The Extra Mile

022/365

My mother-in-law's extended family is a lot of fun.
This is the same crew we have Thanksgiving and Easter with most years.
There has to be between 75-100 total relatives if we ever were all in the same place at the same time.
Three of Paul's siblings from out of town are here for the week with their family, so we had the Waanders' gathering in Grand Haven today.
Sun.
Fun.
Food.
Good times.

More pics are HERE but this is 022/365 - Creaghan and Kyle playing some beach soccer.

021/365

I didn't think the floor could get worse in the kitchen/eating area... can only get worse before it gets better, right?
Notice the wood edge.... that is how think the floor was before Paul broke out the table saw!

020/365

The kids are getting a bit restless at times.
Summer is WONDERFUL and we LOVE it, but sometimes the kids start to push each others buttons... and our buttons.... and a torn apart kitchen and lots of sessions to edit don't help the situation.
Enter Clue.
Such a classic game.
Paul still has his from childhood, but the kids had never even brought it out.
Paul wisely suggested they take it out and learn how to play today.
Paul is a genius.
The kids played for HOURS - with no fighting at all!!!!

019/365

This kitchen project went from easy and quick to a pain in the behind and taking forever!
After pulling out linoleum staples for what seemed like hours, Paul decided to give the table saw a try.
Yes, he is using a table saw on our kitchen floor.
We can now almost see the basement from the eating area.
Sigh.

018/365

None of the appliances in our kitchen work correctly.
The refrigerator freezes random things.
The dishwasher does not wash dishes.
The ovens are off on temp and bake unevenly - in addition to the fact that they are super small - can't even fit a 9x13 in one of them sideways. (I think they were made for a trailer)
The stovetop only works on high or medium - if I go lower, the flame just goes out.... try simmering on medium!
I decided my most pressing need is a new range... which means that the other appliances will have to wait ;)

My dishwasher (notice the dripping sink... it does that aaaalllll day):

017/365

SHE'S BACK!!!!!
Amira and Matéa were soooooo very happy to see each other today!

016/365

Today was one of the busiest work days I have ever had... ever.
I started out with a newborn and 3 year old shoot at 9:30 am in Caledonia, went to a 4 kid shoot in GR at 1:00 pm , and ended with a 6:30 pm shoot with a 2 year old in Byron Center.
The last shoot was for the daughter of a classmate of mine from elementary through high school.
I was actually very, very good friends with her brother in elementary - pretty much hung out at either his house or my house most days.
Seeing Coke and her sweet daughter and her parents was so incredible.
We talked about things that happened 25-30 years ago!
Right away, it was brought up that I almost drowned in the drainage ditch and fell off the barn roof multiple times... good times,  I tell you! :)
As I was getting ready to leave, and Coke's dad was expertly packing 3 chairs and stool into my car, he asked me if I enjoy my job.
I told him that I absolutely love my job.
He said that it showed.
He said that when you see some people doing their job you can tell it was the job they were made to do.
I got teary.
I'm glad it shows.

I don't have the energy to pick the photo for today from the many, many, many that I shot of an adorable baby and kids today, so instead I chose our ever-evolving kitchen.
This used to be a cupboard and drawers with a counter that held the microwave.
It will have drawers on the left (opposite of where they were before) and OUR NEW RANGE!!!!

015/365

Today was a great day.
Today I smiled a lot and I also shed a few tears.
Our friends Mike and Megan Ribbens (along with their kids) are missionaries in Nigeria.
Their oldest Amira and Matéa were the best of friends in preschool.
When Amira left for Nigeria, all I heard was, "Mom! In 5 years Amira will be back! When we are 10, we can go to school together again!"
The Ribbens came back for an extended home stay.
Stella was born 2 months ago.
Today, was her baptism - and not in Iowa, but here in GR!
Megan and I share a lot of things... one of those things is the loss of our moms...not something you would necessarily choose to share with someone, but something that binds you together, nonetheless.
So, there were tears and there were smiles today.... more smiles than tears.
There are few more HERE

And the photo for today is NOT one of Stella's baptism.... although it probably SHOULD be!
Homemade pizza... definitely our family's favorite!!

014/365

4th of July today and barely 70 degrees - what is up with that?
We skipped all parades this year and just hung out at home.
We had dinner at my Dad and Rose's and left the kids there for fireworks and overnight.
I had to sneak a few shots of baby Micah... I love that kid! :)

And, once again, I have to add a second shot - C finished weeding the front of the house!
(yes, yes, the house needs a major paint job... but I want the kitchen done first!)

013/365

Whew.
Fun day.
We spent the afternoon and evening in Grand Haven with the families of two of Paul's friends from high school.
This get together happens about once or twice a year
We normally see each of the other families a few other times a year, but it is hard to get us all together.
One reason for the difficulty is the fact that between the three families there are 12 kids all between the ages of 13 years and 15 months. Included in the crew are 13, almost 12, almost 10, almost 4 (x2), 3, and 15 month old boys; almost 10, 8 (x2), 7, and almost 4 year old girls... and the almost 4 year olds are a set of triplets!
We were missing a family or two, too.
I am not sure where we would have put those people anyway. ;)

I couldn't pick just one picture today, so although only one of them is my "official photo" for July 3, the other one needed to be included, too.