Glorious Joy

Sparkels!

2011-12-20T22:42:00.001-05:00

Sierra and I went to a Christmas ballet at the Knickerbocker Theater. Of course she wore her pink sparkly tutu, because come on, what else would you wear to a ballet? She loved the performance! The dancers were graceful the costumes were beautiful, even I wanted to be a ballerina after watching them flutter across the stage. Despite how wonderful the show was, it was over two hours in length. Sierra is 4 years old. There is a certain amount of restlessness that comes after the first 10 minutes of any activity. I am so grateful that the man to our left thought Sierra was cute. At least he thought she was cute when we first took our seats, I don't know what he thought of her by the time the show was over. For one thing, he left with pink sparkles all down his right pant leg. She wriggles around a lot, and tries out the ballet moves, and lets face it, sparkles just don't stay put the way mothers would like them to. Along with mimicking dance moves, she was also giving a verbal running commentary on what the performers were doing. And she has trouble whispering. But she is very enthusiastic. She whooped and hollered and clapped really hard when a dance was finished. Problem was, she was holding a full bottle of white grape juice when one of the songs ended. You guessed it; the juice didn't stop her from clapping. Well, now Sierra, the tutu, and I (along with the poor man to our left) are covered in juice. A few dances later I heard people rows ahead of us trying to figure out why the floor all of a sudden got so sticky. That would be us. Then the man to our left started to eat candy. Sierra didn't have any candy. So, she politely asked if she could have some of his. I just smiled. She really was being good; it's just that she was also being 4. I love my sticky sparkly little girl, and I kind of hope she never grows up.

Summer Highlights

2011-10-30T20:56:00.007-04:00

The last day of June, we kissed our sweet little Trip farewell and moved him into a wonderful pre-adoptive home. We have seen him often over the summer and he is doing so well! We will always love this little man!

This was Tripper when he first came to us. It's so crazy to look back and see how much he's grown and healed, and changed our hearts.

Check out that form, people! Sierra has become quite the little fish over the summer.

This was Sierra's first summer on a big bike. This bike used to be Ethan, mine, and Angela's, so it makes me feel quite nostalgic. However, Sierra wasn't too keen on the color until I convinced her that it was "shiny black". "Shiny black" is one of her favorite colors, right behind shiny pink and shiny purple.

best friends :)

TriPonds had ducks this summer, and feeding them a bedtime snack became an evening ritual. Sierra is standing on the rock because one time a duck "bit her bunners", so she doesn't like them to get too close.

Dear little Ellery has given precocious a whole new meaning. I don't even know where to start, so I'll just say that she needs to be monitored closely.

We spent many afternoons at Lake Michigan. How could you not?

Ellery turned one! Please notice my awesome duck cake.

This is Sierra failing her vision test

The girls taking a break from picking apples at Crane's. Ellery is allowed to hold her apple, she may not partake. Notice Sierra's glasses.

Bidding farewell to summer by hiking up the South Side Bowl

We took a fall trip down to Kentucky for our annual getaway with Kate's college friends

Lots of beautiful hiking

the kids were little troopers

The girls with all our girls, and Emily with another girl on the way

This is Sierra thinking that it was pretty rocking trip. Thanks for hosting Ginny!

Sierra started Three School at Zeeland Christian. She's in the Spanish Immersion program, but she calls it "Spanish Emergency". She loves it and is doing very well.

Sierra turned 4! I don't really know how that happened since I'm only 18.

She requested that her cake be of "a beautiful summer day". That sounded too complicated, so we went with a flower.

4 and 1 year picture

I don't know how I did this, it just kind of tipped over. The kids are fine, Sierra didn't even drop her bagel. She no longer likes driving on dirt road and she misses her van because it was "such a pretty shiny blue color". I tried convincing her that the black Buick is also shiny, but she doesn't buy that.

Thriving

2011-05-27T23:17:00.006-04:00

Well, we are still thriving. Or at least alive and kicking. We still have our little Tripper-man, he is growing and smiling and melting hearts left and right. He is 4 months old (although he is just about outgrowing his 9 month wardrobe). We are still seeking your prayers for this little man. Decisions might be made within the next few weeks here.

