The Clampetts go Camping!

A pick-up truck is like cheating when going camping.

So easy to pack - love it.

Have I mentioned that I'm not afraid to be a little cheesy? :)

Fruit pizza flag for the 4th. Oh baby, it was good.

Dear Fellow Bloggers,
Hope y'all had a great 4th. Here's some pics of our fun day and a pic of my friend Kim & I who keep getting asked if we are sisters. Thanks to the Hoekstras for grilling up a mean steak & for paying their East Grand Rapids taxes so we could enjoy the fireworks display! I will be unavailable for the next two weeks because I will be working on my tan. Please try not to abuse my comment section by having miscellaneous conversations and musings. Actually, go ahead. I get more comments when I'm gone then when I'm around. ;)

Sulphur smell - yum!

Sisters? If only she had red hair and more freckles.

Boys are pyromaniacs.

Snakes, aka poops. The kids absolute favorite of all time.

Eight IS Enough & We Be Jammin'

(o.k. that's only 7 - where's Mikayla?)

I thought I'd share a shot of our kids & the cousins (all five of them) that we babysat while their mom & dad interviewed for a new pastor job in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They really are the sweetest kids and they were so cute when I told them I got some good ideas for their next birthdays by watching them play with our toys (remote control car and MP3 player). Until two of them told me they would like a trampoline and a Wii instead. LOL! Pastor's kids with expensive tastes - I love it! Thanks to Patti for having a tramp and always letting our kids jump on it. To wrap up our busy day we decided to make eight batches of homemade strawberry jam. The girls did a great job helping and 45 minutes later we were done.

All in a Day's Work

For inquiring minds like Jamie & Amy :) - we got rid of the slider because it was from the 1970's, made our room either the hottest or coldest room in the house, we were sick of always having the curtains closed because you never know when you need to do a quick change of clothes, we wanted a better wall to position our bed on and now can have wall sconces wired in, and finally, because we have another slider that is off the deck from our eating area.

Oh, and I think in the five years we lived here we used it five times.

Enough reasons ladies? ;)

9:00 a.m. the old slider is removed from our bedroom.

Window is installed with a new wall.

Siding going on pretty easily.



4:30 p.m. the outside is complete.

Next steps on the home-improvement to do list: insulate the inside, dry wall, wire in two sconces for either side of the bed, trim out the window, & paint the walls. Whew! Is that all?

Answer This

Jeff was posed this question by a fellow colleague;

Why do you pray when God already knows what's going to happen?

Please join the conversation by sharing your answer.

A Dozen (a belated anniversary post)

(I found a more recent pic.)

How I know I've been married for a dozen years.

1. I laugh now when my hubby says, "you didn't get me a present did you?"

2. I point out good looking women to my husband. Oh, and women with fake boobs.

3. I no longer make him feel guilty for going on a boys weekend. Instead, I make homemade cookies for him to share with his golf/poker buddies.

4. I make him feel my legs when they are freshly shaven. It used to be more of a common occurrence during the dating/newlywed stage.

5. I can tell by his breath when he's getting a cold.

6. I can point out my physical flaws without embarrassment

7. Ummm ... the three kids is evidence enough that we didn't just get hitched. :)

8. We can joke about each of our families without getting defensive.

9. I yell, "that's my hubby" when he makes a diving catch or hits a home run when we play co-ed softball together. And by the way, I know that's cheesy & I don't care.

10. My husband knows that sometimes "granny-panties" are called for.

11. He is my favorite person to be with and I have the most fun with him.

12. I love him more today than I did on June 7, 1996 - our wedding day! Love ya Jeff.

Have Kids? Must Camp!

Happy Father's Day Dads!

Picture above - cute. Picture below - not quite as cute! :)

The girls

The boys (minus Daniel who was snoozing in the stroller.)

