Happy Belated Birthday to my big 6 year old!

It isn't at all that I missed Kobe's birthday....don't worry....I didn't. And no, it isn't because he is the middle child and gets passed over either. Life has just been plain ole busy!

But a HUGE happy birthday to Kobe who turned 6 earlier this month!

October isn't just special because it is Kobe's birthday, but it is extra special because 3 days after his birthday is his most important "Gotcha Day" (the anniversary of the day Kobe came home).

Kobe came home to us 5 years ago. What a blessing he has been to our lives. We would not be the same without him. We are so lucky that God chose us to be his parents. Although he is stubborn (most likely inherited from me) he is so so special and has so many awesome gifts.

He is the most caring and tenderhearted boy I know. Even at a "cool" 6 years old, he is still my cuddler. Loves to snuggle. Loves to hug.

Kobe wants to be an animal doctor when he grows up....but only for dogs, cats and giraffes. No snakes or lions or tigers or bears. I am sure that dog, cat and giraffe doctors are in high demand. There is a lot of job stability, I guess. But, Nick and I really think he will end up being a preacher....the kid has the best prayers and always reminds us that God is really the only one that knows everything (just to remind us that we don't).

He has some big dreams, but for now being 6 is keeping him busy enough. When he isn't playing with his animals or favorite game (Uno Attack) he is busy on the playing field. He has found that he loves (and is very good at) wrestling, t-ball and the most aggresive (and not being partial...but best) soccer player on his team. Here are some of my favorite more recent pics.

He is a big kindergartner now and loves going to school every Monday, Wednesday and Friday all day. LOVE LOVES to ride the bus (although big sis does not enjoy him on it with her...I guess he cramps her "style"). I have found him to not only be quite popular among the kids in his class, but by many students and parents in the above grades. I get ALOT of "Oh, so YOU'RE Kobe's mom!" Not sure, but so far it seems like a good thing. I am sure that he leaves a lasting impression by most he meets at school just being one of the very few non-toe heads there. I love that he seems to be creating quite a following.

Hopefully will have time to post some updates again soon.

Lord, please help me accept the things I cannot change!

So, does anyone else find it totally annoying that our kids are growing up?

This is a serious question.

I remember that I used to get excited because I thought that their toys get smaller as they get older. As an infant and toddler you are always walking around the swing, bouncy seat, excer-saucer, high chair, activity blankets, ride on toys, etc. I could not wait to get rid of that stuff!

I guess I wished that too soon. Now we have small Lego's that kill your feet when you step on them. Verses the building blocks. Their toys get smaller, but more expensive (Nintendo DS, MP3 Players) that your kids are dieing to have, but cannot figure out why we get so frustrated when we see them sitting on the front porch!

The other day Ryleigh (7 1/2 years old and in 2nd grader, mind you) comes upstairs from her OWN bathroom (which is something I never and still don't have) with an OBSCENE amount of purple eye-shadow on and lip gloss. I comment on how "nice" she looks for school. She says very casually "well, I had some extra time to spare this morning". I remember BEGGING my mom to wear makeup to school and wasn't allowed until like 5th or 6th grade. I didn't argue it that morning. I figured it would probably wear off before she got to school anyway.

I guess what really took it to the top for me today is the never ending battle of finding Ryleigh's clothes on the floor of her closet. For quite some time it would just unnerve me! Why can't she hang her clothes up if she pulls it off the hanger!? Then, while putting laundry away today it dawned on me. She has officially outgrown her "child/toddler" hangers. She needs bigger hangers. My little girl is really really growing up. Too fast!!

They all are. I wonder if our parents felt like this. I never remember them expressing it. Is this my way of facing the fact that I am approaching "mid-life"? In my mind I am still 24! I have been cruelly reminded by my youth group kids that I am 24 with 7 (soon to be 8) years experience. Mid Life. What an awful mean set of words!

After re-reading this I guess it sounds incredibly depressing! I think the hanger thing just slapped me with a huge dose of reality. No matter how much I wish it, my kids are growing up. There is no changing that fact. I need to learn to accept this.

We are so blessed with so many things. A wonderful family and AMAZING friends. A house that even though we constantly complain about it and think we don't have enough room, it is more than we need. We both have jobs that we love. Our kids are very healthy.

So, I guess today part of accepting the inevitable, I have to go out and purchase a load of new hangers and while "someone" is not looking, hide the purple eye shadow.

If anyone needs a ton of child size hangers, they can be found at the Beute's.

Update on the Beute's!

Sorry so long for an update. Life has been crazy busy these days.
We have successfully started school! YEAH! Ryleigh is now in 2nd grade. Kobe is in Kindergarten going every Monday, Wednesday and Friday all day. Nate started 4 year old Pre school this week. Tuesday was his first day. Everyone seems to be getting into the swing of things pretty well. Our biggest challenges seem to be our morning routine. That definitely needs work!

Kobe started soccer. He had his first practice on Monday. I wasn't able to go, but Nick said he did really well. He said Kobe ran more in his one practice than what Ryleigh did her entire soccer career....we found quickly that soccer was NOT her sport!

Ryleigh started piano lessons up this week. This is her 3rd year. She had to get a new teacher as her old one retired. We will miss her, but feel we found a great substitute for her.

