Do Likewise

randoms from last week

2012-02-05T14:49:00.000-05:00

1. I never got around to posting pics of our outdoor fun last Sunday. The snow hit hard, and we had several inches in a couple of hours. It was perfect for getting outside to play on Sunday afternoon, and we did just that!

I pulled the kids up and down the street on our big sled while John cleared out the driveway, and then we did some sledding down the little hill on the side of our house and the boys played some hockey!

This snow was gone about as quickly as it came! We've had clear roads and yards for the past few days. In fact, John and Trey spent over an hour outside yesterday playing baseball and shooting hoops -- it was close to 50 degrees! This winter weather sure has been crazy, but we've LOVED it! It's the first winter that John and I haven't asked ourselves why in the world we moved back from Florida! Ha! It's been the perfect mix of snow and sun. Yay for sunny days and clear roads in January!

2. Trey had his first ever "friend" birthday party yesterday at Chuck E. Cheese.

His best buddy at Imagination Station turned five, and Trey was sooooo excited about his party! I ended up being the only mom who didn't stay (Trey wanted me to leave! Since when is he so independent??? And birthday boy's mom teaches in Hamilton too, so I knew it was a trustworthy family.), so I felt a {wee bit} bad about that, but not really because I enjoyed two full hours of running errands by myself!

Trey had the best time, and he is proudly wearing all four tattoos he earned as prizes to remember it!

3. Speaking of birthday parties, I am having SO much fun planning Rowan's upcoming shindig! This is, for sure, my favorite theme yet...probably because it came straight from her and it's exactly what she loves! I had this invite made for her from a sweet (and quick!) etsy shop, Inkberry Cards.

4. Trey and I had a conversation the other day about school - how he will go to Quincy Elementary next year, and then when he gets to high school he will go to Zeeland West where daddy works. He asked if he would get to choose his own college, and I said "yes". Then, a few seconds later he asked, "And then what about when I'm in the NFL?". Hee hee. Dream big, buddy!

Looking forward to a great week this week. I'll be celebrating Valentine's Day with my Kinders at school, which is always so much fun! We'll be feeling the love this week, and hope you do too!

YAY for dishwashers!

2012-02-02T20:31:00.000-05:00

One thing was confirmed in our house last week.

It's no fun to live without a dishwasher.

And it's for sure not fun to live with two small children and no dishwasher.

Our counter looked like this every day.

And our sink looked like this every evening.

This old girl decided that she'd had enough, and just gave out on us.

We were able to buy a new one a couple of days later, but had to wait a week for it to be delivered.

You can imagine our pure delight when this {new} thing of beauty was installed and ready to go.

YAY for dishwashers!

The story of the orange sunset

2012-01-28T21:35:00.001-05:00

The sunset was orange tonight.

At least it was for a brief moment. I looked once and it was orange, and then I looked back and it was all sorts of gorgeous shades of pinks and purples.

I don't get to see sunsets very often. The placement of our house is such that I enjoy every glorious sunrise through our kitchen and dining area windows, but we don't have many windows on the west side of our house and, even if we did, the houses around us would block our view of the sun setting in the evening.

I love orange sunsets, though. You wouldn't know it, because they normally make me cry. It's just that they, like a certain song coming on the radio, or someone saying a certain phrase, or hearing a certain bible verse, come unexpectedly and pull on a part of my heart that is so tender and still feels raw sometimes.

Matt loved orange sunsets.

I'm not sure he noticed them at all before he got sick, but I will forever remember the comment he made about sunsets. I don't remember exactly where we were - in the hospital or at home - but I remember so clearly hearing Matt say these words: "I see heaven in the sunset."

Orange sunsets were his favorite.

Still to this day, I look for heaven in sunsets. I think that maybe that feeling of peace and tranquility was a gift that God gave to Matt, because I don't see heaven in sunsets. Usually I just see a blur of colors because my eyes are clouded with tears. Sometimes I don't see the sunset at all because I choose to look away. Sometimes it's easier to not have to be caught unexpectedly. The same way I often change the radio station when those certain songs come on, or change the subject when someone starts talking about something that makes me think of Matt.

I love talking about him. I love telling his story and remembering the little things about him. But, sometimes, when I'm caught off-guard, it's just easier to push those thoughts aside.

It dawned on me one night, though, as I let myself take in the beauty of a brilliant orange sunset, that Matt's life resembled a sunset in so many ways. It was perfect. It caused people to stop and take notice. It was bright - brilliant even - and then, just like that, it was gone.

Sunsets never last long enough.

God knew that people were watching. Hundreds of people were hoping, praying, clinging for a miracle. We were all praying that God would please spare his life. Begging. Pleading. Please, God, please. Spare his life.

And yet instead, God chose to make him brilliant, glowing, the perfect shades of all the colors that He knew people needed to see. And then, just like that, he was gone. And it felt like it was much, much too soon.

Just as the rainbow was a symbol of God's promise to Noah, I feel like sunsets are a symbol of His promise to me. The reminder of a brilliant life, and the push for me to make my life brilliant too. Or, rather, the assurance that if I trust God with every part of my life, He will make it brilliant.

How is that a sixteen-year-old boy could continue to teach me so much? A sixteen-year-long life that will live on in me forever.

A 30-second view of an orange sunset tonight reminded me that living brilliantly is a choice. Trusting that God's plan is best is the lesson of the sunset for me.

Matt trusted the Artist of the sunset, even though I'm sure a part of him was so painfully afraid of what that might mean. That very thing is what made his life shine like no other I've ever seen.

Thankfully, it's not about me seeing brilliance in myself. God sees brilliance in me. I can't imagine ever influencing someone's life the way Matt influenced mine, but every sunset I see reminds me that God's plan is perfect.

Only God could take a flawed, sinful life and make it glow.

It's about trusting the Artist.

tidbits from our week

2012-01-22T20:14:00.001-05:00

1. Rowan got sooooo excited early last week when she realized that she knew how to twirl her noodles! It was the highlight of our dinner of chinese take-out that night, for sure!

2. Trey had a dentist appointment on Thursday to get his cavities filled -- turns out he had three, not four. Still, I am in denial that he even had one! John was there with him, and said that he handled everything great! This boy knows how to handle a doctor's office! I am very proud of him! Our bedtime teeth routine has been extended by at least five minutes with the addition of flossing, mouthwash, and extra careful brushing. Eeeesh.

3. We have an awkward space behind our couch that we've tried filling a million different ways. The sectional that we have is super comfy and seats a lot of people, but we bought it to fit our old house (which it did, perfectly). In this house, though, it just doesn't fit quite right. Anyway, I moved the kids' little craft table into that space this morning and today it was used for puzzles and lego building. Yay for {old} new spaces to play and learn!

Always do the edges first....I think my mom taught me that when I was little and it stuck! Does everyone do their puzzles that way???

4. I finally got all of our Christmas decorations down this weekend. I think. Am I the only one who keeps finding things that are still out? I must just overlook them.

5. Rowan is a diva in a two-year-old body. We find her in outfits like these at least once a day. Love her.

6. Hullabaloo! We LOVE this game! Rowan especially can't get enough of it, and plays it by herself a lot. We had a blast playing earlier today.

Rowan doing a victory jump!

And Trey doing his victory jump!

Here's Rowan doing her funky dance after winning. And Trey is in the corner keeping track of who won each game (his idea).

Rowie's dances were cracking us up!

7. John and I have a KINDERGARTEN meeting for Trey this week. Oh my! I am super excited, but a little bit anxious! Wasn't it just yesterday that we were meeting him for the first time???!? Hard to believe that he will be in school full-time in a few short months!

hot cocoa boy

2012-01-19T21:37:00.001-05:00

All these years Trey has been convinced that he doesn't like hot cocoa.

And I've tried to convince him to please like it! I wanted to be able to play outside in the snow and then come back in to drink hot cocoa as a family. Silly, but just one of those things.

A few days ago, he took a sip of my hot cocoa, and he liked it. He liked it so much that he drank the rest. And then tonight, after being outside with John for a while, he asked for a mug of his own.

And I just couldn't resist the sweetness.

My boy finally likes hot cocoa!

Now to get Rowan to figure out that she likes it too...

Prayers for 2012

2012-01-18T20:57:00.000-05:00

Last January, I posted my prayers for 2011. I happened upon that post the other day, and loved being able to see the things that were on my heart as last year began. Several of the things on that list are still true for me today, and I'm so glad that I took the time to be intentional about writing those things down. I'm a little farther into January this year (can't believe that it's already the middle of January!), but know that I'll be glad in the future that I've taken time to record my thoughts as this new year begins.

One of my favorite songs lately is "Where I Belong" by Building 429. There is a line in the chorus that says "Take this world and give me Jesus" and I seriously just want to shout it from the rooftops! I drive in my car with the radio blaring and my hand raised (I must look ridiculous, but I don't care. PS -- notice I said hand....my other hand is still on the wheel!), because I just so badly want my life to reflect the way I long for Jesus. I want to be so hungry for Him. I want to search for His truths and soak them in. I want to sound like Jesus, act like Jesus, SHINE like Jesus.

But then there's reality TV, and blog-hopping, and Pinterest. And the time that I should be spending soaking in God's truths, I often spend on other things. Those few moments of my day when the kids are asleep, but I haven't quite wound down enough to be asleep myself yet. And so I guess what I should say is that I desperately want to want Jesus. I know that there is nothing like Him, and I know that the more I become filled with Him, the less those other things will pull me.

Don't get me wrong. Each of those things has it's place. Pinterest keeps my meal routine interesting, and allows me to dream about all sorts of fun things. Blog-hopping has resulted in me reading truths that point me to Jesus countless times. It humbles me that God is willing to reveal Himself to me even when I choose blogs over my Bible. And I'm not sure that I'd be the same person without Survivor...or Dancing with the Stars...or Project Runway. Hmmm. Enough said.

This word is fleeting. I am reminded of that all the time. Disease, hurt, disappointment, fear, insecurity -- they get us all. I have no doubt that this year will bring me at least some of those things. And yet, I know that God is bigger. I know because I've lived it. Time and time and time again. In my marriage, in my family, in my friendships, in my job. God always shows up. Or maybe I should say that I always end up finding Him, because the truth is He is there all along.

It's great to set goals for a new year. I think that the list I made last year still pretty much sums up what I want my life to look like this year. But, really, above all of that stuff....I want Jesus. Growing deeper in love with Jesus is what makes all of those other things fall into place. When I let my heart become shaped by Jesus, I look more like Him in all that I do. And that's what I want. I desperately want to look just like Jesus.

Take the world - my selfish desires, my moments of anger, my bouts of self pity, my envious thoughts, all of the parts of me that aren't like Him - and give me Jesus.

I want Jesus in 2012! It's my mantra, people.

Writing like crazy

2012-01-15T15:14:00.001-05:00

Besides becoming a great reader, Trey has been writing like crazy lately!

I can't get enough of these sweet little pages, with his four-year-old writing on them. I can't get myself to throw any of them away!

This list is from yesterday. John said a word, and Trey wrote it.

snow - run - Grandma - Grandpa - water - Sloothaak - Trey Matthew Sloothaak

When I saw how he spelled "Matthew", I started laughing out loud! Sooooo cute!

Then, today I stayed late at church to serve in the nursery. I called on the way home and Trey told me that he had something for me. As soon as I walked in the door, he ran up to me with this:

To Mom, From Trey (on a sealed envelope)

"Mom, I love your food and I love when you're not with me and when you are with me. - Trey Matthew Sloothaak"

I told him that I will never be able to get enough little notes like this from him. Makes my mommy heart overflow!