The annual camping trip with the Guikema family is in the record books! We were supposed to go to Ludington State Park this weekend but it was closed due to flooding. So Dad G. got on the phone and found some great sites left at Van Buren State Park (South Haven). The weather was a bit cooler than normal but we had plenty of sun and the big lake was actually warm. (There is a nuclear power plant just down the lake that kicks out some heat that warms the lake up --- now if we just don't suffer any side effects --- just kidding!) The cousins got along so well and the adults had fun drinking countless cups of coffee, eating monster cookies, Vander Heide cheese, gorp, dough boys, etc. The kids loved the "elephant ears" which is crescent rolls cooked over the fire on a wooden dowel and then sprayed & shaken in a bag of cinnamon and sugar. YUM! I just love camping --- the slower pace of life, the countless special treats you only eat when camping, the kids entertaining each other without a computer or t.v. --- really you should try it.

Ummm Jeff, there is a shower here.

Mom and Dad (don't they look too cute and clean for camping?)

Funnies this Week

• When yelling through the house, "where's my keys", Zach yells back, "I don't know. I didn't use 'em". Uh yeah --- gotcha you big four year old.
• When I stopped by Paige's class this week about ten of her classmates asked if I would sign their yearbook. I was joking how popular I was and Paige said, "Mom, don't get too carried away." I think I just got put in my place huh?
  

Looking at our beautiful rhododendron I comment on it's beauty and Jeff says, "Yeah, it's hideous all but two weeks out of the year." Hmmm ... he's right. But oh, for two weeks those flowers are quite grand.

Me begging Zoey to let me just buy something at Costco for her birthday treat. Her responding with no, I want dirt cake with gummy worms and a paper parasol. That all girlie?

Schools out for summer. Three words for you; bring --- it --- on!

Happy Birthday Zoey!

Zo turns the big seven today! I still remember going into labor with her hours before Jeff was supposed to go to a Rampage Game with a buddy. I'll do anything to kill a boys night out huh? While laboring, our good friend Steph came to see the birth and generated a list of possible middle names since we were set on Zoey but couldn't figure out what the heck could go with it. Maybe Elmo? :) We even asked our very sweet nurse what her middle name was and she replied, "Oh, you don't want to use mine. My parents were hippies." After teasing her to just tell us her middle name already, she said, "it's Love". Hmmmm ... Zoey Love. Now that's a hippy name.

Happy Birthday Zoey. We love you!

I Miss Wet Wipes

O.K. I have to admit that one thing I miss about having a diaper-wearing kid around the house is the easy access to wet wipes. They're in the house, in the diaper bag and maybe even in the purse. So I bought the 99 cent package at Target and I've almost used them all this weekend.

On to what is in my purse. I used to carry the smallest purse that held only my essentials - wallet, chapstick (I'm an addict), once a month something else, etc. When did I become the mom who's packing? I've got hand sanitizer, ibuprofen, chapstick (still addicted), lip gloss (let's face it, the old girl could use some shine once in awhile), Sponge Bob Square Pants band-aids, tissues, a water bottle and now wet wipes. I actually got mocked last week by a fellow mom because I was so prepared. And yet, her mockery fell flat when her daughter fell flat and she needed a Sponge Bob for each of her knees. :) So here's my two questions,

1. When did I get so darn responsible? (Remember - I'm the baby of my family and let's just say ... the word responsible & me were rarely used in the same sentence.)


2. Why am I embarrassed that I have a purse that's "packing"?

Things I've done this Week

1. Left the sprinkler on in the same spot for approximately 7 hours.


2. Backed the van out this morning and took out my newly planted flower pot. Shattered a styrofoam container. I didn't know styrofoam could even shatter. Had to salvage $20 worth of plants that I had just potted the day before.


3. Tripped out of my neighbors garage while stepping down onto a step with Zach in my arms. Saved him from major injury. Hurt my knee.


4. Got hit in the back of my leg with my husband's razor when I reached for the soap in the shower. Felt a slight sting later and realized I was bleeding.