And Nate. He is just a piece of work these days. Yesterday he had on his back-pack (which is almost bigger than him) from 8:00-9:00 just waiting to leave for school. When he got to his classroom he barely said goodbye and was off. Mr. Independent! He loved every minute of it. My friend Jennifer is watching him on Wednesdays while I am at work. Her daughter is taking gymnastics on Wednesdays so I thought I would sign Nate up also. Today is his first day and he was busting with excitement all morning waiting to leave!

Fall programs for church are gearing up, which makes this a very busy time for me. It is all bitter sweet. I LOVE my job, but it takes alot of time away from family. Pray for a good balance this year.

We have only one puppy left from our litter of 8. This puppy experience went really well, but this pup needs a home! I actually even named him this morning. Hey, at 9 weeks old I was feeling so bad for him NOT having a name! So, if you know anyone that is looking for a great pup, Rocky's the dog for them! He is already partially housebroke, working on Leash Training, comes when called, the list goes on!

Everything else with the Beute's is just great!

Puppies for Sale!

We are nearing the time for the "babies" to be rehomed. They are so cute and have such great "big" personalities, but it is time.

They are 5 weeks old now and all doing fabulous! None have "escaped" the box inside or the fence outside. Last year we had a few escape artists and it was harder to contain them.

We have officially started advertising, so hopefully we can get some good homes lined up by next week for some, majority or ALL! They will be ready to go home on Saturday, August 23.

So, pass this link on to anyone you know who may be wanting an adorable English Springer Spaniel Puppy. I have (3) black/white tri-colored (all female) and (5) liver/white tri-colored (3 boys, 2 girls).

Ok.....seriously you've got to come see him!

Last night the Tent Meeting and Tom Harmon were an amazing experience! You could literally feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in the tent. What a powerful feeling. His preaching is like nothing you have heard before. He certainly doesn't beat around the bush. Lays it right out there, calls it like it is. His preaching is the words straight from the Lord and it will knock the breath right out of you.

If you are considering coming, come.

If you have "things" to do, put them off til later and come.

See the post below for the Tent Meeting details.

E-mail, call, comment with questions.

The Ministry of Tom Harmon

If you aren't familiar with the ministry of Tom Harmon you are missing out on seeing a truly inspirational and motivating man of God.

Tom is an ex Michigan State Police Trooper. Years ago he felt called from God to leave the force and go into ministry. He is an amazing family man (having 4 children who now all serve the Lord in different capacities). He has 17, soon to be 18 grand children. He is a husband, father, grandfather, author and much more. He has memorized the entire New Testament of the KING JAMES version of the bible. And......

He is at South Blendon Reformed Church TONIGHT, TOMORROW AND WEDNESDAY sharing his ministry with us.

He lead us in our morning service yesterday and his love and devotion to God is AMAZING. His ability to recite his passages from the bible is astounding! He is truly an inspiration. I could sit and listen to him for HOURS and it would literally feel like only minutes.

I encourage any of you who may read this Blog to come! Come one night or come all three nights! There is child care for infants-5 years old available. Praise and Worship starts at 7:00, with Tom speaking at 7:30. There are also refreshments and cookies available each evening. On Wednesday there is a pig roast prior, starting at 5:30.

Everything about this is FREE FREE FREE!!

This is not a normal church service. This is a good ole tent revival! You can't miss the huge tent in our parking lot. If the weather doesn't cooperate we will move it inside. Dress casually and comfortably!!!

Nick and I will be there every night and we would love to see you all there!!

Please let me know if you have ANY questions.

For more about Tom Harmon, you can look him up on his website at www.tdharmon.com.

R.I.P Zac!

Well, it is a sad day for Ryleigh. Due to an undetermined "illness" or perhaps even a broken back we are all mourning the loss of our dearly departed rabbit, Zac Efron (yes, that is really the name Ryleigh gave him).

About a month ago I noticed that something was wrong with Zac's back legs. He would take a few hops and then the back ones would just kinda give out. I thought either he was dropped and broke his back or maybe had some neurologically wrong with him.

Today when I checked on him he was laying on his side (still alive) but couldn't get up. So, Nick took him to the "vet". Unfortunately whatever he had couldn't be "healed" and he returned home this evening without him. Ryleigh seems to be taking it pretty well. Nick told her that the he was staying with the vet, but they didn't think they could fix him b/c he was so sick and they would give him medicine to put him to sleep.

Nick thought she knew what this meant, but after my conversation with her she really thinks they are just going to give him medicine to help him sleep tonight (we are starting a savings account tomorrow for her counseling she will require later in life for her parents LIES!)

RIP ZAC!

Basement and Babies!

Hallelujah!!! We have moved back into our basement yesterday. I took most of the day, but we did it. I had the help of a great kid from my middle school youth group and his friend with all the heavy lifting. We would not have been able to do ith without those boys! It was like Christmas all over again for the kids rediscovering their toys. It was fun to also let them rearrange their bedrooms. We are all now very happy campers! It has been a very long long month and now we can begin to put some closure on things.

We are now focussing on getting the house in a "sellable" state. After this last incident we just feel it is time to put the house on the market and move somewhere we can sleep well in when it rains. We hope to put it on the market in about 6 weeks (when puppies are re-homed). We realize that it will take just the "right" buyer to purchase our home. In some ways the thought of moving is quite sad. This is the home in which we took all of our kids to when they arrived. It is just filled with so many great memories. And I love our neighbors. It could take years to sell, so I guess I don't need to start mourning already, right?