A snow day morning spent at school

2012-01-13T14:08:00.000-05:00

YAY for snow days!!!

We waited and hoped this morning that Zeeland would pop up too, but no such luck. Since John was off to work, I knew that I wanted to spend some time at school today too. I left school yesterday knowing that if it was cancelled today, I would have to go in for a few hours over the weekend to prepare for next week.

I knew that Trey and Rowan would LOVE some time in my classroom. School might as well be an indoor playground for them - there is fun at every turn! I know they won't always feel this way about coming with me to school, so I'll make the most of it while I can!

We stopped on the way to pick up a snack for them (actually, we stopped to pick up some hot chocolate for me...but I treated them too!). I knew it would help buy me some time once we got to school, because I actually did have lots of work to do. Rowan loved her yogurt, and Trey would have made John so proud choosing a sausage biscuit.

Rowan looooves the kitchen area in my classroom. She spent a long time here!

Trey pretty much played with all of my manipulative baskets. He thought these letter bean bags were fun.

He even made up his own bean bag toss game!

The real motivator was that both kids really wanted to play in the snow on the playground. I told them that once I got all of my work done, we could go play outside. I took all of our winter gear along, and after a couple hours of working, we got bundled up to head outdoors.

Isn't this piggie hat so perfectly Rowan? The girl just loves pigs! This hat was a Christmas gift from Faith.

Trey made a snow angel.

The fire pole was super slippery!

We even had some fun on the sledding hill (which, by the way, is no small task for one mommy and two kids). It was such a fun morning, and produced two sleepy children.

I am enjoying a quiet nap time, and looking forward to two more days of the weekend!!!

A list of randoms

2012-01-12T21:51:00.000-05:00

1. We have had the most blissful winter. At least it's been blissful for those of us who don't love the snow. Just a few days ago I was out for recess duty, and seriously....the sun felt soooo good that Kelly (my teaching partner) and I accidently brought the kids inside ten minutes late! Ooops!! I couldn't ask for more than a 50 degree day in January! But it's snowing tonight, and coooold, so Michigan winter may have finally come.

2. I posted this on Facebook, but I don't want to forget it... we've been teaching Trey the Lord's Prayer. The other night he offered to pray before dinner and said "Our Father Who art in Heaven, Howie be Thy name." Hee hee! Still makes me laugh!

3. Rowan calls mouthwash "milkwash", and I think that's pretty funny too. And we've started using mouthwash with the kids after Trey's last dentist appointment where they found four cavities. FOUR!!! At four years old! Oh my.

4. I didn't officially sign up online for the "30 day challenge" with JQ99, but I have been unofficially trying it just for myself. At the end of December, JQ99 kept talking about a challenge they were proposing to listen only to Christian music for the month of January. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to give up my country music or my obsession with Glee on Pandora for a whole month, but I thought I'd just try. It has been so easy and so good for me! I now listen to Matt Redman, Casting Crowns, Natalie Grant, or another Christian Pandora station at school, and mostly listen to my Selah CDs in the car (can't get enough of those harmonies!! And I love the truths in the hymns on my CDs). I truly feel like it changes my mood! It's impossible to be grumpy when you are humming the tune of a hymn! I have felt recharged and my mind and spirit renewed!

5. Trey read "Are you my Mother?" to me tonight. Seriously, this kid is reading and it almost makes me want to turn back time! The book is 64 pages long, so I read a few of the pages near the end for him, but I could have listened to him read for hours. And we had the BEST giggle session tonight. He beat me seven games to two in Connect Four. And I was totally trying to win. John and I always comment about how someday he will be so much smarter than either of us are. Love that boy.

6. I am in party-planning mode for Rowan! I love that she has such strong opinions and likes at almost three years old, but I cannot BELIEVE that my youngest child will be THREE in a little over a month! HOW can that be?!?!?

That's it for tonight! Not a single picture, just my random, Thursday night thoughts!

"Polar Bear, Polar Bear" - by Rowan

2012-01-11T15:45:00.001-05:00

I actually taped this a few weeks ago, but listening to Rowie's sweet two-year-old voice reading this book is just what I needed today.

Fun with stamps

2012-01-07T22:18:00.001-05:00

I had a few extras of a page I had done with my Kindergarteners at school this week, and as I was packing up yesterday I decided to toss one into my bag in case Trey wanted to do it at home this weekend.

I had him at the word STAMPS.

I got this out for him while Rowan was napping, knowing that if she got her hands on these things, we'd have a mess. Wouldn't you know that just as soon as Trey and I finished reading the sight words together and I got everything explained, I heard her call from the basement.

I had Trey get started, and I gave Rowan some after-nap snuggles (one of my favorite things about the weekend).

She spotted Trey (and the stamp pad) and ran right over. I tried to entertain her with something different, which worked for a few minutes.

But before long, she realized that the stamps and ink looked waaaaay more fun than the markers she was using.

And, before I knew it, her face looked like this.

And her hands looked like this.

And, just to give you a visual of our children's personality differences, here is the front side of Trey's finished product.

And here is Rowan's.

It took about half a squirt of soap and five seconds of scrubbing to clean the ink off of Trey's one finger.

Rowan's hands came clean after three squirts of soap and about two minutes of scrubbing.

She still looks like she got punched in the eye.

Those stamps brought such fun this afternoon! Maybe I'll bring them home again next weekend.

Or, maybe not.

Kleinheksel Christmas 2011

2012-01-01T14:01:00.000-05:00

We rounded out our Christmas celebrations on Friday with what John called our "Kleinheksel Day of Fun"! My parents had planned a full day of activities for us that began with bowling.

Believe it or not, this is the only picture I took the entire time we were at the bowling alley! It was just too much fun watching everyone bowl to be snapping pictures! Trey and Brady were excited to bowl on the same lane!

After bowling, we went to Jet's for a late pizza lunch, then headed to my parents' house for gifts and games.

We spent some time remembering Matt before we began opening gifts. It was nice to take a few minutes to acknowledge the fact that someone is missing from our family celebration. We are so thankful that he is able to enjoy Christmas with Jesus, but his absence is always felt and he is missed greatly.

The kids each draw the name of a cousin to get a gift for. Faith had Rowan's name and got her a fun pig-themed gift that included a girly pig hat and two pig books! Rowan loves pigs, so this was perfect for her!

Sawyer had Trey's name, and got him this fun inflatable tackling dummy and a Michigan winter hat. Again, a perfect gift for Trey!

My mom began the tradition last year of making each of the grandkids a pair of pajama pants. The kids change into them right away and spend the rest of the evening looking adorable in their matchy-matchy pajamas.

Girl cousins!

Boy cousins!

Trey was excited about this "Cars" lego set.

And Rowan loves this sweet dress-up Minnie Mouse.

She hid in the corner, away from the action, to play with her new doll.

Dress-up clothes! This dress is so fun with fringes and sequins! So very girly!!! Rowan put it on later and kept it on until we left.

And Trey got this big loader! He loves it! I think it will be perfect for the sandbox this summer.

Awwww!

The bigger girls all got blankets and Sarah invited Rowan to snuggle up in hers.

Later, we played Bingo! We hadn't done this before, but it was so fun! Hopefully the start of yet another fun Christmas tradition!

We ended the night with the "Paper Bag game". I wish that I would have gotten some photos of that...it was a sight! I was mostly impressed with my dad and brother-in-law, Matt. Val, Lynnae, and myself all made it down to the very end, but Lynnae was the champion! Fun memories for sure!

And these photos I took yesterday, but I wanted to show that the tackling dummy is getting used! In fact, both kids LOVE it, and I'm thinking that it will be a great way to burn some cooped-up Winter energy over the next few months. Plus, it is really funny to watch them run and dive into it!

Thanks Dad and Mom for such a fun day, and for spoiling us and the kids! We are so thankful for these fun Christmas memories!

Sloothaak Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T15:57:00.001-05:00

We celebrated Christmas with the Sloothaak side on Tuesday. It was a little bit strange for us this year not having either of our family parties until after Christmas, but it allowed us to have a quiet Christmas weekend to celebrate with just our little family, and that was nice too.

We couldn't believe how easy it was to get this picture this year! The joys of kids getting older!!

Our family by the tree.

After pictures, the kids decorated Christmas cookies. This has become a bit of a tradition here, and the kids all look forward to Grandma's yummy frosted sugar cookies!

The kids played their games after all of the cookies were decorated. John's mom had planned several games this year - a candy cane ring toss, penny toss, a cranberry balance game, and bucket bonanza. We all had fun watching the kids and cheering them on. Each one had a bag that they decorated to keep their prizes in. Rowan carried hers like a purse, which is just so typical for her. I had to snap a picture because it was just too cute!

After games it was time for the Christmas program! This tradition started with the Westrate family parties many years ago, and still continues today! Brooke helped organize it, and the kids sang some fun Christmas songs for us! Here they are singing "Jingle Bells".

Rowan would ride out in this car after every song so that we knew when it was time to clap for the performers! We got such a kick out of this!

"Merry Christmas everyone!"

After dinner, we headed back downstairs for our game of Concentration and the adult trivia game. Trey made the match for the clue "Ali and Frasier" and thought it was soooo funny when he opened up a pair of boxers as his gift!

After the games were done, it was finally time for presents! We love watching everyone open their gifts! Our kids got so many of the things they were hoping for. Here are a few of the treasures they came home with.

Rowan got this cute pair of Dora ballet slippers from Brooke, Riley, and Maddie.

Uncle Scott and Aunt Gina got Riley and Trey matching gifts of Michigan t-shirts and these fun Detroit Tigers flashlights. They had fun looking for their Old English D on the ceiling!

Rowan also got this fun snap doll with clothes from her cousins.

Trey LOVES this Michigan football helmet and uniform that he got from Grandpa and Grandma!

There might not be a more perfect gift for him right now!

Rowan and Trey each got a tennis racket to use next summer. We love having tennis courts right behind our house!

Rowan has been hoping for this pillow pet piggie for months now! She loves it!!!

And Trey got the one he had been hoping for too - the Michigan wolverine! (Even though Rowan is convinced it's a bear...)

A new, super girly, princess bike for our princess!

It even has a seat in the back that is just perfect for her new BFF, Piggie! Thanks, Grandpa and Grandma!

Rowan and Trey opened a shared gift of a Boz the Bear movie (this momma loves Boz the Bear!), and a new game - Hullabaloo! That game is F-U-N! The kids (and I!) love it!

It was such a fun party, and the kids (and John and I) were completely spoiled! We are so thankful for these fun times to make memories as a family!

Stockings

2011-12-29T08:40:00.000-05:00

Another one of our Christmas traditions is opening one stocking gift per day leading up to Christmas. This year, the kids' stockings had five gifts each, so we started opening one gift each day beginning on Tuesday. We skipped Christmas Eve since we opened our family gifts that day, and saved the last gift for Christmas morning instead.

I love shopping for stocking stuffers. I don't buy anything big or expensive -- just little trinkets that make me think of the kids. These are usually the gifts I have purchased way ahead of time. I just pick them up throughout the year when I see something that I think they will like.

I always try to get a picture of the kids together with their stockings before we open the first gifts. This year, I wasn't lucky (or skilled) enough to get a great smiling photo of them both, but I thought these were still sweet.

The first gift Rowan chose to open was this princess sticker book. She loves anything purple, pink, or sparkly, and she looooves stickers.

Trey's first gift was a Mater pez dispenser. He was always commenting about pez dispensers when we saw them in the store, so I knew that this would be a winner with him!

Night #2 brought legos for Trey (The small ones! He'd never had those before.) and a monkey notepad for Rowan.

It was way past bedtime, but he wanted to try making the loader right away! Those little legos are definitely good for building fine-motor skills!