Consider yourself forewarned. Stay away from me this week! :)

Seriously Cute

1st grade beauties all dressed up for their class musical.

And this how 1st grade boys (and Zoey peeking over them) approach a class musical.

No Offense

How come kids think that if they start out a sentence with these two words, they can say anything they want to after them?

For example the girls BOTH said this to me today, No offense mom but you stink like sweat.

No offense taken girls since I just ran five miles.

Q. How come a Christian music junkie is going to see a "secular" artist tonight in concert?

A. Because I'm a good friend.

I'll give you a review on Lux Land next week. She's the wife of Brian Vander Ark (formerly of The Verve Pipe) and my friend thought she would be fun to listen to tonight. So, this surburban mom of three is going to a concert that isn't headlined by The David Crowder Band. Yep, I'll admit it's a stretch. :)

Why is it that ...

• People circle the parking lot of the gym to find a closer spot to the building? Ummm excuse me, aren't you going in to get more exercise?
• I get the most compliments on my hair when I do absolutely nothing to it? Seriously, I need to stop fighting (read as straightening) my natural wave. Time to ride it.
• When my house is clean, I can find absolutely nothing? I started the pile system under my bed so now I have to dig around the dust bunnies to find papers that need to go to school. Profound Q & A from Paige, "You know what's good about a messy house? You can find everything." Amen sister, messy it is and messy it shall be. Amen.
• Zach calls his boy parts a weenis? Is that a new compound word?
• Zach is waking up in the middle of the night again? He told me tonight it's because his room is dark and scary 'cause we turn the sun off. (That's cute huh?)
• I volunteer to host at-home parties? I think I'm the only woman who kinda dreads getting invited and/or hosting these things. I'm thinking I'll only clean the bathroom that is closest to the room where we will be "partying". (Sangria should also help the party atmosphere. Consider yourself forewarned Patti.)

Totally Blessed

Alright, so my kids (and hubby) let me sleep in a little this morning and the girls were insistent that I get breakfast in bed on Mother's Day. So, I propped up my pillow and dined on some yummy blueberry pancakes before taking a shower. Nice. I also got the sweetest poems from my kids and pretty much bawled while reading them. Half-way through reading Paige's, she asked if I would like her to finish reading it. :)

Maybe I bawled because I kept thinking of Hannah's Mom today as she celebrates her first Mother's Day without her little girl. (She was five and passed away on Saturday after a tragic, backyard accident.) My heart aches for this family.

As Zach came into our bed at 6:30 this morning and we both felt a bit frustrated that he just can't seem to "sleep in", I said aloud to Jeff, "I won't complain about him crawling in bed with us when Hannah's mom would give anything in the world to have her daughter wake her up early every morning." As soon as I said that, Zach leaned over, kissed me, and said, "I love you mama."

I hope you all are showered with kisses, love, and blessings on this Mother's Day.

Ladies who Lunch

Today I "hosted" our Spring PTO luncheon (it's in the job description for the Vice Pres.) and this was the creative centerpiece that my sister Julie made for the big day. If you need a cute gift, cake for your child's birthday, etc. check her out at www.sugarsmiles07.blogspot.com We had a fabulous time. 35 ladies, two gents, great catered food, lots of laughs, beautiful piano music by my best friend, Sarah, and now --- I'm officially pooped. I can check off another job I wouldn't like to do every day: event planner. :)

My Little Public School Kid

The Important Story by Paige, age 9

The important thing about God is all the miracles he has made. He love us so deeply he died so we can be saved from all our sins. If you pray for forgiveness all your sins will wash away. But most important thing is all the miracles God has done.

Her teacher writes one simple word in response, "WOW!"

Yeah. You can say that again.

My New BFF

Sorry ladies, but I have a new best friend forever. Her name is Jodi and she is an acquaintance from church and she gasped the last time she saw me and said I looked so skinny. She also said, "Why would you need to diet?"

I think I love her.

