splash

We just returned yesterday from a couple days in Frankenmuth, and had a wonderful time!  It must be the sign of a successful weekend if my always-full-of-energy little boys are so tuckered out from playing hard that near the end of our time they ask if we can start going home.  We stayed at Zehnder's where they have a very nice indoor waterpark.  (I think this is our fourth year there?)  We chose to take the boys out of school and go midweek in order to beat the crowds, and we are so glad we did!  It was getting pretty busy by the time we left, and it is so much nicer when it's less crowded.
We left home Wednesday morning and had a great drive over.  It's only two hours, but with young children, two hours has the potential to feel like 10.  We even made it without putting a movie on!  And Jackson was happy the whole time.  Yay!  We were a little early and needed to kill some time before we could check into the hotel, so we had an early lunch at Taco Bell, where Jackson garnered plenty of attention from a couple ladies behind the counter (par for the course with him).  Then we took just a little drive through Frankenmuth, which requires going right past the waterpark and you should have seen Caleb's reaction when we went past - ha ha!  He was videoing our arrival giving a little commentary, and then was kind of just in disbelief that we were driving past.  Mike and I had a good laugh!  I'll have to see what all he got on his video.

As soon as we arrived and checked in, we got our swimsuits on and headed down to the waterpark to get busy playing!  Jackson was a little unsure at first, but he warmed up to it and ended up doing awesome.  We found that if we put one of those infant life jackets on him, he loved just floating around on his back.  The other boys would have NEVER done that, they hated it whenever we tried to get them to float on their backs.  But Jackson just crossed his legs, laid back, and relaxed!

Logan spent most of his time underwater, just coming up once in a while for air.  Caleb and Logan had both requested swim masks before we went, so I got them each one and they loved having them for swimming.  Logan did do a few of the slides, but for the most part he prefers just swimming and being underwater as much as possible (he is his father's son!).  Whenever we were scanning an area for him and didn't see him, we just had to wait a few seconds and then we'd see his blue-masked face pop out of the water.  :)  His skin seemed to react the worst to all the chlorine in the water, so that's kind of a bummer while we're there, but it's all pretty much cleared up already.

Levi discovered that he loves the "green slide" and went down it probably a couple hundred times.  He would just do it over and over and over again - and most of the time there wasn't a line so he could have a pretty quick turnover.  And he went from going down with a lifejacket and mask, to not wearing either one!  That's what he was doing when we left yesterday, and he probably could have kept going even though his brother's were tired and ready to be done.  It was so cute to watch him because even when he was the only one using the slide, he would always look at the lifeguard and wait for their 'ok' to go down.  I'd like to take credit for good parenting, but that means I also have to take credit for the not so good moments (of which there are plenty), so I'll just say we do our best and leave the rest to God.  :)  I tried to get Levi to go down one of the tube rides with me, but he changed his mind at the top and went back down the stairs.  Maybe next year.

Caleb loved going down slides and also swimming around with his mask on.  He especially liked the "family ride" which is a big tube ride that he went down several times with either Mike or I.  After a few times down he always wanted to be the one in the back because that person goes higher up on the side and gets splashed more.  He also kept telling me, "No screaming!", but I couldn't help it.  :)

We all enjoyed going around the action river (it's like a lazy river except it has a pretty strong current).  Either Mike or I would hang onto Jackson a little as he floated in his lifejacket, and the other boys would just swim around.  Sometimes Levi would get a little flustered and so we'd stick pretty close to him.

I was so happy with how all the kids slept, especially Jackson!  We've had some bad hotel experiences with the kids, but this was about as good as I could have hoped for.  Jackson actually napped in the afternoons (while I enjoyed a book and maybe a little snooze myself, and the other guys kept hard at it in the waterpark), and slept great both nights.  It took everyone a little bit to settle down the first night even though they were tired from playing, but it wasn't too bad.  Somehow Levi managed to sleep between Mike and I, and he's not the best one to share a bed with, but I never sleep well in hotel beds anyways.

We talk all year long about our annual trip to the waterpark, and this time did not disappoint!

love

Shout out to my two loyal readers!  Bonus points to whichever one of you reads this first.  ;)  And, oh yeah, I have three readers because I set Mike up to automatically get an email whenever I post (I think he does actually read it and not just delete the email...).  Ha!

