Cousins, Cousins and MORE Cousins

On Sunday, my cousins, Jacqueline and Julie came for a visit to Muskegon. Julie brought her adorable three kids, Rick, Noah and Mackenna and Jacqui brought my Uncle Rex in her hot new ride, a shiny black Volkswagon Passat. Grandma Volkmann stopped over and Dean came into town with Clayton and Morgan and before we knew it, we had enough kids running around my parents house to start our own soccer team! Eight children, nine and under, to be exact. The kids had a blast playing together and trying to figure out how to get each other wet:)

Jacqui is starting a new job in Atlanta next week and wanted to see the extended family before she takes off on her new adventure. Julie lives in Grand Rapids, but sometimes it seems like a continent away when you have busy kids and work schedules to contend with. We don't get together nearly as often as we'd like or as we should, but Sunday was our day - a own Cousins Reunion. Thanks, Jacqui and Julie, for making it happen and traveling to Muskegon to visit.

Good luck Jacqui as you embark on a new chapter in your life. Stay safe in Atlanta!!

A "Smoking" Good Time

Last weekend we had a great time hosting, along with my brother and sister-in-law, a couple's shower for the soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. Scott Volkmann at my parent's house. In our world that would be Mr. and Mrs. "Wayne" Volkmann. I won't go into the story of the nickname here, but it is safe to say that most of you know who I'm talking about when I say "Wayne".

The group went in together and got the happy couple a new grill, a cookbook and the accessories they need to start cooking outdoors...okay, make that learning to cook in general, but either way the cookbook has pictures - how bad can it be?

I think it is safe to say fun was had by all and we really enjoyed getting everyone together for some pre-wedding drinks and celebration. Thanks to my parents for letting us host the party at their house and a big thank you to my sister-in-law for helping make the delicious dinner. Oh, yeah, and the biggest thank you of all goes out to my husband, Scott (aka Eddie - do you notice we have nicknames for all our Scotts???) and brother, Dean, for doing the charring, I mean, grilling. Okay, honestly you two, I tried to be nice and not say anything, but I just couldn't resist...after all it is all in good fun. Thank you to the Norton Shores fire department for NOT showing up when the hamburgers went on the grill and the smoke starting choking out our guests in the garage. Not to worry, folks, no oxygen was needed for anyone but the chefs and the burgers actually turned out awesome!! ...Giggle, giggle...No really, they did.

Scott and I have been lucky enough to get to know Jen and Wayne more and more these last few months. They often stop by for a drink or just to shoot the breeze or see the girls. We always have great conversations, even if we don't see eye to eye on the subject, and we always end up learning something more about each other, as individuals and as couples. Wayne is a lucky man to have Jen...she is an amazingly patient, soft-spoken young woman that is the perfect balancing act for Wayne, our social butterfly. She's level headed and organized and has a serious soft-spot for kids (oh, and did I mention she can't keep her eyes open for pictures like the one above...Sorry Jen, it was the only one we had!!). Jen is equally lucky...Wayne is an extrememly warm and loving young man that wears his heart on his sleeve. He'll have your back no matter the fight and he's incredibly loyal to his family and his loved ones. Together they make an adorable couple - a couple that we hope will have many, many years of marital bliss ahead of them. We wish them all the best today, tomorrow and always.

P.S. Stay tuned in October for pictures of the happy couple and their ADORABLE little flower girl (yep, you guessed it, their flower girl is our Sammi - Wayne's Godchild!!).

Cutie Cooties

This weekend we all had a chance to take a big, long breathe and just relax a bit. Last weekend was busy with a couple's shower for my cousin and his soon-to-be Mrs., so this weekend we tried not to plan too much. Friday was cleaning day and the girls cleaned out their closets / rooms / toys and made way for school clothes. It is amazing to me how much "stuff" three girls can accumulate in just three short months. We found an extraordinary amount of flip flops -none that matched of course - but flip flops of every color. On the list of "closet finds" was one Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle tennis shoe, one 24-month jean skirt that hasn't fit anyone in at least a year and a small change purse with over $3 in it! Can you say J-A-C-K-P-O-T!!

On Friday night, we just laid low and decided to turn off the televisions and have a game night. Okay, the reality of it is that the girls got in trouble on Thursday night and COULDN'T watch television, but none the less, we pulled out all our board games and card games and had some fun. We played a great card game called "Sleeping Queens", Battleship and of course, the ever popular Cooties. I never liked the game as a kid, but as an adult, it is hilarious to listen to Sammi and Ali giggle as they mix match their Cooties legs and pick out crazy little antennae. I had a blast just watching them. Of course, I happened to have my camera close by and took some pics of the girls latest creations.

