A lot of the same going on

We have been having fun, but doing the same things as we were last post. Swimming, jumping on the water tramp, going on boat rides, floating on rafts, walking, reading, playing scrabble, etc. etc. etc. We are having a relaxing time, and the kids are all getting along really well. It stormed bad Friday, so our fun was cut short. We actually were out on the boat with no sign of a storm in sight. Out of NOWHERE, it boomed thunder and crackled lightning right above our heads. I was petrified! My dad booked it back to the dock and we all ran inside leaving all of our stuff on the dock. The phone was out there, my mom's camera, all the rafts, all the chairs. The phone got ruined and the umbrella broke in half, but nothing else was ruined or blew away surprisingly.

I am reading an excellent novel- Nicholas Evans' new book called The Divide. It is a really good read if anyone is looking for some entertainment.

Off to eat breakfast- mom cooks up some good grub!!!!! I sure hope I get another comment from Mrs. Neusebaum!!!!! ;-)

Coming to you live from Carolina

Lisa and I are posting this together. I am trying to encourage her to start her own blog, but she is resistent. She thinks there is no need to post anything since I am posting the same thing, but how wrong is she??? You could get another perspective on a lot of the same events since we are together so much! :-)

Anyway, we arrived safely in Lake Gaston, NC at around 8:00 last night. It was a longer drive than we anticipated- it took us about 15 hours. We hit a bad traffic jam around Washington, DC and it lasted too long for my comfort anyway. We also stopped for lunch and got out to eat so the kids would have a break. But as far as traveling with 5 kids goes, it was a calm, successul trip- no puking, no pooping in bags, no fights, and Sis' screaming was kept at a minimum. Haha Mom fixed dinner for those who wanted to eat, the kids played for awhile and we actually got to bed late for such a long day.

Today was so much fun! We ate breakfast and then Lisa and I took Maya and Sadie for a walk while my mom took the older 3 to the store. Then we all met back and stayed out in the water for the majority of the day. My dad set up the water tramp later in the afternoon, so the kids got to enjoy that for awhile. We swam, jumped off the boat dock, sunned, etc. all day. Around 4:30 we came inside to rest, but the kids "practiced" for the show they were going to perform tonight instead. We had my dad's birthday dinner and then came in the living room for the big show. Cobe was on guitar, Aliyah was the gymnast/dancer, and Brooks was on drums. The show lasted all of 30 seconds before Aliyah fell and broke open an old scab and was pouring out blood, so the show did NOT go on! So Maya and Sadie picked up the slack and danced and sang for us. Then my dad opened his presents, we had cake, the kids went back out on the dock/swimming and Lisa and I hunkered down for Big Brother at 8. The kids went to bed at 8:30. I have pictures of the big show and I did actually bring my camera cord. I do not feel like messing with it right now, but maybe in the a.m. I'll figure it out and post the pics. Off to start reading a pile of new magazines. (I forgot to post in my list of 50 things that I am a total magazine junkie!!!!)

I am going to start Lisa off on baby steps and make her post a few lines here- you girls give her a shout of encouragement so she'll want to do her own (and no, we haven't been drinking!)

Lisa: Everything Sarah said is true and so therefore I do not need to post on a blog.

Sarah: How pathetic is that??? Give her some grief!!!

HAPPY 66th BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!!!

We're Off!

Lisa came over tonight and we packed the car. We are taking very little actually. Most of the gear is a big 'ole water trampoline that we are taking there, so we had to pack lightly so it would fit. That is the best part of this trip though- you hardly need anything. We live in our bathing suits most of the time. We will be pulling out of here at 5am. I appreciate the comments of those committing already to pray for safe travel and no puking for us. Thank you!!!! Kim, we do have a dual DVD player so that should help some. Thank you so much for the offer of yours though. It is a good feeling to know I am going to bed, getting up, stashing the kids in the car, and heading off. Nothing else to do to prepare. Ryan took the kids to the Jim Kaat fields all afternoon to play baseball so I packed, cleaned and weeded. It was relaxing to be able to accomplish so much in peace. This morning, Sadie had a Dr.'s appt. because her eczema has gotten so bad. He changed her prescription and gave her an oral anti-itch medicine. I hope it clears up soon because her legs and arms are in pretty rough shape right now. The boys and I had dentist appts. this afternoon and then they left with Ryan. I am sure I'll post while on vacation, so I'll let you know how much fun we are having! :-)

Last Picture Post for a Few Weeks

We went to Ryan's mom and dad's last night for pulled pork and swimming. The dinner was great- I would highly recommend Hog Wild for barbeque pork. The kids had a blast swimming. Mary Jo and Jim live on a channel and the kids had races across the channel all night. Great exercise! They got a work out. Jake, Braelyn, Cobe, Justin and Brooks

Sadie hoarded a bag of chips to herself.

Brooks and Justin about to dive in.

Jake and Brooks swimming across the channel.