On to other exciting news. Zoe had 8 puppies this past Monday-Tuesday. The poor dog. She had her first puppy at 7:50 pm Monday and didn't have the last one until 7:00 am Tuesday! It was a long night (I am sure longer for Zoe). All babies are doing great! There are 5 girls and 3 boys. There are 3 black/white Tri's (like Zoe and Zeb) and 5 Liver/White Tri's! I will post pictures in a few days.

Things are looking up!

Well, the Beute's are FINALLY getting some good news! Everdry came and "fixed" the basement water problem last week Friday. Apparently because there is no water in the ground and in the tile the cement will not take 6-8 weeks to dry. They said our carpet could be relayed in about a week! So, I have the carpet installers coming Monday to re-install and the cleaners to do their work on Tuesday. We still have the issue of "the bill" that we are currently fighting Everdry about. Pray that this gets resolved in a suitable and ethical way soon!

Now for poor poor pregnant Zoe. The dog is HUGE! The impending birth can be any day now. I am going to predict sometime by the end of this week or first of next. Ideally I really want her to hold off until at least next week Wednesday when our house is put back together. But I do know that this is completely out of my control.

It is such a relief to know that the end of this ordeal is in sight!

On a brighter note I went to Cedar Point last weekend with my middle school kids from church. What a blast! We laughed so much and just had a really great time all together. The lines were so short! I don't know if it is because it was the weekend before the 4th, or maybe the gas prices or perhaps the weather forecast. Didn't matter to us! We got on all rides within 1/2 hour or even less! Even the big ones. And the weather was perfect! I will admit that I did chicken out on the Top Speed Dragster. Partially because we had an odd number and I didn't want to ride alone, but also because nothing sounded appealing about going 120 mph up 480 feet! That ride was only 17 seconds!!

The kids are starting to enjoy their summer more. Ryleigh is counting down the days until she gets to go to daycamp at Camp Geneva with her friends Brooke and Sydney. Kobe and Nate are having a good time just hanging and playing.

I have one more trip with the high school group in July. I could tell you what it is, but it is TOP SECRET! I am very excited about it. It's a Mystery Trip. No parent or student knows yet where we are going and what we are doing.

Nick has been busy with work. I will admit that the stress of the basement has definitely taken a toll on him as well. We can't wait til things are back to "normal" for us.

Update on Us

Well, I can quite honestly say this summer has not kicked off like I had thought, imagined or certainly planned.

It started that dreadful Saturday night of June 7 when we had the torrential down poor of rain. Our basement flooded again. I know majority of you know the saga, so I will spare you the infuriating, obnoxious details. Here it is, nearing 3 weeks later and we are all living in tight quarters...the kids are all in the spare bedroom/office upstairs. We are adjusting to our new living situation, but definitely not happy about it. I estimate that this will be our situation for another 6-8 weeks.

Other than that we are all doing very well. I have been very busy with work, but I love it. My summer babysitter schedule is working out and the kids are happy.

I leave tomorrow for the weekend to go to Cedar Point with the middle school youth group. This will be fun....just pray for no rain. I am a bit nervous how my 30+ year old body will weather all the rides the kids are asking me to go on with them.

Zoe is due in about 1 1/2 weeks for her second litter of pups. I cannot wait. It is hard to tell, but I don't think she is quite as large as last time. So, hopefully a few less than 10 this time around.

Hope you are all enjoying the summer!!

I just LOVE our school!

I want to start by saying that we feel Christian vs. Public school is a personal choice. I completely respect and support all of our friends and families choice in their children's education no matter if it is public, private or even homeschooling.

With that said, I want to share what I experienced yesterday.

Yesterday morning we were all invited to school for breakfast. They had doughnuts, muffins, juice, coffee, etc. yesterday for all the kids and parents. Then parents were invited to a special chapel afterwards. Each Wednesday the kids have chapel before they start their school day.

I believe yesterday there wasn't a dry eye in the house (well, most of the moms anyway). Not sure if the reason for my tears were the same as everyone elses or not, but I want to share what I experienced.

Like most families, we find that affording Christian school is a financial hardship. We have to be very conscious of our spending down to the penny. It seems lately I have often found myself allowing my mind to go into that place of "wow, if we didn't send our kids to the Christian School we could afford so much more!" or "Man, if we didn't have to pay this tuition each month we could do some really great vacations"....the list continues. Because of this thinking I have held off on sending in our enrollment for next year. Not because we don't want our kids to attend Allendale Christian, but because I was resenting the idea of the tuition again.

But yesterday, in Chapel, God made it clear to me why I am thankful for our Christian school and the ability to send our kids there. Yes, the music always seems to reach my heart...but more than that yesterday was a powerpoint they did of pictures of the year in review. Two specific photos really touched me. There was a picture of a 4th grader praying with a pre schooler and another picture of the third grade class sitting in a circle, all holding hands while bowing their heads to pray.

