1-1 1 of my new's year's resolutions is to cut down my pop intake. Today, I drank a Coke Zero and Andrew had a caffeine free coke.
1-2 Ben's hockey today. He scored 1 goal today, and had several really nice shots on goal,
1-3 We have been working on this puzzle for most of Christmas break.
1-4 Grandpa's funeral was today.
1-5 Walgreens warns us about Tomorrow's snow storm
1-6 Nadia's first day of Preschool
1-7 The kids played with play-dough during their snow day. This is the best creation, it's a bowl of cereal.
1-8 The frost on the window was really pretty today. Unfortunately, it's really, really cold outside.
1-9 Ben's team won their Midwest regular season tournament.
1-10 A celebration of Ethan's 8 years.
1-11 Happy Birthday Ethan!
1-12 Matthew came to play today.
1-13 Nadia was hanging upside down on the couch and wanted a photo to see herself upside down. I asked her to hold her shirt so it was not x-rated!
1-14 A Roland- Story wrestling meet.
1-15 Ben has been enjoying playing outside in the warming temperatures
1-16 Some really great frost on the trees this morning.
1-17 Wiggle time craft - The Parable of the lost sheep. Look at the cute sheep. We had glue and cotton balls everywhere.
1-18 Musical instrument day at preschool. Ben brought his Bass, drums and bells.
1-19 Yum Banana Bread
1-20 Ice, Ice, and more ice
1-21 I taught a full day of CPR for the hospital.
1-22 We arrived at our hotel early enough for a swim in the pool.
1-23 Ben scores! I was so excited, so I shook the camera!
1-24 Ben's team won the tournament. They played a couple really tough games. Ben scored another goal today.
1-25 Another snowy day in Ames.
1-26 Zeke enjoys a good nap on a pile of clothes in the boy's room
1-27 Piano Lesson day
1-28 Nadia and I found this outfit at Goodwill. Isn't it cute?!
1-29 RS girls Basketball. The team has been doing very well.
1-30 The drugs of choice at our house. Ben has been fighting a horrible cough.
1-31 Nadia reads a good books with her legs crossed and looking very cute.
2-1 Ben saw the doctor today. He has Bronchitis and will be antibiotics for 5 days.
2-2 Nadia loves to paint
2-3 The kids created a little winter weather inside the house.
2-4 Potato soup for dinner.
2-5 I get to hold baby Carolyn! Mother Amy sits with me.
2-6 Ethan's back on the ice after 5 1/2 weeks sitting on the side lines.
2-7 A team photo for Andrew and Ethan's team.
2-8 The Snow is piling up. I can't for spring.
2-9 Ben creates his bag to hold all his Valentine treasures. I expected lots of reds and pinks, he chose animals prints. HUH?
2-10 Ben's CIA church group goes Cross Country skiing.
2-11 Very concentrated on her "reading".
2-12 Nadia painted a big valentine for me at preschool.
2-13 We celebrated my Birthday. Wednesday will be a little too busy for birthday celebrations.
2-14 Ethan takes the face off.
2-15 Icicles hanging from the back of the house.
2-16 Nadia takes a picture of Zeke for the photo of the day.
2-17 Happy Birthday to me. Ethan takes my picture.
2-18 Ben's photos in the newspaper. They made several mistakes in the write up, but they even got the date wrong.
2-19 Andrew bought me oranges roses for my birthday. Ames Hockey colors!
2-20 I had my camera on the wrong setting, but still a cool photo.
2-21 Ben accepts his "runner - up" trophy.
2-22 Nadia has walking pneumonia... we wondered why she had a fever all weekend.
2-23 I had a little time finish a scrapbook page that I had been working on.
2-24 Our flat top stove will burn anything that get spilled. The Spaghetti boiled over and Andrew enjoyed the shape.
2-25 Nadia watched Seasame Street on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
2-26 Our favorite sweet treat
2-27 Beautiful ice in Onalaska, WI
2-28 Celebrating their win
3-1 Nadia made a fossil in preschool
3-2 The Roland Story girls play in the State Basketball tournament
3-3 Since we are pretty busy tomorrow, We celebrated Andrew's birthday today with Cheesecake. Look at all the smoke and we only had 1/2 the required candles.
3-4 The RS girls talk during a time out. They lost this semi-final game by about 10 points.
3-5 The weather is just warm enough to create longer icicles with melting and freezing.
3-6 Ethan plays in Sioux City
3-7 Andrew's Christmas present has come in very handy for all these weekend trips.
3-8 Ethan reads
3-9 Nadia loves to paint
3-10 The melting and the rain create a river in the parkway behind our house.
3-1 Courtney came over to play. The girls can not wait for spring. They were so muddy!
3-12 We stopped at IKEA before heading to our hotel. We purchased a lamp for the living room.
