It's suppertime and we're eating burgers.  I see Logan glance at the world map on the wall, and then he asks, "Dad, what's your favorite continent?"  Mike answers, taking this very seriously, "I don't know...ketchup, mustard, mayo, they're all good!"  I'm laughing and wondering if Logan even knows what the word "condiment" is, and Logan's wondering what in the world Mike is talking about.  For some reason this really hit our funny bones and we laughed SO hard!

Another funny one...from time to time (*cough*) our older boys will cry and whine about who knows what.  I know, shocking, isn't it?  :)  A few times lately when this has happened, Jackson will say, "Baby Wuvi!"  He still refers to all of his big brothers as Wuvi, and it's just hilarious when they're acting like babies and their 2 year old little brother calls them out on it!

details

I really don't know how parents of larger families do it - there is just way too much to keep track of with each child and their individual needs. 

Poor Caleb, he's dealing with a few extra things right now.  I don't remember if I mentioned this before or not, but a little while back he failed the hearing test at school, so next week he has to go into the Health Department for a retest.  Last week Mike took Caleb and Logan in for dentist appointments.  Caleb has one cavity (the first of any of the kids), and needs to get in to an orthodontist.  :(  We knew that was coming at some point, but were hoping we had another year or two before having to start with that.  He has a cross bite and needs to get an expander to help correct how his teeth are growing in. 

I was relieved how Logan checked out at the dentist.  Last year the hygienist said she had to do quite a bit of cleaning and he needed to work on his brushing.  Well, he must have improved because she said he looked great this time!  Levi and I go to the dentist tomorrow afternoon.  I know I'm going to need some work done.  Good times.  We've been selling a lot of wood this fall.  Looks like I know what that money is going towards!

A few months ago we noticed a couple bumps on Levi's torso that looked like warts.  Then all of the sudden he had a bunch of them on his torso.  And, a few days ago he told me they were on his legs, too!  He has an area on both of his upper thighs that has them.  This morning I was in to the doctor with Jackson for his 2 year check-up, and asked him about it.  He said it's probably a virus that just needs to run it's course and could take several months.  I'm going to take a closer look when Levi gets home from school, and if it doesn't match a picture that the doctor showed me, then I'll need to get him in to be looked at.  But, if it matches the picture then it's this certain virus and we just have to wait it out. 

So, yeah, Jackson had a well-child visit to the doctor this morning.  Besides charming the whole office (no surprise there), he checked out really well.  He came in wearing his new cow backpack, carrying his combine, and saying 'hi' to the nurse.  He was jabbering like crazy, and had no problem making himself at home in the exam room.  Jackson is 27 lbs, which is 36th percentile; and 2' 11", which is 67th percentile.  He was going on and on about his "pombine" (combine), so at the end of our visit the nurse went to great lengths to find him a combine sticker because she knew they had some somewhere.  She took him in the office area by the receptionists while I was checking out, and I heard all sorts of "oooo's" and "ahhhh's" over him.  ;)  And, on the way out there was a newborn baby in the waiting room that he just had to check out.  What a sweetheart. 

Mike and I have been saying we'd really like to freeze this age.  It is just too much fun.  I remember loving from 2-3 with Levi, too.  With Caleb and Logan I don't know if that age was just too much work with two of them to enjoy it, or if it's all just a blur and I've forgotten.  :)  Jackson definitely has challenging moments where he trying to assert his independence, but problems can usually be fixed with food or sleep.  :)  He is turning into such a little boy with a big personality, and it's pretty awesome having a front row seat.  He is learning and trying new words all the time, and I especially enjoy seeing how he remembers things or when he follows directions.  He still calls all of his brothers "Wuvi", and while he calls both grandpa's "Papa", he does differentiate between Grammy (more like "Gammi") and Grandma (actually comes out sounding like "Obama"...).  Jackson is very social and enjoys a good party - he was so jazzed up at a family dinner the other night; Christmas should be a good time!  (*Ahem* Think he takes after his daddy???) 

Mike and my dad finished corn harvest on Saturday.  I had two boys that were a little sad about that (Levi and Jackson).  Levi was almost in tears.  He absolutely LOVES combining, and could ride for hours. 

Last week was the visitation and funeral for my grandma, and it was a blessed couple days with family.  My sister was able to fly in for a few days, and it was nice to have some extra time with her.  I had some out of town cousins that were also able to make it in.  The funeral was special as it was performed by the pastor that my grandma worked with for several years in Florida.  We always heard so much about Jim Blizzard, but I had only met him once or twice.  Her love of Christ was very evident - my mom was able to read my grandma's testimony that she had typed up a few years back, and that was very special.  The Gospel was clearly shared, and I hope it planted a seed in some hearts.  Mike stayed home with the boys while I went to the visitation, and then for the funeral we were able to take the three older boys.  It was a LONG day between all the driving, funeral, lunch, graveside service, and then dinner with the family; and they really did great with it all. 

Thursday evening we had Parent/Teacher Conferences at school, and we were so thrilled with each of the reports.  Caleb's grades are very good, as well as his behavior.  His teacher noted that he is gentlemanly, and is showing self-control even when others around him are misbehaving.  He could work on his desk organization (No surprise there! Ha!), but she wasn't overly concerned.  Logan is also very gentlemanly, and she mentioned how he is very perceptive of other people's feelings.  His grades are very good, and the teacher said that maybe sometimes he's afraid to try something just because he thinks he might not do it well enough (something I've noticed at home as well).  Levi's teacher said he is "...kind and considerate.  He is quick to help others.  He works hard and does his best."  What more could you ask for??  He has a couple things to work on academically (writing the letter "a", and sounding out words), but if they are trying their best, and their behavior is good, we are so very pleased.  Friday evening we took them out for supper as a reward, and they all agreed on Pizza Ranch.  (Did you catch that?  They all AGREED on the same place!)

I've been trying to decide how to rearrange bedroom assignments upstairs to get Jackson up there soon.  I may be insane, but on Saturday we decided to move Levi into Caleb and Logan's room.  Yes, all three of them together.  So far they've actually been sleeping at night, so that's a good sign.  Getting him moved in there required a major cleaning/reorganizing on my part.  A couple hours into it when I was sitting in the middle of their room with piles of *junk* all around me, I wondered what in the world I was doing.  But, clearly their stuff needed some attention, so although it was painful, it was good I did it.  Levi is all moved in, and now his old room is ready for Jackson to move up.  Now, the problem is, even though I've been thinking about this for a while, I don't know if I'm ready for Jackson to move up....  All this room switching is causing a ripple effect through the house which is a bit overwhelming, but it needs to be done.  Once Jackson is moved upstairs, I'm going to move some of the stuff from my office down to his old room, then hopefully turn my office into a hang out/reading area/lego building spot for the boys.  My plan is to also get a bed set up in the extra bedroom, and still use that room for clothes storage (since I have tubs of clothes in every size, and I need to access them frequently).  I'm just about ready to throw all our extra stuff into a big pile and start it on fire, but I'm too cheap to do that, so I'll keep dealing with it.  :)

we did it

The last week and a half or so has been oh so wonderful with Mike around more.  Two weeks ago on Thursday Mike only had to work a half day, then had the next day and all of the next week off.  Glorious!  After having him around so much I wasn't sure if I could manage getting the kids off to school by myself this morning.  :)

That first Friday I was able to go with Caleb and Logan's class on a field trip to the zoo.  Not the greatest weather, but I suppose it could have been worse.  That evening we had an adult only Soup & Pie night with our group from church, and that was a lot of fun.  I may have eaten too much... 

Last week while Mike was home we caught up on a lot of things around the house.  He brought the boys to school every morning, picked them up most afternoons, and we could let Jackson sleep.  We've been selling wood again this fall, and that's been going really well, so there were a few times the wood stand needed to be stocked, plus we got a bulk customer that needed a delivery.  Yay!  It's so great to have something like that that we can all work together on.

Last Tuesday was Halloween and the boys did some trick or treating.  Caleb was a bank robber, Logan was a bat, Levi was a soccer player, and Jackson was a cow.  I failed to get a good picture of them - it was busy once we get them in their costumes.  We went to Dave and Vonda's, and then over to Eric and Lea Anne's neighborhood, and they got WAY too much candy. 

Wednesday evening our niece, Alyssa, invited me to a canvas painting night at her church.  I was so excited to go, and we had a really nice time.

Thursday was Jackson's 2nd birthday!  My baby's not really a baby anymore!  :(  We had a small party with grandparent's, and I think everyone had fun.  Mike and I had worked on cleaning up the basement to make it a decent place to hang out, and he had gotten the ping pong table set up, so we had a good time with that.  I don't think Jackson quite knew what to think when he was opening presents.  He loved them all and wanted to play with each one as he opened it, but then we'd make him open the next one (it would have taken all night otherwise).  I went with a cow theme for him, getting a book, stuffed animal, backpack, and little cow figurines.  He got a loader from my parents, and a forklift set from Mike's mom and stepdad.  He has been playing with all his new toys, and is very good at saying, "Mine!"  (His older brothers just cannot keep their hands off his new toys...) 