These pictures reminded me of why we chose Allendale Christian School in the first place. It brought me back to when Ryleigh was in preschool at Allendale Public and how her teacher there (who is a Christian) told me how hard it is for her because quite often the kids will say they have to pray before they eat their snack and she wants so badly to encourage them and pray with them, but instead tells them just to go ahead and pray quietly to themselves.

Yesterday when I saw pictures of the kids praying (especially the 4th grader praying with the preschooler) just really hit me how fortunate we are to have such an amazing Christian School that God provided us the means to send our children to. Listening to Ryleigh and Kobe each day after school and especially their own prayers....It is just so amazing.

Would my kids have a great education at Allendale Public School? Yes, absolutely, it is a wonderful school. But this year especially I have seen how a bible based education has really benefited our kids. In addition, the class size, being smaller was a HUGE advantage to Kobe. There were only 8 kids in his entire class and they were ALL boys! He has 7 BEST BUDS and all those boys are so much alike. The teachers each Ryleigh and Kobe had were outstanding as well as the strong friendships they had made.

What a great year! The school has kind of adopted a logo since building a new building last year...it is on the t-shirts we ordered this year. On the back of each it says "Come and see what God has done!". It is clear that God has done some pretty awesome things with my kids this year and in Nick and I as well. Never ever will I begrudge our tuition payment again. Does that mean it will be easy...nope. As Nate starts up next year I know it will only be harder...But I will always keep those pictures in my mind to remind me why we are making the sacrifices we do and always be thankful for Allendale Christian School!

Is it just me, or are kids EXTREMELY loud, when they are being BRUTALLY honest?

So, I just suffered one of THE MOST embarrassing moments this evening in Meijer.

I am pretty sure that no one should find this offensive, but if you do, I do apologize.

So, I am in the U-Scan check out with all three kids, but this story is pretty much about the youngest Beute, Nate.

So, I approach the clerk at the desk for some assistance and I could already tell (not trying to be stereotyping at all, but it was obvious) that this young man had some rather "femanine" gestures to him.

When he (the clerk) is done assisting us and has he is walking back to his station (about 3 feet from us) Nate asks very loudly "Is that a boy or a girl?" I know that not only did the three other u-scan isle heard this, but pretty certain the employee did as well. So I say "Don't be silly, of course he is a boy". Then, even louder (and still very innocent) Nate replies with "Well, he doesn't SOUND like a boy".

On the inside I was so embarrassed, shocked that Nate could tell that he didn't "sound" like a boy...but also agreeing with him, that indeed this young man did not "sound" like the average boy.

So, I gathered up my things as quickly as I possibly could and got out of there as quick as possible, making eye contact with NO ONE!

Guess I will just have to chalk this up to just one of the many not-so-proud moments yet to come.

A Very Nice Weekend

What a beautiful weekend! The weather was so great and we really got to spend some good ole quality family time!

Saturday we went up north to the cabin. It was so nice up there. Ryleigh brought her friend Megan along. Ryleigh, Kobe and Megan have all mastered steering the golf cart. They were so proud and excited about doing this. Now, only a few more inches taller we will work on mastering the gas and break. We went to visit a friend at her parents cottage while up there (but she was napping). However, we did spend some time at their beach. It only took about 5 minutes of being down by that water before the boys stripped to their undies and were swimming in the freezing cold water that just thawed. They had a great time doing it though!

Sunday after church we went south to the cottage. Another great day again! The kids got do so some fishing and more swimming (well, mainly the boys....Ryleigh doesn't like the cold water). It was just so nice out and we really had a great time.

Then yesterday Nick went and golfed 18 with a long lost friend of ours while I took the kids to the zoo, followed by lunch at Russ', followed by grocery shopping (which I try to never do, and haven't done it in a while, and will probably never do again with all three kids).

All in all with the business we have been dealing with and crazy work schedules it was just so nice and relaxing to just hang out together.

I will try to bring my camera along more often so that I can share all this in pictures.

The Gift that keeps on Giving...

It came, saw and conquered Kobe. It is still attacking Nate and now Ryleigh has been hit!

This is not a good time to just be sitting around dealing with sick kids that is for sure! Who has time for this???

What the bug doesn't know is that I am in high retaliation mode. All bedding was washed yesterday and may get another wash today. Rooms are getting cleaned, windows will be opened. Whatever this "thing" is that has now taken up almost 2 weeks of my life is going to lose! Or at least I will not go down without a fight.

So Wednesday we have tickets for Kenny Chesney that I gave Nick for his birthday. With our luck either a kid will still be sick, so one of us can't go....or one of us will be sick so neither can go!

Pray that we get the bug out soon!!!

Sometimes you wish your kids DIDN'T share!

Kobe is doing MUCH better! He is actually back at school today and believe me....we were BOTH excited about that. I almost wish they would just give them the antibiotic shot right away instead of messing around with 5 days of meds. that apparently don't work anyway.

But now Nate is sick! Last night I kind of accused him of faking an upset stomach. See, the rule in our house is if you are sick you get to sleep in the spare bedroom across the hall from our room. This is where Kobe has resided for almost a week. Because of this Nate has been sleeping in Ryleigh's bed and Ryleigh on the floor. Not ideal by any means, but Nate is scare to sleep alone and didn't and was scared to be on Ryleigh's floor too, I guess. So anyway, last night Nate started saying that his tummy hurt, so he guessed that meant to got to sleep in the "computer room" aka spare bedroom. It was said quite pathetically as to lay it on real thick to get some sympathy....but when I told him I was going on a bike ride with Ryleigh and Kobe he made a miraculous recovery and raced with the rest of them.

