tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220672382012-01-13T13:08:10.380-05:00rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.comBlogger4021100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-68461854836413057032012-01-13T13:05:00.001-05:002012-01-13T13:08:10.719-05:00

Wednesday January 11, 2012, 50 degrees outside. January??Friday January 13, 2012, JANUARY!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-56784133073321796572011-11-30T17:15:00.004-05:002011-11-30T17:24:07.927-05:00

We're getting ready for Christmas around here! I love the season and the anticipation! Josh LOVES decorating, so I tried to find some nice but inexpensive decor. Below you can see one such item that is in our home. And, you can also see a picture of Zeke sitting in a FROGGY chair that he saw at the store. He thought it was so cool.

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-4681568458694863392011-11-07T19:26:00.004-05:002011-11-07T19:39:07.758-05:00

Sam played goalie in this past Saturday's jamboree. He loved it! And Kevin managed to snap some photos and video.

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-87634024682865540462011-09-25T21:35:00.003-04:002011-09-25T21:43:14.612-04:00

We made a first visit to Art Prize this past weekend. It was fun, and super busy! We are anxious to go again. We liked this tree- Braving the Wind- you write the names of loved ones who have suffered from cancer. Here you can see Sam and Josh hanging names of our loved ones who have passed away after battling cancer.Doesn't zeke look so sweet by those flowers?

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-8329649134858008382011-08-31T15:18:00.005-04:002011-09-01T09:19:06.903-04:00

Today was Josh's first day of Kindergarten. He has two years of preschool under his belt, but Kindergarten is ALL DAY. He wore his favorite shark shirt, was excited to go and even wanted to get Hot lunch! wow. (He ate some of it). When I picked him up and asked how was it? He said, IT WAS LONG. But then he proceeded to talk all about it- which is cool because Sam rarely talks about school. Josh

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-4394552123063328682011-07-27T20:07:00.002-04:002011-07-27T20:09:51.433-04:00

The best line is the last line!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-73755344977032067982011-06-21T13:21:00.003-04:002011-06-21T13:25:55.845-04:00

This morning Zeke and I went strawberry picking with friends. Well, the moms picked and the kids ate! Here are a few pictures- unfortunately not all the pictures were that great, so I didn't get one of every friend.

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-59364274430380970972011-06-16T19:05:00.002-04:002011-06-16T19:07:35.257-04:00

Been a rough rainy 4th day of summer....here is Zeke, he fell asleep in the timeout chair.

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-85462086159319916492011-06-08T15:54:00.005-04:002011-06-08T21:46:15.723-04:00

Tuesday morning Zeke, Josh, and I went to the zoo. They loved it. We went to whatever animal they wanted to see. Mighty Mike the crocodile, the bears, the lions, and otter were favorites. Josh also LOVED touching the sting rays and seeing the shark up close. After two hours, when we were all completely drenched in sweat, they still insisted on playing at the playground. Well, Josh doesn't play,

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-69752295398392872852011-06-02T23:21:00.003-04:002011-06-02T23:24:50.085-04:00

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-21794062781249731772011-05-10T22:04:00.002-04:002011-05-10T22:06:20.944-04:00

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-45977116319082290072011-05-08T21:50:00.001-04:002011-05-08T21:52:06.146-04:00

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-1366183669585180272011-05-06T12:53:00.003-04:002011-05-06T12:59:41.692-04:00

After the funeral on Thursday Kevin started work on building the shed and asked our house guests to help out.Some were willing to help...Other's only had excuses for not helping....Just a few pics from this soccer season.

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-80289414883829043942011-04-24T20:59:00.004-04:002011-04-24T21:07:36.305-04:00

This weekend Kevin, with help from his boys, rebuilt the retaining wall behind the garage. We hope to be able to put a storage shed of some sort behind there...the kids have a lot of outdoor toys!Sam at his spring program!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-19133349652646815712011-04-09T21:25:00.002-04:002011-04-09T21:26:14.809-04:00

We spent our last day at Epcot - we just had to ride Soarin' and Test Track again! We also went around the world showcase. Finally, back to the hotel for more swimming! I posted our favorite pictures in facebook - most will be repeats of what is already on the blog.

