Poor Boy

It's tough having older sisters. Here's to a life of dress up and tiaras.

Room's Done / IKEA Trip / Saying Goodbye

So apparently the word "submit" doesn't get the comments flowing! :) Here is a pic of the inside of our room. I really do love how it turned out and I can now finally walk around in a towel (or less) in my room without feeling like I'm on display. Good news for me; great news for my neighbors? My friend Steph and I headed to IKEA yesterday (great conversations + fun shopping = happy mommy) and we bought a lot of organization and kitchen stuff. The only bummer was that they were out of a few things I "needed": nightstands for our bedroom, curtains for the girls room, and a new area rug for our kitchen. I guess when I prayed at lunchtime for God to help me only buy things that would be useful, he was in fact once again listening to my prayers. As soon as I got back I changed my clothes to go to a funeral visitation for a friend from our former church. Tim was just 41 years old and leaves behind a beautiful wife and four kids. Please pray for Becky if you think of her during the day. Hope all you bloggers are well.

"Monkeying around" with more upper case living art.

Dirty Word?

Best sermon I've ever heard on the word submit. Thanks to Pastor Steve Armfield at our church for helping me re-think submission. If you have a few minutes , o.k. more like a half an hour, take a listen. (Be patient. It takes a few seconds to download.)

If I'm being perfectly honest, I've always struggled with the word "headship". After all, I'm a confident independent woman of the 21st century. I want to be the head of my own ship thank you very much. A funny example of this is when my dear brother-in-law called us about a year into our marriage and just a few months into his own and asked Jeff how he was handling being the "head of our household." To which Jeff moved the phone away from his ear and yelled across our dingy apartment, "Hey Laurie - am I the head of our house?" I think if you have to ask ... the answer may be NO! ;)

Maybe what my brother-in-law was asking wasn't how are you doing at being the "boss" and "ruler" of your home but rather, how are you loving your wife? Are you loving her like Christ loved the church? When you look at her do you see the cross right over her shoulder? I'm going to believe that is what he was asking and that we were too immature to understand the question. Because let's face it, the other alternative would make him somewhat less "dear" to feisty 'ole me. :)

The Zoo, New Hoosier & Wall Art

When did my kids get so blonde?Love us some free face painting!

Don't poop on us birdies.

Our find in Pentwater. A refurbished Hoosier cabinet.

Uppercaseliving art in the girls' newly painted pink room.

VBS Week

This week I'm leading games at our church where over 350 kids are coming every day. The first day I met my "assistant" who is entering seventh grade. Can you say baby face? He was late the first day and so I told him if he was late again I would make him run wind sprints. His eyes bugged out of his head and he said, "Oh no. I'll be on time from now."

Every time I picture his face, I laugh out loud. I love middle schoolers. They're so gullible.

Confessions of a Tomboy

1. I hate to paint my toenails. Really I do. It's uncomfortable, time-consuming, tedious work.
2. I spit when I run. My mom once told me that I wouldn't appeal to the opposite sex if I spit while I played college softball. Hmmmm, as I recall, I had a few dates in college.
3. I say the s*word that rhymes with spit while playing co-ed softball at the Christian Reformed Rec. Center. Usually quietly & just to myself when someone botches a play. I even yelled at my nephew when he cut off the ball when I was trying to throw someone out at 3rd base. Sorry Ross. Love ya - but get the rock out of the way.
4. I love to mow the grass. My husband will often be cooking dinner inside while I'm out mowing. I still remember my neighbor telling me that when her boys saw me out mowing for the first time they shouted, "Look. There's a mom mowing the grass!"

Long Jump Contests

Camping means joining in an impromptu long jump contest at the bottom of the sand dune called, "Old Baldy" (not kidding about that name & yes, I can think of other things that could be called that), talking about deep and not so deep stuff around the fire or around the picnic table as you battle it out gender vs. gender in cards, letting your kids stay up too late playing charades, putting your bathing suit on right when you wake up and leaving it on until after dinner, it's many moments ... sandy, sticky, silly, unforgettable moments.

If you get a chance, read this book, "Cold Tangerines" by Shauna Niequist. Her words are bursting off of every page encouraging you to celebrate everything in your life. She writes, "Today is your big moment. Moments, really. The life you've been waiting for is happening all around you. The scene unfolding right outside your window is worth more than the most beautiful painting, and the crackers and peanut butter that you're having for lunch on the coffee table are as profound, in their own way, as the Last Supper. This is it. This is life in all its glory, swirling and unfolding around us, disguised as pedantic, pedestrian non-events. Your life, right now, today is exploding with energy and power and detail and dimension, better than the best movie you have ever seen. You and your family and your friends and your house and your dinner table and your garage all have the making of a life of epic proportions, a story for the ages. Because they all are. Every life is."

Camping Part Deux

Wrapped up the camping adventure with my sister & her family. The cousins had so much fun together that Paige said we should live closer to each other. Cindy came back by saying we should move because we turbo through home improvement projects! Ha! I would love to bulldoze my house and build my dream home right on the same lot. Our neighborhood is just too great. Take today for instance; I asked my neighbor if we could borrow his chain saw to cut up a fallen branch and he said he would take care of it for me. Nice. Then I sit outside on my porch and watch my neighbor across the street chat it up with my kids and then hand them a bag of fresh picked cherries. Too nice. I love it here. (Don't worry Patti, I haven't forgotten about your late night contributions to my baking extravaganzas. Love ya too. And Tara, if you actually read my blog - I miss ya girl.)

Thanks Groots! We had a blast with your family and we love you lots. And thanks Te Slaas for letting them borrow your camper for the weekend.

Time to Reload

This post is dedicated to my neighbor & friend Patti who for some reason finds my life interesting. :) We are home for a day and a half from camping to re-load on food, clean clothes, and for the girls & I (their coach) to get to their softball game tonight. Today is picture day and we thought we shouldn't miss it. Later ...

Mr. Twisty in his sleeping bag.

Camping causes craziness.

The nine year olds; Maddie & Paige.

The 7 & 8 year olds; Zoey & Ellie. Dough boys are so good you want to lick the paper plate.

The hot mamas; Steph, me, Kim

The hot papas; Mark & Jeff playing corn hole. Could this game have a stranger name? :)

The crew (minus Jeff who was snapping this photo.)

Mark & Steph & their four kids

Us & our three

The Hoekstras & their two boys who came to visit for a day.

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"?