1st day of Kindergarten!

All smiles for his first day of school!

Luke stayed home a bit later so he could get Jackson on the bus for his first day.

As much as they fight, they sure adore each other too!  Brendan was a bit lost without Jackson at first:(

Waiting for the bus ... thankfully Aunt Sara could come and watch the two youngest and get some extra pictures too!

I love how Brendan seems just as excited as Jackson.

Well, we survived, Jackson successfully completed his first week of kindergarten!  I can't say that he didn't shed a tear at all, if you know Jackson, you know he's a tender heart and can cry easily.  There were a few moments at school where he was a bit overwhelmed but he managed to work through them and he absolutely adores school!  When we asked him his favorite part, he told us it was riding the bus but I kind of think that his favorite part is seeing his teacher since he talks about her quite a bit!  Luke and I of course are constantly asking him about his day and one of his comments to us was .... "It's such a rough day with you guys asking me to talk so much!"  WHAT!!!!!  How is my little chatterbox too tired to talk about school?!  This has to have been the hardest first week of school for me as we sent Jackson off and I missed the big moment.  Thankfully I was able to rush home on that first day and saw him get off the bus.  I have to admit, I did get a bit choked up watching him get off the bus.  I still wish that I could be a bug on the wall and watch him during the day but I know he's in good hands.   How can my little guy be this old already!  How the time flies!

Week at Sandy Pines

The boys heading out on their daily golfing trips ... they golfed at least once a day.  Luke figured out he went golfing 11 times in one weeks time!

While they were golfing, the young ones would play.

Lydia loved the superyard gate ... she was able to crawl around, play with toys outside and stand up ... we loved it too because it kept her semi-clean!

The kids - playing with play dough ... LOVE playing play dough outside (the mess stays outside!).

Cleaning off the fish that they caught ... small fish but the kids were so proud that we could eat them!

Little Lyd enjoying the beach.  I couldn't keep her on the sheets/towels, she would crawl right to the sand and start eating it.  At least she was happy!

We finally got an entire week of camping in at the Pines (well with only a few trips back home!).  Initially we were supposed to camp at the Conference Grounds with the Keunings but after both of us bought places at the Pines we figured we'd save the money and stay at our trailers.  We had a blast!  Luke and Dan found plenty of time to golf and play competitive games with the kids while Lora and I watched the younger ones.  It was a wonderfully relaxing week before the craziness of school began.  The week started off a bit cool but we loved being able to have campfires while wearing sweatshirts.  A tradition has begun... many more summer weeks to be spent there with the Keunings!

Summer Pics

When summer starts I always feel that there's so much time to do everything that there's not time to do during the school year.  3 months of not rushing out of the house in the morning and worrying about getting things done both at school and at home.  However, after 9 years of teaching I'm learning that summers are anything but relaxing (wait, they were kind of relaxing when I didn't have kids ... but I was still taking classes so it was not completely relaxing).

So what have we done this summer... well, we started with swimming lessons and VBS at church and in the mix of all of that, we bought a trailer at Sandy Pines.  For years we've gone there visiting Luke's parents and even doing some camping of our own out there.  We'd always drive around looking at trailers and talking about what kind we would want and where we'd want it.  Well, over Memorial Day weekend we made a low offer to someone who had their trailer listed for 2 years and was on the golf course there.  We didn't think they'd accept but low and behold, two days later we went to talk with her and things started rolling.  June 12 we finally signed for the lot and trailer and our summer fun there began.  The trailer was nothing special and we talked of doing something in the next few years but a week after being there (and realizing that it really wasn't made for our family... one bedroom and the boys sleeping on a small pull out couch) my brother told us about a trailer for sale that would be perfect for us.  Well, that worked out too so on July 5 we had our old trailer removed and the new trailer brought in.  We are absolutely in LOVE with the new trailer - tons of space and most importantly, air conditioning!!!!!  Needless to say, we've been spending more time at Sandy Pines swimming, playing, moving things around and just enjoying some time together.  The boys do not love leaving there (a nice way of saying that they think we're terrible to take them away) but every once in awhile we're needing to come home and enjoy being home. 

Lydia in the old trailer.... one day I looked in the window while she was supposed to be napping and instead found a little face peeking out ... can she be that old already?!

Moving the picnic shelter off our lot so they could get the old trailer off.

Luke, Jackson, Brendan and Trent watching the guys work on getting the trailer off.

A quick breakfast in the trailer before heading the swimming lessons at Sandy Pines.

Happy 5th Birthday Jackson!

When I asked Jackson what kind of cake he wanted, he said "sprinkled" cake.  He even helped make it ... although both the boys did get quite a few sprinkles on the floor!  I love his expression - I can almost read his mind ... "yes... I'm FINALLY 5 and this is all for me!"

The BIG ball that Jackson got from grandma and grandpa Hansen.  Yikes!  He loves it!

Luke found the gumball machine awhile back and both boys were thrilled with it.  Of course we had to put a limit on how many times they can use it during the day:)

Miss Lydia wanted in on all the fun - her favorite part, crawling to all the wrapping paper and then trying to stuff it in her mouth before I got to her.