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-35030333744325695492011-04-06T20:16:00.004-04:002011-04-06T20:41:43.499-04:00

After the rain and clouds yesterday, today was a bit cool. By the afternoon when we went swimming, it was only a high of 80 and we were chilled!This morning was our hollywood studios day- I have been very excited for this park and the new Toy Story Mania. As usual, Tour Guide Mike did not let me down, and we managed to ride Toy Story Mania 2 (for some 3!) times! It was really cool, except Kevin

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-36231827448341345712011-04-05T21:41:00.004-04:002011-04-05T21:52:14.387-04:00

Today, Tuesday was a scheduled rest/pool day. We woke up to thunderstorms. As soon as the rain cleared, (but was still cold and cloudy), we returned to the Magic Kingdom and had another fabulous day. Grandpa bought an umbrella, so of course it never rained again. WE rode everything we wanted and then some more, and even though we had fastpasses never needed them because it was so empty! We

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-40327845838563708722011-04-04T22:59:00.007-04:002011-04-05T08:45:42.795-04:00

I won't bore you with all the great details again- but it was another fabulous day, swim break, and evening at Epcot. Soarin' was awesome- all THREE Times! We also really enjoyed Turtle Talk and the aquariums as well as Test Track. The evening Illuminations show was nice too. We also ran into friends from GR, so that was cool too.

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-59785802834918437562011-04-03T18:10:00.008-04:002011-04-03T19:08:01.274-04:00

Magic Kingdom- where dreams come true! Wow, another FABULOUS day, thanks to Tour Guide Mike. Lines we waited in = 0. That's right, whoever complains about long lines at Disney is NOT doing it right! Here is how our morning went:8AM opening means EARLY rising (6AM)- but it was worth it! We watched the morning show and sent our Fast Pass Volunteer (Kevin) ahead to get the passes-- this happened

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-20290990842209397112011-04-02T15:58:00.007-04:002011-04-02T16:08:57.897-04:00

THANK YOU TOUR GUIDE MIKE! We never had to wait in a line! Animal Kingdom we did: Expedition Everest (boys liked), Dinosaur (Sam and Josh HATED!), Triceratop Spin, Watched the monkey's and the river, Tough To Be a Bug (Sam and Zeke cried, too scary), Safari (awesome!), Kali River Rapids (so fun!), lunch, Lion King- gorgreous! Secret trail along the Tree of Life and we were back at the resort by 2

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-2631634975231717202011-04-02T15:48:00.004-04:002011-04-02T15:56:27.430-04:00

Sam woke us all up at 7AM....so we got ready, ate breakfast (a room full of people from Grand Rapids!) and hopped in the car for more driving. We arrived at the resort BEFORE check in, but we got a good swim in and grocery shopping. Next came dinner...and Magic Kingdom!! okay, probably wasn't the best idea b/c everyone was so tired, but we had to do the late night some time. We did the train,

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-19359820836497751982011-04-01T08:09:00.005-04:002011-04-01T08:21:44.790-04:00

Thursday: Sam was up at 5AM (first one!) and didn't get to bed until 10PM (no naps in van for him!) but other than that, and a few "quarrels" the trip went fine. We had a nice hotel waiting (thanks Grandpa John!) We left in Grand Rapids at 6:20am and arrived in Byron Georgia at 8:40PM. I think the boys most enjoyed their "presents" that were given every few hours. Thanks Nana! Thanks Grandpa

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-70491898882367785582011-03-21T22:16:00.003-04:002011-03-21T22:21:03.309-04:00

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-85539645767647989902011-03-01T21:37:00.004-05:002011-03-01T22:31:27.892-05:00

Watch the first 20 seconds of this video- very cute and funny. Wish I knew how to cut off the last 30 seconds...

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-20527105994650615892011-02-23T20:35:00.004-05:002011-02-23T20:42:25.085-05:00

Obviously with three boys, many of their clothes are hand me downs. Sometimes I come across a shirt/outfit and I think, ugh, this one again? But then there are some clothes that still look so cute! These stripey pajamas from Old Navy were definitely a favorite, each boy looks adorable in them!Of course, with every photo shoot, we have to do silly pictures. And, in case you didn't know, Butts are

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-30176692217665407862011-02-05T17:46:00.013-05:002011-02-05T22:36:28.425-05:00

To view photos of the jamboree please visit facebook, here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2118853&id=15306215&l=7aaa15dad2This video is Josh skating around- he has a WHITE E on the front of his jersey. This video is Sam scoring a goal- he scored many- the actual goal is hard to see, but you can't miss that fist pump! This video is hard to see, but it is Sam Scoring a

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-42180327752132109892011-02-03T18:47:00.003-05:002011-02-03T18:52:47.303-05:00

Below are pictures of Zeke's first skate- and him standing alone on the ice. After a minute or so on the ice, he said to Kevin "Where's my stick?" Kevin handed him a hockey stick and pushed him a bit. Zeke said, "Where's the puck?" So they played some hockey! Not sure who was happier- Zeke or Kevin!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-17636385276276493232011-01-22T21:12:00.007-05:002011-01-26T08:55:26.116-05:00

***Zeke has been potty training this last week(s) which is why he is not wearing pants, just underwear. When rushing to the potty it is easier to just get underwear down and not pants. Be happy he is wearing the underwear...we had several days of bare bum.***Before K, S, and J left for the Hockey game. Below are a series of photos from my long, but very fun and goofy night with Zeke. And Froggy.

