December 2022

 

Jongsma cousins

My first "teacher" gift

Choir concert

Christmas potting party with Stacey H

-Calvary on 8th does a potting party every year in memory of Kristen DeWitt as she enjoyed this Christmas activity. 

-Nate and I went to his company Christmas party

-Dad and I saw the Messiah at Calvin

-Stephen played indoor soccer

-Julia had a Christmas choir concert. Caleb and Isaac had a Christmas band concert.

-We watched some of the World Cup games

-Stephen and Lexi were in the church children's Christmas program

-Caleb applied to and was accepted at Calvin, Grand Valley State University and Michigan State University

-Stephen, Lexi and Julia had influenza the week before we left on our cruise-stress! But tamiflu helped them kick it and no one else got sick. 

-We celebrated Christmas with the Jongsmas, minus Steph's family who are in Japan. 

November 2022

 

Acting class

Line em up

Love

The whole Thanksgiving crew

Senior cross country runners

West Ottawa's Elf

Lions/Packer game at Detroit 

Ruth's 4th Birthday celebration

Outdoor Discovery Center with DeJongs

Saugatuck State Park night hike with cousins

Stephen's 10th Birthday!- got his Switch

Transracial adoptees

At the Transracial adoptee event

Come From Away

-Julia is participating in the select choir which meets Wednesday mornings before school. She is also in the 8th grade choir.

-Isaac is in concert band, playing the French horn and Caleb is in symphonic band, playing the trumpet.

-Nate got Lions vs Packers tickets from a co-worker. This was the first time any of them had been at Ford Field and the boys first NFL game. 

-I was supposed to take Lexi and Julia to see Elf, but was feeling sick so Aunt Jenny and Keira went with them. 

-We celebrated Ruth's 4th Birthday during our Thanksgiving meal

-Basketball conditioning began in November, but Isaac couldn't participate with his broken toe. It was hard for him to sit out, but he got the all clear to participate by the second day of tryouts and he did make the freshman team!

-Caleb played indoor box lacrosse

-Stephen and I saw the musical Matilda at HC high school. It's a dark-ish story, but the talent was great!

-Julia and I saw Come From Away at Broadway GR-it was fantastic! 

-We celebrated Stephen's 10th birthday! He was very excited to get a Nintendo Switch. Stephen enjoys playing soccer, playing video games, wants to be an actor someday, loves Hamilton, is caring, and works hard at school. We love you Stephen!

-We had our dining room remodeled. You could see outside thru the window seams, the room was settling and it did not have much insulation. The room was usable the day before the DeJongs came to visit for Thanksgiving. 

-The DeJong family-Colleen (Nate's sister), Mike, Jack, Abby, Ashley, Kate stayed with us over Thanksgiving break. The cousins enjoyed playing together and it was good to catch up. We had decent weather so we did some outdoor activities and of course, played games. 

-We hosted the Thanksgiving meal at our church's fellowship hall. It was the DeJongs, Enedina's family, and Tim/Jenny's family-24 of us all together! Jenny and Colleen helped with food and everything was delicious. One of the children pulled the fire alarm and the custodian had to come-little yahoos. Overall, a very nice Thanksgiving.

October 2022

 

Jazz Band

Alexander Hamilton, leopard, Power Ranger

Jill, Leila, Julia

Grandparents took grandkids out for lunch

Leila and Julia

Senior year

For my office. And it bothers people who take the periodic table seriously

Isaac's soccer coaches

Weekend of Great-Grandma's memorial

Celebrating Grandpa's 69th Birthday

Apple picking in the neighbor's yard, wah-wah

-Caleb had great weather for his final cross country season. His personal record (PR) this year was 20:58. The cross country team is a solid group of kids who have fun together.

-We went to Great-Grandma's memorial in Wheaton. The service spoke to how much she loved her family and lived to serve them. I have so many memories of Grandma and I will miss her. Every time I post on FB or update my blog I think about how she isn't reading these anymore and sending me emails after she reads them. 

-This month was still very busy with kid sports.

-We celebrated Nolbi's 9th birthday

-Nate and I purchased season tickets this year for Broadway Grand Rapids- I am very excited! We saw Tootsie this month. 

-Stephen participated in the Holland Rec acting class

-Certain things look different now that I am working full time. Apple picking is something I wanted to do, but struggled to find the time. I phoned it in this year and said, "Kids, we are going to pick apples at the neighbors!" They were not impressed, but they played along. And the apples are rotting in bins in our garage because I don't have time to do anything with them. Oh well. 

-Isaac broke his big toe during his last soccer game. We didn't know it was broken until a couple weeks later, I know story of the DeMasters. He was supposed to go backpacking with some friends over fall break, but that was no longer an option. Nate and the younger 4 ended up joining our church camping trip in Ludington. They had amazing weather and everyone had fun. I had to work and Caleb and I did a Calvin visit that weekend. 

-We carved pumpkins at the DeWitts with friends. Stephen and Lexi went trunk or treating at Pine Creek with me. On Halloween, Julia and Stephen went trick or treating with friends while Nate took Lexi. 

September 2022

 

Isaac, Levi, Hayden D- Gun Lake

Andrew, Stephen, Patrick, Graham- Walk a Thon

Homecoming

Caleb, Nathan, Joseph, Ashton, Jacob

Freshman year

Senior year

Julia's volleyball team

Labor Day Gun Lake group

Caleb, Ashton, Nathan and Jacob

Overhand serve!

Playing forward 

Soul Kids fishing trip

Happy 43rd Birthday!

First luggage-so exciting

That's more exciting

Happy 18th Birthday Caleb!

Helping Uncle Tim move the playset

Girls and I did fancy cookie decorating

Ice cream bday cake with friends

Having fun with phone filters

Isaac and Hayden Fee went with friends

Handsome 

-On Labor Day weekend we went to Gun Lake with the Halmas, DeWitts,  and Gabrielse families. We had a beautiful day of boating, swimming, eating, and playing cards. Hearing the teenage boys screaming while tubing may be my favorite thing. 

-Stephen and Lexi played Holland Rec soccer

-Lexi continued taking Mandarin from Ali, a Hope College student

-Stephen and Lexi began piano lessons again

-Our evenings were insane with all the kids in a sport.

-Nate and Stacy are leaders for Soul Kids (church Wed night kids program)

-We celebrated Caleb's 18th Birthday-what?! Caleb is a fantastic (young?) man. He is kind, perseveres through trials, is a good student, enjoys lacrosse and has a good group of friends. We love you so much Caleb!

-We celebrated Nate's birthday with an apple pie. Nate enjoys coaching, using the boat and waverunners, is basically running Palisades, volunteers in many ways at church, is an involved Dad and a top notch husband. We love you! 

-The boys went to the Homecoming dance. It was odd that Isaac was old enough to go to a dance! The boys went with their friends and had fun.