So, I hung out at a friends house a little later than I probably should have on a school night last night and came in about midnight. I got caught up in an episode of Miami Ink when Nate started calling for me at 1:00. He came upstairs and sure enough 103 fever! Needless to say, I didn't get to bed until closer to 2:00 this morning. 6:30 came fast and furious this morning, that's for sure.

So, as often as we try to get our kids to share, encourage our kids to share....or just plain MAKE them share, I really wish this was one occasion Kobe kept his germs to himself. I am so sick of sick kids.

A VERY SICK KOBE

Poor Kobe! That poor boy has been so sick the past few days. It started Friday night. He had a pretty high fever and even when treated with Motrin and Tylenol it would go down, but not away.

We went to the doctor on Monday and my self diagnosis was confirmed...Pneumonia. So, he started on antibiotics on Monday and still today he continues to have the high fever and the cough actually has gotten worse. So back to see good ole' Dr. Lirio this afternoon. Dr. Lirio says he isn't quite at the point yet of needing to be admitted for IV antibiotics (thank goodness!). They did, to Kobe's great dismay, give him a shot in his hinder. If he isn't better by Friday we will have to go back in for a reassessment and see what our next course of treatment will be.

Poor baby!

We LOVE TJ & Skylee Sale

It is that time of year again for the LOVE TJ & Skylee Sale! Well, actually the sale this a month early this year. Check out the link to the flyer with the dates and times of the event.

http://webpages.charter.net/welovetjandskyleesale/flyer

Please pass this information along to friends, family and neighbors (who doesn't like a GREAT bargain to help a really special cause!).


Pictured here are the babies that have benefitted from past sales. What a blessing this sale has been and continues to be!

Guess I am not as "COOL" as I thought I was.....

So, this goes back to the post about me taking the kids to school on their bikes a few weeks ago....

Last time we road bikes, I was informed by our friend, Adam, the oldest of the kids that went that morning that sometime soon when he is a little older he can ride his bike to school by himself. He is in 3rd grade this year. We ran into a classmate of his at the bike rack and he looked a little embarrassed that there was a "mom" with him. So, I kinda jokingly said to him when we got home that next time I will just hide around the corner so not to make him look bad and give all the other kids the impression that he can do it all by himself.

So, Adam was in the lead this morning with our crew of 5 kids riding bikes to school this morning. He stops at our "shortcut" path and waits. I get to the front of the line and asked why he stopped. I asked if he wanted to take the long way around and he says no, that he likes the shortcut. So I say "Well, then lets get moving." But he just stayed there for a minute....looking like he needed to say something. So, I asked him what was up and to my shock (although I thought it was actually HILARIOUS) he says..."Are you going to hide like you said you would?".

Apparently someone didn't want to suffer the same embarrassment at the bike rack again. So, being a good mom, I road them up to the end of the path (still a good ways from school) so that no other kids would see that I actually road with them to school.

I just laughed about it almost all the way home. I really couldn't believe he actually asked me to do that! I will admit that it was a blow to my ego as well....I always thought I was the Cool Mom!

Bi-Lingual Nate

Most of you are familiar with the HILARIOUS things that come out of Nate's mouth. Truly I have met no other child with such a creative and big imagination. Well, apparently Nate can add "Bi-Lingual" to the list of all the things he can do (along with motor cross, baseball, football, basketball, soccer, flying airplanes, etc.).

So we were walking to some friends' house on the other side of 56th. Ryleigh and her friend took scooters, Kobe on his bike, Nick and I each with a dog (oh and I am carrying Nate's scooter as he didn't feel like riding it anymore). So, Nate and I are quite aways back from the rest of the group and we were walking past a house where a guy was grilling outside. Nate says "hi" and waves. The nice guy responds back with a "hello" and wave as well. Nate says to me "Mom, know why I said hi to that man?" I respond with a "No, why". "Because that is being nice." I informed him that, yes, it was very nice of him to say hi. Then he looks at me totally serious and he says "Mom, do you know what hi means?" Now, of course I do....but I am wondering where he is headed with this. So, I amuse him and say no, what does it mean? "Hi is a spanish word and I can talk spanish".

Good to know. I will make sure to let his preschool know next year that he has a head start on his "spanish".

I wish I had a picture to show you

The kids have been asking for a while to ride their bikes to school. So, I arranged it for Nick to be home in the a.m. to stay home with Nate. Nate and I rode bikes to school last week because Ryleigh forgot her lunch and on his little bike, with his little legs....he did not want to repeat the trip ever again. So, with Nick home this morning and able to be home this afternoon I took Ryleigh and Kobe to school via bike ride.

We also invited the Reeder boys (Adam and Dillon) as well as Ryleigh's best friend, Miranda. So, I felt like a little mama duck this morning with these five little kids off to school.

To ensure safety, I gave them an "order" from oldest to youngest to stay in and I was at the end to make sure we didn't lose anybody. I was sure we would have at least one accident on the way there as Kobe is a huge tailgater on his bike. But, without incident we safely made it to school. It was really so much fun and we beat majority or the buses this morning also, so the kids thought that was really cool to be among the first to get to school today.

