February 2022

 

Slightly warmer day, hike to the beach

We bought each other the same card!

These two yahoos...

Hamilton!

Third grade sled races

-Caleb visited Calvin in January. Nate took him to Trinity for an overnight visit with some friends. Caleb also visited GVSU and Valparaiso this month. 

-The 3rd graders made sleds out of cardboard and duct tape. They had to design a sled they thought would make it down the hill fastest while also not falling apart. Stephen's team did fairly well. Their sled wasn't the fastest, but it didn't fall apart!

-Nate arranged a Hamilton date night. This was our second time seeing it and the musical is amazing.

-Caleb went on Providence's youth group retreat.

-Isaac fell playing PE basketball and had a small buckle fracture on his arm. He had to wear a cast for about 6 weeks, so that put an end to his rec basketball season. Caleb had to do physical therapy for his shoulder twice a week until mid April. 

-Stephen started a Holland Rec Improv acting class

-Stacy accepted a full-time job at West Ottawa Public Schools. The position is Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) Specialist. It's essentially a social work-y job where I'm helping kids with behavior struggles at school. 

-The father of our good friend, Rebecca Peterson, died from covid. Stacy and a couple kids made a weekend trip to Sheboygan for the funeral and we also got to visit with Grandma in Wheaton. 

-Julia helped on the makeup team for the school play-The Wizard of Oz. 

January 2022

Band pictures

They chose to sit in the same room together..

A couple Bittersweet skiing trips

43rd Birthday

Mayan ruins

I got to be the co-pilot

Belize

-Nate visited Dr. Batts, his oncologist and was told as he is 5 years out from his stem cell transplant, he does not need to do any more PET scans. He will go in yearly for bloodwork. Yay!

-Nate coached Isaac's 7th/8th Holland Rec basketball team. 

-Stacy finished her internship at Fennville Public Schools

-Reuben was in MI for a farming conference and visited us for a night. It was good to catch up with him

-We celebrated Stacy's 43rd birthday

-The older boys went on a couple school ski club nights at Bittersweet. Nate took the younger two kids a couple of times as well.

-Isaac went on Providence church's Middle School retreat

-Nate and Stacy went to Belize for 5 days with Carl and Karin Gabrielse. It was a 20th anniversary celebration. We did a day trip to see Mayan ruins and then floating on tubes in an underground cave-creepy. We spent a morning exploring the local town. We did some kayaking/paddle boarding on the ocean and relaxing by the pool. We were required to do a covid test to re-enter the states and Nate tested positive! So the 3 of us flew home while he stayed behind, that was a little scary. Thankfully he did not have any symptoms and he got to stay in a unit right on the beach and use the paddleboards. If only we could all have symptom free covid in paradise with no responsibilities-ha! Nate tested negative after 5 days and was able to fly home.

-While Nate was stuck in Belize, Stacy got a phone call from Bittersweet that Caleb had fallen and I needed to meet them at the ER out there. Caleb had fallen and dislocated his shoulder. Thankfully they gave him some good pain meds so he didn't feel them putting the shoulder back, but it was difficult for Stacy to have to watch. Thankfully they got the shoulder in the first time and he was good to go. 

December 2021

 

Christmas Day skiing

Chilling in the lodge with her kindle and snacks

No snow, except on the hill

Boys entertaining Ruth and Naomi

Cookie decorating

Julia's honor choir

Covid 

Covid quarantine decorating

Covid

Entertaining Hez with balloons

Looking cute with his broken foot boot

Playing Isaac's electric shock game

New kindle

New kindle

New phone

Kid "smartwatch"

Surprise

Kid "smartwatch"

Jongsma Christmas

At Caleb's band concert

Nathan and Caleb 

Isaac's band concert

-Current phrases in our home- Stephen says that's "sus" as in suspicious. And Caleb and Isaac often yell, "Let's go!" for anything exciting. 

-Julia finished her Saturday tennis lessons

-Stephen and Lexi did Saturday morning basketball skills clinic thru school

-Caleb's covid quarantine ended Dec 5 and Stacy's Dec 8. Stephen and Lexi had to quarantine til the 8th as they weren't fully vaccinated yet

-Stephen and Lexi got their 2nd covid vaccine this month!

-Isaac finished a fun basketball season. He made the A team and they only lost 2 games. 

-Caleb finished indoor box lacrosse. 

-Stephen and Lexi had the Sunday School Christmas program

-Julia had a choir concert, Isaac and Caleb had band concerts

-The kids and Stacy had a two week Christmas break. Some of us saw the new Spiderman movie and Sing 2 in the theater. Nate put a ski rack on top of Caleb's car and Caleb and some friends did a day trip to Caberfae. 

-On the 23rd we got together with the Jongsmas for Christmas. 

-On the 24th we had Enedina's family here, they left and we went to our neighbor's Christmas Eve service and then opened presents. 

-On the 25th we drove to Caberfae and skiied for the afternoon. The slopes were icy and Julia tried, but was happy to spend some time in the lodge. 

-On the 26th we drove to Ohio and spent two nights with Steph and family. We were excited to hear they are expecting a baby! Hez has warmed up to us and we all had fun playing with him.

-We spent New Years Eve at the Gabrielse house with the Stielstras. We played games and everyone made it til midnight. And Stephen and Lexi slept til 9 am New Year's Day- a miracle! 

November 2021

 

Julia and Abby-playing a game

Uncle Mike

Lexi and Kate

Playing games

Stephen's class presentation at Hope College

Selah and David Rozema with Stephen

Swin D. Ler

Axe throwing skills

Gornos and Hollebeeks

Jongsmas at Thanksgiving

Video game fun

Playing the name game

Creative with the tables at Thanksgiving

Oreo ice cream dessert

Happy 9th Birthday Stephen!

Post-covid vaccine ice cream

Ruth's 3rd birthday!

Lexi loves her undercut

-Enedina and family came over to celebrate Ruth's 3rd birthday

-Caleb is playing in jazz band this semester and has been going to school early two mornings a week. They had a Swinging the Night Away evening and he also played in the band concert

-Julia is taking tennis lessons at Hope College every Saturday afternoon

-Stephen and Lexi got their first covid vaccine

-Stephen turned 9 years old! He wanted to go to Bob Evans for his bday supper, but Lexi had a fever so we ordered Bob Evans in. He also chose oreo ice cream dessert. We went to see the high school musical production of Freaky Friday and he took Sam along. Stephen received some Harry Potter legos and a Pokemon trivia game. Stephen is smart, well liked at school, he brings joy to others, he likes sports and trying theater, he sings with gusto, is a kind brother and his close friends are Andrew, Parker and Sam. We love you Stephen!

-Stephen's acting class put on their production, The Pig Who Cried Wolf, it was a fairy tale mash up. Stephen was Swin D Ler, the salesman who swindled the 3 little pigs out of their money when they needed sticks, hay, bricks. Stephen is a great actor and he said it was fun! 

-Stacy and Nate went axe throwing with some friends and Stacy found out she is pretty good! 

-We hosted the Jongsmas for Thanksgiving and had an enjoyable evening. 

-Colleen, Mike, Jack, Abby, Ashley, and Kate stayed with us for a couple days over Thanksgiving weekend. Stacy and Caleb tested positive for covid and isolated from everyone. The cousins enjoyed playing with each other and the guinea pigs were a hit. As of the writing of this, no one else has tested positive for covid and we are thankful!