The Day Tate Turned 5!

Our little man has been so pumped to turn 5! He's been talking about it for months, so the morning of his big day was exciting! He's been really into Superheroes lately - specifically Larry Boy, so we went with a Larry Boy theme. Mike was chuckling as I was making the cake, because I've kind of committed myself to elaborate cakes for all the kids' birthdays. Good thing I like doing it (and I'm also really glad that Tate changed his mind about the snake cake he requested for his 5th birthday right after he turned 4).

 

While he was away at his friend's birthday party (it was a birthday party kind of a day), I put the finishing touches on the cake so they were ready when he got home.

 

I woke up early in the morning thinking about how I was going to make Larry Boy, and I was happy with the end product. For those of you who were at Sunday school on Sunday and heard me say that I didn't want to ruin Larry Boy, he has now been eaten. Good thing I've got pictures!

 

Not only did Tate want a Larry Boy cake, he also wanted it to be a chocolate mint cake. So, together we decided to put York Peppermint Patties between the layers and he was convinced that his friends were going to LOVE his cake! I don't recall any rave reviews from the other 5 year olds at the party, but I didn't hear any complaints either. He was also very excited about the peppermints (a.k.a.: Superhero Vitamins) that we bought a couple weeks before the party.

The house was ready for the guests to arrive!

I found some bad looking villains in our yard right before the party started (older siblings and one excited coerced dad). They got loose.....

...but these Superheroes were ready to stop 'em!

Dragging the bad guy to jail!

If you're a bad guy, be afraid of that cute blond Superhero tackling you to the ground!

Go Super J! (This is my nephew, and he turned on his charm and had all the moms in love with him by the end of the party. It was pretty funny.)

 

Of course Tate's cape had to be orange!

The kids had so much fun chasing the bad guys around the yard and putting them in jail! Such a simple game, but so much fun!

Present time!

 

Happy Birthday to you!

 

After the friends had gone home, Tate got to open some presents from us and Grandma and Grandpa. I asked him today what his favorite present was (dangerous question, I know), and he wisely said, "All of them!"

 

Super pumped about his Larry Boy hat!

 

It's a team effort to open "the big one."

"It's my very own suitcase! And it's orange!!!" He loved it and he might even be planning his next trip so he can use it.

At the end of the day, where does the baby play? In the box of course!

 

This was the first birthday that we've had a friend party, and I was a bit tired by the end of the day. It was so worth it though. I am very thankful for the help that my mom and mother-in-law gave me during the party! They were very gracious with me when I felt a little bossy.

 

We are so thankful for the gift that God gave us when Tate was born 5 years ago. His name means cheerful gift from God, and he fits the bill. He is ready for life every morning and he has an excitement and imagination that I smile at every single day. We love this boy so much and we are looking forward to the years ahead when we get to watch God shape and mold him into who He wants him to be.

What if?

At church yesterday, the sermon (preached by the guy that I get to call my husband) was about the process of sanctification in the Christian's life. He asked us all if we are paying attention to what God is doing in our lives. Every trial, every good thing is God teaching us something, and if we are seeking God in those events, we will grow in the process and be sanctified little by little - a process that continues until we take our last breath and are in the presence of Jesus. Or do we "pray the salvation prayer," and sit back and wait until we can go to heaven?

What if every Christian was actively pursuing God?

What if every Christian was really zealous for Jesus? 

This morning as I was driving to a Dr. appointment I was listening to a song with these lyrics:

Hallelujah, all I have is Christ.

Hallelujah, Jesus is my life.

I was reminded of the challenge in the sermon and thought, "What would my life look like if I lived like all I had was Christ and like Jesus is my LIFE? So often other things take precedence over Jesus.

So, what does it look like to follow Christ wholeheartedly?

We have some friends who sensed God was doing something and preparing them for a change. So, they resigned from their ministry position without knowing exactly what God had for them yet, willing to wait and see what God had in store. To some that might sound irresponsible, foolish maybe, but when God says, "Move," you'd best move! It's awesome (and I mean awesome in it's true definition) to watch how God is orchestrating the next thing for this couple.

Some other friends are planting a church in the city. They both grew up in rural areas, and have lived in a small town since they got married, so when they sensed God moving them in this direction, it was a stretch. Nevertheless, they said yes to God and they're moving out of their comfort zone in full reliance on God.

And there are many families we know who have been called to adopt and have followed Christ's command to take care of the widows and orphans.

We had lunch yesterday with a couple who is going to Ukraine with their 3 young boys to teach English and share of the love of Christ. Not to mention the people who are sacrificially giving of their income to support them as they go.

Does this mean that if you follow Christ you are going to be asked to quit your job, move to an unfamiliar place, give away your money, or adopt children? Maybe.

I have a hunch that if we all lived BOLD, zealous lives for Jesus, the world would be a much, much different place.

To borrow a quote from yesterday's sermon - "Following Christ is not easier, but it is better."

One more vacation photo dump...

After 2 weeks of vacation, we're back to regular life. We were blessed to have a couple of weeks going to my family's cabin just the 5 of us, then spending some time at home (fighting with the deer who really like my garden. So far they are winning.), then we spent 5 days in Door County with Mike's whole family. It was fun to spend lots of time all together and watch the cousins play together. It's funny, because even though they only see each other a couple times a year, they know they're cousins and have an instant bond.

