Quick post for prayers

The realtor who showed our house yesterday to a couple from Colorado called me this afternoon and said out of the 12 houses they looked at yesterday, ours was in the top 3. He said the wife liked ours the best, but the husband liked another one the best. Sooooo ladies, bond together with me and pray that the WOMAN wins! :-) Haha The realtor also said that they have 2 large dogs, and he felt like they were looking more for a home for their dogs than themselves. I am assuming they don't have kids since he didn't mention any. We can only hope our house is dog-friendly? Each of the dogs could at least have their own bedroom as Lynette reminded me. He really didn't give me any more information than that, so I really didn't feel as if I knew any more after he called than before. I just told him to call again if they would like to take another look. And it is amazing how lived in a house can look after a 24 hour period. Even though I know how clean our house is right now, the clutter has already started to reappear. Oh well- life would be boring if I only had a clean house and no lovable kids to fill it with. So I am thankful for a messy, kid-filled home!

Waiting for the chili to cook

Creative title, huh? Boring, but true. I am trying to kill time while I wait for my chili to cook. Lisa and I are still doing our meal swaps (which still works out beautifully!). She made us dinner last night, but we went to Logan's so we ate her chicken casserole tonight- very delicious I might add. I am making chili, and it takes 2 hours to cook. The recipe is called "The Best Chili Ever" so I hope it lives up to its name. It didn't take long to throw in all of the ingredients, but I didn't start cooking it until after church tonight, so it won't be done until around 10:30. I have already done today's crossword puzzle and Sudoku while waiting, so I thought I'd check blogs for awhile as well. And here I sit with 30 more minutes to wait.

We showed our house today, but haven't heard anything yet. A realtor called yesterday and asked if he could show it to a couple from Colorado. If they didn't like it, I doubt we'll hear a thing, since it was always our realtor who called us to say what the people thought. Since we no longer have a realtor, I guess we'll never hear anything. But, on the positive side, our house hasn't been this clean/decluttered in a long time! Yay! Go Ryan! He really put in some sweat hours yesterday getting the house in tip-top shape. He scrubbed and shined places that hadn't been done in awhile. His dad even came over to tackle the big spots on our carpet with his steamcleaner. The carpet looked pretty good after he was done. Ryan even rearranged furniture and DVDs and videos, so that everything looked neater in our bedroom and the basement. I was impressed with his effort. So, even if those people didn't like it, I am pretty pleased to call it home. :-) And if you know me well, you know I LOVE my house at Christmas. Our house reminds me more of NC houses for some reason more than most mid-west houses, and with the lights and decorations at Christmas, I love coming home and seeing my house all lit up. It gives me a warm and cozy feeling.

Tomorrow morning Sadie has dance. Hopefully that will give her a good start to her day. She was a complete bear today. She is in the stage where she wants to do absolutely everything herself, but doesn't have the capacity to do so. So she screams when I try to help her, but screams as well when she can't do it herself. That equals a lot of screaming if you couldn't put 2 and 2 together for yourself. Joshy boy and Jakey boy are also coming over in the morning, so I think she'll have a better day. She and Joshy absolutely LOVE each other. It cracks me up that they can understand at that young age that they are family. She is quite possessive with most things, but when it comes to Josh, she won't fight with him. He loves her too and likes to say her name. Brooks asks all the time if Jake can come over, so I think I'll have two very happy children in the morning. Easy on the mama!

I only have 14 more minutes until the chili is ready. Here is the recipe if you are interested- can't remember who sent it to me- one of my mom's friends I think when I did the email recipe swap one time:

1 lb. ground beef
1 meduim chopped onion
1 (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 (16 oz) can kidney beans
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 small can tomato paste
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 1/2 tsp. chili powder
2 1/2 cups water

Brown ground beef; drain. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer for 2 hours. Add more water as needed because chili will thicken, but don't let get too soupy. Stir occasionally.

I actually have added about 2 more cups of water total throughout the 2 hours, a half a cup at at time. It is smelling and looking pretty good. Lisa will have to post a comment and say if it was good or not-- read that Lisa- you NEED TO POST A COMMENT! :-)

Tagged

So, I was tagged by Amanda (well if you call this line meaning I'm tagged! "and i tag you if you're reading this")

1. Name one person who made you laugh last night.

Ryan- he ALWAYS makes me laugh with his dumb antics

2.What were you doing at 0800?
Sleeping! We all slept in this morning and paid for it later.

3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?

cleaning for our house showing tomorrow

4. What happened to you in 2006?

Am I supposed to be able to remember a year ago when I can hardly remember what I was doing at 8am?