Now I am starting to prepare to ride back to bring the 4 remaining (Kobe only goes 1/2 day and I picked him and his bike up at noon) home. Hopefully all will go as smooth as it did this morning.

Everyone get out and enjoy this weather while you can....I hear snow is in the forecast for next week!

Happy Birthday to Nick

It is Nick's birthday today. He is the big 3-1!

The kids are very excited about today being his birthday (not sure why).

I have a great gift in store for him, but since I am afraid he may peak at this blog I can't tell you what it is. Maybe I will update it later to share with you all (truth be told I am equally excited because it is kinda a gift for me as well).

Update! I did give Nick his gift this morning, he and I and a couple friends of our are going to see Kenny Chesney for his Pirates and Poets Tour at the Van Andel on May 21!!! I cannot wait!!!

What Dog Breed Are You?

I stole this from my friend Julie's Blog. But it is kinda fun!

I am actually a German Shepard and it says this;

German Shepherd
The Perfectionist

Doggedly dedicated to getting the job done, you don't let silly little distractions get in the way of putting in a full day's work. And after you come home, chowing down on a little grub and taking a little catnap is all it takes to get you up and at 'em for round two, whatever that may entail. Your dogma emphasizes the importance of hard work, and you swim laps around your dog-paddling, time-wasting co-workers. Your cleverness leads to you often being entrusted with some pretty important tasks, which you are always more than happy to sink your canines into. You really dig being outdoors and love a bit of exercise, but you draw the line at the ridiculous stuff, choosing a game of beach volleyball over Pilates in the park any day.

FAMOUS GERMAN SHEPHERDS:
Teddy Roosevelt, Queen Elizabeth, Humphrey Bogart, Oprah

LIKELY PROFESSIONS:
Professional Athlete, Policeman, Wilderness Guide, Meteorologist

You can take the test too. It only takes a few minutes and see what you kinda dog you are! I can't believe that me and Oprah are the same dog!! (just kidding, I could actually care less. But it's still fun!)

Final day of Spring Break!

Well, we made it. We made it thru Spring Break! No major disasters (thank goodness). For the most part I think the kids had a good week. Unfortunately we did nothing real exciting. The boys got to spend a night at Grandma's with their cousin Jacob. That went OK....but it was cold and rainy so they couldn't do much. However, they boys got their first exposure to a Nintendo Wii. I am sure it will only be a matter of time before one enters our home too.

Ryleigh and I and some friends went to see Nim's Island. It was very cute. I would not recommend it for kids under 7 (I just don't think they would get the story).

That was pretty much the high lights. We had many play dates with friends and that always makes the kids happy. We also "dog" sat our pastor's dog, Noche. The kids were very excited to have Noche stay with us for a week! Don't get me wrong....Noche is a great dog. She is very sweet and well behaved. However, she is also very much larger than my dogs and convinced me that I will never ever ever have 3 dogs!(I know Nick will be happy to see this in writing!)

Kobe had his first win by "pin" at this weekend's tournament. He has won other matches before, but only by points. He took second (his highest ranking so far) and was up a weight class from the previous weeks. He had been wrestling in the 43lb. weight class, but weighed in at 43.7 lbs. so had to be bumped up to the 46lb. weight class. He was so excited!

Now the craziness of t-ball with wrestling starts this week. Both Ryleigh and Kobe. So, this should be a very CRAZY week of basically double booking practices with piano lessons most nights this week. Nick' sister gave me kinda a rude awakening by telling me that it will all slow down in about 15 years!!!

Well, best of luck to all of you waking your kids up tomorrow to get to school. I've got bags and lunches packed and clothes set out myself, so hopefully we can get back into the swing of things without too many complications tomorrow.

Randy Pausch - The Last Lecture

I caught majority of this last night on TV. If you didn't get to watch this, go to my friend Stephanie's blog and she has the links to see it online.

This man and his family's story is so amazing and inspiring. I don't think any normal human being can watch this and not be impacted.

Take a look at Stephanie's blog to access the links.

http://izzy-maeseube.blogspot.com/

PEACE & QUIET!

I am not quite sure what to do with myself at the moment. The boys just took off for a night at Grandma's with their cousin, Jacob. Ryleigh slept over at the neighbors house last night and hasn't returned yet. So, I have the house ALL to MYSELF! I am thinking about getting into the shower, but I just can't imagine what a shower without about 10 interruptions of tattling, kids having to go potty (of course in the bathroom that I am showering in...they can't pick one of the other two in the house), asking me some of the most ridiculous questions that really could have waited until I was done, or just wanting to know when exactly I am going to come out (to which I usually reply "when the hot water is gone".) This is such a wonderful peaceful time I just want to relish every second of it.

Nothing Too Exciting

Things have been pretty calm in the Beute household (which is actually a nice change of pace).

Kobe only has two more wrestling tournaments to go. This coming Saturday is in Belding. Then he has a week off and it is off to Regionals. He still loves it. He has gotten two 3rd place and one 4th place so far. He isn't real "aggressive" out there, but that is fine with me. So far, all the boys he has gone up against (with exception of two from his own club he wrestles against) have all cried. Kobe was asking me the other day why some boys cry when they wrestle. He is just so tender hearted that he feels bad wrestling against the boys that cry because he thinks he is hurting them. Bless his heart.