3-13 Ben and Seth cheer after scoring a goal.
3-14 A trip to the Lego store before heading back to Iowa.
3-16 Nadia made a Chicken hat at the library. She wants to save it for Halloween.
3-17 We headed down to Oskaloosa to visit with Grandma and Great Grandma
3-18 We started a puzzle. It's a great family project. I wonder how long this one will take.
3-19 Another little round of winter weather. I saw this poor robin sitting in the tree enduring the wind and snow. I bet he wishes he would have stayed south a few more days
3-20 Hockey season is complete. The last photo of Ethan and his coach / Dad
3-15 Oops missed # 15. All the snow has melted and the daffodils are pocking through. I love the miracle of spring.
3-21 Spring weather means bubbles.
3-22 Our puzzle is completed
3-23 Ethan and Nadia run to the park
3-24 Piano lesson day
3-25 Nadia and I have walked several times this week. We have been noticing beautiful crocus.
3-26 Ethan loves to read.
3-27 Andrew practices his songs for Sunday morning.
3-28 Father and Daughter read
3-29 A little time spent in the park. Nadia flies down the slide.
3-30 Soccer practice has started
3-31 Nadia and I walked around Ada Hayden lake. We saw lots of Canadian Geese.
4-1 Ethan has his first practice. He often plays with his tongue out of his mouth. I really hope he doesn't bite it.
4-2 A daffodil from our front yard with the sun behind it.
4-3 The maple tree in the back yard is starting to flower
4-4 Jason's and his baby horse
4-5 A bud on the front bush
4-6 Another daffodil
4-7 The trees are showing signs of leaves
4-8 The hyacinths are coming out.
4-9 Nadia swings at the playground
4-10 Ethan dribbles the ball around his defense
4-11 Andrew and his guitar
4-12 Nadia took a field trip to the Ames airport
4-13 The trees are leafing out. I did not know that maple trees had so many flowers in early spring
4-14 There's a house around the corner, That has hundreds of tulips. Soooo pretty.
4-15 My trusty weather sign. What a spectacular day. It's almost too hot for spring.
4-16 We have not had very many birds. The squirrel is having a great time.
4-17 Some more flowers on the trees
4-18 We celebrated Nadia's birthday with a trip to Applebees and chocolate cake.
4-19 Daddy's little girl.
4-20 Nadia had a playdate to celebrate her birthday. She did not make it to supper time. She fell asleep playing with her new doll house.
4-21 Happy Birthday You are 4!!!
4-22 I worked an RS track meet. This is my friend Kayla
4-23 A rainy day
4-24 Hy-vee was clearing out some cheese that expired soon. I bought 6- 8oz cubes for $2. Ethan helped my shred it for pizza.
4-25 More rain day.
4-26 Ethan admires his recycled art at the octagon.
4-27 another tulip
4-28 The Apple tree in full bloom
4-29 Elementary orchestra concert. Ben is under the arrow. It's really dark, I have no idea how to get a good photo.
4-30 A late blooming tulip
5-1 Nadia works on her dribbling with the soccer ball.
5-2 This tulip is on it's last days, but I loved how the petals fell
5-3 Capture this photo driving home from Boone. The clouds were so big and fluffy.
5-4 Nadia has been bugging me to paint her toes.
5-5 The kids and I noticed a field of corn already coming up.
5-6 Zeke hiding under my umbrella
5-7 Orchestra concert at school
5-8 Ben took some friends to play disc golf for his birthday.
5-9 Happy Mother's day
5-10 Nadia helped Andrew buy this bush for Mother's day
5-11 Nadia's preschool program
5-12 A rainy day. Don't worry, I was not driving. I was completely stopped at a red light!
5-13 We seem to get more squirrels than birds.
5-14 Nadia and I plant some flower pots
5-15 A Cardinal plays around in the backyard
5-16 Nadia and Andrew practice riding with only 2 wheels.
5-17 Ben has been working very hard on his peeps investigations.
5-18 Ben waters the flowers.
5-19 Baked some Yummy banana bread
5-20 Another rainy day
5-21 The Vos Family spent the evening at the Iowa Cubs baseball game. In a sky box no less!
5-22 I took the boys to JAX outdoor kid's fishing day. It was incredibly windy. They had trouble casting out the lines in the wind. No fish but some great photos.
5-23 I have been scrap booking quite a bit in my free time. This is one of my favorite pages.
5-24 Time to move the thermometer. The Summer sun now hits it. Today's temperatures were closer to 93 not 99.
5-25 Nadia dances in the new pool.
5-26 We attended the Parent Orientation at the Middle School. I can't believe Ben's leaving Elementary and heading to the big world of Middle School.
5-27 Nadia and I watched a Butterfly sunning its self in the tree.
2-28 Nothing as tasty as a chocolate dipped ice cream cone.
