February 11, 2009

Skip to today.... February 11, 2009.... Wow.... couldn't quite get back to this... A lot has happened in the last couple months... Uncle Rob lost his mom and two brothers in a house fire/murder that devastated our family... So sad... There has been a lot going on with them and we are all trying to help out as much as we can.I'll try to back track as best as I can remember....Georgie turned 2 with a birthday party along with Dad and Justin too and family at our house!! He is quite the little man!! We had gotten both kids a new Arctic Cat Jeep over the summer that they love... George drives it better than Savanna. Greg always took them for rides around our house on his three wheeler and when the kids got this, George just started doing the same... It has a seatbelt on it and most times they wear their bike helmets when riding it!! Too cute...Aunt Marcy, Uncle Jimmy, Amara and Dama were at our house for Thanksgiving.... All I can say is "the dynamics of this family are unique..." and "the unfolding of your words gives light"... We had a ball together... They witnessed first hand the Friday shopping in Grand Rapids... ha ha...Christmas... Logan was with us for two weeks this year... Greg threw out his back or should I say ripped muscles in it and was down for the count... Not a very fun Christmas for him... He had to take the snowmobile out for a test run in Grand Rapids before going to pick up Logan and got it stuck in really deep snow... Won't do that again and it really laid him up for about a month... I had a cold on x-mas eve so that somewhat put a damper on the May family x-mas eve festivities... We were the first ones to leave. All three kids woke up x-mas morning to find that Santa did come!! The saying this year was "If no one gets presents... no one gets presents"... The kids got lots of toys, tent, fishing poles, etc. Logan got clothes of course, movies, sleeping bag, etc.We headed to TL by 2:00 p.m. x-mas day to try to make it for dinner with Gram Vic, Gramp Stanley, Blake, and the Bentgen family... We were late.... Couldn't quite get out of the house on Christmas day... But that was okay... We spent the rest of our x-mas vacation at the cabin... Savanna and George love it up there... Blake and I took Logan for a snowmobile ride to Strongs for a day... Trying to get her to learn to ride by herself.. She was a little frightened to drive on the trail with me behind her on the sled still. Put her on the straightaways (power lines) with two trails.Uncle Blake and his buddy, Brandon followed us home from TL. Dad, the boys and Logan all spent a day at Craigs Cruisers... Logan and I went shopping of course too and the boys went to a motocross event at VanAndel.Gina babysat for us a few weeks in January of 2009. Now she is off to the Americorp for a new adventure!! Dama was with us a lot too over the holidays and January helping out with the kids!! We all love having her around!!We ventured over to Port Huron for a weekend in January to visit the Bergers and everyone.. Jeff, Stephanie, Carson and Jeremy were at our house for the weekend before.Dad and I, Savanna and George went to the cabin by ourselves for the first time in a long time the end of January. We took you for a snowmobile ride everyday!! You loved it!! I took Savanna to the bar with me a couple of afternoons like I had over x-mas. She was live entertainment to the bar patrons!! I put money in the jukebox and played her favorite songs (Taylor Swift, Firecracker and Kid Rock) and she sang and danced for everyone!! She was quite the hit and had a ball!!3/19/09.... Milestone for Savanna last night.... Didn't pee her diaper!!!!!!!! Yeah!!3/20/09 .... Two days in a row!!??June 23, 2009 (just the day that I am writing all this)We decided to stay home for Memorial Day this year rather than going to the cabin as we had in the past.... We had a ball together and relaxed at home... We went up a week later though for Uncle Blake's high school graduation party. We actually dropped Sav and George off at Dama's hotel with her on Thursday night for two nights... Aunt Marcy and Uncle Jimmy brought you up on Saturday afternoon... Don and Bethany came for the weekend... Boat got launched and cabin lawn got mowed/cleaned up... Bethany and I helped Victoria with the party food as she had just had surgery on her hand again.. Sav and George had a blast at the party!! The bugs still love you though... You came home looking like you had the chicken pox. You only spent one night at the cabin. Georgie woke up and said "we are at the cabin" in total amazement.... Then 30 seconds later "Banna... We are at the cabin".... 30 seconds later he was racing out to our bed yelling "we are at the cabin"... They so love it up there...Sav and George are at such a great age right now!! You both are amazing!! When you ask George what his name is he tells you "Georgie Porgie"... When you ask him what Savanna's name is, he tells you "Savanna Banana"... He is so funny... He wakes up smiling and talking a mile a minute. People tell us that they can't believe he is only 2-1/2... He talks very well. I think his mind races so much and sometimes he can't get it all out too!! Ha ha... This year he is a master of his Arctic Cat jeep. He drives it one-handed sometimes with his play lawnmower in the passenger seat. Earlier this spring it was quite the fight to let his sister ride also. We had to learn to share all over again in the midst of throwing himself on the ground for his temper tantrum!! He is the master of his tricycle (the one with the special tires that his dad put on for him after his mom ran it over!!). And he doesn't let Savanna ride that too often either... It is HIS bike... Our garage is a collection of bikes. Right