We had so much fun there last night. It was our last hurrah for awhile since we leave Wed. a.m. for NC. Today we all went to the pool in our new neighborhood. Jen and her boys met us there and Mary Jo took the afternoon off to come hang out with us as well. Ryan stained the deck and then he headed over to swim too. Tina and her boys came also. We all packed lunches and stayed all afternoon. The weather was perfect and the water felt great. Jen took our boys home with her to play, and Sadie just woke up from her nap, so Ryan and I have had some free time. We are going to go get them after dinner. I am going now to pack for our trip while they are gone and can't put their two cents in for what they want to wear. :-)

My heart is full

People can be so nice. I posted a comment on Mel's blog asking a favor for her to post some pics that Ryan really wanted to see. She posted those pics of the slain officer, Robert Kominski, the same day I asked for them. Mind you, I don't even know Mel, but just stumbled upon her blog from my SIL Amanda's. Thank you Mel! You really touched our lives in such a caring way. How neat is it that she happened to catch a few photos of him and his daughter enjoying life on the carousel just a few days before he was shot. Ryan wants to share this precious moment that Mel captured with his fellow officers. I think it helps in the healing process to know that he spent some quality time with his daughter in his last days.

Also, Ryan's 87 year old grandpa sang in church this morning. WOW!!!! is all I really can say about his voice, his love for Jesus, and his meaning to our family. It was hard to not get choked up thinking how fortunate we are that our children have gotten to bond with him and form such a special relationship with him before God calls him home. He is amazing! Just Friday, he played baseball, hide-n-go-seek, and many other games with my kids when we visited. My kids absolutely adore him, and I sit here crying as I type this thinking of life without him in it. He means so much to me as well, especially since I no longer have any of my grandparents alive. Both Grandpa and Grandma Hains have shown me how much they love me, Ryan and my kids so often. What great grandchildren have the good fortune to get to know their great-grandparents so well and spend so much time with them? They have not missed a single one of Cobe's t-ball, baseball, or soccer games. They get so excited to cheer him on. He said the other day, "It is sad to think that Grandma and Grandpa Hains might die soon, huh mom?" After swallowing a lump, I answered him that we were so lucky to have them for this long and hopefully they would live a healthy life for many more years. He answered, "I hope they both live 2,000 more years." He gets teary-eyed just talking about it. And of course, I still sit here and weep.

Life is good. God is good. All the time. Amen!

The Last 2 Days

Yesterday, I took Cobe to his last day of science camp. They went on a field trip to DeGraaf Nature Center to net some stuff. He caught 2 frogs, some water bugs and a minnow, so he ended the week on a good note. :-) After dropping him off, I ran to the Zeeland Farmer's Market to get some fruit and vegetables. I actually saw Lynette downtown and we were NOT at the bakery! Imagine that! Julie was watching Sadie and Brooks so I took full advantage of not having any kids and ran a few errands while I was out. I picked up Sadie, Brooks and Ella, and we spent an hour or so at Ryan's grandparents house. I went to pick up Cobe and Jake from camp and took all 5 kids to McD's for lunch and to play. They all had a blast. It started to get pretty crowded, so we left and came back home for the rest of the day. The kids all played outside and Julie and I hung out chatting in the driveway. I ran to Wal-Mart after Ryan got home to get him his stash of food to eat while we are gone next week and the next. We tried to watch the last movie that I had rented from the library, but we both fell asleep, so I had to return it today unwatched. I hate when I do that. It was only a buck, but still, it feels like wasted money. We watched maybe 2/3 of it before falling asleep.

Today turned out to be a great pool day. It seemed so chilly at my house, but we trucked it on over to Knollwood around 1:00. Lisa and her girls met us there, and Cobe took his friend Mark. It was warmer over there it seemed and we stayed until after 4:00. So of course I now have sleeping, pooped out kids. Sadie has been sleeping since we got home (almost 3 hours now) and Brooks cashed out a couple of hours ago as well. Cobe went to Mark's and he ate dinner over there. I cooked dinner, took a shower, caught up on mail, cleaned a bit and now I am feeling the exhaustion set in as well.

Ryan's grandpa is singing at the early service tomorrow at church, so we will go to that service instead of our usual later one. I coerced Lisa into watching the kids so we could enjoy the service without interruptions. It is the more formal service and not very conducive to kids.

We leave for my mom and dad's in 4 sleeps!!!!!! Lisa, me and our 5 kids in a van bound for NC! We did it last year and it went very well. Sadie is the one I worry about this year. Usually, Ryan and I drive through the night so the kids can sleep, but Lisa and I are going in the daylight for safety reasons, so I worry we might boot Sis out at some point. She can be so loud and so shrill when bored. We are staying 10 or 11 sleeps- I am so excited. We may actually drive into Raleigh for the first day to shop, then we'll head to the lake for the rest of the trip. My parents bought a water trampoline, and the neighbors across the street from them just put a pool in their backyard, so we'll have 2 new treats there in addition to all the other ones we always have.
I hear Sadie crying after her marathon nap (she had already slept 2 hours before going to the pool), so I need to run get her. Hope everyone enjoys a peaceful Sunday!

Looks Can Be Deceiving!