Ellery (9 months) is still a pistol of energy alternating between shrieks of sheer joy and shrieks of passionate protest. And I feel like she's a crawling disaster waiting to happen. She likes to crawl up onto Trip's bouncy seat, stand up, and use it as a trampoline. She can get some pretty good height on there if I don't catch it quick enough. Her activity of choice is playing in the toilet. She loves water, so she also makes a habit of flipping herself into the bathtub. Empty of course, but not a soft landing. Needless to say, we try to keep the bathroom door closed. She prefers to crawl down the stairs head first, which she is actually pretty good at, but it still makes me nervous. And everything EVERYTHING goes in her mouth. I try to perform random finger sweeps about every 20 minutes or so; if you forget why I'm paranoid, please refer to the previous post. But sometimes, we're too late and something special will show up in her diaper. The other day I noticed something weird in her spit up; upon closer inspection I discovered it to be the wing of a fly. Maybe I should just tape her mouth closed. But if you know her, there is something so charming and captivating about that little girl that you just can't help but smile, even at 3am.

That brings us to Sierra (3 1/2 years). My expressive, tender-hearted, articulate, outgoing, nurturing eldest. She is currently on cloud nine because the TriPonds camping season is in full swing. That means she has about 200 best friends in her back yard. I think one of the best things about this age is what comes out of her cute little mouth. I'll share a few recent quotes:

“When I grow up I’m going to have 20 babies. I’ll take 1 of them to work and dad, you can take care of the rest.”

“Mom, I don't feel like I'm 3 years old, I actually feel like I am 7 years old”

“Next year, I want to buy an x-ray machine because they are so cool and I’ve never seen inside my stomach before”

“These freckles remind me of Jesus because he gave them to me.”

“Do you see this tear right here? This is a tear of joy. Do you know why I have a tear of joy? Because I love you and daddy so so much.”

“Hey Mom, maybe when we get to heaven we can ask Jesus if He’ll take us walking on the water.”

We love our busy home, it's full of chuckles and kisses and all the love in the world.

an apple a day....

2011-04-11T23:18:00.006-04:00

....this does not apply to babies. In fact, Ellery will never eat another apple as long as she lives. In fact, Tony has requested that she eat no solid food and only breastfeeds until she is 12. Ellery choked on a piece of apple and Tony called 911 (thank goodness he was there, I tend to under-react and probably wouldn't have called until she went unconscious). Anyways, they took my sweet baby by priority 1, lights and sirens to Holland Hospital. I left in the ambulance with Ellery. We were at my parents so Tony got Trip's diaper bag, talked to Sierra, gave information to the police officers, and still beat the ambulance to the hospital. Do ambulance drivers have GPS? Ours opted for the scenic route along the Lakeshore while I watched Ellery's oxygen level drop lower and lower. We were met in the ambulance bay and were wheeled into an ER room where 12 (I counted, 12, really) medical personnel stood waiting for us. She had a chest x-ray within seconds and we were off again by ambulance to Helen DeVos Children's hospital. They had a surgical suite set up and waiting and Ellery went right in to have a rigid bronchoscopy where they pulled out the apple chunk from her right bronchus. I hate apples.

This is Elle right before surgery. Sheesh, what a day! When we left the hospital we went out to eat. While Ellers slept soundly in her car seat, I ate an enormous chocolate cake dessert.

We are crazy thankful that she is fine. We are also thankful for phones, bronchoscopies, and doctors.

life's a trip

2011-04-04T23:46:00.004-04:00

We are settling into our new normal and having an additional little blessing isn't quite as overwhelming as it felt initially. We have nicknamed our foster baby, Trip. And what a trip it's been. I wish for the freedom to share all our stories, but I'll keep it generic. It's been great to have a baby boy around the house, blue is a whole new color for us. However, I need to remember that little boys can produce a spray that gets quite the distance -- bummer for our living room chair, among other things. Ellery (7 1/2 months) is now crawling, her main incentive being Trip. She will maneuver obstacles of toys and great distances of carpet to get her hands on her little playmate. They are quite the pair and nearly the same size. Sierra is of course our big helper. She and I sat side by side today feeding the babies together.

I am thankful for the ways that I am being stretched and grown, for all that I am learning, and for the experiences I am gaining. From the WIC office to court dates to parental visitations, this is all new territory for us. It may not be very glamorous, but I feel that for now, this is the work that God has prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). And so, there is nothing else I'd rather be doing. We are cherishing our time with Trip while continuing to pray for his future.

