Random GH pictures

We have had almost 50 inches of snow in Grand Haven this month alone!! It's been pretty rough going but we have had some fun too. We're supposed to have heavy rain and warmer temps this weekend and flash flood warnings.

Some random pictures from home and the boys Christmas party at school.

Christmas in Flint

Sunday, the 21st, we went to Flint to Grandma Cindy's and had Christmas with them and the Henry cousins too. It was bitterly cold and snowy but the kids still played outside. Grandma made the boys capes and they LOVE them! They have been having great adventures with them. Jeff and the boys stayed overnight and I ventured back to Grand Haven where we had had 20 inches of snow and hit blizzard conditions on the way back thanks to the wind and snow. It was not a fun drive!

Happy holidays to all

Matthew was sitting at the breakfast table and the boys were goofing around and not being very pleasant. I told them they better behave seeing it's Christmas Eve and Santa is watching and getting ready to leave. I told him I could email Santa an update on his behavior.

Matthew replied, "Mom, I will give you all my money not to tell him"!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not above accepting a bribe, is that bad Mom behavior???


We're eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Newman family. They traveled through horrible conditions yesterday and only made it as far as South Bend and stopped for the night. They will make it today although it is snowing, again! We have had over 25 inches of snow in the last 5 days and it just keeps coming! We're on track to set December records. Yesterday, I heard "White Christmas" on the radio and even I said, "WHITE ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!".

We took the boys to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra with us last night, I will post pictures later. What a fun experience!! It was the 8th year for Jeff and I to see them and they never fail to amaze us.

Merry Christmas to all....peace, joy and happy family-filled times. We'll be back with lots more updates soon, if we aren't buried in snow.

Trip the weekend before Christmas

We went to Grammy's for the weekend last week. We made cookies, did some sledding, and Grammy watched the boys while Jeff and I went off to see "Wicked" again. It was a great show, my cousin Blake is in it and we went backstage and saw him and had a nice visit with him. Lots of snow in GP and on our trip. It was just the beginning of a verrrrrrrrrry white Christmas.

True words!

Matthew's new shirt from Grandma Kris and Papa Mark:




The boys also got their first report cards ever this week. I will post them later tonight.

Kelley Christmas and the Jingle Bell Parade

Took the boys to see the Grand Rapids Griffins Friday night. Chris Chelios was playing with them to get back in shape from his leg injury. It was fun to see him and $10 tickets for fifth row seats plus dollar beer and hot dog specials can't be beat. We are going to try to get to more games soon.

Despite the blowing snow all day, we had lots of fun hosting Kelley Christmas at our house yesterday. Poor Jeff had to shovel the driveway, the snowblower wouldn't start and he had waited until just before company arrived. That was not fun. Hayley made a new friend with Uncle Mark and they shared lunch. The kids played wii in the playroom and didn't even notice the rest of us were eating. It worked well, they were the second shift at the table. Jonathan was not a happy camper that he had two gifts and Matthew was proudly exclaiming he had four. All was well when Jonathan saw there were many gifts inside one! I bonded with cousin Teagen, all it took was my baby doll, a light up Christmas necklace and some webkins to play with. Little girls are so much fun, I told her mom we need to borrow her more often! Grandma was happy to have almost all of the family together (Papa Mark and Grandma Kris are in Arizona and cousin Michael was busy snow plowing) and said we need to have a family picnic in the summer. We're sure up for more gatherings if they are all as easy and fun as this one was!










Then, we bundled up beast and boys and headed downtown for the Jingle Bell Parade. It was snowing like crazy and the wind howling but so pretty and so much fun. The boys got bags full of candy and giveaways. We met up with the Stoepkers and were so busy chatting and watching the parade we didn't take many pictures. It's such a fun parade.





The boys were asleep in less than 10 minutes after getting home. A day full of fun. Today's mission is to find the perfect Christmas tree!! That, and steal, umm borrow, Papa Mark's snowblower. Lucky guy won't need it!

Snowy December

We have had over a foot of snow this weekend. I had beautiful snow on my back deck, with just a few dog footprints going through it. Picture perfect....




Then....boys!!! Goodbye beautiful snow! Every house on our street looks so pretty with their white sparkling lawn. Our yard looks like someone has been driving a John Deere repeatedly across it. Oh well, the boys are having fun and so is Hayley.

V.I.P.

The boys have a VIP each week in their class. Jonathan is next week and Matthew will be the following week. They have to pick pictures of their lives, answer a favorite things sheet, and tell a story and draw a picture to go with it. This is what they did.

The VIP gets to help Mrs. Bauer all week, be the line leader and all kinds of fun things. They are each taking in some 9-1-1 things to give their classmates and I may go in and tell them about 9-1-1 a bit. They also want to bring Hayley in. I'm not sure the class is ready for that one!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. We're having a celebration with Grandma Cindy and Papa Terry and the boys are looking forward to their arrival this afternoon.

Class of WHAT????

You see that right, proud members of the class of 2021 for Grand Haven High School!
Wow.

The boys' class has a new senior high mentor from the class of 2009. She will be in their classroom 2 times a week helping out and telling the kids about her experiences in the schools and encouraging them. They are very excited. Even if she is a girl, yuck phoey spit...

The Dinner Conversation

Tonight we had an issue at the table. The boys refuse to get to know any of the girls names in their classroom, they refuse to learn anything about them. They are girls, ewwwww. Apparently, cousins Katy and Lainey are the ONLY cool girls on the planet and all others are not worth even a mention or a fraction of their time. They are seriously idignant about having to even sit next to a girl in school.

The boys are going to live with me, never get married, and not have kids. I'm ok with that, Jeff is not so much. Matthew says he is going to marry me. I did point out that I am already married and Matthew said he will wait until Jeff dies. Poor Jeff.

Jeff's ego is bruised. He's also a bit worried that Matthew is THRILLED with the color of the primer of his bedroom. Matthew was furious with us when we painted over it today. He wanted a hot pink room!!

I can't help it I have corrupted the children...

The Caped Crusaders Ride Again

The boys couldn't come to an agreement on what they wanted to be for Halloween this year. After much debate, delay and frustration I ruled that they would be Batman and Robin again and we would try for new outfits next year. They were happy.

Grammy came to spend a few days with them. They had beautiful weather (we walked with them on Halloween in short sleeved shirts!). After their party at school they talked Grammy into taking them to Crazy Bounce to play Thursday afternoon. On Halloween they had no school so they took advantage of the 60 degree plus weather and Grammy took them to the zoo but they were scared by yellow jackets and retreated to the safety of a McDonalds playland (a scam by the boys if I ever heard one). They did a bit of trick or treating downtown and then we hurried off to hit the neighborhood while Grammy passed out candy at our house.

We stopped to visit their friend and former daycare provider Missy and they posed for one picture with Grammy but there was loot to be had and no time for posing for pictures!!