Friday I made an unexpected trip to Grand Ledge.  My grandma had not been doing well, and my mom got notification that she was fading fast, so she wanted to get out there.  My dad was busy combining corn (with Mike and Levi), and I didn't want my mom driving out there alone, so we loaded Jackson in the care and took off.  So many little things worked out nicely for this: it was a beautiful day for a drive, Jackson did SO great for not having a nap, Mike was able to pick the other boys up from school, and it was nice to have one last time to see my grandma even though I hadn't planned on it.  We spent a couple hours there - I saw my grandma for just a couple minutes then hung out in the nursing home while my mom had time with her family.  It was so much fun to brighten people's day at the nursing home - Jackson was just being his adorable little self, and they were loving it.  He was saying 'hi' to everybody, he got a ride on a lady's walker, and there was another lady that was just having fun watching him play and every few minutes would ask how old he was and then say, "Oh, terrible two's!"  I probably had that conversation with her 6-8 times.  :)  My grandma ended up passing away later on Saturday, and so we'll be doing the visitation and funeral thing this week.  Going to be a crazy couple days.  It's such a wonderful feeling to know that she lived a good, full life, and that she had the assurance of salvation.  She is no longer suffering, she has been reunited with my grandpa after 19 years, and I'll see her again someday, too!

Saturday was Mike's annual trip to a U of M game.  The game wasn't scheduled to start until 7:30pm, but of course they had to start tailgating at 11am (crazy).  Not the nicest weather, and the game was postponed until 8:45pm or something like that, but they still stayed for the whole thing and then drove home!  I happily went to bed on time and took advantage of the time change.  :)  Saturday morning the boys were awful, must have been overtired as both Caleb and Levi fell asleep in the afternoon.  After naps we went to Vonda's for snacks and supper with Kara and Alyssa.  (Harold was actually gone hunting in South Dakota, but Will and Tyler were at the game with the other guys.)  Not a true "Girls Night" with my four guys around, but close enough.  :)

On Sunday Jackson went to Sunday School for the first time!  Boo-hoo!!  We peeked in on him and he was just too cute being in class like a big boy.  We love the 2's and 3's teacher and are happy to have someone in class with her again.  He came out of class carrying his papers like he was big stuff, and I just about lost it. 

Hoping the weather is nice at the end of this week after we're done with the funeral and all that.  We got our lawn mower fixed last week, and the the lawn really needs one last mowing before winter.  And, the garden needs to be cleaned up!  Sigh...

two. more. days.

We're almost there.  So close.  This past week felt like it took soooooo long.  Similar to the week in between inductions for Levi.  Ha!  This celery harvest has big the biggest ever - they planted more than they ever have.  So, when a normal season feels like running a marathon, tacking an extra week on the end is a challenge.  Everybody is ready to be done.  Yesterday Mike was dealing with yet another personnel issue and was basically like, "We're almost done, we've got two more days left after this.  Just stay away from each other."  Thankfully the weather has been pretty decent.  That certainly helps.  When harvest is done, I think Jackson is going to miss visiting Mike and getting treats from Pete.  :)  He'll even say, "Hi, Pete" now and goes up to him for a fist bump.  Then, of course, he's real good about saying "thank you".  :)

A couple weeks ago we had our annual skeet shoot party here with Mike's brother and cousin.  It was fun and the weather worked out perfect!  It was warm and stayed dry until we were stopping for supper anyways, then it poured.  Mike's cousin brought his four-wheeler and so we had fun taking a few rides around.  Caleb got to shoot a .22 for the first time (I was maybe a little nervous...) and did awesome!  I shot a couple different guns (don't ask me what) and got lucky on a couple shots.  My shoulder had had enough after a bit.  Of course, Mike, Harold, and Joe had plenty of opportunities to show off how good they are.  ;) 

Last Saturday was our Fall Festival at school.  Unfortunately the weather didn't work out so good for that.  The outdoor events couldn't happen, but everyone made the most of it and had fun indoors.  I ran the popcorn machine for a while with another mom, and we managed to talk (a lot) AND get our work done.  :) 

Every fall I make a beef delivery to South Haven for one of Mike's cousins (she lives in South Bend and we meet in South Haven).  I love the town of South Haven and look forward to my drive there every year.  I went last week on a day that I just had Jackson with me.  Normally he does not do well in the car, but he did great this time!  He actually watched the video I put in for him (farm stuff), and we had fun while we were in South Haven.  I took him to the beach for a while.  An older couple gave him a whole package of crackers to feed to the seagulls, and he had fun taking a bite out of each cracker and then throwing it for the birds.  :)  He was doing great until near the end when a seagull took a cracker right out of his hand - I'm not sure if he got upset because he was scared or because he didn't get his bite of the cracker first.  We played on the playground at the beach for a little while (he has a thing for slides right now, always spots them when we're driving places, "slide! slide!"); and then went downtown for a treat before going home. 

I've been having so much fun playing volleyball every Monday night.  We have a fun group, and we've been doing pretty well.  The only problem is, so far our games have been at 8pm.  That's a good thing considering Mike's schedule while harvest is going, but it's a bad thing because it means I don't generally get home until 9:30pm and I can't just go right to bed.  I end up dragging on Tuesday's.  This week I had my "lack of sleep" headache, which made me nauseous by the end of the day.  Ugh.  What is wrong with me that I can't handle an 8pm volleyball game??  Pathetic! 

Mike does a great job making sure everything is in great shape before harvest begins, but now it's been four months and the maintenance issues are piling up around here.  My van needs an oil change (I have brought in in myself before, but I HATE doing it), his truck needs a headlight and a new tailgate (he accidentally backed into a trailer during soybean harvest for my dad - oops), our dining room light is on the fritz (something in the dimmer switch), and our lawn mower is out of commission.  Oh, the lawn mower...  Thankfully, my brother lives right next door and we can borrow their mower.  (I like their's better anyways!)  Last week I used it and I think one of the tires was going soft by the end (I didn't know it at the time).  So this week I get about half done with our yard and the tire goes completely flat.  It needed a whole new tire, so after work Mike ran to the hardware store and was able to fix it for me.  So the next day I'm partway done with what's left to mow in our yard, and the wheel falls completely off!!!  Something about a shaft collar that he had tightened as good as he could, but obviously it still worked it's way off.  Another run to the hardware store that night, fixed again, and finally yesterday I was able to FINISH our yard.  Thankful for a stretch of good weather.  :) 

Wednesday afternoon I got a call that Levi had thrown up at school.  :(  Poor guy.  I got Jackson up from his nap and went to school to get him.  He didn't seem in too bad of shape.  He rested for the afternoon and seemed to be feeling okay.  Just when I was going to load everyone up to bring Caleb and Logan to church, Levi threw up again.  He was fine the rest of the night, got a good night's sleep, and was fine the next day.  Still had to stay home from school, but I'm thankful this wasn't anything too major!  And, so far, everyone else seems fine.

I had a quick chat with Levi's teacher the other morning.  She is moving to the other side of the state soon (her husband took a pastorate near Bay City), and I just wanted to get her input on what she's observed so far this year.  She said Levi is very helpful in class (yay!), and we need to spend time working on his letter sounds.  From what I do with him at home I can see that area needs a little practice, but he has been getting some better, I think, so I'm not overly concerned.  He'll get it!  Funny conversation I had with Levi yesterday:
Levi: "Which vegetable is the best?"
Me: "Like the best for you?"
Levi: "Yeah."
Me: "I don't know...carrots are pretty good for you."
Levi: "Broccoli?"
Me: "Yes, broccoli is good for you, too."
Levi: "Steak?"
Me: "Well, that's not a vegetable, but I like the way you're thinking!"  :)

So, the other day the kids had hearing testing done at school.  We got a note home that they want us to take Caleb in to the Health Department for a retest.  I guess he missed a few of the tones.  When they did the testing in Kindergarten his teacher had mentioned to us that they had pulled him back out to test again, but we never heard anymore about it.  And, I had forgotten about this, but Mike remembered that when we had the boys in to the doctor for their kindergarten screening, Caleb had a few issues with the hearing test then, too.  At the time we weren't sure if he was really missing a couple of the tones, or if he was just having trouble understanding the directions and what he was supposed to be doing.  So, he has a retest scheduled in a month and we'll see what's going on. 

I had just a minute to chat with Logan and Caleb's teacher at the Fall Festival last weekend, and she said that they're both such little gentlemen and that they lead in that area.  That's the sort of thing that makes my momma heart proud!  They are both really enjoying chess, art, and drama at school.  I love it!  They do a lot of memorization at school (catechism, poems, verses) and Logan seems to do especially well with that.

