Category Archives: Hanging out with Loved Ones
Scrapbook memories of time spent with those who love and adore Little Raz
CJ’s MBA – a party way back in May
Posted onHey there Peanut –
In the spirit of playing catch-up, here are some amazing pictures from CJ’s MBA graduation party at the cabin!! We all could NOT be more proud of him – certainly Aunti Judi and Uncle Jim were beaming!!! What a wonderful day! All of these people have certainly become our extended family…
Proud Parents
You love your creatures!
“These are my friends!” you enthusiastically told me.
Sweet Similarities
We love you all!
More March Adventures…
Posted onChick-a-dee Trail on a BEAUTIFUL DAY!
Potty Training Graduation
Guess what?!?! It’s official. Your teachers sent home a certificate saying that you had graduated from potty training, and you could officially refer to yourself as “A Big Girl!!!!” They sent home ALL of your diapers and pull-ups!! We could not be more proud of you! So, of course we had to celebrate you at Friendly’s with ice cream!! We love you Baby Girl!!
Ellison Park on ANOTHER beautiful day! Thanks God
On a normal Thursday after school and work, we (Macy, you and I) joined Uncle Jim, Madeline and Daniel for some fun at the park!! Daniel and Madeline TOTALLY dig Macy! We ALL got so dirty and had SUCH a great time!!
Then we all came home to our house for a wonderful dinner and BATHS!! 🙂
This is a typical day?!?!?!? We are so very blessed!!!!
Some more pictures from March
Posted onMaya’s 3rd Birthday Party
We invited three friends to come over for pizza and ice cream cake on your birthday – Sunday, March 16, 2008. Your three friends were Elsa, Marlie and Apryl.
Easter Sunday Celebrations
We started our Easter CELEBRATION at church with Jimmiqua, Marlie and her mom Leslie. We had surprise company from Delilah and her mommy Martha. We sang in a special choir that morning because it was a special day!
After church, we had lunch with Uncle Jim, Madeline and Daniel and their Mom, Julie at the India House. We had a ball!
After nap, Daddy came over and we hid the eggs that Auntie Amy sent you (thanks for saving the day Auntie Amy!) and you had fun finding them to put them in your “Maya” basket, again, compliments of Auntie Amy. Then you thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate and toys you found in each egg!
Other Fun Pictures
We all met at Buckland Park last Sunday
Uncle Jim’s Shoes – Big shoes to fill for sure!
Mommi went to a conference in New York City and got to hang out with her awesome cousin Jonna and meet Jonna’s beau, Rob.
a few other pictures I’ve missed
Posted onThe week before Thanksgiving, your gymnastics class had a special night for friends and family to come and watch you. Aunti Judi and Uncle Jim joined Daddy, you and me… Here are some of those picture highlights:
Can you see the little girl jumping in the background? That is my little free spirit!! I wouldn’t want you to be any other way!!
Here are a couple random fall pictures:
Finally, just before Thanksgiving we went to a kids’ play with a bunch of our friends (people I work with and their kids). It was a puppet show of Leo Lionni’s Swimmy, Frederick, and Inch by Inch. After the play, the two puppeteers answered kids’ questions and showed us how the puppets worked. My favorite part of the play were the opening announcements. They said, “Some of you may know these stories, and you might get the urge to yell out what’s going to happen next to help us out. That is just fine. This is a non-shushing play.” 🙂 Cool, huh? Anyway, here are a couple pictures from our afternoon with Simon, Margo, another Maya, her brother Hugh, Delilah and their parents.
Thanksgiving 2007 – So much to be thankful for!
Posted onOma and Opa and Uncle Mark, Aunti Bi and Baby Cousin Niklas (just over 7 months old) ALL came to stay in OUR HOME last week for Thanksgiving!! We had SUCH a marvelous time! You gave up your “cozy bed” and slept in what you call your “special bed,” a toddler bed we purchased for just such an occasion. We had a wonderful time together – cooking meals, going for walks, shipping, exploring the museum, and having movie night!
Here are some picture highlights from the events:
That’s your sweet little hand arranging your “fowler.” You really do melt my heart.