5. What was the last thing you said out loud?

"It's in the cabinet above the washing machine." (In reference to Ryan asking where the Pledge was. )

6. How many beverages did you have today?

3 (2 waters and a diet coke)

7. What color is your hairbrush?

black handle/blue top

8. What was the last thing you paid for?

Ryan paid for dinner at Logan's tonight- but isn't it both of our money? I paid for paper towels at Walgreen's this afternoon.

9. Where were you last night?

BSF

10. What color is your front door?

navy blue- my FAVORITE color

11. Where do you keep your change?

in my wallet

12.What’s the weather like today?

Windy and freezing cold (just got home from the Holland Christmas parade where we froze our tushies off and became numb!)

13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor?

Mint chocolate chip or cookie dough

14. What excites you?

shopping and being with friends and family- CHRISTMAS!

15. Do you want to cut your hair?

No, because I just did last week- it is short enough.

16. Are you over the age of 25?

Unfortunately, WAY over!

17. Do you talk a lot?

I am sure if you know me, you can answer this question for me! :-)

19. Do you know anyone named Steven?

Yes- several former boyfriends actually.

20. Do you make up your own words?

yes, but usually not on purpose. A friend of mine named Catherine and I made up a word in high school that people started using a lot!

21. Are you a jealous person?

Sometimes- but not with important things.

22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’.

Allison

23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’.
Krista

24. Who’s the first person on your received call list?
Lynette

25. What does the last text message you received say?

can't get text messsages

26. Do you chew on your straw?

yes

27. Do you have curly hair?

no

28. Where’s the next place you’re going?

to bed- I'm exhausted

29. Who’s the rudest person in your life?

A certain great grandma that I know. Haha!

30. What was the last thing you ate?

Grilled meatloaf, salad, and a sweet potato

31. Will you get married in the future?

No

32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks?

Knocked Up- If you haven't seen this movie, RUN, not walk, to your nearest Target and buy it- it is hilarious! Better yet- watch it with Ryan and you'll miss every other punch line b/c he'll still be laughing so hard from the previous one!

33. Is there anyone you like right now?

I like all of my friends

34. Did you cry today?

no

35. Why did you answer and post this?

I love personal trivia and learning the same about others.

There you go folks - hope you learned a bit about me! If you decide to do the tag please do link me so I can see!!

The Mystery is Over

Sadie woke up this morning with a rash all over her body so I knew it was roseola. She had her 2 year old check-up at 9:30 anyway, so we went in and the Dr. said she had that as well as either the beginning or ending of an ear infection. He said just to give her motrin for the pain if she has any. She is no longer contagious since her fever is gone and the rash has broken out. She is in great spirits today and seems to be back to her old jolly self. She got 2 shots and never shed a tear. What a brave girl she is! (so unlike her brother Cobe or her mother!) :-)

The wind is atrocious today and made it even difficult to stay on the road. I wish I could stay home and snuggle in my pj's, but I am off to work soon. We had talked about going to the Holland Christmas parade tonight with Lynette and her kids, but we'll have to see about this wind. It would be miserable to sit out in this if it keeps up. Brooks got to go to the Zeeland one last night with his grandparents, while Cobe and I went to BSF. Sadie and Ryan stayed home from all activities. Cobe first had a soccer game at 5:00, so he, Ryan and Brooks went to that. They won 7-1. 2 wins, 1 loss so far this indoor season. Seemed like a busy day yesterday with all the running around.

Not much else this week- church tomorrow night, Sadie has dance Thurs. a.m., Sam's Club with Mary Jo Thurs. afternoon, nothing Friday that I know of, and tile-making at Amanda's on Saturday and Josh Shicker concert Saturday night. I may make 1 more trip out Christmas shopping- probably Friday to finish up. I think Target will be the best place for me to hit to finish. Everything else is wrapped and under the tree which is a great feeling. Off to feed the kids lunch!

Elf Yourself-- Lots of Laughs

Look at my family of elves as they dance for your entertainment.

Okay- obviously we are bored- Sadie is still sick and in bed, so we are all playing on the computer. Check out some other humorous elf videos of other families you may recognize.

Overzets

Boeves

Walkers

Jeff and Miles

Huizengas

The 3 Pearces

Prepare to get Hainsy with it!!!!!

A Random Selection of those who got left out (Larry, Gracyn, Sarah, and Sean Willingham???)

Sadie and The Bells

And last, but definitely not least, 4 HOT CHICKS!!!!!!

