Green Beans and Apples.....

....are what Calvin had for dinner tonight. While the rest of us were enjoying our French Dip Sandwiches and such, Calvin took one bite of the peanut butter sandwich I made for him, and went for the green beans and apples instead. These are two of his FAVORITE foods! In fact a few days ago, he turned down his hot dog and wanted green beans instead!! What can I say? I'm TICKLED that one of MY children actually likes fruits and vegetables BETTER than carbs!! This is a new one for us, and I think we like it!!

So happy with his green beans!!

Austin's PreSchool Program

We officially have a Kindergartener in the house again! Yesterday was the last day of school for Austin and I can't believe how fast it went! He is excited to be done, but wishes we could skip summer and go right to Kindergarten where he can "go to school ALL day and even eat his lunch there!!" The only way I could convince him to want summer, is to tell him that we couldn't go camping if there was no summer. Anyway, every year, at the end of preschool, Miss Westing (his teacher) and her helper, put a lot of work into a cute little program for parents and relatives of the preschoolers. It lasts about a half hour and in it the kids sing some songs they have learned, play their instruments from rythmn band, and recite some of the verses they learned throughout the year. The kids sing their little hearts out! It's a very nice program, and so neat to see how far they've come in 9 months since they began. I took a few pictures of the kids singing, the little girl next to him is his friend Ashlyn, he talks about her all the time, we think maybe he has a little crush on her...it's too cute!

Kindergarten Round up!

Today was the day that Austin had been waiting for, for quite some time now. He got to go to Kindergarten Round up!! In his eyes this is just another step closer to the day when he gets to walk through the doors at Heritage and go to Kindergarten for the first time. He is so very excited, he can hardly wait, and is terribly disappointed that he has to wait the WHOLE summer before he gets to go. Mom, on the other hand, wishes the summer was even longer than it is.....but I digress..... :)

Round up is an hour and forty five minutes where the new kindergarteners get to meet the two kindergarten teachers, Miss Joyce Holstege and Mrs. Brenda Pastoor and also the teachers aide, Mrs. Wilma Overway. They get a place at the table with a name tag they can wear around their neck, and a little snack to start them off. One of the teachers explains the packet that is by mom's place and then after what seems like a VERY long time (according to Austin) the kids all get to go sit on the mat and the other teacher reads them a story, and they sing a few songs together. They get to watch a slide show, called "The ABC's of Kindergarten", and then they go back to their seats by the table and have some cake and a drink. Then all the moms get pictures of their soon to be Kindergarteners with cousins and friends by the round up sign, and then we are finished.

Austin had a ton of fun, like he does with almost everything, and is even MORE excited(if that's even possible)to attend Kindergarten in about 4 short months.

Mom and Austin.

Austin and his cousin Laura.

Austin and his cousin Tyler.

All of the new Kindergarteners listening to a story.

Spring Break.....finally!

On March 30, our official spring break began. We looked forward to a week away from our busy school schedules, with time to relax, but our boys were looking forward to an overnight stay at a hotel the most. We found a nice hotel in Ludington that had a water slide for the boys to enjoy. We left at about noon on Friday and headed on up. We spent the next few hours in the pool and on the slide, and then went over to the state park to walk the pier. It was a gorgeous evening and wasn't too cold, even at the very end of the pier. Bradyn and Austin had such fun throwing stones and sticks into the water, and walking along the edge, sometimes jumping from rock to rock, and giving mom a coronary in the process! :)

After our yummy Pizza Hut supper, we swam until it was time for bed. The next morning, after breakfast in the lobby, we spent the last hour in the pool, and headed back to the state park to do some hiking. The day was gorgeous, sunny and warm,considering it was the beginning of April, and we commenced on our 4 mile walk to see the Big Sable Lighthouse. Along the way, we took a detour over the sand dunes to see a shipwreck, and walk along the beach for a while. We eventually made it to the lighthouse, and stopped for some drinks and a snack. Then down to the water to throw rocks again. There is something about things making a splash that intrigues our boys! We walked around by the lighthouse for a while, unfortunately it wasn't open yet for tours, and then headed back to the van.

One tired mamma and daddy and 3 tired boys, made for an uneventful trip home. We stopped at McDonalds and Subway for lunch/supper and made it home around 4:30. (Just in time to finish watching the Tigers game on TV) :)

We are so thankful we were able to take this time away, and spend time together as a family. It is a joy to watch our boys have a blast with their dad in the water, and also see the things that they take interest in on a nature hike. We are so blessed!!

The pool/slide at the hotel

Beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline in Ludington

The Big Sable Lighthouse

My boys...(yes, Calvin is missing his shoe) :)

Calvin relaxing in the stroller

Austin's and Bradyn's Birthdays

I've decided to try to play a little catch up with my posts. I'll do one post covering Austin's birthday in November 2011 and Bradyn's birthday in March 2012.

