Life in Our House

The Little People of the House.

2011-11-15T14:26:00.000-08:00

Feeling extra thankful today for my little people

Apparently he was Contagious.

2011-11-14T13:32:00.000-08:00

Who knew that one child with a broken bone playing with another child could result in two children with broken bones. I guess Simon didn't want to be alone:-)

I am only kidding, although Ethan and Simon were playing tag when Ethan fell:-)

Ethan broke the bone right above his elbow and will wear a full arm cast for approximately 4-6 weeks. Since this picture he's received a new cast that is all the colors of the rainbow:-)

Pumpkins carving a pumpkin

2011-11-14T13:23:00.000-08:00

A yearly event in our house, and this marks the 3rd and so far the easiest:-)

Ethan and Abby loved every minute of getting dirty. Clara...... not so much.

It took Clara several tries to work up the courage to stick her hand inside the pumpkin, and when she did the picture above perfectly depicts her reaction.

Clara cleaning herself off, and Abby taking over:-)

~Myrtle Beach 2011~

2011-10-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

This month is always an exciting one in our household, we do our annual Myrtle Beach 2 week vacation! It is a wonderful place to spend 2 weeks with our family, and my sister and her family! We spent most of our days on the beach relaxing, boogie boarding, and swimming in the pool and lazy river. We also took some time to visit some tourist attractions, and eat at a few of the thousand restaurants there are to eat at:-)

Each of our children were allowed to buy one thing while we were there. Ethan has been asking for a boogie board so that is what he chose, he spend hours and hours each day riding the waves, it was the best thing he could have picked! We were spoiled that Ricks sister Steph and her husband Scott were also there for one of the weeks, and they spent SO much time with our kids! It was so awesome to have the extra hands to watch and play with the kids! WAY more relaxing than the last few years!

It was our first year without playpens, diapers, bottles, sippy cups, highchairs, strollers and all that other "fun" baby stuff that needs to be taken with on a vacation.

So blessed that these are our kids!

Attic Reno Update...... Yes, its about time.... And no, its not done

2011-09-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

9 months have come and gone, and so has our faithful Reno man who went off and got married and moved away ( but finished all his work first) :-) So, we are very close to the end of the list of what still needs to be done. The bathroom ( other than paint which will be done by me.... when I have time) is ready for the toilet, and sink, and faucets which are currently in Clara's closet.... would LOVE TO see them out of there and in use! The shower is also on the list, but will most likely wait a few months..... which I'm okay with.

The Bedroom is done, just needs carpet.

The closet ( my favorite room so far:-) needs a bit more paint on the built-ins and carpet, and bars for clothes. And then.... its done!

We've come a LONG way since January....

Check out the beginning .Here.

Family.

2011-09-19T18:11:00.000-07:00

Where did my baby go?

2011-09-16T04:17:00.000-07:00

This overly sweet little girl is 2 and a half. She loves everyone, and everyone loves her. From fighting over who gets to sit by her in the van, to who get to help her get her pj's on at night her brother and sister just love her!

And what is not to love? She basically doesn't have a mean bone in her body ( yet, anyways. ) She smiles at everyone that makes eye contact with her wherever we go, she is always ready to give hugs. At 4 am when she comes to our room and climbs in our bed, I ask her what she is doing here and her response is.... I just love you mom:-) lol.

Her need for punishment is a stern look, and then she is in tears sobbing, then the heartfelt apologies are overflowing. She is our baby, but yes..... not so much a baby anymore.

She can still be found taking a late unplanned nap, while just cuddling ( I love it).

She is a joy.

School.

2011-09-12T05:54:00.000-07:00

Week two of homeschooling is starting here today. Last week went better than I expected! I enjoyed sitting with the kids and helping them through the work they had, and seeing the progress is just a few days is quite amazing! Its unbelievable to me how quickly children pick up things and remember them. Although I guess I shouldn't be surprised seeing how they often remember days later promises I made, things I said, and things I shouldn't have said:-) Children are little sponges.
Ethan loves every minute of it, ready for the next thing he is going to learn. Abby ( my stubborn girl) has spent a few days already with her arms crossed refusing to work. She always has a valid excuse though..... her arms are sore, she's tired, or she just isn't going to do it. But, so far I have always won, and her work gets done:-)
So, so far its going well. Praying that it continues this way:-)

Limberlost 2011

2011-08-18T06:24:00.000-07:00

Last week I was invited by my parents to join them on their vacation. Rick has been working up north so he wasn't going to be home, and since we went up north he was able to spend the weekend with us!

My dad spent a few hours each day fishing with the kids, and taking them for walks and to the little park that was behind our cottage, it was nice to have that time to myself and I know they loved hanging out with Grandpa:-)

My mom is an early bird, and so is Ethan so they hung out every morning before everyone was a wake, so nice that I didn't have to get up at 6 every morning! I tried to tell Ethan that he should stay in bed cause its to early to get up and he said, but Grandma is up waiting for me:-) It was cute.

Every night my dad and the kids would light the campfire and I would bring out the smores:-) Then it was off to bed for them so us adults could relax. ( Kids really don't understand how much they can stress you out walking in the fire pit..lol)

Abby caught a catfish, she was SO proud!

I think Uncle Simon, and Uncle Luke really enjoyed having Ethan around to bug :-) And I loved watching Ethan get bugged instead of being the person bugging, I think it was good for him:-)

This was a friend we met while we were there. We saw one bear on the road and 4 at the dump.

It was a wonderful week, and I'm very thankful that we were able to go!

This and That....

2011-08-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

Well, we are busy busy packing away to spend some time with my family at a cottage up north. Rick will be working up there for the next 9 or so weeks, so we will get to see him for the weekend while we are there! We are also praying that we can find a place for us all to stay for September ( one that is clean, and has a bathroom, that would be nice:-). So if you know of anyone in the North Bay/ Sudbury area with a place to rent, we'd love to know about it!