Jackson is in that 'fun' stage right now where I can't leave his sight.  He'll be playing nicely, seemingly not paying attention to me, and I'll try to quick slip to another room to do something.  Just a couple seconds later I hear, "Mommy?  Mommy?  Mommy?" and he comes looking for me.  :)  He is learning so much right now, it's too much fun.  The other day he was pointing to the clock in the hall and I told him that it was a "clock".  Then he goes into the living room and points to one in there - he knew they were the same thing!  He has learned what the potty is, and the other day I was with him in Lowe's in the bathroom area.  We were walking down the aisle with all the toilets and sinks, and he just kept looking at them going, "Potty.  Potty.  Potty."  :)  He is still obsessed with cows, and he also enjoys farm equipment, always thinking he should be able to go for a ride.  This morning the farmer that farms the field right by us was combining his corn and Jackson was having trouble understanding that it wasn't Papa or Daddy in the combine, and that he couldn't go for a ride.  Also this morning, Mike and the older boys headed up north right away to help Harold with some work on the cottage.  Jackson didn't wake up until after they were gone, and he was having trouble understanding that they weren't around.  He kept saying, "Wuvi?  Wuvi?" and looking for them.  And, here's a good one, he had gone upstairs to look for his brothers and then was at the top of the stairs on his tummy facing head first to come down.  I said, "No, turn around." and he stands up and spins a couple circles!  Stinker.  He gets excited to see or hear planes outside..."Pane!  Pane!"  :)  So many cute things right now, I wish I could bottle it up...  Makes me sad that I know I've forgotten things about when the other boys were little, and I know I'll forget some of the things that Jackson is doing right now, too.  The other day I was watching someone's "birth story" video, and it didn't make me want to do it all over again, but it made me want to travel back in time just to remember what it was like.  I'd better stop before I get all sad and sentimental.  :)

october

Normally, the beginning of October brings a sense of relief for me, but not so much this year.  Years previous, Mike has finished celery harvest around mid-October, so when the month starts it feels like we're so close to being done.  However, at this point the projected end date is October 27.  The 27th!!!  The END of the month!  So, even though the four weeks that are left are a small amount compared to what's already been completed, it feels like a long ways away.  Overall, on my end of things, this has been one of the most manageable harvest seasons for me.  As the kids are getting older, it's getting a little easier.  We still miss Mike during the week, but the number of days that I'm DESPERATE for him to get home from work are less and less.  :)

Two weekends ago Mike and I had a chance to go to a quincenera for the granddaughter of a couple that works for him (and I know them from way back when I worked there).  We went with another couple from work that we've known a long time, and had a nice evening.  One thing's for sure, if my parent's had thrown me a party like that when I turned 15, Mike and I would have had to elope - there wouldn't have been any money for a wedding!  I've been to several different events, but this was my first quincenera.  There were a lot of guests, plenty of good food, and loud music.  :)  A live band was coming in just as we had to leave and they sounded really good.  The girl's dress was beautiful and elaborate.  It was interesting to see some of the traditions like her entourage (I don't know the actual term) of young men that sit at the head table with her, and do some special dances with her.  Also, her being presented with some special gifts by her parents and other family members.

Last week was my first volleyball game with the church team I am playing on.  It was fun to play again!  I was worried that I was going to be super rusty, but it wasn't too bad.  :)  I'm no teenager anymore, but it was a good time and I wasn't terrible.  Ha!

Last Thursday morning I was able to be a driver for a field trip for Levi's class.  Jackson spent the morning with Uncle Harold, and I think they both enjoyed that.  We went to The Critter Barn, and it was really neat!  I got to learn all about cows and other farm animals.  ;)  Levi got to hold a chicken and a new baby chick, feed hay to goats and cows, and milk a goat.  Thankfully we had really nice weather.  The heat wave was just over, and it was a perfectly nice day.  In the afternoon I did my last batch of salsa for the season - feels great to be done with that!  In total this year I canned 17 pint jars and 17 quart jars.  Yikes!  We go through the stuff like crazy - and the boys don't even eat it yet.  :)  What am I going to do when they decide they like it, too??

This past Saturday Mike and I went to his cousin's wedding (after a busy day of Mike combining soybeans and having to load three trucks at work).  We've come to really enjoy these cousin weddings - it's a nice kid free time with other family members.  It's been dawning on me, though, that we're just about done with cousin weddings, and we'll soon be started on niece/nephew weddings (and with the quantity and age range of nieces and nephews we have, it's going to last a long time).  I think those will be just as fun - I'm fine with being the crazy aunt!  :)  Anyways, the wedding was very nice.  The ceremony was at a small church in Spring Lake, and the reception was on a farm in Nunica.  It had such a great, old barn!  It was really neat the way they had it set up inside.  I've also decided that the next time we have to get dressed up for something, I need to get new black heels.  I have a pair of heels I keep stashed away for special occasions, but I can hardly walk in them anymore (whether I'm on the flat surface of a church sanctuary or the uneven floorboards of an old barn).  It's time for something with a lower, sturdier heel.  Yep, I'm old.  Let's hope I can still be fashionable.

Sunday morning we slept in and it was wonderful!  We haven't done that in AGES.  It was great to not have to rush off first thing in the morning.  We still had plenty of time to make it to Sunday School and then the late service at church.  During this time of year Mike somehow makes it through the week okay on little sleep, but then on Sundays he crashes.  Even after sleeping in (and we really didn't go to bed all that late the night before), he slept all afternoon and then had no problem going to bed at night.  Will be nice when we can get back to a more normal schedule.  :)

Jackson is still not getting on board with grocery shopping.  I REALLY hope at some point here he realizes it's a lot more pleasant if he just goes with the flow.  My visions of going around town with one child and enjoying our errand running and shopping are not becoming a reality just yet.  We've got a few years to go before Jackson goes to school - it has to improve at some point.  Please!

Jackson is still obsessed with Wuvi, Daddy, Papa, cows, and rides on tractors and forklifts.  He still takes a "fi" (pacifier) at bedtime, and I haven't decided when we're going to work on that.  I'm thankful he's not used to having it all the time, but taking it away at bedtime is not going to be fun.  He's been more focused in some of his play, and that's fun to watch.  He enjoys driving toy tractors and forklifts around, and will really concentrate on it.  His favorite stuffed toy for bedtime is a mushroom that I had as a child (weird, I know), which he calls Mimi.  He tells me when he does a stinky - still a ways from potty training, but there's a light at the end of the diaper tunnel!  Jackson is in a very picky stage right now, and I keep trying to remind myself that it's only temporary.  It seems like there's hardly anything that I can get him to eat right now!  Hard to believe he's getting enough calories consumed in a day.

I still marvel at how focused Levi is on farming.  He can ride in the combine for hours without getting bored, and in his playtime at home he plays with his farm equipment and really plans out what he's doing.  I guess yesterday during quiet time he was combining corn and soybeans, and he told me when I called him down that he had just combined one round of his bean field.  He's very intent on getting some new farm equipment toys for Christmas.  Not only does he play with the farm toys he has, he likes to plan out and build new things with Duplos and Legos.

Caleb and Logan were excited to work on their birthday and Christmas lists for Grandpa and Grandma.  It's a little hard to get them to focus and to understand the amount they can/cannot get.  :)  I also worry about them changing their minds before the time comes, but oh well!

hot hot hot

It is mid/late September and it is HOT out!  My phone says is 88 and feels like 91 right now.  Poor kids and teachers in school!  It was so cold at the beginning of this month and we managed to get through it without turning the heat on, now I'm trying to stand strong and not turn the A/C on, but I don't think I'm going to make it...  I challenged myself to see if we could make it all the way through September without using either the heat or A/C, but this is just ridiculous.

We've had a good start to the school year.  The kids are almost done with their third week already!  Caleb and Logan have had no problem jumping right in, and seem to really like their new teacher, Miss Griess.  Levi seems to be doing fine, he's just a little more shy and reserved than his older brothers.  I've been walking him in on the days he goes, and today I told him I wanted him to go ahead and get in ahead of me and that I would check on him, but that did not go over well.  He knows exactly where to go and what to do, he just likes the security of having me there.  I think once he gets set and into the day he's totally fine.  Levi stays home on Tuesday's and Friday's, and that has been really good.  It's good for both of us to have some one-on-one time (when Jackson's napping), besides just having a break from school is good when you're 5 years old, I think.  :)  We have just a little bit of homework to do on the days he's home, and the very first time didn't go so well (yet again re-affirming why I don't homeschool) but since then it has gone much better.

Jackson does miss his big brothers some, but does fine without them.  I hear a lot about "Wuvi" (Levi, which is what he calls all three of them...), especially right after we drop them off.  And, he's very happy and excited when we pick them up in the afternoon.  I also hear "Daddy" and "Hi cows Papa" A LOT.  Thankfully we visit Mike at work a few times a week (where he gets spoiled rotten by Mr. Pete), and we do usually see cows on our way to and from school.  I'm sure he would be thrilled if we saw Papa more often.  :)  The days we go to get groceries are not Jackson's favorite, he doesn't have enough patience to make it through both Aldi and Meijer in a good mood.  But, we're working on it!  He's going to have to get used to running errands with me, he's got a few years of it to go!  Jackson has adjusted his naptime to the school schedule very well.  Thank you, Lord!  I tried really hard not to worry about it ahead of time, because what good does that do?  But, it was hard not to wonder how it was going to go.  Last year the school schedule was hard with him and then he did so well over the summer.  He's been going down for his nap way earlier and still fitting in a nice, long nap before we have to pick up the other boys from school. It's great!