Sadie is sick so here I sit

Thank goodness we didn't have big plans today. I thought it would be fun to have Braelyn and Selah over to play because my kids enjoy playing with them so much, but Sadie woke up with a fever. She got crabby last night right around 5:00 and stayed crabby until Ryan put her to bed at 6:something. She slept until 8:00 this morning and felt slightly warm but not bad. She wouldn't eat breakfast and every time she coughs or clears her throat, I could tell it hurt. She only wanted to sit in my lap and cuddle/sleep and after she had been up for awhile, she felt warmer to me. So she has been back in bed already. I hope it is just a short-lived virus- knock on wood- none of us have been sick so far this season.

On a lighter note, we put up our tree last night and decorated it. I also hung the wreaths outside on our outdoor lights. I LOVE Christmas decorations. My house feels so warm and cozy with the lights on the tree. We still need to hang stockings and put the lights on the trees near the garage, then we'll be done. I'll probably try to finish that later today. (Especially since we'll be stuck home all day) Cobe is asking for a bowl of cereal so gotta run.

I lied

Okay, I lied. At the time I posted my blog yesterday, I was not going shopping today. But then I looked at the Target flyer and got the itch big time. So I didn't go out until 8:00 which for future reference was perfect timing. Ryan's grandparents had given me money yesterday to buy things for the kids, so I had something in mind. I got the last one of the thing I wanted for Cobe and the last one of what I wanted for Brooks. And there were 3 left of what I wanted for Sadie. And the best part.... NO WAITING IN LINES! The store was totally cleared out by the time I checked out. Pure success! I went to Meijer's as well and no lines there either. I got some picture frames for myself and got them buy one get one free. Another successful trip. All that and back home a little after 10:00. So forgive me for posting a lie yesterday! :-)

Thanksgiving

The many things I have to be thankful for... one is a wonderful day with Ryan's family and delicious food. We had a great meal and stayed at Kyle and Amanda's until much later than I expected because the kids were having so much fun playing. Thanks Amanda for being such a gracious hostess! We went to church this morning at 9:30 - I always enjoy the Thanksgiving service because of the great music. After church, we came home, let Sadie nap for 45 min. while I cooked the oyster casserole (yes Amy- it WAS good even if you don't believe it!!!!), and then headed out to K & A's around noon with the casserole and my infamous jello salad in hand. We stayed until the Packers beat the Lions and headed home close to 5:00. A friend of Ryan's (Matt VanLiere) and his girlfriend had just had a baby, so we went and saw the baby. Now we are back home and Sadie is already in bed for the night. She hit the hay around 6:30. Nice!

Congratulations to Carmen and Mike!!! Carmen called tonight and said she is pregnant- due June 5th! YAY! For those of you who don't know, Carmen is my dearest childhood friend and lives in Charlotte, NC. She has already had 2 ultrasounds and the tech told her she was 70% sure it is a boy! I am so happy for you Carmen!!!!! You'll be an excellent mother and Mike will be such a great dad.

Tomorrow is the first Black Friday in years that I won't be shopping. I look forward to staying home in my jammies and having a lazy day. I may decorate some for Christmas, and I may not- depends on how bored I get. Brooks is already asking for Braelyn to come over and play, so we may be calling you Amanda. :-) Lynette- Landon and Bailey are welcome as well if you are stuck home again with Elliot. The more the merrier! I really don't need any deals this year- most of my shopping is done. The few things I need aren't on sale to my knowledge. So, there you have it- I've almost convinced myself that I won't miss shopping!!!

As you can see- no pictures from today. I FORGOT the camera that Lynette is letting me borrow. I was so mad- I remembered it after walking into Amanda's. Oh well-maybe I'll mess with it tomorrow.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Nothing much going on

My email was down all day and still is, so that is a drag. I hope I can check it when I go into work in the morning. Last night I had conferences from 2-8. I teach 43 kids total, and I had 16 families come. I expected more, but I guess since everyone has the entire week off from school, they found more exciting things to do than attend conferences. Today we went swimming this morning and then to Pizza Hut for lunch. We picked up Chase on the way home and he has been here today playing with Cobe. Cobe is going to his house tonight to spend the night, so I'll drop them off when I run out to get groceries later tonight. I am making a jello salad (cherry jello, cool whip, cream cheese, mandarin oranges, sugar) for Thanksgiving as well as an oyster casserole. Now before you are grossed out, it is absolutely DELICIOUS! I guess you would have to like oysters to enjoy it, but I do, and I love it. Everyone in Ryan's family chips in and brings something so that his mom doesn't have to make the whole meal. Cooking in the mid-west is completely different than in the south, or maybe it is just a difference in what my mom serves and what his family is used to, but at least I get to enjoy both- his family for Thanksgiving and mine for Christmas. We are going to my BIL and SIL's house around 12:30 to enjoy a big delicious feast and all 9 grandkid/cousins will be there. They will have a blast all being together and Amanda is so kind to host that many people. I appreciate it!

