Happy Halloween

We were so lucky to have Daddy home to go trick or treating with us this year. He actually had to work but he gave away a few hours to go out with us. He has only been able to do so for 2 years and it is a real treat. We went to Grandma & Grandpa's house first and then Auntie Kimberly went out with us. Christian was tired after a few blocks and wanted to go back to Grandma's house. Auntie took him home while we finished trick or treating. Nicolas ran ahead to collect as much candy as he could. He even took Gabey's bag to get candy for him. Matthew really liked going up to the doors and telling everyone that he wasn't an alligator or a crocodile, he was a "MEAN CROCODILE" - it was very cute. Gabriel rode in the stroller for a long time. We had done about 5 blocks when he figured it all out and wanted to go by himself. He ran up saying "Trick or Treat" all the way up to the door and then he just stood silently there when the door was opened. He did say thank you. We had a great night and I love doing Halloween in my mom's neighborhood. I see lots of friends and it is nice to always be bumping into old friends. I don't know if Steve likes that aspect of it as much because he pretty much keeps having to stop while I chat with friends. So, here are my little cuties...


Mattie is dressed as a "Mean Crocodile" this year. Don't let his smile fool you - this little guy will bite.Nicolas dressed as a farmer. I think all the time we spent at local farms this year encouraged this costume. Now, if only we could have a farm ourselves.
All the boys on Grandma's porch.
Christian was the cutest little lion. We got that costume several years ago from Nick's best friend, Dalton. It was a little big but it still worked well. Gabriel was a ducky and I was so excited to find that at a garage sale in September for $2 - yeah. Years ago I got the little croc costume at Sam's Club on the morning of Halloween for $5 and that has been used probably 4 times already. We borrowed Nick's hat and overalls. This was a very inexpensive Halloween and they all looked so cute!

Gabey got this package of Smarties from Grandma when we got to their house and he was so happy he didn't want to leave.

I will try to update in a week or so with our Thanksgiving pictures. Thanks for checking in...

Happy Thanksgiving,
Kaira

Birthday Time & Other Fun Stuff - Nicolas is 10!
Nicolas asked his aunties (Christine and Kimber) to get him caramel apples for his birthday. Well, actually he didn't ask them. He said that would be rude - so I passed along the message. Grandma made a great dinner and cake and here Nick opens his special apples. He was REALLY excited about the one with all the m&ms.
Nick and Grandma on his 10th birthday. They are very close and Nicolas always wants to be with his Grandma!
For a birthday surprise from Mom and Dad we planned a surprise camping trip. We managed to keep the secret until a half hour before we left. The best part was that Nick's friend, Lucas (and his family), were there when we arrived. We spent 4 beautiful Michigan fall days at Lake Michigan. It was a great way to wrap up camping season. Here are the boys in their camping beds. Nightime in our camper is always fun.
Lucas has a younger brother, Christopher. He brought along lots of fun toys that he shared nicely with Gabriel "the car hog".
Gabriel playing at the playground with Daddy while I packed up camp.
Lucas and Nick were running down a HUGE hill... splat... dirt everywhere.
We came out to another local park to climb the dunes. In the sunshine the boys were taking off their clothes and enjoying the sun and sand. It was warm and sunny in this park.
The boys starting to climb the dunes. Gabey wants to climb too.
Okay, we have been very busy since school started. Homeschool was going really well and we took a little time off while I learned about local harvesting and canning. Christian really enjoyed learning alongside me how to can and cook. We have had a fun fall so far. We have picked atleast 12 bushels of apples, and tons of other good things to eat. Today I made 2 loaves of sourdough bread and it smells so good at home. Yesterday I made applesauce and Amish white bread and that was fun as well. Nick really wants me to start making bagels so next week I will try that. The 3 big boys are all in Awana this year. They are doing well with their Bible memorization and we love to see that. Steve was sick earlier in the week but he is feeling much better now. The boys all got haircuts today - except Christian - who insisted he did not need one. Today was back to school - again. We had a fun school day and now I have to run and get dinner on the table. Hoping you are all safe and happy. I am a pitiful coorespondent but I think of all my friends and family often.
Love you all,
K.

Christian is 5... well, almost!


Yesterday we had Christian's family birthday party. His actual birthday is on the 17th but we celebrated a little early. Aunt Missy was in town and we wanted her to be able to celebrate with us - and we wanted to take advantage of her FABULOUS cake decorating skills~

I know the pictures say 8-15, but they were all taken yesterday 8-13... thanks Daddy for fixing Mommy's camera! Love you!