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-21721869524009140702010-12-21T22:08:00.002-05:002010-12-21T22:13:05.583-05:00

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-58691706273862559082010-12-12T17:05:00.003-05:002010-12-12T17:13:06.161-05:00

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-43613953880627136912010-11-24T14:42:00.001-05:002010-11-24T14:42:43.895-05:00

Of course, Zeke was sick on Halloween, but later the next week I did manage to snap a few photos of him in his Cowboy outfit.

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-19815471601903214822010-10-13T22:39:00.004-04:002010-10-13T22:56:25.211-04:00

I put most photos on facebook, but here are a few...

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-23981789584946216512010-10-01T20:33:00.003-04:002010-10-01T20:43:11.224-04:00

It was time for Froggy to have a bath. Teddy and Monkey were joining him to keep him company, but that didn't comfort Zeke.Zeke was not happy. Here he is crying about it.He puts Froggy in the washer.Zeke running, with Froggy still in his hands.Sorry the video is dark, but you get the point. We went for a walk while froggy was washed. All was better.I wish I had the after video! Here is

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-47671364383864642892010-09-25T18:21:00.003-04:002010-09-25T18:25:35.398-04:00

Notice to all parents: when you tell your child to take off his cowboy boots at bedtime, make sure you take the boots out of the room.Josh FINALLY got to play soccer today. Kevin was his soccer buddy for the first half hour, and the last half he played a mini game. The below picture is not great thanks to Zeke's head, but the smile on Josh's face is a true reflection of how he was the entire game

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-76895430419022681252010-09-23T09:37:00.003-04:002010-09-23T09:40:48.159-04:00

A couple years ago my friend gave me a box of her sons clothes, that no longer fit. Most were too big, so I kept them in the closet and would look in it occasionally. I found this Nederland soccer jersey in it. Sam loves it. I feel bad that I had it for so long buried in a bucket. Must be why they lost the World Cup, all my fault.

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-37915148113697025592010-09-17T19:42:00.003-04:002010-09-17T19:45:21.413-04:00

First day of SchoolZeke loves his stripey pajamasWe went to the zooSam turned 7!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-69249668019541475842010-08-12T15:45:00.002-04:002010-08-12T15:48:27.214-04:00

Today at learning time Sam, Josh and myself wrote this poem:Oh yummy cone with sprinkles,I see you and my eyes twinkle.Chocolate is my favorite flavor,the taste I truly savor."Eat fast" I am told,but my ice cream is cold.Soon it melts on my shirt,and now it drips in the dirt.So sad to see the goodness go down,I hope I get vanilla the next we're in town!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-90976071870204024462010-08-09T15:29:00.002-04:002010-08-09T15:33:11.788-04:00

We have tried moving Zeke to a big boy bed. He has a difficult time falling asleep. He kicks the wall, looks out the windows, and plays with anything he can find. These are some of the funny positions we have found him in!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-24905780745316745322010-08-05T22:28:00.004-04:002010-08-05T22:38:26.847-04:00

1 summer. 3 trips. 3 different places. 3 different groups of people. This morning Sam wakes up and asks if he can go sit outside, just because he wants to sit outside. He misses camping! He refers to the trips as when we were camping in Indiana/when we were camping in Canada/ and when we were camping with a K- that just cracks me up! It was lots of fun, but back home we are. This past tuesday

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-76302841791150761292010-07-26T17:35:00.001-04:002010-07-26T17:38:17.280-04:00

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-36368142972590479782010-07-06T08:57:00.003-04:002010-07-06T09:02:51.345-04:00

We had a great time camping at Potato Creek State Park. Our site was shady and grassy. We all survived three nights in the tent together, and we even got to see a good fireworks show. Biking was a highlight for the adults, while the beach was the favorite of Sam and Josh. Below is one photo from our bike ride, to see a complete album of our trip, you can view this facebook album--(EVERYONE should

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-47367817235984157572010-05-31T21:01:00.007-04:002010-05-31T22:25:18.252-04:00

Grandma! Uncle Brian, Aunt Sarah! Grandpa (Gampa, gampa, as Zeke said ALL weekend.) Mini golf, new church and a hockey game! WATER PARK! Then we ended it all with an extremely LONG ride home (an hour at the border with our Nexxus cards, we think it would have been 3 hours without it...)I don't know why Josh is squeezing his nipple here...