Our church's Wednesday night program started last week and Caleb, Logan, and Levi are going.  This week the Bible study I go to started, and next week volleyball will start (I'm just playing in a church league once a week).  Mike signed up to be a part of the our new men's ministry at church, and that will be on Thursday evenings.  And just like that we're busy!  I dislike having a crazy schedule so I think that's enough commitments for now, but hopefully these are all good things that we find to be beneficial.

the end

Well, that's it.  Summer's over.  It's done.  Today I'll send three of my babies off to school!

We had a great finish to summer break.  Last week we had a Back to School Night where the kids could bring in all their books and supplies, meet teachers, play with their friends, and we could get the info and paperwork we need for the upcoming year.  It was CRA-ZY.  It's so exciting to see what God is doing at our tiny, little school.  Enrollment is up again this year and it feels like we're just about bursting at the seams of our building.  It should be interesting at drop-off this morning on the first day.  :)

On Wednesday last week we had my niece and nephew, and a friend from school over for the day.  Both their mom's are teachers and needed to be at work.  :)  I tried to mentally prepare for a day of chaos, but it really went pretty well!  It seemed like all the kids played nicely together, and thankfully it was good weather so we weren't stuck in the house for the whole day.  Although, they spent quite a bit of their time working on a massive fort in the basement.

Thursday I was able to do my first batch of salsa for the year.  This is a big deal around here!  Last year I canned just over 30 pint jars of salsa, and we ran out sometime in the Spring.  So, I'm hoping to do much more this year...  Making salsa involves a lot of chopping, but it is so worth it when we pop open a jar in the middle of winter.

Saturday was our last trip to the cottage for the summer!  Wah-wah-wah.  We really lived it up.  I tried skiing for the first time in 20 years - it only took me a few tries to get up!  And, now for the last couple days I've hardly been able to walk.  Ha!  It was fun and I'm so glad I got up the nerve to try.  Logan tried again, but was unable to get up.  I hope he's not too discouraged and will try again next summer.  I went for a tube ride with Logan and Levi and had a blast.  Caleb went tubing a time or two, and Caleb and Levi went for a fun waverunner ride with Uncle Harold (speed is the name of the game...).  Of course Mike went skiing and showed everybody up with his skills.  :)  Jackson had fun again playing around in the water.  He's a little TOO brave, gotta keep an eye on him!  It's so much fun to see, and I hope he doesn't lose that desire to be in the water.  We had such a great summer at the cottage, and love all the memories we've been able to make.  More and more I appreciate all the family time together.

I've got little boys waking up for their first day of school, time to get to work!

winding down

Summer is winding down and I have mixed feelings about it.  Summer Break went super fast, which I am a little sad about, but it will be good to get back to the school routine next week.  We have had such a great summer, with lots of fun memories to look back on, but lately the boys have been bickering ALL. THE. TIME. and momma needs a break!  The one major downside to school starting will be the effect it has on Jackson's naps.  My marathon napper.  (Still can't believe he has earned that title.)

We've had some more fun activities these last couple weeks.  Playdates at the park with school friends, Caleb and Logan went to a friend's house for an afternoon, we've been to the cottage a couple times, last week we went to the community fair a couple times, and, of course, there was the solar eclipse!

The eclipse was SO COOL!  Had travel been more feasible it would have been neat to be in the path of totality, however we were at 80-some percent here and that was still incredible to see.  Certainly part of the enjoyment was seeing it myself, but I also got such a kick out of the kids enjoying it.  Earlier before the eclipse the sky was fairly clear with some clouds, but right before it was going to begin the sky became quite overcast.  We were quite disappointed, and I was doing my best to keep a good attitude (sometimes it's hard to be the adult in the group!).  We hung around outside hoping things would clear up and after a bit when I checked I could see just a sliver of the moon covering the sun.  The boys got their glasses on, and when they saw it, too, they were SO excited.  "I can see it! I can see it! I can see it!!"  Pure joy and wonder and God's Creation.  We really enjoyed witnessing it over the next while, and thankfully it was right at naptime, so Jackson just slept through the whole thing.  :)  It was so strange how the lighting changed outside.  Since it wasn't a full eclipse here it didn't get very dark, but there was a weird twilight-y type of cast to things.  And, it really cooled off noticeably.  We were also having fun keeping tabs with various members of my family and what the eclipse was like for them.

Of course we went to the fair last week.  The boys only talk about it ALL YEAR.  :)  I took them Tuesday afternoon and we just stayed there until Mike was able to meet up with us after work.  I was exhausted by the time we came home!  Caleb, Logan, and Levi each got to do a bunch of different rides, and play a game or two.  Caleb won four goldfish!!  (Almost a week later, and we're down to two.)  In the evening when Mike was there, Logan and Levi rode the ferris wheel with him.  Caleb rode The Zipper with Mike and after loving it last year, he absolutely hated it this year.  He came off in tears.  I'm not sure what the difference was, but I'm fine with him not wanting to ride it!  :)  We went to the fair again later in the week as we hadn't had time to walk through the animal barns with Mike on Tuesday.  Jackson loved the cows (he is obsessed with cows right now!).  Caleb and Logan each got to sit on a horse!  Levi could have, but changed his mind.  :)  (They were tall horses!)

On Saturday at the cottage Jackson was absolutely loving the water.  The week before he had been getting pretty brave, and it was no different this week.  I don't remember any of the other boys playing in the water at that age the way he was!  It's fun, but also requires man-to-man defense for safety purposes.  :)  Logan attempted waterskiing a couple weeks ago (and did great, got up for a couple seconds one time), but wouldn't try this past Saturday.  At this point he's saying he will try this coming weekend (the last time for the summer!).

Jackson keeps on coming up with new things to say.  He had some super cranky days last week, I'm reeeeeeallly hoping it was just the little cold he had and not an introduction to the Terrible Two's.  He loves cows and babies, various stuffed animals, wearing his bright blue rain boots, and being outside.  He likes to be silly when I go to get him out of his crib (laying down again, acting like he wants to stay).  He's like a little tornado going through the house, leaving a path of destruction.  There is no "keeping things in order" with him around.  He likes to look at books and insists on being picked up when I'm trying to work in the kitchen.  He still hates diaper/clothing changes just like he always has.  He looooooooves Daddy - we've done a few video calls now, which Jackson thoroughly enjoys, but he is NOT happy when the phone call is done.  Jackson generally goes to bed very well again - I don't get snuggles, but at least he's not mad and he'll say "nigh-nigh".

I'm looking forward to having some extra time with Levi on the days he's home from school.  I feel like he needs a little extra attention that's just really hard to fit in right now.  Hopefully we'll be able to get into a good routine where everyone is getting enough sleep, and I think that will help, too.  :)

kindergarten

Levi went on his Kindergarten shopping day with Grandma a couple days ago!  He's all set up with new clothes and supplies for school.  Not a huge surprise, he picked out a John Deere backpack.  :)  I still need time to get ready for school.  I have most of the supplies and books set, but I really need to go through their clothes and I VERY MUCH dislike that job.  Having kids try stuff on, deciding what they really need....not fun.  This has been a great summer, and going so fast!  I can honestly say that I'm not desperate for school to begin (that is pretty huge).  I'm starting to see the signs that maybe I'll be ready when the time comes, but I'm not yet wishing for summer to be over.  :)

We've had lots of fun since the last time I was able to update the blog.  Last week Caleb and Logan went to an Arts Camp at a local church.  Levi went to a Vacation Bible School at another church.  It was a little crazy getting everyone where they needed to be each morning, but they were both things we really wanted to do, so we made it work.  Caleb and Logan loved Arts Camp!  Caleb took Photography and Chalk Art classes; and Logan took Cooking and Grilling.  They really enjoyed it and I'm so glad it worked out for them to go.  Levi went to VBS at Jamestown, so it was in a familiar place (it's where I got to Bible Study), there were a few kids he knew, and my best friend always leads the Kindergarten class, so that helped, too.  She did comment on how quiet he is, which is something that has really come on strong in the last year or so.  I don't like overloading on organized activities, but something like this was a good fit for Levi to do something 'on his own' (i.e. without the safety net of his big brothers).

The garden seems to be doing fairly well.  The cucumbers produced very well, so with all of ours combined with those that Mike and the boys gleaned a couple weeks ago, I have canned A LOT of pickles.  My boys love 'em!  The zucchini plants are doing well, I have some peppers coming, and most of the tomato plants are looking pretty good.

Last weekend at the cottage Levi, Logan, and myself went kneeboarding, and it was so awesome!  Mike did it, too, of course, but that's no big deal.  ;)  He did it to show how easy it is, and then Levi agreed to go.  He did great!!  I didn't have my phone with me on the boat because I didn't expect all that to happen, so after he went and Logan said he wanted to go, I got my phone to get a few pictures, then Levi agreed to go again so I could document it!  Logan fell after awhile because we had to go through some pretty good sized waves (actually, he stayed on longer through the waves than I expected).  And, Levi needs to work on his 'dismount'.