5-29 We spent the day shopping for a new table and chairs. We have a few decisions to make.
5-30 Nadia is learning to spell her name. I'm pretty impressed with her progress.
5-31 The boys and I went to the new pool. This was a big mistake. Look at the crowds on the holiday.
6-1 I planted a Rose bush last fall. It is full of blooms.
6-2 Our driveway has become the hockey driveway. About 6 neighborhood kids have been at our house everyday after school.
6-3 Ben has officially completed Elementary School. Why does he have to go tomorrow?
6-4 Last day of School
6-5 I spotted 2 goldfinches on our feeder. It seemed to take forever for them to find our feeder.
5-6 Nadia took Andrew's picture.
6-7 Summer hockey has started. Nadia has started and figured out how to shuffle and get back up. All on the first night! I see great hockey potential :)
6-8 Took everyone for a check-up and all 3 needed immunization. Lucky Ethan only needed 1
6-9 Ben passed his deep water test today and wanted to check out the diving board.
6-10 Too much time scrapbooking.... The dishes are piling up.
6-11 Enjoying the lazy river with Daddy
6-12 Nadia spent over an hour coloring with sidewalk chalk. These are her hand prints on the front door. Nice eh?!
6-13 Zeke sits on the toilet and waits for us to finish in the shower. I like to drink the water from the shower floor. Strange cat!
6-14 Strawberry picking to today.
6-15 Ben and Ethan test their bike skills at the VERB bike Challenge.
6-16 Ethan plays tennis for his VERB
6-17 Geocaching - we need to invest in a more detailed GPS device if we plan to do this regularly.
6-18 Gas price today
6-19 Yes, this photo is dated for tomorrow. I forgot to take this photo yesterday. I taught the Coaching class all day Saturday and Sunday.
6-20 Father's day photo shot.
6-21 The cherry tomato is starting to rippen.
6-22 The kids cooled off with a water gun fight.
6-23 Flowers are loving all the rain.
6-25 Packing up and heading to Canada
6-24 oops forgot the 24th. This is our new screen door. We had a screen made for our sliding door. A small ordeal, but now we have one.
6-26 The sunset over Lake Michigan
2-27 The international tunnel between Detroit, MI and Windsor, ON
6-28 We watched a ship in lock #8. of the Welland Canal. This canal connect Lake Ontario to Lake Erie while avoiding the Falls.
6-29 Arrived at Gatineau Park. Our home for several days.
6-30 Toured Ottawa and Parliament Hill.
7-1 Enjoyed Canada Day celebrations. We watched Bare Naked Ladies in Concert on the Big Screen. Ben loved the Bass player.
7-2 Tulp Family photo shoot.
7-5 The Stauffer's arrived to spent a week in Ames. We meet at the pool.
7-6 Our Cucumber plant is starting to bear fruit
7-7 Ben and Tim play Pokemon and the Gameboy
7-8 Nadia took a photo of her dolls in their house.
7-9 Ben found this moth on the wall. I haven't taken the time to find out what it is.
7-10 I made this mini album in my scrapbook class at CKC.
7-11 Yummy, Sliced cucumber
7-12 Spent the day at Adventureland with the Stauffers
7-13 Ethan visits the Bookmobile. It comes to our neighborhood on Tuesdays
7-14 Evangeline Stauffer hams it up for the camera.
7-15 Goodbye Stauffers
7-16 VERB hosted a climbing wall event. They each climbed several times, reaching the top. Here's 1 of Ethan's climb.
7-17 Met Van Kootens at Ledges for a hike and a splash in the creek.
7-18 A storm moved through central Iowa during the night. It caused severe damage in some spots. We had 2 large branches fall, but were blessed to have them fall toward the parkway and not the garage.
7-19 Ethan attended Reiman Garden's day camp. They made bird feeders and had a scavenger hunt to locate all 24 gnomes in the gardens.
7-20 We were hit with a rock which is spreading along the windshield of the van.
7-21 The windshield is replaced.
7-22 My Rose is blooming again.
7-23 The city picked up our branches. It took us hours to pile those,but just minutes for them to pick it up. Maybe it was the tools we used.
7-24 My cousin Jolene and her family spent the night at our house. We have brunch at Leah's house the next morning. Here's the kids.
7-25 The boys threw Nadia's Angel bear in the toilet, but rescued it with the plunger. GREAT?!
7-26 Ben shoots out of the drop slide
7-27 Yep still have the cat and the kids still love him.
7-28 Timothy Weber joined the boys for a round of Disc Golf for VERB.
7-29 Weird tomato
7-30 Ben prepares for his orchestra concert.
7-31 The Japanese Beetles are destroying my Geranium blooms.