Here are some pictures from my iphone of our life happenings... just because, we all like pictures:-)

A visit with Opa and Oma Pennings

Yup, still have the braces but the smile is looking great:-) 3 or so more months! :-)

By the way, the attic now as trim, that is painted, along with build it closets that look beautiful, but aren't quite done so the pictures will wait:-)

Algonquin 2011

2011-08-03T17:49:00.000-07:00

Can't complain about the view out here!

Clara is almost potty trained, she used it faithfully the entire trip, and she loved all the encouragement. :-)

We had a great time in Algonquin with some of our closest friends, especially nice since we all have kids around the same age. They kept each other busy all day, everyday:0)

Clara was still a bit small to take on hikes, she would trip over tree roots, and wanted to be carried (she isn't light anymore!)

Almost everyday was a beach day!

Lauren, Ethan, and Jack caught fish that were big enough to eat!

Summers in Full Swing

2011-07-15T04:47:00.000-07:00

July has been busy around here, but a great busy, things are getting done!
The kids just finished 2 weeks of swimming lessons, and loved it, and learned more than I thought they would in months and months of lessons! Who thought my kids could tread water ( even if it is only for 40-50 seconds), jump into the deep end and swim to the shallow end, and slide down a slide and swim to safety. I was very impressed, although possibly more nervous now knowing that they think they can do these things .... we will be working on that!
Strange, that really is the only out of the ordinary thing that I've been doing this month and its only a half an hour class in the middle of the day, but it really makes me feel busy! Sad, but true.
Renovations are still going, its a after supper thing so the progress is not as quick, and its not every day, but things are coming together! Updated pictures will becoming soon.
We have a camping trip planned, and the kids are excited about it. Ethan is especially excited that he will be able to run across the road at the campground to see his friends. It should be a great time, just hoping that the mosquitos don't eat us alive! We are NOT tenting this year, thankfully:-) I don't think I'm a tenter, I prefer a floor, and a bed off the ground:-)

We've made a change of plans over here in regards to schooling for Ethan and Abby this coming year. After much thought and prayer we have decided that this year it will work best for our family if we ( I ) homeschool them. I LOVED my days just with Clara, but, I also know that this could work really well for us, at least this year. Rick will be spending quite a bit of time up north and we hope that this will allow us all to go, if he is going to be up there for an extended period of time.
I think I'm looking forward to it, it is only kindergarden so I think I should be alright!
I've already started to look into ordering books ( thanks to my Friend Mel :-) she's got me excited about it!
Enjoying the beach, and our friends pools, BBQ dinners, and walking in the sunshine at 7 pm. can't complain over here:-)
Hope you all are enjoying your summer as much as us!

Clara singing Oh Canada

2011-06-17T05:22:00.001-07:00

Oh Canada

Some Outside Before and Afters

2011-06-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

Before After

We finally are starting to work on some exterior painting we've wanted to do since we bought this house 5.5 years ago. We are not sorry to see the green go! The blue/grey is so much more us! Our red bricks are hard to find good colors to match, all the deco shows say do a tan or brown with Red brick, but we wanted color! And we love it!

A small case of the CHICKEN POX

2011-06-09T19:52:00.000-07:00

Ethan had the vaccine, but he apparently was in the 5 percent that still get chicken pox even though they received the vaccine. I am still thankful that he had the vaccine since he only had about 15 or so spots and they seems to only bother him once in a while. Clara and Abby, so far have not shown any signs of it. :-)

Just Me

2011-05-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

There is nothing better than eating breakfast with just mom and dad!

Clara LOVES her days when the others have school, some Mondays Rick will go in to work a bit late so we can have breakfast out together, which is then followed by an expected stop at dollarama to pick out a balloon. This was something we did once, and now she thinks it's an every time thing, and it does make it special.

Attic Renovations

2011-04-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

Drywall is up :-) Waiting on a new window, and a taper:-) Its really nice to see it at this stage!

Yes, this is a view of my closet:-)

Bathroom, coming together nicely.

What will be a shower with a seat, with glass walls and door.

Carpet, tile, and paint are picked. There are a lot of people that think we should put hardwood in the bedroom, and closet. But we have choose carpet, currently we have to much wood in this house, and are looking forward to the warmth and quietness that carpet brings!

The dust settles daily, and I try my best to just let it be. And think to myself, when its all done it will be worth it.

We don't really have a time frame as of now when we plan to move in the attic, since summer is coming and our house needs exterior repairs while the weather is nice so we will probably take a break from the attic for some of the summer to focus attention on the outside.

Confessions of this everyday life.

2011-03-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

Its March, as I sit here and type there is a little boy playing his new favorite love, a Nintendo. Abby is weeping on a timeout, because I informed her that her time playing Nintendo has ended and unfortunately the reaction wasn't good. Clara is sitting in front our our washing machine saying "weeeeee" as she watches the dress she wore to church yesterday go round, and round, and round.
This is my life at this moment.
I think I am a routine person, I like to think I am organized, and I like to think I have this house under control.
My day consists of specific things I do, with many little things that pop up to do all day.
I like to decorate, and find a better way to make things work for me in this house.
I find myself rearranging furniture WAY to regularly! But for some reason the house feels cleaner if I've moved a few things around. :-) I have had my livingroom in 2 different rooms of my house, and have had my furniture rearranged at least 10 or 20 different ways, probably more. I move curtains all over my house until I find the "right" spot for them, I reorganize cupboards to the point of annoyance for my husband, who can never find anything, because its never in the same spot twice.
Wow, reading back makes me believe I must have to much free time, or maybe I'm just not using the time I have very wisely.
Anyways...
we will continue.
The chore I dislike the most is emptying the dishwasher. Its getting better, but I have for many years washed by hand just to avoid emptying the clean dishes out of the dishwasher.
I know, its weird.
If I could ask Rick to take over one thing I do everyday, that would be it.

