Ready for Kindergarten!

Peter and Esther were very excited to receive letters from their new teachers in the mail this week.  Included in Peter's was a person cut-out that Peter needed to decorate like himself, and bring to the open house next week.  We also had to write things about him on the back.

I figured it was going to be tough to get him excited about doing this since he's more of a play-with-cars-and-trucks than a color-and-do-crafts kind of guy.  However, once we got started, he really got into it and it was cute how he totally took ownership of making sure it really looked like him!  We even found some school stickers so that he could make it look like he was wearing his school shirt, since it is his favorite shirt.

Here he is with the finished product--doesn't he look proud?

Here are the things he told me to write about him on the back:

Things I Like...
Color:  red
Animal:  baby sand cat (don't even ask...)
Movie:  Cars
TV Show:  Wild Kratts on PBS
Singer:  TobyMac
Songs:  Wonderin' (TobyMac), Hold Me (Jamie Grace/TobyMac), This is the Stuff (Francesca Battistelli)
Food:  cheese pizza
Ice Cream:  cookies and cream

Things I Like to Do...
Listen to WCSG
Sing
Play on Google Maps
Play soccer
Ride bikes/scooters
Swim
Play cars/trucks
Play checkers

Peter is SO excited for kindergarten, and we know he's going to have a great year!

Frugal Fun

The other day the girls and I were at the New 2 You Shoppe, which is the thrift store that is run by and supports our kids' school system.  We were having fun browsing, and they each ended up picking out a plain wooden frame to decorate.  The next day Esther set to work with Sharpies and had hers decorated in no time.  Then she found a picture of herself with her friend Ally from a few years ago to put in the frame.  It was a fun, cheap craft!

On a side note, we also picked up the outfit she is wearing for $1 since all clothing items were 50 cents that day.  :)  Gotta love thrift store finds!

Move over Francesca Battistelli...

Here comes Peter!  Click the link below for Peter's concert...

Peter sings "This is the Stuff"

Peter's Sleepover at the K's

Blog post by Peter:

Day 1:  For lunch me and Grandma K. went to McDonald's.  Old McDonald had a farm, ee-i, ee-i, oh.  After that we went to the mall and got me new school clothes!  After that we went to the bakery and then we went to Meijer.  We got me 2 hot wheels cars.  After that we went to Grandma's house and watched Herbie and had a cookie that we got from the bakery.  After that, we went outside and Grandma drew me a road with chalk and I played with my cars on it!  Then Grandpa got home and then after half an hour we went inside and got ready for Russ'!  After that I took my bath and then I had french vanilla ice cream.  Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And then I went to bed (snoring sounds).  Good night.

Day 2:  I had pancakes for breakfast with bacon.  Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuummus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And then I got dressed and I wore one of my new shirts.  And then me and Grandpa went to Uncle John's farm.  Yaaaaaaaaaay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  First of all, it was really stinky there because of all the rain.  Second, we were the only ones there.  Third, two other guys came who were working there.  And then Uncle John got there.  And then we fed cows.  MOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Then we fed a few more cows.  And then me and Grandpa got on the tractor.  It was a big tractor.  Yay hay!!!!!!  And then, after we were just sitting in it for a while, Uncle John said we could take a ride on it.  And then we sat in it for half a two minutes.  After that we went in another tractor, but we didn't ride in it.  And then Grandpa told me he saw a cat.  Meow!!!!!!!!!!!!  And then Lee took me on the chopper and we petted some big cows.  MOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And then we took the chopper back.  And then we headed home and apparently Grandpa turned on a different street that was not Quincy Street and then I said to him, "Grandpa, you know you turned on the wrong street."  But he took 24th to Quincy and then we got to his house again.  When we got there, the rest of my family was there to pick me up.  Then I had lunch at Grandma and Grandpa's and then I headed home.  The end.


Here is a picture of me with my new clothes and new cars!

Miriam's Sleepover

Last night Miriam had her sleepover at Grandpa and Grandma W's house.  I forgot to take a picture with them, but my Dad took this one at dinner last night... of course she chose Russ'!

Miriam told me the highlights of her time at Grandpa and Grandma's.  Going to Russ' and getting a strawberry sucker were last night's important events.  She also told me that requested that Grandpa put her to bed.  Today she slept in until 9:00 and then hung out with Grandpa and Grandma.  She also got to go to the post office and the library with Grandpa, which she always enjoys!

Sova Reunion

This weekend we got to have another family reunion, this time with my mom's side of the family!  My mom grew up in Cheboygan, MI, and we spent a lot of time up there while we were growing up.  I have great memories of visiting my grandparents, and spending time with aunts, uncles and cousins. 

Since my grandparents passed away in 2004 and 2006, we have only been up there once for a cousin's wedding.  It was a lot of fun to be back there again and to introduce the kids to a place that is very special to me and also my mom.

On Friday we spent the afternoon at Cheboygan State Park, which is on Duncan Bay in Lake Huron.  The day could not have been more perfect in the weather department, and it was a great place to gather.  We had a pavilion for our picnic lunch, corn hole tournament, and Minute-To-Win-It games.  We also had a beautiful beach to enjoy.  The water there is shallow for a very long way out and is also very warm.  It was perfect for the kids, and they had a blast!  It was fun watching the kids connect and reconnect with cousins that they have not seen for a long time (or haven't ever met)!

After checking into our hotel and getting cleaned up, we got together for pizza at the house where my mom grew up.  My uncle and aunt who live in Cincinnati now own it and use it as a place to stay when they come back to Cheboygan.  It was fun having my mom show the house to the kids and having them see where she grew up.

The one bummer for the day was that my Dad was not feeling well and wasn't able to join in most of the fun.  The worst part of this was that it was his birthday!  He shares a birthday with my Uncle Gerry, so we had cake for them after our pizza supper, but he was back at the hotel and wasn't able to enjoy it.

This morning we had breakfast at Big Boy, stopped at the cemetery when my grandparents are buried, and then headed home.  We are again thankful to have such wonderful family that enjoys being together!

Karen and Sara playing corn hole

Trying to catch minnows

Peter and Chris buddied up quickly

and spent most of the day together!

Miriam loved the warm, shallow water

Casey and my mom facing off in a Minute to Win It game

Suckers on a Sand Dune!

Lucas, Peter and Christopher

My Mom and Aunt Susie playing the "get the cookie from your forehead into your mouth" game.  I got some really great close up pictures of my mom during this event, but I promised her I wouldn't put them all on the blog.  :)

Aunt Susie, Mom, Esther, Karen

My cousin Don and Uncle Gerry were great sports--they were the models and the kids had to put all the assigned costumes/wigs/props on them to dress them up!

Christopher, Peter, and Uncle Larry

enjoying their pizza

Breakfast at Big Boy!

Miriam and Peter with Aunt Karen

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