I just placed my order with Selena for all of the pictures she took of my kids and our family at the beach. I am getting one big 16x20 to hang with the one she took of the boys several years ago. She put a quote on that one, and she found the perfect quote for the new one as well. I can't wait to get it. I"ll keep the quote a surprise- you'll have to come see it. :-)
Lynette has been so kind to help me with all of the other pictures of the kids. She introduced me to Winkflash and placed my first order for me. I proudly placed my second order today. One more new piece of technology that I know how to do. ( I admit I had to call her to figure one piece out- oh well! ) I am sure next time I can do it myself. :-) She hopes so too I'm sure!

No pictures to post with the borrowed camera yet. I am hoping to take some of the family Thanksgiving, so then the next step will be to learn how to post them. Not quite sure if I can use the picture program for my other camera to post????? I guess you'll see soon enough.

Off to drop Chase and Cobe off at the Medendorp's.

Fun Times

We have had such a great weekend. Friday night, Fricano's was yummy, but the bowling alleys were all booked up with leagues, so we headed over to Lynette's for some Wii game action. The guys all played that while Lynette and I ran to Wal-mart. We had a lazy Sat. morning. I was supposed to get my hair cut/highlighted at 11:30, but Lisa M. called and said she had to take Regan to the hospital for tests b/c she has been sick forever. So Chase ended up coming over so he wouldn't have to go with them. She called later on so I headed over there around 12:30 instead. She gave me the "Victoria Beckham" cut and went pretty short. She also did lowlights and highlights. I am pleased with the result even though I wasn't anticipating going that short. I am more trendy now in her words. :-) Then Ryan dropped the kids off at Lisa B.'s and we headed to GR for the Amway Grand. What a nice hotel! Our friend Darcey had gotten us a super nice room for $99. They had gotten a big ole suite, so we all met in their suite for appetizers and drinks before heading out to dinner. Dinner was good, but I was stuffed from the appetizers, so I didn't get much at the restaurant. I want to go back when I can eat more. :-) After dinner, we went to Mojo's (a dueling piano bar). We had a private room upstairs and hung out there until around midnight. It was a really cool atmosphere. And it is always fun to hang out with that group of friends. We don't see them nearly enough. Lesley and I talked about how much we need to get the boys together (Peyton and Cobe), so we are going to do that soon, right Lesley???? We headed back to the Bekins' suite and chatted until after 1:00 then hit the sack. You would think I would have gotten a good night's sleep, but oh no! I woke up repeatedly, and at around 5am, 2 women in the room next to ours started a marathon loud conversation and kept me awake. I was so frustrated- I could hear every word they said. I dozed off again at some point, and when I woke up again at 9:15, THEY WERE STILL GABBING UP A STORM!!!! Who wakes up and talks for hours at 5am?????? Ryan had heard them as well throughout the night. Ugh- I was anticipating a great night's sleep, but no such luck. Ryan had ordered a room service breakfast to be sent to our room at 9:45, so we got up and ate that- pretty yummy. We showered and left the hotel and went to the Grandville mall. Ryan was in search of a lighter weight jacket. We went around the entire mall and didn't buy a thing! Unusual for shopping with no kids. He found the coat he wanted at Dick's but they didn't have his size, so he came home and ordered it on-line. The boys and I just finished watching Thursday night's episode of Survivor. Ryan had lied and told me James had gotten voted off so I kept thinking the whole show that it was going to take a big turn of events. Well... he knows James is our favorite and thought it was oh so funny to tease us. Frosti went, not James. :-) Now Sis is awake and wanted to snuggle with her mommy, so I am going to take advantage of that.

PS- Thanks Lynette for the new Thanksgiving header!!!!

Alice In Wonderland

Just got home from the play at Cityside. It is amazing what a group of 6th/7th/8th graders can pull off. Especially when I have them in class and they can't manage to memorize 14 spelling words! haha They did a great job. The boys loved it and even giggled at the appropriate times. I didn't think they'd understand it, but they did. I think we'll watch the Disney version tomorrow since they have the day off- they want to see how similar it is.

It felt like Friday all day today. My students did a service project and went out in the community to rake leaves, so I think that threw me off. It was raining/snowing and extremely windy and cold, but they impressed me with their desire to help out the community. They had spent the morning having a pancake breakfast and watching Ant Bully (which I bought so my own kids can watch it too), then we went out at noon to rake. We were assigned Parkview Home which has a HUMONGOUS yard, but my kids went at it with a gusto. The depressing part was that it was so windy, that our progress diminished each time the wind blew. My group had to go back to school to early to make hot chocolate for all 130 kids, so at least we got out of the cold earlier than everyone else. Parents had donated cookies, so we set that all up and served everyone as they came in. It really was an inspiring day to know that kids that age really do want to make a difference. However, I am exhausted from the day.