Ryleigh and Kobe both start t-ball. Kobe already had one practice and Ryleigh starts after spring break. Now with t-ball overlapping wrestling for two weeks, our evenings are going to be so crazy! The two are on different teams (which will be interesting when they go against each other).

Then there is poor Nathan. Too young to do any of it. When we go to wrestling practice you can bet that Nate is on the side of the mat participating in warm ups and watching everything very carefully. When we are at home the only shoes he wears outside are his "baseball shoes". These are actually a pair of baseball shoes that were passed down for Kobe to wear....Nate found them first and declared that they are "his". He asks to wear them everywhere....church, store, errands...He even tried to convince me that Julie (my friend who babysits him on Wednesdays) told him he HAD to wear them to her house.

Tomorrow Ryleigh and I are having a "ladies" day. She really wants to see Nims Island. So we have a plan to go do that with her bestfriend and her mom. They boys and their cousin Jacob are going to Grandmas for the day and night.

Youth Group is winding down, which is really nice. I survived the year. Now I have to start planning for next year already!

Nick has been working a ton. He just got done with 2 weeks of nights doing his resets and presently he is in Chicago. He comes home tomorrow. The kids and I are ready for him to be back to his "normal" schedule!

Hope you all have a great rest of your spring break!

Our Little Champ

Most of you know that Kobe has been wrestling. We signed him up for the Allendale Freestyle Wrestling Club and he absolutely LOVES it. It is so fun to see him out there and really learning and performing the moves that he is taught.

This past Saturday he had his first tournament (This isn't just some community ed. wrestling thing...they actually have tournaments on Saturday for 6 weeks and then regionals!). This tournament was at Grand Haven High School. Kobe won his very first match. He did not pin his opponent, but he won by points. He was so proud! He just had such a good time. He literally smiled thru each match (even as he was getting pinned). Overall he ended up taking third in his bracket. He can't wait til this Saturday's tournament in Byron Center.

At the practice following tournaments the coaches award "Outstanding Effort" T-shirts to usually 2 wrestlers that displayed some sort of Outstanding Effort. Kobe was given this award on Tuesday! It is just really cool what a huge boost of confidence this entire experience has been so far to him. He was awarded this because of how hard he tried, but even more how he just went out there having the time of his life! The coaches used that as an example of how important it is to remember that you are out there wrestling because you love it and it is fun.

Needless to say I have just been the very proud mom this past week.

If you ever need to get your sons into something, I would HIGHLY recommend looking into a wrestling club. This has just been so great for Kobe.

7 years ago today

It is Ryleigh's birthday. She is 7. Guess I am not feeling too excited about it. I know she is excited, but I am pretty bummed. Where did the past 7 years go? I was getting the video camera out on Sunday to use for Youth Group and was forwarding thru some video tapes looking for a blank one. To be honest, I never really realized how much video we took of Ryleigh when she was younger (typical first child I guess, because we have none of the boys). It made me so sad! She was such a fun (and funny) baby/toddler. Now she is a BEAUTIFUL (but very stubborn) girl.

There are BIG surprises in store for her today that I cannot wait for. No "big" celebration this year. There is no "friend" party nor are we getting together with either sides of families. Nick's family has always done the "Beute Birthday Bash" where we get together in July and celebrate everyone's birthday at one time (very nice and fun for larger families) and this year my family is trying it as well. So, on Saturday we will have Grandpa and Grandma's over, but that is it. Since she won't be reading this (but I will show her later tonight) I can tell you that she and her best friend are going to go to High School Musical on Ice tomorrow. She has no clue about this yet. Prior to HSM they are going to go to Libby Lu's for a "make over" then we will go out to dinner. So, although no parties, I am certain this will be a good birthday for her.

It is so crazy to think that before having children all I really wanted in my life were 4 boys. That is what I pictured my ideal family being. Although the dream of 4 children is still very much alive, I just cannot picture how my life would have been without Ryleigh. The bond between mother and daughter is definately like no other. Not stronger than a mother and son by no means, but it is different. I feel so blessed that God chose us to be her parents and raise her. (I can say this today because the morning went relatively smooth....).

Happy Birthday Ryleigh! I love you so much and hope this was a GREAT 7th Birthday for you!!!

4 Things

Thank you Marissa for your "4 things" tag! Here's what I've got:

1. Four jobs that I have had in my life:
-Youth Director (current)
-Daycare Provider
-Product/Project Coordinator for a Sign Company
-Transcriptionist/Receptionist
2. Four Movies I would/have watch(ed) over and over:
-Return to Me
-Fried Green Tomatoes
-
-Pay it Forward
3. Four places I have lived:
-Allendale, MI
-Wyoming, MI
-Jenison, MI
-Hudsonville, MI
4. Four TV shows that I watch:
-Biggest Loser
-Millionaire Matchmaker (I know, but it takes NO braincells to watch it, that's why I like it)
-Amazing Race (did you know that they have reruns of this on the GSN at 3:00 a.m.!)
-Any other reality TV show really
5. Four places I have visited:
-Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
-Various locations in Florida
-Does Ohio count?
-West Virginia and the states in between, I guess. (not a world traveler!)
6. Four people who email me regularly:
-My mother
-Nick (obviously just sending me funny "forwards", not our main source of communication)
-Whoever is responsible for sending SPAM e-mails
-I can't list the 4th person right now for fear that they may read this blog at some point and get offended, although their frequent e-mails are appreciated, but generally not necessary and have no real point.
7. Four of my favorite foods:
-Pizza
-Pasta ANYTHING
-Cheese Broccoli Soup from Rainbow Grill (or Russ')
-Fried Mushrooms (I realize this list doesn't sound healthy...just because it is on here doesn't mean I am frequently eating them)
8. Four places I would like to be right now:
-Home
-Bed
-On a vacation (not too picky as to where...anywhere but hear sounds good to me)
-Outside, if it were warmer
9. Four things I'm looking forward to this year:
-Spring/summer
-Watching the kids play t-ball (both Ryleigh and Kobe)
-Spending time at the folks' cottage
-Having weekends to spend with Nick and the kids again since Youth Group won't take soo much time!
10. Four people who should post 4 things:
-I'm not sure if even four people read this blog...and if they do, if they even have a blog....so I guess I will tag whomever is reading this!

My new ride!

I am so EXCITED! After years of suffering in a mini van I have finally gotten an "upgrade". Next week I will be sporting my new (well, "previously owned"...but new to me) Mercury Mountaineer. This is the actual picture of it. It is so pretty! It still seats 7, so I haven't lost any space really. It is fully loaded even with heated leather seats! I can't wait. I said a very non-teary goodbye to the mini van last night. Don't get me wrong, that is a good van and it served our family well for many years....I just never liked that van. Car shopping was fun, but man I didn't realize how stressful it was! Nate was a huge help to me though. He was such a trooper going out on such cold days and suffering through this with me. The kids are very excited, but a bit disappointed because they wanted a new car with a T.V. in it....they'll just have to get over it.

Home Sweet Home

Don't say a word, I already know....

Pet Zone actually had the cage (used) with bowls, bunny toys and bedding in it at a clearence price. I figured God was telling me to "keep the bunny". I even brought the thing to the vet this a.m. and they cut it's nails and determined that it is a Boy. They think either a min-lop or some mixed breed. He is probably 4-6 months old. So, he is now set up nice in comfy in his new pad in Ryleigh's room. Boy, will she be surprised.

Nick feels as if he has lost all control over our house...but, he'll get over it.

Lost and Found

Driving down a dirt road tonight Nick saw this ball of fur on the side. We backed up to find this domestic bunny FREEZING on the side of the road. Anyone who knows me knows I can't leave an animal loose like that. It was right on the edge of the dirt road. I got out and another car was driving by. I thought for sure going near the edge to clear our car he was going to hit this rabbit, but amazingly he did not. The rabbit, however, didn't move either. I picked it up and it was freezing with ice and snow stuck to it. Well, we took it home, made it a warm bed and surprisingly Family Fare carries rabbit food! So I fixed him up with some rabbit food, lettuce and carrots and he (or she, I guess) has been just chomping away. Nick and I don't believe this poor animal was long for this life if left on the side of the road much longer.

Now....what to do with this thing......We are DEFINITELY not in the market for a rabbit. If you know of anyone who maybe, please pass this along and have them get in contact with me. I know I can bring it out to the Humane Society, but I am afraid they will put it to sleep. I haven't handled it anymore than necessary because I don't know how nice it really is or if it may have some weird diseases or something (I know nothing about rabbits).

Help me find this guy a place to live!

IT's 2:00 AM, do you know where your husband is at?

So here is, 2:00 am (yes, as in the morning, or "middle of the night" for some) and the dogs are going CRAZY like there is someone at the front door. Now, previously in the evening, Nick was at a buddies house with some friends (I will with-hold names to protect the "innocent") last night playing pool and whatever else guys do when together. I was sound asleep and had no idea what time it was or when he came home. So, at 2:00 AM I was startled awake and tell Nick that it seems like someone is outside. He gets up and looks and finds TWO police cruisers in front of our house with the policemen on our front porch pearing into our garage and what not. Nick's paniced response was "I didn't do anything, don't answer the door". OK....cause evading or hiding from the police sounded l ike a good idea....not really. So, I go to the door and they start asking if my husband was home, when he got home, etc. Long story short, apparently a neighbor of the house he was at called in some suspicious behavior and the police followed Nick's tracks home (he was literrally just on the other side of 56th). I guess their neighborhood has experienced some break ins or vandelism. Well, sorry guys. They asked for names and at 2:00 in the morning I sang like a canary. Anything to get these guys out of my house. I suggested to Nick that perhaps us wives need to start enforcing a curfew....

Oh Happy Day!!

I sold the old Mini Van this evening!!! I am having a big CELEBRATION! HALLELUJAH! Let the fun car shopping begin!

A little bit of honesty....

OK....I will admit it. I have been a long time blog "lurker". Is there something wrong with it? I guess I thought it always entertaining to see what is going on in everyone elses lives. It kinda always gave me a break from my own reality. However, I guess the guilt of frequently and secretly "lurking" has gotten to me and now I should share as well.

I can't guarantee it will always be interesting, insightful, funny or exciting....but it will at least maybe give you something to read if you need a break in your own day.