I have a lot more I will write, but for now I'm done:-)

Enjoy your everyday life, enjoy your time with your little children as I'm really seeing how fast time really does fly. Put down your broom, stop cleaning, and read your little one that follows your around all day a book or two. I'm sure we all won't regret spending more time with our children, and less time re cleaning all the stuff that we just cleaned yesterday:-)
Everyday is a gift from God, filled with blessings.
As Clara climbs all over me, hinting at me to get my bum off this chair, and spend some time with her.... away I go:-)

Just saying Hello.

2011-03-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

Attic Renovation

2011-03-11T05:57:00.000-08:00

Around Christmas time we had a lot of family over as we do every year, and with that came a lot of people:-) We decided that we wanted more space so we could have these lovely people over more often, and since there are families that come from out of town extra bedrooms would be wonderful too:-)

I wanted to go to the basement, and make a nice rec room with a nice sectional with a pullout couch, a bathroom, and even possibly a guest bedroom. My husband had other ideas. In fact we had completely opposite ideas. He wanted to go up.... way up.

And so, we started the renovations.

Our attic up until now was a cold space, FREEZING cold in fact. Or I guess if it were summer, I would say it was unbearably hot.

Not anymore:-)

Knee walls were built, electricity was brought up, and spray foam was sprayed.

And tada, just like that a nice, warm space:-) ha ha, pictures make the process look like it was all done with a simple click. Well.... not really so.

But, I'm glad we are to this point. Currently we are waiting on plumbing, and the walls are going up.

Oh, I guess I didn't mention.. this will be our Master bedroom, with an en suite, and a walk in closet! Sorry my dear family that was suppose to get a nice guest room... you can have our old room:-)

As for our children who litter the toys from one end of my house to the other.....

Well this was our basement... okay its usually not messy like this, but we were taking down ineffective insulation and so I moved all the junk to the middle, and then thought I should have taken a before picture... so this is the closest thing to a before... anyways.

Now the kids have a clean ( not nice) but clean, space they can call the playroom.

Someday we will most likely so something better to the space, but for now we focus on the attic.

Don't you LOVE the purple spray foam? My girls were thrilled, me not so much but the warmth that has come to our house since this spray foam makes it all worth it.

Winter

2011-01-22T06:12:00.000-08:00

Ethan and Abby love to go outside, but usually it is short lived. They are out for maybe 10 min. and are banging on the door to come in. We have since created a 15 min. mandatory outside time. Once your out, you must stay out for 15 min., so far it works quite well.

Clara is an entirely different story, she wants to go out only because they want to go out and she feels like she should "want" to do what they do. Truthfully, she can't stand it outside. She refuses to keep her hat and mitts on, and will walk around outside with many of the following facial expressions. It really is, quite hilarious.

Rick, who faithfully keeps our driveway clear often has a shadow that follows close behind.

Then there is me.

My Wonderful Family

2011-01-21T17:29:00.000-08:00

Its January, a lot is happening around here, just like everyones houses I would imagine.

God has blessed us with another new year, and there are SO many things for us to be thankful for in this new year!

We are currently ( again) in the reno modes ( I guess we caught the bug). Our attic will soon enough be the home of our Master Bedroom, which is very exciting for us!

We have been through the ringer in the last few weeks with the flu, and are happy to say that we "think" it has left the house, thankfully! Which left behind countless loads of laundry, dirty floors, dirty rooms, a tired mom, and kids that just felt like jumping off the walls:-)

Ethan celebrated his 5th birthday on the 15th of this month, but all my pictures are on my sisters camera so we will have to wait to post them.

God has truly blessed us as a family, we are so thankful to him!

She's 4

2010-12-28T10:49:00.000-08:00

I told Abby to pick out something to wear, this is what she chose....lol.

Family Update Nov. 2010

2010-11-15T16:02:00.000-08:00

Ethan is a happy, kind, friendly, compassionate, considerate, caring little man. (Most of the time).

I will often find him counting his hockey cards, or building forts, or wondering through the basement chasing lions with his toy gun. He loves school so far, and strongly believes I should go to school to, so I can be as smart as he is:-)

Abby is unbelievable. That is often how I describe what is going on when I find her in the middle of a disaster, which if I find a disaster Abby is usually in the middle of it. She is a sweet, loving, joyful girl.

I often find her singing in her room, or playing with her toys completely in her own little world, she does not like to be disturbed. She loves school, but she does everything in slow motion and so getting her ready for school can be difficult:-)

Clara is sweet. She is full of love, and joy. She loves to dance, and is often found dancing by the phone while it rings. She wants to be big, but we want her to stay little. She often brings me books to read.
She is loving her Mommy time while the kids are at school, and so is mommy:-)

Carving a Pumpkin

2010-11-09T16:55:00.000-08:00

Since we didn't trick or treat, we decided we would spend the evening ( after church) carving a pumpkin.

The kids were very excited, and kept getting a little to close to the sharp knife I was using. It was a lot of fun. Clara loved every minute of it, until we lit the candle and turned the lights off. Then she cried, and cried, and cried, and cried. And she continued to cry until we put the pumpkin outside, down the stairs, and totally out of sight. And still everytime she sees a pumpkin (ANYWHERE) she is instantly upset.

Myrtle Beach 2010

2010-11-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

We spent 2 weeks in Myrtle Beach this past month, it was so wonderful to have our family together for so many days! It was such a blessing to be together, and we loved every minute of it!

We spent our days on the beach, and in the pool. It is a vacation we treasure and we hope that at least for the next few years (while the kids are still young enough to be able to miss 2 weeks of school) that this is where we will be 2 weeks out of October:-)

Some good quality days with Daddy:-)

Clara was very unsure of the ocean, and clung to me for the first several days, but by the end she was jumping and splashing as long as I was right there:-)

The ocean is really an amazing thing. The tide changes by 2 hours everyday, and so each day we would park our chair by the water, and would either be moving back every hour to avoid the water, or by the end of the day the water would be so far out we would be moving closer so the kids wouldn't have to walk so far to get to the water .... very cool to see the change.

