check-up

***Oops, written several days ago and not published.***

Took Jackson in for his three-year well-child visit yesterday.  He did great!  (Until it was time to leave, which is generally how it goes when I take him in public...)  He was super cute standing on the scale for the nurse, and getting his height measurement.  He opened wide when the doctor asked to see his teeth, he sat still when he looked in his ears (which I am amazed at, he is SO SQUIRMY when I'm trying to clean his ears), and he was friendly (not surprising).  Jackson is 32 lbs, which is the 59th percentile; and he is 3' 1.5" tall, which is *only* 49th percentile.  ;)  So, so thankful for an active, healthy little boy!

Some of our favorite words/sayings he says right now:
ree-tangle (rectangle)
The other night he said, "It's not sunny out, it's moony!"
"You're a bad boy!"
"I want somethin'." (When he wants to eat.)

We have had some sickness in the house already.  Hoping this means we're getting it out of the way at the beginning of the season and the rest of winter will be smooth sailing...  Last week Monday I had to pick Caleb up from school sick.  Thankfully he didn't throw up until we got home.  Then we were good the rest of the week until middle of the night Sunday night.  Logan threw up.  In the morning Levi said his tummy didn't feel good, so I kept them both home from school.  Levi didn't end up throwing up and felt fine this morning, so we'll see if we're in the clear with him...  Now I'm worried about what next Monday will bring!  Hopefully this isn't a weekly thing.

I ended up just taking Logan and Levi with me to Jackson's appointment.  I really didn't want to try and reschedule.  Who could I ask to watch my sick kids?  And, it seemed like I could make it through the appointment without them throwing up there (if I thought that was going to happen, I would have stayed home).  The point of making the little guy's appointments during the day is so I can go WITHOUT the other kids, but oh well, we survived without chaos!

three

Jackson is THREE today!  How did that happen?  He has been such a challenge, but at the same time, so. much. fun.  Jackson has a strong will, a lot of personality, and he's not afraid to show it.  He wants things done a certain way, and will loudly and defiantly express his displeasure if things aren't going the way he wants, no matter where we are.  I've had so many unpleasant experiences with him in public that I hardly bat an eye anymore.  For example, today we had to bring all four boys to the Post Office to apply for their passports.  Before we were going Logan asked if we had been there before.  He said something like, "You know, the place where to you talked to the guy and Jackson cried?" Me: "Ummmmm.....yeah, that's like every place I've been in public with him, I'm going to need a better description than that!"  And, can I just say that it is REALLY HARD to discipline consistently when managing a busy household?  Everything else doesn't just stop for a bit so that I can deal with one issue at a time.

But, Jackson can also be such a blast!  He still loves to talk (big surprise), and has an ever expanding vocabulary.  There are some words he doesn't pronounce correctly, and of course it's the cutest thing:
traptor = tractor
bana = banana
Miss Snephamie = Miss Stephanie (his Sunday School teacher)
brespes (or something like that) = breakfast
and a whole host more that I'm not thinking of right now.

Jackson is often quite friendly when we're out in public (if he's not mad and throwing a fit about something).  People love his smile and the twinkle in his eye - how could you not?!  He is doing so much better this school year than last.  Waking him up in the morning generally goes well (especially now that Mike's around when the boys get up), and if I have to wake him up in the afternoon (he hardly naps anymore) he's generally not a total beast.  Also, I'm actually able to help at some school things and have him along!  It is so wonderful to feel freer to help out with some things and not have to worry about finding a sitter all the time. 

Some things Jackson loves: his blue rain boots, almost any kind of dip for food (sour cream, guacamole, ranch, ketchup, mustard, and mayo...), forklifts, combines, being a stinker, and potty talk.  Yup.  We're having a harder time controlling that one with him than we have with the other boys. 

As usual, I know I'm forgetting things that I'd love to record and remember.  I LOVE seeing our boys grow up, but I hate forgetting all the cute little things they do when they're little!

I have plenty of other catching up to do on the blog, hopefully will have a chance for that soon...

shop

I forgot in the last post!  A new Meijer store opened up in Hudsonville (Jamestown Township), and we trekked over there the first day it was open.  I hadn't planned to, but then decided it could be fun to check it out, and I told the boys that it would be cool if someday they shopped there with their kids and could tell them they were there the day it opened.  :)  It was busy, but not too crazy.  I took my mom along, and it's not like I was going to get a bunch of groceries.  I let the boys each take a little bit of their own money to spend, so they spent some time picking out toys.

It will be handy having a Meijer a little closer, but I need an Aldi nearby!

hot hot hot

We've certainly had some good, hot, summer weather the past few weeks!  We were up at the cottage for the 4th, and the weekend following, and it was perfect weather to be at the lake.  We are getting to the point of needing some rain, but hopefully we can hang in there a little longer as I don't think there's anything predicted for a few days.

We had such a great time with Tom, Tera, Luke, and Jude while they were in town.  I love it that all the boys can just pick up with each other as if no time has passed.  We had splash pad playdates, hang out time at our house, time at the cottage, and Levi was able to do an overnight with them at Grandpa and Grandma's house.  It is rare that he gets to spend time with a cousin his age (since there are none on the Steenwyk side, and all of the ones his age on the Krol/VanBeek side live far away), so it was neat that that worked out.  We started making some general plans for our trip to Kenya next winter, and we're getting more and more excited!

With everything going on, Mike and I weren't able to go out for our anniversary, but we hope to fit in a date soon!  It was on a Sunday, and we just took the kids to Wendy's for lunch like any normal Sunday.  :)  I love my life, I love my marriage, I love my family, and I love it that we can be flexible together.

I've been staying a little busy with volleyball.  Most of it is just that I have so much to learn before the season begins.  We had an open gym last week; I met with the previous coach; and there was also an afternoon that I went to watch Unity Christian's volleyball camp and I had a chance to talk with their coach (so helpful!).  Whenever I have spare time at home I'm looking up YouTube videos and researching all things volleyball.

Last Friday and Saturday the three older boys had Chess Camp at school, and I think they liked it.  At least Caleb did - he won 2nd place in his age group.  :)  Beforehand Levi was saying he didn't want to go, but I think he ended up enjoying it.  On Friday I toted Jackson around for a bunch of errands, and he did great!!  We had such a nice time together.  He was pleasant and patient.  My momma heart really needed that after some rough times with him.

Saturday evening my high school graduating class had a TWENTY year reunion!  So crazy.  It's amazing how quickly so much time has passed.  I'm not surprised this was our first reunion - our class didn't exactly like each other, and I think pretty much everyone was glad to be done and move one.  And we all stayed in touch with the people we wanted to see on our own.  Anyways, it really ended up being a nice time to reconnect.