Meet the Cutie Cooties:

We also pulled out a game called Too Many Cooks as Scott whipped up dinner. Madison got the game for Christmas and we just hadn't gotten it down to read the instructions. Well, I have to tell you, I read the directions on how to play three times (mind you the game is for ages eight to old lady) and I'm still confused. Something about vegetable du jour and soup recipes and a wild card of hot chili pepper spoiling the batch. I'm telling you, this game is for no amateur in the kitchen, such as myself. I gave the game and the instructions over to the real chefs in our house, Madison and Scott. I'm pretty sure they'll be able to figure it out and they'll probably come up with some wonderful recipes in the process!!

As I watched the girls playing games with each other and their dad, I realized that we should turn our televisions, our video games, our cell phones off more often. This generation of children that we are raising don't know what it is like to just sit home and relax. Heck, as adults, we don't know what the word means anymore. A weekend ago, my dad watched as Scott and I scurried around his house / yard after the couple's shower. We were busy cleaning up, moving things back in their places, folding up tables and chairs. My dad's comment was "can't either of you just sit down or sit still for five seconds?".

As I sat and watched the girls on Friday night, my dad's voice came booming back into my head...AHA! So this is what he is trying to tell me without really telling me. I realized that I miss out on so many things by rush-rush-rushing around all the time. I realized that I am not teaching my children how to enjoy the moment if I am in perpetual motion. And most importantly, I realized that I am not enjoying the precious time that I have with these beautiful girls because I've already moved on to the next item on my to-do list! I know for a fact there will come a day when I look back and wish I hadn't wasted time with dishes and laundry, but instead embrassed the moments with them that I was handed, but didn't see.

There is a joy and a fulfillment that only comes by taking that calming breathe, stepping back just enough to take it all in and taking that mental snapshot that will stay with you forever. I'm a student to this art - sitting still is like a punishment for me, but I'm working on it. So, for those of you that stop by for a visit while my laundry is in the kitchen and the dishes are in the sink, I may appear to be doing nothing - but I'm really studying this fine art - so bear with me!! LOL:)

How many candles???

July is such a fun and crazy month for our crew. Birthdays, birthdays, and more birthdays!! My nephew's birthday is the 27th, my Grandma's birthday is the 26th and my mom was born on the 31st! Lot of parties, lots of fun...lots of cake:) Whoo-hoo to cake!!

My Grandma celebrated her 84th birthday this year. While she has her aches and pains, it is amazing to me that she still weeds most of her garden, does her own sewing and paints like you've never seen. Her eyesight is going, she has trouble with her back, hips, knees, but for 84, I think she's doing damn fine. Here's to ya, Grandma:) I love you more than words.

My nephew is nine this year. N I N E!! When did that happen? The poor boy is the only boy born to our family. He is often forced to Barbie.com instead of his normal Avatar site and will dutifully play "whatever the girls want" for about ten minutes. Luckily, he has inherited by brother's love for the outdoors, hunting and (UGH!!) Star Wars. For his birthday, as a matter of fact, he got his very first bow and arrow and my brother has a shooting range set up on his side lot. He'll be a "Turkey Hill" want-to-be in no time at all. I love my nephew for so many reasons, but one stands out to me as I watched him play with our girls on his birthday...his unconditional love. His heart is as big as Texas and he loves, loves, loves his cousins so much. Madison always gets the biggest of hugs when we are with Clayton and Alison thinks he is just "super cool". Happy Birthday, Clayton. We love you so very much and thank God every day that you are part of our crazy lives.

Last but not least is my darling mother. Her "BIG" birthday was last year, so she decided this year that she was done having birthdays. Now, how could I let that happen, right? Scott made her dinner for her birthday (yummy...blue cheese and fig stuffed pork tenderloin), my brother and his family came over to join in on the fun and my grandma even drove all the way over for the festivities (okay, Grandma Volkmann lives right behind my mom...no I mean literally RIGHT behind her...you can see her back door from my mom's back door). My mom always says no gifts on her birthday - "you don't have to buy me anything...just being here with all of you is enough", but she got some great stuff including a new GPS system from my dad. Yeah, I know what you are thinking, sounds like a "guy thing". I thought so too until I realized that the GPS system not only has every MALL and SHOPPING CENTER in the area already programmed into it, but we can also program all our greenhouses and flower shops for future use...Good job, Daddio!!

On my mom's birthday, it always seems like a fitting time to spoil her just a little more than usual, to tell her how much she is loved by all members of our family and to let her know that she is appreciated so very much. I can't imagine what my life would be like without her in it - she's my strength when I have none of my own, my warrior when my "fight" has left me, my comforter when all seems grey. She's my best friend and without her, I would be lost. On your birthday, Mom, I love you more than I could ever tell you, more than my actions could ever show you.

