Happy Birthday - School is CANCELLED

So - Tuesdays are MY days. They are the ONLY day, all week, when I have a few hours alone. Not even a lot...just a few. I love Tuesdays. And I was SUPER excited that my birthday fell on a TUESDAY this year - because what says "YAY, 35!" more than a pedicure and a solo stroll through Target with a coffee? Nothing.

So at 5:45AM - when I got a phone call...(and then no one was there)...followed by a SECOND phone call at 5:50 tell me that school was CANCELLED - I felt a tinge of "SERIOUSLY, UNIVERSE?!?!?"

We had freezing rain. Yes, the roads were slick...but...ugh. Don't get me wrong - I love my kids. I do. But we had a 3 day weekend. And...well, solo shopping...

I decided I would still go to Target - because I had limited choices. So we ALL went and it was NOT peaceful or enjoyable. But Jack & Josie had some gift cards to use...and I may have found a couple things for myself. Not all bad.

For dinner - we used a Christmas gift from my parents - and ate out as a family at Center Street Grill. We are always the "party" table...and often NOT in a good way. But we had plenty of cheers-ing (yes, I made that a verb) and my kitchen - at home - remained clean.

After dinner - we picked up some mini cupcakes for everyone...including two "pupcakes" for the dogs.

Thankful for this beautiful life or 35 years. Planning on CRUSHING the next 35! Watch out, world.

Are you still here?

I've been a terrible blogger. Apologies. Things got CRAZY at the end of 2016. We have 3 busy kids and I'm running a side-business that feels like a full-time job {at times}. So - I swear, this time I mean it - I will do a better job! Nolan is going to have a huge gap in his "life events" and it's all my fault.

Recap of the end of 2016:

Teeth were lost! Jack has now lost 4 and Josie has lost 2. Nolan has come close to getting a few knocked out...

Fall happened and it was unseasonably warm...which made all of us HAPPY!

For Halloween we had a Kylo Ren, a Snow White, and her side-kick Dopey (sorry, teenage Nolan...I thought it was cute).

After a low-key Thanksgiving - we helped Josie celebrate her 5th birthday! She's a WHOLE HAND now! She had a Tea Party with some friends and it was a very fun time! (See previous post)

For our 11th Anniversary - Tyson and I took a parental time out and flew down to Key West for a long weekend. We had SO much fun...eating, drinking, and honestly, sleeping!!! Yes, I took many naps and slept past 9am. Uncle Bill has a few condos down there and was gracious enough to let us stay in one. He also took us on a bar-hopping tour of Key West and it took me a full day to recover.  Our friends, Jeff & Jaime, came down from Miami too! It was SO much fun! Oh, and we took a very adventurous jet ski tour.

We prepped for Christmas with Josie's Live Nativity program and then SANTA came! His BIG gift this year was a bounce house for our basement! Nolan is one happy kid.

For Christmas we spent time in Fort Wayne, with Agnes (visiting from Idaho) and in Warsaw with Uncle Jon, Cassie, Uncle Joe, Aunt Gina, and all the cousins. Too much fun was had! It is always great to see the kids playing and spending time with their cousins. We wish we were closer to everyone!

So - that's the wrap on 2016. Lame, I know. But I really will be better. 2017 will be an EXCITING year in the Becker house!

Snapshots

Here are a few snapshots from the second half of our summer:

We got to spend a couple weekends with Aunt Kim at the lake. Here she is with Nolan - hugging his "dog" that she gave him for Christmas last year. It's his fave.

Idaho came to the lake in JULY. It was so fun to spend time with Agnes (and Devin & Kristin).

Nolan went to his first movie! The Secret Life of Pets. He ate plenty of popcorn...but couldn't quite make it through the whole movie. 

This is Josie's reaction to her pre-Kindergarten shots at the pediatrician's office. When my dad saw this...it took him back to ME at 13. I literally did this.

We had an AMAZING summer with Mia and were sad to send her off to MSU for her sophomore year. We miss her already.

Oh - hey Uncle Joe.

The Carsten family came up from FW to visit one weekend. Made Jack's summer. We all took in (half) a Tigers game. 

Bedtime antics. Crazies.

We spent Labor Day enjoying the lake! What a fun summer. So many great memories made at the new lake house! Already looking forward to next year.

Sorry. But when did my baby get so big. {tears} Napping with "Dog."

IU soccer played at UofM. We had to take the kids over for the game. IU is ranked #3 in the country right now...so we witnessed a really great game! Hoosiers won 2-0.

It's beginning to LOOK a lot like fall in Michigan. (not so much FEELING like fall yet) If you've never visited Michigan in the fall...you're missing out. It's beautiful! Oh, and we have amazing CIDER mills with Cider Donuts. Nothing better.