It's been a strange start to the celery harvest.  Usually things are getting pretty crazy by now for Mike, but they just started the second packing line today.  And, over the past two weeks that the other line has been running, it's been pretty light, even taking a day or two off from packing and some lighter days.  I would imagine soon they'll be getting into the better celery and things will ramp up!

Things are starting to happen in the garden.  I've been getting some peppers, zucchini, and beans.  Of course I'm having trouble staying on top of the weeds.  At least I can still tell what's what out there.  With as dry as it's been I have been doing some watering, which I don't normally need to do. 

We've been busy with random things, but nothing pressing like the week of VBS was, and it's been SO great.  I love summer like this! 

june

It's been a busy first month of summer break, and I'm ready for things to slow to a more leisurely pace!  Between church, school activities, friends, and family, we have been on the go a lot.  Some of us are handling it better than others.  :)

Church
A few weeks ago we had the privilege of getting up in front of church as a family and making an announcement about the nursery.  The nursery is always short of workers, and we were hoping that by getting up in front with our whole family and talking about what a blessing the nursery has been to us would be more impactful.  We got lots of comments afterwards, but what matters is if people actually went and signed up to help afterwards! (I heard of one.)

Last week was our Vacation Bible School.  I was a 4th grade leader along with a friend from our class (Kara); Caleb, Logan, and Levi were with each of their age groups; and Jackson was in the nursery.  It was a long week!  Overall things went well being a leader, and I enjoyed it despite getting exhausted, but it was a rough week on Jackson and that really weighed me down.

School
The second week of summer break Caleb and Logan attended Drama Camp.  They had a couple small parts in a production of The Jungle Book, and it was such a funny and cute play!  They went to camp four mornings, and then in the evening of the last day they put on the play.  It was a beautiful night and they did the play outdoors.  They love Drama class at school, so it was neat for them to have this camp to attend.

The next week was VBS in the morning, and then Caleb and Levi attended Soccer Camp in the afternoon.  That's part of what made the week so rough on all of us.  I don't like packing so many activities in, a slightly slower pace is more my style, but we thought VBS and soccer were both good things to be involved in, so it was just a bummer that they ended up being the same week.  On one of the days I stayed during the camp time to chat with the former volleyball coach (more on that in a minute), and it was basically not good with Jackson.  I was definitely frustrated and stressed.

So, a few weeks ago I got a phone call out of the blue asking if I would consider coaching volleyball at Libertas.  I wasn't sure what to think at first.  It seemed kinda cool, but the timing didn't seem great (both time of year and time of life), and I'm just not sure about my coaching abilities.  But, Mike seemed pretty excited about it for me, and the more I thought and prayed about it, it seemed like a neat opportunity.  At first the idea of volleyball season and celery harvest being at the same time seemed like a bad idea, but now I figure Mike's going to be busy at work most of the times I'm busy with volleyball anyways, so it's not so bad.  I'm going to have to trust the Lord to work out childcare for the boys, and that's probably one of the tougher aspects of this for me.  I am both nervous and excited about this.  I have so much to learn about coaching, but I really feel this is an opportunity that God put before me to get more involved at Libertas and be an influence to the girls on the team.  So, a couple weeks ago I accepted the job, and then this past week I attended Volleyball Camp.  Thankfully I did not have to run the camp, I definitely did not have enough time to prepare for that, but I was excited to go and meet some of the girls and be involved.  I majorly stressed about working out childcare, so this will definitely be an area of growth for me.  If I truly believe that this is something God put before me and wants me to do, then I have to completely trust that this is all going to work out.  Practices will start in August, so I've got just over a month to prepare!!

Family & Friends
The first week of summer break Caleb and Logan were invited to two different birthday parties!  One was more of a party at the park with a whole bunch of boys, the other was a playdate with a friend from school for his birthday, and they ended up asking Levi to stay, too, so that was nice for him. 

There was a weekend that we went up to the cottage on Friday night and stayed overnight.  Thankfully Friday night was decent, but Saturday was chilly! 

For Mike's birthday I gave him a gift certificate to Action Water Sports' cable wake park.  He was excited to take advantage of it, so we went a few days later.  It was really fun to watch him!  I wasn't sure what to expect for the spectators, but they have a really nice area where you can sit and watch, and a small swimming area for the kids.  Mike had a blast and was quite sore for several days afterwards.

A couple Saturday's ago we went to a wedding for one of Mike's step-cousins.  We always have fun at family weddings like that!  Harold & Kara, Steve & Erin, and Mike & I were together.  Somehow we got ushered right up to the front for the ceremony since we're family (even in front of the aunts and uncles!!) - we had a good laugh about that one.  And, of course, we all had fun together at the reception.

The next day was Father's Day, and we met up with my parent's at Red Robin. 

Last Saturday we went up to the cottage again, and it was another cool day.  Hoping it's better next weekend...  Tom & Tera are in town from Kenya right now, and we've been having a lot of fun spending time with them.  The kids have SO MUCH FUN all together.

This past week was fairly busy, too, but it was so much nicer not to have to rush off in the morning like we did for VBS.  That seems to have made a big difference for Jackson, his moods have been so much better.  Not perfect, but better.  I went to volleyball camp Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons; Caleb, Logan, and Levi went with Eric, Lea Anne, Boden, and Heidi to their church's VBS Monday and Wednesday evenings (they loved it!); and on Tuesday evening we ran the Zeeland Zoom!  Logan and Levi did the 1 mile Fun Run, Mike (with Jackson in the stroller), Caleb, and I ran the 5k.  Also on Tuesday, a couple friends from school came for a few hours while their mom had to go to work.  (Throw in neighbor friends coming to play and my house was busy!  I love it that way, though.)  On Thursday the boys and I met Tom, Tera, Luke, and Jude at the splash pad in Jenison, then in the afternoon we had to boogie to Zeeland for an orthodontist appointment for Caleb.  (Most of the appointment went well, and then Jackson started to break down at the end.  I was hugely relieved when Caleb came out all done.)  Last night Tom and Tera and the boys came over for dinner and to hang out, and today we met them at the splash pad in Zeeland.  We are soaking up our time with them!

Mike
Mike totally rocked the 5k while pushing Jackson in the stroller.  Finished 5th in his age group (out of way more than 5...)!  He has been super consistent with working out over the last several months, and it really shows.

Celery harvest has been pushed out this year due to our wintry Spring.  It feels strange to not be started yet!  They will be harvesting some on Monday, but then taking a break for a couple days before getting back at it.  And, that's only one packing line, the other line will start up a little later into July. 