Hee hee. Notice his pj pants here? He put them on and I checked the size - 3T! He is almost five! No wonder they were a tad too short. :) One of our Christmas Break projects was sorting through his drawers and getting rid of his too-small clothes. These rocket ship pants found their way into a storage bin!

Rowan (and sometimes Trey too) loves to play "Blues Clues" on her own. She'll walk around the house looking for imaginary clues and drawing in a little notebook. I knew that this sweet little monkey would be perfect for her to draw all of her clues in.

Night #3 we actually let the kids open two gifts since we had missed a night due to our extended Sloothaak family party. I love the pictures I got of Trey and Rowan watching each other open their gifts because that is how they were all Christmas....always watching with excitement and anticipation as the other one opened their gifts.

Rowan opened this adorable flower hair clip.

And Trey got a Michigan football ornament for the small tree in his bedroom.

Rowan also opened sour patch kids -- this girl has SUCH a sweet tooth!!!

And Trey got some design-your-own-car stickers.

And one last gift for Christmas morning. Rowan got some cute beaded bracelets. She loves jewelry and accessorizing!

(Is it just me, or does she look WAY too old in this photo???)

Not sure why these photos are dark on one side, but Trey got two packs of football cards. John got him all set up with a binder and pages to keep his cards in, so this gift kept both of them busy for quite a long time!

I love how these inexpensive gifts can make the kids just as excited as anything big that they receive. Yet another great thing about the kids being the ages they are this year!

Our family Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T09:44:00.000-05:00

Our family Christmas was so much fun this year. I just LOVE the ages that our kids are at. I feel like we have really been able to enjoy so many of our Christmas traditions with both kids this year - they both appreciate them, and can keep up! So fun!

We went to church at 12:30 on Christmas Eve so that we could get the kids down for naps since it would be a late evening. The Lions played at 4:00, so John and Trey (yes, Trey actually cares about these games and watches them very intently!) wanted to be able to watch that. We picked up Chinese take-out and ate dinner during half time. When football was done, it was time to open gifts!

Growing up, I always remember opening gifts on Christmas Eve and waking up Christmas morning to play with all of my new treasures! It's a fun tradition that we've continued with our kids. We've also added in the tradition of our Christmas Eve movie and sleepover. The kids love this!

Here are the kids, ready to open gifts!

We always begin by reading the Christmas story. This year we read it out of our children's Bible. Trey was especially interested in the part about the wise men, seeing as he played a wise man in the Imagination Station Christmas program this year. As much fun as it is to open gifts, the greatest gift we could ever receive is that sweet baby boy that was born on the very first Christmas. We celebrate because of Him!

The kids wanted to start with their gifts from Uncle Mark, Auntie Abby, Nolan, Heath, and Brooks. They opened a gift-filled package from them a few weeks ago, and these gifts had been under our tree the longest. They couldn't wait to see what was inside!

Rowan loves her new "diva boots"!! She wanted to wear them right away and has worn them out and about several times since. (She's even gotten a few compliments on them, Abbs!) They are an ultra-girly statement piece!

Trey opened a fun dodge ball game with little velcro vests that you wear and the balls stick to. This should be very entertaining for John and Trey during our long winter indoors! Thanks for the fun gifts, Jansens!!

Both John and I felt that we (actually, I) went a little bit overboard last year with gifts for the kids. We decided to keep it much more simple this year. We got one big gift and three small gifts for each child. We also always do a family game as a gift. It was so enjoyable to open gifts this year! We would open a gift, then spend some time playing with it before moving on. So relaxed and very fun!

Rowan is a very meticulous gift-opener! She really takes her time, but it's so fun that she can do it all on her own and get excited about each gift.

The first gift she opened were these adorable magnetic dolls. I love Melissa and Doug toys, and these dolls are just the perfect size for Rowan's little fingers right now. She can mix and match dresses and tights and make her own outfits.

To be honest, Trey likes playing with them too. There's nothing wrong with a boy with a good sense of style!

Trey saw me wrapping gifts one day and chose this Clifford paper for one of his gifts. It's not Christmas paper, I know, but it's okay!

His first piece of Detroit Lions gear! And, to be honest, this is the first year in a very long time that he would be able to wear this proudly, but he has loved cheering on the Lions this year, and really loves getting team apparel as gifts!

Rowan's turn!

A new camera! She is fascinated by my camera, so I knew that she would love one of her own.

She's having a little bit of trouble figuring out how to look through the view finder and snap a photo at the same time, but she's pretty adorable trying to figure it out!

John thought that it was time for Trey to have one of these...

I'm pretty sure that Trey would agree! He calls it his "shooter gun".

One last gift for Rowan to unwrap.

She'll need these dolls for her next gift!

Trey was eager to see what was in his last box!

A Tigers hat!

The kids worked together to open our family game - Blokus! Trey and I have spent many hours playing this game at the clinic. We don't really play it the right way yet, we just make designs with the colored tiles on the game board, but I see many family game nights in our future!

Finally it was time for the big gifts. Rowan had been asking for a dollhouse for the last couple of weeks. She loves playing with Maddie's dollhouse when she is at her house on Thursdays, and at our DeWitt party last week, she found a big dollhouse at my cousin Mike's house that she loved.

She is so excited to have one of her very own!!

Trey was next. He took it very seriously and did not want to see before it was time!

This was his reaction!

A new hockey net and sticks for the driveway! (Or for the basement for the next few days.)

Take a peek at the kids' reactions!

Rowan has already spent hours playing with this dollhouse. She loves it, and is so happy in her own little world as she plays!

We pretty much have to clear the basement out when he grabs these sticks. Look out! Definitely an outdoor toy!

Our family Christmas was sooooo fun. We ended the night with The Polar Express, popcorn, and sleeping in the basement to the glow of the kids' Christmas trees. A perfect evening as a family, and lots of wonderful memories made! Merry Christmas 2011!

Deanna's Playhouse with the cousins

2011-12-26T08:34:00.002-05:00

I have to catch up on my pre-Christmas posts before I dive into all of our Christmas activities! We had such a fun end to our week last week and I want to be sure that we remember it all!

On Friday morning, Trey, Rowan, and I headed to Deanna's Playhouse for a few hours with my sisters and their kids.

The kids and I were the very first ones there right when it opened, so they loved being able to run all over and explore the place for a few minutes while they had it all to themselves!

Trey found the bowling area.

They also found this fun spinning toy!

And, of course, Trey rushed to the basketball hoop! I knew that he would spend a lot of his time here, and he did!

Rowan tried it out too, but I'm pretty sure this is the only basket she shot the whole time. She was much more interested in the dress-up and house area!

By the way...notice her socks? Trey and Rowan both wanted to wear the cute socks they had gotten from Great-Grandma Sloothaak at the Christmas party the night before, and Rowan chose to wear hers pulled up as high as she could over her leggings. I love that she has her own little sense of style already at two years old!

It didn't take long for her to find the dress-up area. She hung out as this cute unicorn for a while, then later switched to a pink poodle.

Rowan took some time to clean up the place! :) And can you see in the background that Elyse (the elephant) and Trey are waiting in line for the bank drive-thru? Trey was excited to play in the bank here, and it was so cute to see them all lined up on their motorcycles. Sawyer and Levi are behind the counter.

Elyse was the sweetest elephant!

Miriam and Sarah had a hula hoop competition. They were both really good! I'm pretty sure that I've never been able to hula hoop.

See? Told you he spent a lot of time here. He was doing exactly what he does at home -- pretending to be two different teams. He kept coming over and telling me the score. He does this ALL the time!

After a while, they pulled out the parachute. This was really fun! All of the kids got to help hold a part and they did some fun activities with it like pulling it tight, letting it loose, and bouncing balls on it!

Then, they invited the parents to hold the handles and had the kids lay underneath. They loved this! A sweet lady grabbed my camera and got some pictures since I was helping hold the parachute.

The kids had fun making their own reindeer in the craft area.

All of their sweet little hands became antlers.

We were nearing snack time. This is Rowan's "I need some food" face. She had a little grumpy stretch which is usually an indication that she is hungry. She handles being hungry about as well as her mama does! We did have snacks after this, and she perked right back up for another good hour or so of play time!

Trey and Brady with their finished products! Trey is six months older, but I can't believe how much taller Brady is! They are great little buddies!

We love Deanna's Playhouse, partly because there are so many fun things for the kids to do, and partly because it is all in one big space so you can see the kids from pretty much anywhere. It was a fun way to spend a few hours!!

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T06:00:00.002-05:00

Celebrating the unspeakable LOVE that is Christmas!

GLORY IN THE HIGHEST!

Wishing you and yours a day filled with peace, joy, and LOVE.

Merry Christmas!

Bees, bubbles, bugs, and more! {Fun at the Children's Museum}

2011-12-23T17:07:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our first official day of Christmas Break as a family. John taught through Wednesday, so the kids and I had been saving up our energy to do something fun as a family right away on Thursday. Our first family outing was to the Grand Rapid's Children's Museum. I had four free passes that were good until the end of January, so we knew that Christmas Break would be our perfect chance to use those up. We couldn't let them go to waste!

The last time we had visited the museum was when Rowan was only two months old (check out how little Trey was back then!), so this time was so much fun! We knew that the kids would have the best time, and they both were busy, busy, busy from the time we took their coats off until the time we finally left!

We decided to head upstairs first since the lower level was busier. Right off the elevator, the kids got wrapped up in the bee exhibit. Trey tried to hunt down the queen bee in the live bee display and Rowan did one of the things she does best - dress up!

The featured exhibit right now is "To the Rescue" - all about fire safety! Trey put this big magnetic puzzle together.

There was also a big wooden fire truck with a slide for the kids to go down.

Trey thought this giant fire hydrant was cool!

And they each got a turn to "drive" the truck.

And then Rowan put on all of the firefighter gear! The boots were huuuge!

My adorable fire girl!

And my very grown-up looking fire boy!

No trip to the children's museum is complete without a photo in the silly mirrors!

The bubbles were also a hit!

Trey gravitated toward the "thinker" activities - the brain teasers or strategy activities, while Rowan preferred the imaginative play areas. This is so representative of both of their personalities and interests at home too.

There was a sweet little farm area downstairs. Rowan made me laugh when she asked me where we were supposed to put the quarter in this horse. (She is used to riding Sandy the pony at Meijer and putting in the penny.) No "quarter" for this horse, Rowan, and sorry but it doesn't move or play music either!

Trey thought it was fun to go fishing. We're not sure where he got it from, but he loves fishing and talked about it a lot this past summer. He has only been fishing in a little pond once before. Maybe next summer we'll have to make a point to let him try it again!

And Trey LOVED this hen house with the eggs! After we left, he said that this was his favorite part! He moved all of the eggs around and liked figuring out how the hen house was set up to make the eggs roll down to the other side.

I thought it was very fitting that he loved playing with these eggs seeing as I spent much of my childhood in my own family's "hen house" (how many thousands of chickens did we have, Dad and Mom???) packing eggs.

Rowan's favorite of the day? This yellow bug! She LOVED driving it, and even liked to crawl around in the back seat. One time she scooted away from us in another part of the museum and John followed her straight back to this car. She wanted one more ride!

Trey liked rolling golf balls down this ramp and listening to the bells ding as the balls hit them. Then, he liked moving the bells around to make his own little paths. He spent a long time here!

These ball tubes were so colorful and fun! Rowan loved to fill them up, but she loved pulling the handle and making all the balls fall out even more!

She also had fun at this magnetic light table.