 

The batteries in my camera were dead for the first half of our vacation at the cabin, so I don't have any pictures, but when we got to Door County, my father-in-law saved the day, so I could capture some memories in the making. Thanks to the man who lives by the motto, "Always be prepared!"

 

Norah is enjoying her s'more made by Aunt Cassie. Yum!

Anja at the campfire and always ready with a smile for anyone with a camera.

Cousin Caleb who is only 25 days older than Anja. I know you're not supposed to compare kids, but he seems so much older than Anja because she is still pretty unsteady on her feet and this kid could practically finish a triathalon (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating). 

Just some proof that I was on the vacation. You know how it is. Mom's never in the pictures because she's always the one behind the camera.

There were little toads all over the place, so Tate was often toad hunting around the campground. I love his adventurous spirit!

We spent one morning at the Door County Fair. Grandma, Tate and Anja walked through the poultry building together. Tate loved the chickens with the big feathers on the tops of their heads. You could hear him laughing from the other side of the building.

 

Norah got to pet a bunny, but really didn't care to do it more than once.

We went to a children's concert after lunch and when the singer asked for volunteers Norah raised her hand and bravely made her way up to the stage to play the electric guitar.....

but when the music started, she started to second guess her decision.

Mommy went up to save the day.....

and she decided that Daddy's lap is a much better place to play guitar.

It took about .2 seconds for Anja to fall asleep once we got in the car after the morning at the fair.

The next day, we were off to Peninsula State Park for some swimming, sand and canoeing. It was a beautiful day and the water wasn't bad for being Lake Michigan.

 Daddy, Norah and Tate went out to explore a "treasure cove" out in the water (a pile of rocks that were stacked in a circle and sticking out of the water).

Always-ready-with-a-smile Anja enjoying lunch at the beach.

All the cousins! I think we might all deserve a few extra points for camping with 5 children ages 4, 3, 2, 1 and 1. All in all, I think it went pretty well, and I am pretty sure I'd be willing to do it again soon! That is a milestone, since the first time we went camping when Tate was a baby, I promised that I wouldn't do that again for a LONG time. Probably a combination of slightly older kids, and being a little more relaxed with child #3.

Cousins!

Grandpa Gerry and Grandma Sharon having fun at the beach.

The little diva (borrowing Cousin Noelle's sunglasses) before we went into the restaurant.

Time for some silly faces!!!

Sisters!

Playing in the sand before we left (in case you were wondering - that is NOT our camper in the background. We tented, hence the extra points for camping with small children.)

 



 

Peek-a-boo!

Happy Summer Vacation from the 5 of us!

Summer Fun!

I just realized how incredibly long it has been since I posted last, and when I saw what my last post was about I was reminded that things in retrospect are much less catastrophic than they seem in the moment. I drove through St. Cloud this past week on the way to the cabin and remembered getting lost on my way to Chipotle, and I'm pretty sure I won't get lost again! Getting lost has a way of helping you find your way around.

 

Since it's been a while, and we've been up to all sorts of fun things this summer, I decided that a photo dump was in order. Here are some of the things we've been up to these past couple of months:

 

Okay, so this has nothing to do with summer, but lately Anja has taken to licking her plate clean and this is what often results.

We're on our way to the pool in the backyard, and Anja's in charge of carrying the floaties!

Fun in the pool (yes, I know the pool is a strange shade of yellow, but the kids don't care, and it won't hurt them)!

Auntie Kristen came to visit for almost a week. One night included the kids' first s'mores!

I think they were a hit!

The little one was happy with her plain graham cracker!

For the week of the 4th of July, we headed out to my family's cabin. The weather was gorgeous and the water was uncharacteristically calm, so we took advantage of it! My brave little 2 year old decided that she wanted to try tubing......

.....and skiing....maybe next year.

Tate loved playing on the beach building things and occasionally cooling off in the lake.

My sister and her kids were there too, so we had lots of fun cousin time.

Speaking of fearless little girls, Anja loved the water! This is why she is strapped in her booster seat outside in this picture. It worked great to keep her contained for a little bit so we could relax for a while. She's a lot of fun, but at a difficult cabin age.

Waiting for the parade to start on the 4th of July.

Tate apparently thought that the wait was a little long....

.....but well worth the wait!

No, Anja didn't go sailing, but Norah and Tate did! Tate informed us yesterday that he doesn't want to go on the sailboat again because he was afraid it was going to tip over. We'll have to try it again next summer to ease his fears (and hopefully not confirm them!)

Anja and Daddy!

Ten years ago, Ana came from Brazil to stay with my family and go to school here. She came back to visit for 10 days, and was out at the cabin with us. It was so fun to spend time with her again. It was like having a second sister for a while. This was also the first time that all 14 of us have stayed at the cabin overnight. I'd say it was a success, aside from a few crabby kids every once in a while, but who doesn't have that on occasion at home, right?  

 

We're planning a camping trip at the end of July with the other side of the family, so I'm sure there will be more photos to come.