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-65130084214274045102010-05-25T12:08:00.005-04:002010-05-25T12:16:16.479-04:00

Ever since Sam's first trip to the children's musuem- age 2- he always starts the time at the ball station. Playing with the balls is FIRST, and even at age 6 he was excited for the ball area and he really wanted to show it to Zeke. The first picture is Sam at age 2.The farm area was really fun. I loved how the barn had 3 doors about the size of each boy!Apple picking!Yes, let's take the time to

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-40548485501961489752010-05-25T12:02:00.003-04:002010-05-25T12:08:35.287-04:00

the heat has arrived. Good thing the neighbor has a slip and slide!Josh's mother day tea was a lot of fun- he was a goat in the play "Nanny Goats Gruff" he sang...sometimes. He also had a present and had made a special treat for me. His card to me said "My mom is best at playing tennis". Shocking it didn't say something like cooking meals for me....

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-24152075892015765512010-05-01T14:24:00.000-04:002010-05-01T14:25:28.196-04:00

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-41013898995720086072010-05-01T14:20:00.002-04:002010-05-01T14:24:01.920-04:00

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-24307472289839322922010-04-18T13:51:00.002-04:002010-04-18T13:56:29.055-04:00

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-77814718572991392962010-03-22T12:01:00.003-04:002010-03-22T12:25:34.918-04:00

Barbies, Big Wheel, roller skates, and Little People. These were the toys I played with as a child. I played for hours and hours with my little people house and school bus. BArbies were best when I played with my friend Lisa- she had Barbie car and jeep. AWESOME, oh how i wanted that car to put my barbies in and push all over the place. I remember playing with these toys for years and even

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-86804966819772109012010-03-22T12:00:00.000-04:002010-03-22T12:34:08.902-04:00

Josh has been learning about Dinosaurs at school- and LOVING it. Today he came home with a dinosaur mountain. They have to dig with a Popsicle stick until they get to the dinosaur. He enjoys it so much and even looked up at me and said, "Look, I am a scientist!!"Mommy! Mommy! TWO bawoons!The weather turned cold again this weekend, so we were inside again. Josh and Zeke built a zoo under the table

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-52344979832082337382010-03-16T22:37:00.004-04:002010-03-16T22:52:58.622-04:00

On this beautiful day, March 16, 2010, I got to thinking about other "first warm days" over the years...MARCH 2004EARLY APRIL 2005MARCH 2006MARCH 2007MARCH 2008MARCH 2009MARCH 2010 Sam was on a walk with us- but way ahead on his bike and didn't want his photo taken today! Butterfly's at Meijer Garden - March 13, 2010Butterfly's at Meijer Garden, March 18, 2005

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-34392636848920649272010-03-03T16:21:00.002-05:002010-03-03T16:24:47.492-05:00

Two year old Statistics:Sam: 36 inches and 32.5 poundsJosh: 34.5 inches and 29 poundsZeke: 35 inches and 28 pounds

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-62078142812970401892010-02-27T20:17:00.009-05:002010-02-28T13:06:51.930-05:00

What we've been doing for two weeks....watching Olympics!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-44574138760263119892010-02-20T16:08:00.002-05:002010-02-20T16:11:56.910-05:00

Sam just lost his first tooth! Finally, that thing was loose FOREVER. The other tooth is already half way in his mouth...Josh has been into "collecting". He finds the randomest things and puts them in his collection. The best part- all bottle caps, hair ties, paper clips that he finds on the floor go right into his collection.the other day I babysat for some friends. Zeke LOVED it. He kept

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-7642515973028859652010-02-15T14:42:00.004-05:002010-02-15T14:48:28.497-05:00

We were feeling the love this Valentine's Weekend. First, Grandpa John came and Josh, Zeke, Grandpa, and I went sledding. It was fun- Zeke kept saying "down, down, down." Then, the Martin's came to visit! The boys loved having friends over and everyone got to skate on the rink in the backyard. We even found a brave soul to watch the 6 boys while we went out to dinner =) On sunday night, Kevin had