I guess life has been at just a normal state of busyness.  Nothing too crazy, but we're certainly not bored either.  We are loving Mike's slow season at work and are trying to really soak it up, realizing that Friday's off can only last so long.  I LOVE FRIDAY'S OFF!!!!  I can hardly even begin to describe how wonderful it is.  Just having him around more is something I don't take for granted, and there's a couple fun little traditions that seem to be going on.  Mike takes Caleb and Logan to school in his truck on Friday mornings, and the last couple weeks he's taken a walkie-talkie with him, and left one with Levi to see how far they would keep working.  So that's kind of fun.  And, at the end of the day when he picks Caleb and Logan up he brings hot chocolate for him, and they just love that.  I mean, as a first grade boy, how cool is it to have your dad pick you up from school in his pick-up truck and have hot chocolate ready for you??  Yeah, he's pretty much an awesome dad!  (And, I promise I'm not just saying that because he's reading this!)

Our laundry room project seems to be progressing slooooooowly.  The new drywall is mudded and ready to go.  We're basically ready for the carpenter to come, but haven't heard yet when he'll be able to make it here.  I would like to have some painting done before he comes, but I've been dragging my heels a little bit.  I finally broke down and bought a paint sprayer, which I think is going to be a useful tool to have for many projects, but I feel a little overwhelmed about the learning curve.  It arrived a few days ago, I took it out of the box today, I'm not sure if I'll be ready to test it out tomorrow or not.

The boys' big thing right now is GaGa Ball.  (I have no idea where the name came from?  But that's what everyone knows it as.)  They play it at recess, and here at home.  There's a small 'pit' you play in, and I guess it's kind of the opposite of soccer in that you don't want it to touch below your knees (if it does, you're out).  I think at school Caleb plays it more than Logan, but at home they all play it with Mike up in their room.  (Jackson may have even said, "GaGa Ball" the other day....)  A couple weeks ago Caleb got some pretty good bloody knuckles from playing.  That boy always has some sort of injury like that.  And, from what it looks like so far, Jackson seems to be headed in the same direction.

A couple weeks ago Mike and I were able to go out on a date.  Wait, what?!  Yes, a date.  An actual, get-a-babysitter-and-go-out-to-eat date.  We had a very nice time eating dinner at Brann's Steakhouse (Christmas gift certificate!), and browsing at Barnes & Noble.  The babysitter we've had a couple times now seems to do a great job, and is not intimidated by four little boys.  Yay!

I just have to say I am loving my crazy life with my five crazy guys.  It's not all sunshine and roses - there are plenty of challenging times, but it's a beautiful life.  I would try to elaborate, but as words are not my strength, I'll just have to leave there.  Thank you, Lord, for Your blessings!

daredevil

We've been suspicious for a while that we might have a daredevil on our hands with Jackson.  Seems to be a bit of a thrill-seeker.  (Just what I need!)  The other night Mike was giving Jackson a bath when I got home from taking a walk with Amy (we were late for spin class - oops - so just took a walk instead), so Mike and I were just hanging out while Jackson played.  Anyways, our tub is slanted on one end - you know, like a slide.  Under close supervision, Jackson tried to climb up that part, fell and slid down, and instead of it frightening him, he LOVED it.  He was laughing so hard and kept trying to do it over and over again.  Also, at one point Mike had him on his back in the water with his ears totally submerged - none of my other kids would do that, and he was relaxed and loving it!  This has me a tad worried for the cottage this summer - going to have to keep a close eye on that boy.  I want my kids to be more comfortable in the water than I have ever been, but yet a healthy fear is good!

Tuesday night was a roller skating party for our school.  I'm not sure who had more fun, Mike or the boys!  It worked out perfect with Jackson - we had him in the jogging stroller the whole time, and he loved it!  I didn't skate, but was able to walk around the rink with him some.  Mike pushed him most of the time, though.  Both Caleb and Logan tried roller blades for a while at first, and I thought they were getting the hang of it, but then they wanted to switch to skates, and did well with those, too.  Logan really did well.  At the beginning he would fall, but then get right back up and keep going.  It didn't take long before I could tell he was going longer distances without falling and he just started to look more comfortable with it.  Caleb used a little push cart thing quite a bit and did well.  I think he was having a blast just being with his friends.  :)  Levi definitely improved throughout the night, too!  It worked out nice for him to have the stroller to hang onto.  I enjoyed walking around the rink a few times, and then visiting with other moms.  :)

potatoes

Caleb and Logan had their 7 year well child visit to the doctor last night.  7 years!!  Seems like we were just hauling them in to the doctor in their carseats to see if they were gaining at all!

Logan is 53 lb (60%) and 4' 2" (79%); and Caleb is 64 lb (91%) and 4' 5" (98%).  In the words of the doctor, "If you plant potatoes, you're going to grow potatoes."  I suppose he means we're not destined to have small children!  Ha!

