Ice Skating

The school had an ice skating party last Saturday at one of the indoor rinks in town. It about kills me that you have to pay to go ice skating here, but its also something I don't want the kids to forget, so we grabbed our skated and spent an hour on the ice.  We had a great time.  There weren't that many people there, but we had plenty of fun. Its great to see Maria on her own and Jessica to start to really get the concept of pushing and gliding!

Minnesota wedding

President's weekend meant 2 1/2 days off of school - so why not trek to MN?!

A former youth group kiddo was getting married on Saturday, so the kids and I packed up and headed back. They had a half day on Thursday and no school on Friday or Monday.

We arrived late Thursday evening and got everyone settled down to sleep.

Friday we helped get the home kids off to school and then we got ready for a day of adventure ourselves.  After breakfast we got gas and I drove past our old house.  There were lots of mixed emotions inside the van  - I didn't really know what to expect from them, but they didn't really know what to feel.  We quickly headed off to Subway and then to a few hours at the Minnesota Science Museum, the Imax movie and some time going up and down the musical stairs. 

We stopped by CCS at the end of the day so each child could talk to their teachers and see their classmates. Brandon went home with some buddies (the gang as he calls it) and the rest of us headed back to home base.  That evening two other families came over and we had a great time hanging out.  When our four families get together - there are 17 kids.  I don't know that we have ever ALL been together, but we sure make a good run of it whenever we can.  A few times we have been at the beach and commented on how busy the beach was.  When it is time for all of us to pack up and walk away, we realized the beach wasn't busy, it was just us, and we are busy when we are all together!  But everyone has a playmate and much fun is had by all!

13 of the 17

Saturday morning I headed out for the wedding.  I arrived early and wasn't really sure what to do with myself when I ran into the mother of the bride and she ushered me in to see the beautiful woman of the day.  It was so good for me to see her, talk and just be so proud of who she has grown into.  There were many times throughout the day that I looked around me and thought 'wow, if only I had my head on that straight when I was her age!'.  It was a beautiful wedding and I am so glad to have shared in it.  I had so much fun seeing people that I hadn't seen in awhile, eating with former youth kids and playing around with friends.

the beautiful couple

There were sleigh rides - I didn't take one - but don't they look cute!

There were couch rides - I did take one of these - what a hoot!

I had to laugh. Only in MN would 200 people be excited to leave a perfectly warm place to head out on the ice, and then comment on what a beautiful day it was!  It was perfect for being outside - no wind, 20 degrees and sunshine! The reception was held at an event center that is located on one of the beautiful lakes in southern Minneapolis.  There was a tent with pizza - games- and hot chocolate, a bonfire with smores, hockey, bowling, broomball, couch rides, and sleigh rides.  We were not the only party out on the bay.  There was a golf party going on to the west (yes REAL golf, golf clubs, tennis balls, ground out holes in the ice, and shoveled fairways) and an ice fishing party going on to the north.  We laughed that you could fit a whole bunch more people in the bay during the winter than you could during the summer.  The ice was over 2 feet thick and there were no worries!

Later that evening, we went ice skating.  Anika was with another friend, so she missed out on this adventure, but we all had a good time!

We left after church on Sunday morning.  It was wonderful to worship among those friends again and see so many people we love and miss.

The kids and I are quite accustomed to travel. We listened to several books on tape - and laughed and cried!  Why do I pick a SAD one?!?!  They watch a few movies and they love the McDonald's stops!  By 9 PM, tempers were short and bodies and minds were tired, but after a half hour, it was quiet.  They all got to sleep in on Monday and were ready to head back to school on Tuesday.

Thanks for some more memories and great times!

A walk on the wild side

 Tonight we went for a walk on the beach, sand fences and all.  I wanted the kids to see what the lake looked like all frozen up.  It is so quiet - no waves hitting the beach.  The sand is piled in drifts from the fences and the wind.  You can see the tops of a typical snow fence in these pictures, we walked right over them!  Its hard to imagine that this is one of the top beaches in the US and will be again in just a few months. We did climb out on the ice, but we had been warned to not go far and to not go into any crevices. I let the kids climb the first hill and then to the next one and just look over the edge and the rolling waves covered in ice. It was pretty cool.  Then we started to walk out to the light house, but we could only get halfway as the rest of the walkway is so bumpy and ice covered its pretty impassable.  We had a great view of the sunset, and then when we turned around we had a great view of the full moon.

sand fences

the icy edge

The impassable path to the lighthouse

going

going

going

almost gone

Valentines and Similes

Every Friday at school is a praise service: singing, Bible lesson, etc, in the gym with the whole school.  Parents are invited to join, but because you have to be there by 8:15, I don't often make it.

Jessica's class was in charge a few weeks ago and they did similes on God and friends.  Here were a few of my favorites:

A friend is like a dresser drawer - they keep your secrets safe.

God is like the squirrel on Ice Age.  The squirrel will do anything for the acorn and God will do anything for us.

God is like a bouncy ball.  When you are down, he bounces you right back up.

A friend is like Fruity Pebbles.  They are colorful in their own personality.

The kids got their Valentine's all made up and ready to go again this year.  Brandon made the mustache and lip suckers.  Jessica made dino - mite hearts for the boys and flower suckers for the girls.  Maria made elephants, and Anika made butterflies.  They have fun every year picking out which one they will make, getting the supplies and then the hours of making them!

We enjoyed our Valentine dinner a few nights early.  Red heart shaped finger jello, candle light, strawberry shakes, pesto sandwiches (Jessica's birthday request finally happening 1.5 months late), and red brownies and ice cream for dessert!  Plus, a visitor from MN!  It was a great time just hanging out with him and talking.  He wasn't at our house at the time of the picture!  We have enjoyed him from the time he was in high school and now our families play together at the cabin.  He was in Grand Rapids for work so drove out to spend the evening with us.  It was wonderful!