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-81409071597451222862010-02-10T18:00:00.003-05:002010-02-10T18:02:44.358-05:00

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-10103771821141096272010-02-01T20:03:00.002-05:002010-02-01T20:27:54.201-05:00

First, a few pictures of Josh at Hockey practice in the morning.In the afternoon, we had the Cross Ice Jamboree at VanAndel. Kevin coaches Sam's cross ice group on saturdays. This was the first time they put everything they have been learning into an actual game against other teams. They played 3 12 minute games. It was really fun to see how excited Sam was to play, and it was great watching him

Kevin Vhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13857724389802605260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-85015154800933856342010-01-27T20:41:00.004-05:002010-01-27T20:54:04.069-05:00

Kevin hauled out his old Construx for the boys to play with--do they still make these?? Anyway, with Lego's and blocks overflowing in the basement, and K'nex and tinkertoys everywhere in their bedroom (WE HAVE TOO MANY TOYS!) the only place left for ANOTHER building toy...the main floor. For days the boys were building spaceships and planes and all sorts of things. Then, Josh decided to build the

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-87759115004320587742010-01-27T20:35:00.002-05:002010-01-27T20:39:08.992-05:00

On father's night one of the games was fish races- with goldfish. The next day at school Josh's teacher told them they could take some fish home. Obviously Josh loved that! But Zeke was the one who was so excited, every time he came into the kitchen he was all "fish! fish! fish!" Very cute. Zeke is also obsessed with his Thomas pajamas- both pairs. He does not want to take them off in the morning

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-66619648588944820892010-01-21T22:29:00.003-05:002010-01-21T22:32:19.633-05:00

Preschool father's night was last night, the theme this year was Hawaii. Here are a few pictures. I must admit, I laughed so hard when I saw this first picture. Josh's laughter and Kevin's expression are awesome- and to make it even better is the dad and son looking on wishing they were as cool as Josh and Kevin!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-46503355802326361002010-01-20T13:17:00.002-05:002010-01-20T13:34:47.734-05:00

Since birthdays and Christmas our very small basement, and house, has been overrun with Lego's. They are everywhere, and Lego castles/cars/etc. were constantly being destroyed. The eldest child enjoys following the instructions and building the designs. The middle child enjoys building his own thing that he can play with wherever. The smallest, a.k.a. the destroyer, likes to play with everything

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-9235442312739406802010-01-16T13:06:00.005-05:002010-01-16T13:13:12.807-05:00

A typical morning for us is me constantly telling Josh to get dressed. The other morning he was FINALLY dressed and came into the kitchen to show me that he was indeed dressed. The picture shows him smiling, but the truth is he came walking in as if everything was normal. I am sure you can understand why we call him backwards boy! (He actually does this quite a bit...)Photos of us picking up Sam

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-21537078129861980352010-01-08T12:46:00.002-05:002010-01-08T12:47:58.309-05:00

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-18733181819398326112009-12-30T20:10:00.003-05:002009-12-30T20:24:23.028-05:00

To view photos from our christmas vacation, simply click the below link. It is a facebook album, however, you do not need to have a facebook account to view the photos.http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2087784&id=15306215&l=c3ed4e4a6d

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-43311974298469273412009-12-21T14:29:00.003-05:002009-12-21T14:33:37.510-05:00

We went to Meijer Gardens to see the Christmas trees and train. We always enjoy looking at the tree decorations from all the different countries and the train is a lot of fun too. Zeke LOVED it. The next night we had the christmas program at church. It was successful (yeah!!!) and Sam was an adorable Wise man- his crown was too big so his ears looks funny, but still adorable!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-79330710576723917902009-12-16T14:59:00.003-05:002009-12-16T15:08:32.106-05:00

Joshy had his preschool christmas program this morning. The kids got to choose their parts. I was surprised Joshy didn't choose a shepherd, but he made a very cute wise king. It was fun to see Josh with his friends. He sang some of the songs, but really spent most of the time picking at his outfit while sitting on the ground. At least he was cute!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-32498470416070561102009-12-11T10:32:00.002-05:002009-12-11T10:35:53.511-05:00

Sam was so excited after school one day- he had learned how to make big snowballs. The 'big' kids at school had taught them. So he right away came home and made his first snowman. That was Monday before all the snow melted. This morning I took a picture of the deck so you could see how much snow we got from the 'blizzard'.

