December 2016

Packers Game

Church friends shaved their heads

Chilling at the hospital

Notes from the kids

Concentration

Ginger bread houses at school

Stockings before church

Christmas presents!

Packers gear

And more Packers gear

Stephen made us a plate in preschool

Sit n spin

Karaoke

Drone

Christmas Day

Jongsma Christmas

Stephen loves Keira

Jongsma grandkids

Roller skating with the Petersons

Getting the hang of it

Painting nails with Aunt Jess

Games with Uncle Pete

I have wanted to give Nate tickets to a Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau field for a long time.  I mentioned it to a friend who has access to season tickets this summer.  Nothing really came of it until this fall.  Our friend bought two tickets for us!  I waited to tell Nate until the week of the game.  Nate was very excited!  Nate and Dad went together and seeing a game at Lambeau was a first for both of them. They drove to WI on Saturday and spent the night at Fox Hills- the condos they vacationed at when they lived in WI.  They thoroughly enjoyed the day.  It was chilly, but it was a good game and the Packers won!

Nate had his first hospital chemo stay in Grand Rapids.  The kids thought visiting him at the hospital was interesting.  They watched movies in Nate's room and eating in the cafeteria was great because they could pick what they wanted.  We also had dinner at Uncle Roger and Aunt Jean's house one evening.

Caleb had his Christmas band concert and the 6th grade band was fun to listen to.  December is a full month of school Christmas activities, field trips and parties.  I helped Isaac make a gingerbread house with his class.  Caleb had a rock exhibit which showcased his research on rocks.  Isaac and Julia finished up school swimming lessons.

Reuben and Britta visited us for a couple days and we enjoyed re-connecting with them.

On Christmas Eve Dad, Julia and I went to the afternoon service at Christ Memorial.  Nate went to a late night service.  We opened stockings on Christmas morning before church and then gifts after church.  I think everyone got a Packers shirt as Nate had fun shopping when he was in Green Bay. Julia was not sure what her karaoke machine was at first, but she definitely loves it.  The boys are enjoying their drones and Stephen is patiently waiting for more snow so he can use his snow tube.  Lexi was more than happy to help people rip the paper off their gifts.  Nate got a backpacking bed mat and Stacy received tickets to the Sound of Music in February.  We gave Dad a heated throw blanket for the family room.  And everyone loves using the blanket!  Dad left the day after Christmas for the DeMaster Christmas gathering in Ohio.  Our kids especially were disappointed we couldn't go this year, but hopefully next year.

We got together with my parents and Tim/Jenny to celebrate Christmas on the 26th.  It is fun to see the cousins getting older and going off to play.  The adults can talk a little more and relax.  We had a great supper and opened some gifts together.

Pete and Jess also visited us for a couple days.  The kids were thrilled to spend time with them.  The older boys went to the gym with Nate and Pete and Pete ran them thru some basketball drills.  Julia wrote a schedule of things to do with Aunt Jess and they checked off most of the items.  Stephen was scared of Uncle Pete coming, but he warmed up and had fun playing Candyland with him.  We were glad to have time with Jess and got to know her better.  And we learned that Jess is pregnant and due in August- very exciting!

We spent New Years Eve at home.  The kids chose the supper menu- pigs in a blanket, potstickers, cheese puffs and root beer floats for dessert.  We let them stay up a little later and watched a movie together.  It is unlikely that anyone here will make it til midnight.  (And a side note- Nate proposed to me at midnight on New Year's Eve 16 years ago!)  For New Year's Day we will go to church and make some ollie bollen in the afternoon.

I just knocked out August-December 2016 blog posts in one day!  I did not like the idea of loose ends.  This blog is a great reminder for our family of all the places we've been and the highs and lows we have journeyed through.  This year has been good, but difficult.  We are praying for health in 2017 and that we continue to trust God and His faithfulness.  Happy New Year!