now I think we have 5 tricycles and 2 bikes with training wheels on. He rides his 2-wheeler (that Uncle Don got him at the scrap yard) but hasn't quite mastered the brakes yet. The boy has no fear!! He loves to be naked outside too... He has learned that he has a "peter" and loves to pee outside in the grass (hey whatever works for potty training). He is doing some going on the potty too but Mom and Dad aren't pushing him. He is signed up for school too this fall (Young 3s) but think we will hold off as we never sent Savanna (as I didn't know about it... Didn't matter anyway as she wasn't potty trained).... Or he could go the second semester too. Dad just got a new three wheeler and all he wants to do is ride or work on it with his dad... He gets into his dad's tools and is sometimes more of a hindrance than a help.... but that's ok!! We can't keep him in the house... He always wants to be outside. He is always doing, moving, something, etc. He is very big into "Thomas the Train" after getting one for Christmas from Gram and Gramp Ellis...Dad got them a new swing set/jungle gym this spring also that is quite awesome. Took him a couple of weeks to put it all together.Greg and I went on a four day sabbatical this spring also (Dama babysat). We went across to Port Huron and stayed with Jeremy overnight and hung w/ the boys for a night. Then we drove around the coastline of Michigan. It was very interesting to say the least as neither one of us had ever been on that side of the state's lakeshore. We couldn't get out of our Standish hotel fast enough (as in too afraid to shower even). We were amazed with the town of Presque Isle. And couldn't wait to take a shower at our cabin (which is scary because the water is so bad). I can't think of the name of the road that we were on when you get to the town of Cross Village but that was amazing too. We had a great trip and got some much needed conversation in. We decided that year 6 of marriage had been hard on us!! Or maybe a long, cold winter too!! But we are still here together and I am so glad we are. Business has been good and bad for Greg. He had four houses in the spring Parade of Homes this year which was awesome and sooooo huge. But the economy is so bad that everything has slowed right down. We are still making it though!! I am still working 3 days a week for Pete Bosch... This August is my 20th anniversary.Dama taught them that week that we are a "team" and we all put our hands together and say "go team"!! We are also all best friends!!Savanna.... What a hoot you are!! You too amaze us everyday with the things you say and do!! We are still working on potty training you. We have taught you to "squat to pee" outside which definitely isn't very ladylike but perhaps a necessity. I don't know if you hold it too long or what. You always seem to just "pee a little" in your panties before we get to the potty. But then again, everyday is getting better. Some days you have no "accidents" while other days we want to pull our hair out. Always peeing.... Except for this one time you pooped your pants maliciously.... We were outside in front of the garage and I asked you if you had to go potty and of course you said no. So you walked around to the front step of the house... I of course followed you and questioned you again. You then lipped off to me and told me "no mom"... So I moved onto the side of the house where the hose spicket was doing something and you went around back to the play set or somewhere in the back of the house and proceeded to poop your pants and then came out and told me. I think steam could have rolled off me, I was so mad. But I did not spank you. I took you into the house and cleaned you up, threw away you underwear as I was not cleaning it up (boy you were mad at that), gave you a lecture, and you sat in your room for sooooo long. Kelly, the neighbor girl came over to play with you and I wouldn't let you come out. You came to the house door twice (as Dad, George and I stayed outside) and wanted to tell me you were sorry... It was very hard to send you back to your room... but I did the first time and the second time I came in to talk to you. I think you were "grounded" in your room for at least an hour in order for me not to beat you!! I was so disappointed and wanted to show you that it was wrong. So far so good. You haven't done it again!! You are very excited to go to school in the "fall". You know that "Fall" comes after "summer". The other day you literally folded your hands in prayer and looked to the sky and said "Dear God, could we please have a dog to clean up Georgie and my food that we drop on the floor". It was sooo funny. Then you told me where babies came from too which was hilarious. Savanna mastered her two wheeler bicycle with training wheels this spring... She uses her brakes and goes FaaaaaaST!!Logan just got here for the summer on Saturday, Father's day... She is here for like six weeks with us. We are planning on being up at the cabin for 20 days in July which excites her very much!! Logan and Tessa (the neighbor girl) are babysitting Savanna and George this summer!! We asked her and she wanted to make the extra money!! She may be helping Gram Vic and Dama too this summer scooping ice cream. She got straight As on her report card the last semester of school which we are soooo sooo proud of her!! She loves to read books. We just went to the library yesterday and got her four new books to read while she is here (or over the next week). She needs braces and her mom asked us to take her to the dentist to get her teeth prepped for that. We didn't have a very fun time at the dentist. She found out she had 12 cavities.... YIKES.... So we are working on getting them fixed etc...

