Kayte's learning

While my grandmothers were sitting down playing a game, Kayte pushed a chair up behind G.G. (which stands for Great Grandma), stood up on the chair and began giving her a backrub. She's learning from her big brothers.

apples and pumpkins

Yesterday we went to Apple Hill, an apple orchard just down the road from us. The kids love the hay maze and pumpkin patch. And this year we walked out into the orchard and picked a random assortment of apples, enjoying them along the way.

They have some bunnies, donkeys, goats and little piggies - which Kayte loved.

Jack is 4 now

Sunday was Jack's birthday. After church we went to Macaroni Grill and one of the waitresses sang to him, in Italian, in opera style. I only got the last part of it on video but his facial expression were hysterical!!!
He has learned to show how many fingers he is! Ane then he just played with that delicious cake!

The spoiled boy also got to go for ice cream that night because our local favorite, Dairy Twist, had it's final night of the season. We closed the place out! The group picture was taken in the dark.

Baseball!!!

On Friday night we had our 2nd annual company baseball game. There were three bus loads plus plenty of independent drivers that went from Express Seed Company and Green Circle Growers. The kids thought the bus was extremely cool! When we got there we all gathered to eat, and a nice lady gave me the small pennant flags you see sticking out of the kid's hats. They thought those were cool too! (Bet you couldn't have guessed that!)

To our kids any time spent with their cousins is something to get excited about, but Friday they were at a place that they were allowed to scream as loud as they wanted.

I don't know how much of the game they actually watched (except T.J.) They were too busy being frustrated that no one else was doing the wave with them.

Our seats were right next to the bullpen, which they loved leaning over and looking into.

The 7th inning proved interesting when a huge brawl broke out on the field, we sat in the stands trying to figure out what was going one, while I'm sure everyone at home had full commentary on it all, either on T.V. or radio. For us we just had displays on the board telling us there would be fireworks after the game.

We entered the 8th inning three runs down, but someone (forgive me, I don't know who...) hit a three run homerun. The ball bounced about 4 rows ahead of us and landed in the bullpen. The men down there were kind enough to throw it up, and guess who caught it!!! That's right, good ole lefty with the bright red cast!!! It made his night! (not to mention they handed out bobble heads at the entrance - that Mom got to carry around all night).

Kayte had a great time, but didn't make it all the way through the game. She did wake up in time for the fireworks though.

why it's been so long since the last post.

First, let me start by saying that all of this is written with a smile on my face. No complaining just explaining.


Here is Kayte with her Daddy. If you look close you can see the fading bruise on her cheek. I honestly don't remember where it came from, only that it came AFTER she fell out of a cart at a garden store on Labor Day. She's a tough one!


Our school had a mix up this year and our supplies have been late, but coming in slowly. The main thing missing was the print outs. So I set out the night before school to print things out...I had no idea it would take two hours and all my ink. Poor TJ couldn't read half his papers!

The next week we managed to remember to buy ink, but wouldn't you know it, we ran out of paper.


Then during school, TJ says "Mom I can't find the mouse". After coming over to his computer I realized that the screen had frozen. Once we had restarted it about a dozen times we accepted the fact that something was wrong, so we turned it in, determined to have a good attitude and press on with school despite our many obstacles.

Sometime during these past few weeks we've been to the orthodontist twice. Once because TJ lost a screw from his appliance, and a second time to learn that Chatham is going to get an appliance!

Saturday we had our back to school picnic, after raining for two days it actually stopped long enough for TJ to go out and play football....and break his arm.

Sunday we went to church and Chatham fell asleep during the sermon (which isn't anything really new) but then he fell asleep in the foyer, and also at the restaurant where we went because Aunt Carebare and Jessica had come for a surprise visit. He and Mak fell asleep at the table and didn't touch a bit of food. By the time we got home all three of the big boys were raging with fever and sore throats.

Monday I decided to prepare for this weeks school (we may get to it before the week is done). I finally printed everything out for this week, and guess what! The door bell rang with the delivery of all our printed material.


So life has been busy for us, each day an adventure!

Today is a sit back and wish there was something better on T.V. day!!!!












And then there is Jack who it seems is never content. But as you can see his last big adventure is not too noticeable, anymore.

Labor day pool "olympics"

Uncle CJ had the boys compete today by doing things like freestyle race, relay race etc. The final competition was on the diving board. First was the pencil smallest splash round, then came the cannon ball largest splash round. The final one was about creativity. They had pratice rounds where they did flips and funny things, but when the real thing came this is what Chatham did and no on expected it! He won.

Below the concept was for the kids to stand on the raft and see if the big boys could make them fall off just by jumping near them.

The next one is the same concept only Uncle Scott threw TJ for a loop. It was TJ on the raft and uncle Scott was supposed to do the jumping.