From the looks of these pictures, you are going to think we had a really nice day at Pier Cove. It was not the best beach day by far!!!! The wind gusts were so strong that there was literally a sand storm on the beach. We were getting whipped by the sand and it stung. The boys had fun because they stayed in the water and therefore avoided millions of pieces of sand blowing in their eyes, ears, hair , etc. Sadie, poor thing, got on a towel and had me cover her up and she stayed there the entire time. She played for about 5 minutes (the few pictures I took), and then realized how miserable it was. She was perfectly content to be under the towel, and she didn't make a peep under there, but how fun is that???? We stayed about an hour or so since we had packed up to go, but then headed home. I should have had a clue when we were the only people on the beach that something wasn't right!!!!This was cool- right when we got there, a Coast Guard helicopter flew right over us. The guys in the copter waved to us and the boys really got a kick out of that. You can hardly see it in the picture because it had already flown by when I thought to get out my camera. The copter is the speck over the trees.
The guys built a dam blocking the creek water making the "pool" bigger.
This is where the creek flows out of the woods into the big lake. Last time we were there, the kids had just as much fun catching frogs here as they did playing in the water.
Proof that little Sadie was under her towels the whole time. She kept saying "hide, hide" if I would lift the towel up to peek in on her. She liked it under there- much better than the alternative.

She couldn't even open her eyes the sand was blowing so badly. Hopefully we'll pick a better beach day another time!

Digging in the sand

Another little digger

And yet another

Ryan helping the boys build a dam in the creek.

The waves were huge, the water cold, and the current strong, so the boys chose to swim near the shore and play in the creek.

LOL!!!!

Meet Squidwerd! Haha This is Cobe dressed like a giant squid. Don't tell me you can't tell he is a squid!!!!!! He had a sea creature parade at science camp today and they sent a note home Tuesday that he had to come in costume as a squid. I am the least creative person you'll meet, so I was stumped. Kristen and Lynette suggested the pink shirt with stuffed panty hose. So, that is what we went with. Of course our neighbor Jason thought the "tentacles" hanging off were something else. I won't say what. :-)
A rare moment captured of Sadie. She is ALWAYS on the go. She sleeps great when you put her to bed and loves to be there, but she has never been the type of kid who will fall asleep in your arms. She is too busy and active. The other night she was so whipped that she fell right to sleep on Ryan's chest. So of course he savored the moment and let her sleep on him awhile.

Today was Brooks' last day of gymnastics. He had so much fun. He got a ribbon and certificate today so he thought he was hot stuff! Ryan and I went to watch and Ryan even had to do the chicken dance at the end of the class with him. We met Julie Snyder and Jack at the bakery before class for a last day celebration. (I am sick of the running around, so I am glad it is done!) Cobe has one more day of science camp.

Ryan is off to court right now, and when he gets home, we are going to head to Pier Cove again this afternoon. The boys can't wait to take their dad and show him the cool beach and creek! Hopefully I'll have some good pics to share upon our return.

Wednesday Fun

Today ended up being so much more fun than originally planned. I ran around like a mad woman this morning due to poor planning on my part. I picked up Luke and Jake, took Cobe and Jake to Hope College to camp, took Brooks and Luke to the bakery to meet Lynette and Kristen. Then we all went to the park. But meanwhile, I didn't take Sadie with me to play with Presley, so I had to leave and run Brooks and Luke to gymnastics and home to pick up Sadie and head back to the park. Ryan had already put Sadie down for a nap, so he got her up so I could meet the gals at the park. Whew! They had fun playing and we headed home. Brooks went to Luke's again after gymnastics, had lunch and played. Sadie and I walked down there to hang out because we were bored. After awhile, Julie called and wanted her kids and niece and nephew to go to the pool, so we all packed up and went to Knollwood to swim. I called Tina and Lynette and they met us there as well. It was a fun afternoon!!!! The kids all had fun in the pool and at the playground. Now Ryan is grilling salmon again and I am starving-- off to eat!

Check out my Slide Show!

I learned how to make a slide show! I know it is nothing fancy, but I'll tweak it and learn more as I go on I am sure. I haven't played with all of the options that I can do, so I look forward to getting better at all of the blogger options. I don't know why those numbers appear under the pictures, but for now, they are staying b/c I am tired of trying to figure them out. Enjoy!

The rusty camera reappears

I only took some random Sadie shots today b/c I haven't done a picture post in way too long. The boys weren't really around much. After gymnastics, Tina took Brooks to McD's with them for lunch and back to her house to play all afternoon with Luke. Cobe got home from Science Camp and went straight to Onstotts' to play and eat lunch. So Lisa came over and we took a walk with Sadie. A relaxing day. Now Brooks is asleep in the basement, Cobe is on the front porch trading Pokemon with some neighbor boys, and Sadie is begging for me to come outside. Gotta run!



Sadie was done with pictures at this point as you can plainly see!!!!! :-)

What a Blast!!!!

We have had such a fun time since I posted yesterday. We went to the Remick's last night around 6pm. We partied long and hard. We all ended up in the pool in our clothes because we didn't take suits. It was sooooo much fun! Great times with good friends- can't beat that. Julie invited everyone to Rockford to her mom's today. It ended up just being us, Bekins and Onstotts that went, and we had another great time. MUCH more low-key, but a relaxing fun afternoon. We laid out on their water tramp, grilled out burgers and dogs, swam, and hung out on the dock. The kids all fished and each of them caught at least one. We are just getting back and we have tired kids- YAY! Early to bed tonight. The kids had a lot of fun spending the night at the Boeves last night and they are worn out after their night and afternoon at the lake.

I saw Lynette's blog post today and am going to try and post 50 things about myself as well. It may bore you, but I found hers interesting to read and learned things about her that I didn't already know. So here it goes...