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-30163127386808358772009-12-04T10:18:00.003-05:002009-12-04T10:27:13.709-05:00

From the moment they woke up (7AM) the boys were gawking at the snow and begging to go outside. Daddy promised to leave some driveway for them to shovel. At about 8:45AM we all put on the snow gear and headed out to enjoy the snow.Zeke- did not like his snow gear, he cried and cried.Sam and Josh LOVED it! They are excellent shovelers too. I helped shovel and ignored Zeke- hoping he would get used

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-2566319402509476882009-12-04T09:59:00.002-05:002009-12-04T10:17:56.947-05:00

We had a lot of fun putting our tree up. The boys LOVE it. The loved putting ornaments on and telling us which one is their favorite. Soccer ball for Sam- he thinks it is probably Uncle Brian's favorite too. The snowmen with our names on it are Josh's favorite (but we don't have a Zeke one...). They really like the presents underneath too. As soon as the tree was up Josh said, "Is it Christmas

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-54271267756422381682009-12-04T09:54:00.003-05:002009-12-04T09:58:24.750-05:00

Over Thanksgiving Break Sam's teacher asked each family to decorate a tree that will hang in the hall at school. We had a lot of fun! We thought ours looked really good...(but clearly the ones at school had much more PARENTAL doing- one of them even has real branches and real ornaments!)Josh had gingerbread man day at school- it ran away and they went all over the school looking for it!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-1043028387469214492009-11-25T14:01:00.005-05:002009-11-25T14:15:05.032-05:00

Thanksgiving Feast DayField trip to the GR museum - josh's teacher told me he was the only kid who knew what matched with what. She was VERY impressed with his memory.Corn shucking - the next several pictures are funny because Josh's teacher told me "Josh shucked and shucked corn today! He was the best at it!" Sure enough- kids come and go at the corn shucking station...but Josh is always there!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-5554405826106418592009-11-19T18:39:00.002-05:002009-11-19T18:45:21.621-05:00

I can't believe I forgot my camera for Josh's Feast Day at school! I will eventually be getting pictures from Josh's teacher, so I will have to do a large "preschool" post then. Below is the picture of Josh and his native american (not alien!) head gear and drum. then a picture of Sam being silly, then a picture of Sam two years ago on HIS feast day.

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-60423232027938566142009-11-17T15:45:00.002-05:002009-11-17T15:50:59.008-05:00

Funny photo- but nothing to do with the post!Today, I was cleaning a bit, picked up a paper on the table and Sam said- "Don't throw that away!" So I looked at it and here is what it says (all the 3 look like E):1+1=21+E=42-1=14-2=22+E=51+2=34+2=55-2=E1X1=16-4=25(then that 5 is erased)I said, "Sam what is this?"Sam "I wanted to do some math problems."Typical Sam, wanting to do numbers!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-42109648910180851202009-11-11T14:07:00.003-05:002009-11-11T14:24:27.525-05:00

Today when I was playing animals with Josh he said he wanted to play "organize animals." He wanted to put the animals in groups according to when, where, how he received them. !! This was a surprise, since I didn't know he remembered; I certainly couldn't remember all of them. He did pretty good- he remembered ones from Christmas, ones from Target "I got this horse when I stopped using the

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-56843281915620159102009-11-06T15:28:00.002-05:002009-11-06T15:31:18.746-05:00

So, Monday night at dinner was an especially enjoyable time. Josh was happy (not crying) eating food (!!white rice) and talking about school. He was chatting, and then said, "Today we learned about a-a-a-aliens."Pause. I think this over for a bit. Then I say, "Do you mean Indians? Also called NAtive Americans?" Josh: "YES! AA-lien- how do you say that?" It was so cute! Kevin was laughing but

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-34259812388653405632009-10-31T20:58:00.003-04:002009-10-31T21:06:25.249-04:00

Little dwarves that are missing from below photo: Grumpy Sam and sleepy ZekeROAAAR! So, Tigger doesn't roar, but Tiger's do!Our pumpkins- daddy's and Joshy's.