So, so very thankful for my healthy boys.  Caleb and his no-nonsense, I-just-wanna-have-a-good-time attitude, yet still sensitive; and Logan and his thoughtful, sensitive, and creative nature.  It is so much fun to see how each of our children develop into individuals with their own strengths (and, yes, weaknesses...), likes, dislikes, temperaments, and abilities.  We are blessed.

project

We have been working on remodeling our laundry room, and it's been going well, yet it gets to a point where it feels like it's just dragging on, and I just want it to be over with.  Mike has done a ton of work, but there's still more to go (and we're getting into things where I can be involved), and we're having a carpenter come in a couple weeks to do a built-in.  It will be so worth it!  I love living in an old, unique house, but it also means that there is ALWAYS a project.  I started on a photo book of our basement project, and it's amazing what strong emotions that brings out in me.  I am SO GLAD that is over with.  It is definitely nice to have the basement (Mike mentioned how this laundry room project is much easier because of having access to the plumbing and gas lines in the basement), but I'm really, really, really, glad that 2015 is a memory.  :)

We've pretty much just been staying busy going about our normal business of life.  Church, school, working on the laundry room, just keeping the household running.  Last week we had a guy from Mike's work over for dinner, and I think we'll do that more often.  He recently moved out of his mom's house, and it was not a huge deal to just add a plate at the table.  :)

Jackson has had a cold for a few days now, but it seems like he's on the mend today.  Mike is feeling pretty yucky with it today.  Levi has it a little bit, and I think Logan was sniffling some, too.  I can feel it a little bit, but not too bad.  Yuck!  Jackson hasn't slept real great, last night I spend a couple hours in the chair with him, but now he's napping pretty well and I haven't heard as much coughing.

Jackson's main form of transportation now is walking.  The other day I got him new shoes and he is just too cute.  When I got them I tried them on him for a bit then took them off for his nap.  As soon as he woke up from his nap he pointed at the shoes, and when I handed them to him he held them down by his feet.  He did the same thing for Mike the next morning.  He just clomps around the house in them and it's so cute!  It's still pretty cute the way he says "no", too.  He says it when he's going to do something he knows he shouldn't be doing.  So, he often tests it at mealtime - he'll hold his cup or a piece of food over the floor and say "no no".  Or, he'll walk towards one of the lamps in the living room saying "no no".

I've been putting it off for a while, but a few days ago I got all the Legos out for the boys.  They've been enjoying building things, for which I am glad, but the mess is a nightmare for me...  I've mostly been able to keep stuff off the main level so I don't have to worry about it with Jackson so much, but the basement and their rooms are a mess of Legos.

Last week a Chick-fil-A finally opened somewhat near us, and we went there on it's second day open!  The lines were crazy, but they handled it really well.  Mike and I went on Friday with Levi and Jackson, and just went through the drive-thru.  It was so good, and I hope we get one even closer sometime!

wrap it up

I suppose it's cliche, but I can't believe another year is over!  2016 has been great, and we look forward to 2017 being another fun and exciting year for our crazy little family.

As usual this time of year, we've been pretty busy.  The first week of Christmas break was spent stuck at home with sick kids and a van at the mechanic.  But, after we got through that and Mike started his break from work, we've been able to really enjoy our time!  On Christmas Eve we did our traditional family shopping.  We had the boys draw names, then took them to the mall to help them shop for the person's whose name they drew.  (On a quick stop at Gemmen's on the way Logan found his gift for Levi.)  Things went pretty well at the mall, and we even had time to look a little for Mike's gift for me (snowpants and gloves).  After we finished at the mall, we headed to Meijer to grab some baby things to drop off at Lakeshore Pregnancy Center.  We had fun picking out some girl clothes!

Christmas Day was a nice, relaxing day at home after attending church in the morning.  We had fun opening a few presents, eating a nice breakfast, and just hanging out.

Then this past week is when the craziness began!  Tuesday I took Caleb and Logan to meet up with a school friend at Kids Unlimited for open gym time.  They had so much fun!  Trampolines, foam pits, and mats and such for them to run around and play on.  Tuesday evening was the greater Steenwyk party at my parent's house.  My sister and her family made it into town in time for the party, so it was great to see them and also other family that we don't have opportunity to see much.  That was our first late night of the week...

Wednesday morning I was busy trying to clean the house since my sister was going to be babysitting Jackson for a while in the afternoon.  A bunch of the rest of us went to see Rogue One (Dad, Chad, Katie, Jenna, Eric, Lea Anne, Boden, Heidi, Mike, Caleb, Logan, Levi, and myself.).  So fun!  We saw it in 3D and that was neat.  That evening was the greater Krol party.  I actually jumped in and played volleyball this year (it's been a few years), and this old lady was a little sore the next day!