1. I was born in Raleigh, North Carolina.
2. I lived in Raleigh for 28 years. I didn't even leave for college.
3. I went to Meredith College for 4 years (it was about 5-10 minutes from my parent's house) and it was an all-female college. I had a full scholarship to college.
4. I graduated in 1992 and began teaching 9th grade English at Millbrook High School in Raleigh.
5. I taught in Raleigh for 6 years.
6. I moved to Zeeland in June of 1998 after meeting Ryan at Myrtle Beach and dating long distance since March of 1997.
7. I lived with Jennifer and Chad on W. Lawrence Street that summer until Ryan and I got married in December of 98. He proposed in October and we got married 6 weeks later.
8. We had Cobe a year later in January of 2000. We had Brooks in 2003 and Sadie in 2005.
9. I started teaching 7th grade Language Arts, Social Studies, and Computers to 7th graders at Creekside Middle School in August of 98.
10. In 2003-2004 school year, I was the Dean of Students at Creekside part-time while working on my master's thesis and practicum.
11. I received my master's degree from Grand Valley State University in Educational Leadership in 2004.
12. I moved over to Cityside Middle School in Aug. of 04 so I could teach part-time, and I still teach 7th grade there part-time to this day.
13. I love my family more than I could have ever imagined loving anyone. I have great parents, in-laws, husband and 3 kids.
14. I am blessed with many wonderful people as friends, co-workers, and church family members.
15. The only foods I hate are coconut, all nuts (except peanuts, cashews and pistachios),
cherries, tomato juice, coffee. I used to abhor bananas and tomatoes, but over the years can tolerate those now.
16. I absolutely love to read: fiction and magazines.
17. I love to do Sudoku, crossword puzzles, word jumbles, etc.
18. My favorite activities include walking and talking. (not necessarily at the same time)
19. My favorite new activity is blogging... can you tell?
20. I have a mom and a dad who both still live in NC- Lake Gaston more these days than Raleigh, but they do split their time between the two.
21. I have a brother (Brent) that lives in Santa Monica, CA, but is rarely in CA because he is ALWAYS on the go.
22. I have a brother (Jeff) who lives in Raleigh, NC as well and who is married to Michele and has a little boy, Miles. Jeff and Michele were actually in the same class in high school, but never dated until introduced by Jeff's best friend and Michele's cousin who are married to each other.
23. I have always wanted to be an editor if I ever give up teaching. I get a thrill out of finding mistakes in printed text. (I am a nerd.)
24. I have always wanted many, many kids and would love to adopt kids that no one else wants. For instance, kids who have AIDS. Ryan only wanted 2 kids, and now we have 3 and he never wants to adopt. He loves his 3 kids dearly, but I know I will never get him to agree to adoption.
25. My favorite color of car is navy blue and my favorite car that I have ever owned was a navy blue 240SX that my dad bought for me in college.
26. I am now very partial to my mini-van and love it. It feels like home away from home to me since I am constantly on the run. I feel like I could live in it if I had to.
27. I love to eat out, but we rarely do since it is so expensive. I am not a fast food fan at all. It grosses me out to think what goes on behind the counter of restaurants. I do not think all employees obey the signs "to wash their hands before returning to work" that are posted in bathrooms. :-)
28. I love Mexican food, pizza and all Italian food. I really like Chinese food as well. My favorite food to get at a "regular" restaurant would be a mushroom swiss burger. YUMMY!!!!
29. I am glad we picked the names we did for our kids. However, sometimes I wish we could have revolving names for our kids because I LOVE picking out names for kids. I have a list a mile long of names I still want to use. Hence the reason I want so many kids.
30. We have a cottage for sale and a house for sale, neither of which we can sell.
31. I am a person who has to be on time too (like Lynette). I agree with her that I would much rather be early to an event, appt. than to be the least bit late.
32. I am also a very organized person that can be uptight when I feel unorganized. I am getting better since having 3 kids and loosening up some. Or maybe it is my husband who is helping me with this since we are polar opposites when it comes to organization and schedule following, etc.
33. My husband has the best sense of humor that I know of. His brother Kyle runs a close second. Put the two of them together, and it is a non-stop comedy routine.
34. I love parties and social events, but I love alone, quiet time just as much.
35. I fear for the safety of my loved ones the most of all.
36. I have enjoyed gaining friendships and getting to know some people better through blogging.
37. Hmmm... coming up with 50 things about myself is harder than I thought! Can this count for one?
38. My favorite season of the year is summer. I love the weather and the freedom of no set schedule in summer. I also love early fall when there is a slight chill in the air, but not enough to freeze, just enough to put on sweatshirts and jeans and go to football games.
39. I love that fact that Sadie is attached to her dolly and blanket and that they comfort her. I don't like that she needs her "pie-poo" but we'll cross that bridge of getting rid of it when we need to. I love that Cobe is comforted by "Steve" his stuffed monkey. I think it is funny that Brooks has nothing that he needs for comfort.
40. I love listening to my 3 children in the next room wrestling with their dad. Such simple things make them the happiest. I pray that I can always remember that it is truly the simple things that bring happiness to us.
41. I have 9 cousins, all on my mom's side. My dad was an only child and my mom has a sister and 2 brothers.
42. My kids have 5 cousins on Ryan's side (soon to be 6) and one cousin on my side.
43. I have many childhood memories- one of my favorite being staying outside all day long playing in the creek (we called it Planet Rock) and playing outside until dark. We also put on a lot of "shows" with my 9 cousins at my grandparents house.
44. I sometimes wish I had had the wisdom that I do now as a teenager.
45. I understand I wouldn't be the person I am today if I had had that wisdom.
46. I love nature, being outside, but I love coming back inside to cool off and get away from the bugs.
47. My favorite show is Survivor. I could NEVER be on the show because I wouldn't last a day getting bit by mosquitos.
48. I have a load of laundry that needs folding in the dryer right now and usually do. I usually keep a load in the dryer and don't fold it until I need the dryer for another load.
49. I would throw a shirt away before having to iron it. Right Mom????? :-) I do NOT iron.
50. I can't believe I got to 50- but a perfect ending. I do not give up. Ever. I am a bit of a perfectionist and do not feel satisfied until I accomplish a task I set before me. I am not the type to start something and "get back to it later." Ryan on the other hand.... once again, we are polar opposites in that area.