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-52531047678385623192009-10-26T17:21:00.004-04:002009-10-26T17:25:30.833-04:00

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-26101112337950223432009-10-19T17:58:00.003-04:002009-10-19T18:48:45.237-04:00

I received a few emails today about not having pictures up yet! The wedding was SATURDAY, today is Monday. Besides, I had about 600 photos to sort through! I chose some of my favorites which of course is mostly my family! Anyway, it was a great time and all the stories will have to be told in person =) Below are two slideshows- you can hit the little play button in the upper right corner if you

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-69358249709153182682009-10-09T16:32:00.002-04:002009-10-09T16:35:51.192-04:00

The boys are so excited for the upcoming wedding. Today, Josh was playing wedding all day. This picture was his most recent wedding arrangement. He chose all the animals and who they get to be.Giraffe is the minister.Moose is the bride (I don't know why). The shark and larger dinosaurs next to it are the bridesmaids.Tiny orange dinosaur is the groom, and all the wolf and little dinosaurs next to

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-6257998991385495812009-10-06T11:38:00.002-04:002009-10-06T11:46:37.147-04:00

Today at the store I caught Sam and Josh chewing, they admitted to taking a candy corn from the bin and eating it. Well, Sam admitted and said Josh did it too. Josh just giggled. AFter I had the "talk" about how this isn't our food and we didn't pay for it, and what they did was naughty because they stole...I then told them they would need to say sorry and give money when we got to the cashier.

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-4439480020522096532009-09-30T19:05:00.004-04:002009-09-30T19:12:59.728-04:00

Our backwards boy is FOUR! What a fun day- mommy went to school with Josh and watched him in gym and painting. Josh got a crown and birthday lion came out too. Later mommy and Josh played with new presents, and Josh picked pancakes for dinner. What a fun day!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-41677932766236997522009-09-28T16:37:00.004-04:002009-09-28T16:46:04.627-04:00

On sunday we had a little birthday party for Josh. There was family and friends, presents and cake, and lots of excitement. Josh didn't want the pizza for dinner...so he had cereal. At one point he opened a gift and said, "I been BEGGING for this!" He was very excited about all of his presents. Kevin and Sam were excited about the lego castle and of course had to build it that night. At the end

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-37777272160842058662009-09-22T08:12:00.003-04:002009-09-22T08:15:57.544-04:00

Last night Sam fell off his bike. We are not exactly sure what happened because Kevin was inside and I wasn't home. Poor Sam! He was in a lot of pain- even after he went to bed he woke up an hour later crying. He is doing much better this morning. I was a little worried about head injury, but it is mostly his face, hand, and knee. Thank goodness for bike helmets! Tomorrow is school picture day at

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-63384362401708508382009-09-16T12:17:00.003-04:002009-09-16T12:19:16.361-04:00

Please pray for our friends, The Vedra Family, as they mourn the loss of their baby daughter Hannah Grace.

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-18579763345505031412009-09-11T13:06:00.004-04:002009-09-11T13:37:38.529-04:00

Monday: Storybook Garden with Grandpa and grandma then drive home to GR- Rachel feels very sickTuesday: Rachel VERY sick, KEvin has to stay home and go the parent preschool meeting. No one else sick.Wednesday: Rachel a bit better, no one else sick- Sam and Zeke to Nancy's house, Rachel and Josh go to his first day of preschool- just an hour with mom. Wednesday ends with no one sick.Josh, 2009 -

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-79343507201931415102009-09-09T09:00:00.004-04:002009-09-09T13:52:49.209-04:00

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-73521078150722752872009-09-03T14:12:00.000-04:002009-09-03T14:13:49.987-04:00

The Kynzie story Wow. And quite scary too.

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-4698408347927161202009-09-03T08:01:00.003-04:002009-09-03T08:05:38.542-04:00

About a month ago I saw some pajamas at Target that I thought were soooo cute for Josh. They not only had animals on them- but one set was red and white, the other set was brown and tan. With Joshy's brown eyes and dark complexion he looks adorable in those colors. Problem- he didn't need pajamas and they weren't on sale. So I was good girl and kept walking. But every time over the next weeks

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-77929922262923983402009-08-27T22:39:00.004-04:002009-08-27T22:48:37.473-04:00

We had a birthday this week! Our Sam is 6 (that is closer to 10 then being a baby!) He had a hockey cake--two blue guys (Toronto Maple Leafs) against two red guys (Detroit Red Wings), of course the Maple Leafs had the puck.We had a little get together and some family came...(the guy who is almost not in the picture is not quite yet family...we can still cut him out)Some water balloons were thrown

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-8169097100247176002009-08-25T13:21:00.003-04:002009-08-25T13:31:35.105-04:00

Sam 18 mths: 32" and 29.5# (at that time he was 97th percentile)Josh 18 mths: 31" and 26# (50th percentile)Zeke 18 mths: 31" and 24# (50th percentile)So, Sam was tallest and heaviest and Zeke is the smallest.Zeke 18 monthsJoshy 18 monthsSam 18 months (and Brendan almost 12 months!)