We pray that Trip would receive Christ Jesus as Lord, live in him, be rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as he is taught, and overflow with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7)

Let Trip take refuge in you and be glad; let him ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over Trip that he may rejoice in you. (Psalm 5:11)

Do immeasurably more in Trip’s life than all we could ever ask or imagine, according to your power that is at work within him. Glorify yourself through his life, and for generations to come. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

You have called Trip by name; he is yours. When he passes through the waters, be with him. When he passes through the rivers, do not let them sweep over him. When he walks through the fires, do not let him be burned. And when Trip emerges from these trials let him know that you are the Lord, that you are his God, that you are the Holy One of Israel, and that you are his Savior. (Isaiah 43:1-3)

a new little munchkin

2011-03-02T08:53:00.003-05:00

We have spent the last month falling in love with our darling little foster baby. Due to the public nature of blogs, we are not able to share details or pictures, but I wanted to post that the reason for my lack of posts is due in part to the fact that we are very busy, and is due in part to the fact that all my thoughts and pictures involve details of this new little one.

Three kids, age three and under. I love it! I love that when you have three you can say "all my kids" instead of just "both my kids". I love that when I read the kids a book, my lap is almost too full to turn the pages. I love collaborating with my amazing husband on who will take who to do what. I love that when I go grocery shopping, my cart is so full of miniature people that I can hardly fit food into it. But my favorite part is at night when they're all tucked in and I sneak into each room to pull their covers up and say a prayer of thanks for all my blessings. Of course we miss sleeping ourselves, there is always at least one child up at any given time, but it seems a small price to pay. Also, because we are foster licensed, we are no longer allowed to have a gun...so, Tony killed an opossum today with a shovel (he's so brave!).

One of our most frequently asked questions is how the girls are adjusting to the new addition. Ellery seems oblivious to the change. Sierra couldn't be happier. After we got the request on this little guy and decided to accept the placement, we sat down with Sierra to talk about it. We told her "There is a little baby who needs someone to take care of him and love him a whole bunch. Do you know anyone who could do that?" her face lit up and with every ounce of her three year old enthusiasm, she said that she could do it. So we told her that when she woke up in the morning, there would be a little baby here for her to love. I wish you all could have seen her expectant little face when she came traipsing down the stairs that next day! She's been in love with her "new friend" ever since.

If you think of our little one throughout the day, please say a prayer for him, for his healing and for his future.

winter is cold

2011-02-04T11:36:00.002-05:00

2 teeth

the precious sisters: "Mommy, Ellery will always be my best friend"

Sierra's first time on skies. Check out the form, people!

The VanFam

Please notice Ethan in the background

things and stuff

2011-01-07T22:49:00.003-05:00

Well I haven't uploaded pictures for awhile now, but here's a little run down on our life the past few weeks:

* We had Ellery's baby dedication
* I have returned to work from maternity leave and still love it....I wish I could share stories....funny things happen in hospitals
* We had our first Rietema Christmas in Michigan with the move of Tony's parents 2.2 miles down the road
* Sierra got her 2nd haircut ever
* We have caught 2 mice in our house so far this year (improved from about 300 the last year we lived here)
* Ellery got her first 2 teeth
* Tony is keeping busy with his little side business - check out www.focusbooth.com
* We are in the market for a mini van
* My little sister and very best friend moved to Colorado (tragic for me, but wonderful for her)
* Sierra went downhill skiing for the first time with the Van Drunens - she loved it

Hope all of you are having an incredible start to 2011! Happy New Year!

Our Maiden Voyage....

2010-11-27T16:09:00.005-05:00

....to the ER

Some of our friends seem to frequent the Emergency Room on a somewhat regular basis. But aside from Tony getting poison ivy in places you really don't want it, this was our first trip as adults. We were talking in bed late one night and heard the strange and terrifying noise of little Sierra struggling to catch her breath. Now I'm an OB nurse. So I know lots about labor and newborns and vaginas. And, if Sierra was bleeding all over, no big deal. But this is the A in the ABCs of medicine. Airway. So naturally, I freaked out. We took her in and it was croup. So, no big deal. An easy fix. And Sierra really liked the cool mask and pretty bracelet they gave her.