Yesterday morning I went kayaking with a group of women from church, and it was so great!  We went down the Grand River from Grand River Park to Eastmanville.  It was a beautiful morning and an enjoyable time hanging out with the other women.  We saw a bald eagle!  It seemed like we ended up against the wind a fair bit, and my arms and shoulders are quite sore now.

It was pretty funny the other night - I think it was the first time big brothers actually got frustrated with Jackson.  They were trying to build things with Duplos in the living room (Caleb a farm, Logan some sort of building, and Levi had celery wagons behind his tractor), and Jackson was messing it up.  I heard "Jackson!!" on more than one occasion.  Of course, at the time I was trying to cut corn off the cob for freezing, and if there wasn't a problem in the living room Jackson was grabbing at my leg wanting to be held, so that simple job took me probably 5x as long as it needed to (par for the course).

Jackson is talking more and more.  I don't have a good list of all the words he's saying, but I just heard him say "thank you", and he says that A LOT.  He is my most polite child!  When he says "Awwwww" when hugging a stuffed animal or seeing a picture of a cat or a baby, I think I might melt.  "Belly" is another one of his favorites (sounds like "bye") - he says it while pulling up his shirt.  The other day in front of some friends he tried to pull up my shirt while saying "belly".  Ummmm, no.  Ha!  He has said "moo" for a long time, but now he actually says "cow".  There are a number of things he says that aren't real discernable, but I know what he's saying (I love that) - like "fi" for pacifier, and I don't even know how to say what he says for "trash" (he loves putting things in the trash). He also says "outside" a lot.  There are so many things I wish I could remember...

We've got poison ivy like the plague around here.  I started with it a few weeks ago and just can't seem to get over it.  The main areas I started with have cleared up, but I keep having new bumps and itchy spots popping up and I'm about to lose my mind.  Logan must have got into some at the beginning of the week because he has ended up with it - mostly on his face, but a few bumps elsewhere.  Levi has a few spots on his leg that are looking like poison ivy.  JUST GO AWAY!  I'm not going to let it keep me from enjoying the rest of our summer, though, so take that, poison ivy!  :)

2/3

We're approximately two-thirds of the way through summer break and, of course, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!  Slow down!  We really are enjoying summer.  As school was finishing up in the spring I was dreading summer a little bit, but so far it's great.  (Ask me again in a few weeks...  Last year August was the biggest struggle.)

Since my last post we've been to Harold and Kara's cottage a couple more times, and my aunt's cottage one Saturday as well.  At her cottage we (Logan, Mike, and myself) had a blast jumping off the diving board.  Caleb was SO close to doing it, but then decided not to.  :(  We were able to hang out with Tom, Tera, Luke, and Jude a couple more times before they headed home to Kenya.  All the boys have so much fun playing together, I love it.  A couple weeks ago Caleb and Levi went to our school's soccer camp.  There were a couple hot days, and they (especially Levi) were worn out by the end of the week, but I think they enjoyed it.  Last week Levi was able to go to a friend's birthday party, and I think it was a good experience for him.  He needs to do more things where he's on his own without his big brothers to boss him around.  :)  Also last week I had a school playdate here.  I've been wanting to get together with some school families over the summer, and this worked out really nice.  About 7 other moms showed up, a whole bunch of kids, and we had a nice time chatting while the kids just ran around outside or down in the basement.

Jackson is just too much fun right now.  He's talking like crazy - Emmy, Roxy, doggy, woof-woof, ball, moo, thank you, more, please, down, all done, Mommy, Daddy, Papa, trash (he likes to put things in the trash - he takes care of his own diapers!), awwww (when he's hugging a stuffed animal or when he sees a kitten in a book).  I'm sure there's a few more I'm forgetting, and I wish I could catch it all on camera because of course he sounds so cute.  Jackson really seems to enjoy hanging out in his crib when he wakes up in the morning or after his nap.  Sometimes when he wakes up in the afternoon I'll let him play for a while before I even go in his room, and then when I do he still doesn't want to get out of his crib, so I just leave him in there for a while yet!

I need to be domesticated and start canning pickles today.  Our garden had a bunch ready, and Mike took the older boys to glean pickles from a friend (like we did last year).  At least it's cooled off a bit today so it won't be so hot in the kitchen!

kids

Caleb:  Getting more independent, which is good, we just need to help him figure out what's an appropriate level of independence at this age.  He wants to go off and be on his own at times when that might not be the safest choice.  He's been challenging me more when I tell him to do something (especially when we're in front of other people), but he's still such a sweetheart inside.  He acts big and tough with certain things, but other times is still scared.  Like at the cottage, he's getting a little big for his britches and getting cocky while out on the tube behind the boat.  If the lake hadn't been so busy when they were tubing, I'd be all for dumping him off the tube.  :)  So, he's brave on the tube, but he won't try anything else behind the boat.  He'll jump off the pontoon boat in the middle of the lake, but he's too scared to jump off the raft by the cottage.  On the 4th we went to some kids games in the park at the lake, and he had no problem jumping in and participating with the games.

Logan:  He is more reserved and not as bold as Caleb.  He's so curious, with lots and lots of questions.  He is very observant, and seems to especially enjoy science - whether it be facts about the planets or investigating a strange bug.  He loves swimming at the cottage, and spends as much time as he can underwater.  This past weekend he started opening his eyes underwater and was pretty excited about what he could see.  He has no problem jumping off the raft, and will go tubing.  I tried to convince him the other day that he'd be good at wake surfing because he's pretty coordinated, but he's just not ready yet.  :)  One of my biggest challenges with him, and has been for awhile, is how he likes to take everything I say so literally, and use it against me later.  I always have to think through what I'm saying to him, and it can be exhausting.

Levi:  My farmer.  He loves playing with trucks and tractors, and he jumps at opportunities to help with jobs outside.  He's good at taking initiative on things - like helping to unload the van after we get back from the cottage without being asked.  He'll ask if he can help in the garden.  He mostly has no problem keeping up with the big guys, he'll maybe just get tired a little quicker and it shows in his behavior.  One of the recent times when we were on our way home from the cottage (and Caleb and Logan were riding with Mike), I said something to Levi about missing him because we're so busy having fun when were there.  And he said, "Yeah, that's why I come find you sometimes."  Melt!  He has really been improving with his swimming.  He'll keep his lifejacket on most of the time, but this last time he was getting brave and taking it off some to try swimming like that.  He'll swim out to the raft, but he won't jump off.  He'll go tubing as well.  Don't make him mad, though.  If he's upset you'll get quite a look, and good luck getting him to say anything.

Jackson:  He has all of the sudden over the last couple weeks gotten into looking at books.  So fun!  He's especially good at making noises for cow and tractor, and saying "ball" when he sees one.  Last week he said "nigh nigh" for the first time and I thought my heart might melt.  However, for most naps and bedtimes lately he's been angry about being put down.  I'd mucher rather have some snuggles than screaming.  :(  He's also angry pretty much every time I have to change him.  Lots of kicking and screaming.  Good times.  But when he's playing and happy (and I'm not trying to get anything else done), he's so much fun!  He's saying "More, please" (aloud and in sign language) all the time asking for stuff, so the trick is trying to figure out what he's asking for.  He also says "All done" a lot (he says it like "da dun").  Also lately, he LOVES babies and giving hugs.  Last week when we were at our friend's house, they have a life-size baby doll, and he was enjoying picking it up, holding it, and hugging it.  Now since then we've been around a few other REAL babies, and he reaches up wanting to hold them.  When given the chance he gives hugs, and it's pretty much one of the cutest things ever.  He's been upset at each nursery drop-off the last several times, but is fine within a few minutes.  Phew.  He also gets upset at times when he gets to see Mike for just a few minutes - like if we visit him at work and then have to leave, or when Mike gets home from work and then has to do something else after holding him for a minute.  He has been doing so well on the summer schedule, sleeping in and doing 3-4 hour naps.  Woo-hoo!

Love my boys and the uniqueness they bring to the family.  There are plenty of challenges, but for the most part I love the crazy we've got going on here, and wouldn't have it any other way.  :)

summer fun

I have so much to catch up on!  We've been doing so many fun things lately, and we're all wiped out, but I wouldn't trade a thing.

I'll pick up where I think I left off last time.  My sister was still in town with her youngest, and the boys had so much fun hanging out.  On that Monday morning, they hung out at my sister-in-law's while my mom, sister, myself and Jackson went to Countryside Greenhouse.  We're so used to having plenty of greenhouse options around here, but my sister has nothing like it where she lives, so it's pretty cool to go to a place like Countryside and wander around.  Unfortunately, she was going to be flying home, so she wasn't able to get anything other than a couple seed packets.  :)  That afternoon my mom stayed with Jackson while he napped and my sister, sister-in-law, and myself took the kids mini-golfing.  It's about as much fun as you might imagine it would be with a bunch of 7-10 year olds....  :)  And then that night we went over to my parents to give the kids a chance to get some farm play time in.  What could be better than making memories with your cousins, running around your grandparents farm, playing in the hay loft, walking in the corn field, and spraying each other with the hose??  I sure hope my kids cherish all these moments.