We had many bury the children days, which was fine since everyday was bath day after dipping in that salty water. I found it fun to not care about all the sand since we didn't have to drive it home. We went straight from the sand to the shower.... nice:-)

hmmmm.... not really my idea of a good time..... feeding the birds..... and getting pooped on in the process... oh well it REALLY didn't bother Abby:-)

This girl, whom could care less about being tidy, and clean is the most joyful little soul. She spent her days rolling in the sand, playing with the mud, singing and dancing around the beach:-) Love that kid:-)

Can't believe I have kids going to school

2010-09-25T11:28:00.000-07:00

Ethan and Abby, all excited for the first day of school!

Growing Up.

2010-09-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

Wow, time just flies. When did my baby get so big?

Vacation Summer 2010

2010-08-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

We spent a week in Algonquin with some friends, and some family. It was our first time camping, I went in to it thinking I would probably hate it, and it would probably be the one and only time we ever went camping. But, I liked it.

This is how you give a baby a bath while camping:-)

Our Family Video

2010-08-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

I've spent some time over the last year since I bought this computer creating a video for our family. I have always loved doing projects like this and was thrilled when our new computer had programs to help me.
Don't feel obligated to watch it, it is 7 min long. but thought I'd share it.
Our Family Video

Sisterly Love

2010-07-30T04:36:00.000-07:00

Inside is looking better :-)

2010-07-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

Its Almost done! Only needs a few pieces of trim around the window, one door, and some stain on the oak trim. Oh, and some of my own touches, like curtains, rug, and some new matching dishtowels ...ect.
Loving it!

What going on outside my front door?

2010-07-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

This is what is outside my front door, yes.... that is suppose to be my road:-)

Summer 2010

2010-07-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

After 12 years.......

2010-06-19T05:21:00.000-07:00

This week I met up with some friends that I hadn't seen in about 12 years. Crazy how time flies.

Kathryn recently moved from Alberta, and Lisa is about an hour away so we all met up a park! It was a wonderful day, and a great time reconnecting with old friends.

African Lion Safari

2010-06-07T03:33:00.000-07:00

On Saturday for Ricks Birthday we decided to take a drive to the African Lion Safari. What a great trip we had, I would highly recommend it to anyone! Very cool to see all the animals that you would normally never see, just walking around your vehicle!

My Project

2010-06-01T05:29:00.000-07:00

Since I can't seem to pick a paint color for the kitchen I decided to turn my itch to paint onto another project that I had. I went garage sailing a few weeks ago and picked up this desk that someone had started to sand and given up on (for 10 dollars). I thought it would be an easy fix some sandpaper, and some hard work..... well, turns out it was more like lots of sandpaper, and even more hard work. So I decided that just the top would be a wood finish, the rest an antiqued white. Which still took a lot of time, but in the end I think the result is better for our dark wood filled house anyways.

Project Cost = About 40.00 and I have a new desk!

The Chair is next, but I am already having a hard time deciding on fabric for the cushions!

2010-05-25T05:42:00.000-07:00

This is Abby, this is a look I get whenever things just aren't the way she likes them.

We spend a lot of our day outside lately. The kids are currently loving chalk, there is something really great about having the entire driveway covered in their artwork.

Clara doesn't love the way the pavement feels so she crawls with her knees up. So funny to watch

Soccer

2010-05-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

So, we signed Ethan and Abby up for soccer which started this past Tuesday. What a blast it was to watch them play!

Good-Bye Beautiful

2010-05-17T05:55:00.000-07:00

We were forced to say good bye to all the old trees on our street this month, as they are making room to widen the street, and apparently these trees that have been standing here for the past 96 years had to go.
We were very sad to lose them as they added quite a bit of character to our street, which now looks bare and sad. Did you know that if a tree is over 100 years it can't be cut down, but instead gets a historical plaque put on it? Sneaky city cutting down all these wonderful trees 4 years before that could happen.

ANYWAYS, I'm done ranting. Here are some pictures of the damage.

The things they say.

2010-05-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

Mom - "Clara are you stinky again! "
Abby- "Mom, if you keep feeding her, it will keep coming out"!

Ethan- "Mom, why does God make people all different, but some cars the same?"

Ethan - "Mom, we can't see God cause he disappeared. Thats why we can't see him")

Ethan- "Mom, when I die I will be with God right?"
Mom- "Yes, but why are we talking about that".
Ethan- "Mom, God is everywhere right?"
Mom- "Yes".
Ethan- "Mom, when I die I can't be everywhere"!

Abby - "Mom, I really love you".
Mom- "Thanks Abby, I love you too".
Abby- " Mom supper was yucky, but I really love you mom".

2010-05-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

Ready For Paint!

2010-05-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

Well, our walls are ready for paint!

This past week and new window was installed, the walls were sanded, new oak trim was installed around the new doorway, and crown molding was put up. Now comes my job..... paint!

Hoping to find time this coming week to get that started, then in about 8 weeks our new kitchen should be in!!! So excited!

Our New Kitchen Tile

2010-04-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

Our tile floor is in, and we are awaiting some quotes on cabinets!

I'm loving the space, and really LOVING how easy it is to clean this floor compared to what was there before!

Snap Shots

2010-04-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

Kitchen Renos

2010-04-09T05:39:00.000-07:00

So we got this crazy idea, instead of moving we would renovate. Our goal.... to create a large inviting kitchen where we can entertain our families and our friends. First step: Get Rid of Large wall.

First Step: Complete:-)
The floor is almost complete, and the mudding is getting sanded today ( OH THE DUST) !
But, I'm not complaining since the end result will be amazing!
Next step : New Window and paint.

1 Year Minus 2 days.....

2010-03-28T18:27:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that our baby is almost 1 year old! The year has flown by, and I enjoyed every minute watching this little sweetheart grow. Clara has been such a blessing to our family bringing us so many smiles, and so much laughter! We are truly blessed to have this little lady in our lives !

