Happy Birthday Brandon!

donuts for breakfast

Our little man is 11. Each birthday the kids choose the menu for the day, have streamers on their door, and a happy birthday sign. We had a fun day starting with donuts for breakfast followed by some time on the computer while mom quick went to work.  We had lunch at Taco Bell - a first for the E kiddos and a request from Brandon, with Wesco slushies!  We went to the park to play with some friends for a few hours in the afternoon and the boys hiked the dunes and saw some deer- including a fawn with a doe.  For supper we had baked potatoes with BACON.  The older two went to the free movie - Wizard of Oz, while the younger two had swim lessons, but we all met up for the end of the movie and came home for the scavenger hunt and ice cream bars.  Brandon has been begging for the computer game Minecraft - which we finally downloaded and he has been happily playing - although I can't figure out how to get him on the same server as his buddy back in MN. We'll see what I can figure out.  Anyway, he had a good day.

Snickers ice cream bars for bedtime snack

On Friday, he met a few boys from his soccer team and from school and they played at the Y.  They played dodge ball, basketball and went swimming. And of course had a few more ice cream treats.  He had fun playing with BOYS for once!

Brandon loves to tell jokes, especially ones he makes up.  He is excited to learn how to play the drums.  He loves screens - far too much as far as his mom will tell you - but the neighbor did beat him in one game of Mario Kart!  His brain works very quickly and he remembers everything. He is a very special and precious part of our family! Happy Birthday Buddy!

Midge

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, while we were on vacation we picked up a dog!  Meet Midge.

We've gone through all the questions, all the emotions, all the woulda shoulda coulda, and after three weeks, we are all in love with this four legged furry little thing.

In MN, we didn't have the house or the space for a dog.  We loved dog sitting.  We loved loving other people's dogs.  

We came up with a few things the kids would want if we lived somewhere else, and while 'things' don't provide happiness, there are a few that have brought many smiles.

Matt had a dog growing up and I had a cat.  I think if we had gotten a cat, Matt may have moved out - maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but not too much of a stretch.  

I had been looking on Craigslist for a dog for months. I knew we needed something hypo-allergenic for Brandon and something that didn't shed for my sanity. How my family put up with cat hair is beyond me - and yet, as a child, I don't even remember it.  Craigslist isn't a huge hit here in Muskegon, but I knew there was a Schnoodle breeder in Sioux Center, so I tried Sioux City's craigslist, and that's where I found Midge. She's not a pure bred - from what we were told her dad was a schnoodle and her mom was a schnauzer. She has been to the vet - and we've already treated her for an ear infection.  Good grief, a kid without health insurance - what have we done!  She has to get more shots in a few weeks and then a few weeks after that she can get spayed. Then we can license her.  She had 6 different houses to stay in her first 9 nights with us, but we feel she has settled in pretty well.  She ran away once at each house, including ours when we got home, but each time some wonderful person has stopped her and we got her back.  Her curiosity has subsided a bit - maybe because she is settling in, maybe because she has been around our circle so many times she knows all the smells, maybe she's not in heat anymore.... maybe its all of the above.  Anyway, its nice to not have a dog constantly trying to sneak out - she still tries from time to time, but for the most part is a mellow dog.  I still need to get up my guts and groom her - maybe this weekend!

This is one of the reasons we decided to get a dog.  On days when no one else wants to play, or no one else understands, Midge will.

Down the road and back again

First stop, Sioux Center, IA (after missing our exit and getting there VERY late) and fun with friends and cousins.  The kids have a mental list of things they like to do at each house.  We played Uno Attack, dress up, went swimming, watched cartoons in the basement, played darts and ping pong, walked to Dordt, ate in the screened porch, and played with cousins.  We didn't make it to the Sioux Center Park, or the Orange City Park and we didn't clean our van.  Maybe next trip!  

Next stop, Hollandale, MN.  We played at the fair, celebrated Brandon's birthday, rode in the back of the pickup to the neighbor's 'farm' to pet the goats, butchered two chickens (and watched one flap with his head cut off), drove the mower/tractor, put rollers in hair, colored and played games, got a banana through the peek a boo hole, and painted the chicken house.