So, I hope you learned something new about me. This was fun- I challenge you to do this if you have a blog so I can learn something about you.

The Weekend So Far

Yesterday we headed off to see what we thought was going to be A Night at the Museum. Come to find out there was a mis-print in the paper and it turned out to be RV playing instead. Lynette had her kids and I took mine plus Justin, Jake and Chase. I thought it was pretty funny at times, but couldn't tell if the kids quite got all the humor or not. They giggled in some places, but for the most part, I think it was above their heads. They were just thrilled to each get their own popcorn and pop.

We left there and I picked up Sadie and dropped off Cobe at Chase's house. Brooks and Sadie napped while I watched coverage of the police officer's funeral. It was amazing to see all the support officers have in this area. Ryan attended and didn't get home until almost 6:00 after meeting up at 8am to go- a very long, emotionally draining day for him. I took the kids to Mary Jo's and came home to shower. We didn't make it to the party until around 7:30 or so, but it turned out to be a fun night. There was a band that Ryan decided to sing with for a majority of the night. He, Brian Buter, Cal Keuning and Matt VanLiere tried out their vocal ability, and sadly enough, were much better than the band! They were in great need of a lead singer. We got home around 11:15, slept in this morning to the pitter-patter of the rain, and then headed to J's Again for breakfast. We went to Mary Jo's to get the kids, stayed there for them to eat lunch, and headed to the Hains' house because she had made Brooks a cake. (No occasion, he just loves her cakes because she makes homemade frosting which he never gets from me! ) We hung out there for awhile, went by the library and rented some movies for this rainy day, and came home. I ended up napping some while the boys watched a movie. We woke up to sunshine just in time for the outdoor party tonight!

Now I am getting ready to shower, take the kids the Boeves for the night, and head to the Remicks to their party. No plans at all tomorrow after church- we got 5 movies at the library so we may have another movie afternoon. We need to be lazy before our busy week starts again. Toot-a-loo!

Weekly Update

We had so much fun at Mary Jo and Jim's last night. We had chicken on the grill with lots of fresh vegetables- very yummy. Then we took the boat out and the boys ended up swimming. The water was very warm even though the air was cold, so they swam with Jim for awhile. (Even after saying I'd take pictures, I FORGOT my camera AGAIN!!!) We went through the channels to the other "lakes" around them and had a really nice night. Very peaceful and relaxing. Today Brooks had gymnastics and Cobe had his last day of soccer camp. Both boys really enjoyed their activities. Brooks has another 4 days of gymnastics next Monday-Thursday, and Cobe is done with soccer, but starts Science Camp (Pirate's Cove) at Hope College next week every morning from 9-noon. He has gone the past two years and really enjoys it. It is an expensive camp, but well worth the money for all they get out of it/learn. Jace DeWitt came home from soccer with Cobe so they had lunch and played while Sadie napped, then we headed to Timber Town to play. Lynette met us there with her kids and brother and sister, plus there were a few other kids there that our kids knew, so they all had fun playing. Elliot and Sadie had fun eating vanilla wafers! We stayed there awhile, came home, had baths, ate dinner and had 2 asleep pretty early. Cobe played some more outside, but the other 2 hit the sack. I ran to Dunham Sports to pick up a water trampoline to take to my mom's in NC. She sent me the $ to get it because it was super on sale. I can't wait to get there and use it. Lisa came over and we walked after I got home from Dunham's. It was a day more at the pace I am used to! :-)

Tomorrow morning, Ryan leaves at 8 to go meet up with the thousands of officers making a procession to the slain GR officer's funeral. It is going to be televised on Channel 13, but unfortunately, we'll miss it. We are heading to the Holland 7 to see A Night at the Museum for a buck. I am taking the boys, Justin and Jake and meeting Lynette and her kids there. I heard that movie is a great flick, but am a little nervous that the boys may get scared when the T-Rex comes to life. I saw it in a preview and it even freaked me out some. I HATED Jurassic Park because I am such a chicken and dislike movies like that, so I hope that part is really short in this movie!!!! But I guess for a buck if we all get scared, we can get up and leave!