Sudbury

2010-03-09T06:54:00.000-08:00

This past week Rick had to go work in Sudbury again, and we decided that we were tired of being here while he was out there..... so we followed him:-) He drove his work van up and the kids and I followed him in our van (yes, just me against 3 for over 6 hours without a cd player might I add).

We spent a morning exploring Sudbury, and of course you can't go to Sudbury without visiting the BIG Nickel, it just wouldn't be right!

They also have a lake that they clear a path on and you can skate around, we didn't go skating, but it looked like a great thing to take the kids on when they know how to skate!

We took the kids to a place called Science North, which I highly recommend going to if you happen to be in Sudbury. The dinosaur you see above moved its whole body if you walked in front of it, Abby did NOT think that was very funny. They were really cool to see.The kids and I spent our days in the indoor pool, watching movies in our room, walking outside, playing with a box toys I brought, and coloring. Our room had a kitchen, and one bedroom, and a livingroom, and bathroom. It was hard to get the kids to sleep at night since they were all in the same room, and they got up really early since Rick had to get out the door early and he was slightly loud:-)

Over all it was a really great break from the everyday normal life, we had fun and were very thankful to see Rick every night!

Around our house

2010-01-21T04:28:00.000-08:00

This is what I found last week, Clara didn't seem to mind playing the part of a caged Lion.

Hanging with Auntie Bethany

Clara, very excited about her new big girl carseat!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-28T20:44:00.001-08:00

December 2009

2009-12-20T14:26:00.001-08:00

Abigail celebrated her 3rd Birthday on the 17th. It was a lot of fun to watch her open presents!

These Last Few are From our Penning's Christmas

Its always fun to reconnect with people at Christmas, and its awesome to see all the kids together! All of the children below are great grandchildren to my Dad's parents.

The oldest is only 5 and there are at least 20 and many more to come I'm sure!

(this shot is not all of them)

Patiently waiting for Christmas gifts!

Almost 8 months

2009-11-26T06:28:00.000-08:00

A visit with Oma and Opa Pennings

2009-11-25T15:09:00.000-08:00

What a blessing it is that my kids get to spend time with my Grandparents!

Update:-)

2009-11-10T13:19:00.000-08:00

Thought it was about time that I sat down and updated my blog, for those of you that still check it:-) Hope all is well in your homes, and that the last few months have been has good as ours have been.

In our house since my last post:

Clara is now 7 months old, and sitting on her own for long periods of time. She isn't really crawling but some how manages to get where she wants to go. She's eating baby food, and baby cookies:-) She sleeps through the night, and is the sweetest little baby you'll ever meet!

Abigail is nearing her 3rd birthday (December 17Th), and is doing all the crazy things 2/3 year old's do:-) She's potty trained, and as independent as they come:-)

Ethan is growing like a weed, and is full of knowledge that he seems to pick up every where and from every thing around him:-)

We spent 10 days in Myrtle Beach, and had a great time as a family! It was so much fun to have Rick around all the time to help out, and the kids loved every minute of it!

Well that's all the updating for now, can't wait to see all my relatives at Christmas!

Clara is 5 months Old!

2009-09-01T06:02:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that its already been 5 months, yet in many ways it feels like Clara has always been here!

Clara is a 12.5 pound bundle of happiness, she is always looking for faces to smile at, and already on the move rolling from front to back, and back to front!

School Days

2009-08-31T04:46:00.000-07:00

Well, its about time I finally sat down and did a blog post!

Summer, sweet sweet summer.... Where are you? Why did you not come like you always do? Why do I find myself thinking its still May and that summer just hasn't started yet?

I can hardly believe that next week our street will be busy with the hustle and bustle of brightly painted school buses, and children walking with ridiculously white running shoes (which by the way ) will only be the white until recess. And clothes that are really to warm to be wearing, but they are new so they must be worn. Funny how that is.

I always get a sick, panicky feeling in my gut when I think about the first day of school, and I haven't had to go for years now. I feel for anyone that has to climb on the bus, or open the school door on the first day of school.

When I was in kindergarten, school and I did not get along. I would stand at the end of my lane way with my brothers and sister waiting for the bus to come. As it would pull up and come to a stop I would make a mad dash for the house, knowing that my mom would not have time to carry me back out to the bus, and also knowing her heart was to big to carry me back out kicking and screaming (because that is what I would have done). Unfortunately for me, my dads heart strings were not pulled quite so easily, so, when he started walking me out to the bus and physically putting me in my seat the mad dashes had to end. Then there was always the sick at school thing. Which, from what I remember I really was sick. I felt sick, I probably looked sick, but as soon as my mom walked through the door in the nurses office... I was almost 50% better, the other percent would come as soon as I knew my mom wasn't going to make me stay at school.

When I think about how I felt as kid going to school, and coming home there is one think that I remember more than anything. I knew that no matter what kind of day I had when I got home my mom would be there to greet me with a hug and a smile. You may think that being home for your kids isn't that important, but trust me, it ment the world to me!

When my kids go off to school next year this is something I want to do for them as my mom did for me. When they get on that school bus I want them to know that when they get off I'll be waiting for them. What a blessed thing it is have the opportunity to be a stay at home mom, I wouldn't trade it for anything!

So all you kids out there that have to get on that big scary school bus, and smell that nasty school bus smell, and write your name ever so neatly on that first piece of paper in your notebook next week, I'm thinking about you!

My Little Clara

2009-06-29T13:16:00.000-07:00

She's growing:-) She is now almost 10 pounds, and she has little rolls starting on her legs:-) and we can't forget those cubby little cheeks:-) Clara is such a happy little baby, and oh so much fun to cuddle with!

Life with Three

2009-05-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

My One Month Old

2009-05-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

Clara is just over a Month Old now, and doing very well. She is such a good baby! We are enjoying every second of her!

Clara

2009-04-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

Clara Marie Van Dyk

2009-04-02T11:55:00.001-07:00

It is with GREAT joy and thankfulness I would like to introduce you to Clara Marie!

Clara was born on March 30th, 2009 at 11:26 pm!