Jessica also celebrated her 100th day of school. I made chocolate chip bars with 100 M&M's on it for the class and she brought in a bag of 100 M&M's for herself to eat.  She was full of 100 day activities including paper glasses and a crown.  It was also PJ day.  I can't imagine how crazy her room was - the teacher got it all out of the way at once!

Valentine's Day also means Brandon is 1/2 year older.  And with a summer birthday, it means school birthday treats on your half birthday.  We waited until this week but he took a pan of mint brownies with him to school to celebrate!

Black Tie for the Y

Part of my job at the Y the past few weeks has been helping prepare for The Black Tie for the Y! Its the auction held at the local country club as a benefit for the YMCA: silent auction, live auction, raffles, etc. I generally just helped out where I was needed and was basic labor.  At the Y, I did things on the computer, organized invitations and donations, etc.

The day before, I spent a few hours with others from the committee setting things up, and the night of Matt and I were one of the sets of greeters.

People show up for this thing let me tell you - and dressed in black tie tuxedos and full formal gowns. I need to spend some time on ebay looking for next year's gown!  We met some very nice people, most of whom we had never seen before and may never see again, at least until next year!

One of my co-workers couldn't find a babysitter so her three girls came to hang out with our kiddos.  Everything went fairly well.  Her kids wanted to play and mine wanted to watch TV.  Oh joy.  Halfway through, Anika called - quite in distress.  I couldn't even understand her.  I finally deciphered that she was the only one hurt and that everyone else was ok.  Matt went home to make sure all was well.  They had been playing with a balloon and Anika had gotten kicked in the mouth.  With all the new stuff in her mouth - it had to hurt. She was sure a tooth was loose, but Matt couldn't find anything.  We took her to get an x-ray a few days later and all was well!

Matt came back, but went home early.  I was one of the last to leave - had to help clean up, too!  It was a fun evening, good food, fun to dress up, and fun to be a part of something.

Some of the crazy people I work with - YMCA

Snow much fun

Brandon at the USHL game with the cadets - this picture was on MLIVE, the online newspaper here

Anika and Matt with Harry the Caterpillar- this was also on MLIVE

Mr. Snow the Snowman

Snowy the unicorn

Brandon and Anika both learned to use the snow blower

Our sledding hill

We have had much fun in the winter wonderland.  Lake effect snow dumps on some places, and barely touches the next - very curious - and very fluffy. Its light and powdery - perfect for snow angels and sledding - not for snow sculpting - until it warms up three days later.  Then its perfect for snow sculpting.  However, you will notice that most of the snow sculpture pictures are taken at night.  They get home from school and we sculpt - sometimes after supper.  By morning, the sculpture is somewhat identifiable, by the time they come home from school, its just a lump.  Temps don't stay cold here and we often get rainy days in between the snowy ones - so it all melts as quickly as it comes.  We had around 15 inches last Thursday night - snow day on Friday - so that is when they built the snowman. It was the storm that hit the Northeast - so it wasn't lake effect snow and therefore very packable from the get go.

Birthday Do-Over

It started on Friday night.  Anika and another 6th grade girl had played on the 5th grade girls basketball team for two games each.  The fifth graders were short players, and were allowed one 6th grader for each game.  So, on Friday night, they had the 5th grade girls basketball team party and Anika was invited.  It turned into two of the girls spending the night at our house.  In the morning they allowed Jessica and Maria to join them for nail and hair salon.

After lunch, we dropped of one girl and picked up her little brother for Brandon, as well as three other 6th grade girls, a second grade girl and a third grade girl. It was time to celebrate some winter birthdays!  We all went sledding.  Its hard to get a good view of how tall this dune is, but its a good walk, and a fast ride!

walking to the tippy top - I refused to sled from up there!

4th grade boys

The 6th grade girls

The younger girls

After a bit of sledding, we went home for ice cream sundaes and hot chocolate.  And one last present.  I hadn't told any of the girls coming that it was a birthday party.  I didn't want to mess with favors and presents and all that.  We put a candle in Jessica and Anika's ice cream and sang and I gave each of them a book - Anika's is an extreme dot to do (literally a page of numbered dots that become a picture) and Jessica got a doodle book.

Once they were fed, Matt played the videos he had taken and the pictures we both took of them sledding on our TV so they could all laugh at themselves.  Then they played for awhile - matchbox cars of all things.  The younger girls did perler beads.

It took me an hour and a half to get them all home, but we made it.

Matt and I went to a concert with two other couples that evening at their church.  The concert was nice and we all went to one of the couples house for pie afterwards.  The ladies left to go pick up that couples four children from various playdates, then we headed home.

Sunday was the Superbowl.  Matt was missing the fact that our house wasn't being bombarded with teenagers.  I assured him that if that was something he truly wanted, we could have the jr high party at our house next year. We'll see what happens. So, he got on the computer and found Superbowl quiz questions that each of us had to answer.  Who would win the coin toss?  Heads or tails?  first commercial, interceptions, sacks, etc. Brandon won, but Anika was 6 for 6 on the first questions.  We had fun with it.  

All in all it was an amazing weekend. It felt so normal.  We were with friends, we were just the six of us, we hung out, we went to pick up and drop off kids, we ate, we slept.  It was so nice to have normal for a moment.  And I realized I couldn't have done any of it if I still worked at the airport.  I miss the people I work with, I miss the job, but I wouldn't have traded the time we had this weekend for any of that back again!