Auntie Kimberly and Christian play with the dinosaurs in the classroom. Christian's hair is a little funny today because he had juice in it so if dried funny after Daddy washed it. Mattie is getting so tan. Here he is taking care of his froggy.
Nick and Aunt Missy.
Christian's spaceship cake. If you don't know, Christian IS Buzz Lightyear and this is his yellow spaceship that he takes when he goes back to Star Command. Yellow is Christian's favorite color - everything yellow!
Christian got the Tie A Bow book from Aunt Missy and he loves books.
Aunt Missy plays with Gabey who won't sit still and smile. That's okay, this is much better anyways.
Aunt Missy and Christian. It was so nice to have her here again.

More of Missy trying to get Gabey to cooperate - I love it.
Gabey came into the kitchen and got right into his highchair seat wearing these beads and this headset. Combined with his crazy sticking up hair (that we really can't tame, but who wants too???) it was quite a sight. He is just so much fun!!!
We had a really nice little party yesterday. Nicolas scored big by giving Christian a game boy with a bag and some little kid games. We had a busy week just getting back from our camping trip with our friends Joe, Laurel and their son Jacob. It is always good to be home but we love the vacation. Nick met a friend, Lucas, and they played together for several days. We got an email from Lucas yesterday so it will be nice for them to be able to keep in contact. Steve goes back to work tomorrow and we are back to business as usual. School starts soon for all the kids and I am so NOT ready for the school year to start again! We have one more camping trip planned before then but I am just not looking forward to the change in our own schedule when the schoolkids go back. This is a busy season for us. First we have Christian's birthday on the 17th and then Steve's on the 24th. Mine follows on the 15th of September and then our anniversary is a week later and two weeks later Nick has his birthday. Ahhhh, I will miss summer! I have got to run, more later.

Love,
Kaira

Summer Fun


I took the boys (Christian, Mattie and Gabriel) to the Meijer Gardens this week. Steve and Nicolas stayed home to get some things done around the house while we went out to play. Christian's school friends met us and the boys had fun playing in the "Great Lakes" and also at the Tree House. I on the other hand was about as hot as I could possibly be and just wanted to lie down in the Great Lakes. Well, I caught Mattie playing with his boat and I just love watching the boys play. HIGH 5 GRANDPA!

Tee-Ball ended Tuesday night for Christian. I was really glad because he had games on both Monday and Tuesday and I think it had to be 100 degrees out. And then Wednesday night Grandpa had his last softball game... out we went! Thankfully, it was not that hot and we had a really great time being at his game. Grandma Baker came over and we drove together. The boys were SUPER excited to see their grandpa playing and cheered him on. Here they stop him on his way to bat so Christian can give him a HIGH 5.


Gabriel, 19 months... is it just me or is he so cute??? Don't say it is just me. I love my babies!!!

Lots to tell...


I have some time tonight to ramble on about what is going on with us so I want to make sure to do so right away. I also am personally motivated a little so this might be a long one. If you are new, bear with me, I talk alot. And, I am glad you are visiting. Well, lets see, Nicolas is doing okay. He has had one of his best friends, Dalton, over a few times this summer. That is a big event here because he and Dalton became best friends on the first day of kindergarten and those boys get along great. We love to get the boys together to play. As you will see in the next posting, from earlier today, I put the boys to work a few weeks ago. Dalton and Nick had been riding their scooters and playing but I thought it was time to get a little help out of them. I have been working at cleaning up the backyard this summer and I really needed that tree out. Steve works all the time and I knew it would be a while before he had a chance to get it out. So, I got the boys 2 shovels and water bottles and put them to work. In about 3 hours we had that old apple tree out of the ground. It was very exciting and it encouraged them in their budding manhood. I was so proud and took lots of pictures. Nick's other best friend, Tristan, has been gone all summer. That is simply a total drag. We can't wait to have "brother" over again. We call him that because he and Nicolas call each other "brothers from another mother". Goofs, that is what they are.


Let it be known: Christian is not 4 anymore... he is almost 5. And, don't make the mistake of THINKING that he is still 4 - he is simply in the land of almost 5. He is so happy that school is out. Well, preschool that is. Homeschool on the other hand thrills him and he is eager to learn. Tonight we (he, Nick and I) were reading Pocahontas and the Strangers (a 4th grade book) and he was loving it. We read a part about when Pocahontas rescued an eagle and he right away jumped up and found another book with an eagle in it. He is just so very smart. Christian thinks he is Buzz Lightyear, really! He thinks Christian is just his "pretend" name. Today I was making myself a salad and he wanted one (funny, huh?) - see he really likes croutons but I told him those are for eating with salad so he wanted a salad for dinner. Anyways, I was cutting lettuce and he explained in a very serious way that "lettuce" is just the "pretend" name for salad. If you know Christian well, you know that he is serious about everything. Thank God we have him to keep us in line! Steve often says, "Is this what I was like as a kid?" That explains a lot!!! We love the skinny little pig ("Piggy" being our pet name for Christian, aka Buzz Lightyear). He has a great message on our answering machine, call and listen to it sometime. Also, Christian has a group of imaginary friends, his Worker Friends, they live in a yellow house (Christian's favorite color) and they are very smart. They pretty much teach him how to do everything. They communicate by their wrist computers. Another thing, Christian has kept himself busy this summer with T-ball, Soccer and Basketball. He loves sports like his daddy.