Clara decided to surprise us and come 4 weeks and 1 day early, and was still born at a healthy 6 pounds and 9 ounces! What a blessing!

I cannot even describe how happy I am as I write this, I am SO thankful that she is here!

Ready and Waiting...

2009-03-19T13:08:00.000-07:00

If only the title meant I have 15 meals and dozens of baked goods in the freezer, my house completely organized right down to my sock drawer, a pantry stocked full of food, and I was literally just sitting here twiddling my thumbs because I am SO "Ready" that this baby needs to come just to give me something to do....... if only that were what I mean when I say I'm ready.

Unfortunately for me..... those things, at least most of them will never happen (at least all at the same time). I do have the baby's clothes all washed and put away in her new dresser, bedding is cleaned, diapers are bought, I keep making cookies to have stored in the freezer but they keep disappearing within days of being baked. I keep making extra meals and freezing them, but keep using them when I feel to lazy to cook now....lol. Well, only 5 and a bit weeks to go till my due date. I'm trying not to think about the fact that Abby was 2 weeks early, since that really has nothing to do with this pregnancy and I could very well go two weeks over due, but I can hope a little can't I?

I had my first Obstetrician Appointment this past week, and all is well for which I am very thankful! I go back in 2 weeks, and then every week after that until she arrives!

No, its not twins, and no its not an elephant.

2009-03-09T03:38:00.000-07:00

Approximately 7 weeks till my due date.

I think its just hilarious the comments people give when you start to get big (although I'm much smaller than I have even been this far along) ... I think anyways.

Are you sure you don't have two in there?

Are you sure its a baby?

Boy, you could be carrying an elephant!

You're Huge!

You're ready to pop aren't you!

Are you crazy?! (this is a comment I despise as I walk with my two well behaved children, and my growing belly), and if they aren't well behaved... well then its worse, and I feel like sitting on the floor and saying "yes, yes I am crazy".

So, 7 more weeks. I pray that all goes well in the next 7 weeks, and that God will guide us and help us raise this child, and our others to his honor and glory.

2009-03-09T03:29:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Christine came for a much needed, WAY over due visit.

Mom's Stay Home

2009-02-27T04:53:00.000-08:00

Ethan- "Mama, Daddy is at work right?"

Mom- "Yup, Daddy has to work".

Ethan- "Yup, Only Daddy's go to work"

Mom- "Should Mommy go to work"

Ethan- (in pure horror) "NO, mommies can't work. They have to stay home with Ethan's!
I Love mommies to stay home with me!"

Made staying home feel special, and it was weird to know that he really appreciates that I'm home with him.

Snap Shots

2009-02-12T19:03:00.000-08:00

27 Weeks

2009-01-27T16:03:00.000-08:00

Ethan's 3rd Birthday

2009-01-27T15:54:00.000-08:00

On Jan. 15 we celebrated Ethan's 3rd birthday. I invited a few friends with kids around the same age as Ethan to come and celebrate with us. Ethan had the time of his life!

He was SO excited that I was making jello cake with cool whip and sprinkles for his birthday, he talked about it for days in advanced only to take ONE bite and realize.... he doesn't like cool whip:-( But he did love the cake itself.

Grandpa Comes for a Visit.

2009-01-27T15:48:00.000-08:00

Well, as most of you know my dad broke his leg over the Christmas "break". Since he has so much more free time than he ever has had in his life, he's been spending and getting to know his grand kids a lot better. My kids now constantly talk about going to grandpa and grandmas, when before it was just grandma's since it wasn't too often they saw Grandpa when we went during the day. I love that my dad has had so much time to hang out with my kids, and the kids love it too!

The End of 2008, and the Beginning of 2009

2008-12-31T07:02:00.000-08:00

I always find it sad to start writing a new year, and difficult to get use to! As it takes me the 9 or so months to really remember without thinking to hard about it what year it really is, soon enough we start another....sigh.

This past year has been so full of unexpected changes, sadness, loss, and yet so much joy!

God has truly been with us everyday, in all that we do! And praise God for that!

Its always scary to me to think about the year ahead, so much could change, so much will happen yet I must remember that God is in control of our lives and will always do everything to his honor and glory, and all things work together for good! God has always done so in the past and will no doubt continue to do so in the future!

Do not worry about tomorrow, tomorrow will worry about itself! Oh if only we could really truly do that, we would all be so much more at peace!

Well Good Bye 2008.

2009 will not be boring with our new little girl arriving in the end of April , and 2 new nieces or nephews also coming in 2009. God truly has blessed us!

Happy New year Everyone!

Christmas Time

2008-12-31T06:37:00.000-08:00

Playing Jenga with Uncle Bill and Shawna, Ethan was SO into it... oh the concentration in his eyes!

Making Funny Faces Just like Uncle Bill. Ethan wants to be just like Uncle Bill when he is big and jump out of planes!

Ethan likes to help everyone and anyone open up their presents, here he is helping Opa

Van Oorspronk!

Bill and Shawna

Abby and Santa

Rick eating a half eaten piece of pecan pie Lauren left to go to waste....lol. Lauren how could you leave pecan pie on your plate!

Happy with his gift

Helping Grandpa open his gift

Abby

Ethan SO excited about his New Buzz!

Mark, Abby and Bethany

Amelia and Emily

Ethan and Aunt Lisa

Christmas time is fun, but oh so busy! What a blessing to have family and friends to celebrate with! I spent many story times trying to explain to Ethan that Christmas is Jesus Birthday, which he thought was pretty cool. Although he didn't like that Jesus was born in a stable, he thought he should have been born in a house...lol.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Abby's Second Birthday

2008-12-31T06:24:00.000-08:00

My Baby Girl Is 2!

Hard to believe that its been 2 years since we brought her home, yet I can't remember what life was like without her! She is has been such a blessing to us, and provided us with so much laughter and joy! She is known to many as our crazy Abby. She is so full of spunk and determination, nothing will get in her way, and I mean Nothing!! We now have 2 children that are 2 for the next little while, and its not too difficult to tell in our house that we have 2 children dealing with the terrible 2's, but there times they play so well together and I can tell that they are the best of friends!