And put on a puppet show for me before we left! Can you tell that I spent lots of my time with Rowan? This is certainly a "divide and conquer" place with both kids wanting to go in different directions! Trey and John were playing with dominoes while we were playing with puppets.

It was a very fun way to spend a few hours yesterday morning. I love watching my kids explore and show their personalities in the way that they play!

Today we took a trip to Deanna's Playhouse, which was maybe even more fun! Post to come!

hmmm... Rowan and a scissors?

2011-12-20T18:51:00.000-05:00

This morning was the type of morning that, as a non-stay-at-home mom, I wish I could have more often. I love the days when I am home with kids on my own (not that I don't love my hubby or realize how spoiled I am that he is almost always home when I am to help out!). These days don't happen often with John and I both being teachers. In fact, based on our schedules, I think that there are more days when he is home alone with the kids than I am.

So, I cherished this morning. I had a doctor's appointment mid-morning, so I guess technically it was just the start of the morning, but it was great. The kids and I made m&m pancakes and cut them into Christmas shapes with cookie cutters. Then, Trey and I worked on his homework and Rowan practiced her cutting skills.

Hmmm.....

I wondered if she could be trusted.

The girl loves scissors lately, and she entertained herself for quite a long time just snip, snipping away. Thankfully, she only snipped paper.

As a Kindergarten teacher, I'm happy to give her the practice. But we did end up with quite a mess!

U-G-L-Y sweaters and some bowling fun!

2011-12-18T22:18:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we had so much fun during our small group Christmas party. Actually, it was bowling and {kid-free} dinner. It was such a fun way to spend our day, with friends we love, doing something so fun!

Oh, and did I mention that we wore ugly sweaters???

Now that was fun. :)

Even the kids got in on the fun -- they all looked precious! (even though Rowan looks a little bit crazy in this photo! hee hee)

This was Rowan's first time bowling and she loved it! (Notice her braid? She has been very into braids lately and wants a braid in her hair every day. So cute!)

She had so much fun exploring all of the fun parts of the bowling alley -- sometimes wandering a bit too far away from the group. She loved checking out the "ball machine" and commenting on the different colored balls!

Trey had been bowling a few times before, and he did great all on his own. He loved keeping track of his score, and was very competitive! He wanted to beat Skyla and Kobe!

Exploring!

The little dinosaur ball roller thing was cute and perfect for Rowan (and Malechi!). She liked choosing her own ball and rolling it down all on her own. Big girl!

Do you notice that Trey's ball is off the ground? Yes, he threw it every time! Funny!

And then if it was a good one, he would dance all the way back. A different dance every time!

Just had to get a pic of the hubs in a {slightly} too small sweater. He was a good sport!

The group! We are so thankful for these friends - we laugh together, we grow together, and we support each other! They are a gift to us!

But, seriously....these sweaters??? We were laughing about them all night.

John and Scott have been friends since junior high! I had to get a picture of them both in their turtlenecks. John kept complaining that he was suffocating. :) He changed into a t-shirt for dinner.

And a quick family pic before we left. Rockin' the turtlenecks!

We had dinner at Thai Palace, which was delicious, while the kids hung out at Mike and Lee's for pizza and playtime with a babysitter.

Nothing says Christmas like ugly sweaters! We had a blast!

Breakfast smiles

2011-12-16T19:24:00.001-05:00

We had a happy morning! I had woken up super early and just couldn't get back to sleep. Christmas party day for the kids at Imagination Station and for me at school was enough to get my head spinning!

Because I was up so much earlier than normal, I was able to get myself and all of our things completely ready before the kids woke up, and I got to enjoy breakfast time with the kids more than I normally can.

We were excited for our day, and couldn't help but SMILE!

Rowan is not a big breakfast eater. She would rather have a piece of fruit, some yogurt, or a quick breakfast on the go rather than sitting down to a big meal in the morning.

Trey, on the other hand, cannot get his day started without a decent breakfast! He loves waffles lately (at least two at a time-- blueberry ones are his favorite). If he's not having waffles, he'll usually choose "daddy's cereal" (Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds). He'd love a nice, hot breakfast of eggs or pancakes, but those don't happen around here on the weekdays!

He was working on his Christmas list as he ate breakfast today. I'll have to get a picture of it because it is just too cute seeing how he spelled everything. Thankfully, a few of the things he asked for will find their way under our tree this year!

I love these happy little smiles in the morning!

So long, Crackey

2011-12-13T15:50:00.000-05:00

Our very first family pet, Crackey, died last week. We really did love him, but we're not sure how long he was dead before we realized it.

Hmmm....

Crackey, our Beta fish, was a gift to Trey and Rowan last Christmas. They were so mesmerized by him at first!

We took good care of him, but it must have been his time to go. The kids couldn't have been less emotional about the whole thing. From us telling them that Crackey had died, to the ceremonial flushing of our dead pet, Trey and Rowan weren't phased a bit. I was ready to head right out and pick up a new family fish, but after seeing how much they didn't care, I'm thinking we'll just take a little break from the mom-does-all-the-work-but-we-say-it's-the-kids'-pet thing.

See for yourself. I think they'll get past it.

Farewell, Crackster. It's been fun.

Our perfect night

2011-12-08T21:07:00.000-05:00

This lazy night at home was exactly what I needed (and what I have been craving for days)!

A few games, a little learning, and lots of giggles and kisses.

Pretty perfect if you ask me.

And seeing Trey help teach Rowan her letters? The best part of my day.

They played together so well tonight. It made me wish the minutes would just freeze so that we could make the night last longer.

Such a fun, perfect night....leading into yet another busy weekend. 'Tis the season!

Our family {favorite colors edition} - by Trey

2011-12-07T19:09:00.002-05:00

Finding this in the stack of papers that came home from Imagination Station the other day just made me smile. Trey loves to draw pictures of our family, and lately he often uses each of our favorite colors to draw our bodies. John and Trey are blue, I am green, and Rowan is purple. He is getting better and better at adding details like the correct color hair. We all have faces with eyes, noses, and mouths -- this is an improvement over the faces he used to draw with only eyes! Still no arms, but he'll get there.

I love this little boy and how, out of all the things he could choose to draw, he chooses to draw his family.

Even if he does give me the biggest belly of all of us. :)

"Counting Down to Christmas"

2011-12-06T21:39:00.001-05:00

Trey and Rowan had their {sweetest ever} Christmas program with Imagination Station tonight. It was a new experience for me. Our church doesn't do the typical kid's Christmas program, so I wasn't sure that we'd ever get to be a part of one. I was okay with that, but when I found out that Imagination Station was going to do a program, I was more excited than the kids.

Trey was even asked to be a wiseman (well, we later found out that he volunteered), so that was extra fun!

The kids started practicing the sings at Imagination Station just before Halloween, and they have them all completely memorized. Except, of course, for the words that they memorized incorrectly, like "Pursue God" instead of "Praise to God".

Or John and I's absolute favorite, "Round yon, Virgin"...Rowan says "Count your emergency" and even better, Trey says "Count your virgins". Hee hee. That makes me laugh every time.

Anyway, it was a blast! We weren't too nervous for how Trey would do, but we had NO idea how Rowan would handle being in front of a crowd of people. She would totally be the girl who plants herself in the doorway and refuses to move. BUT, she did awesome! A little hesitant at first, but no tears and she even started singing after a few minutes of just sitting and staring.

And Trey was such a sweet little wiseman. He did exactly what was asked of him! He didn't sing at all when he got on stage, and when John and I asked him why, he told us that "The teachers told me to stand very quietly". Well, that was when he was waiting to come on. He was supposed to sing once he got on stage! But, he's our little rule-follower and he was following what he thought were the rules!!

Here are our little performers before the show began.

Rowan right as she walked onto the stage.

She quickly found a cozy spot next to her buddy AJ and one of her teachers, Miss Lindsee.

It wasn't too long before she started singing!

And then it was finally Trey's turn! The shepherds and angels came out first, then the wisemen following the star!

Giving their gifts to Jesus! That star had me cracking up the whole time. She was precious!

Does it look a bit hectic??? Seriously, I couldn't believe that they had every single child from the center up there. Even down to the babes! They did so great, and it was priceless to see all of those kiddos up there together.

Here, Trey is pointing out the big screen that had the song lyrics on it. He spent a lot of time watching that HUGE "TV" during the show. :)

Rowie singing!

After the show! Rowan didn't want to wear her halo during the show, but she put it on afterwards just long enough for me to catch this photo with her daddy.

Our little family! Such a fun night!

This year's Christmas tree

2011-12-04T16:25:00.000-05:00

As much as I love Christmas and having the house decorated, I must admit that last weekend (Thanksgiving weekend -- when I would typically decorate the house), I just wasn't feeling motivated to pull the tree out of the basement, put the whole thing up, string the lights, and do the ornaments. I kept putting it off all weekend, and would have even put it off all the way to this weekend, I think, except that John offered to work with me to set it up last Sunday evening.

I quickly got out of my funk, and turned some Christmas music on! The kids were actually a really big help as we had to get the space cleaned up and move some furniture to fit the tree in the corner of the living room.

I had always had a real tree growing up, and I love the memories that I have of going to find the perfect tree and decorating it as a family. John, however, never found as much joy in this process as I did after we got married. The first year we were married he humored me and, although he didn't enjoy it, we got a real tree. Our second Christmas together brought a trip to the tree farm to get a real tree, a very frustrated hubby not able to get the tree to stand straight, a real tree being thrown out onto our back deck, and a trip to the store to buy an artificial tree. I let go of those perfect memories that I had from growing up when I realized that what makes those special memories of putting up the Christmas tree isn't the tree itself, but the people you make the memories with. It just so happens that our memories are now made in the comfort of our own home and our tree requires no watering and never drops a single needle! Not a bad deal!

Anyway, we worked as a family to get the tree up this year, right down to the very last ornament placed on the tree. The tree is a little bottom-heavy this year, but both kids worked hard to find the perfect spot for each ornament, and we love our family tree.

Trey and Rowan were both so excited to look for the colored tags on all of the branches while John and I put them on the tree. They did a great job!

No photos of the process. We were busy!

Finally, it was time to decorate our tree!

The kids special ornaments came first - the ones that they had made or received in the past. I love how each ornament holds it's own memory.

Last year we waited until Rowan was in bed to put our ornaments on, so it was really fun this year that she could join us!

Man, it was hard to get a picture of Rowan! She is on the move all. the. time!!! Seriously, she never stops! Keeps this momma on her toes!! She would quickly grab an ornament, and place it on the first branch she saw. All of hers ended up grouped together.

Then there was Trey. He was so deliberate and even asked me to place some of his higher to even things out.

A couple of cute shots of the kids to finish off a fun night!

Victory for the Dux!

2011-11-26T17:24:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was such a fun day for us! We headed to Detroit to cheer for the Zeeland West Dux as they battled the Marine City Mariners for the state championship in Division 4 football!

I am not the biggest sports enthusiast, nor do I know too much about the game of football, but I was SO excited to be at the game -- mostly to watch the experience through Trey's eyes. He was bursting with excitement the entire time!

Driving to Ford Field we talked over and over about where we were going with Trey, and how the Dux would be playing there today instead of the Lions. When he saw the stadium in the middle of all of the tall buildings of Detroit, he called out "I see Ford Field!". He was sooooo excited!

A few minutes later after we got inside, we were walking around and looking down at the field and he said "Mom! This looks just like Ford Field!". Like he had no idea where we were going. Funny kid.

We watched the end of the third game of the day, and got ready for the Dux to take the field. The game began at 7:45, but prior to that we had fun watching them warm up. Seriously, I was shaky and sweaty...and I have no idea why! I just kept thinking about how BIG of an experience this was for these boys and how hard they had worked all season. I'm pretty sure that I will be a complete wreck when Trey plays high school sports one day!