"Matthew James", that is what I say about 25 times a day, Matthew James!!! Have you ever watched Arrested Development? Okay, well, you have to watch the show from the first season and never miss an episode to really get it, but Mattie is our little Bluth. He concerns me a little but he is the cutest of them all and the most playful and silly and he sings songs all day long. He is a very endearing child, until... he isn't. When the Bluth in him comes out - God help us. If you aren't familiar with the defeated Bluth walk, that Mattie does better than them any day, without question. If you are not familiar with the dysfunctional Bluths then you can picture Linus with his blue blankie. One time we actually went shopping with Mattie and a twin sized blue flat sheet trailing behind him. The thumb stuck in his mouth and the "fabric" (really any piece of clothing will do) wrapped around his finger. Matthew's fabric is NOT a blanket of any kind, clothing only (and when necessary sheets work well). He really has a fondness for clothing pulled out of the laundry and especially my pink shirts and nightgowns. Today Steve caught him standing next to me sucking on that thumb with his hang holding my shirt - that I was wearing! He has in the past asked me to take off my shirt so he could have a "fabric" - like I said, issues to come with him. Irregardless, when Mattie isn't being a big, fat baby he is wonderful and fun and a true joy. He also has an incredible throwing arm and a killer smile and he packs a good punch.


Gabriel, our little 20 month old. He is the laziest talker ever but very cute and cheerful. He works hard to keep up with his big brothers and he works even harder to show them he isn't going to be pushed around. No question, when Gabey wants something, he doesn't back down. He is strong and even stronger-willed. If only he would talk... One more thing, Gabey does not like linens in his crib. I repeatedly make his crib with a mattress pad and sheets and blankets - only to have him remove all of them when he goes to bed and throw them on the floor. Steve and I have gone in durning the night, picked him up, remade the bed, only to have him remove everything and sleep on the vinyl. I hate it. Gabriel wakes up sweaty and I fought it for a while. I give up, now he sleeps soundly on a vinyl mattress?!?


Oh, almost forgot, Lily, my little girl. In case you don't know... Steve bought me Lily as some sort of pathetic substitution for the daughter I never had. God wouldn't give me a girl because I think He knew I could not exercise self control if I actually could go shopping for a daughter at some point. So, 4 boys later, Steve bought me a little tri-colored corgi. Our dog, Auggie, another corgi, died a few years ago. So, my little Lily, pink sparkly collar and all - she got big. I just wanted her to stay small and cute and wear pink bows but NO, she got big and she drives me crazy. She doesn't act like a girl and she loves me SO much but I have no time for her. I can't pet her and play with her... but she still loves me. DOG FOR SALE... not really, but Lily is NO little girl!


The 3 cats are up for grabs too... only in my dreams.

Thanks for checking in, hope your summer is going well and I will post again soon. We have another camping trip coming up so lots of pictures to follow. Ethan, your cousins and I miss you!!! Call us sometime.

Love,
Kaira

Cathching Up


Nicolas and Gabriel play at the sprinkler park . Gabriel and Matthew - Gabriel is mad about something?
Christian's 1st day at T-Ball. Coach Mike is trying to hit the ball FORWARD!
We spent an afternoon riding our bikes around downtown Grand Rapids. We visited all of the Tom Otterness sculptures and this one Boy and His Dog was Nick's favorite.
Nicolas hanging out on Gulliver.
The boys posing with the bank robbers. Christian??? we don't really know what he is doing? Notice, Nick has a mohawk, but only for a week.
Gabriel and Nicolas, waiting for the movie to start at the drive-in.
All the boys, waiting for the movie to start.
Climbing the dunes while we were camping at Hoffmaster State Park.
Daddy and Gabriel, trying to keep up.
Dalton came over to play, but we put him to work taking out a pesky tree.

Now you see it... 3 hours later Nick and Dalton had taken that tree out. BIG and STRONG!!!
Wow, we picked 16 quarts of strawberries. Yum.