August into... Fall!

The end of our summer was filled with so much fun - trips to the pool with friends, gardening and biking out in the sun, great softball games with the Ainslies (church league, we lost by one point in our playoffs!), and some other memorable events too.

Over Peter's birthday weekend at the end of July, we traveled to Cedar Point Amusement Park with almost the whole VerHage clan and with the Teranella family. So much fun! Highlights included road-tripping with Josh, Kara and Michael; Lego store trip for fun while in town; Eva finding fast friends in both Jaxson and Lincoln; Eva going on her first roller coaster, car rides, swings, boats, etc. etc. - and loving them all; playing games at night in our cool cabins; walking up the street to the pool with the kids, I think we made four trips there in two days; climbing up to the loft to play with Alicia and Dave; meeting Julia, and catching up with Lynn and Steve; birthday cake and big bbq dinner for the whole crew; sprinting the entire length of the park on the last night (with Josh, Michael, Alicia and Dave), to try to get to the last ride before we were told the line closed, and then realizing that we wouldn't have had to. :)

For Peter's birthday we also saw our first Chicago Fire game, which we had been meaning to do forever! We got fab front row seats, had fun watching all the action up close on a great cool night, and enjoyed ourselves even though they tied - again.

We also made a trip to Michigan in August to see Namma and Napa and had a great morning with Hannah and Jacob on their farm again (thanks Amy!) We fed the horse and rabbits, swam, picked peaches off the tree, and ran around their big property - ah, such fun in the country!

Other highlights as our summer drew to a close were visiting with Verdoorns who were in town for the weekend, finishing Eva's first ballet class with flying colors, going to Ravinia for my birthday, hanging out with friends, seeing Jazzin at the Shedd, and having my mom come babysit during the week while we all prepped for the school year starting up again and meetings getting into full swing again.

We also moved Eva into a big girl bed (thank you Craig's list!), because she was already too long for her well-loved toddler bed (thank you Danielsons!) She loves the extra reading and cuddling space and so far has not fallen out once. Between getting ready for preschool this fall, her new big bed, and wearing size 5 and 6 clothing, Eva seems oh so much bigger and ready to take on the world somehow. We're ready - bring on the fun! :)    

Happy 40th!

Peter's parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this last week - woo-hoo!  All 4 kids, 3 spouses, and a bunch of friends and family celebrated together at an open house party a their church Sunday afternoon.

One of my contributions was decorating and arranging photos for the big day. It was pretty fun to look through old snapshots of Tom and Karen from 20, 30, 40+ years ago and arrange them for others to look at. Whenever I look at old family photos, I am always struck by how similar people look at various ages. Like one shot we displayed of Karen and Tom when they were in their twenties - she was laughing, holding a can of soda, with Tom being mischievous behind her - that could be them today! And it looked just like any young couple today would, on a camping trip, being goofy  and having fun. Looking at them on their wedding day also reminded e of how fast time does move, and how we never know what the future's specific will look like til we get there. They are so young, so ready for anything in their old photos! Then marriage happens in the midst of real life, and you work at things, learn things, get better and worse at things - and, poof! 40 years have gone by. It reminds me of a quote - "No one is made overnight; our real lives are a lifetime of choices in the making."   

It is also always fun to see the extended family and friends in Michigan - Eva even made some new friends (including Jackson, who was such a great sport/older playmate!)

Congrats again to Tom and Karen on 40 years of family, faith, struggles and joys; what a fun day we had celebrating you! (This is one of my favorite shots - it is after feeding each other cake. Hee hee.) 

PS - VerHage family, my photos from the weekend are now on smugmug, fyi. If you have other pics I would love to see them sometime!       

Good, Clean Country Fun

All three kids (Eva, Hannah and Jacob) on their friendly horse. Eva hopped right up there, and Hannah and Jacob are pro riders!

