A Great Day in Holland

Today was such a blessing.  We got to spend the afternoon and evening catching up with some amazing friends and had such a great time together.

Kristen and I were acquaintances in high school, but ended up rooming together during our freshman year of college.  We met Mary right away because she lived on our floor and the 3 of us have been great friends ever since.  They both stood up in our wedding and they are very special friends.  Now Kristen lives in Detroit and Mary lives in Minneapolis, so we don't see each other often, and sometimes we don't talk for a long time.  When we do get together, it is always a blessing to catch up and share what's been going on in each other's lives. 

Mary and Aaron and their kids rented a cottage near Holland State Park this week, so Kristen and her boys and the kids and I went out to the beach for the afternoon.  Casey joined us for dinner at the cottage (we missed Kristen's husband Mark since he couldn't come), and then we all went out for ice cream.  The 7 hours we were together today wasn't nearly long enough, but it was great to see them.  It was also a lot of fun watching all of our kids (10 kiddos between the ages of 15 months and 9 years) play together at the beach, get a soccer game going in the backyard of the cottage, and just have a good time together.

Here is a picture of the group (minus the newest addition to Aaron and Mary's family) a little over 3 years ago.  My, how they've all grown!

A Birthday Recital

Tonight we had my parents over to celebrate my Dad's birthday, a couple days early.  Esther decided to do a piano recital for them in honor of Grandpa's birthday, and also as a thank you to them since their birthday gift to her was paying for her lessons this summer.

She had a lot of fun preparing an invitation and a program for the recital.  She did a great job playing some of the songs that she has learned this summer.  Of course Peter and Miriam had to get in on the action, so they sang some songs for us after Esther's recital. 

After dinner and the recitals we had cupcakes and ice cream.  Happy Birthday Grandpa!  We love you!

So Long, Farewell

Tonight we said goodbye to our good friends the Dainings.  David and Jane were my youth group leaders in high school, Casey has gone on trips to the Dominican Republic with them, they have babysat our kids, and they've been wonderful friends over the years.  They are moving to Salt Lake City this weekend, and we will miss them very much!  We wish them God's blessings in their new home and look forward to seeing them when they visit.

The Happy Waanderers Reunion

This weekend we had an awesome family reunion with the Waanders side of the family.  Since my Dad is one of 7 children, and those seven had 31 children among them, and now those 31 have produced lots of children, this is a big family! 

We had almost 100 people there on Saturday, and it was wonderful.  We gathered at Pokagon State Park in Indiana and had a large group campsite.  There were multiple cabins, plus a large kitchen/dining hall, and plenty of space for everyone to gather and play. 

Our family camped in a small, rustic cabin; others bunked in large cabins, and some opted for hotel rooms nearby.  It was so nice to have a great area to gather and have lots of space for everyone.

Highlights included:
* Watching the generations mix and enjoy each other's company
* Watching cousins (and 2nd cousins) get to know each other and having a great time together
* Playing volleyball and corn hole, fishing, and roasting marshmallows
* Enjoying the beach and nature center
* Eating meals together
* Having a bridal shower for my sister (since we were all there anyway!)
* Seeing the family tree made of hand print cut-outs
* Catching up with relatives that we don't see very often

We feel so blessed to be a part of this wonderful family.  My grandparents left an amazing legacy for all of us to follow, and I know that they would have loved watching all of us together this weekend.  We missed my Uncle Herk and several cousins who have passed away, and also those who could not make it this weekend.

Here are some pictures of our fun time:

Peter and his new buddy, Duncan

Katelyn, Meghan, and Esther having fun!

Sue, Miriam, Betsy, Lynda

S'mores!

Showing off the shirts designed by Aunt Judy and Rachel

Having fun at the nature center

Cousin-in-law Lynda planned all the meals

and purchased the food--it was wonderful!

Adam and Casey were the grill masters on Saturday night

Juan and Peter playing corn hole

Hand print family tree

Dad's siblings and spouses

Miriam is a little worn out from all the excitement

Bridal shower for Karen!

The girls got to deliver gifts to Aunt Karen