Boys
We were so proud of how each of the boys did at the race earlier this week.  Logan and Levi both took the 1 mile run pretty seriously, and looked like they were really doing their best running hard.  Caleb did a great job on the 5k despite minimal training, and Mike said Jackson did really well in the stroller (I wouldn't know, I was too far behind!).

Did I mention before that we got Mike & Emily's trampoline?  The boys have LOVED it, and they don't seem to tire of it, they can spend hours out there. 

We're still casually working on Jackson's potty training.  He's doing pretty well with #1, but we're not making a whole lot of progress with #2.  Which is funny because several months ago he did it on the potty a couple times (before ever doing #1 on the potty), but now he refuses to poop in the toilet.  We're not pushing the issue too hard yet, but at some point I suppose we will.  It's almost unbelievable to think we're almost done with diapers!!! 

Levi

I think I mentioned that Levi had his well-child appointment in May, but I forgot to put in his stats!  He is currently 54 lbs, which is 86th percentile; and 4' 1", which is 96th percentile.  :) 

The other day Mike knew he was going to be running plants for the morning, which is a job he can have a helper for, so he took Levi to work with him.  It sounds like Levi worked hard and did great, even learning how to help on the planter.  He jumps right in wanting to work, observing how things are being done so that he can figure it out.  Mike absolutely loved having him along, and I'm sure wishes he could do it every day.  :)  Levi was definitely worn out from getting up early and working hard - he took a nice solid nap in the afternoon.

journals

Caleb and Logan came home from school yesterday with all the journal writings they did throughout the year at school, and Mike and I thoroughly enjoyed reading through them.  Love seeing a little glimpse of what they are thinking and what they choose to write about.  I'm certainly keeping my favorite papers, but I'll include a few favorite excerpts below (misspellings and all!).

Logan
"One weekend, I played in my woods and I took logs from the woods and bilt a fort and a few days later I bilt a nother wall that was even higher and the next day my Dad said that he was going to take the MASEY and go into the wood and pull down some trees.  and there were the trees.  My Dad had a hard time getting in the woods to pull down the trees in the woods and the second tree he pulled down allmost hit my fort!  I could not see my fort that good I was scard that the tree hit my ford but it did not but it was about three inches away from my fort."

"Something I would like to learn about is lektrisity and how it works and I know that lektrisity gives us alot of thigs like lights and fans and heters and conputers and lamps and I also know that lektristy is like fire and lighting and if you tuch it you will be elektracuteted and that will not be good and my question is how dose it work how do we egssakly get lights and fand how dose it make thigs." (Also included is a drawing of a person getting electrocuted.)

"My favorite sound in the world is my mom and my dad playing the piano because they play the phantom of the opra and meny other things like that and my other favorite is the wahls when they sing and it is so loud and it just sound super nice..."

"Last weekend I went to the airport with my mom on a Saterday I went there Becuase my mom had to drop my grandparints and they flew to Calufonya and I got so so hangry at the airport and so my mom gave a chees stik but I was still to hangry my mom gave me an appilsose. but I was still to hangry"

"If we got an extra day off of school, I hope it would be a hot day.  I would want to swim at lots of places like the water park and the Aquatic Center and Great woulf floge and Zenders and in Salt Lake Oiho because I was there last year and there is a hotel and the lake there is so so sooo warm and there also is a 1 foot deep pool and there is a 4 deep pool and there is a 12 foot deep pool and the lak is so so so sooo shalow and on the bttom is sooo soo mudy."

"The most exciting job I could have would be a shef because I just love cooking so so so so so so sooo muuch and yesterday when it was valintines day me and my mom made a speciel dinner and I realy realy want to work in a speciel reshtwrant and make realy good food."

Caleb
"The most exciting job I could have would be a farmer because they get to drive a tractor around allot.  and you would not leave your home to go work all you have to do is go wolk right out of your house and you will see your barn right in front of your face but one of the Bad things is it stinks if you have cows but if you work in the barn you will get yoused to it and it wont Be so bad it Just might be a little stinky and that woud not Be so bad but a nother bad thing is that you might have a lot of rats but it would Be fun to kill it and when you had a party you could have a hay Ball ride it would be so fun and you woud have a lot of cats to catch the rats and mice. The end."

"My favrit sound in the world is puppy bark.  Because it sounds super dooper whooper quit and it sounds like quit thing that barks.  And this is what it sonds like ruff!  ruff!  It just sounds so quit!  when my dog was small I would allwase make Her bark it sounded so quit!  the end"

"If I could only read three books for the rest of my life, I would choose the Bible because, it's God's word.  and I would pick my Baby book because it's the life I had when I was a baby.  And the noo book we got on Monday it is I'll tell you okey you here it gose oops I fargot oh I just remebered it is when oops, ok it is when my dad went to Guyana it has pichers of my dad and all the others who whent with.  And I would never get tired of those books because there imortent to me the end"

"If I could cook any meal for my family, it would be Lasonya because it is sooper fun to cook and make Lasonya because there's a lot of ingreateince to put in it and it is fun to mix everything in it and the best part of all is you get to eat it and jush so you know Logan K. hates all nodels aspeshelly Lasonya!"

"My friends and I went on a pirate ship it was scary but we made it back because I'm realing this to you write now and I saw giantick pirates my freinds were names Evan, Simeon, Simon, Andrew, Logan B., Logan K., William, Isaac, Charlott, Sienna, Adury, AnnaSofia and I it was scary because we were about to sink!  and I'm scard when I go on a boat because I'm scared of teh fish wich is wierd."

About a silly made up food: "...If I tried it I think I would say eeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwww!!!!!! that was deskusting!!!!!  I would make my little brother Levi try it too....now I will make Logan .K and Logan .B try it I Bet they would say eeeeeeeewwwwwww!! the end"

"if I had an Extra school day of I would have it a hot day Because then I would go outside and run down the street for a few miles and my dad would come with me and run Back and get some water to Drink. the end"

summer!

Unbelievable.  Somehow, I blinked, May happened, and now it's June!  May was a busy month with lots of activities, and now today is the first day of summer break.  So far so good - I'm looking forward to a great summer! 

Some of the things we did in May: I had one of my oldest friends over for coffee and we had a great time catching up, we celebrated Levi's SIXTH birthday, went to the last Mom's & Muffins of the school year, I had an outpatient surgery performed, Caleb had a visit to the orthodondist, I babysat Jackson's friend, Kassie, a couple different times, the older boys had their Spring Showcase, we had Mike's family over to our house for Mother's Day, we got together with my family at my parent's house for Mother's Day, we had our last Bible Study for the year, I was able to accompany Caleb and Logan's class on a field trip to Post Family Farm and Hager Park, I participated in a garage sale with some friends from church (and got to witness their crazy neighbor lady), Mike and I went on a date, Levi had his well-care visit to the doctor, we went to the cottage the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, as usual we went to the Jenison Memorial Day parade, I went on a field trip with Levi's class, and in our spare time we've done quite a bit of yard work and Mike has been working on a new fence for the garden!  Phew!  Just reviewing all that makes me tired.