The next day was the last day of the summer Bible study I went to.  It was so great to have a summer study to attend.  Now to figure out what to do for the rest of the summer before the fall study begins!  In the evening was the Zeeland Zoom 5k race.  So, even at the ripe old age of 37, I make impulsive, foolish decisions.  Caleb has been wanting to participate for a couple years now and it just hasn't happened.  Just a few weeks ago my dad said something to Caleb about the race, he wanted to do it, and I figured being a young, energetic child he didn't need much time to prepare.  I wasn't real comfortable with him doing it just with my dad, so I went ahead and signed up, too.  Yeah.  I haven't run at all in years and now I signed up for a 5k that was less than 3 weeks away...  In case you're not familiar with running, that is not enough time to train.  Caleb ended up not being up for the 5k, so he did the 1 mile "Little Zoomers" race and loved it.  Given that I only fit in 4 runs before the race and they were VERY slow, I would have been happy to finish the race in 40 minutes.  I completely surprised myself by running the whole way without stopping to walk at all, and finishing in 35 minutes!  Obviously that's nothing stellar compared to other people, but personally I was thrilled!  I wore my "I hate running" shirt for the race and felt like I was getting some dirty looks.  Apparently not everyone has a sense of humor??  My dad finished just ahead of me, and got 2nd place in his age group - out of two people.  :)  It was a fun night, I felt great, and I may just try to keep up this running thing a little bit.  We'll see - heading into Mike's busy season makes that a little more difficult.

On Wednesday the kids and I were able to go to a friend's house to swim.  It wasn't the warmest weather, but that doesn't stop the kids, they had lots of fun swimming then playing on their playset.

Thursday was our first day just spent at home in so long!  It was wonderful.  I loved all the stuff we'd been doing, but it was good to have a little break.

Friday I got the kids packed up and headed to the cottage just after lunch.  It was not fun getting everything packed by myself, but we survived.  Soooooo thankful that Jackson naps well there.  I had the afternoon to recover while he napped and the other boys played.  Mike's brother and his wife who are in town from Kenya were also there and it was great to have the time with them.  Mike made it up in the evening after work and we spent the night there.  My favorite is being there early in the morning and sitting on the deck with a cup of coffee while everything is so quiet and calm.  Later on Saturday was a family reunion with the Krol/VanBeek's plus Mike's mom's side of the family, the Sjoerdsma's.  We had a beautiful day, and it's fun to see everyone, but there are so many people it's hard to connect with everyone!  Oh yeah, it was our 13th anniversary, too, but we didn't really have a chance to celebrate at all.  Maybe we'll have a date night soon...

We came home Saturday night, had Sunday to go to recover, go to church, and prepare for the coming week; and then Monday I headed back up to the cottage with the kids for the 4th of July.  Thankfully packing went much better that time and wasn't as stressful.  The packing would be fine, we don't need THAT much stuff, but when there's a toddler running around that just makes things a tad more difficult.  We had a fun afternoon hanging out, and Mike came after work again.  This time he made a splash with his entrance.  :)  Came right down the dock in his work clothes, boots and everything, and jumped in the lake!  It was another beautiful evening, and at around 10pm were the fireworks.  They put on a pretty good show there!  Tuesday I was pretty tired, and could definitely see it in the kids' eyes as well.  We had a fun day, though, got home and to bed on time last night, and it's after 8am and the house is still quiet!  I feel bad for Mike having to go to work.  :(  I guess I'm at work, too, and have a lot to catch up on after being gone, but at least I didn't have to get up quite as early as he did.

salty

We had a great time with my family at Salt Fork State Park last weekend.  I would highly recommend it as a vacation destination!  Way back when my family was together for Christmas, we blocked out a weekend on the calendar that we would all get together in celebration of my parent's 50th wedding anniversary.  The search began for a place for us to all meet up, and my brother found Salt Fork State Park.  It's beautiful!  My parents rented four cabins, borrowed a boat, and we just had a fun time boating, tubing, skiing, swimming, hiking, eating, having a scavenger hunt and a donut eating contest, and just hanging out.  I told my parents I want to do this again when I don't have a todder.  :)  He napped great, for which I am so thankful, and at times it certainly helped to have extra hands around to keep track of him, but, wow.  He has an idea of what he wants to do, and if you thwart his plans at all, he will let you know.  Loudly.  It was about a 7 hour drive, and our big three did great.  J on the other hand...  He wasn't TERRIBLE, but he didn't do all that great either.  Let's just say I have no desire for another road trip anytime soon.

We returned from Ohio Tuesday evening, and then right away Wednesday morning I got Caleb and Logan off to Vacation Bible School at our church.  They were definitely tired when I picked them up again, and it was a little hard for them to jump in midweek, but they had a great time the rest of the week.  They were able to join in on the red team, and be with a couple of their friends from school.

In the midst of our Ohio trip, Mike's brother, sister-in-law, and their boys came to Michigan from Kenya for their summer visit.  So, Wednesday night we were able to finally see them!  It was great to see them again, and of course all the boys had no problem just jumping right in and playing together.

Friday night we went to Eric and Lea Anne's for tacos and to get some more family time - my sister came back to Michigan with my parents after the Ohio trip.

Saturday morning first thing Mike and I went with my parents to the attorney's office to sign papers and officially become an LLC for the beef business!  We've been operating this year as if we're in business together, but now it's officially official.  We are now S & K Farms, LLC.

After finishing with that we headed up to the cottage.  (With a quick stop on the way to see if we could catch part of Mike's nephew's baseball game - semi finals or something - but they had JUST lost when we pulled in.)  It was a nice enough day at the cottage; cool, but at least we had sun here and there.  :)  Doesn't stop the kids, they play in the water no matter what!  Logan fell off the tube behind the boat for the first time, just hit a wave wrong, I guess.  From what I heard, I think maybe he was a little shocked at first, but took it like a champ, and got back in the tube for more!

Mike started celery harvest this past week.  How can it be???  It's nice that he does a slow ramp-up on the craziness.  He started with some people on Thursday, some more will start tomorrow, then everybody on Wednesday.  They have several more acres of celery planted this year than they did last year, and I know how many hours he worked last year, so I'm not entirely sure how this is all going to get done, but he's trying to assure me that it's all going to be okay.  :)

Jackson has gotten REALLY good at saying "bye".  He loves to say it: loudly, repeatedly, and while waving.  It's pretty stinkin' cute.  I get lots of looks and smiles at the grocery store, as people can hear him coming from aisles away, and then he says "bye" as we pass their cart.  He was saying "bye" at the cottage last night, at church today, and when our friend Jose was leaving after dropping off some tamales (yum!).  It was funny, at church tonight Mike was holding him and he was crying about going into nursery.  He looked at the lady behind the counter, and very tearfully said, "bye!" Mike, of course, was eating it up.  :)

sweet summertime

So, Jackson's napping hasn't been quite as intense as the first week of summer break, but he's still sleeping very well and I can't complain.  He has been quite a handful when awake, so his time spent in bed is extra important.  :)  This is only a phase, this is only a phase, this is only a phase...  We've had a couple biting incidents this week, let's hope that's not a hard behavior to conquer.  We may have another strong-willed little boy on our hands, which I realize can end up being an awesome thing later on in life, but, Lord, give me the strength and wisdom to help shape him into a GODLY strong-willed man with proper respect for authority!  No pressure.

A couple weeks ago I was able to help my dad pour a little concrete.  That was a blast from the past!  It was fun to have my older three with me, and they handled it pretty well.  The farm is so different from when I was their age that it's hard to share my experiences with them - they don't get to milk cows, feed calves, chop corn, etc. - but pouring cement was a way to share a bit of my childhood with them.  We also baled hay in the field behind our house last week, and that's another activity that I like sharing with my kids.  It's very different from when I was a kid, but at least they get the general idea.  :)

Two weekends ago Mike and I got a lot of work done on the outside of the house.  He had been able to fix the roofline in the house where the chimney used to be, so I wanted to paint the old siding that was underneath the chimney, just as a temporary fix until we can replace the siding a few years down the road.  So, before that we powerwashed the house.  Amazing!!  What a huge difference in made.  I knew the house was dingy in a few spots, but once we got started I realized how bad it was and it looks SO. MUCH. BETTER. to have it done!  It was a beautiful Friday night and Mike had a lift from work, which helped tremendously.  Took me a *little* while to get comfortable on the lift (and I still don't know that I could call it "comfortable").  It was definitely an exercise in trust in our marriage.  :)  Lets just say Mike's more confident in the lift because he has used it a lot at work, and when they're using it at work, he an his co-worker like to mess around getting the thing swaying and even trying to get one wheel off the ground.  I am NOT a fan of such behavior.  :)  Anyways, the next day I went up in the lift to paint the siding and it looks much better.  Clearly just a temporary fix, but for it being on the back side of the house where few people see it, I'm happy with how it looks.