Mr. Dux himself walked right behind us before the game began. We thought he was too funny!

Trey was pretty mesmerized by him.

Coach Sloothaak warming up his guys! The last time Zeeland West made it to the state finals, John was in the box on the phones with the coaches (and I was pregnant with Trey!). It was fun this time to see him down there on the field!

Trey looked like this for most of the game. Trying to see every single detail of the game!

It was hard to get a photo of John because he always seemed to be in front of the players. I think I caught him taking off his hat here, but at least I got one!

Time-out Dux!

The halftime score was 24-7. My nerves were beginning to calm down at this point! Ha!

Trey thought that every. single. thing. about Ford Field was the best, even down to the number on the back of his seat. He was number 1, right on the aisle!

This screen was great for watching replays and seeing close-ups of the players....and a few close-ups of John too!

MY future Dux! Trey got some high fives from a few sweet dads who saw him in this sweatshirt!

The final score was 45-7! I took this photo with three seconds left as the Zeeland crowd was going crazy! Marine City scored on their very first possession, and never again for the rest of the game. Way to go Dux!

Receiving the state championship trophy!

My friend (and neighbor... and co-worker!) Kristen and I were not only celebrating the WIN, but also the fact that we get to have our husbands back! Being a coach's wife can be a big job! This season was so worth all of the daddy-less dinners and bedtimes, though. Even though I wasn't the most supportive wife all season, it was a joy to see the team do so well!

After the game, John was able to take Trey down onto the field. Watching from the stands, we were pretty sure that Trey had no concept that this field was any different than any of the other fields that the Dux have played on.

He ran back and forth from endzone to endzone, loving every second!

Trey loved that Brooke and Riley could join us for the game. They enjoyed some time on the field too! So exciting!

It was such a fun game - of course made better by the fact that we left with a WIN! Such a fun way to end a great season. 14-0 and STATE CHAMPS!

Way to go Dux!

Thankful!

2011-11-24T09:50:00.001-05:00

"When your mind is occupied with thanking Me, you have no time for worrying or complaining. If you practice thankfulness consistently, negative thought patterns will gradually grow weaker and weaker. Draw near to Me with a grateful heart, and My presence will fill you with joy and peace."

(Sarah Young; Jesus Calling)

Today I am thankful for lazy mornings at home with my two favorite littles (while John is at football practice for the State championship game tomorrow!).

I'm thankful for Trey's mind and the joy he finds in learning new things.

(And I'm thankful for the iPad and how it makes learning so much fun for him!)

I'm thankful for Rowan's imagination and the sweet, joyful self that she is when she plays independently.

She is the most loving mommy to her "babies".

But she's not afraid to put them in time out when they are naughty! Poor George just can't seem to remember that yelling at mommy is unacceptable. He spends a lot of time in time out. (Oh, how her play imitates real life!)

I'm thankful that, even at four years old, Trey knows that he has much to be thankful for!

Notice that Rowan didn't make the list....I'm sure it was an honest oversight! :)

I'm thankful for a God who forgives me for having a complaining attitude far too often.

I'm thankful for a day to remember how good God has been to us!

May your Thanksgiving Day be filled with the joy that comes from having a thankful heart!

Next stop...Ford Field!

2011-11-19T18:23:00.000-05:00

Trey and I had a date (with John's dad too!) to cheer on the Dux today in their semi-final game against the Comstock Park panthers.

I was worried that it would be freezing (I am the first to admit that I am a fair-weather fan), but the weather was actually really beautiful for a football game in the middle of November. It was breezy, but the temps were in the low 50's, so not too bad at all. At one point during the game I was even sweating due to several penalty calls in a row and a too-close score!

BUT....the Dux pulled out a big win in the end. It was so exciting, and even more exciting is the fact that their next stop is Ford Field for the state finals!

This is Trey and I before the game started. We were SO ready to cheer on the Dux! Trey could hardly handle it this morning, he was so excited!

Trey loved spotting John on the sidelines during the game, and after the game was over he got to run out to congratulate his daddy!

GO DUX!

One of each

2011-11-13T19:28:00.000-05:00

We had a fun, relaxing weekend. I didn't take many pictures, but I did capture a couple of moments that made me smile -- one from each of my littles.

The mild weather this weekend allowed the kids to enjoy some time outdoors. On Saturday, Rowan asked to go outside alone. She got herslef ready - boots, coat, hat, and sunglasses - and headed out. When I went to check on her a few minutes later, I found her sitting in this chair with her graham cracker, just hanging out. It was so funny - it's not like her to be so calm! She looked ridiculous, so I just had to get a picture!

And, today, as I was getting lunch ready, Trey went into the office and began dililgently working on something. He would come out every so often to ask about certain sounds, and told me that he was writing me a letter. He eventually came out and handed me this:

"Mom, I like when mom is not sad."

I had been crying about something earlier in the day (What can I say? I am an emotional girl!), and Trey had come over to console me. Then, later he told me that he doesn't like it when I cry. And he decided that I needed this sweet note! I just love my little guy's tender heart! Sure, the words are out of order and all over the page, but I could read it right away (one of the perks of doing this for a living, I guess!). I LOVE it. My first letter from my boy!

While we were eating lunch, he told me that when he is in college he will color me pictures and make me cards. Hee hee!

Sweet sleeping girl

2011-11-12T08:54:00.001-05:00

I snuck into Rowan's bedroom late last night to check on her. She likes to bring a book to bed, and I usually go in after she is asleep and take it out of her bed. Last night, though, she was still clinging to her book when I went in after midnight. And snuggled up close to her face is Tiger. Tiger belonged to my brother, so it always warms my heart when Trey or Rowan choose to sleep with it. And, of course, she has taggie around her finger. I'm not sure she'll ever outgrow that sweet blanket.

I love the thought that my kids will one day find childhood photos of them taken while they were sleeping, or too busy with something to notice the camera. I hope that they remind them that I delighted in the everyday, simple moments of being their mommy.

Uncle Scott and Auntie Gina

2011-11-06T10:54:00.000-05:00

John's brother got married on Friday, and both John and Trey were part of the wedding party. We are so happy for them both, and loved being able to celebrate with them!

The rehearsal was on Thursday. Trey was so excited about being in the wedding, but had never been to a wedding before so he really had no idea what he would actually be doing. I was a little bit nervous because he has a really shy side in front of people that he doesn't know. He began the rehearsal with some hesitancy, but did what he was asked to do, and got some good practice for the big day!

He walked down the aisle with Gina's adorable niece -- they were the cutest little pair!

He got to stand by John during the ceremony. So many people commented how much Trey looks like his daddy.

So serious!

These two did such a good job!

Friday was the big day! I was busy chasing Rowan around during pictures, but did manage to catch a few of Trey all dressed up and smiling for the camera.

Gina was a stunning bride! The whole wedding party looked so nice, and Trey loved that he got to be a part of all the action. I feel bad that John isn't actually in this picture....he really was there!

After family pictures, I left the church to bring Rowan to my parents' house, where she would stay until after dinner. I wanted to get a picture of her all dressed up! She loved twirling in this sparkly ruffled skirt and sparkly shoes!

Brooke and Maddie came along too, and Brooke took this pic of Rowan and I while we were grabbing a bite to eat at John's parents' house.

This is not a good photo -- unfortunately it is the ONLY photo that I got of John on the wedding day! He was able to be at the wedding for photos and the ceremony, and then had to scoot out to go coach the Dux in their second playoff game. Bad timing! At least his team pulled out a WIN!

Getting some food before the ceremony, and being silly for the camera!

A quick picture with my boy!

And the cute little ones! It makes me giggle how Trey is sticking out his chest here -- like he is trying to impress this pretty girl! :)

Because John wasn't able to come to the reception, Trey was my date! And a great date he was! We took a limo to the reception with the rest of the wedding party. He thought it was SO cool that he got to ride in a limo, and kept saying "Mom, this is the longest car EVER!". There were colored lights and loud music -- very fun!

Here is Trey walking to his seat at the head table after being introduced.

He had a place card just for him! He thought that was neat!

Having fun!

Trey LOVES salad, and he was really hungry!

Trey with the happy couple! He just ADORES his Uncle Scott, and is excited to have a new Auntie too!

My mom dropped Rowan off after dinner so that she was there for the fun part - dancing! She and Trey sat by Grandpa during the slide show.

And then it was time to PARTY! They opened up the dance floor and we pretty much stayed there for the rest of the night!

It was really hard to get a good picture of the kids dancing because they were moving, jumping, shaking, spinning, running...they had sooooo much FUN!

Sisters!

Such a fun day! We loved the chance to celebrate with Scott and Gina, and to praise God for His faithfulness in both of their lives.

Scott and Gina, we pray for many, many blessings on your marriage! Congratulations!

Trick or Treat 2011

2011-11-05T00:00:00.000-04:00

**I began this post on Tuesday and am just finishing it today. Yes, it's been a very busy week.

It was a great night for trick or treating last night! A perfect October chill in the air, but really mild and wonderful for going door to door in our neighborhood.

Trey and Rowan had gone trick or treating in the morning as well. They went with the Imagination Station crew to Royal Park and spent some time with the senior citizens there. I thought that was such a nice idea! And they came home with BAGS full of candy, so we kept our evening very simple and only hit the houses on our street. We also went to visit my Great Grandma Kleinheksel - and she made sure that the kids' buckets were full! So sweet.

Here are the kids with their trick or treating buddies! Adorable!

Rowan started the night not sure what all the fuss was about, but she caught on quickly! This girl has a major sweet tooth!

So many of our neighbors were so cute and got dressed up to pass out candy.

I just love trick or treating in our neighborhood. Everyone is so sweet. Lots of people sit outside on their front porches or in their driveways. It's just such a fun atmosphere.

Love this little tutu!

Love this adorable {friendly} shark too!

We were all so glad that daddy could join the fun this year! Last year he was coaching a football game during trick or treating.

Hitting one last house, then off to great-grandma's. Notice almost all of my photos are from the back -- I couldn't keep up with them as they ran from house to house!

It was a very fun night! Too much candy....but so much fun!

Grandma's Halloween party

2011-10-29T20:42:00.000-04:00

We love the tradition of our Halloween party at Grandma Sloothaak's house. She plans the most fun activities for the kids, and it gives us a chance to put them in their costumes more than once!

We headed there this afternoon, all decked out as the cutest shark and ballerina in town. These kids were ready to party the day away, and waited anxiously for everyone to arrive so that the fun and games could begin!

Of course, I tried to get a quick picture of just Trey and Rowan right away. I didn't know how long their costumes would last. (They actually kept them on the whole time, although the shark head and tutu didn't make it through the whole party.)

Sibling love!

A group shot of all the cousins before we started playing games. Love these kids!

The first thing we did was decorate pumpkins.

The kids used buttons and yarn to make the most adorable little pumpkin faces! Any guess what color Rowan is looking for? Purple, of course! She wanted a pumpkin face made of only purple buttons.

Trey worked hard on his face too. Grandma helped with this one!

Proud of his masterpiece!

Rowan wanted a sad purple face. It got the name Purplicious (perfect because Rowan loves those books....but she calls the book Purple Delicious). I love how her green eyes really shine in this photo!

She chose not to do hair, but instead wanted a crown made of purple buttons!

After pumpkin decorating, we found the boys taking a little break to watch some of the Michigan game. The way they were sitting in that chair together made us giggle!

Next, we headed downstairs to play some games. The first game was "Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin". All of Trey's noses ended up in the pumpkin's mouth.

Rowan didn't get too close to the mark either!