I am REALLY looking forward to not having Jackson on the school schedule for the summer.  Waking him up in the morning for drop-off and in the afternoon from his nap for pickup is BRUTAL.  He gets so cranked off.  So for that reason alone I am grateful for summer break.  I'm not sure if I'm ready for all four of my crazies all day every day, but we'll manage!  :)  I'm hoping I can provide them with enough structure that they don't completely turn into wild hooligans, but still plenty of free time for them to just enjoy summer and give them a chance to be creative and use their imaginations.  Today they've been pretty busy with a baby bunny they came across in the strawberry patch, and catching frogs in the creek.  :)

This morning I bought a TON of pepper plants, and several tomato plants.  Hoping to get them planted tomorrow!  We need to finish our new fence tonight, and I have some weeding to do.  For some reason I just really enjoy growing pepper plants - the people I purchase my plants from have a huge variety of plants, and each one has a unique name.  (They are heirloom tomatoes and peppers.)  Not sure how much help I'll get from the kids - I tried to have them do a little weeding last weekend, and you would have thought I was torturing them the way they acted.

Caleb and Logan just finished 2nd grade, and it seems like they had a really good year.  I really liked their teacher, Miss Griess, and they seemed to like her, too.  I love how much memory work she had them do.

Levi finished Kindergarten, and he also had great teachers.  His class started out the year with Mrs. Knapp, but then she moved to the east side of the state, so Mrs. Baribeau took over (she had been the aide) and that seemed to go really well.  At least Levi didn't seem to have any trouble with the transition.  He got great marks and comments on his report card, and we're ready for him to do 5-day 1st grade next year.  :)  For some reason, doing homework with him on his at-home days is AWFUL.  It was a battle the whole year for us, and I am very relieved to be done with it.  I know he doesn't act like that at school, and he's scoring well in all subjects, so he'll be just fine at school next year.

Jackson.  Jackson, Jackson, Jackson.  What can I say?  We're definitely struggling to know how to best channel his independent spirit, yet help him learn that he does, in fact, have to submit to Mom and Dad sometimes!  Basically, if you suggest anything he will not cooperate just based on the fact that he feels the need to rebel against everything.  Throw in the fact that he wants to do everything on his own (climb in the van and in his seat, etc., etc., etc.), and my patience is seriously being tested.  Love him dearly, and I know his strong will is going to serve him well down the road, but it sure is exhausting in the mean time! (As it was when we went through this with Caleb around the same age as well.)  This truly is such a fun age as well, it's just hard to remember that sometimes in the midst of the many challenging moments.  He has gotten very good at expressing himself, asking questions, and making observations.  He likes to keep tabs on people (Where Daddy go?  Where Papa go? Where Jose go?), and he likes to tell his brothers about fun things he did earlier in the day while they were at school (I got a flower cookie, Logan!).  He gets excited when he sees the moon, and he loves to play outside.  The kid will eat some of the craziest things for a two-year-old: broccoli dipped in mustard, chips and cheese with sour cream, chips and guacamole, mashed potatoes and ketchup...basically, as long as there's some sort of "dip" involved, he's game.

It is 3:30 pm and my two-year-old is still sleeping because I didn't have to wake him up to pick the others guys up from school.  LOVE. IT.

spring in bloom

After a long winter, it's spring time!  Finally!!  I actually like to hang onto winter longer than most since warmer weather means Mike working more, but even I was ready for things to warm up.  Now that we've had a few nice days, I am loving all the time spent outside.  And, just like his big brothers, Jackson is loving it, too.  It makes him giddy to run free outside.  :)  We have a few little projects to work on outside in the yard, but nothing too major.  Maybe I should start thinking about the garden soon...  I have such a love/hate relationship with the garden.  When I look at it now and try to decide what I want to put in it, it seems small and I run out of space quickly; however, I when I'm in there weeding it feels HUGE.

A couple weeks ago it was my birthday and church was actually cancelled for an ice storm!  I remember having some snow on the ground on my birthday before (it's rare), but nothing that drastic.  It was kind of nice to have the day at home with my guys.  Caleb, Logan, and Levi put together a scavenger hunt for my birthday presents, and that was a lot of fun.  Each of them drew their own map for one present, and we had to start at the beginning (the living room) for each one.  And, they all ended upstairs.  So, I got my exercise going up and down the stairs - Jackson didn't quite know what to think as he couldn't keep up with us.  He'd been on his way down when we were on our way back up again!  :)

Our church had their Pinewood Derby race a couple weekends ago, and I'm happy to report we came home with a few trophies.  Phew!  :)  Mike put quite a bit of effort into the cars, and it was fun that the boys could help more this year.  Caleb, Levi, and Mike each entered a car; Logan passed this year.  I may even join in the fun next year - we'll see.  Caleb won first and Levi won second in the youth division, and Mike won second in the open division.  And, if you look at the final times, they were SO close!  These were races we definitely needed the computer for, many of them were too close to call with the naked eye. 

distracted

Can't turn my back for 30 seconds.  Jackson sure keeps me on my toes!  Yesterday I was trying to get the boys out the door for some open gym time with friends at Jamestown.  (It snowed yesterday.  Ugh.)  So, there's always just a little chaos with getting kids out the door.  I was distracted for just a bit and Jackson managed to get in trouble in the bathroom.  I found him busy unraveling a toilet paper roll into the toilet.  The bowl was filled, but thankfully I caught him before he tried to flush! 

He almost made up for it tonight at supper by saying, totally unprompted, "Thank you [for the] broccoli, Mommy. Best mom EVER!"  Melt my heart. 

