Nat's News: 2015 {a year in review}

I started this blog in 2008.

Austin was in kindergarten that year.

We were in the throes of having babies, potty training, working, adding on and remodeling our house, etc., and there was always a "first" that needed to be documented. The kids were always doing something cute... or not so cute, that warranted a blog post, or at the very least, a picture.

Austin is now starting the second half of his eighth grade year.

And I just sent his baby picture over to the yearbook last week.

My BABY started kindergarten this year!

(Pardon me while I wipe away the tears that just dropped on my screen a minute).

Tim really enjoys going back and reading old posts. So do I. This blog has been a diary for our family over the years.

And I posted 4 times last year...... FOUR!

Life has changed a bit. We are busy in a different way now. The kids don't dump their food over their heads anymore... welI I suppose some do…. or leave puddles of pee in waiting rooms, or fly around the house in superman capes all day long. They are busy becoming people and not here as often as I'd like. While they are all still cute and incredibly inspiring in all of their unique and different ways, I let a lot of moments come and go, because it's time to get back in the van again…or help with fractions.

I think my lack of writing lately comes from not knowing what to say, and after a stretch of time, not knowing where to start.

I have received a lot of encouragement over the years from family and friends who enjoy reading this blog, and I really do enjoy writing! I know someday I will look back fondly on these years. Shoot, I already do. I really may need another kid.

So, now that it is January 8, I'm finally ready to start the new year, and set a goal to keep this updated more.

But, before I can move forward, I feel like I need to go back and overview a few of the highlights from this past year. I left off after our Spring Break trip to Texas, so let's start our pictorial journey there, shall we?

Ellery took a dance class, and she loved it! She really took on a leadership role in her class. The class culminated with a recital in the spring. She was in the Minnie's Boutique production….

And just for fun, a throwback from when Sydney took the same class with the same teacher....

Sydney entered an art contest, and won! It was for miosha, and the irony was rich. It gave us a good chuckle. She travelled to Lansing to accept her honors and cash.

Naturally, she got picked to be in the 2016 calendar, which caused even greater chuckling, because now Tim has a Miosha calendar hanging in his office ;)

Tim took the girls to the father/daughter banquet. This was Stella's first time!

Austin tried out baseball, and enjoyed playing on the school team.

I got my nose pierced for my 39th birthday!

We are officially done with preschool in this family. Sniff.

We enjoyed a lot of time outdoors last spring....

Sydney wrote Drew Bree's a sweet letter before Dylan's birthday...

And he restored my hope in the good of mankind. He sent Dylan a signed picture. It was a happy day!

The boys ran the Calvin Classic 5k...

Tim turned 39 too!

Dylan did a fantastic job as Peyton Manning in the 4th grade wax museum....

Stella took gymnastics for six months, and really enjoyed it!

Mother's Day, 2015....

Oh, just a typical Sunday....

We finally finished putting the lawn in...

And finished the driveway!

The kids succesfully finished the school year. Summer vacation!

You know summer is in full swing when the kids are making chicken hats out of tin foil.

Fathers Day...

We made a trip to Chicago when school got out. We went downtown by train.

We enjoyed the pool...

We visited the zoo a lot...

We took many walks to enjoy the flowers….

We spent a week camping with friends at the conference grounds.

We had our share of ice cream...

Spent a lot of time with friends..

Sydney sold her handmade goods at the library craft show…

That week in July when my flowers looked a-MAZE!

We enjoyed the fair...

We enjoyed spending time with out of town family….

And tubing...

We spent some time at the cottage...

We spent a week camping with friends in Ludington....

These two really bonded...

We camped at PJ Hoffmaster Labor Day weekend.....

Made it to the top!

Oh, just some afternoon goat walking while visiting camping friends...

First day of the 2015/16 school year. Eighth grade, seventh grade, fifth grade, second grade, and kindergarten!

Fall sports, in summary...

Halloween.

Ellery wiggled out both of her top teeth just before her 6th birthday...

Family pics, fall 2015

We went to a Michigan game with Kevin! So much fun!!

The boy went to the UP hunting..

How many people can you fit in a deer blind?

Austin turned 14, and Ellery 6!

I had a moment when I realized that this would probably be the last year to throw Austin a birthday party, since he will be starting high school next year. So, he had a birthday sleepover with friends, and Tim took the boys paintballing. They had a blast!

Ellery talked me into Chuck e Cheese.

Austin played 8th grade basketball.

We spent an amazing week in Florida with friends the first week of December, but that's a whole separate post. Stay tuned...

We field tripped it…

Christmas 2015.

The year the boys built a hovercraft, AND it worked. (Tim told the boys they had to finish it, and he wanted a hovercraft ride before we could open presents.) Success!