Austin's birthday fell on a Sunday this year, not the funnest day for a kid to have a birthday, but we had a cake and he opened presents after lunch. I can't believe he is 5 already! Where has the time gone?!?!? We've been blessed to enjoy EVERY one of his five years and are so thankful for God's gift to us in our son. We pray that God will lead him and guide him in his life and that he may be a blessing to all he comes in contact with.

Bradyn's birthday was on Thursday this year, he was able to bring a birthday treat for his class, he loves the Lofthouse cookies from Family Fare, so he decided he wanted to share them with his friends too. He requested a Tigers cake, so I did my best at recreating the Tigers emblem on his cake. I had intended to have white frosting with an old english "D" in orange, however my homemade frosting did NOT turn out, so I opted for just the "D" on the cake....we don't need so much frosting anyway, right? :) We are again blown away, that our oldest is 8, count em', EIGHT YEARS OLD!!! We have been blessed by every one of his eight years as well, and we know that God has big plans for our big boy!! He has the kindest heart, and has proven to be wise beyond his years, he is honest to a fault, and tells us everything he's done in a day (whether good or bad). We are so thankful for the place he has in our family!

Blessings.....

I just received an update from a blog that I follow and thought it was too good to keep to myself.  I struggle with NOT seeing the blessings of every season, and tend to only look at the struggles and stresses. 

Sometimes I feel like I can barely keep my head above water with all that I am needed for. I need to keep reminding myself, (sometimes minute by minute) that God's grace IS sufficient for me, and He WILL give me the strength to make it through whatever he puts in my path.

 The following link really puts it all into perspective.  
Unique Blessings of Every Season

M.I.A.

Well, I guess it's been QUITE some time since I've graced you all with my presence. (ha ha) Now that tax season is finally finished, I am no longer missing in action. Since a lot has happened in the time since my last post, I'm not going to even try to recap. I'll just let you know that we are all doing well.

As I mentioned before, Russ has officially finished his tax season. He ended up with about 35 new customers this year, so he was pretty excited about that. He is back working for Artistic Landscapes again as of the middle of March. The outlook for the season looks to be steady, and for that we are thankful. He celebrated the big 3-0 at the end of March, and so far has been adjusting to 30 quite well, though most days, he mentions that he feels far older than 30 with his creaky joints.

I continue on in my work in our home. I still enjoy my sewing and crafting, when I get a chance, though with the nicer weather, this gets omitted and replaced by time outside instead. I'm working on some decor for our living room at the moment, and am having some fun with it. Our precious boys continue to thrive and grow. Upon reflection, I really don't feel old enough to have an 8, 5 and 1.5 yr old! Most days I still feel like a kid myself, definitely not qualified to be raising THREE kids!! I am learning that it is ONLY through the grace of an ever merciful God, that I am able to make it through most days.

Bradyn continues to struggle with Sensory Processing Disorder, though we can really tell his therapy has made a difference, and his outbursts are not quite as frequent as they used to be. He is doing better with his eating, though it is something he will struggle with for the rest of his life. He has on occaision, tasted, on his own, something he has never tried before, so we know by this that things are getting better. He continues to go to therapy once a month. We've now switched the focus from mostly the eating difficulties, to talking about some of the anxieties he struggles with. This seems to be helping him a bit, as he had been worrying so much, he was giving himself migraines, and these don't seem as frequent as they had been. He is an avid Detroit Tigers fan, and can tell you the stats of most of the team by heart. He just started practice for little league and LOVES it! We look forward to watching him play in the next 6 weeks!

Austin is thoroughly enjoying his last few weeks of pre-school. He is officially finished on May 10, so that's not too far away. He had Kindergarten testing in early March, and passed with flying colors. He was really disappointed that he couldn't go to Kindergarten the next day though. He has turned into quite the artist, alway creating something, whether with paper and markers, stones out in the yard, or his big tub of legos, he is alway surprising us with one of his creations. He tends to be a bit of an airhead, for lack of a better word, and is constantly making us laugh with his funny remarks. He officially learned to ride a 2 wheeler this spring, and loves to just ride around the driveway.

Calvin is growing by leaps and bounds! It amazes us everyday, seeing the new things he has learned. He recently had his 18 month checkup, and was a little under 27 lbs (50th %tile) and 33 inches tall (75th %tile), so he is tall and skinny, but healthy! He loves to be outside, and his favorite friend is the dog. She is the first one he visits every time he is outside. He loves to play with his cozy coupe, and ride along with mom on the lawn mower. He is an affectionate little guy, showering us with his kisses many times a day. He is quite a cuddler as well, and will come and just sit for a while throughout the day. The older two boys weren't as much this way, so I am enjoying it fully!

I guess that about does it for this time. I hope to be able to keep up with posts more often, but I've said that before, and it doesn't always work. I hope this finds you all doing well, and enjoying your week. Until next time!