Tomorrow night is Fricano's with the Bells and bowling at Holland Bowling Center. And Saturday, I am squeezing in a cut and highlight and skipping the van search. I would much rather get my hair done for my big night out than look for vans, so we postpone that once again. Oh well- must not be meant to be.

A new hobby????

I feel like the past few days have been hectic and busy but with fun stuff- I think I am going to branch off and GET A NEW HOBBY!!! :-) I have been caught up in all of the pictures that have been taken by a great friend, and I want to get a nice camera and take up photography. No, I am not creative. No, I am not artistic. No, I am not inspired. But hey, I love taking pictures and seeing the final result, and I love capturing my children's youth without having to spend an arm and a leg to do so. I have borrowed a much better camera than my own and can't wait to start messing around with it. Maybe I'll purchase one with my Christmas money or maybe I'll stick to getting a new bike that I have been wanting. I'm glad I can play around with a borrowed camera first to see how much I like it/improve. Maybe you'll have to start judging my new posted pics against my old ones and see if I have a future hobby in the making or not.

Sadie fell yesterday in the road and split open the gum above her front two teeth. I wasn't home and Ryan had her all cleaned up by the time I got home. You couldn't even tell from the outside. BUT- the inside of her mouth was a wreck, and she was in obvious pain. We made the mistake of going to Logan's for dinner. We had to wait forever and Sadie cried the entire time we waited and ate. She hardly ever cries, but she was miserable. She was inconsolable. I felt so bad that we had dragged her out, but I didn't think she was hurt that bad. This morning the boys went in to get her up and said she had pooped in her bed. I thought that was odd, and when I went in, it was blood from her mouth on her sheet, not poop (thank goodness, I guess?). She had bled during the night and was a wreck off and on again today. She can't drink from a sippy cup b/c it hurts her too much. She has been drinking from a cup with a straw. She can't eat certain things either- she just cries. Her teeth aren't loose, but I can tell they are sore. Poor thing- I hope she is better tomorrow.

Tonight was church- only Cobe and I went. Brooks fell asleep around 5:30 or so and was cashed out for the night. He never woke up and Ryan just transferred him into bed for the night. Tomorrow night the three of us (Cobe, Brooks and myself) are going to see Cityside's production of Alice in Wonderland. The 7th graders saw Act 1 today and it was so cute. The play is so whimsical and silly, that I hope the boys get it. But I think they'll enjoy it no matter what. I have taken them the last few years to the fall musical and they really look forward to going.

The boys are about to have a week off from school. Today was Brooks' last day until Nov. 26 and tomorrow is Cobe's last day until Nov. 26. I have to work Friday and hold parent conferences on Monday. I have off Tuesday and have to go in Wed. a.m. as well. So I have 3 1/2 days off next week which will be nice. Cobe's teacher (Emily) was kind enough to let me come to Cobe's conference early Monday so I didn't have to go in on my day off on Tuesday (she's the best!). She will definitely be scoring a better teacher gift for Christmas because of it. haha :-)

We have a fun weekend planned. Plans are coming together for Friday night hanging out with Lynette and maybe her posse too. :-) Saturday morning, we may go look at vans. Still haven't decided whether or not to pursue getting anything new right now, but we are at least going to go look and start pricing. Then Saturday afternoon/evening and into Sunday morning, Ryan and I are going away for a night at the Amway Grand. We are going with Bekins, Remicks, Holsteges, Lamers, Onstotts, and maybe Turners for appetizers in the Bekins' room at 5:30, reservations for dinner at 8:00 at Bulls Head Tavern, and to the B.O.B. afterwards for partying. We got a room at the Amway so we could enjoy the whole night without having to worry about driving home. I am sure we'll sleep in until check-out Sunday morning and head home. Can't wait! Lisa will have the kids, and I got them the new Shrek 3 movie to watch at her house that night, so they are excited about that too. Win-win situation! :-) (for me anyway- haha)

Well- I have a little Cobe Walker to get to bed. He needs rest for his 2nd grade turkey feast tomorrow and his reward day- Mrs. Lauritzen is rewarding them by showing a movie! He is very excited. :-) Have I mentioned what an awesome teacher she is???

The last of my posts for awhile! (Yea right!)

Can you tell I'm up way too late by my titles????? The following posts contain some pictures (just random- there were some great shots, but I was way too lazy to go through to pick the best one to post) from this afternoon- a massive Huizenga family grandchild photo shoot. :-)

Joshy boy- just noticing that I posted one that is a little blurry. Oh well- you get the gist.
Say-say sucking on her finger.
Say-say's serious game face.