Fall

2010-10-16T23:57:00.000-04:00

My little Elleroo

I know you all will be a little disappointed, but I opted out of putting this one in a pumpkin

We had a nice little photo shoot

Then the chickens came to see what we were doing

Then she fell asleep

God's Kid

2010-10-16T23:42:00.002-04:00

This is Sierra rocking out with Lynelle Pierce at a summer TriPonds church service. Lynelle has been coming to TriPonds for over 20 years and I well remember her from when I was Sierra's age.

Here Sierra is yelling into the microphone that she is "God's Kid!" Sierra, I pray that you will always be God’s Kid and that you will always have the boldness to declare his name to the world. I pray that your heart would be open to whatever God has for you, and that He would move in your life in mighty, mighty ways. Rock out, little one!

Threeeeeeee!

2010-10-13T22:42:00.002-04:00

My sweet little girl turned three today!

Two Months?!!?!

2010-10-11T20:28:00.004-04:00

Apparently Ellery is 2 months old. I'm not sure how that happened exactly, but I guess it's true. We had her doctor's appointment today and she weighed in at a whopping 12 lbs 10 oz, thank you very much! We're talking 90th percentile here. We're talking her thighs are the same size as Sierra's. I'm thinking about bottling my breast milk and selling it to football players. And she's the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on. In other news, I vacuumed under the cushion of my living room chair today and found a hair bow, a bottle top, a sock, a marble, a hand-dipped candle, and a long lost shoe. Perhaps I should check under there more often. Sierra's quote of the day: "Mom, I like to meet people because I like to talk, so can I meet some people?"

Life

2010-09-18T01:59:00.003-04:00

Well, I've noticed that my blog has really become more of a photo reel. I know that's not exactly the point of a blog, but life goes so fast I'm lucky to just catch it on film, I don't have time to write about it too! However, it's 2am and I have a little baby on my lap (that is only content when she is on my lap) so I don't have much else to do right now. Life as a family of four is beautiful! I forgot how much I love the baby stage and I don't really care that my nights are no longer for sleeping. Sierra is a fantastic big sister and smothers (literally) Ellery with love (she says "Ellery is so warm and cozy and snug, I want to cuddle her up"). The whole jealousy thing has yet to surface. Sierra is quite the song writer and makes up very funny lyrics for Ellery. Our very verbal eldest daughter has us laughing much of the day with the things she says. Here are just a recent few:

I told Sierra that her shoes were getting too small, she said, “We better bring them to the library so someone else can pick them out.”

“My friend mommy, she’s the best.”

While listening to Ellery’s heart with a stethoscope, “I hear Jesus in there!”

Sierra came down after her nap while I was watching TV and said, “hey, that’s Grey’s Anatomy!” I said, “how do you know that?” she replied, “because I’m really smart. And I’m really nice. And I’m very kind. And I’m strong. And I run really fast.

Ah, kids are fun! I can't believe how blessed I am to have two!

Ellery is 3 weeks old!

2010-09-02T16:41:00.001-04:00

Ellery Esther Rietema

2010-08-18T08:28:00.007-04:00

Getting Ready for Baby #2 !!

2010-08-08T23:31:00.001-04:00

Pebble Beach & Fishing at the Ponds

2010-07-20T16:58:00.000-04:00

More Fruit....Raspberries, Peaches, and Blueberries

2010-07-20T16:21:00.002-04:00

Dutch Village...Sierra's favorite place

2010-07-17T23:20:00.002-04:00

Pigeon Creek Kayaking

2010-07-05T16:09:00.000-04:00

Fun with Small Group

2010-06-29T23:18:00.003-04:00

(photos compliments of Jodi, who is amazing)

The Fruits of Michigan

2010-06-26T00:10:00.000-04:00

A visit from IWU friends

2010-06-23T23:44:00.004-04:00

The guys: Tony, Dave, & Adriel

Eliana

The girls: Emily, Ginny, Kate & Sierra

A visit from Grandma, Aunt Ami, and Kylie

2010-06-11T23:32:00.000-04:00

Dune Driving at Silver Lake

2010-05-29T23:11:00.001-04:00

It's impossible to capture how steep, dangerous, and illegal this should be. But we had a lot of fun.

Playdate with the Westenbroeks

2010-05-29T23:01:00.002-04:00

Mother's Day

2010-05-29T22:42:00.000-04:00

On any special occasion, it is Sierra's request that there is a cake, candle, and song to go with it.

