March 2026

 

Caleb came home for an impromptu visit

Ruth and Naomi

Nolbi

Enoc

Emery, Ruth and Lexi at Junior Strings

Stephen at jazz band

Julia visiting MSU

Spring band performance

Opening gifts

Happy 17th birthday, Julia!

Last show!

Grandma-hip replacement, Isaac-broken foot

Mr. Tumnus

-Stephen went to trainings so he can referee soccer

-HC Middle School put on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Stephen played Mr. Tumnus. The show was so good! 

-We celebrated Enedina's birthday a little late

-We celebrated Julia's 17th birthday! Julia has big dreams, does well in school, works hard at her job and is enjoying her junior year. We love you, Julia!

-Julia participated in Model UN and went to MSU for the weekend for a competition. We also did a college visit to MSU this month. 

-Stephen had his spring band concert and the jazz band performed at Swingin the Night Away

-Lexi had her junior strings concert, they sounded fantastic for only practicing one night a week for a couple of months!

February 2026

 

Isaac broke his foot and had mono

Heather and Gary were great hosts

Taking in the Pacific

Found her prom dress in San Diego

University of California San Diego

San Diego State University

California college trip, here we go!

-Julia wanted to visit some schools in California, so we decided on San Diego as my friend, Heather lives there. We visited Point Loma Nazarene University, SDSU and UCSD. SDSU is probably her top choice. Her ideal school would be in a warm climate, large and diverse. We were able to do a little sightseeing and stayed with Heather and Gary

-Nate took the kids snowskiing a couple of times. 

-Isaac went to the winter dance with friends, but no pictures were shared with me

-Isaac visited Calvin and GVSU again, specifically with their engineering departments to help him make his decision

-We had our Lunar New Year feast

-Stephen played indoor soccer

-Julia continued to work at Tiptoes

January 2026

 

Chilling with the neighbors over Christmas break

Isaac broke his foot

Hez ice skating

Ben's gift to Nate

Office chair from the grandparents!

Christmas meal

Opening gifts with some sick cousins

Noah and Caleb

Birthday picture with my parents

-We attempted to open gifts with the Jongsmas on New Years Day, but there were still some sick kids. It was a rough trip for Steph and her family!

-We were able to ice skate and get out to eat with them 

-Lexi began playing with the Holland Youth Symphony Orchestra Junior Strings. 

-Isaac played indoor soccer

-My family made me feel loved for my 47th birthday

-Isaac broke his pinky toe playing indoor soccer. It was a Jones fracture which meant he had a cast for 8 weeks and then a boot for a couple of weeks. It was a very disappointing injury as he couldn't play on his spring club soccer team. 

December 2025

 

Wrestling Noah into snow gear

new jersey

new sweatshirt

He did get other gifts

new shoes 

She loves soda

decorating cookies

teaching the girls mario kart

Nolbi is good at chess

homemade pizzas

Andrew drew this Hamilton pic for Stephen's bday

Dressed up for a wedding

Nate presented a nuclear conference

Christmas party for Nate's work

orchestra and band concerts

six seven day at Pine Creek

Christmas 2025

Christmas at the Creek with Dee

-Lexi and Stephen had their Christmas concerts

-We went to Lake Michigan College (in Benton Harbor) for a Christmas party for one of Nate's contractors

-Nate presented at a young nuclear professionals conference in Chicago and Stephen went along for the day. Stephen said Nate is the king of the nuclear nerds. After Nate's presentation they did some shopping downtown Chicago.

-Stephen went on his first middle school ski club. There were about 80 students on the bus and they hit a deer on the way home from Bittersweet. Thankfully there wasn't damage to the bus and they were able to finish the drive home. 

-Nate and I attended Jenna Pierce's wedding (daughter of Chad and Jodi)

-We had all of the dress up days at Pine Creek and at HC's middle school. The high schoolers didn't really participate in their dress up days.

-Caleb came home, he has 4 weeks off.

-Stephen auditioned for the MS play- The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe-and he got the part of Tumnus! The show will be in March

-We had Nolbi, Ruth and Naomi spend the night. We made homemade pizzas, played some games, decorated cookies and watched a movie. They are so much easier to have over now that they are older! And Stephen and Lexi are so kind and playful with them. 

-On Christmas Eve our family had appetizers and there was a raucous game of Settlers of Catan. Julia's boyfriend, Aiden, turned 18 that day so she was at a surprise party for him. 

-On Christmas Day we had our church service, we opened gifts and had a nice meal. 

-Steph and her boys arrived in town on the 27th and stayed for a week at my parents' house. They had the norovirus the week they were in CO and then ended up with influenza the week they were here in Michigan. Nate and Lexi both got sick. At this moment, no one else has gotten it! 

-The older 4 kids all had plans with friends on NYE. Nate and Lexi were sick so we stayed home, watched a movie and went to bed before midnight- which was okay with us!