They both got to choose a prize anyway. Grandmas are wonderful like that.

Then they played a pumpkin balancing game. This one took great concentration and patience! Trey got three pumpkins to the basket in one minute.

He chose fun football pencils as his prize.

Rowan had her own method -- she held the pumpkin all the way to the basket.

So many choices!

There was also a "Bucket Bonanza" game. That one is always a hit and was Trey's favorite! They played it twice!

Lastly, we headed upstairs to decorate pumpkin cookies.

Of course we had to eat some when we were done.

After the glue had dried on the pumpkins, we gathered all the kids for a picture. Cute pumpkins, but cuter kids!

It was such a fun afternoon, and this little ballerina was completely pooped!

Thanks, Grandma, for such a FUN party!

Halloween cookies

2011-10-28T22:48:00.000-04:00

This week started out crazy busy. I had parent-teacher conferences Monday and Tuesday, then taught a full day again on Wednesday.

But yesterday and today I didn't have school. I was so very ready for a break. It's been wonderfully relaxing, and has given this busy momma a chance to breathe a little! The house is a complete mess and I haven't gotten much of my to-do list done, but I have had lots of time with my kids (and a little bit of time to myself too).

Tonight while John was away at the Dux first playoff game (which they won!), the kids and I made Halloween cookies. I had bought a set of Halloween cookie cutters on major clearance after Halloween last year, and it was fun to finally pull them out tonight and use them to make some festive frosted sugar cookies!

Trey had fun helping to press the cutters into the dough.

Trey liked the skull and crossbones best, and Rowan liked the black cat face. I think the ghosts are the cutest!

Making the frosting.

And tasting the frosting!

Trey helped me spread the frosting onto the cookies. We kept it simple and used orange for all of them.

And what's a frosted cookie without sprinkles??? Rowan found some {very non-Halloween} sprinkles to add. (For my own memory's sake... Rowan's favorite book by my parents' house right now is "Baker, Baker, Cookie Maker". We talked about that book often as we made these cookies tonight, and she thought that it was so funny!)

They made a pretty great team!

The finished product!

I love these little cookie makers!

Our family -- by Trey

2011-10-22T09:09:00.000-04:00

Almost daily, I find myself in my classroom thinking "I wonder how Trey would do with this." Since I teach Kindergarten, and since Trey is so close to Kindergarten, I bring home many, many things to try at home with him. He loves it, and thinks that it is fun to do "Kindergarten work"!

I brought home this page the other day (look familiar, Jana??) and asked him to draw a picture of our family. Just like at school, I asked him to try writing the names of the people in his family if he could.

This is us!

Bug-eyed with no arms and pretty crazy hair! But cute, huh???

Funny that we're all the same size. :)

Makes me smile!

Happy Saturday!!

Not a Halloween dress (revised so that you can actually read it!)

2011-10-16T18:06:00.001-04:00

I came across this pillowcase dress while perusing Pinterest early one Saturday morning when Rowan and I were awake before the boys. It caught my eye right away - I just thought that it was so sweet. Perfect for the month of October without screaming "I'm a Halloween dress!".

(Although, as soon as I showed John the dress I made, he said "Did you just make a Halloween dress?!?". hee hee)

It was a busy weekend (as they all are), but somehow I found time to whip up a version of my own. You make time for the things you want to, right?!?!? It's definitely missing some of the special features on the sweet one I found, but it's made with love for my girl!

Here is Rowan before church this morning.

Pillowcase dresses are the only thing I've ever tried to sew. There is just something about them, though, that makes me happy!

Later today, Rowan was playing in the laundry room while I was folding and ironing clothes, and I just had to snap these pictures of her. She was making me laugh! She was setting up a picnic (her very favorite thing to do these days) with a backpack on, while talking on the "phone".

Already a multi-tasker, as every woman should be!

Oh, and she added socks to her outfit.

She absolutely loves purses, bags, backpacks....andything that she can use to carry all of her treasures all over the place with her. Today it was a Buzz Lightyear backpack. She loves this backpack probably partly because she also LOVES purple. Every time she sees something purple she'll say "Mom! Purple! My favorite!"

Hmmm...what occasion will she need a pillowcase dress for next?

Thanksgiving? Christmas? Her birthday???

Weekend re-cap {a few days late}

2011-10-13T18:45:00.000-04:00

Last weekend was the best, most relaxing weekend. The weather was glorious! It felt like summer, but looked like fall. We took bike rides on Saturday and Sunday (one of our very favorite things to do as a family), and it felt amazing to be riding in shorts and t-shirts while listening to the crunch of leaves under our tires. Just so surreal for October in Michigan.

We soaked in every minute, and spent lots of time outside. That week of summer-like weather felt like such a gift -- unexpected and completely wonderful! (John likes to remind me that if we still lived in Florida, 80 degrees in October would be normal! And we wouldn't be looking ahead to months of SNOW right now!! But we also wouldn't have family nearby, changing seasons, the amazing friends that we work with, our church and small group.....it's a good trade for sure!)

Anyway...just a few photos from our outdoor fun. And a video that will give you an idea of what Trey does all. the. time. No joke. Inside...outside...everywhere. The boy is completely obsessed with football.

Yay for warm, sunny weather -- especially in October!

Dux date

2011-10-10T16:24:00.000-04:00

I was lucky to be able to have a little date night with Trey on Friday night. Rowan had a sleepover with Grandpa and Grandma, and Trey and I headed out to dinner and to the Zeeland West football game.

Trey has been asking for weeks to please eat out at Wolfie's. I have no idea why or where it came from ( I didn't even know that he knew the name of that restaurant!), but I love their paninis so I was happy to make that the first stop on our mommy-son date.

After dinner, we went home and got ready for the game! It was SUCH a nice night -- amazing weather for a football game in October! We got to the game in time to watch the players warm up and the marching band entertain us a little.

This little guy was ready to cheer on the Dux!

Clapping for the players as they ran out.

Jimmy John's was there handing out free subs! Trey only took one bite and decided that he didn't like it, but it was still a fun part of the game!

Still a happy (and WIDE awake) boy after the game! It didn't hurt that the Dux pulled out a great WIN!

He even got to run on the field with daddy afterwards!

When I was tucking him into bed later that night, he said "Mom, the football game was the best part part of my day!".

It was mine too, without a doubt!

Spirit Week

2011-10-08T20:56:00.000-04:00

This week was Spirit Week at Imagination Station. Since the kids only go there on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, those were the only days that we got to take part in. (Thankfully, because Tuesday and Thursday were the tough ones!)

It turns out that 7:15 AM (right before leaving) or 4:30 PM (right after getting home) aren't the best times for taking photos of my kids, especially if I hope to put them on the blog. BUT...I want to remember this week, so I am posting them even as terrible as many of them are!

Monday was CRAZY SOCK DAY. The kids don't really have any crazy socks, but thankfully John and I had some -- his from a high school assembly and mine from a Girls on the Run race. They were a little big, but they worked!

Wednesday was CRAZY HAIR DAY. We did what we could with this one for Trey. His hair happens to be too long right now, so I just spiked it all the best I could. Rowan had three ponytails and a headband. Actually, from the front it looked kind of cute!

Friday was Trey's favorite for sure. It was FAVORITE TEAM DAY. He was super excited about getting to wear his new Michigan jersey to school, even though it is two sizes too big. Rowan wore one of Trey's old Michigan t-shirts, and she thought that was pretty cool too.

I do love things like this, so I had a great time showing off our Sloothaak spirit! (hee hee) No more photos before school, though. They really slow us down!

My little reader!!! (WHAT?!?!?)

2011-10-07T07:58:00.000-04:00

I say this line all the time, but I just have to say it again -- I'm not sure when this happened! Trey has begun reading! Of course, it makes my Kindergarten teacher's heart soooooo excited, but I can NOT believe that he is old enough for this. He is JUST beginning, and listening to him is just about the sweetest thing I've ever heard. I love it, and if he didn't get sick of it, I think I could listen to it all day long.

Reading! Real words! In real books! All by himself!

WHAT?!?!?!

If only we didn't have to deal with "g", life would be so much easier!

Hee hee! His comment at the end is so classic! Mom! Enough!

Go Dux!

2011-10-02T14:53:00.000-04:00

We are a football family (well, at least there are two boys in this family who are crazy about football!). The kids and I have only made it to two football games so far this fall, but we're hoping to make it to more before the season is over! The freshman games are just perfect for us because they are at just the right time for us to go after school, and because it allows the kids a chance to see John (and John to see the kids) when sometimes that doesn't happen on Thursday nights.

Trey LOVES watching the game -- like really watching it! He tells me everything that happens because with Rowan running around I just can't concentrate on what's happening on the field!

We always sit way off to the side because the kids love standing right up by the fence and watching from there.

Another favorite spot is right by the cheerleaders! Trey actually loves watching them too during the game, which I just get such a kick out of!

See this run??? Yes, Trey was sprinting over to me to let me know that the Dux had just scored!

Rowan just has no sit in her at all. She is back and forth, back and forth, the entire game! She climbs up the steps and down the bleachers, plays on the hill, eats snacks, makes grass piles, goes to the bathroom, and asks a million questions during the games! So very different from her brother who can just sit in one place for hours and watch football!

I just have to add this because it made me giggle and I don't want to forget it...

At the last game we went to, Trey happened to find one of his best buddies from school. They were playing together, and there was a little girl nearby. She was four, but looked 16! She had bleach blonde hair with a purple feather in it, skinny jeans, and cute wedge shoes. She was chomping her gum, and walked around with her hands on her hips. At one point, she walked over to Trey and his friend and said "Hey, are you guys in the Zebra room?" (Seriously, it sounded like a funny pick-up line!). The boys were like "No, we're in Santa Fe!", and they all ran off playing together. It just made me picture life ten years from now, and it made me laugh!!

Worker bees

2011-09-24T22:46:00.000-04:00

Now that Trey is a big time pre-schooler, he gets to enjoy the fun (yes, it is still FUN at four years old!) of homework! Let me tell you, it is just about the cutest thing ever to see him sit and do homework! Trey turns his homework in on Monday, and it gets sent back home with a sticker on top. He earns prizes at school for turning it in too, so that extra motivation doesn't hurt.

I have loved it too, because so far every homework sheet has been Zoophonics! Right up my alley and something I know inside and out. It is SO fun to see Trey learning it too!

Homework comes home with Trey every Friday, stapled to his classroom newsletter. I didn't know that he would be getting homework, and the first week I found it on Sunday night while I was getting his bag packed. He was already in bed, so he quickly completed it Monday morning before we left! Eeeks! Now I know to check the folder right away on Friday.

I'm new at this and still learning!

Here he is, completing that very first homework page...I'm guessing that the time was around 6:30 AM. Which would explain the cereal and milk on the counter, and Rowan hanging out in her pajamas on the couch. :)

And here he is doing this weekend's homework. He just loves it!

He did this whole page without any help. I listened as he said the ABC's over and over to figure out which letters were missing. I thought he did a great job!

And, of course, Rowan can not be left out! She LOVES coloring (with markers!), and often will just go off by herself to color in the office. Last weekend she brought paper and markers out to the dining table.

And today she hopped right up while Trey was doing his homework at the table.

And...I just don't want to forget this. Trey brought this to me the other night - he had been off working on his own and wrote this word. Can you guess what it says???

"Bath"! Of course! Yes, that is the way Trey says it. Hee hee! I just love sound spelling and that sweet little four-year-old penmanship! And the fact that he sounded it out and wrote it on his own? Not bad!

A perfect Saturday

2011-09-18T20:41:00.000-04:00

We have entered the time of year of a forced bloggy break! There just isn't time for posting in September and October.