Sierra and Auntie. They found a mushroom.

Hike in the woods

Tulip Time

2010-05-29T22:24:00.004-04:00

Springtime

2010-05-02T22:13:00.002-04:00

Fun inflatables

Boats at Fredrick Gardens

Butterflies at Fredrick Gardens

Helping Auntie at the camp ground

Helping mommy plant the garden

Moving

2010-04-29T22:02:00.002-04:00

Home Sweet Home! Back at TriPonds!

Lifting furniture through the second story window....in the rain....thankfully our friends double as an excellent moving team!

Painting

Easter

2010-04-29T21:45:00.004-04:00

Sierra and her buddy Luke at Church on Easter Sunday

Easter egg hunt at Grammie & Papa's house

Making an Easter cake

She Pledges her Allegiance

2010-03-25T14:47:00.003-04:00

The Big Sister

2010-03-06T19:52:00.007-05:00

Sierra as the proud big-sister-to-be (notice the shirt)

We feel blessed to announce that we are expecting our second kiddo in August! I'm about 17 weeks along and starting to feel much better. The baby's little kicks and jabs are getting stronger and Tony is now able to feel them as well (Sierra is, of course, much too busy to wait for kicks). The best part has been watching Sierra get excited about the baby.

Here's what Sierra has to say about all of this:

* "Mommy has a baby in her tummy and Sierra has Jesus in her heart."
* "Mommy, you eat this cracker so that it goes next to the baby."
* When asked, Sierra says that she is going to have a baby brother and name him "sister"
* "Mommy is going to the hospital and they are going to pull the baby out." (I do not know where she got this from, but it wasn't from me.)
* She likes to ask random strangers "Where's the baby? I know, it's in mommy's tummy!" (She talks to strangers a lot.)
* "When the baby comes out, I want to go in mommy's tummy." (Tony told her she couldn't do that because it would be too hot in there.)

Cross Country Skiing

2010-03-06T19:37:00.000-05:00

Moving

2010-02-26T18:13:00.007-05:00

This was our big pre-move project. The bathroom. There was some water damage, so it was a must before our renters moved in, and we cut it pretty close for time. I was a little bummed about not having time to enjoy the finished product.

Before

After

Sierra had a great time with all the moving boxes

So, we are all moved out of our beloved home on 29th St. As Sierra and I were driving away from the house for the last time, Sierra hollered, "Someone else CANNOT live in Sierra's house! I want to live in Sierra's house! Mommy, you turn this car around and go back!" Ah, change can be hard, sweet Sierra....but you just wait until we get to TriPonds and daddy teaches you how to catch frogs (I'm just going to hope that Aunt Angela doesn't teach you to put them in your mouth like she used to do).

We are living at my parents house while they are in Florida until the house at TriPonds is all ready to move into. Tony will be painting there for a couple of weeks, and then we get to move, again. We have found some wonderful renters for our 29th St house, and despite how much I hate the moving process, it has gone remarkably well.

Sierra's First HAIRCUT!!!!

2010-02-10T12:13:00.003-05:00

Pre-cut. It was getting a little long and scraggly.

Sierra, thoroughly enjoying her cup of Smarties

Check out that precious little bob! It's so cute that Mom didn't even cry!

"Thanks Miss Abby!"

Lake Michgan, I Love You

2010-02-10T12:02:00.003-05:00

Florida (minus the seagulls)

2010-01-29T21:26:00.004-05:00

Auntie, Sierra, & Gram

Playing mini-gulf on the best course ever!

Dad found this lizard frozen to death (it was a little cold outside) and tried to revive it. It did not work.

Kate & Ang

We took this picture while swimming in the ocean. Just kidding. We spent an afternoon at the Gulfarium in Destin.

Sierra not hating the bath tub for one brief moment

We found lots of little places for Sierra to play around San Destin

This looks more dangerous than it felt at the time

Loving the beach (and her beach hat)

Sierra & Mom

Getting brave at the pool with Papa Paulie

Rietema Christmas

2010-01-29T21:03:00.003-05:00

The whole family

The grand kids: Sierra, Tate, Kaina, & Kylie

Yes, I am shooting a gun

Kaina

Sierra and Tate in a hot game of Pictionary

Meeting Kylie -- she doesn't look too thrilled to meet us

Finding our Christmas tree

She loves snow

Great-grandma Rietema

Great-grandpa and grandma Burgardt

VanDrunen Christmas

2010-01-29T20:43:00.003-05:00

Ethan and Jamie return from Harvard for a little pre-Christmas fun (yes I know, it's pushing February and I'm just now posting. I have nothing to say about that.)

