connor's big smile

Connor is at the age where he is always smiling and giggling.

So these photos are for you to enjoy.

John Ball Park Zoo

On Wednesday we had a family vacation day and we went to John Ball Zoo. The boys needed to get out and do something beside play in the backyard or at the park. So I got Mike to take the morning off and spent a little time with the family.

Brendan wanted to have his picture by the statue but the twins wanted nothing to do with it, so instead of having Luc crying on another photo, I just took it of Brendan.

Austin loved the little goats. They were about the same size as our cat "gato" which Austin is always carrying and throwing around. It very nice that the zoo lets with kids interact with the animals by getting into the pens with some of the animals.

Here are Luc and Austin looking at the Pink Flamingos

Brendan and Mike tried to get up close and personal with the Sting Rays, don't believe that they actually got to touch them though.

Here are the boys looking in on a parrot. I think if they could have gotten in every cage they would have. We had to keep telling the boys to get down.

This bear definitely had the right idea - soaking up the rays while keeping cool in a pool of water.

This is Daisy, a baby camel at the zoo. She was 5 months old and being halter trained so she could eventually give camel rides.

Brendan and I rode on the camel.

All and all I think the kids had a great day and I think Brendan thanked us about 20 times for taken them to the zoo. I wonder where our next adventure will be......

Naughty's at it again.....

Here's the latest stunt that Austin did. Earlier this afternoon I had gotten a fruit platter ready for the park party we had tonight. I had cut up half of a watermelon and couldn't get the other half in the fridge so I just saran wrapped it and thought I would put in the fridge when I took the fruit platter out when we left.


So after Austin got up from a nap he didn't take, he decided to get his own snack - the watermelon. I was busy sewing on the other side of the house when I heard Austin crying. Austin came running into the sewing room with blood on his finger and smelling like watermelon.

I went to investigate and saw the he had been cutting the watermelon with a Cutco knife. I was thankful that the cut wasn't any bigger than it was, because with the knife he was using, things could have been a lot worse. Here's the watermelon after Austin had his way with it.

Drive-Thru Difference

This past week WCSG (radio station) had a day where they challenged their listeners to make a difference - the Drive Thru Difference. They asked the listeners to pay for the meal of the car behind them in the drive-thru line. I didn't to act on this act of kindness, but it did get me thinking of what I've been doing lately for others.

What random acts of kindness have you done lately???

Wanted: Yours and Everyone elses Advice

When the words, Desitin and couch, are in the same sentence it's not a good thing.

This morning I was working on one of my many projects and Lucas came into the kitchen. "Mom, Austin is naughty." Next, came Austin with a tube of desitin and smears of the butt cream all over his shirt and face. For some reason he likes to eat the stuff.



















I didn't think too much of it, but I did get the tube of butt cream away from him and decided to check the toy room over to see where else it landed. You guessed it - the couch!!!!!!

So if you have any experience with butt cream in the couch or carpet, please advice me on how to get this stuff out. I already tried the carpet cleaner, that doesn't work. Now you know why we nicknamed him - Naughty Nick.

Sometimes I would like to stick a 'Kid for Sale' sign in my front yard and I would probably give them away for pretty cheap, but then want them back like 30 minutes later. LOL. I really do love my boys, but some of the stuff they come up with.... They must get that from Mike.

July Birthdays

This morning I found out I'm an aunt again to a new baby girl - Sarah Grace. Congratulations, Dan, Mary and Isaiah!!!!! We are so happy for you and may God continue to bless your growing family.

This is just one of many birthdays that our family celebrates in July. It starts on July 1, my niece Allyson had her 5th birthday. It was a special birthday for her because she got an American Girl Doll (Molly) and she went to Chicago for tea at the American Girl Store. What a blast for a little girl or any girl for that matter. I would even love to have an American Girl Doll.

Then there was my Grandma Lucas' birthday on July 7, she turned 86 years old. We got together at a Park in Zeeland for pizza. She is an amazing mom, grandma, and great-grandma. My boys love to visit her and grandpa, but we don't get to see them as much as we used to.

Also on July 7, is my father-in-law's birthday. Last Saturday night, he and mom came over for supper. We had a campfire in the backyard and had hobo pies to eat. Brendan wanted to make sure that we had a cake but settled for store bought cupcakes because I didn't have any eggs in the house.

Next in line is July 9, that's my brother Brian's birthday.

Finally - My nephew, Isaiah, will be celebrating his 3rd birthday on July 30. I'm sure he is going to have tons of fun on his birthday, and if he's anything like my boys I won't tell him until the last minute about the party.