The Ultimate in Being Dutch

My Dutch husband called me while I was out running errands and asked if I would get the coupon for a haircut out of my van and leave it at his "salon" (I use that word loosely.) Since gas is so high, he didn't want to drive home, pick it up, and then go back across town to get his haircut.

I put in an envelope with his name and the "stylists" ( I use that term loosely too) had a good laugh. More like a huge guffaw.

Thanks honey. That was fun!

Definition of Beseech:
To request earnestly or beg for.

I am beseeching God to perform a miracle and heal little Hannah. Even though you don't know the family or situation, I beseech you to do the same. Thank you.

Perspective

So ... I've been thinking. I know, I know. It's something I usually try to avoid. However, we just watched the movie, "The Kite Runner" this weekend and it gave me and my husband a new appreciation of just how blessed we are to live in America. The landscape of that movie in the 1970's is gorgeous and then thirty years later the land is ravaged and the people are living under the oppressive rule of the Taliban. The father and son have to flee their country and never return to the land they once called home.

And our country is giving us an economic stimulus package so we can buy more stuff. Nice stuff. Some stuff we might even "need". But stuff nonetheless.

And for $32 a month we can sponsor our Compassion Child, Patria so she can have some stuff too. Stuff like water, food, education, and clothing. You know, that essential stuff you and I take for granted every day.

Oh perspective, you are a challenging and uncomfortable friend to be around sometimes.

Jazzy Ladies

Today was Paige and Zoey's dance recital for Hearts in Step ( a local Christian dance academy) and not only did they look fantastic, but their jazz dancing was pretty great too! Cousins Kylie & Lindsey take ballet at H.I.S. and you could tell that they've been dancing for a few years. Way to go girls! Now, take that make-up off 'cause you're way too young to be looking so old. :)Brrrrrrrrr ... where'd the 80 degree weather of yesterday go?

It's a sister thing.

Look out boys - future heart-breakers!

Victory!

Step #1: Convince your child that he or she needs help getting that wiggly tooth out.

Step #2: Get the dental floss.

Step #3: Tie a lasso around the snaggletooth.

Step #4: Give it a yank.

Step #5: Have a piece of paper towel close by for the blood.

Step #6 (most important step): Don't forget to play tooth fairy or there will be tears. :)

Our little Soloist and our little Snaggletooth

Paige had a short solo during her third grade musical this week and she once again amazed us with her voice, confidence, and presence in front of an audience. The music teacher actually switched her to a different solo the day before the concert and when I asked her if she was o.k. with the new one she said matter-of-fact, "Yeah, it's fine." She also reported that she didn't have any "butterflies" this year. Look for her on American Idol in about 10 years. :)
(This girl has skills too!)

And Zoey has several loose teeth right now just waiting to either fall out or get the dental-floss-lasso-yank out by Mom. I tried to get her to let me pull it by enticing her with the fact that the Tooth Fairy brings you a $2 bill when you lose your first, big front tooth. When that didn't work, I told her it might fall out while she is sleeping and she may swallow it. (nice scare tactic huh?) She answered me quickly back with, "I sleep with my mouth open so I won't swallow it." Ah ... yes you mouth breather. You do have the kickin' morning breath that proves this is true! :)

An Ode to my Boobs

You girls have always been there for me

Filling a dress or feeding a kid;

But now that I've lost some fatty,

You don't fill out a bathing suit as you once did.

___________________________________

This ode was inspired by our recent trip to the waterpark at the Great Wolf Lodge. While wearing a bathing suit I bought two months ago, I realized that another one of the downsides to losing weight (besides the constant calorie counting and exercise) is that I have sadly ... lost my boobs.

R.I.P. girls.

And don't worry, we might meet again ...

after several pounds of sour gummy bears! :)

Thanks Great Wolf - It was fun!

Happy Birthday Paige

To our first baby ...

next year, double digits!

Love you Paige Elizabeth.