Crazy Florida Seagulls

2010-01-23T00:28:00.003-05:00

Video of Angela catching a seagull:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=TjEQBzRLCec

Being Thankful

2010-01-13T22:45:00.003-05:00

There is nothing quite as precious as the prayers of a child. Sierra's bedtime prayer tonight went like this:

"Thank you for mommy and daddy, thank you for legs, thank you for band-aids, thank you for the letter A and the letter S and all the letters. Amen."

Christmas Newsletter

2010-01-10T22:56:00.003-05:00

Most of you have probably already received this, but for those of you who we missed, here is our Christmas photo and newsletter:

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men

on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2:14

December, 2009

Dear Friends and Family,

This is our first family Christmas newsletter, which must mean we’re growing up. We have had a wonderful, blessed year and we give praise to God for His goodness.

Sierra is two now, a lanky little blur of laughing-running-jumping-singing-action-packed toddler. She is articulate, has opinions, forms convincing arguments, comments about the weather, asks strangers who they are, and enjoys structured activities for approximately 30 seconds. Sierra has the most tender heart and is generous with hugs, kisses, and words of encouragement. She is the love of our life and brings an immeasurable amount of joy and laughter to our home. We are enjoying the Christmas season with her and love all the new experiences it brings. She thinks that ‘Merry Christmas’ is a person, that every baby is Jesus, and that it is her life mission to find Christmas lights while driving in the car.

Kate is still working as an RN at Zeeland Hospital in the Family Birthing Center. She works two 12-hour night shifts a week and cannot believe that bringing new lives into the world is actually a job. Tony is still working at Pathway Financial Design in Holland and is getting more involved with Foreign Currency Trading. This spring Tony will also return as Manager at TriPonds Family Camp Resort. Tony is itching to get back on the tractor and Kate is looking forward to mowing, crafts, and sitting on the beach watching Sierra go crazy in the pond. We are excited about this new change and look forward to all that God has in store for us as we follow His lead. Please note our address change at the bottom.

Our biggest news is that we are becoming foster parents. We feel an urgent need to live with eternity in mind, to focus on what really matters, and to love others. We have felt God's prompting to open our hearts and home to children who have been neglected and abused, and we will soon be taking in children from age birth-3 years old. There are many things to feel nervous about, but we never want those apprehensions to keep us from God's plan for our lives and the blessings He has for us. We want God to write our family’s story. We look forward to making kids feel loved and fed and safe, and telling them of a Father who will never fail them. If this is part of God's plan for our lives, then we don't want to miss it, and we cannot wait to get started. Our application is approved, our training classes are complete, a second crib is assembled, and we just have one more home-study to go.

That wraps it up for us! We hope to hear from many of you this Christmas season. And may you all enjoy God’s goodness this year and be blessed by walking with Him.

Much Love,

Tony, Kate, and Sierra Rietema

Our New Address:

3687 Dumont Rd.

Allegan, Mi. 49010

We have suffered a casualty

2009-12-16T11:29:00.004-05:00

The lack of posts recently is due to the fact that our faithful camera of 4 years has passed on to a better place. We will miss that little camera and are currently on the hunt for a replacement. We've got a fun Christmas planned with a week in Iowa followed by a week in Florida, so we will try find something soon (I have a new niece to blind with my flash).

Sierra said something funny this week (well she says funny things all day long, but this gave me an especially good chuckle). She was headed towards the door while saying, "I have to go to work like daddy," then she stopped and turned around towards her bedroom and continued, "but first I have to change my diaper, c'mon mom." I should try explaining that before anyone will give her a job, she needs to be potty-trained.

Blessings!

2009-11-23T19:26:00.006-05:00

"How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you" Psalm 31:19

Congratulations, Kurt and Ami!

I am a proud (very proud) Aunt! Kurt and Ami Rietema welcomed a precious baby girl into the world this afternoon. We can't wait to meet you, Kylie Grace!