That weekend I also got my tomatoes and peppers planted in the garden.  I got some fun plants this year and am excited to see how they turn out!  We're trying yet another method for supporting our tomatoes, really hope this way works.  We took the no-till approach in the garden this year, it will be interesting to see if there's any difference.  Last week I was able to get everything else planted (sunflowers, zucchini, beans, cucumbers, cabbage, dill, radishes...), and put hay down for weed control.  We made a trip as a family to Countryside Greenhouse to find the rest of what I needed.  What a place!  The strawberries I planted last year really took off and multiplied, and right now we are harvesting berries like crazy!  All the boys love the strawberries, and it's fun having them help pick and be excited about it.  Last night Jackson was in the garden while Logan and I were picking, and he was just popping them in his mouth like crazy!  I could hardly keep up with taking the tops off for him.  :)

Last week we started doing some biking with the family, and we are thoroughly enjoying it!  We're really hoping Mike has enough energy for it still after harvest starts.  :)  One night he took the boys by himself while I was getting my hair done, and we've gone all together a couple times since.  Caleb, Logan, and Levi can all ride bike great, and we have a seat for Jackson so we don't have to mess with a trailer or anything.  I'd love to be able to take the boys biking during the day, but I don't have a way to take them all in the van.  I knew last summer already that Logan was close to outgrowing his bike, so I finally broke down and found him one at Love, INC.  It's really a pretty nice bike, he loves it, and it's needed just a little fixing.

Jackson has been getting better with talking, and that is one thing that is just so fun about this age.  He's pretty clear about asking for Daddy, and he'll even do this super cute thing where he holds up his hands and is like, "Where go?"  He also says "doggy", "ball", and "mom".  He kinda says "please" while signing, and he'll say "da-da" in a certain tone for "all done".  He has gotten into the habit of setting his pacifier on his crib after I change his diaper to save it for the next bedtime.  And he likes to bring his diaper to the trash and clap for himself after he's taken care of it.  :)  A week or two ago we moved his booster seat up to the dining table rather than using his tray anymore.  When he finishes he likes to hand me his plate, fork, and cup to clear off the table.  Did I mention he is our Little Dipper?  Cracks us up.  He likes to dip is food - ketchup, ranch, yogurt, guacamole...whatever.  Pretty cute how he does it.  I love watching my kids really concentrate on something.

Friday afternoon we had Boden and Heidi over, and the kids played so nice.  And Saturday we were able to make it up to the cottage - it was very windy, but without the wind we would have been baking!  Monday was Mike's birthday, and were were able to have a couple treats for him.  A cinnamon roll and ice cream treats brought to work, pudding after supper (Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken!), and I think I even included an almond patty in his lunch even though I would have rather kept it for myself.  ;)  (I know my mom gave me two of those with the intention that we'd each have one, so I couldn't in good conscience keep it for myself, even though he wouldn't really miss it...)

The last two weeks on Tuesday mornings we've had a summer Bible study.  It's just four weeks total, and I have to miss a week, but something is better than nothing!  It's been great to get together and discuss the book we're going through, I do so much better with my study when I'm part of a group.

Right now the big three are outside beating the heat with the neighbor boys that they've become friends with.  Yesterday they brought over a water balloon launcher, today a slip and slide.  I love it!

growth spurt?

We're only a few days into summer break, but the non-school schedule sure seems to agree with Jackson.  He's been sleeping a ton!  Maybe a growth spurt?  It's been wonderful letting him sleep as long as he needs to.  The last couple mornings I've gotten him out of bed at 9am - he was awake (not sure for how long) but just happy laying in bed, yesterday afternoon he took a 4 hour nap, and so far today he's at 3.5 hours and still going strong.  I can hardly believe this is my baby that would only nap for 30 minutes at a time for a good portion of his first year.  Maybe he's finally catching up on his sleep now...

So last week I got a call again on Tuesday about Logan having a headache.  I wasn't home, so I headed home to get Tylenol then went back to school.  I could tell it wasn't as bad as the day before, so just gave him the medicine and had him stay at school.  I was starting to get worried that maybe we were dealing with a bigger issue (anxiety? migraines? eyesight?), but he's been fine since now, so it must have just been a bug.  I am going to keep an eye on him because of his tonsils, though - one side is swollen a lot, he seems to almost always be congested, and Caleb says that he snores (I'm going to have to do some fact-checking one of these nights.).

On Wednesday I helped with Field Day at school and it was so much fun!  I love getting to know all the kids better and call them by name.  Our boys will likely be with a lot of those kids until they graduate, and I'm sure that's going to come way too fast!  Jackson came with me and did just fine in his stroller.  Phew.  Levi's team was at my station right away, and I tried to help him through some shyness when it was his turn.  When I saw him later he seemed to be getting along fine.  His teacher said there was one issue when there was a false start on the race, but they worked through it.  :)  Caleb and Logan sure seemed to be having fun.

That evening I was finally able to make the drive down to Kalamazoo to visit my college friend, Jen, at meet her new baby, Scarlett!  What a doll.  I miss my boys being small like that, but I don't want any more of my own.  ;)

Thursday was the last day of school.  I got Jackson settled to nap for the afternoon at my parent's so that I could take Levi on his field trip to Playworld.  Of course he was a little shy at first, but once he got playing he was fine.  Caleb and Logan cleaned out their desks, and it shouldn't be surprising that Caleb came home with a ton of crayons/markers/pencils/pens just dumped in a garbage bag.  I finally sorted through it yesterday.

Friday was a fun day as we ran a few errands, including stopping in at Byron Center Meats so we were able to do a little bit of the Kent Trail, and then we went to Mike's work for a cookout at lunchtime.  And then he was done for the day - woo hoo!!

Saturday was our first visit to the cottage for the season, and it was a gorgeous day!  Jackson did pretty well - he took a good nap for one thing, which is total opposite from last summer.  He played pretty nice in the sand.  I'm probably most worried about how he wanders without fear, and that he thinks he's better at steps than he really is.  The water was a little chilly, but not terrible, and the other kids played quite a bit in it.

Monday we attended the Memorial Day parade in Jenison, and again had very nice weather.  Jackson was NOT a happy camper.  For about 30 seconds he did nice sitting on the side of the road, but then he wanted to just take off and run down the road with the parade and was very mad when we grabbed him.  Mike and I took a couple turns walking him in his stroller to pass the time.  Of course the other boys had a blast collecting candy.

Funny conversation from yesterday:  Somehow we got talking about football (clearly not my thing) and Logan asked what you were supposed to do for the game.  I said something like you're trying to get to your end zone with the ball, but the other guys can do whatever they want to stop you.  Logan: "Does it hurt?"  Me: "Yeah, some people get hurt real bad." Logan: "Then why do they want to play?"  Good question, son, good question...  :)

Had a great discussion with the boys over lunch today regarding God defeating Satan, how to go to Heaven, etc.  I feel so inadequate to answer their questions!  Love to see that they are thinking and using their brains.  I try to play it cool, but on the inside I'm kinda freaking out and praying for the right words.

I almost forgot!  Last week I won a book on the radio!  I heard the announcer say something about a book "A Mom's Prayers for Her Son" and calling in to win.  So I called, he answered, and I won!  We talked for a few minutes, and I was so nervous the whole time thinking the conversation might end up on the radio.  He said something about "Elizabeth from West Michigan" winning the book, but that was it.  The next morning I had the radio on again, wasn't listening all that close and I heard someone say something about having four sons, and I think, "Cool!  Just like me!  I'd better listen up."  Then, a couple more seconds and I realize it was ME talking.  Didn't even recognize my own voice on the radio.  So, my conversation did end up getting played, and I was able to record some of it on my phone, even though I'm not a huge fan of how my voice sounds.  :)

almost done

The school year is almost done, and I. Can't. Believe. It!!!  I have mixed feelings about summer break.  I am looking forward to it and dreading it all at the same time.

Two Saturday's ago Mike was able to complete the second leg of his kayaking adventure down the Macatawa River.  This time his cousin Joe went along, and of course, Caleb and Logan again.  They started where they left off at the Adam's Street Landing, and went all the way to Lake Macatawa.  Levi, Jackson, and I were able to see them at 120th and welcome them in at the end.

The next day was Mother's Day, and my guys took me to Red Robin for lunch.  We were initially thinking of Olive Garden, but at 11am there was already a line outside, and when dining out with four little boys, not having to wait is a crucial part of whether it's an enjoyable meal or not.  :)  In the evening our church had a great concert by a men's choir from California Baptist University - they were so good!

Last Tuesday I was able to be a driver for Caleb and Logan's field trip to the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo.  What a great place for kids!  We're going to have to get back there as a family sometime.  I was exhausted by the end of the day, didn't help that I had just come down with a cold.

Friday morning Levi had a friend from school over, and then that evening we went over to their house to hang out for a while.  The dad is out of town for a couple weeks, and Mike was planting for my dad every evening, so us moms needing something to do with the kids!