Guikema Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

Guikema Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family pictures - Geneology

Guikema Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family history - Pedigree chart

Blog on Mommy!

The Wall Street Journal highlighted these blogs written by moms. The first blog is written by a mom of one. (Just one? Come on now! I should have three times the material!) Her hubby quit his job to manage all of the advertisers who want to post on her blog. Since one of her posts got over 500 comments, I'm not surprised he now works from home. Hmmmm ... I don't think I've ever even had double digits! Keep your day job honey. :)

For your reading pleasure?! I just picked a few and the determining factor was if I liked the name or not. Very scientific research, I know.
http://dooce.com/
http://5minutesformom.com/
http://designmom.com/
http://notesfromthetrenches.com/
http://fussy.org/

What I'm Reading

"These two visiting teachers were the gold and silver sun-splash in the great muddy river of school days ... If all the teachers had been like (these two), Francie would have known plain what heaven was. But it was just as well. There had to be the dark and muddy waters so that the sun could have something to background its flashing glory."

To all you teachers and moms (who are teaching all the time), be the sun. Leave the "muddy background" to someone or something else.

Who needs Florida?

65 and sunny ... man I love Michigan!

Who needs to go away for spring break?

Highlights of the week so far: The girls getting their ears pierced for the first time, going to see 'Enchanted', (how can Patrick Dempsey be endearing to girls of all ages?), and having a picnic at the John Ball Zoo with good friends. Life is good. (I should create a line of clothing with that tag line huh?) :) Spring is good too ... the Tigers record however, is not.

Do You Remember When ...?

• You wore your hair in a short-poodle permed bob? (My sisters and I are all rockin' it!)


• You would re-do your hair if it didn't turn out just right? I literally would stick my head under the tub's faucet, re-wet, and re-style. Now I just go with my bad hair days.
  
• You could kiss your future hubby for hours? Seriously. I still marvel on the hours we wasted, ummmm, I meant spent just smooching. Now if he leans over to kiss me at night I ask, "what are you after?" ;)
  
• You wore a turquoise green turtle neck dress with a purple scarf tied at your waist? Love my outfit don't ya? I like my oldest sister's pink, roman numeral sweater even better! HA!

What did you used to do that now seems ridiculous & laughable?

I'm all blogged out ...

I don't know if it's because winter won't let go of her icy grip here in Michigan, or my everyday routine has provided few blog-worthy moments, or I'm just truly all blogged out. With this in mind, I'll just give you a few highlights from my last week.

• Hosted book club and realized we talked more about our sex lives than the book.
• Weighed in and realized I've lost 9 lbs. in a month. FYI: Diet and exercise combined do work --- darn it, now I've got to keep it up!
• Joined a gym. (See above to know why.) :)
• Played nurse to all three of my kids who thought they'd keep things interesting by each having a different virus. (double ear-infection, the flu, and a cold with a fever.)

That's it. Happy weekend, happy spring ... and all that crap. ;)

Happy Birthday Zachary Eli

Every child is a miracle.

This child's birth and life just reminds us all of that fact.

Happy Birthday Zach. We love you!

Few Questions for Ya

1. Why do my kids have to wear green on St. Patrick's Day when we're Dutch?
2. Why does the Pope have to issue a statement about when Catholics should party? (Since St. Patty's is during Holy Week this year, he recommends that if you must party, you should have already celebrated last Saturday.)
3. What's a girl have to do to get a pap smear? (After scheduling my "yearly" three times and having my appt. cancelled after I waited for an hour in the waiting room yesterday, I've decided it's time to stop seeing a high risk specialist doc just for my routine exam!)