Tomorrow night the kids are going downtown Holland to see the Clown Band with Mary Jo and Jim and are maybe even spending the night with them. Ryan and I have a party to go to (a friend of his from work-Jeff Somers). Saturday night, the kids are sleeping over at the Boeves because we have another party to go to- the Remicks. Two nights away from my kids?????? A blessing for sure, but I know I'll miss them!

We heard from our realtor today and he said the showing yesterday didn't pan out. Like I thought, but still frustrating. We are going to have a meeting next week and come up with a new game plan. Can't wait to see what the plan will be! I am sure it will be drop the price- what else could work? I am just so relieved we never started building the other house- we would be stuck with 3 houses!!!!!! I can be thankful that we are only stuck with 2 and a lot!!!! HaHa

I missed the first 20 minutes or so of Big Brother tonight b/c Lisa and I were walking, but caught the rest. Still can't say I am totally into it. The America's Choice guy's (Eric's) mannerisms bother me for some reason, so I wish they had picked someone else for that role. I love Danielle so far though, and dislike Jen as much as most of them do. I was surprised that more people didn't vote to get Amber off- I liked Carol a lot. Oh well- too early in the game to pick a favorite or predict a winner. I guess that is how they hook you.

Enjoy the weekend- looks like great weather ahead!

Ho Hum

You would think I would enjoy yet another day without my kids, but I actually find myself BORED! The boys went to Jen's on Monday, then Justin and Jake spent the night here. Yesterday was the beach, and then today after gymnastics and soccer camp, the boys went to Jen's again. I like the peace and quiet, but only so much of it. I never realized how much I thrive on the noise of little rambunctious boys. :-) I guess it makes me appreciate them more and all of their activity more when they aren't around. Sadie isn't even herself when they aren't around. After soccer camp, she and I went to Big Apple Bagel, then we came home for her to nap. I made cookies, paid bills, read the paper, organized pictures, and a few other tedious things. And now here I am bored. When Ryan gets home, we will run pick up the boys at Jen's and then head to his mom's for dinner. We were going to swim and go out on the boat, but with it being so chilly, I don't know if we will be able to do that. Tomorrow, more of the same... gymnastics and soccer in the a.m. We'll probably hit the library at some point b/c we have books to return and prizes to collect. Maybe we'll go to a park or something b/c it still may be a little too chilly to swim.

Anyone watching Big Brother??? I had to find something to watch this summer and for some reason, reality TV is my weakness. I can't tell if I'll like the new "twist" of having America participate, but I do like the fact that it is on 3 times a week.

I feel like I haven't had good pics to post in forever- maybe I'll snap some tonight at the in-laws. Ta-ta!

The PERFECT beach day!

I wish I had some pictures to share, but for some reason I didn't even think of taking my camera to the beach today. It was a great day. Anyone ever visited Pier Cove? If not, I would HIGHLY recommend it! It is right off 196 exit 34 towards Fennville/Allegan. It was very quick to get there and there were just a few stairs, and you were on the beach. Nice when I am hauling 3 kids, a cooler and a big beach bag. I can't go to the state park because I have 2 kids who think they need to be carried through the sand, plus all of our stuff. This park was neat b/c first, it is free! Secondly, there is no walk, and third, there is a small creek that feeds into the lake that was perfect for Sadie and the other kids to play in for a change of pace from the big lake. Four moms went with their kids (Me, Lisa, Tonya Grotenhuis and Leah Koopman) and we had 9 kids between us, so they all had a blast. We went out in the big lake several times with all the kids to jump waves, ride boogie boards, etc. Also, it isn't crowded at all because there are only about 12 parking spots near the entrance, so that limits how many people can be there at a time.

We got home and are all ready to crash, except.... Ryan and I have to clean AGAIN for another showing tomorrow!!!! ARGGHHH!! I can't even get excited or hopeful anymore for all of these showings because obviously, nothing ever materializes. So I just view it as someone forcing us to clean, who isn't interested in our house. Bad attitude, but so far, the truth! I can't imagine with our house being on the market for a year, that there is still someone out there who hasn't seen it that would want it. Oh well- somewhere, someone, someday will come along and snap it up, right???? Humor me!

Same schedule tomorrow as today- Brooks gymnastics and Cobe soccer camp. Thank goodness that the showing will be somewhere between 10:30 and noon so we would be gone to those two places anyway. But with that wide window of time, that means they are looking at multiple houses.

I am off to clean and hit the sack!

The HEAT!!!!

You would think since I lived in the humid south for 28 years of my life, I could handle this heat, but I do not like it one bit. I have the air cranked and plan on staying inside for the afternoon. We got up and ran a few errands this morning, went to Burger King for breakfast and then headed to the high school for Brooks' gymnastics. He absolutely loved the class and keeps talking about how much fun he had and how he can't wait to go back tomorrow. Funny thing because right when we got there, he shed a few tears saying he didn't feel like doing it today. :-) He got over that real quick and did really well. We stayed there and semi-watched his class (really just ran my mouth because I knew several of the moms there), and then left and headed to the high school soccer field for Cobe's soccer camp. This is where the heat hit me- yuck!!! I dropped him off and came back home with Brooks and Sadie. Sadie didn't want to eat lunch, so I put her to bed and Brooks had lunch. After soccer, Aunt Jen came and took the boys to her house for the afternoon. So I made dinner for tonight already, swept and cleaned the kitchen floor, folded laundry and washed some dishes. I am hoping Sadie is shutting 'er down for awhile so I'll have some free time to just relax. The boys have their classes/camps again in the morning, and then we are heading to Pier Cove for the afternoon to play at the beach. I think it will be a scorcher again tomorrow, then it looks cooler after that. Let's hope!