I forget every year how busy it gets.

And I'll admit that I had a minor meltdown today. It didn't last long, and my very patient hubby guided things back into perspective for me. He knows me so well.

We prepared ourselves for this. We knew how busy things would be as we balanced football, full-time teaching, and life with two kids. And yet, as it does every year, it still hit us (me) like a ton of bricks.

There isn't a single thing about it that I don't like. I thrive on routine, and I love what I get to do at work every day. I love coming home to my kids at the end of the day and hearing all about the fun they've had. I know that they are being cared for so well, and are learning so much. And they get time with grandmas and cousins, and we're so grateful for that. But after a summer of full-time relaxation, it's a shock to the system.

This weekend we were blessed with amazing weather. It was beautiful! We took advantage of our time together on Saturday to spend some time at the park.

Are any of you as afraid of merry-go-rounds as I am? I really dislike these things. They make me hover like a crazy mom. I begin to envision bloody noses and knocked-out teeth every time my kids get near them. But...they love them. And somehow we were lucky enough to avoid merry-go-round-induced injury all summer.

Trey had the idea to play hide and seek at the park. He counted to ten...

...and Rowan hid in the slide! They had fun with this game for a long time.

If there is one thing I want to remember about Trey at the park from this summer, it's that he became a crazy climber! He knows this park so well, and he would rather climb all over it than play on it the right way. He LOVES to climb and hang on everything!

We spent a long time outside again today throwing the football around, kicking the soccer ball, drawing with chalk on the driveway, and pulling the kids around in the wagon. And I made it a priority to fit in a short power nap this afternoon. A much-needed power nap. (And I had some much, MUCH-needed Skype time with my bestie last night. It was SO worth getting to bed at 12:30!)

It was a fun weekend!

I'll be reminding myself to breathe this week. One day at a time!

"I'm Mommy!"

2011-09-11T16:41:00.000-04:00

I put a cardigan on over Rowan's dress this morning for church because it was a little chilly.

I, too, was wearing a cardigan (as I do most days), and Rowan ran out to John yelling "Daddy! I'm Mommy!".

Playing in the rain

2011-09-09T21:20:00.000-04:00

Yay for the first weekend of the school year!

Tonight we spent some time outside playing in the rain!

The kids had the best time doing something that they thought they shouldn't be able to do.

I loved watching them enjoy it!

Rowan had her face hidden by the umbrella almost the entire time.

After a while, Trey got brave enough to drop the umbrella and just let himself get wet!

The puddles brought the biggest smiles and giggles!

Hooray for time spent together!

The Labor Day Truck Parade

2011-09-05T15:08:00.000-04:00

We could never miss Zeeland's annual truck parade. Trey has been looking forward to it for days and talked about it all weekend! It's funny, because it's just a short parade with truck after truck after truck. They all honk their horns the whole time, and we leave with our ears ringing!

Here was our gang this morning. We met up with some of our friends from small group, and the kids were seriously SO cute watching the parade, waving to all the trucks, and soaking it all in!

The parade did not disappoint! We left with some happy kids (even though there was no candy)!

Feeling 'pin'spired

2011-09-03T14:41:00.002-04:00

It's true. I am as crazy about Pinterest as the next person. (If you don't know what this is, ask me sometime! I'll be happy to tell you all about it...) Up until this week, there was a lot of pinning and not a lot of doing (except for a few recipes that I've tried). This week, though, I accomplished three of the projects that I had pinned. Two of them are making my life a little bit easier and more clutter-free, and the other one brightened the days of a few deserving teachers. Allow me to share!

1. Hidden kitchen corkboard.

This idea was found here. I actually really love this blog and stop by often, but this post was old and I had never seen it until I spotted it floating around on Pinterest. I knew that it was something I could easily do that would help to de-clutter my kitchen countertops a bit. I even had two 12"x12" cork board tiles lying around, so this one was a complete no-brainer.

I picked up some command strips for adhering the tile to the cupboard door, trimmed the tile down just a bit to get to to fit just right, and stuck it right up!

I'm actually not sure yet whether or not I want to put the other tile up too. I think I'll wait to see how full this one gets first. One might be all I'll need.

So far, I've found that it is the perfect out-of-sight spot to hide my grocery list. Or a love note to my hubby. :) I'm also excited to add recipes that I'd like to try, or maybe my recipes for the week.

So far, I love it. And it was super duper easy and quick. Love those kinds of projects!

2. School clothes bins.

This idea was found here. Another blog that I totally love. This gal has me in some serious awe with all of her amazing organizing tips. And, no, my bins aren't nearly as adorable as hers are, but they will do the job just the same!

I'm hoping that this will help keep us moving during our eaaaarrrllly school-day mornings. Both kids are old enough to help out with getting themselves dressed, so these bins will be our go-to spots for setting out the kids' clothes the night before. Each evening, the next day's clothes will go in the bin. Then, in the morning, the clothes to be worn are right there and the used jammies can go right into the bin (and NOT on the living room floor where they somehow usually end up).

I picked up the bins {on sale} at Target, then made the labels and had them laminated. The colors turned a bit funky when they got laminated, especially on Rowan's. It's supposed to be purple.), so I might tweak them a bit and try laminating again. I laminated them at Staples...love that nice, thick lamination! Kid-proof! I also want to find a smaller clip, but for now, clothespins work.

I think that these will be a major time-saver this year!

3. Flowers for the teacher!

This idea was found here, but I have also seen versions of it several other places.

The kids and I (okay, mostly I) put these together to give to their teachers on their second day at Imagination Station this week. Trey and Rowan each have two teachers in their rooms, so we gave it as more of a gift to the classroom. The vases are filled with plastic magnetic letters and numbers to be used in the classroom once the flowers get wilty.

I added a tag that says "We're looking forward to a great year!", and a pretty green bow.

I thought that they turned out really sweet, and the teachers loved them (of course! We teachers like to feel the love every now and again!).

I loved this too, because it didn't break the bank! I got the vases for 50 cents each at a local thrift store, the magnetic letters were $1.00 a pack at Wal-Mart, the flowers were $5.00 for the whole bouquet that I split in two, and the ribbon and tag supplies I already had on hand. Oh, and the flowers are setting inside of cleaned out bubble containers in the center of the vases.

So easy, but so bright, colorful, and fun!

The kids loved handing these off to their teachers in the morning! (Rowan was a little bummed at the end of the day, because she wanted to be able to bring it back home, too.)

It's funny to me how, over the summer, I loved finding ideas for house decor or seasonal decorating ideas. Now, I am having a blast finding ideas for my classroom and quick, easy recipes for those busy weeknights!

Do you Pinterest? If so, I'd love to hear what you've been inspired to do from the things that you've pinned!

One last day

2011-09-02T09:47:00.000-04:00

One last day of running through sprinklers.

One last day of carefree fun.

One last day of hot, hot, HOT summer weather.

One last day of summer break.

We've been preparing, planning, dreading..... but heading into our final weekend before school starts, we are ready. All of us. Ready to go! I am ready to teach! Trey and Rowan are ready to learn! John is ready to...well, I don't know. His schedule isn't changing much. He's going from busy to busy.

We're fitting in doctor's appointments and play time today. That's the agenda. One last time.

First day at the "Station"!

2011-08-31T22:15:00.000-04:00

This has been a big week for us. The kids started at a new daycare center this week. We absolutely loved our time at Toddlerville, and they cared for our kids so well, but Imagination Station offers a pre-school curriculum that aligns with Zeeland schools. We wanted that for Trey this year, and then next year he will be transported to school from Imagination Station, so it just made sense to make the switch now.

The kids and I stopped by to visit a few weeks ago and I got some pics of them in front of the building.

Monday was the big day! We always begin sending the kids back to daycare a couple of times before the school year starts because it gives me a chance to work in my classroom, and it gives us all a chance to get used to that routine again. Especially this year, it was so important since everything is brand new to us!

John left for football at 6:45, but Trey was out of bed around 6:00. He was brimming with excitement!

We've been telling Trey that he is going to pre-school now! He actually moved into the pre-school room at Toddlerville last year when he turned four, but it just seems like a more official change now, and it's fun for him to be able to get excited about going to "school".

He literally could not wait to get in the car and GO! Although he did make sure to tell me that he might be shy until lunch, and then he'd talk in the afternoon. Silly boy! It sounds like that's just what he did, too!

I just can't wrap my head around when he got to be so big. I know that I'll be thinking the same thing every year at this time until I drop him off at college -- and I KNOW I'll be thinking it then for sure....and probably crying all the way home!

I pray for lots of great friendships for him, and that he will learn so much this year! I love that he has this time to explore, discover, and PLAY! I know that he'll be amazing!

And we can't forget about Rowan! It was her first day too! She was equally excited to go to "Imagistation Station".

She walked right into her room, gave me a hug and a kiss, and started playing! I was sooooo relieved!

I love that they always have each other! They actually don't get to see each other all day long except for a short time outside. Trey told us that he kept an eye on her outside, though. I don't think he can help it -- it's just in his nature as a big brother!

We found a very excited Trey and a very tearful Rowan when we picked them up. From the sounds of it, his first day was great, but hers was a little weepy. I know that in time she'll figure it out, and be just fine. Her teachers seem wonderful and very patient, and they understand that change can be hard.

It was special to see a "Welcome" sign with their names on it. I know that there are many memories to be made here this year!

One more thing checked off the list! We're back to the grind in less than a week.

YAY for a good first day at Imagination Station!

(They were back today too, and although Rowan wasn't so sure when I dropped her off this morning, they both had awesome days today! We are beyond thankful that we've always had wonderful people taking such good care of our kids when we can't be with them. We're looking forward to a great year!)

Here's what happened today...

2011-08-29T21:53:00.000-04:00

My big guy Trey turned into a SUPER big guy pre-schooler!

More details (and, of course, more pictures!) to come...

No TV day!

2011-08-28T16:11:00.000-04:00

Last week Tuesday was a planned "No TV" day at our house. The kids haven't spent too much time in front of the TV this summer, but it definitely does serve as an easy option if I need a few minutes to get things done, or just need a break. I wanted a day, though, where I was just really intentional about investing in the kids, and spending time doing anything and everything that we could think of -- just no TV!

I had been telling Trey and Rowan that a "No TV" day was coming up, but oddly, neither of them were too excited about it. :) Right after both kids woke up on Tuesday morning, I asked them to each get a remote (we have two for our main TV) and put them in the box that I was holding. I closed up the box and shouted "It's NO TV DAY!!!".

Trey groaned.

Rowan groaned.

There may have even been a few tears.

A whole day without Dora? What was Rowan going to do?????

I excitedly ran to the kitchen and put the box on top of the cabinets above the refrigerator. (Never mind that Trey actually found a way up there later in the morning when I wasn't around. I guess he was up for the challenge when I told him that he'd never be able to reach them.)

We had such a fun day! We played games in our pajamas. Puppy Pals Bingo is a current favorite at our house. Even Rowan can play this one!

Snacks, lunch, and dinner were all eaten outside. We've loved this little picnic table this summer. The kids think that it is SO much fun to eat on the deck. And I love that the mess stays outside!!

We also headed for a long bike ride in the morning. Rowan wanted to bring her baby (which she recently named Baby Caroline), so we buckled her in too.

The "Lilypad Park" (that's just what we call it) happened to be on our route, so we stopped to play for a while.

Trey on the "lilypads".

Rowan was a bit scared on them!

Rowan sang "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" for us.

Baby Caroline had a chance to play too! Lilypads, slides, swings, and all!

There is some road construction going on near our house right now, so we had to take the long way home. About halfway home, I turned around to see this.