Jessica and Anika were fascinated with the chickens being butchered.  Brandon and Maria found other things to do very quickly!

Next stop - Brainerd, MN - after a quick visit with friends in the Cities for lunch - thanks guys!

At the cabin we fish, swim, jump on the trampoline, play at the park, hunt for worms, dig in the sand, drive the jet ski, water ski, tube, knee board, wake board, go to a wonderful church, and generally spend 12 hours outside.  The stars are amazing at the cabin.  I got to slalom again this year which was very fun, Brandon wake boarded and skied, Anika skied and knee boarded, Jessica skied, and all four went tubing. SOOOO much fun.

Next stop, the suburbs of Minneapolis.

We had a beach day with LOADs of people we hadn't seen in ages, Jessica and Maria got hair wraps just like they used to - thanks Olivia, and in general everyone played with friends they missed.  Maria summed it up well a few days ago when someone asked her about it.  She said she has friends here, she just misses the ones in MN!  

Thank you all for a wonderful vacation.  For time to relax and just be normal - albeit a crazy sort of Eenigenburg normal. To sit and talk and catch up and just be. It was good for all of us and we do miss you all very much.

Horse back riding lessons

Part of Jessica's birthday present was the promise of a few horse back riding lessons.  The lady who teaches lives just down the road from us and her son played on the same baseball team as Brandon last year.  I got to talking with her, took her number and we connected this spring.  We tried 4 times to get a lesson in.  The first two times it stormed, the next time it was too hot, and I can't remember what happened the 4th week, but FINALLY Jessica was able to hop up onto Sunshine and have a lesson. She has to get Sunny out of her stall, clean out her hooves, brush her down, put on the blanket and saddle (very funny because its bigger than she is), and get the bridle on before she can even begin her lesson.  I LOVE that she has to work for it, and so does she.  She loves all the messing around and is very glad she has read so many books about horses so she knew what a bunch of the stuff was and how to use it.  Lynn is the teacher and she told me she thought Jessica was having fun.  I laughed and asked if the smile was ever going to leave her face!

Blueberry picking

We had another adventure in blueberry picking - although we went to the same place it was a different experience.  First, we had to wear sweatshirts instead of wishing the sprinklers were on like last year.  We went the first weekend they were open instead of the last, so there were many green blueberries mixed in with the ripe ones, so picking was a bit more work, but still very tasty! Also, the place was busy, but we still had our rows to ourselves.  The end result was the same - 10 lbs of blueberries and an ice cream treat. Some of the blueberries are in the freezer, but most were eaten in a few short days.  Wow are they good when they are fresh!

Off to Camp

The little E's have been busy this summer, sometimes too busy for this mama.

Soccer camp

Drama camp

Underwater Robotics and Math Camp

Basketball Camp

Baseball Camp

Bible Camp

YMCA Day Camp

All have been enjoyed, some will be repeated next year.  We are trying to figure out this whole 'mom is working - what do we do all day?' thing. I really enjoy my job, but I miss the days of adventure we used to enjoy all together. I also don't like how much TV they have consumed in the last months.  But, overall, it has been a good venture and we have weathered the season.  I am always sad when summer comes to an end. I like having the kids around - even if they drive me crazy with their noise and fighting some days. But I also love it when school starts. I love a schedule and a planned day and knowing what each day holds.

Home Improvements

Every fall the kids send their favorite pieces of art work to my parent's county fair to be judged, and every year, they come away with a few ribbons and a bit of cash.  A friend from the airport is huge into Pinterest and showed me a great way to display their work.  I love it when other people do pinterest and give me their ideas.  The frames are from Hobby Lobby - love that place - and they have little cubicle clips stuck to cardboard, so I can change the art work whenever the spirit moves.  How cool is that!

Matt masterfully made these lockers for the kiddos to keep there shoes/coats/hats/mittens in the garage! And he made the shelves for all the STUFF that accumulates - including the scooter docking station.

Merry Christmas - the whole summer through.

I now have a clothesline - YEAH!  No more gas spent on drying clothes!

new curtains over the patio door

new roman shade over the kitchen window

The beginning of an organized garage

and organizing the basement, too

And organizing the new desk!

I'm sure we'll have basketball stars now!