8-1 My favorite. Fresh tomato
8-2 The last day of summer hockey
8-3 The kids are attending bible school this week. This is the only year that all 3 can go. Ben will be too old next year. The boys have attended for several years.
8-4 Finishing up my state fair projects. This page is for the Fair category. It's called new life at the fair.
8-5 The kids brought home their bible school t-shirts.
8-6 Bible school final program. Can you find all 3 of mine?
8-7 Dropped off all my state fair projects this afternoon.
8-8 Ethan won a Wii at the VERB finale. He is beyond excited.
8-9 Nadia likes Wii Fencing
8-10 Test drove this Toyota Matrix. It was a 6 speed which was a little weird.
8-11 Flooding
8-12 I wonder how long these shoes will look new.
8-13 We discovered a little water in the basement corner.
8-14 Happy Birthday Grandma. We celebrated at Tassle Ridge Winery with many of my Aunts, Uncles and cousins,
8-15 We are still getting bottled water since we are under a boil water advisory.
8-16 Nadia's teacher visited our house today. She is in the bumble bee room.
8-17 Tomatoes are ripening nicely.
8-18 Target took this photo.
8-19 First day of 3rd grade.
8-19 First day of 6th grade
8-20 Rs Football has begun.
8-21 Nadia takes a photo of her bears.
8-22 Nadia gets a little balance help from Dad.
8-24 Yummy Sweet Corn
8-25 A bee on the Sedum,
8-25 Fresh sliced tomatoes. My favorite food.
8-26 Nadia's first day of Preschool at United.
8-27 I started teaching today.
8-29 Ben gets to experiment with the Church Drums.
8-30 Our 1 and only Orange Pepper.
8-31 A clump of Yummy cherry tomatoes.
9-1 Very few birds visit our feeders, but today I spotted a Gold Finch.
9-2 We have been enjoying the fresh cucumbers
9-3 A monach
9-4 A friendly game of Football until someone breaks a toe. How is that toe, Keegan?
9-5 Uncle Jay takes the boys for a boat ride on the river.
9-6 Payson, Anna and Keegan.
9-7 Nadia takes more photos of her dolls.
9-8 Zeke at his water bowl
9-9 The cat - Taken by Nadia
9-10 Practice time
9-11 Oma and Opa arrive for the week
9-12 Ed and Andrew discuss their plan for world peace and how to best implement it.
9-13 Ethan teaches Opa how to Wii bowl
9-14 Ben's canoes on his field trip to Hickory grove.
9-15 Nadia and Oma work together on a puzzle.
9-16 Opa and Nadia snuggle on the couch.
9-17 A visit to the Middle school to give Oma a tour and retrieve forgotten homework.
9-18 A family photo for Oma
9-19 Mom and Dad came to Ames to Visit with Oma and Opa. We enjoyed the Vos Sunday Ritual of Pizza.
Ethan loves to read
I have been published in the Hobby Lobby magazine.
A few of the books on Ethan's reading list.
Ben has been using the camera
Ben's new bike.
Nice photo Andrew.
Ethan's endangered animal project.
Someone love to take pictures of the cat. It's Ben
fall colors
The gas station on the corner is all the sudden gone.
Nadia helps carry our pumpkins to the front step.
Ethan has a snack before bed.
Nadia at the pumpkin farm
Ethan kicks a corner kick.
Ben's holds his hair back for a little fresh air.
I sent in my ballot today.
Ben's Math project.
Enjoying the beautiful Indian summer.
Ethan at fall soccer
A princess, a ninja and a Greek god.
Enjoying the fall colors
The army men has been battling.
Ben's volcano board for school.
Ethan poses before the game.
Andrew helps coach Ethan's team.
Nadia sings for her preschool pie day.
Ben takes a face off
A little visit from the Webers
Nadia's room is finally turning pink.
enjoying the fire in the fireplace
Bedtime story
Mom and Dad
Make a wish
December 1
Ben's favorite snack...
Decorating the tree
Ben opens the lego advent calendar
Our House in Christmas lights.
Nadia's is very crafty
Small boot problem in our house. Andrew and I both need new boots. Neither one of us can find exactly what we want.
Nadia finished her tree for the school bulletin board.
Christmas light in Pella. Dutch themed of course
Sienna opens a box from a friend.
The live nativity at 3rd.
December 13 Half way to Christmas
Ben's band and orchestra concert. You can just see his head in the very back.
Enjoying the snow.
Ethan helps to shovel the sidewalk.
Winter on the Mississippi River.
Ben at the WI dells tournament.
Ben poses with his 2nd place trophy.
Hotel Rome. Our hotel in WI dells
Our Tree
They are proudly displaying our Christmas Craft.
Baking Christmas cookies
The 2010 Christmas photo of the kids
Sledding on Christmas day
That girl loves the water!
My side of the family.
Family photo in the pool
The Christmas left overs
