Matthew's Soccer Tournament

Matthew's cheering section

Matthew in action

We went directly from South Haven to Saginaw, MI where our nephew, Matthew, was playing in his regional club soccer tournament. His team ended up winning their first two games and tying their last game. Unfortunately, their season ended after their tie due to the other team having a larger goal differential than Matthew's team. The most exciting part of the game was when Matthew scored a goal. He is a great player but is not usually in a scoring role due to the position he plays. He had not scored a goal in several years, so watching him score a goal on his mom's birthday no less, was super exciting for his cheering section!!!!

When we weren't watching Matthew play soccer we were hanging out with my sister, Stacie, and her husband, Patrick, as well as, Matthew. Stacie and I did some shopping while the men took the kids swimming in the hotel pool. Afterwards, we drove to Frankenmuth, MI which is an amazing, touristy little town. I totally want to go back! We ate outdoors and had a great meal at the local brewery. The view was excellent. The restaurant is right on a river with a covered bridge in the distance. After dinner we walked around to a few shops although most of them were closed for the night. After Matthew's game on Sunday, we headed back to Adrian with my mom, John, and grandma who had all arrived from Iowa late the night before.

My mom and John stayed until Monday afternoon and then headed back up to Saginaw to watch Matthew's last soccer game. Lots of driving for them! The kids had fun playing outside with "Spider Grandpa" as they have nicknamed him due to his tarantula tattoo. I think it is the perfect name for him as he has always loved reptiles!!! I should know I grew up with tarantulas, hissing cockroaches, snakes, iguanas, and tortoises all living on the other side of my bedroom door...

My grandma is staying with us for the rest of the week and will return to Iowa next Sunday when we drive back. It is always fun having Grandma around. Tonight she is even making us her special barbeque ribs. Score!!!

South Haven 2012

Sweet Cousins

Our family at the lighthouse

Trace on the pier

Sweet Sisters

Sand Castle Time

Kianna with the pirate ship

Trace getting buried

Burying Kianna

Burying Kaylee

Trace and his hole

Boo to the Sand Dunes at Saugatuck Dune State Park 

Mommy and girls jumping waves

Daddy and kids hiking at state park.

Daddy and girls playing in waves

Kaylee loving the beach

Kianna trying to surf

Bob and Becki resting in the shade

Kaylee surfing

Kaylee surfing

Aunt Sam and Bryker

Love Birds

Uncle Mike and Bryker enjoying Sherman's Ice Cream

The Cook's loving their ice cream!!!

Grandpa Bob and Grandma Becki

Cook Family

Langfald Family

Enjoying the wooden shoes at Nelis Dutch Village

Holding bunnies

Crazy kids

We just got back from a week long vacation in South Haven, MI. Trevor's parents rented a house for our family, themselves, and Sam's family. The house was just blocks from a beautiful, white sandy beach and a fun park. We spent our days mostly hanging out at the beach enjoying the nice weather and the sand. The kids LOVED playing in the sand. They also enjoyed trying to surf the waves on their boogie boards. Kianna's favorite movie is "Soul Surfer"and she currently wants to be a surfer when she grows up, so she was in heaven. Kaylee wants to have a "Soul Surfer" themed birthday party this year, so they were loving the large waves.

When we weren't at the beach we enjoyed visiting with family, playing games, catching up on a few movies, bike rides, running along the lake, playing at the park, good eats, and several day trips to Holland and Saugatuck. What a fun way to spend a week. Thanks Bob and Becki for such a nice vacation!!!!

I Got a PT Job Today!!!!

I had been praying for the past month that God would open the doors for me to find a PT job with flexible hours in the setting he wanted me to work in. I had been working on updating my resume and on contacting my references. In the meantime, I had asked one of my friends who works as a recreational therapist at a local nursing home about who to contact at her facility. She talked to the physical therapist for me and gave me her phone number. I called up Leann the PT and she told me that she was hired through a contract agency. I contacted Jen at the contract agency and was hired over the phone. I told her I only wanted to work on Tuesdays and Thursdays while Trace is in school and she said no problem. I told her I don't want to start until the Fall when the kids start school and she said no problem. I told her I didn't want to work weekends and she said no problem. I am so excited. I will be working at Lenawee County Medical Facility which is just a couple of minutes from the kids' school. It is an Eden Facility which means they want the nursing home to be a place where people come to live not die. To help create a nice setting they have pets that roam the hallways, share family style meals, and have a Head Start program located within the nursing home so the residents can interact regularly with kids. I toured the facility and was impressed. Now I just need to brush up on the things I have forgotten over the last 7 years...

Summer Goals

The kids and I sat down a made a list of what we want to accomplish this summer, so here it is:

1. Swim lots
2. Have lots of playdates
3. Visit an amusement park
4. Swim in Lake Michigan- (Goal Met)
5. Go back to Iowa to visit- (Goal Met)
6. Pick strawberries- (Goal Met)
7. Pick blueberries
8. Learn to rollerskate better
9. Run a 5k-Kaylee
10. Run a 1 miles race-Kianna
11. Run an 8k with Aunt Stacie-Mommy (Goal Met)
12. Find a PT job during the month of June to start in the Fall- Mommy (Goal Met)
13. Read 30 minutes a day-Kaylee
14. Complete reading lesson book- Kianna
15. Learn to tie shoelaces- Kianna (Goal Met)
16. Wash windows- Mommy (Goal Met)
17. Study PT books- Mommy
18. Visit Chicago's American Girl Store
19. Attend VBS
20. Go camping
21. Swim Lessons
22. Art Camp-Kaylee (Goal Met)

Sounds like a fun summer to me. Well other than washing the windows...

Summer Has Begun

Kaylee and her teacher, Mrs. Arnett

Kaylee had an awards ceremony during which she received a trophy for having memorized a bible verse every month during the school year. She was pretty excited about this honor. Way to go Kaylee!

Summer is now officially here as Kaylee stepped over the threshold of her classroom into the hallway and her teacher declared her a 2nd grader! What a big girl! To celebrate the start of summer we went out for lunch at Applebee's. Summer here we come...

Kianna's New Trick

Kianna flipping

Bryce flipping

Trace pushing Braedon on the swing

Kianna and Trace had their friends, Bryce and Braedon, over for a playdate today. We went outside and Bryce began doing front flips on the trampoline, which caught Kianna's attention. She looked at me and said "Mom, can I do a flip?" Being a physical therapist, neck injuries freak me out, so I told her to go practice her somersaults on the trampoline. She did and I couldn't help but hear Bryce coaching her to go a little higher. Pretty soon, I look over and my little girl is doing front flips and couldn't be prouder. Bryce was super proud too for having taught her how to do it. Of course, Kianna couldn't wait for Kaylee to get home from school, so she could teach her how to flip. Kaylee, however, wasn't quite as excited to learn. Way to go Kianna, you are getting to be such a big girl!!!!

Kianna Can Tie her Shoelaces

Kianna was eager to learn how to tie her shoelaces before starting Kindergarten this Fall and so she did. Way to go Kianna!