Also, tonight at supper we were having a good spiritual conversation.  That's one really neat thing about the boys getting older - I love having good talks with them.  It's so exciting to see what questions they come up with, what observations they make, and what they remember from previous conversations/lessons at church or school/etc.  Mike had a good talk with them earlier this afternoon and he was retelling it to me at supper.  They each shared about when they had accepted Jesus as their Savior, something Caleb and Logan have said they did before but hadn't really mentioned when.  Caleb says it was around Christmastime, prompted by something he heard in church.  Logan says it was quite awhile ago when I was helping him with his Word of Life devotions.  Then they were saying that Levi did just a few mornings ago when he was with them.  We were very excited and talked about how neat that was.  Our conversation continued and after a little while I could see Levi was upset about something.  I took him away from the table and asked if he wanted to talk about it.  He said he did, which just that alone is pretty huge.  When he's upset he totally shuts down and you can't get any response out of him whatsoever.  I took him in our room and wondered if he would actually open up to me, and he did!!  He was crying and said to me, "I didn't TOTALLY ask Jesus in me heart!"  I asked if he wanted to pray about it to make sure, and he did, and I asked if he'd be okay repeating after me, and he was - another HUGE thing because when he was really little he would pray out loud, but a few years ago he stopped and absolutely refused.  So he repeated a simple prayer (so thankful for the simplicity of the Gospel!) and then he felt much better.  Of course, inside I was freaking out.  This parenting thing is exhausting!  :)

break

It's Spring Break already!  What happened?!  The weather's chilly outside, but at least sunny for now, so the boys can get in plenty of outside playtime.  (Okay, that was yesterday when I started writing this...now it's cold, rainy, and thundering!)  I still don't take Jackson outside to play much; I know, I'm terrible.  It's just so much work....in the house he's at least somewhat contained, you know?  He's hard enough to keep track of as it is - if I take him outside who knows what ideas he'll get (and he's fast!). 

The rest of March passed by without too much crazy.  We had Boden and Heidi overnight once (not TOO crazy), I had my last few volleyball games (so fun), I helped with a couple things at school for Reading Month (popcorn and ice cream), Levi had a friend over to play (Liam), Caleb and Logan moved up a belt in Martial Arts (gold), we went to the school play (so funny), and banquet for school (Dr. Thornbury and Jonny Diaz), Levi went to a friend's birthday party (Catch Air), Mike made a trip or two up to the cottage to help Harold (looking good), and of course there's always work on the farm for Mike to do with my Dad (moo).

A couple fun Jackson things from lately.  One of his recent favorite books is Good Night, Good Night, Construction Sight.  There's a page where the dump truck is snoring, and there's a guy shouting from a building, "Hey, pipe down!"  Now Jackson loves to go around telling people to pipe down.  Ha!  Also, I love how he literally tries to get into the books we're reading - he'll lay the book on the floor and jump into the water, ride the camel, or climb the ladder.

Jackson is quite attached to Caleb and Logan's stuffed animal monkeys that they received as a gift when I was pregnant with them - Bob and Larry.  Jackson especially loves Larry and generally takes him everywhere.  When we're out in public sometimes he'll hold out Larry to show people (so not shy).  The other day it really cracked me up when a couple different people asked what a monkey said, and instead of making a nice "oo-oo, ah-ah" noise, he did a loud howler monkey noise.  Took them off guard a little bit.  :) 

Jackson is definitely trying to become more independent.  We're in that fun stage where he so badly wants to do things for himself ("Jackson do it!"), and there are some things with which he's successful (buckling his booster seat at the table), but there are plenty of other things that he insists on doing himself but cannot and then gets frustrated but still refuses help (putting on his shoes). 

Caleb, Logan, and Levi all had great 3rd quarter report cards!  We are so proud of them, and it is fun to see what areas they really enjoy.  They are doing well in all areas, but Caleb is really getting into reading, and he also enjoys math.  Logan loves science, and does really well in art.  Levi really seems to like math the best so far.  They all love having chess on Thursdays, and are very excited about chess camp this summer.  Caleb and Logan have Drama on Friday's, it sounds like they have fun with it, and they really got a kick out of seeing the school play.  Love being at a small school where they know almost all the kids in the play, even though they're mostly high schoolers.  They especially enjoyed seeing their cousin Jason.  :) 

I love seeing their creativity and imagination when they play outside.  The last couple days their project was building a jump for their bikes.  The other day they were nailing boards on one of the trees to build a ladder.  Quite often they are working on something in the dirt (mud).  The fresh air and free play time is so good for them! 

paci

About a week and a half ago we took away Jackson's pacifiers.  And it has gone amazingly well!  One of those things that apparently I dreaded unnecessarily.  It was a spur of the moment decision on my part - we talked about sharing it (first with me, and then with other babies), and he seemed okay with that.  For the first few days bedtimes went just fine, but he didn't nap.  After three days of not napping (and he is NOT ready to give up his nap), I was resigned to try giving him a pacifier back just for naptime, but then he fell asleep on his own!  The next day he was wound up and I did end up giving him his pacifier, but ever since then he has done pretty well.  He has asked about it a couple times, but there have been no tears over it.  Thankfully, if he's not napping he's perfectly happy just hanging out in his crib for quite a while.  So, we are all done with his beloved "fi"!  Hopefully potty training goes as well as this did.  :)

Last week sometime Jackson got it in his head that he wanted to go to Sunday School and see Miss Stephanie.  Of course, he has no sense of time, so telling him it would be a few more days wasn't very helpful.  Love it that he was so excited for it - he'll talk about songs that they sing, and even list off a few of his friends that are in class with him (Kassie, Tommy, and Reese). 

Levi is SO CLOSE to losing his first tooth.  I'm not sure I'm ready for that.  :(  He has a bottom one that's been pretty loose for a couple weeks now, so if he spent some time working on it I'm pretty sure it wouldn't take too much to get it out.  A couple different times now Levi has gotten to go up to the cottage with Mike and Harold on a Friday when he's not at school, but Caleb and Logan are.  Works out pretty well as he jumps in and helps where he can.  (They are doing a major remodel.) 

A couple weeks ago Logan came down with another stomach bug.  So glad it didn't spread to anyone else, but I felt so bad for him!  There was one afternoon/evening that he was in pretty rough shape.  Thankful it passed quickly.

Last week Caleb and Logan finally had their 8 year well-child visit to the doctor.  No surprise that they're healthy.  :)  Caleb is 77 lbs (93%) and 4' 8" (>99%).  Logan is 65 lbs (75%) and 4' 5" (83%).  So thankful for healthy, growing boys!

After months and months of waiting, we finally took the boys to Rebounderz (an indoor trampoline park).  :)  They had been begging and begging, and so at Christmas we promised we'd go sometime.  And, finally, last week it happened.  (We were going to do it the week before, but that's when Logan got sick.)  It was so much fun for all of us!  I was surprised at how much Jackson enjoyed it as well.  There was a small child play area with a slide that he really liked, but he also had a lot of fun in the area with all the different trampolines that you can go back and forth on.  Most of us tried out the Ninja Warrior course, the foam pit, and the tall jump.  (The foam pit was miserable for Mike and I, it's nearly impossible to get out!) 