Happy Birthday to you all!!!!! We are so blessed to have you all in our family. May God continue to bless you with a healthy life.

4th of July Visitor

If the 4th of July was busy enough, in the middle of the afternoon there was some banging on the front door. I ignored the first banging, but a second came and I thought that Brendan was trying to get in to use the bathroom or something, but the next hour was spent with the guy doing the door beating - the KIRBY vacuum rep.

You may be saying why did you let him in. Well, I guess I was feeling kind hearted or something. I only did it so he could get his points towards his trip to Puerto Rico. So, the whole demonstration began - showing me how much better his Kirby cleaned the carpet versus my 7 year dirt devil that truly needs replacing. Then he made a phone call to his boss who basically tried every possible way to get me to buy this Kirby. The price started at $260./month and I did work him down to $30./month for 3 years. There is no way I was going to pay for a vacuum for the next 3 years. He thought that maybe I could start clipping coupons and use the money I saved on the coupons towards the Kirby - my response: I purchase the meijer brand or walmart brand on as much stuff as I can and there's no coupons for the store brands. Then he asked if we drank alot of pop maybe we could use the can refund towards the Kirby - my response I already use this $ for a future 10 yr anniversary trip. Even if we did try that we would have to drink 10 plus cans of pop per day - I don't think so. He even went so far as to say that maybe we should sell a cow to buy the Kirby - I laughed.

I finally had to tell him that I only let them in the house because I felt like helping out Israel, the guy who did the demonstration, get credit for his trip to Puerto Rico and I no intentions of buying a Kirby. Needless to say the Kirby guy overstayed his welcome and made us late for our party at night. Who would have thought that we would get someone trying to sell a Kirby in Freeport!!!!! They should know better, nobody has money in Freeport. I wish there was a 'DO NOT VISIT' list I could put our name on that is similar to the "DO NOT CALL " list.

Missing out

I was thinking about the family fun we are missing out on this year by not camping. This is the first year after 5 years of camping at Oak Grove in Holland. My mom and dad sold their trailer for a boat, my brother and sister-in-law also decided to sell their trailer and we just don't fit into any "free" trailers anymore now that we have 4 kids.

We usually went the week over the 4th of July. We aren't the traditional campers. My mom and I needed to have a toilet in our trailers and a shower every day. For those of you who don't know, Oak Grove Campground is what I would call "high class" camping - no dirt included. Our sites were grass and tar. They had a swimming pool that was cleaned and maintained every day and we didn't have to deal with beach sand. The campground also had activities planned for the kids. The only downfall was that we couldn't have campfires on our camp sites. If you wanted to have a fire you needed to go to the community firepits or you have a camp in the back half on the campgrounds, but our trailers were too big to fit in the back half. The greatest part was we were close to the beach for the fireworks without having to battle all the cars.

Anyway here are some fun facts and tips for those of you that still go camping:

A potato baked in the coals for three hours makes an excellent hockey puck.

----------

If you like to sit outside eating bananas in your favorite blue shirt, you're about to become a mosquito's best friend. They're twice as attracted to blue than any other color and appear to love people who've just eaten bananas.

Source: Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 2001 Summer In America

-----------

Flies or bees bothering you? Spray them with hairspray and they will take a quick dive.

----------

Spray your garbage and trash with ammonia to keep the animals away.

-----------

Sleeping bags reflect body heat back to you.You can reflect the most body heat by sleeping naked!

----------

16 Steps to Build a Campfire
1. Split dead limb into fragments and shave one fragment into slivers.
2. Bandage left thumb.
3. Chop other fragments into smaller fragments.
4. Bandage left foot.
5. Make structure of slivers (include those embedded in hand.)
6. Light Match
7. Light Match
8. Repeat "a Scout is cheerful" and light match.
9. Apply match to slivers, add wood fragments, and blow gently into base of fire.
10. Apply burn ointment to nose.
11. When fire is burning, collect more wood.
12. Upon discovering that fire has gone out while out searching for more wood, soak wood from can labeled "kerosene."
13. Treat face and arms for second-degree burns.
14. Re-label can to read "gasoline."
15. When fire is burning well, add all remaining firewood.
16. When thunder storm has passed, repeat steps.

I hope you enjoyed this camping humor!!!!

Pictures at the Beach

Last night we headed to the lake for supper. We meet my whole family with the exception of Brian and Jodi. (we missed you guys ;o)) Mom wanted to take our annual family photos of each family.

Dan & Mary, Isaiah and soon to be baby

Phil & Heather

Dad & Mom

Doug & Kerri, Katelyn, Allyson & Meghan

and us