How Could You Not Love it?

2008-12-03T05:54:00.000-08:00

My Beautiful Kids

2008-12-03T05:18:00.000-08:00

These are some shots from my sister in laws wedding.

What Did She Eat Part 2

2008-11-27T15:02:00.000-08:00

For those of you waiting to find out what Abby ate......

Every morning we make our way into the kitchen for a Banana, oatmeal, waffle, or cheerios and with that the each get one Vitamin. Yes, that's all it is .... a simple little Flinstone Vitamin. Every morning she looks just like this, a long with the 5 or 10 red, blue or green hand prints I find scattered around my house. My daughter has to be one of the messiest eaters I have ever come across. She looks like this with a Vitamin, you should see her with Spaghetti!

Ethan's Stitches.

2008-11-19T16:04:00.001-08:00

Just thought I'd post a picture of Ethan's stitches. He appears to be healing up nicely and the stitches can come out as soon as I work up the nerve to do it, or I take him to the doctors:-)

What do you think she ate?

2008-11-19T16:00:00.000-08:00

Take a look at my Abby, what do you think she ate that made this big disgusting mess??? Any ideas....???
Take a guess. I guarantee it isn't want you think it is, in fact I didn't know it was possible to get so messy eating a __________.
I will post what she ate in a few days. Oh, and it was something that she could eat.

Not Me Monday

2008-11-17T05:41:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I did not spend 3 hours in the Emergency Room with my 2 year old that tripped on the rug and smashed his poor little head on the coffee table. I did not keep him quiet and happy while waiting by giving him candy after candy, after candy. I did not feel annoyed that even though there was blood running down my child's face and into his eye that we had to wait 2 hours to be seen. I did not feel like crying for him when they wrapped him up in a big white blanket to hold him still and gave his poor little head stitches, I was not sad, and I did not wish it was me instead of him!
I did not tell my child that he could have a box of smarties when this was all over out of the vending machine down the hall, and I did not feel like kicking the silly thing when the time came it wouldn't take any of the money I had, and my child was devastated. He did not cry about this as he is 2, and he understands that sometimes things like this happen.
I did not think it was funny when Ethan got upset yet again when we came outside to snow, and he worried that it was now Christmas and we didn't even put our tree up yet!
When we came home Ethan did not make daddy feel guilty about the fall. Rick did not feel so bad that 2 minutes later the tree was being set up in my living room days earlier than I wanted it to be. Ethan was not happy about what he had just accomplished. Since setting up the tree was Rick and Ethan's idea I did not have to do it all alone, and it did not take me hours.
I was not exhausted by the end of the day, and I do think this is a routine I would like to do every Saturday!

This is a sarcastic post about events that did happen to check out where this started click on the link below.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r208/jennisajoy/BLOG%20DESIGN/ONCEUPONABLOG/NotMeMonday.jpg"/>

I never knew....

2008-11-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

I never knew that

I'd forget to change from slippers to shoes to go to the store

I'd forget to do my hair and makeup before going to church

I'd be excited when diapers are on sale, and when a huggies came out with a new scent for their wipes.

I would wish I wore a bikini while I could have....lol.

I would forget what my stomach use to look like.

I would forget to eat breakfast, and lunch because I was to busy.

I would listen to Ring Around the Rosie 50 times on a 50 min. trip.

I would use the words "don't touch" so many times in a day

I would consider doing groceries alone, a morning out.

I would love kisses even if it meant getting a snotty kiss.

I would have 500 pictures to develop of one person

I would look in the mirror to make sure I don't have mouth prints on my shoulders.

I could love 2 little people so much

I could love 1 little person so much without even meeting them yet!

Until...... I became a mom:-)

Check out another moms I never knew post at www.hopeandafuture.blogspot.com

Not Me Monday

2008-11-10T04:21:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought that since there are a lot of things in the past days that I did not do, and would not do I would share.

Last week I did not let the laundry fall behind and have to run loads twice because they sat in the washing machine until the point where they got smelly, I would never fall behind in my routine, and no matter how bad my week was I'd still make that extra effort to make sure all the clothes were in there proper place. I would not just wash and put away Ricks clothes so that he wouldn't notice that I am behind.

I am not annoyed that I own the worlds most annoying coffee table (as nice as it looks), it doesn't bother me that I have to wipe it 10 times a day to have it looking nice, and it for sure does not bug me that every time my kids walk by they can't help but make a new hand print on the freshly washed glass. I am also not one of those people that spend wasted effort picking up toys in the middle of the day, that would be silly since my kids aren't don't playing with them. I also wouldn't waste my time straighting out pillows on my couch over 20 times a day, putting throws back on the couch neatly, straighting out the rug, and I have even heard of people being crazy enough to straighten the fringe on their carpet, and getting annoyed when that gets out of place in minutes. I would never do that, but I'm sure there are crazy people out there that would!

This past week I did not happily carry my dog into its new home with a wonderfully big smile on my face, I would never give my dog away! I would not be one of those wives that gives her husband a dog for his birthday and then asks for it to go away on hers, that would just be odd.

I am not writing this with a big smile on my face either, as I, as any normal animal loving person was just devastated that my in laws wanted to have the dog, and was even more devastated that I now don't have a dog staring at me right now as I write this, and I even get a little sad that it isn't following me everywhere I go, and I'm not tripping over it constantly. I was totally not happy to see it go, and I miss it like crazy.

Well, there are a lot of crazy things that people in this world do, and I am happy that I am not one of those crazy people.

Have a great week everyone!