September 24, 2008

New milestone last night (September 24, 2008).... The time has come.... George is not a baby anymore.... Last night he climbed out of the crib all by himself... Savanna had gotten out of her toddler bed and came out for a drink.... 30 seconds later.... Here he is!! Greg and I just turned our heads and died laughing!! Then of course they thought it was fun time and not sleep time!! This morning... The same thing.... No yelling for "mamma" or "daddeeeeee"..... Not sure how he is doing it.... But here he came clutching his two blankies and his suckie... Telling me that he is "poopy" (actually he was soaked)!! Same thing though right!!I haven't updated in a while.... Guess we have been busy living life!! We were at the cabin for 4th of July weekend... Bugs were still bad... Our usual long vacation up there got postponed then until August, not only due to the bugs but also waiting for Logan to come back... She spent the month of June with us, went to her mom's for July and then back with us for the month of August... Somehow, Savanna got LICE the month of July.... We proceeded to butch George, cut Savanna's hair and treat everyone... Several times!! Sadly enough, we ended up giving it to Aunt Kathleen and Uncle Rob's family... So not only were we dealing with it, but so did they then... Then to top it off, just when we thought we got rid of it, Logan comes with it!! UGH!! Logan has one full head of long hair... Lice is not something you would wish on anyone!! Still don't know where we contracted it from, but now that is water over the bridge, right!!In August we went to Great Wolf Lodge before heading to the cabin for our 10 day vacation... Aunt Marcy, Uncle Jimmy and kids met us there and fun was had by all... We brought our neighbor girl, Tessa with us... Actually, she spent a lot of time with us this summer when Logan was with us... Don and Bethany came to the cabin for just a few days... Three wheeling, go-carting, golf carting, pontoon boating, tubing, visiting, etc. We had great weather and were not taken too far away by the bugs!!So it is now the end of September and Logan is back in school... Gosh, do we miss her!! We enjoy the phone conversations that we have though and will see her for the holidays.... She is growing so fast.... 13 years old now!!Savanna just had her third birthday!! We are trying to potty-train her and have our good days and bad days... She is big into pretend right now... She is also a big helper to us!! She always wants to help fold laundry and put it away!!