TJ calls this one his "gymnastic flip"

Mak loves to do flips.

Nina

About 10 years ago I was helping teach a junior high girls class at church, and there was this spunky girl named Nina who came with her neighbors. She is an only child of a single Mom who worked a nurses hours. For some reason Nina and I hit it off and she began coming over and babysitting for a Bible study in our home and then spending the night. That's how it all began, the journey since then has been what we lovingly call a rollercoaster. I have experienced the teenage years and now some of the college years. Through it all it has been a blessing to me to watch how God has worked in her life. There have been difficult times too, but even those God has worked together for good, because He is a faitthful God. She has become my best friend. In some ways I liken it to a child who grows into a friendship with their parent, and now here we are getting ready to say good bye. She leaves tomorrow and words can't explain how we will all miss her. I gave her the following verses for they say it better than I can:

Phillipians 1:3-7
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about you since I have you in my heart.

My Favorite story

The other night Mak commented that his light didn't work, so explained that it was likely that the bulb had burnt out.


While he was replacing it I had the following discussion with Jack.

Jack: Mom, someone stole the power. There was a farmer guy, I saw him.

Mom: Where was I?

Jack: You were at college. There was this farmer guy and I saw him. And he came in and took the power, so I went in, and I took it back.

And wouldn't you know it, the light was then working!

Below is a picture of the front of our house. They finally took down all the scaffolding. There is more to be done like taking down the plywood "door" and finishing the columns, but the general idea is there.

Lorain County Fair

We went to the fair last night.

First we walked around and saw lots of animals...but touched none of them. We also so things like pumpkins that were larger than Kayte. Then we debated over rides or food first. We opted for the rides.

It was a good thing...otherwise Aunt Abby would have lost her lunch, so to speak. She was sweet and offered to go on a ride with Mak that he needed an adult for, but neither of his parents were willing. Abby now knows she is no longer a ride person, but Mak's appetite for them has increased.

Jack's treat was to throw a dart at a balloon and win a prize. We were shocked he did it in one try. He named it Volcano.

vroom vroom

We stopped in a sport vehicle shop to buy helmets for Opa and the first thing Kayte did was climb on this mini bike. I have no idea where she learned the vroom vroom thing.

playing on the swingset

Just some fun shots and video of Jack and Kayte playing at Opa and Oma's house while their big brothers swam. The video sounds are bad because there were lawn mowers going. Kayte may be little but she has no fear!

Big brothers are home!

It was a quiet week last week with TJ and Mak at their Uncle Chris and Aunt Carolyn's house. Plus Chatham had VBS, so Jack and Kayte had to learn how to play with each other - once that was done it was very quiet, but ever since Sunday night when Mak busted into the house announcing "We're Home" it's been a whole different story. Jack and Kayte are glad to have him back.
Here's an after picture of Jack's stitches. We're putting scar medicine on it daily, but so far we think it's looking pretty good. What we didn't tell you is that after he'd taken it easy for a week because of the stitches we realized that he couldn't lift his head because he had whiplash! We've finished medication for that, and he's almost back to his normal contrary self!

Our Camper

In all the excitement of Jack and the E.R. I never posted pictures of what happened earlier that day. T.J. is at his first ever week of summer camp, with two of his best friends - Zachary and Scott. It's amazing to me how excited they were to be in a run down old cabin with the only evidence of electricity being a lightbulb hanging from the ceiling.

Not all the kids had arrived before we said goodbye, but they had all included each other and were full of cabin pride! I know he's having a great time!

Warning: Not for the faint of heart

The Lord has a way of reminding me of priorities. We were stressing over problems with the construction of our new house while our little monkey was jumping on the bed. Jack fell off and broke his head.....no more monkeys jumping on the bed. There was almost no blood, but it was a deep gash....full thickness laceration for those interested in the technical terminology.
They had to strap him down, but he remained SO calm.
My little boy was a brave kid, he actually almost fell asleep while the Dr. was stitching him up.
Here he is at home, all smiles. I think it's harder on the parents than the kid.

Attempting the impossible, and almost succeeding!

Today we took all van Wingerden Grandchildren to get their pictures taken.

First try was a little rough, several of the little ones weren't happy. I can't help but laugh at Kayte in this one!

Second try, put the Mom's in. Kids are a little happier, but Mom's aren't thrilled.

Third try, doing a little better.

Fourth try, when they finally listen to the Mom's and put the bench in, success - or nearly. Will wasn't going to be happy no matter what!

I do have to add that Jack wasn't "Happy Jack" today, and the only way we got him to do this picture is that I am back there holding him up so he would be tall enough, yet hiding so I won't be in the picture.

And somehow I managed to get all my kids to smile for one!