Too lazy to go back and flip 'em :-)

More from this afternoon.

Ain't Bray-bray picture perfect? Such a photogenic little girl!
Joshy boy saying cheese!


Baby Gracyn styling and profiling for the camera.

A few other sneak previews (see previous post)

My 3 cheese balls!
The whole clan
Snakey boy
Gigi (Justy) showing his pearly whites

Once again, Braelyn wins the Miss Photogenic award for today's pageant- what a great picture!

A Sneak Preview

This is just a sample of what we did this afternoon. This is just a random picture of the many we got, most likely not the best of the bunch, but I am too tired to sort through them right now. Mary Jo has been wanting a picture of all 9 grandkids, and amazingly, we got some good ones. The kids were great sports and did pretty well for 9 active little people. Cobe is the oldest grandchild on Ryan's side and he is 7, Justin is 7, Jake is 5, Brooks is 4, Braelyn is 3, Josh and Sadie are 2, Selah is 22 months and Gracyn is 6 weeks old. Whew! Makes for busy and tired grandparents for sure! They all love each other so much and have a blast with each other. Unfortunately, life gets in the way of that happening as much as it should. If I get motivated, I'll post some other good ones of all 9 and some good individual ones as well.

Cobe

Brooks

Sadie

A girly-girl at heart

For having 2 big brothers and not much else to play with besides cars, trucks and balls until recently, Sadie is turning out to enjoy the girly stuff in life. She loves putting on her tights and take a look at this cute dress (courtesy of her Nana) that she wore to church. It came with its own little pink muff that looked like a pink purse that she wore as well.

Up All Night

Thought it would be a good idea to take a nap this afternoon- now I am thinking...NOT SO MUCH! I am wide awake at 12:35. I tried to get to sleep for about an hour before giving up and coming back downstairs. I read an entire novel (granted it was 7th grade reading level so I could preview it for my class, but still- I read an entire novel!!!!) Still wasn't tired, so now I'm on the computer. Maybe this will put me to sleep. :-)

Last night the auction was so-so. We got there at 6:00- they had a Chinese auction, a raffle auction and a silent auction. I bid on a month's family membership to MVP gym, a round of 18 holes for 2 at the Ravines, a Mary Kay satin hands set, and I think that was it. Oh- I also bought 13 raffle tickets to put in assorted boxes to win gift certificates to different places. I didn't win a thing. Lisa won a breakfast for 2 at the Trestle Stop and a Mary Kay satin hands set. She had much better luck than me. There was a ton of $$ given away and a LCD flatscreen TV given away as a door prize- once again, no luck. Oh well- they had a Mexican buffet and ice cream and brownies for dessert, so that was well worth it. We left there and went to Wal-Mart. Returned aqua-dots, got a few stocking stuffers, browsed around and headed home.

Today, Cobe had his second indoor soccer game- last week they got slaughtered 6-0; today they won 7-0! Big turn around. We then headed to Dr. Green's office with Lynette and her kids so Brooks, Bailey and Elliot could get flu shots (not as traumatic if you go with friends?- a new theory). We then went to Super King buffet. You can read Lynette's blog for a humorous account of what she thought of it. We hung out for awhile after that and then had to head home for Cobe to go to baseball practice from 2-4. Thankfully, the Medendorps took him and brought him home, so that is when I snuck in my nap. Sadie napped, and Brooks and I were snuggled in my bed- he watched a movie and never went to sleep. Then Jen dropped her boys off so they could go out to dinner and the 6 kids had a blast playing. They wrestled, played outside with flashlights, and watched Monster House. I ran to Target while they all watched a movie to get a few more Christmas presents. Plus I have decided to get all new picture frames and wanted to check out the prices/styles. If anyone knows a good place for plain, black, wood frames, let me know.

And that brings me back to now.... hopefully I have killed enough time to fall asleep. Sweet dreams!

Heading into the weekend

This week flew by as I knew it would. Time goes by quickly when we are busy. Tonight Lisa and I are heading to an auction at 3rd Reformed church in Holland. A husband of a teacher at work is involved in an organization that is sponsoring it. (can't remember the organization) There is a Mexican dinner to start at 6:30 and then a raffle and an auction. I am a sucker for things like that. Don't need any of the things being auctioned off, but hopefully I'll get a deal or two. Then we may head to Cityside- tonight is the 7th/8th grade Late Night party. We'll see about that because I am definitely going to hit Wal-Mart to return Aqua Dots. I had gotten them for Aliyah for Christmas and Lisa had gotten them for Brooks. When I heard the horrific things that have happened to kids who ate them/inhaled/or whatever else, then I knew those would be going back. Who would have thought that Aqua Dots could have the GHB drug in them???? (the date rape drug) So, now I need to find Aliyah another gift and I can always use a trip to Wal-mart!