(to understand this post please check out
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r208/jennisajoy/BLOG%20DESIGN/ONCEUPONABLOG/NotMeMonday.jpg">>

Not Me Monday

2008-10-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last week I did not go to Walmart, and leave my van doors unlocked only because I'm to lazy to lock them. I also did not make a list of 8 things I need to buy and only buy 3 of them and I most certainly did not buy 10 or 20 other things that weren't on the list. I also did not go back out to my van thankful that I didn't lock it due to the fact that my keys were hanging in the ignition, I would not do that.
Last week I faithfully make a big delicious suppers every night, I would never skimp out and make meals like instant soup, or order pizza. I would never do that. I also would not get upset when I finally do make a big meal and my husband calls and says hes working till 9, and will probably eat before he comes home. I would just happily eat alone, and save the rest for another day.
I am most certainly not one of those silly pregnant people that over react to the small things, and I most certainly don't get weepy over commercials, music, or things my kids say to me.
I am also not keeping a certain dog just to keep my kids from being mad at me, I would never keep something just so I wouldn't be the bad guy. I also would not wish that when I let it out to pee that it would just not come back, that would be horribly mean and cruel of me.

And just so everyone knows, I would never put a movie in for my kids to watch even though they've already watched one today just so I could write this in peace. I would not do that.

Renovations

2008-10-25T05:22:00.000-07:00

When summer started for some strange reason beyond my control I had the urge to finally de-wallpaper my entrance way, and my living room. Approximately 3 weeks later, one really sore neck, 4 layers of wallpaper (including the ceilings in both rooms), and way to much stress, and mess later.... this is what it looked like. ( I will never buy I house with wallpaper again!)

After a month of just looking at the walls like this I decided that the fixing and painting of the walls, ceiling, stairway (and ceiling in the way to high stairway) was not going to be done by me who had just found out that I was pregnant. I am very thankful that I didn't do it myself as it would have taken me days, and there is no way I could have done it with the kids running around my feet!

The before picture of the living room is slightly inaccurate as the picture above was photoshoped to see what it would look like without the wood trim, and silly me accidentally deleted the original. The wood trim was really hard to work with so we did end up taking it down, and are very happy with the result of that!

I haven't hung any pictures yet, only because I'm scared to put the first hole in the wall! I'm sure I will eventually, just want to make sure I know exactly where I want them before I do it!

My livingroom is now my favorite place to sit, so cozy at night! So nice to have it done!
Its not completely decorated the way I want it to be, but that will come in time, and with money:-)

Fall Photos

2008-10-09T05:18:00.000-07:00

Well we are really hoping to get a family picture done this fall but for now Rick and I just took the kids to the park and I took some snap shots of them. I think they turned out really good.

Its hard to believe that Abby will be 2 in December and Ethan will be 3 in January, time really does go way way to fast. It is so much fun right now to take them out, they can both walk beside me and hold my hand while we walk, they are both quite independent when it comes to playing at the park so it tends to be a nice break for me, and they are starting to spend more time playing together and less time fighting.

Baby #3

2008-10-09T05:11:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce that we are expecting baby #3 due April 28th! Most people are probably already aware of this news, but I thought just in case I have some blogger friends that don't do the facebook thing I should put it on here as well.
So far everything is going really really well! I have only been sick a few days here and there, and not nearly as tired as I was with Ethan or Abby which I am more than thankful for!
God has truly blessed us with this exciting news, and we are really really looking forward to having a little baby in the house again!

The Brantford Airshow

2008-09-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

Abby hanging out with Oma VanDyk and Aunt Jane

This is Ricks brother Will

My Dear Christine

2008-07-29T17:31:00.000-07:00

Christine and Megan Megan and Kirby
Laura and Gerdy
Christine and Hank

This past Saturday was my dearest friend Christine's wedding. I was honoured to be part of her wedding, unfortunately for me and my camera that means I don't have any pics of the actually wedding:-( In fact I don't even have any of me in my beautiful dress! But when I get some I will post them... but for now I will post what I have!

Snap Shots...

2008-07-29T17:23:00.000-07:00

Abby and Daddy hanging out. Abby likes to get up after Ethan is sleeping its almost like she knows she will get quality Daddy time when she does this!

A visit from a friend

2008-06-20T05:48:00.000-07:00

A walk in the park

2008-05-26T17:11:00.000-07:00

Abby thought the bridge was pretty cool.

Ethan running like the wind up and down the bridge!

Taking a good look at the ducks and the fish.

What a beautiful creation God made!

o k

Our Front Porch

2008-05-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

The kids and I spend a lot of time hanging out on our front porch watching the cars, bikes, and people walking their dogs. That is one thing nice about living on a busier road, there is always something to watch.

When I take my camera outside, Ethan always makes sure his comes too.

Ouch....

2008-05-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

Well, its just one of those things that every child will go through... probably more than once.

Abby took a dive on the pavement, and this was the result.

She's fine now, but man what a sad day this was.

Pictures at the park

2008-04-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

A Typical Meal

2008-04-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

Well..... I don't have a lot to say about these picture.

Our little Biker

2008-04-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

Thank-you Aunt Jane, and Uncle Terry for the bike!

Ethan loves it and tells everyone and anyone who comes over to go look at his new bike!

A sign of nice weather at our house.

2008-04-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

This is how I get my kids to sit in one spot if I need to get something done. Its messy but it keeps them happy, for a good 10 minutes!

My kids...

2008-04-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

Van Dyk Look-alike Meter

2008-03-01T05:59:00.001-08:00

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

Van Dyk Look-alike Meter

2008-03-01T05:55:00.001-08:00

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebs - Collage - Morph

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

Wishing eveyone a happy Valentines Day from us to you!

God’s Valentine Gift

God’s Valentine gift of love to us

Was not a bunch of flowers;It wasn’t candy, or a book

To while away the hours.
His gift was to become a man,So He could freely give

His sacrificial love for us, So you and I could live.
He gave us sweet salvation, and Instruction, good and true--

To love our friends and enemies

And love our Savior, too.
So as we give our Valentines, Let’s thank our Lord and King;

The reason we have love to give

Is that He gave everything.

By Joanna Fuchs

Happy Birthday Ethan!

2008-01-17T06:18:00.000-08:00

Ethan had a great birthday filled with many gifts, vistors, cake, and way way to much candy!