We're in that 'fun' transition time with the weather.  I guess I'm ready for the weather to get nicer, but it's still bittersweet since I know Mike only has a few more Friday's off left.  :(

Adventures with J

I really need a camera following Jackson at all times.  This kid is just too much and I can't possibly make note of it all.  Before I know it he's going to be all grown up and I'm going to forget what he was like at this age!  Boo hoo.

Today he fell in the toilet with his clothes on.  He had done his business in his diaper - AFTER he goes is when he insists on going on the potty.  I tell him to go upstairs, we're going to change his diaper, but he runs in the bathroom and lifts himself up on the toilet.  And, no surprise in this house, someone had left the toilet seat up, so down he went getting his pants wet.

A long time ago I introduced the older boys to my favorite musicals - we listen to the cd's in the van.  We had taken a break for a while, and a week or two ago I put Fiddler on the Roof in.  Jackson especially likes the last song, "Anatevka", and will request it quite insistently.  Sometimes he'll chime in on "To Life, To Life" with an enthusiastic "To life!"; but many times he just keeps saying/shouting/growling "Anatevka!".  I've created a monster.  Today I put in Annie to see if I can get him to enjoy something else.  He insisted on Anatevka a few times, but then did actually listen some, so we'll see.

I love seeing how kids remember things at this age.  Quite some time ago we were at the mall and Jackson enjoyed giving high-fives to the mannequins.  Last week I quick ran to the mall to get something and when we pulled in (and not in the same area we parked before), he started up with "High five mannequin!  Hive five mannequin!"  He periodically refers to when Roxy pooped in the house a few weeks ago ("Roxy poop a house?  Ewwww!  Goss!").  Or, ever since we celebrated Aunt Lea Anne's birthday here a few weeks ago he likes to sing Happy Birthday, and today when he saw a picture of her he said "Happy Birthday to you!", and he'll talk about blowing out candles.  Also, he has been told not to mess with the beautiful basket Mike brought home from Guyana for me, and there's a book with a similar looking basket in it - when he sees that page he says, "No, no, Jackson!" 

Jackson loves to look at his baby book, and he'll specifically ask for "boat" (there's a page with a pic of our boys and Harold & Kara's kids on the pontoon boat).  Then the other day he mentioned Uncle Tom, so we found the picture of Mike, Harold, and Tom with all their kids.  After looking at Uncle Tom, Mike pointed to Harold and asked Jackson who that was and he said, "Uncle Harold"; and then Mike pointed to himself and asked who that was and Jackson said, "Uncle Mike!"  Ha!

This age is SO much fun and SO exhausting all at the same time.  I love how he's just soaking everything in, but wow, does he have a lot of energy, and it's amazing that I'm able to accomplish anything during the day.  Thank goodness for nap time!

hugs

I SO wish I had video of this, but alas, I'll do my best to convey it through words.  Last night we went to the airport to pick up Mike from his trip to Guyana (more on that later!).  First, we were getting some looks on our way in because of our "Welcome Home, Dad!" sign, and basically anytime you're out in public with more than a couple kids you're bound to get attention (my four + my niece, my sis-in-law, and myself).  As we were approaching the common area outside where passengers exit from the terminal, Jackson just starts running at people with his arms open and giving out hugs.  He kept going and they all loved it!  He spotted the people that he had noticed in the parking garage with a sign and balloons and went over to them - they ended up giving him a balloon (he didn't ask!).  Then people started coming out of the terminal and he was giving out hugs left and right.  Everyone was getting a kick out of it, and I was just cracking up.  Finally Daddy came and he could run up to him and give him a big hug.  :)  And then he was happy to see Grammy and Papa, and Uncle Eric and Boden who had also been on the trip.

This really reminded me of my last visit to my grandma in the nursing home and how the residents there were getting such a kick out of him.  Well, now we found another way to spread a little joy - free hugs at the airport from a cute two-year-old!  (Under close supervision of his mother, of course.)

finally

I've had "blog" on my to-do list every day for a week now, so it's about time I face the music and get a little bit written.  I can't say writing is a passion of mine but I find family history fascinating; therefore, I write.

A couple weeks ago I was able to bring all the boys with me to the airport to pick up my parents from their trip to California.  Often since then Jackson will say, "Grammy, Papa, pane (plane)."  :)  That night our family went to our friend Jose's house for dinner.  He had his mom come cook for us, and she is an AMAZING cook.  We've had her food a number of times, and have never been disappointed.  Of course it was a learning experience for the boys - always good to expose them to different experiences.  :)

Later on that week sickness hit our family.  Boo.  On a Thursday morning Levi threw up at school, so I brought him home.  (One of those situations where it was a little iffy in the morning, and Mike said, "You know if you keep him home he'll be fine, and if you send him to school you'll get a call later...")  He rested and was okay the rest of the day, until around suppertime he threw up again.  The next day he was totally fine, eating and playing normally all day.  Then at bedtime he said he didn't feel well, and he threw up sometime in the night.  The next day I stayed home with him and Jackson, while Mike took Caleb and Logan to his cousin Joe's to go sledding and hang out.  They were fine all day, then around bedtime both were saying they didn't feel well.  Great.  Yup, they both started throwing up.  Ugh.  We cancelled our church duties for Sunday and stayed nestled at home.  Caleb just kept throwing up, couldn't even keep down a sip of water.  :(  Logan didn't throw up anymore, but had a low fever and was just wiped out all day.  Levi was recuperated by this point.  Mike and I were just hoping ourselves and Jackson would stay clear!  It was not to be.  Sunday afternoon Jackson threw up, and then Sunday night it was my turn.  Mike was down on Monday, but never actually threw up (lucky).  It was a fast and furious bug!  Thankfully there was no school Monday anyways, and Mike called in sick to work (he had already called in when I got sick and before he did, just so he could be home to help).  Tuesday Mike felt good enough to go to work, Caleb and I were still lacking energy, he only made it through a half day at school, and then I would say we were back to normal by Wednesday.  Which was good, since EARLY Thursday morning Mike was leaving for a missions trip to Guyana!  Funny story from the sickness, when Jackson had thrown up, I went into his room and he was standing on one end of his crib with the mess on the other end.  I go in his room and he's just like, "Ewwww!!!  Yucky!  Goss! (gross)"

Mike's been gone for almost a week, he has a few more days to go, and so far we're doing alright!  I think the anticipation of it was worse for the boys - Caleb especially was anxious about him going.  The first day was the hardest for me, I'm sure it didn't help that I had trouble falling asleep the night before and then got up at 3am to bring him to the airport.  (It's a little harder for me to be positive when sleep deprived...)  Friday night we had Lea Anne and Heidi over for tacos and a movie (Eric and Boden are on the trip as well.).  Saturday morning I tried taking the boys to the library (somehow I always forget that it never goes well...), and then in the afternoon they spent several hours playing with their friends across the street.  So thankful for nice weather!!  They were able to play outside quite a bit Sunday afternoon as well.  Last night we went to my in-law's for dinner and had a nice time.  Going over to a friend's before church tonight, picking up take-out tomorrow night that friends in AZ wanted to buy for us, and we have other plans Fri and Sat as well.  No down time to feel too sad!  It has been such a blessing to see how the Lord has provided in various ways for this trip.  Mike gets home Saturday night, and it will be great to be together again!

metal

Last week was our first full week back at our normal activities after the holidays, and it went well!  Monday night was volleyball and we had a great game.  (We needed it!)  Tuesday morning the Bible Study I attend started a new book, and I think it's going to be really good.  It's a study on The Sermon on the Mount, by Jen Wilkin. 