And Sierra is a proud big-cousin!

I stand corrected

2009-11-20T11:51:00.006-05:00

Sierra and I were playing with her letter flashcards this morning and we got to the letter G. I said "the letter G says g-g-grass." Sierra said, "actually, I think it says g-g-ginger bread man, sorry mom." Let's remember, she just turned 2. She will probably be correcting me for the rest of my life.

Rojo

2009-11-19T15:59:00.006-05:00

This is Sierra's first Spanish word (besides "hola" which she shouts at Hispanic shoppers in Aldis) and it's caught on tape! I didn't even know that she knew this - I believe it's compliments of Dora the Explorer.

Iowan Visitors

2009-11-19T15:50:00.004-05:00

While we were in Boston, Sierra got to hang out with her cousins, Kaina & Taton!

The Rietema grand kids with Grandpa & Grandma

Tony, Kaina, Sierra, Aunt Angie Geetings, Tate, and Grandpa

Boston

2009-11-19T15:34:00.003-05:00

We (my parents, sister, Tony, and I) took Amtrak to Boston to visit Ethan & Jamie who are completing their Master's Degrees in International Education Policy at Harvard. It was a long and glorious train ride. Sierra stayed home with Grandma & Grandpa Rietema, Aunt Angie, and cousins Kaina & Taton.

Taking a walk through Harvard Yard. What an amazing trip, Harvard and Boston are packed so full of history.

Harvard vs. Penn State Football

It was chilly and rainy. The newspapers helped a little.

In front of Ethan & Jamie's apartment. So homey! Thanks Ethan & Jamie!

The whole family, minus Sierra

go climb a rock

2009-11-18T15:58:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-03T10:18:00.002-05:00

Our church put on a Trick or Treating event and members of the church decorated bales of hay with some sort of theme

Obviously we had a Christmas theme

Sierra was way into the suckers

We also went to an event at the Outdoor Discovery Center. We got a bit wet.

She was really into her pumpkin

Our happy little kiddo

Sierra Spells Her Name

2009-11-02T17:57:00.002-05:00

Her Princess Plate

2009-11-02T17:39:00.003-05:00

Sierra got this plate from her cousin, Kaina. The first time she ate from it, she asked who the people were, I just told her they were princesses (Kaina, you'll have to teach Sierra all their real names because I don't know them). Anyway, Sierra decided to name them herself. And every time she eats from it, she points to all the princesses and tells us who they are. And this is what she says....

The Splendor of Fall

2009-10-20T14:51:00.007-04:00

"For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies." Psalm 108: 4

Kate, Aunt Angela, and Sierra visited the Outdoor Discovery Center for the afternoon. We love it there - 4 miles of trails and so much to see!

Being silly with Mom

Gorgeous trails

Checking out all the birds (Aunt Angela learned not to stick her fingers inside the cage while they are having lunch....or maybe just not to do that at all)

Sierra and Aunt Angela

Yeah, this was not supposed to be part of the hike, nor was it the only one we saw. Sierra liked the fact that it stuck it's tongue out. She even touched it. I am deciding that I like snakes less and less the older I get.

Sierra's favorite part was picking berries (she must have a had a hundred). These berries are safe according to Angela the outdoor education teacher....but aren't we always told not to eat red berries? We will post any serious complications to this in a future entry.

She's so short and adorable :)

Learning the names of birds

I'm pretty sure we weren't supposed to touch the deer

Sierra loved checking out the elk and deer

The lady bug likes the red berries, too

Aunt Angela boiled them down to make fruit leather...it didn't work super great...we'll try it with strawberries next time

2 Years Old

2009-10-13T10:59:00.000-04:00

Eating Cake

2009-10-08T23:54:00.000-04:00

Birthday Party

2009-10-08T23:20:00.001-04:00

She is still 1 year old!

2009-10-03T21:53:00.003-04:00

The Talker

2009-10-02T12:33:00.002-04:00

Sierra is quite the little talker. And it doesn't matter so much if no one is talking to her. She'll just talk to herself....or with herself. She'll ask herself questions and then answer herself and then congratulate herself on how smart she is. Today's conversation (with only herself) went like this:
"Ooooh what is that?"
"Wow, it's a movie!"
"Yeah"
"I need to watch this"
"Ok"

Apple Picking

2009-09-22T20:58:00.002-04:00

Nothing says fall like apple picking at Crane's Orchard

Sierra loved it!