We also used the opportunity to celebrate Uncle Mark’s birthday!!
greg’s party
Posted onMy student Greg had a birthday / jack-o-lantern carving party on Saturday, and he invited all of us! Happy Birthday Greg!!
back at it…
Posted onHey there Peanut –
Please forgive my lack of writing to you these past 6 or 7 weeks. It has been an especially crazy summer! You’ll understand later, but the bottom line is I had to submit my early career grant proposal (which I’ve worked on for 4 years now) along with five different manuscripts while teaching a very intensive summer class. In addition, I had to fly to Chicago for Knowles Foundation research and teaching meeting at which I had to give a presentation, and I have been helping two graduate students get the findings from two different research studies ready for submission to two different conferences.
We’ve still had fantastic summer adventures in between these work-related things, but I just didn’t have my Sunday evenings to blog to you like I like.
So, let’s see if I can try to get caught up a bit.
Let’s start with the most exciting and most recent event – We went to Ada, MI (near Grand Rapids) to be a part of your cousin Niklas’s baptism in the Grand River!!
It was such a very special day and event. Pastor Dave did such an incredible job talking to Niklas and the rest of us about how we are all part of an ecology that God gave to Niklas and his parents to help take care of and love baby Niklas as he grows. While Niklas was being baptized you said to me “Maya’s turn. Maya be baptized.” Very sweet.
We were there with Oma and Opa from Minnesota, Auntie Amy and Elisabeth from Seattle and of couse, Mark, Bi and Niklas. The whole Luehmann clan was there except for Uncle Hakon. In addition, we had the wonderful privilege of being with Auntie Bi’s Mom and Dad, Mara and Francisco who came ALL the way from Brazil!! There were a number of other friends of Mark and Bi’s as well. What a wonderful celebration!!
Here are a couple more pictures of your beautiful baby cousin:
When we arrived in Ada at 1:30am the night before, the car broke down in the hotel parking lot. Long story short, but it was very difficult to find anyone open on the weekends to service the car, and even those people did not have access to the parts. SOOOO, even in the midst of craziness like that, God blesses us richly. We were “stuck” in a place where we were surrounded by family in a warm and loving home. Not such a bad deal, eh? Unfortunately, I had to rent a car and drive back to Rochester because I had to teach Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but you and Daddy stayed in Michigan and waited for the car to be fixed. You got a 3 more days to play with your cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles and even Buster the dog! You went to the fair…
You went swimming…
You climbed rocks and caught turtles…
You had a fantastic time!! And the car was fixed just in time – You and Daddy left Michigan at the same time as Auntie Amy and Elisabeth left for the airport and just a bit after Oma and Opa left for the ferry. What a blessing indeed.
You came home safe and sound to me about 6:30pm on Wednesday. It was SO GREAT to see you! You were clearly as happy to see me as I you. We snuggled and giggled and hugged each other. That night (last night actually) you asked me to rock you to sleep in my arms… you hugged me with both arms while I rocked you until you fell asleep… A memory I will always treasure. Thanks Peanut.
I love you Peanut Butter.
playdates galore!
Posted onHighlights from our time with Maeve and Claire at their house:
Highlights from our time with Marlie in our backyard:
Marissa on Thursday and Friday (Marissa is the daughter of Daddy’s good friend from work, Stacey),
Maeve and Claire on Saturday morning (Maeve & Claire are daughters of my good friend from work, Meg),
Marlie on Saturday after dinner (Marlie is your dear friend from you class at daycare – and her Mommy, Leslie and I are becoming good friends as well as her Daddy Mike and your Daddy),
and… Hannah and Maggie (and Mommy Susan) (our good friends and neighbors) on Sunday!
Here are some pictures… more to come!
By the way? You are so good at sharing and taking turns. What an amazing little person you are becoming!
today
Posted onToday was Memorial Day – a beautiful sunny holiday that we got to spend together!
We started by heading down to Spot Coffee for a “snack” (cheery danish – really, what was I thinking : ) ) and some juice as we waited for the Memorial Day parade to start. One of the highlights was the doggie that sits in the front walkway.
Aunti Judi walked down to meet us and watch the beginning of the parade. You made a number of new “friends” with the people sitting all around us.
After we watched from the street for a while, we headed up to Judi and Jim’s and watched the rest from their balcony. Aunti Judi is the BEST! We had lunch up there while we watched. (Uncle Jim was at the cabin and Daddy was sleeping because he worked last night, so it was just the girls today.)
After nap and dinner, we headed over to Hannah and Timmy’s house with a pint of chocolate ice cream, a package of cones and some sprinkles.
Could the day end any better?!?! THanks God!!