Wednesday evening Word of Life started back up for the older boys, so it was Dad, Mom, and J-man hang out time.  :)  I needed to go to Kohl's, so we hung out at the mall.  Jackson wanted to give high-fives to as many mannequins as possible (almost knocking over a few in his eagerness); and he thought he wanted to ride the carousel, until it started and he did NOT like it! 

Thursday was a big day for Caleb - he got his braces and retainer.  He was anxious beforehand, but he did really well getting them put on.  Side note, I was a little nervous about having Jackson with me and keeping him occupied the whole time.  There was a train table in the waiting room, and he was loving it!  Actually, he threw a fit when we had to leave.  :)  I had other toys and snacks packed for him, and he didn't need any of it!  Mike was able to leave work for a bit to come as well, and I think that was really good for Caleb - not just having a supportive father, but since Mike had braces he can sympathize.  We're a few days in now, and Caleb is still pretty sore.  Hopefully he'll be able to eat fairly normally soon.

Friday evening we dropped the boys off at my brother and sis-in-law's house, and we were kid-free for the weekend!!  We decided to just stay home.  We love adventure and going fun places together, but there's also nothing like being in your own home when it is peaceful and quiet.  :)  We could be on our own schedule, easily walk out the door when we wanted to go somewhere, and just veg.  We had a few meals out - all great.  Crazy Horse Steakhouse on Friday night, Cracker Barrel on Saturday morning, and Butcher's Union in downtown GR for dinner Saturday night.  Either I'm old or a country girl (or both...), but I don't need to go out on the town all the time.  :)  Butcher's Union is apparently a popular place (they did have REALLY good food) - the restaurant was packed and loud.  Didn't bother me at first, but after a while I was ready for some peace and quiet!  Ha!  On Saturday we managed to complete our search for a "new to us" elliptical after a few strike-outs.  Seems like it was a good find, hope it works out well!  The thing is a BEAST (in a good way).  Took a bit to get it in the basement yesterday, but we managed without anyone getting hurt.  Mike and I were both able to work out on it this morning, and so far so good.  Time to get these old bods in shape!

COLD

It was a *rough* week getting back into the swing of things after the holidays.  Okay, not really, but this week might be!  New Years was on Monday, and everybody was still home on Tuesday.  Wednesday it was back to work and school!  But then Thursday school was closed for plumbing repair, and we went to have lunch with Mike at work.  :)  Friday was our normal schedule for this winter, which means Caleb and Logan have school, but Levi doesn't, and Mike is home.  But, this coming week is a full regular week, and I'm not sure I can handle it!!

Last week Caleb went in to the orthodontist for x-rays, etc., and this week he'll get his braces and retainer.  Sigh.  Hope this all goes well!

On Wednesday Caleb and Logan had a belt promotion in their Martial Arts class at school.  They are now yellow belts!  It is so neat that they have this class at school.  I was able to attend the belt promotion and see some of the things they do.  I don't necessarily care so much about the specific movements they learn, but I love seeing how they are learning to listen and follow direction, and the instructor puts a real emphasis on respect.  It's pretty cool.

The last week or two it has been bitterly COLD.  We're talking subzero temps.  Not real good for playing outside.  Yesterday it started to warm up a little, and today is much more tolerable.  Except that means the snow is starting to melt and it's going to get messy! 

Yesterday our family were greeters for the late service at church.  The boys did great, I'm so proud of them!  (We didn't try to have Jackson join us, just wanted to leave that wild card out of play for our first time, but maybe next time.  He'll actually probably do really well, he is not shy and loves to say 'hi' and shake hands.)  Anyways, we've done some coaching on firm handshakes, eye contact, and saying 'hi' to people, and they did really well.  And, last night Logan helped Mike do some ushering.  He walked a couple people down to their seats all by himself, and I thought my Mommy heart was going to burst. 

I know I've said it before, and I hope I can say it for a long time to come, but Jackson is just too much fun right now with all his talking.  He will repeat almost anything you say, and is constantly asking what things are.  He's a giant sponge right now just soaking EVERYTHING in!  I wish I could catch all the cute things he says on camera, but of course when I hold up my phone he stops and says, "Cheese!"  How do they learn that so young??  Some of my favorites right now are:
1.  Pockeet (pocket) - he loves pockets and is noticing when people have their hands in their pockets.  He also tries to put his hands in his pockets even when the pants he's wearing have none.  (Meaning he's putting his hands down his pants...)
2.  Paparoni (pepperoni) - he got a little pizza set for Christmas that he loves to play with and he likes "paparoni" on his pizza, so I get to hear about it alot.  :)
3.  Ooo-ooo-ooncle Mike (Uncle Mike) - after seeing my brother come get the tractor a few weeks ago to plow his driveway, we hear his name mentioned once in a while.  And, after enjoying time with my Uncle Don at the Steenwyk party and seeing him the next night at Rainbow Grill, we heard "Ooo-ooo-ooncle Don" a few times.
4.  Vroom (tractor) - "Ooo-ooo-ooncle Mike vroom!"  :)
5. He now consistently uses individual names for his brothers rather than just calling them all "Wuvi".  (I'm a little sad about that one.)  Caleb is something like "Kinye" or sometimes "Kanye"; I'm really not sure how to type Logan's out because it's so nasally, and of course Levi is "Wuvi". 
6.  And I can't forget zoop, choop, and doop!  (zip, chip, dip) - He says all those short i sounds with a oo.  He recently became very interested in zippers and well as pockets.  He loves to dip stuff (ranch, sour cream, ketchup, whatever), and you can't have any chips out without him noticing and begging. 
7.  Here's a good one.  There are a few consonants Jackson consistently says wrong (Pombine instead of combine, Foffy instead of Roxy), and a few days ago the other boys were trying to teach him the correct consonants.  So, they were telling him "Say, c-c-c-c-combine" and his response was "c-c-c-c-pombine!"; and "Say R-r-r-r-Roxy" and Jackson's response was "R-r-r-r-r-Foffy!".  We had a good laugh at that one.  :) 

2017

Wow, 2017 is DONE!  What a great year for our family.  Nothing earth-shattering, just a year that I've truly enjoyed who I am and where God has me.  I love being a wife and mother, and I'm trying to soak it in as much as possible.  We've had so much fun together as a family - from the everyday moments to the special times.  Yes, the kids drive me absolutely CRAZY sometimes and I think I'm going to lose my mind (or I'm pretty sure I already have), but at the end of the day there's no where else I'd rather be. 