I think it was Thursday morning that we actually slept in.  Even Jackson!  He's handled the crazy schedule this week like a champ.  Starting mid-afternoon was our Steenwyk Christmas.  Family photos, carol singing, Christmas story, dinner, prayer time, and presents, oh my!  I put Jackson to bed there and he actually fell asleep.  Felt bad when it was time to get him up to go home, but he went back to bed at home just fine.  Meanwhile, the other boys have had so much fun hanging with their cousins so much!  Love seeing how they all get along.  

Friday around lunchtime I met up with my friend Angie for coffee.  Always nice to catch up!  Then Friday evening we went to my parent's to hang out with my family again.  This time was Bingo, birthday presents for some of the kids, and family discussion time (how to celebrate my parent's 50th anniversary next year, and our joining in the beef business).  It was another late night and Jackson slept in until after 9am this morning!  He took two naps today, went to bed on time tonight, and hopefully will be back to normal tomorrow.  Levi also napped today, and all the boys clearly needed  a break from all the activity.

Now it's 10pm on New Years Eve, and the boys have been in bed since a little after 8pm, Mike went to bed around 9pm, and I'll be going there soon!  Party animals!

Oh, by the way, Jackson has been walking all over the place, and it's just too cute.  :)  Farmer Levi has gotten alot of work done with the new combine and grain buggy he got; and Caleb and Logan, my little artists, have enjoyed painting an alligator and dinosaur that they got.

these boots are made for walkin'

Jackson keeps taking more and more steps!  Of course, he won't really let me get it on camera.  About a week ago we were all in Caleb and Logan's room and he took about 5-6 steps - we were all cheering loudly and he clearly enjoyed the attention.  :)  We're in a 'fun' transition time right now, but I think he's moving towards dropping to one nap a day.  He's already changing in what he will and won't eat, and becoming more challenging for me.  For example, used to be that he would gobble up scrambled eggs faster than I could keep up, now he won't touch them.  Stinker.

Last week was a little extra busy because Caleb and Logan had a couple rehearsals for their church Christmas program.  Wednesday night they had a rehearsal before Word of Life, and then all Saturday morning.  The program was Sunday night and went really well!  It was a cute program about a birthday party for Jesus, and had fun songs.  The boys were just in the choir part for most of it, then at the end they got to be shepherds.  So cute!  Caleb was a little fidgity up there, but Logan was very serious and focused.  Normally I've got some sort of story to tell after Christmas Program night, but not this time!  Things were pretty tame.  A few times Caleb was sticking his hand in his shirt where he had a button missing, but probably no one noticed?  :)  And, while Levi was up there with his group, Caleb did holler something at him from where he was sitting, but we didn't have any "major" incidents this year.  Levi's group (the 4's and 5's) did great!  It was a small group so we were worried about them being way too quiet, but they did well.  We had been encouraging Levi to go ahead and sing right into the microphone, and he actually did try a few times, but I don't think that one was turned up very much as I didn't hear him.  Hard to believe that next year Jackson will be up there in the 2's and 3's!!

Friday night our school had a Parent's Night Out babysitting fundraiser for some of the highschoolers going on a missions trip this spring.  So we gladly dropped the boys off and headed out for a date!  (Too rare of an occurrence.)  Tacos el Cunado for supper, then Barnes & Noble to just hang out browsing at books and then having coffee.  After the craziness of harvest season, it is SOOOOOO nice to have more time to spend together and actually have conversations.  Kinda funny, on our way to drop the kids off we were all in the truck and swerved a little on an icy patch.  Then on our way to pick the kids up, there was a smaller truck in the ditch in that same spot.  We pulled over to make sure he had a phone to call for help and he was fine.  Glad it wasn't more serious, and glad we weren't the ones in the ditch!

Saturday morning we fit in a drive to Benton Harbor to deliver beef while Caleb and Logan were at rehearsal.  The weather was a little wintry, but not too bad.  On the way back we did see a couple separate vehicles in the median, one looked pretty bad.  Sunday was pretty snowy, but thankfully the program wasn't cancelled.  We drove around in the truck all weekend as the van needs new tires and isn't getting them until Friday.  Of course, I've been slipping around in it this week so far.  Monday school was cancelled, and we had a really nice snow day.  A year ago I dreaded snow days, but it was actually a nice, relaxing, fun day.  I even got to go out a play a bit with the big boys when Jackson napped.

Amy and I have gone to a spin class at Zeeland Rec a couple times now, and it's been great!  It was really rough the first time, but it felt good to get some exercise, and I could notice improvement at the second class already.  Now to try and get moving the rest of the week, too!  I took possession of Mike's old fitbit, so we'll see if tracking my activity motivates me at all.