Clevenger Family Lake Time

A couple weeks ago we were able to have my family at the lake for some family fun.  Nolan was in heaven because his Papa Jerry was there. My dad and Tyson's dad are celebrity status in Nolan's world.

Uncle Jon and Cassie were visiting from Naples! They volunteered to go tubing with Jack and he had a BLAST!

My grandparents also came over for the day.  My grandpa had a total hip replacement in June and is doing awesome! It was fun having them there with us. Joe, Gina, and their kiddos were there too...which would be why I have zero pictures of Josie on here. Her cousins are her BFFs and there wasn't one picture I took all day that didn't have Millie or Emma in it with her. She's a lucky girl.

Thankful for time together and a fun place to spend a weekend!

ALSO - this is my 2,000 published blog post. Which is crazy. I haven't been the best blogger lately...but I definitely want this running timeline for the kids - so I will be better.

90th Birthday

Last weekend Josie and I took a quick trip over to Jackson to see Grandpa Jerry and Great Aunt Sue. They were visiting the mitten to celebrate THEIR aunt's 90th birthday! My Great Aunt Jean (my Grandpa Clev's sister) tunred 90! Josie was excited to see "the birthday girl" wearing a tiara. 

Oh...and it had SNOWED to our west...kind of a lot that day. Josie acted like she was happy to see it. I refuse to claim her when she pulls that nonsense.

Florida Part 3

On Easter Sunday we enjoyed breakfast out with Jon and Cassie. Then we headed off to Sebring to spend some time there with my parents and grandparents.

Grandpa Jerry got a new golf cart! Jack, Josie, and Nolan took plenty of rides! We saw a mama owl & her babies, some monkey squirrels, and a GATOR!

That night we went out for dinner to celebrate my grandpa's 88th birthday! Chocolate cake for everyone (which made Josie, my chocolate queen, VERY happy).

Before we left - we took a dip in the Sun'n'Lakes Community pool. That was pool #1 of 3 my kids swam in THAT day. See - I wasn't kidding when I said they were in water 80% of their visit to Florida.

After a full 7 days in the Sunshine State - we were ready (or at least our plane tickets said so) to head back to Michigan. Not a day has gone by - that my kids haven't said "I miss Florida" since we've been back. We are ALL so sick of the Michigan cold. I believe Uncle Jon is still recovering from our visit.

The Lake with Agnes

We spent a few days celebrating Christmas and ringing in 2016 at the Lake with the Idaho Beckers. Nolan broke in the new farm sink - by letting Grandma Nancy give him a bath in it!

 Coop's big butt was there. Tucker's too. And that dang dog jumped in the lake. More than once.

 Josie modeled Kristin's Wonder Woman apron.

 Tyson and Devin smoked some delicious chicken...We are in for some really good meat this summer!

 Agnes and Nolan spent some time catching up.

Early morning meet-ups were popular. Sleeping arrangements with 6 adults, 4 kids, and two dogs can get dicey. We all left the lake a little more tired than we were when we arrived.

And Jack proved he's worthy of being the big cousin. Both Jack and Josie were excited to help feed Agnes.

Looking forward to many more weekends at the lake! Maybe next time warmer temps will make everything a little better.

Halloween Christmas in Indiana

Last weekend we headed south to Indiana for some family time. My grandparents are heading to Florida soon and we got together for a Halloween Christmas gathering at their house. My kids get SO excited for these get togethers...for a lot of reasons: 1) there are always so many kids to play with 2) Gigi always has plenty of sweets

We did some family pumpkin carving. Uncle Jon helped Josie gut her pumpkin...but somehow I ended up carving 3 pumpkins (one for each kid).

Josie had a blast with her cousins Amelia & Emma. And they all LOVED playing with my cousin Justin's daughter, Ada. Josie had her first "unofficial" sleepover with Millie & Emma. We went over after she was asleep to hang out with Joe & Gina...and then brought her home with us at 11pm. But she has made it very clear that she would like to move to Warsaw to live with them.

Nolan pretty much ate the entire time we were home. Here he was eyeing my pumpkin roll. He may have had a bite...or three.

 Hanging with Connor - Justin's oldest - and, yes, still eating...

Walking it off, playing some soccer with the big kids....exercising.

 Oh, wait, nope - never mind ...more eating. Grass anyone?!?

My three, plus Ada's twin - Owen. He and Jack did some wrestling in the yard. Jack was in heaven.

Of course, having Uncle Jon home from Florida was a highlight. He brought Cassie, too...so he was even more popular than usual.