We had a slower than normal December, but still packed with plenty of activities.  It was so refreshing to enjoy the holiday season at a more reasonable pace than what we've been able to do in the past!  Early on in the month I took Logan on a date.  He had just gotten a cookbook, apron, and chef's hat for his birthday, so he picked out a recipe he wanted to make, we went to the store to get what we needed, then brought everything over to my parent's to do the cooking there.  It was a nice, special time for both of us.  We made a homemade vanilla pudding and Grammy and Papa were our taste-testers.  It was great!

The next weekend Caleb and I went on a date.  They had earned a reward for a crazy day we had the Sunday before (long story), so I took him to Wal-Mart to buy a new sled, then we went to Charlie's Dump to go sledding for awhile.  So fun!  It was super windy and cold at the top of the hill, so we only lasted about half an hour.

It was Levi's turn the next weekend, and I failed to have any good ideas, so I took him to run a couple errands and that was a mistake - oops!  It's nicer if the time out is more focused on that individual...  I'll have to come up with something for next time!  Mike gets the next round, so we'll see what he does.  :)

Every year our church does a Live Nativity that a couple thousand or so people in the area come to see, and this year our family was able to help.  What a great way to get the whole family (almost) involved.  On Friday night Mike and I were greeters for the indoor Bethlehem Experience, and Caleb and Logan were dressed up as townspeople in there.  Sunday night Mike directed traffic, I was a narrator for the outdoor Live Nativity, Caleb and Logan were in the Bethlehem Experience again, and Levi was even able to join them for a little while.  I hadn't planned on being a narrator, but they needed more people in that area, so I figured I'd just go where needed (despite being nervous)!  It really went well, and my parents, Eric and Lea Anne and kids were in my first group, and they were very nice to me.  :) 

On that Sunday we were busy straight from morning to evening, and the kids were troopers (hence the reward I mentioned earlier).  We went to the 8:30am service then Sunday School, as usual.  After that it was off to Wendy's for a quick lunch.  Thankfully we were able to drop Jackson off to nap at Mike's mom and stepdad's (and borrow their vehicle as our van was acting up), then the rest of us headed off to Grand Rapids to attend our friend Jose's baptism.  Attending a Spanish speaking church was a good experience for the kids.  :)  Unfortunately we weren't able to stay for the meal afterwards as we had to get back for the Livy Nativity at our church.  So, we quickly headed home to change clothes, then went and picked up Jackson, then it was back to church for the rest of the evening!  It was a long day for all of us, and the kids really did great with it all. 

That next week I had the opportunity to attend a communication skills class in Grand Rapids.  It was for three days in a row, and just let me say, I AM SO GLAD I DO NOT COMMUTE TO WORK EVERYDAY!!!!  Even if we had good weather (which we did not), I would not want to do it.  The worst was the second night on my way home  - what should have been a 35-40 minute drive took me and hour and a half.  It was a good class, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to attend, but I was glad when it finished and I could get back to normal at home.  And, Mike was glad, too.  :) 

The following Saturday was our Krol/Van Beek Christmas.  Crazy having all those people packed into a condo!  It's so fun seeing all the family that we don't get to see enough of because we're all spread out.  Yet, because it's so crazy will all those people, at the end I feel like I didn't really get to talk with anyone!  Just little snippets of conversations here and there until we get interrupted for one reason or another. 

For our last Bible Study before Christmas we got together and those that had memorized John 1:1-14 were able to recite it to a partner and receive an ornament as a reward.  :)  I am so glad that I was able to do it!  Scripture memory has always been difficult, so it felt like quite an accomplishment to memorize a whole passage like that.  So far I've been trying to keep up on it so I don't forget it - we'll see how I do...

Then it was time for Christmas Break and we have had SUCH a wonderful time!  It's time for school and work to start back up tomorrow, and I don't want it to!!  I think Jackson and I might have a hard time tomorrow with everyone else gone.  :( 

Christmas Day we celebrated as a family at home in the morning, then went to my parent's to play games in the afternoon.  We had a blast playing Tractoropoly (my dad creamed us), and then some of the guys played chess and ping pong.  I think Caleb beat my dad and chess and came close at ping pong.  :)  The next day Mike, Caleb, Logan, and I went to see the new Star Wars in the theater.  (Levi and Jackson were able to hang out at my parent's.)  Wednesday evening was the greater Steenwyk party at my parent's.  Jackson was quite the little party animal.  He sure loves being around lots of people and is not shy!  Thursday evening we went out as a family to Rainbow Grill (gift card + $1 kids meals!) - sometimes meals out with the kids aren't so enjoyable, but they did great.  And, we ran into my Uncle Don and Aunt Mary (who were at the party the night before), and Jackson was happy to see Uncle Don.  :)  Friday evening, in the midst of getting a lot of snow, Mike and I went out with my parents for an S & K Farm Christmas Dinner.  Actually, we got a lot of snow all week and Mike has done several hours of snow plowing.  Sunday evening for New Years Eve we went to play volleyball with some others at Jamestown Baptist.  The adults had fun playing, and the kids got to run around like crazy people.  :)  Almost the whole time Jackson did great, until the very end he was wanting to run onto the volleyball court.  :) 

I've been doing a lot of rearranging in the house over the last couple months, and it seems like I'm finally getting things more settled.  My office (what was Jackson's room) has really come together, the Lego Room (my old office upstairs) isn't such a disaster anymore, and of course Levi and Jackson have been settled in their new rooms for a while now (Levi in with Caleb and Logan, Jackson in Levi's old room).  I cleared out the guest room upstairs, and got our bedroom more in order, too.  Mike even cleaned his closet!!!!!  :)   Ahhhhhhh.....  Now if I could just get the kids to keep the basement decent.  Ha! 

I don't want to make this post any longer, but I have GOT to do a post soon on Jackson's latest.  He is such a hoot right now.  Gotta soak it up!