As I've mentioned, we've been rounding out the summer with a lot of trips recently - including a weekend in MI with Peter's parents. We had the ultimate countryside fun weekend, and I finally got the rest of the photos uploaded and edited. Eva got to play with two new friends her age (2.5 and 5 yrs old), AND ride a horse for the first time, go swimming, and just all-around enjoy herself. Here are just a few of my faves that show our amazing hosts - Amy, Jacob and Hannah (and Dale), at their horse farm/pool/house, and a few from the church fun fair later that same weekend. Such great people, on a great August weekend...


Hannah and Eva brushing down his legs and spraying for flies.


The two girls had a blast together - although this shot doesn't show it!


The kids took turns using the helmet out in the pasture - Jacob was a great big bro and friend with the girls.


Eva LOVED trying on goggles and flippers! hee hee


Eva and Jacob floating on the frog.


Bouncey castle at the church fair.


One happy girl!

Fun-Filled Weekend & First Children's Sermon

We just got back from a fun-packed weekend in the country. We visited Peter's parents in rural-ish Michigan, and we managed to fit in a whole lot of fun for our city girl: horseback riding, swimming in a backyard pool, playing with two new friends her age, playing with a dog and cat, sitting on a real live motorcycle and then watching it drive away, picking fresh veggies and berries from the garden, playing in the brook, exploring a kiddie tree house, going to a family fair that included cotton candy/a bouncey castle/face painting/ice cream, and lots of just everyday normal fun stuff too. :) Thanks Nama and Napa - our toddler (and we adults) had a great time!

At the end of our weekend we went to church, where Eva was excited to go to the nursery and then promptly met another girl maybe a year or two older then her to play with. Partway through the service, Eva, the other little girl, and three school-aged kids all came out to join the congregation for the children's sermon. The kids sat dutifully in a row up on the front carpeted step while Pastor John began his illustration. Eva was right in the middle of the five kids, watching him intently, and quietly - at first.

Now I should mention that this was Eva's first children's sermon, because at our church (and the others we've visited thus far), the toddlers don't participate in the kiddo message, just the older kids already in the service take part and then head to children's church or something. So just remember, she was by far the youngest kid up there, and would normally be watching aquarium frogs or coloring in the confines of a nicely staffed nursery. Just saying.

So, anyway, Pastor John pulled out a pair of binoculars from a bag and asked one of the taller boys up on the step to try looking through them. He asked, "Can you see anything?" and the boy said "No, it's dark." Then Pastor John took the binoculars to each kid, giving him/her a turn to peer through the lenses and asked, "Can you see anything?" Eva was not exactly patient, but got her turn to look, and then put her hands out at her side when quizzically saying, "I can't see?" The rest of the room was softly chuckling here a bit, I think because she was so expressive in her disappointment, and also pretty loud. I was thinking to myself, aww, she is cute, look at her waiting for her turn...

Then, one of the older kids figured out that the pastor had not taken the small plastic covers off of the binocular lenses, and that was why none of them could see. So Pastor John held the binoculars up again to the eyes of the older kid - who then said, "Yeah, I can see now!" Then Eva, who was next to the older kid, kind of elbowed the kid and said directly to the pastor,"I want to see, MY TURN!" (Even louder.) So the room chuckled a little again, and the pastor obliged, holding the binoculars down to her short little frame in front of her eyes, at which point she exclaimed: "I CAN SEE!!! I CAN SEEEE!! I CAN SEEEEEEEE!!!" This was accompanied by ecstatic running on the stage, grabbing other kids arms, and then running off the stage to hug grandma sitting in the front row. Insert wild congregatinal laughter, surprise and a big grin from the pastor looking in our direction, and tears streaming down my face as I giggled.

Pastor John continued his faithful message about needing to see in order to understand God and the Gospel, and made some comment about how this was an eventful children's sermon, and at least it wasn't about healing the blind man... insert small congregational chuckle again. Eva calmed down enough to pray along with the other kids and the pastor as the children's time ended, and then bounded down the stairs when they were dismissed, chasing the other little girl saying "Let's go play, friends!" - again, pretty loudly. Now I was thinking, wow, she kind of stole the show there, just by being herself. :) My little girl.