Happy birthday to all our July birthdays! May all your birthday wishes come true...

Swim, Swam, Swum

Madison and Sammi took swim lessons again this summer. What nuts they are!! I signed them up for the first session (45 minutes sessions...every day...for three weeks...) thinking that would help quench their thirst for pool swimming. We have Parent's Day after first session and low and behold...two girls that I vaguely recognize as my daughters are pleading with me...no make that begging me to take the second session of swim lessons. Now for those of you that know their coach, Mr. Steve, you know that he is no push over. He's tough, he's firm and there is NO nonsense in his pool at any time. You can imagine my surprise then, when both Maddie and Sammi were asking for...

...more early mornings

...more strict instruction

...more strokes to be learned

...in general, more hard work.

Needless to say, I caved, wrote the check and we were a go-go-go for three more weeks of swim lessons (BTW - a super huge shout out for the chauffeur...thank you, Mom, for taking the little critters to and from swim lessons, twice a day, everyday for SIX weeks!! You rock!! Oh, and don't think I didn't see that eye roll thing you did when I caved to the pleading eyes of my children...I saw it all right. Just remember...caving is in the genes, woman!! LOL).

To say I am proud of my kids is an understatement. Madison has passed four levels and is working on level five. That is a hard level because they learn so many new strokes and it usually takes several attempts to pass. I'm proud of her for sticking with it and working through something that hasn't come easily to her - or at least not as easily as so many other things in her life. Sammi, my super-social butterfly, put scheduling play-dates on hold long enough to really concentrate during second session and improve all her strokes to pass level three. Her next session will be in the deep end next year! She even got to go down the slide for "graduation".

All our girls have a passion for the water - something I think they get from living so close to the Lake. I was in my Grandma's pool 24-7 when I was a kid. No formal swim lessons here -just fun and frolic in the deep aqua-blue waters of the Volkmann pool. Scott would argue that because he was in the 'original Swim Babies' class at the Y that their love for the water is all his doing. For those of you that know us, or better yet have seen Scott swim, I'll let you make your own judgment on where our girls "water" gene came from:)

Congratulations, girls on a job well done. Both your dad and I are so very proud of how well you have done this summer and what strong, graceful swimmers you have become!

Finally...Fabulous Florida

Beauty queens at the pool

Look ma, I've got rose-colored goggles!!

The Pool Posse - Ali, Papa, Madison, Scott and Sammi

We recently spent six fabulous days in the balmy (or in other words...HOT) weather of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Scott's dad took a position a few months ago with a Florida bank and we went to see how he is loving his new condo on the ocean. We flew out July 4th and the girls did so well traveling on a plane for the first time. Alison felt so comfortable that she fell asleep on the way down and on the return flight home. Truth be told, I was much more nervous than the girls when it came to flying. I think it has something to do with the fear of falling out of the sky at 10,000 feet. The girls on the other hand, were like old pros by the time we got through the security center.

I believe a great time was had by all on our trip. To sum up our time in Florida, I would have to say...pool, pool, fireworks, Starbucks, ocean, pool, pool, Rainforest Cafe, pool, pool and, yep, you guessed it, pool. The girls were little fish in the condo pool and they swam a minimum of four hours a day. Mr. Steve, the girls swim coach in Muskegon, would be so proud!! Madison practiced her breast-stroke for swim class, Sammi found herself comfortable in the deep end for the first time and Alison was tooling around the pool in her floaty like she had been swimming for years! I was so proud of our girls:)

Aren't I cute?

The hard part came, of course, when we had to leave. Grandma and Grandpa drove us to the airport. We got in line, checked in our bags and proceeded to the long line for security. I think Madison made it around the first bend of people before she started crying. She just couldn't look at her Papa and not cry. She knows what is going on here...she knows that it will be a while before she sees him again. The other two Sewick girls were too busy playing around with their pull-luggage and deciding what snack they should get for the plane. You've got to love youth...sometimes it is just so simple and easy.

Madison kept moving along, head down, following the line of people heading toward their gates. She got to the metal detector, put her shoes on the conveyor and realized she had to say goodbye. Papa and Grandma couldn't go with us any farther and she wouldn't be able to even see them from where they were standing. She waved half-heartedly, started to cry some more and went through the metal detector. My heart went out to her - I even teared up myself - because it was just so heartbreaking and tender to watch. Her Papa was brave and didn't shed too many tears while he waved frantically as we headed toward our gate. Definitely a moment I won't soon forget - a bitter-sweet memory I'll cherish for quite some time.

But I have to say, while Florida was full of adventure and excitement, there is nothing like walking through your own front door and resting your head on your own pillow. Vacations are fun and full of lasting memories, but as the saying goes...

There is no place like home.