Yesterday Ryan had to work from 6am-9am but didn't end up getting home until 11am. There was a fatal car accident he had to deal with and a man drowned so he ended up working later. We all napped for awhile once he got home and then hit the pool at Knollwood. Mary Jo and Jim met us there and we had a great time swimming in the pool. Brooks has decided in the last 2 or 3 days that he was going to learn to swim, so he did. Now he swims all around. Such a hoot to watch! He went from having to have his Elmo ring on all the time, to not wanting anything on so he can swim. We came home and Ryan got salmon ready for the grill. The Onstotts and Boeves came over for fish, vegetables, fruit, pasta and salad. We had a yummy dinner. I am not a fish fan at all, but I do love salmon when Ryan cooks it on the grill. We still have a ton more to eat so I am sure I'll get sick of it eventually since it isn't my favorite.

I am sure you have all heard by now, but a Grand Rapids officer (Robert Kozminski) was shot and killed this weekend. It had been 21 years since an officer has been killed in our area. It hit close to home with Ryan being an officer, and I hope everyone will pray for the family and friends of the GR officer. I think I take for granted that Ryan will be safe everytime he leaves for work, and I know I shouldn't.

Sadie is crying, so there goes my free time! "-)

Lil' Piggy Toes

Sadie got her little pigs painted for the first time yesterday. After she woke up from her 4 hour long nap, we headed over to Lisa's. Lisa got out her polishes to repaint Maya's nails, so Sadie let her paint hers as well. I don't think I could have done it- look how tiny those toenails are! Boeve picked up Ryan on his way home from work and they headed over for dinner. (I looked at the package, and you spell it Brats.) We had a great dinner, the kids jumped on the tramp while the men watched a comedian, and we headed home for bed. It was an early night. Don't forget to read previous posts and give me some good ideas for salmon!

Need some advice....

Just a quick post to beg for some advice:

Ryan's friend just dropped off 3 HUGE bags of salmon. There has to be at least 50-60 pieces of fish in the bags- no lie! The only way we know how to cook salmon is to put it in tinfoil on the grill with veggies in the foil with it. That might get old with all of that salmon. So, I need anyone who reads this to leave me a comment on another great way to cook/eat salmon! Consider it a challenge. Thanks- and some of you who are reading this will probably be invited over for a salmon dinner in the near future. :-)

Lynette- I know you are a pro, so I expect a few good ideas from you! "-)

A Quiet Day

We have had a laid-back relaxed day so far. We got up when someone called (wrong number of course) at 7:42 this morning. But it was enough to wake up the kids. We got dressed, ate breakfast and headed to downtown Zeeland to the Friday Farmer's Market they have. We got some fresh fruit (cantaloupe and blueberries) and some fresh veggies (squash, zuchini, green beans, cucumbers). We then headed to the park to play and then to Subway for a free lunch. You can't beat free entertainment! When the kids signed up for the summer library program, they each got a coupon for a free kid's meal at Subway which was worth signing up for. The boys went to the Boeve's when we left Subway to play, and I brought Sis home for her nap. I took a little snooze myself b/c I haven't been feeling the greatest for the past 2 days. I think I am on the road to recovery, but with a quiet house, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to snooze. My mom called and Ryan stopped by, so I didn't get to sleep long. We are heading to the Boeves tonight for dinner- Lisa took brauts to the cottage and we never ate them, so we will tonight. Yum! I have had my fill of burgers and hot dogs for the season, but haven't had a single braut all summer. (I am sure I am not spelling that correctly, but it dawned on me that I must not know how to spell that word.) Hope all of you have an enjoyable weekend!

The 4th of July

Spot and Sis- sis enjoyed her popsicle but was a mess when she was done.
Sis and Dinky- Dinky was the obsession of the kids. She was our next door neighbor's at the cottage- a chiuaua/rat terrior mix- tiny little thing.
Sis, Ryan and Dink
The other obsessions- Tate and Charlie. THese boys are our next door neighbors at the cottage. Tate is going into 7th grade and Charlie is 15. They are SOOO super nice to the kids and play with them constantly. Cobe is always thrilled when they are there at the same time as us. They played with the kids pretty much the whole time we were there.
The Bisk and the Dink


We had a great July 4th at the cottage. We went up Tuesday night when Ryan got home from work. All the neighbors were out and there were several hours of fireworks Tues. night. We all stayed up until around 11:30 watching them. Wednesday was great too. The Boeves headed up and everyone played all afternoon. We made a fire after dinner and hung out watching more fireworks. Those lasted until about 11:30 as well, then Ryan and the kids slept out in the front yard in the tent. We had great weather the whole time we were there, great food and great company. We headed home and got here a little while ago. The boys went over to the Boeves, Ryan is vacuuming the car, and I am getting ready to throw sis in the tub. Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday!!!!

Not much planned for the weekend. Ryan works all weekend including everyday next week for training, and the boys are both in camps next week- Brooks goes to gymnastics for 2 weeks and Cobe goes to soccer camp next week and science camp the week after that. Summer is FLYING by!