Logans month of June 2008

Today is my last day here until August, i have had a blast. I have done alot: like, gone the u.p (it was only a day but it was worth it to see everybody, accept i didnt see my aunt Marcy ): but i deffinitely will in August(:), i got to see my damma too! she came down for a couple of days, we went out to lunch with savanna and then went to kohls. Also we went to my aunt kris and uncle Andys pool, gone to church, went out to lunch with my dad, then we went to Craigs Cruisers (and i had a better lap time then my dad (:), also we went to my cousin Sam graduation party, i also hung out with my friend tessa ALOT! This last week she had spent every single day and night with me.(which right now she is sleeping down staris) Gina (the babysitter) and I made friendship bread, but we didnt make it right (of course), Gina spent the night one night and we had a movie night and watch The Bucket List, and of course i cried (my dad cried to but he just wont ammit it (:), also Tessa and I slept in her tent in her front yard when it was poring down rain and we had strong wind, also i went to the gym with kerryann, and we went to this class called buts and guts, oh my gosh it was hard but it was good to get a nice workout, i moved the grass too which by the way was much fun! (:, also i hung out with my sister Savanna and my brother George, even though there a pain sometimes there still my brother and sister (:, i also went to the Muskegon Summer Celebration and rode rides with Tessa and you dont want to know about the rest, and i am sure we did alot more but it would take me forever to write it all, but i had fun, LOTS! i am going to miss everybody ALOT, i am excited to come back in august and see everybody again. Well bye everybody, i love you guys alot. cant wait till i come back in august. (:

June 1, 2008

We took the kids on a bike picnic today (Sunday)!! What a riot and they did so good!! We ended up getting another bike seat for our bikes... I had Savanna and Dad had George plus pulled the cart behind him with our lunch, diaper bag, etc. We road down to Walker park which is behind Walker Fitness.. They have two different play sets back there, ponds, bike trails, etc. The kids had a ball!! On the way home we went down to the ice cream garage for a nice treat!! Didn't even realize that we had been gone for for 3-1/2 hours!!

Still struggling a little bit with George with the pink eye... It is horrible trying to get the drops into his eyes.... Sometimes need Savanna, Dad and I to all hold him down and get his eye open... Then he gets up and starts laughing at us!! Lil' devil.... He has not had a normal bowel movement for over a week either... Dr. thinks it is viral and can't do anything... He is still in great spirits though!! Dad has a Honda 200x in the garage and he loves to go for rides and sits on it all the time. He can get the kick starter out by himself and thinks he is so cool!! He also rides Savanna's little princess bike.... He starts at the garage and gives himself a push off, lifts his feet up and rolls down the driveway into the road... Naughty but truly smart little boy!! He does better than Sav ever did with the battery powered Jeep also!! Did I say that he is only 18 months old????!!

Savanna..... what can I say.... today is Wednesday and she helped Gina clean the tupperware cupboard out.... matched all the lids to the bowls... She knows her ABC's, can count to 15-20, can look at the pictures on the pages of her nursery rhyme book and recite or sing the whole story.... Knows at least 10 of them!! Can sing a ton of songs on the county radio.... But..... won't go on the potty consistently.... guess it will come in her own time!!

Logan coming this weekend!! YEAH!! Can't wait..............................

Memorial Day weekend, 2008

Thursday morning of Memorial day weekend started off with a bang!! Savy Jene woke up with what we later found out was "pink eye".... yee haw.... after a trip to see Aunt Beth at her office, and medication, we were off to the U.P.

We ended up spending the night with Dama at her hotel in St. Ignace. Savanna and George so missed their "Dama" and were so excited to see her!! Aunt Marcy was there to welcome us too!! After breakfast with Dama, we were off to TL!!