Tomorrow morning, Cobe's soccer game is at 9:00, Brooks needs a flu shot and that clinic goes from 8-12, so we'll head to the doc after the game. Then Lynette and I are getting together for awhile (lunch, park, etc). Cobe has baseball from 2-4. Then my nephews (Justy, Jakey and Joshy) may be coming over for awhile to play. I am looking forward to a quiet night at home tomorrow night.

I'm off to fix the kids dinner so I can head out for a night on the town. :-)

Playdate with Presley

The girls playing with purses and Little Pet Shop.
Having a yogurt for snack time. Doesn't Presley look JUST like Kristen in this picture? I think so.
CHEEZE!
Lots of hugs. These girls are so cute together. They are all about sharing and hugs (today anyway- never know with Sadie!)
Going shopping around the "loop." They would push the shopping cart and the stroller around through the dining room and den pretending to shop.

The girls are at the kitchen table now coloring so I thought I would sneak in a quick post.

We had a great dinner last night, but not at Logan's. We went there at around 6:20 and they said it would be a 25-35 minute wait so we left and went to Broadway Cafe. Very good food and super cheap! Cobe wanted to take Landon with us and the 6 of us ate for under 20 bucks! I was shocked. It must have been kids eat free night, which we didn't know, so when the bill came, I was amazed at how much food we had gotten for such a cheap price. They give you an appetizer (soup, applesauce, or something else that I can't remember), a main dish and either fries, onion rings or coleslaw and each dinner comes with ice cream or sherbet for dessert- even the kids' meals! And the drink was included too. Tons of food! I brought home half of my dinner b/c I was stuffed so I can have it for lunch.

Well I am going to get back to the girls- they have gone through about 6 sheets of paper each so far so I have lots of pretty artwork to hang on the fridge! :-)

Brrrrrrr!

We went from having balmy, unseasonably warm weather to in an instant having incredibly cold, wintry weather. The funny thing is that as it started to hail/sleet this afternoon, I ran to the window and told the boys to look out. It did look really cool bouncing off of our deck. Meanwhile, I realized that I hadn't heard from Sadie in awhile. I had just started to worry and my mom called. I got a panicky feeling, hung up with her and ran around the house calling for Sadie. Now mind you our house isn't huge, but I wasn't finding her anywhere. I was looking in her usual hiding spots thinking she had gone upstairs, but dreading the possibility if somehow she had gotten out the front door while the boys and I were watching out the back. Cobe finally saw her up on the kitchen counter wedged under the cabinets beside the stove SNEAKING candy! That is why the little sneak never answered me as I frantically called for her. I kept imagining that she was somewhere and maybe choking or had somehow gotten outside (even though the doors were still locked). Not a good feeling. I shouldn't be surprised- she knew exactly what she was doing. And I had glanced in our kitchen and since it is wide open, didn't think she was in there. Oh well- she never ceases to amaze me, and I do think she will be the one that keeps us on our toes as parents.

Had a great lesson at BSF tonight- Lynette, the 3 principals were:
1. Christians who desire the praise of others miss out on God's reward.
2. A Christian's priorities are focused only on what God desires.
3. God will provide every need of those who put Him first.

(Do not misinterpret- it isn't that Lynette needs to hear these principles, she just wasn't there to hear them for herself. :-) )

Off to flip back and forth between The Hills (Love Brody, right Em?) and The Bachelor. So hope Brad doesn't give a rose to Bettina. I'm definitely pulling for Jenni but would be okay with DeAnna as well.

I would be so totally fine waking up in the morning with a 2 hour delay from sleet. If it is going to be messy, then I want a perk from it! :-)

Early to bed, early to rise

Daylight savings time does wonders for bedtimes. Sadie was in bed by 7:00, and Brooks started asking at 7:15 for me to please put him to bed. So I held him off until about 7:30, and put him and Cobe in bed. Their normal bedtime is between 8:30-9:00 most nights, but I do remember last winter how early they did go to bed. But, they had been sleeping in until around 8:00, and this morning they were up at 7:00. So I guess it is a trade-off. I'll take it. It does seem later to me as well. Ryan is already upstairs getting ready for the sack and it is only 7:50 right now!