2 posts in one day- making up for lost time!!!!!

Okay, I guess since I haven't blogged in a week, I need to feed my addiction and blog 2 x's today! After returning home from NC, we have had a busy week. We left NC around 1:30pm and made it home at 2:45am. The trip home was MUCH more UNeventful so thank you for your prayers. No throw ups and everyone was in good spirits. We hit a 30 minute t-jam around DC that slowed us down, but it was smooth sailing after that. We got home and slept for awhile. I hit Meijer's for groceries, then we hit the DeWitts pool for the afternoon. It was a perfect day for the pool- one of the hot ones. Wednesday, Ryan headed back to work and he had to work Thursday as well. I took the kids to the library Wed. morning and ran some errands downtown. I can't remember what we did in the afternoon. The Boeve girls came over in the evening so Chad/Lisa could go out for their anniversary to dinner. Thursday morning I ran Cobe to the Dr. for his chicken pox booster, then we went for "coffee time" at Mary Jo's. Brooks wanted to stay with Braelyn there and play, so MJ kept him and let him hang out with them at Braelyn's swim lesson then took them to McD's for lunch. Cobe went to his friend Jaxson's house until 7:30 that night and Sadie slept all afternoon so I had quite a bit of free time. Of course I had no computer, so I had to read. :-) We got a call to show our house after I had all that free time and could have been straightening up, but didn't know I needed to. So Ryan and I cleaned that night. We left the house bright and early Friday a.m., ran some errands, and then met Tina and her boys at the park for lunch. Ryan met us there after he golfed that morning and Lisa and Tonya and their kids met us there after Bible school, so the kids had a great time playing. Friday night we went to the Bekins party in Grandville, which was a good time, then headed to the cottage after the party. I pretty much just lounged and played with Sadie at the cottage while Ryan and Cobe worked their butts off. Ryan mowed, power washed and he and Cobe got 7 wheelbarrows full of weeds out of the lake. A realtor showed our cottage today. We busted home late that afternoon to go to the Overbeeks party, which was another great time. We left that party early, because Ryan had a retirement party to go to for some cops at work. I took Sadie over to MJ's to spend the night so we wouldn't have to get up so early Sun. morning to take her over there while we went to the Buick Open. We had a great day at the golf tournament... for as long as the kids lasted. We were the only 1st timers who were naive enough to think it was a good idea to take 4 kids to a pro golf tournament. Pretty much there weren't any other kids in sight due to the fact you had to be ABSOLUTELY quiet 95 % of the time!!!!! DUH!!!! We were geeked to go and thought how much the kids would enjoy seeing the famous golfers. We didn't give much thought to the fact that hours of being quiet is not in a kid's nature. They actually did great, and we had driven two cars (Onstotts went too), so Julie and I decided after 2 hours that we would take the kids home in one car and let the guys stay and have a peaceful rest of the day since it was their father's day gift. They were VERY thankful. Julie and I stopped at a K-Mart, bought the 4 kids bathing suits, and headed to Rockford for swimming at her mom's lake. So we ended up having a great end to our day as well. Jason and Ryan stayed at the tournament and got to see all the golfers they wanted to, and actually met, talked to and shook hands with Kid Rock who was there following around John Daly in a golf cart. So they were thrilled!

Needless to say, I felt the need to stay home today as did the kids. We had a lazy morning, went to Cityside for me to check email and blogs, and then headed home. Brooksie got a new bike from his grandparents and had only gotten to ride it a little since we haven't been home, so he was begging to stay home today and ride it. So the neighbor kids were out in full force, so they had a good day playing. We headed to Knollwood to swim around 3, but it got a little chilly, so they didn't last long in the pool and ended up spending more time at the playground instead. Lisa and I walked tonight and all the kids played outside. WHEW! That is the recap of our week. We head to our cottage tomorrow night after Ryan gets off work for 4th of July festivities with the Boeves. We are taking a tent to pop in the front yard so we can watch the fireworks from the tent- the kids are excited!!!! So probably won't post again until after we get back Thurs. night, but don't worry, I'll be back! :-)

FINALLY!!!!!

Ryan jumping off the boathouse at my parents' lake house.

Cobe contemplating jumping. Poor thing- he wanted to jump so bad but never got up the nerve. He forced himself to stand there for literally hours, and would never take the plunge. It is high, but hopefully he'll do it when we go back in 3 weeks.

Sis enjoying the water with her Da.

The cousins playing in a field at the rehearsal dinner. They all had a blast together.

As promised, although a week late, here are our pictures from our recent trip to NC. We had such a great time. I have been miserable without my computer for the week we have been home, but it did teach me that I am too addicted to blogging and checking blogs. Does that mean I will stop? No way! I think it is a harmless addiction. :-) We really appreciate a friend of Ryan's from work making our computer better than ever- no problems now!!!Enjoy the pics and I'll post a lengthier post soon- we have been SO busy since coming home with such fun stuff that I want to post about that later.

The 3 cherubs before the wedding

Hanging with cousin Miles

The COOL bird that was the wedding theatrical surprise. The bride and flower girls entered under this bird.

Sadie about to enter the fountain for the 2nd time.

"The Cousins"

The Grand Cousins

Sadie and my mom looking at the ponies

The big dog at the party