The boys and one of their favorite exhibits at the zoo - the bears.

Aunt Sara and the kids ... we LOVE her!

This birthday is going down as one of the most exciting ones for Jackson.  He waited all month long for his birthday when he would turn 5!  The countdown was excruciating for him but his birthday finally arrived.  Our little guy is a whole hand!!!!!!  A couple weeks before we had celebrated the June birthdays with my family and then night before his birthday we celebrated with the Hansen's.  On his birthday we had a pretty low key day (our first low key day of the summer!).  Jackson would walk by his wrapped presents all day waiting for the moment when Luke would come home and then Jackson could unwrap them.  (How awful are we making him wait?!).  Luke did get out of work early and we then headed to the zoo.  We surprised Jackson by having Aunt Sara join us there as well.  I'm pretty sure his smile remained plastered to his face as he slept ... our little guy is now our 5 year old. 

Miss Lydia at 7 months

Loves to smile!

So tired!

Wow, how time flies!  I don't think I ever realized how quickly time went until I had kids.  Some days seem like they'll never with all that needs to be done but it seems like each day the kids get bigger and change so much!  I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that Lydia is already 7 months. It's fun to see her personality develop.  She's typically a pretty happy little girl (although she's been quite fussy the last few days and I'm pretty sure that another tooth is ready to pop through).  She's not really stuck to a schedule which is good since we've been running around like crazy these last 2 weeks as we had swimming lessons and VBS.  The poor girl often has to sleep in her carseat as we run from place to place.  We finally introduced her to fruits - she loves eating her peas, squash and sweet potatoes but just this week we fed her some peaches.  She certainly gobbled those up!  She is so close to crawling around.  Right now she scoots all over the place by rolling and pulling herself along with her arms.  I know that one of these days she'll finally figure out how to move when she's on all fours.  I see so much of Jackson in her.  They look so similar at this age and she certainly has his activity level (she's constantly moving!).  I see a lot of Brendan's laid back personality in her.  Both of them go with the flow and are easily distracted by things. 

Finally .. Summer!

Not sure why they felt it necessary to wear life jackets while jumping on the tramp... goofy boys!

Yeah!  It's summer break!  It's Monday morning and I'm relishing this time that we get to just play without rushing out the door (of course here I sit blogging!).  The living room is already filled with cars and tractors as the boys have rediscovered many of their toys, Lydia is down for a nap and one load of laundry is done.  I love this feeling - 3 months of "mom" time! 

Rudi

Our "vicious" watch dog!

Rudi was constantly on my lap.

Always claimed his own chair when we were outside or camping.

Sitting in his chair again.

Yesterday was an extremely rough day!  The night before we had taken him in to the vet because he was dragging one of his back legs.  The vet encouraged us to leave him over night there so they could observe him through the night.  Both Luke and I thought that he'd be okay after getting some anti-inflammatory medication and he'd be home today.  Well, yesterday morning the vet called and said that it hadn't help and had actually gotten worse.  Rudi didn't have control of his legs and couldn't control his bladder (a very bad sign).  Two options, surgery (in Detroit) that would be really costly or put him down...

Rudi has been with us for 7 years.  We got him from my Grandma VanderZwaag before she passed away.  He immediately became our "first" child as Luke and I were thrilled to have a dog.  Every day Rudi and I would take naps together on the couch (during the summer) and then go for walks (of course that all ended when kids arrived!).  It was great having companionship during the day while Luke was working.  Rudi was extremely spoiled and definitely kept us busier.  From the start he was a dog that would just sit by you.  He was a lap dog who would play if you wanted but was perfectly content to just sit and watch.  Of course when kids came Rudi lost a bit of his "rule of the roost" but he sure did love laying by the kids when they were babies.  I have a picture (that I can't seem to upload) of Rudi, Jackson and I all napping when I first came home from the hospital after having Jackson.  Rudi was amazing with the kids - he never bit them and would definitely "let us know" when they were crying.  Through the years he continued to sit or follow me through the house.  It was always kind of nice when I was up nursing to have Rudi sit by my feet (although sometimes he would jump up on the chair to sit on my lap with the child I was feeding!).  He was my shadow.

So yesterday we had to make the decision to put him down.  Probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make!  Of course I hated the idea of taking his life but when I saw him after school I knew it had to be done.  Rudi couldn't move from where he was (even when we rang the door bell... something he always got excited about).  What kind of life would it be for him to just sit there!  So we said goodbye and then Luke and I took him to the vet to be put down.  It was comforting to have him sit on my lap the entire ride there and then we were able to pet him when it happened.  So peaceful and quick ... yet broke my heart!  Rudi was a member of the family and will be missed so much!  Even tonight as we were walking through the house there are memories of him all around.  Lots of tears, lots of emotions during one of the most emotional weeks of school.... saying good bye to a class, meeting a new class and getting all that end of the year stuff done.   The worst so far was waking up last night.  Every time I woke up I would get out of bed and think Rudi would follow and then more tears would come.  Goodness, I know he was just a pet but this is so much harder then I thought it would be!