Happy Anniversary

Craig and I celebrated our 11 year wedding anniversary this past Saturday! I can't believe it's been 11 years already (not including the seven years we dated, either). We celebrated by going out for dinner AND a movie, which is rare for us. We usually just do one or the other. Anyway, we had dinner at Leo's in downtown Grand Rapids, then saw the new Indiana Jones movie. It was a great date night!

Clara's Birthday Party

Here are some pictures from Clara's second birthday party, which was last weekend. Thank you to everyone who came. We had a great time and enjoyed seeing everyone.

Last Soccer Game

This past Saturday was Kyle's last soccer game for the spring season. It was a beautiful day for a game, and his team won! Other than that, I don't have much to say because I spent half the game trying to calm Clara down (she was having a bad day). Anyway, it is amazing how all of the kids on his team improved over the past few months. Kyle loves soccer and we will be signing him up for it again this fall.

His team celebrated the end of the season by having a soccer party last night. The kids were supposed to play against the adults in a game, but the rain did not allow for that. Fortunately, we were under a pavillion, so we were still able to have a cookout. We had a great time! The most exciting part was when Kyle received a trophy and certificate, which all the kids received. It was a nice ending to the season.

Road Trip

Last Friday was my first Friday off, and I spent the day with my dear friend Lisa. :) We decided it would be fun to take a road trip, so we headed to IKEA for the day (in Canton). I had never been there, nor had Lisa, so we were definitely IKEA "newbies." It was a lot of fun and we had a successful shopping experience, once we learned how to naviagate our way through the HUGE store. Anyway, we both found some great items . . . . . and great deals. IKEA is known for their deals. For instance, I bought some decorative rocks for $1.49! What a deal! I also bought a picture to hang above our bed, some crib bedding, and other miscellaneous items. If you have not been to IKEA, and you like to shop, this is a must do activity!

On the way home from Canton, we drove into a terrible thunderstorm. I had to turn my hazard lights on and pull over to the side of the highway at one point. I have never had to do that in my life, but it was bad - no visibility! Better to be safe than sorry, right? It made our road trip somewhat adventurous, and one we will likely not forget. Thanks Lisa, for spending the day with me. It was fun. :)

Escape Artist!

Tonight we learned that our cat Max can escape off our deck by squeezing through the railings. He is a little escape artist! Yep, that's right . . . . . . . and look where he headed - straight for our pool. Believe it or not, this is the cat that LOVES water. Yep. He would have been swimming if Craig hadn't noticed him ready to dive in. We have been letting Max hang out on the deck because he likes to lay in the sun, but we won't being doing that anymore . . . . . . at least not without adult supervision. :)

Poor old Max. He is getting old . . . . he is sixteen and a half. My mom says she thinks he has arthritis by the way that he walks. I am taking him to the vet on Friday to see if there is anything they can do to help him. He is an awesome cat and I hope he lives to be at least 20!

Happy Birthday Clara!

Clara turned two today! I can't believe it's been two years since Clara entered our lives. She is becoming such a big girl . . . . and SO independent. We are blessed to have her; she really has rounded out our family nicely.

Oh, and Kyle wants me to mention how much he is looking forward to Clara's birthday party this weekend . . . . . in only six more days, but who's counting?

Happy Birthday Clara! We love you.

Carpooling

Can you believe the gas prices these days? I'm sure you can, since we are all feeling the increases at the pump. Craig and I decided a few weeks ago to start carpooling one day a week and that has been working well for us. We both have fairly long commutes to work, so even one day a week makes a difference in our gas budget. We figure we are saving about $40-$50 a month by implementing this change. Plus, it's nice to be able to drive together and catch up on things during the commute. The only downside is I have to get dropped off a little early in order for Craig to make it to work by 8:00 a.m. We are lucky that we work close enough to one another (about 10 minutes apart) that this is an option for us. Does anyone else have suggestions on reducing their mileage (besides getting a hybrid and/or just staying home all the time)? I heard driving slower helps too, but Craig isn't crazy about that one - ha ha! :)