Our first stop was to see Aunt Kimmy for haircuts for both Georgie and Savy and a nice visit!! The kidswere in school and we were sad to miss them and Uncle Kirt.

From there we were off to see Grandma Barager who had been in Florida all winter and had just recently got back to TL.... After some cookies and homemade chicken noodle soup, Dad dropped the golf cart and off Mom and the kids went to the cabin... Cousin Tom had arrived and had a "bad pipe"....

Of course, we had to stop at the store and see Grandma Victoria for some ice cream and a visit too before we ventured out to the mosquito and black fly-haven of a cabin!!

As Savanna would say.... "my Donny and Aunt Bethany" came Friday night to spend the weekend with us... Dad and Don got the boat launched, the golf cart home from Uncle Dennis', a new-used swing set from Uncle Kirt and Aunt Kimmy set up, etc.

It was great weather all weekend, pretty warm.... and oh, did I mention that the mosquitos and black flies that chowed on the kids and drove the adults nuts... by the time we left, which was a day early because of the bugs, the kids looked like they had chicken pox and Dad called he realtor on the way home and listed the cabin for sale!! Don't go to the cabin on Memorial Day weekend!! BUGGIES!!

P.S. GEORGE LEARNED HOW TO SAY "BUG BITE" (HIS NEW NICKNAME)

Weekend of May 16, 2008

The kids and I went to work-out Friday a.m. for the first time in about two weeks... They had been sick and I didn't want them to go to the daycare with coughs and snot noses. They missed it and so did Mom!! Dad came home early and Uncle Chuck arrived shortly thereafter for lunch!! We went gardening shopping after... We brought the wagon and the kids got to ride around in it through the plant aisles (better than George tearing all the plants apart!!) Then stopped for ice cream treats!! We soon found that our fridge had went on the fritz..... again.... this has to be the 4th time since we bought the thing when we moved in 5 years ago... So off to various neighbors Greg went to store our food... What a pain!! Greg and I lit the candles on the deck and sat out and had a couple of beers... Pretty cool to have a bigger deck!! Thanks again babe!!



Saturday it was off to Menards again in the a.m. for more landscaping shopping!! Greg (and the kids) re-did all the landscaping in the front yard and it looks great!! Uncle Rob and Aunt Kath and family came over for lunch and to see the new deck... We had a nice afternoon visit!! Pete Bosch's 50th b-day party that night and Kayla Boos, the neighbor girl came over to babysit the kids that night.

Sunday was church at Holy Trinity and Gram Dunneback's birthday party.... Getting ready to head to the cabin next weekend for Memorial day!!

MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND

May 12, 2008
Wonderful weekend at our household! Greg spent the majority of the weekend building a bigger deck on the back of the house. As of Sunday night it was completed and looks great!! He even had time to make me breakfast on Sunday, take me out to lunch, pick up the house, etc.!! What a wonderful husband I have!!

Kids are still suffering from their colds... Snot galore it seems and coughs... But verry happy to be outside in the warmer weather!! They are quite the riot!! George only wants to be on the golf cart, three wheeler or motorcycle going "vroom vroom"!! He does it so well!! He definitely has the word "no" down pat too!! Growing like a weed... won't stay out of the road.... typical boy who gets into everything.... but oh so cute!!

Savanna is beautiful and her Daddy tells her so every day!! We are trying to potty train her to not the best avail!! Bought her "gummy bears" and she gets one every time she goes on the potty... Guess it comes when she is ready!! Very talkative and knows it all.... Her latest saying is "Mom... what do you want to do? Huh Huh? What do you want to do? Do you want to go outside, or go downstairs or swing? Huh Huh... what do you want to do?" I laugh every time... Makes you realize that you need to stop doing the laundry or whatever chore doesn't need to get done and just PLAY!! Enjoy your kids!!