the bigger picture: spring 2015

mrs bos over
memorial day
bought a boat
last days of school for kids and me

The school year has wrapped up! Another year that has just flown by!! Before the end of school, we had wanted to have Ruby's teacher, Mrs. Bos, over for dinner. We just love this lady and her husband is gone frequently and we wanted to have time outside of the classroom with her. All of the kids were so excited to have her over: she continues to be Natalie's favorite teacher ever, she dotes on Charlie every time she sees him, and she takes Emmy out of my arms each time I've got her to hug and kiss her! So she came for dinner one night. We had a lot of great conversation and a lot of laughs. Aunt Katie stopped in to drop off a 'gift' for me and while saying hi to Mrs. Bos, the kids started opening my gift. It was a bunch of pads and tampons that Katie was passing on to me since she had had a hysterectomy. The kids started asking what all of these things were and if they could eat the tampons! They opened some pantyliners and got silly with them, trying to figure out what they're used for! All with Mrs. Bos there :) So hilarious! Couldn't have planned for this kind of entertainment!

We were so happy to be getting into spring and out of the long, cold winter! The first chance they could, the kids had a picnic. We had one gorgeous day in March where Charlie and Emmy could actually go outside without their shirts on! Only in Michigan!!

We celebrated Easter first with Grandma VZ and the Emmert family and then with the Jones side. We made sugar cookies and had fun decorating them. The kids are so creative!

We get so excited to start enjoying breakfasts and date nights on the deck! And to be riding bikes again!

Charlie and Ruby got some new bikes this year!

Fun on a field trip with Ruby to the Zoo.

Jordan bought a boat for us :)

The Bayshore Marathon: Jordan completed his 2nd marathon over Memorial Day weekend! He only had a couple months of notice and only trained by doing long runs. We drove up north on the night before, dropped the kids off at Jess and Jeremy and went on to Traverse City. We didn't think there'd be much vacancy and even if there was, we didn't want to foot that cost on top of the marathon costs. So we parked in the parking lot of a hotel that was being reconstructed, right next to a semi-trailer and a port-a-potty (which I never use!). We got milk and went to the bathroom at a CVS before bedtime and Jordan got a half gallon on milk, we put down the van seats and blew up our air mattress, and bundled up with the two light-weight blankets that were luckily in the car since I'd forgotten blankets. It got too cold for comfort so we ran the van for a couple of hours during the night. The next morning, we made our short walk (another benefit to where we had parked) to the start of the racetrack. And Jordan was off! I stopped a few places to watch him but with how busy is was, I had to park far away and scale the hills to get to the runner's road. So I got my exercise in for the day, too! Just not a marathon!! This was a tough race for Jordan but HE DID IT again! I was getting a little nervous when I was waiting to see him at the finish line and I prayed for someone to come alongside him. Shortly after that, I spotted him running with a lady who he said came up by him and said they would finish this together! I was grateful to hear that! (And in the picture, she kind of looks like me and it's kind of tempting to just pretend that I did this too!) I think the best part of Jordan's day was the Moomer's Cookies and Cream ice cream that he couldn't stop raving about. We walked back to the van and he napped. Then we drove to Lake Glenn and up to Sleeping Bear Dunes on M22. Absolutely gorgeousness!! And a great little road trip for us! Then back to the Bruninks where we had to pry the kids away. A great weekend!

And suddenly it was the last day of school! Very bittersweet! I was anxious to have the girls home again but it was another school year that disappeared before our eyes. Such a great year: great teachers, great friendships, great learning...! It was so great that when the bus dropped the girls off, Natalie ran up to the house just sobbing!! I couldn't even get it out of her what was wrong. Ruby shared with me that it was Molly's last day on the bus with Natalie since she's moving to Jr. High. Ruby showed me a sweet note and photobook from Mrs. Bos and then her and I joined with Natalie in crying. There the three of us were melted on the couch together! Oh boy!