Wanted Woman

Alright, alright. Enough already ladies. I will play along with your tags! My blogger buddies Dana & Amy have both tagged me. One was to write seven unusual or interesting things about myself ---hmmmm ---- I've done this one before. So, I'm choosing the tag to write the 4 things. Hope that's o.k. Fabes! :)

1. Four Jobs I have had in my life:
Big Boy Waitress
Cashier at a Mission Thrift Store
Camp Director
Varsity Volleyball Coach

2. Four Movies I could have or have watched over and over (I'm not exactly proud of this list, but it's truthful):
Sixteen Candles
Serendipity
Never Been Kissed
Karate Kid (#1)

3. Four Places I have lived:
Mt. Pleasant, MI
Traverse City, MI
Big Rapids, MI
Olympia, WA

4. Four t.v. shows that I watch:
American Idol
Pushing Daisies
Friday Night Lights
The Office

5. Four places I have visited:
Bahamas
Santa Fe, NM
Scottsdale, AZ
Moscow, Russia

6. Four people who email me regularly:
Patti
Jeannine
Stephanie
Julie

7. Four of my favorite foods:
Guacamole
Sour gummy bears
Almonds
Flank steak

8. Four places I would like to be right now:
Now that spring has sprung, I'm good!

9. Four things I'm looking forward to this year:
Watching Paige sing two solos at church and school
Joining a gym and toning this bod
Going camping for two weeks in July
Discerning God's voice in my everyday life

10. Four people who should post four things:
Patti
Julie
Brenda
Bradi

That's a whole lot of Jelly Bellys

Seen at Meijers yesterday (all you folks that no longer live in the midwest can now do a collective sigh and say Meijers in an affectionate and longing tone of voice.)

Subject? Young boy, 6-7 years old, weighing a bag full of Jelly Bellys with no mom or dad in sight.

Weight? 4 lbs.

Price per pound? $7.00

Total? 28 bucks. (In case you're slow at math, I multiplied it for you.)

Boy, would I have loved to see that mom's reaction. :)

Wife of the Year?

Jeff is on the far left. Man in orange.

Hubby just returned from a 4 day vacation in Park City, Utah to celebrate one of his old college buddy's bachelor weekend. This is how the conversation went a few months ago when he called from work:

Husband: What would you think if I went to Park City for Nick's bachelor weekend?

Wife: Sounds like fun. You should go.

Husband: WHAT? Who are you? I love you.

Wife: Yeah babe, I know.

DUDE

This post is dedicated to my lovable almost four year old son.

How I truly know that I'm not 4 but 34. Wait, darn it. I'm 35!

1. I no longer jump in puddles in my good shoes. Dude, get out of the puddles when you're wearing Merrells.


2. I no longer stuff my face with so much food that I literally can't swallow. Dude, puking chicken pot pie is so not cool.
   
3. I no longer announce in public when I've just farted. While talking with a teacher at school yesterday, Zach kept interrupting me to tell me that he just "fawted". Nice. Dude, milk this one for as long as you can ...

Here's the Thing

Sometimes Christians are some of the most unhappy people I've ever met. They carry around with them the prayer requests of so many people and are burdened with the heaviness of living a life filled with brokenness and all the evidence of sin in the world. I sometimes fear that unless we are facing difficult circumstances, wrestling with a problem, or have a friend with _______ (fill in the blank) we don't think we are truly living the "Christian life".

Well, this is what I think. The Christian life is one of JOY. It is a life that recognizes our blessings and thanks God for them. It is spreading our joy to others and not letting the details of this broken, sinful world stomp on our spirits. It's about laughing with your kids, singing at the top of your lungs in the house, being silly with your husband (define silly however you choose), and just having plain ole' fun. I used to think that I approached life a little too simplistically and that I should "think deeper" and wrestle with more worldly injustices and personal character flaws. Maybe I will later. Right now, I'm having too much fun.

Walk for Babies

Zach then ...

I promise this will be the only post that I ever ask for money ... maybe! :) We are once again walking for the March of Dimes to sponsor their fight against premature births. This is our 5th (and final) year walking and we would love to go out with a bang. If you would like to sponsor us please go to our sponsor page. Thanks friends!

Zach now ...