While the whole church service was a very thoughtful and well-planned out time to gather and praise and connect with Peter's home church body, I will mostly remember Eva's unbridled exuberance and wonder at being able to see. And - the welcoming church family and pastor that loved her reaction to the discovery of sight as much as I did. (Apparently, Eva also made it into Pastor John's top five children's sermon experiences too; Peter and I had a bit of a conversation after the service, including having him ask which one of our DNA influence had run around on that stage that morning.)

Not a bad close to our weekend, not bad at all. :) Pictures to come...

Three Holidays and a Sermon

We just finished a very full long weekend - celebrating Thanksgiving, early Christmas, an 85th surprise Birthday, and then preaching for the first Sunday of Advent. After we got home tonight, I realized that this is one major event per day, for four days in a row. :) It was a lot of fun to see people in MI and enjoy family time during two holiday festivities! We got to hang with Josh and Kara who were here from Mpls and spend a morning at the Field Museum. Then we all drove to Peter's parent's place and met Alicia and Dave, who had made the long trek into town from D.C. Jill came over for the holiday celebrations too, and so it was a full VerHage family gathering! We even got to see Peter's cousins and much of his extended family who were in town to celebrate Peter's great-aunt Casey turning 85 - a surprise party that was so fun to see for such a sweet and tender-hearted lady.

Eva had great times with the everyone on our visit and took turns walking various people around the house by the finger, usually while saying 'come, come.' She also enjoyed chasing after the small chocolate soccer balls found in her stocking, and trying to pull out the pigtails that I kept re-doing in her hair. This morning, when we were back in town, she enjoyed the Bethlehem scene set up in the front of Sojourner Covenant Church where I spoke this morning. A beautiful miniature little town, complete with lighted star overhead and the scrolls of Isaiah resting on the floor, fills the stage at the front of the church.

We really had a good time at each event - and are feeling surprisingly rested and ready to start a "normal" week now. Yeah for Advent and the start of the holidays! Yeah for getting to appreciate family from near and far. Yeah for being invited to share the beginning of the Advent journey with a neat congregation. I am a fan. :)

A few of the fun people we recently visited....

Eva had great fun playing with grandpa and grandma VerHage on our trip to Michigan. She got to run around outside, go through a sprinkler for the first time, try new foods and explore things in their house - her favorites were the merry-go-round horse, textured decorative balls, and the African spoons and bowls on the upstairs landing.




Eva also got to spend time with her Aunt Jill - shown here doing a great job of holding a very squirmy little girl.

We also had a long weekend trip to Door County, WI, to visit our good friend (and Eva's godfather) Jed, at his parent's house. We always love time catching up with Vicky and Craig, running in the fresh northwind air, and playing games late into the night out on the porch. Eva especially loved all the flowers, rocks, and birds she got to meet up there and had fun with the mini sandbox and grandchild toys.

How lucky this little girl will be to grow up with friends and family who already love her and welcome her into their lives. She - and we - are blessed!

On the Road Again

We have made a lot 'o weekend trips so far this summer. Lately we've been gone on the weekends non-stop - first to Michigan for a wedding and VerHage family time, then to Door County over the 4th to see friends and relax. Now this weekend we are leaving for some cabin and Mosbo family time. Whew.

It's been fun seeing everyone and enjoying summertime out of the city, but Eva has not been as flexible on the road as she used to be. She was fighting off a fever/virus, got her 15 month shots/ensuing fever, and had some tummy trouble during the last trip as well - so that likely contributed to her crabbiness in the car. But, we're hoping that our drive today will go more smoothly then our last trip did (which included long crying bouts, frequent stops and too-short naps.)

When we reach our destination and have fun with our family and friends, Eva usually perks up and enjoys new all her new adventures. So we have gotten some great photos from our trips - I am still collecting some of them, but many updated pics are now on smugmug. These are just a few of my recent favorites. Here is to happy summer travels!