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-90113541445595217082009-08-20T17:10:00.003-04:002009-08-20T17:17:47.514-04:00

Tuesday evenings in August local band/musicians perform at Meijer Gardens, and it is free for members. We always try to go to as many of these as we can. We listen to the music and it is a fun outing for the kids.This is the first one we went too this year, and what a difference from last year! The boys were really into the music. I was amazed at how much they loved to dance! It was so great

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-11107471975251429782009-08-14T14:59:00.005-04:002009-08-14T15:18:06.538-04:00

Swimming, or floating, at Nana's house! The boys love it...and they actually stop fighting for awhile!We went to Tiger's game with our friends and Sam and Josh. HOTTEST day- but we survived! Josh was bit tired at the end...Zeke stayed with Nana and grandpa, and they said he was good, but just seemed lost without his brothers!Was it a mouse?!?! NO- it was Zeke! Zeke says about three words, one of

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-71655563957487133382009-08-08T17:54:00.009-04:002009-08-08T18:34:30.519-04:00

Today, Saturday August 8, started out rainy and stormy- Kevin and I were heavy hearted as our thoughts were on the Vedra's. But, we had signed the boys up for a bike race, and decided to go downtown and see if it was still happening. It was, and as race time approached, the rain stopped and the sun even came out a bit. Here is the pictures from the kids race.Sam, practicing for the race.Race #

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-77516886955669849412009-08-04T15:48:00.007-04:002009-08-04T15:59:13.274-04:00

I think a good majority of my blog readers were actually with us all weekend and have already seen these photos. But yes, we went to Ontario for an engagement party and we spent a day at Marineland. Lot's of fun for the kiddo's! My kids had fun too =)

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-5976179771744898312009-07-30T09:19:00.004-04:002009-07-30T09:23:57.093-04:00

I can't believe how old Zeke seems! He really isn't a baby anymore. He loves trying to do whatever his brothers are doing. He is also a real ham- he always tries to make us a laugh. He loved running in the sprinklers the other day- so cute! Sam and Josh love him too- they really missed him when they went camping. Sam and Josh have also been doing their normal every day stuff- sandbox, hockey,

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-5214122239663208962009-07-17T20:49:00.005-04:002009-07-17T21:07:22.879-04:00

Our rocking chair was given to Sam Christmas 2004. He loved it, he kept his hand on it even as other gifts were given to him.That New Years, all the other kids that came to visit had to give it a try too.I remember, shortly after Josh was born, Sam enjoyed sitting in it and reading books. Sometimes he read to me and Josh, sometimes he just looked at the photos.Before long, it was Josh who loved

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-16716891152553451612009-07-09T14:23:00.004-04:002009-07-09T14:30:07.445-04:00

On the 4th we went for a bike ride with Grandpa John in the morning- it was a lot of fun, something I wish we did more often! In the evening we went to our friends the Greenfield's and had dinner and watched the fireworks. Zeke loved the fireworks! He was ohhh-ing and booming each time.

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-35144034666557616152009-07-03T19:52:00.003-04:002009-07-03T19:57:54.169-04:00

Day 4 we went to the zoo! It was an awesome zoo, we couldn't see everything, but we did see zebras, giraffes, and elephants (and big elephant POOP!) Sam also enjoyed seeing the arch. Later that night Sam and daddy went boogie boarding! Sam did great- no hands!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-70352478345334656322009-07-02T21:23:00.003-04:002009-07-02T21:28:13.934-04:00

Sunday we had another relaxing day. We went to church, napped, enjoyed time on the water and beach. We once again had a great meal together and ended the night with a bonfire and s'mores!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-77456395080588523192009-07-01T22:23:00.004-04:002009-07-01T22:31:27.167-04:00

Day 2 began with Aunt Carol's awesome cooking! The kids had fun playing around the house and then we all had a great breakfast together. Next we headed out on the water- Swimming, sea-doo and goofy grandpa!

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22067238.post-44747715487874345022009-06-30T19:15:00.005-04:002009-06-30T19:26:54.832-04:00

We just got back from a great vacation at Uncle Clay and Aunt Carol's house! They live on a lake in a small town outside of St. Louis. We arrived there on Friday and left this morning (tuesday)- so 4 days. I am going to post one day at a time- so you will have to check back each night or next day to see a new vacation post!Day 1- we drove the 6-7 hour trip, we left at 7 in the morning and arrived

rachelvshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07223587704439394717noreply@blogger.com0