Peanut butter and jelly for lunch! And I never knew until this summer how much Trey loves tomatoes! We found some small yellow ones at the farmer's market last week, and he eats them like candy! Can't say he takes after either John or I with that one.

After lunch it was naps and then daddy was home! It was a fun day of mommy-kid time. Maybe we'll do it again this week!

Speaking of this week...the kids have their first day at Imagination Station tomorrow. We're telling Trey that it's his first day of pre-school and making a big deal about it. He is very excited! I'm a little anxious because it is all new and I don't know what to expect, but we're praying that the kids adjust quickly, and that they make lots of new friends! My brain is in total school mode now, and I am ready to meet my new students in a couple of days. We'll be soaking in our last week and enjoying every stress-free second of it!

Backyard Camping - Year 4

2011-08-26T22:52:00.000-04:00

Wednesday night was the annual backyard camping night at our house! John started this tradition with Trey three years ago, and it is something that Trey looks forward to each year! It ended up being late in the summer this year, due to the fact that July was just too hot to be sleeping in a tent, and August has been crazy with football. Here are the posts from last year and the year before that. I love that my boys have this fun tradition! Rowan really wanted to join in too. Maybe next year!

We got everything set up outside after we finished eating dinner on Wednesday. The tent only gets pulled out this one time a year, so it always takes us a little bit of time to figure it all out, but it really goes up very quickly and easily.

Trey could hardly wait! He was so excited to help put the tent up because he couldn't wait to get inside!

They headed to the tent to begin their fun night around 7:00 after filling it with the air mattress, sleeping bags and pillows, books, games, and a radio to listen to the Detroit Tigers baseball game. What else could they need?

Well, maybe a snack! I brought out some watermelon before bed.

Hooray for fun summer traditions!

Summer Jar - Critter Barn

2011-08-24T13:06:00.001-04:00

We're nearing the end of summer, which means that we are also nearing the end of our Summer Jar fun. I don't think we'll make it through them all (and at the beginning I wondered if we even had enough!), but it has provided us with lots of fun activities and so many fun summer memories.

Last week, Trey pulled this slip from the jar.

It was perfect timing too, because my niece and nephew, Miriam and Levi, happened to be volunteering there a day last week. They were the perfect farm tour guides for us!

Before we left, I asked Trey to draw me a picture of what he thought we might see there. Cows, a pig, a sheep, and a horse. Oh, and a big red barn. That's kind-of hard to see in this photo.

He was right about all of those animals, but there were so many others there too! This side of the barn had goats and pigs. The kids both tried feeding the goats, but didn't like it. I'm pretty sure that they felt like the goats were a little too "up in their business". My kids don't like animals that get too close.

Then we headed into the bunny and chick room. Trey proudly found the courage to hold a baby chick! If you know Trey at all, you know that this is a big accomplishment for him! The chicks must have seemed harmless enough, and really? They are so stinkin' adorable! I couldn't keep my hands off them either!

As long as Levi held this bunny, both kids were willing to touch it.

We then went outside to see Henry the horse.

Trey fell in love with the chickens. We all had fun feeding them some dried corn. Trey later told me that he liked the chickens so much because he could feed them from way behind the fence. :)

There was this huuuuuge turkey wandering around the yard. I wanted the kids to feel his feathers, but of course they wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.

So we occupied the turkey with a little snack, and Trey got up the courage to sneak up and touch his feathers. Success!

We headed back in to see the bunnies one more time. This time, Trey was brave enough to pet the bunnies on his own.

And then Trey asked if we could please go feed the chickens once more, so we got another bucket of dried corn, and headed back out to Trey's farm happy place. By the chickens behind the fence.

This outing was something that I had really hoped we could fit in this summer, so I'm glad that it happened! Even though farm animals weren't foreign to my kids, they had never been somewhere that had so many all in the same place.

The highlight of the visit for me? (not really) Visiting the port-o-potty with my newly-potty-trained girl. She kept commenting how "cute" the potty was. I did not agree.

We both used hand sanitizer up to our elbows when we finished in there.

But, really, it was a fun time! I love to see Trey face his fears, even if they are silly little fears like touching a bunny or walking past a sheep without grabbing my hand.

Our summer fun is not over, but it is winding down. We're making the most of the days we have left!

Me A-Z

2011-08-23T14:49:00.000-04:00

I've noticed this little game floating around the blogosphere. I thought I would join in...just for fun!

age :: 30

bed size :: queen

chore you dislike the most :: cleaning the shower (therefore, I don't do it nearly often enough!)

dogs :: no way -- both kids are terrified of them!

essential start to your day :: a sit-down breakfast. i absolutely cannot survive if I eat breakfast on the go!

favorite color :: green

gold or silver :: silver

height :: 5'7"

instruments you play :: none, but i love to sing

job title :: mom of two, and full-time kindergarten teacher

kids :: Trey (4) and Rowan (2)

live :: Western Michigan

maiden name :: Kleinheksel

nicknames :: Jiw (only you, Abbs!)

overnight hospital stays :: for me - splenectomy and my kids' births. for trey - several times for various things! not to mention all of the middle-of-the-night ER visits with both kids!

pet peeve :: slow walkers (but only if they're right in front of me!)

quote :: it's not really a quote, but "do likewise" has sort-of become my life's motto. It comes from the parable of the good samaritan in the Bible and is a good reminder for me to love others as Jesus would!

righty or lefty :: righty

siblings :: two older sisters and a younger brother

time you wake up :: during the school year - 5:45; during the summer - usually between 6:30 and 7:00 (it's amazing how much later that feels than 5:45!)

university attended :: Calvin College (go Knights!)

vegetables you dislike: celery

what makes you run late :: forgetting things at home and having to go back to get them (this happens more and more all the time, it seems!)

x-rays you’ve had :: at the dentist; i'm not sure of any others...maybe on my pinky once when i tore the nail off

yummy food :: i could eat pizza every day....and i love sweet breakfast foods like waffles and french toast (anything that i can put syrup on!)

zoo animal favorite :: i love giraffes!

That was fun! Now it's your turn to play along! :)

Summer Jar - invite a friend over {Trey's first sleepover!}

2011-08-22T09:12:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure when it happened, but somehow Trey is old enough now to have friends spend the night. And, Trey spent the night at his friend Jackson's house while John and I were away on our cruise at the end of June. How is he old enough for this???

Anyway, when he pulled this slip from the Summer Fun jar, I wondered if he might like to have his very first sleepover.

I knew that it would be soooo fun for him to be able to have his friend Jakobe overnight before school starts again, and when my friend Lee agreed that Kobe would be up for it, all that was left to do was set a date. I'm not sure exactly what I was thinking setting it up for a Friday night when John was gone with football until after bedtime, but the boys were so great. Sometimes it really is easier to have more kids around because they help to keep our kids busy and happy!

Kobe was around for playing outside, eating dinner, riding bikes to the park, watching Madagascar and eating popcorn, and then it was bedtime. I'm pretty sure that in Trey's little world, there are few things more fun than having a buddy over at bedtime!

They brushed their teeth together...

...then waited for me patiently while I put Rowan to bed.

And then they snuggled into their beds (aren't they the cutest???), and got ready for their special "after dark surprise" -- glow sticks in bed! We said prayers, gave hugs and kisses, and turned out the lights so that they could play with their glow sticks, talk, and giggle for the next hour!

Kobe gave in first -- I'm pretty sure that Trey could have lasted for another hour at least! Thankfully, Trey listened when Kobe said that he was tired. The talking and giggling stopped, and both boys slept wonderfully all night long. (I kept having flashbacks of when I used to spend the night at my best friend Traci's house growing up and, without fail, every single time, Traci's mom would have to bring me home in the middle of the night because I couldn't sleep. Now that I am in her mom's shoes, I appreciate so much that she was willing to let me try over and over again until I could finally do it! I have the best memories from those sleepovers - once I was able to make it all night! Ha!)

In the morning, we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast (this recipe, actually, from Pinterest .... they were super easy and delicious!), the boys played some more, and then it was time for Jakobe to leave.

I'd say that our first ever friend sleepover was a screaming success!! The boys had sooooo much fun. I just know that there will be many more sleepovers in the future for these great buds!

Mommy time with T & R

2011-08-20T21:43:00.000-04:00

Our schedule has changed a bit since the beginning of August when John started football. Suddenly, I've had lots of time to fill with just me and the kids. It has been really fun, even though John has been incredibly busy. Trey, Rowan, and I are determined to make the most of our last weeks of summer break.

Monday is our library day! The kids love carrying the basket in and putting the books in the drop boxes to return them. Then, we head upstairs to the children's section and spend some time (not much because they are the fastest book-pickers ever) finding new books for the week. We take a few minutes to look at them, and some others that we aren't going to take home with us, and then we take the books downstairs to check out. We've also picked up a few videos, and discovered a love for Boz the Bear! The library has definitely been a great summer activity for us!

The kids (Trey) had been asking for a while now to go feed the ducks. Last week we were finally able to find a time to do it. We headed to "the duck park" (that's just what we call it) on a beautiful morning with bags full of bread. The kids were all smiles, and then of course we stayed for some playtime afterwards.

And lastly...the sandbox! I was sure that this thing would get hours upon hours of use this summer, but it was just soooo hot for a while that the kids weren't too interested in playing in the sand. I realized that part of the problem was that it was in complete sun all day long. There isn't a tree nearby for shade, so I went out and got the next best thing - a nice, big beach umbrella to provide some much-needed shade! The kids enjoyed some great sandbox time this week. I can send them outside and leave the slider open, which means that I can actually get the kitchen cleaned up, a few dishes washed, or the floor swept....or maybe take a few minutes to just sit back and breathe while they have fun on their own outside! They play together really well in the sandbox, which makes this momma happy!

Our countdown has officially started, and I am spending more and more time at school. We are ready to get back into a routine, but I am not going to wish away a single moment of my next couple of weeks!

Do Likewise

randoms from last week

YAY for dishwashers!

The story of the orange sunset

tidbits from our week

hot cocoa boy

Prayers for 2012

Writing like crazy

A snow day morning spent at school

A list of randoms

"Polar Bear, Polar Bear" - by Rowan

Fun with stamps

Kleinheksel Christmas 2011

Sloothaak Christmas 2011

Stockings

Our family Christmas 2011

Deanna's Playhouse with the cousins

Merry Christmas 2011

Bees, bubbles, bugs, and more! {Fun at the Children's Museum}

hmmm... Rowan and a scissors?

U-G-L-Y sweaters and some bowling fun!

Breakfast smiles

So long, Crackey

Our perfect night

Our family {favorite colors edition} - by Trey

"Counting Down to Christmas"

This year's Christmas tree

Victory for the Dux!

Thankful!

Next stop...Ford Field!

One of each

Sweet sleeping girl

Uncle Scott and Auntie Gina

Trick or Treat 2011

Grandma's Halloween party

Halloween cookies

Our family -- by Trey

Not a Halloween dress (revised so that you can actually read it!)

Weekend re-cap {a few days late}

Dux date

Spirit Week

My little reader!!! (WHAT?!?!?)

Go Dux!

Worker bees

A perfect Saturday

"I'm Mommy!"

Playing in the rain

The Labor Day Truck Parade

Feeling 'pin'spired

One last day

First day at the "Station"!

Here's what happened today...

No TV day!

Backyard Camping - Year 4

*Summer Jar* - Critter Barn

Me A-Z

*Summer Jar* - invite a friend over {Trey's first sleepover!}

Mommy time with T & R

Summer Jar - Critter Barn

Summer Jar - invite a friend over {Trey's first sleepover!}