Saturday morning we went to the Walk for Life for Alpha Women's Center - this was the second year that we've raised money and participated, and I'm so glad we did! It's a great organization, and I really appreciate having something our children can be involved in.

We left straight from the Walk for Life for the other side of the state.  Fortunately, lunchtime coincided with a Chick-fil-A in Lansing.  :)  We got to our hotel in Auburn Hills later on, the big boys did some swimming while Jackson took a nap, then we went out for supper and ended up at a hole-in-the-wall type place with some of the best pizza I've ever had!  After supper the boys did some more swimming, and then we attempted bedtime.  This was probably the best hotel room we've stayed in as a family, as there were two separate rooms and the bathroom could be accessed from both rooms.  The big three went to bed fine, but for some reason Jackson was really jazzed up.  The next morning we were able to be leisurely about getting ready and having breakfast, then we headed out to Steve and Erin's church for our new niece, Anna's, baptism.  We were fortunate enough to be there on "Music Sunday" so we enjoyed a number of great musical pieces.  I especially enjoyed the handbell choir as that's not something I get to see very often.  After church we headed to Steve and Erin's house for lunch and had a nice time with family and some of their church friends.  Thankfully the drive home was fairly uneventful after we got through some heavy rain at the beginning.  Turned a movie on for the boys, Levi fell asleep for quite awhile, and Jackson was mostly content.  All in all, a great weekend!

This morning was the start of our last week of school for this year!  After dropping Caleb and Logan off, Levi had to go to his 5 yr check-up at the doctor.  Guess what?  He's a healthy, growing boy! Love when the doctor says, "Just keep doing what you're doing!"  :)  Levi is 48 lbs, which is 89th percentile; and he is 3' 10", which is 95th percentile.  Not surprised.  :)

Not long after getting home from the doctor and groceries, I got a call from school that Logan wasn't feeling well with a headache.  I headed over there to give him some Tylenol, hoping he'd then be able to stay, but he was pretty upset and in tears over it, so I just took him home.  He seems to be feeling pretty decent now, so hopefully he'll be fine to go back tomorrow and not miss more of his last week of 1st grade!

may flowers

I guess it's almost the middle of May already.  Oops!

A few weeks ago, Mike took Caleb and Logan, along with my brother Eric and his son Boden, on a kayaking adventure he'd dreamed up a few months back.  He wanted to start on the Macatawa River where it crosses our street, and go as far as they could, possibly all the way to Lake Macatawa.  The mom side of me was a little unsure of Caleb and Logan each going in their own kayak, but they did just fine and had lots of fun.  I was able to see them at a couple crossing points near the beginning (at Quincy St, Chicago Dr, and Felch St), and things were moving pretty well at that point.  I guess it was partway through the Upper Macatawa Natural Area that things got a little more challenging.  Lots of trees blocking the river and they had to portage.  They made it as far as Adams Street Landing, and were on the river for about 5-6 hours, I believe.  It should be smoother sailing from there on to get to Lake Macatawa, but they ran out of time that day.

That evening we went to the Smith's for supper and to hang out.  Amy and I left the guys with the kids for a while to grab a coffee - we had fun and they survived!  :)

The next day was our pastor's last Sunday at our church before retiring.  There was a very nice farewell service for him, and a fellowship time after church.

Mike had told Caleb and Logan that if they did well on the kayak trip there would be some sort of reward.  He was very happy with how they did, (and I was happy with Levi's good attitude about not going even though he wanted to) so the next weekend we took the kids to Crazy Bounce.  It's a place with all sorts of different inflatables.  The boys loved it!  I had fun trying some of the slides, too.  Mike didn't really try anything because he had poison ivy that was bothering him.  Of course, Jackson finally got brave and was getting into it for the last 10 minutes.

That Saturday Caleb and Logan went to a friend's birthday party.  The grandma of the boy owns several exoctic birds, and they even got to hold a couple!  They were pretty excited about that.

That Sunday we had someone come as a pastoral candidate for our church.  He was there for two Sunday's and we really, really like him.  We had a fellowship time after church on the first Sunday, and a Q & A time afterwards on the second Sunday.  Our church will be voting in a couple weeks.  Praying everything works out smoothly!

Over that weekend Mike's Grandma Krol passed away.  We had had such a nice visit with her about a month before.  She had actually been more "with it" mentally than she had been for a long time before.  But, she had a bad fall and just didn't recover.  We're so thankful that she was a godly woman that lived a good, full life, and can now be free from pain.  Her visitation was on May 1st, and the funeral was the next day.  We tried taking the boys to just a little of the visitation, figuring it was a good experience for them and to "make an appearance" for the family, but Jackson had had enough after about 2 minutes...  Thankfully my brother, Eric, was already planning to come pick up the boys after a while and bring them home.  The next day for the funeral, Caleb and Logan just went to school, and Levi and Jackson went to Amy's house.  That really worked out nicely, because her house is right in between the church and the cemetery, so it was very convenient.  The visitation and service were both very nice.  Grandpa and Grandma Krol had such a good testimony as a couple, I hope Mike and I can be a blessing to others the way they were.

Later in the week I helped at a garage sale with some friends from church.  We do this every year and it's usually very busy, but this year the weather was less than ideal, so it was a little slower than normal but still steady.  This week we're doing another sale at a different house (with more stuff added!), and the weather is gorgeous, so I'm hoping to get rid of lots of stuff!!  :)  It's work, but fun doing this along with the others.  The kids play or nap, and it all just kinda works out.

Thursday evening Caleb, Logan, and Levi had their Spring Showcase Concert for school, and it was such a neat concert!  Many times these kids programs can be a bit of a drag, but I truly enjoyed it all.  There were various songs and recitations (catechism, poems, verses).  The kids really did well, singing and reciting loudly.  Caleb and Logan even each had a small solo!  So proud!

Friday, May 5, was Levi's FIFTH birthday!  He was pretty excited about having his golden birthday.  :)  Caleb and Logan are a little bummed that they have to wait until they're 29!  Ha!  I got Levi a treat before we went to the garage sale, of course he got to pick out a toy, and at supper he got his presents from us (a truck/auger/grain bin set, and garden tools).  Then Saturday was his birthday party with the family.  We spent the day getting ready, and it was a beautiful evening for a party!  One of the fun activities that we came up with for the kids was to hide several 'gold' rocks in the woods for them the find.  And, Jackson showed how good he is at walking around begging during cake and ice cream time.  (He really caught on to it at the church fellowship's.)

This Monday I was able to catch up with my dear friend, Edina, who I haven't seen in way too long.  You know how life just gets busy and time slips away?  We had a fun evening catching up and chatting over dinner.  She had her family will be moving to Hungary at some point, so I guess I know what country I need to add to my travel wish list!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot!  ON Levi's birthday he wanted the training wheels taken off his bike, and it didn't take long at all for him to get comfortable with it!!  I gave him a push a couple times, he fell a couple times, took a break and got back to it the next day, and each day he has improved.  So much fun to see.  He also got a scooter for his birthday, so he's been enjoying that.  Yay for nicer weather to play outside!!

Tuesday afternoon I was able to go help at school with a paper airplane lesson.  So much fun to be with all the kids.  (But glad I'm not a teacher.)  They had been learning about airplanes and the different forces that are at play, so each child made a paper airplane, then we went out in the hallway and flew them and measured the distance.  It was a fun exercise.  Next week I get to accompany them on a field trip to the Air Zoo, so that should be fun!

Wednesday morning Jackson had his 18 month appointment.  Unbelieveable!  As expected, he checked out great.  I haven't had any concerns (other than whether my sanity will survive his toddler years), and am very thankful for healthy little boys.  He weighed in at 25 lbs, which is 61st percentile.  I think the height on the paper they gave me might be incorrect - they measured him twice and maybe the corrected measurement didn't get entered soon enough before I got my paperwork.  Anyways, it says he's 2' 8", which is 32nd percentile, and that seems a little low.  He did have to get shots this time, and I feel so bad about it takes him off guard and he doesn't know what's happening!  As soon as he felt it he said, "Uh-oh!" and started to scream!  :(  He did recover fairly quickly, though, so that was good.

Today was a beautiful day and I thoroughly enjoyed not having to be crazy busy, just normal busy.  :)  I needed to pick up meat at Byron Center Meats, so Jackson, Levi, and I drove out that way then went for a walk on Kent Trails before getting the meat.  I had Jackson in the stroller and Levi rode his scooter.  We did two miles and it worked out great!  I'll have to do more of that this summer with the boys, their scooters are so easy to transport.  After lunch while Jackson was napping, I may or may not have dozed off for a few outside while Levi was riding his bike around and doing some 'gardening'.  :)  Love, love, love this weather!  After a dreary winter, I want to soak up as much of the nice weather as I can.  Later this afternoon we did some work in the garden.  I really need to get planning and deciding what to do this year...  I'm not sure if I'm excited about it or not.

I cannot believe school is almost done!  Why, O why, does it have to go so fast??