Playing peek-a-boo

The trees were loaded

This means lots of apple sauce, crisps, and pies!

Beautiful!

Grammie, Mom, Sierra, and Aunt Angela

The Beach

2009-09-22T20:56:00.000-04:00

Camping

2009-09-10T11:41:00.005-04:00

Walking the beach at Ludington State Park

Sierra & Daddy on the way to see a shipwreck (which actually turned out to be an orange flag stuck in the sand - we were pretty disappointed)

Sierra is trying to push this tree over "like Daddy"

On a rainy hike

Sierra and her buddy Luke

Should we be concerned?

Tony got stuck up this tree. The theory is that you climb a tree, let go with your feet, and it bends, bringing you gracefully to the ground. However, this tree did not bend (nor was his descent to the ground very graceful).

Carolynn, Mike, Luke, Kate, Sierra, & Tony

Family Photo

Setting up camp

We had to bike in to our site. Here is our burley loaded up with gear.

The road to our campsite and the lighthouse

Our First Garden

2009-09-04T12:52:00.005-04:00

We had a garden this year for the first time and it was really fun! We had lettuce, green beans, parsley, green peppers, potatoes, and a couple different kinds of tomatoes.

Everything started out so tiny!

Sierra would say hello to every new seedling that came up each day

Lettuce and green beans

Peppers

The tomatoes were plentiful

As fresh as it gets

Sierra's favorite are the "baby tomatoes"

My nap is over, Mom!

2009-08-20T14:56:00.004-04:00

"I wiggle for the camera"

2009-08-20T14:45:00.003-04:00

Playing

2009-08-20T14:35:00.002-04:00

Playing at the fountain in downtown Holland

As you can see, Sierra was very excited about all of this

It was a fun way to cool down after a hot bike ride to see the street performers

Lunch outside

They're on the wrong feet, Sierra

More Summer Stuff

2009-08-11T22:19:00.003-04:00

Date night (with Sierra) at JP's

The bicycle basket at Grammie's. I know she looks concerned here, but she really does like it

She prefers this 12 inch bucket to her very nice kiddie pool

Out on a walk at Grammie & Papa Paulie's house

Just prior to this Sierra was getting frustrated that her dolly was not eating the grapes she was trying to share.

Her tricycle with new block pedals, thanks to Papa Paulie

Harvard Bound (we're not talking about me here)

2009-08-11T22:05:00.004-04:00

Ethan and Jamie are home from Serbia! They spent a couple of weeks in Michigan and Iowa before they packed up and headed for Harvard. Both are pursuing Master's Degrees in International Education Policy. Ethan, I had a trapper keeper that I meant to give you as a going back to school gift - anyone remember those? I had a pink one.

Our Small Group is Growing!

2009-08-02T23:09:00.007-04:00

Grant and Chasidy with twins Axton and Adelyn

Sierra loves babies...

...so does mommy!

Watching them sleep

Visiting Ben & Cara Wickstra and baby Owen

Daddy's Work

2009-08-02T23:05:00.003-04:00

2009-07-13T16:53:00.002-04:00

Today Sierra was looking through the mail and said, "I see an 'S', holy cow!" Who knew one-year-olds could be such entertaining company :)

Summertime Bliss

2009-06-30T16:59:00.003-04:00

Almost every day we walk or bike to a park. Sierra is always the most intrigued by the slides, but she does not really like them because her shoes and legs get stuck to the plastic. She prefers the swings....or throwing the wood chips.

Sierra calls this her "caterpil-la-ler bike"

This is her face when you ask her to smile. Smiling with her eyes open is apparently pretty tough.

This little girl gets almost as excited about flowers as her Grammie does.

Sierra and Mommy

I just want to grab her and squeeze her and kiss her!

Again....loving flowers

She thought it was really funny to pretend this was a big cup.

I'm so glad she loves the beach as much as I do!

Our Anniversary

2009-06-30T16:47:00.004-04:00

Tony & I celebrated our fourth anniversary on June 18. Time flies when your having fun! How amazing to be married to your best friend! Thanks for being such a fantastic husband, Tony! Ben Wickstra (what a sport!) came over to watch Sierra while we had a picnic dinner on top of South Side Dune.