We had a good weekend. Friday night was out to the Melting Pot (see previous post). Saturday morning, Cobe had a soccer game. They got stomped 6-0. Then he went home with Chase to play. The other 2 and Ryan and I went to Sam's Club and then to Younker's. A friend of Ryan's had a baby girl last week, and a friend of mine is having a baby girl this week, so we went and got baby gifts. I also ran to Meijer's for groceries. Saturday evening Mark and the Boeve girls came over for dinner/movie. I settled all 6 kids down after dinner to watch a movie and ran to K-Mart for toy deals. They had coupons for 50% toys. I ended up seeing Ryan's mom there, so I picked out Christmas toys for her to give the kids since she could use some of the coupons. She got some good deals! Aliyah and Maya spent the night, so I got the kids to bed after getting home. They all got up around 7 this morning, ate a big breakfast, and then we headed to Sunday School and church. After church, the boys and I went to MJ's for lunch, while Ryan brought Sadie home to nap and he wanted to watch the Packers game anyway. Lunch was delicious (ham, potatoes, veggies, rolls and birthday cake for Jim's birthday). Jen, Kyle, Mary Jo and I sat around after lunch making plans for Thanksgiving (where, when, who was bringing what) and the family Christmas gatherings. I get SOOOOOOOOOOO excited for the holiday season. I love Christmas gatherings and planning food. We are leaving for NC on the 23rd, so we needed to plan everything with his family before Christmas. So our parties will start as early as Dec. 14th!!!!! YIPPEE!!!!! I feel like it is right around the corner. We have AN ENTIRE WEEK off from school this year at Thanksgiving, so that will be fun as well. I shouldn't say "we" because I have to work that Monday doing parent/teacher conferences, have Tuesday off, work 8-12 on Wednesday in teacher workshops, then have Thurs. and Fri. off. The kids have that entire week off and the Friday before. I think that is way too much time off then to turn around and have 2 weeks off a few weeks later for Christmas. I would much rather have a week off in February when winter is dragging. But, I guess nobody asked for my 2 cents when they were planning the schedule. :-)

The boys left with Jen after our planning session and went to her house to play, so I went for a walk with Lisa when I got home. Sadie slept all afternoon. Then she and I went to pick up the boys, home for pizza and baths, then off to bed! Regular week ahead: BSF Monday night, maybe Logan's for dinner Tuesday night (haven't been in so long!), church Wednesday night, nothing Thursday night (may try to get my hair cut/highlighted), and boom-it's the weekend again.

I am so enjoying BSF this year. Such applicable lessons for me and for Cobe. I love learning the lessons with Cobe- he holds me so accountable for my actions. I am excited that I get to take Kristen tomorrow night to an intro class. I have invited people before, but have never personally taken them. This would be a great year to start (Matthew has HUGE applications for everyone's life) if you have ever thought about it before. There is an intro class the 1st Monday night of each month. Holler if interested! You'd be amazed at how this study really draws you closer in your walk with God.

Okay- it is 8:08, but I guess I'll go to bed and read. SO weird for me to go upstairs this early, but I am feeling like it is much later than it is as well. Sweet dreams!

A Fine Dining Experience

We just got home from the Melting Pot- in GR. It was quite a yummy experience. The only problem is now I want to HURL from being way too stuffed. Ryan honestly started sweating and looking mighty uncomfortable towards the end. It was a good time out though with good friends, the Boeves. We had reservations at 6:45 and didn't finish our 4 course meal until 9:30 or so. I had not been to the Melting Pot since college days. I went before a formal dance when I was at Meredith, and I think I went one time after that soon after college. The thing you never forget though is the smell. You smell after eating there since you cook all of your own food. I could always tell when I chaperoned the high school proms at Millbrook who had been there before the dance because they always reeked... so I am off to shower. It was well worth it though- we started with a spinach artichoke cheese fondue, had Athenian salads next (lettuce, garbonza beans, pepperoni, ham, feta cheese, roasted red peppers and olives), had the main entrees of filet mignon, shrimp, pork, sirloin, 2 types of pasta, chicken, mushrooms, broccoli, potatoes and squash; then followed that with a milk chocolate and peanut butter fondue. They had apples, breads and veggies to dip in the cheese fondue and cheesecake, marshmallows, bananas, strawberries, biscotti, pound cake, and brownies to dip in the chocolate. Yum, yum, yum! I think the cheese fondue was my favorite part and the salad was Ryan's. So delicious! They call themselves a special occasion restaurant so they asked us what the occasion was- I told them a night out with no kids. Isn't that as good as any reason to celebrate???? :-)

Cobe has his first indoor soccer game this season at 10 in the morning. Then we don't have a whole lot more on the agenda. Hoping to kick back and relax at some point after returning a few things and hitting Sam's Club. Ryan and I cleaned this morning, so that is a good feeling.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.