First Day of School

The boys started another school year on Thursday. Cale and Jared wanted more summer. Trevor was ready to go back because he wanted to go where people would be nice to him. (He is DONE with his brothers!)

Cale will be 13 next week and is a 7th. grader this year.

Jared is 9 and he is a 4th. grader.

Trevor is 6 and is a 1st grader. (He was pleased that he could actually hold up fingers this year to show what grade he is in!)

And they are off! Keith drops Cale off at the middle school on his way to work. Jared and Trevor walk to and from school. I love taking a picture like this every year. I think that the hand-holding was strictly because they knew I was wanting the perfect picture. Oh well. I don't care WHY they did it! I just enjoyed watching them walk together and discuss their upcoming day.

HERE'S TO A GREAT YEAR, BOYS! DAD AND I ARE SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOU!!

Ronald McDonald House

This past spring, I decided that I wanted to do something with my boys this summer that made a difference. I am continually trying to tell my kids how lucky they are. They are lucky because of some of the things they get to do or see. They are lucky because they don't go to bed hungry. They are lucky because they are healthy and don't have to go to the doctor very often.

I saw a story on TV about the Ronald McDonald House and I decided that night that I had found our summer project. I told them about what great things the Ronald McDonald House does, and how they rely on donations. I suggested that we try and collect donations for the House and then we could deliver them. The boys thought that sounded like a great idea! They were all in!

We even talked about including their friends, Austin and Carter. I talked to their Mom, Lisa, and she said that she was thinking about something for her kids, too. So she thought this was a great idea!

We got together and made fliers and distributed them to our friends, family and neighbors. We even put information in the church bulletin and news letter. We had a great response!! The kids enjoyed seeing the things come in! I even took Cale and Jared to Sam's Club to spend some of the money that people had donated. They had a great time picking things off of the Ronald McDonald House Wish List.

Last Friday, Lisa and I and the 5 boys--ranging in age from 6-12--headed down to Des Moines to deliver our things. We were able to take more then 6 boxes of things and $120 worth of Gift Cards to Target and Hy-Vee. We also had enough money to allow a family to stay at the house for 15 nights.

I was so proud of all of the kids! I'm still not sure that they really understood everything that was going on, but it is a start. We are even considering doing this every summer. I told them they should be proud of themselves because they really did do a great thing.

WAY TO GO BOYS!!!

Family Reunion

This past weekend, we went to Grinnell for a family reunion with my Mom's family. We try to do this every year and we look forward to catching up with everyone.

This is a picture of my parents and some of my aunts and uncles. Bob and Di on the left came from Sabula, Iowa. Alan and Judy in the middle came from Howell, Michigan. My parents, Marv and Ruth, are from Grinnell and are on the right. Of all of the living aunts and uncles, we were only missing one on this day.

This is the cousins...minus 2. My brother, Todd lives in Grinnell, then my cousins Kristi, Kim and Kelli. Kristi and Kelli live in the Sabula area, and Kim lives in Clinton. My cousin Kari came from Conroy. Then there is me, then my cousin Julie who came from Lindenhurst, Illinois. And last, but not least, my cousin Kurt was there from Washington, Iowa. My brother Kevin (from Urbandale) was missing, and so was my cousin Sharon. She lives in Lansing, Michigan.


And this is the cousin's kids. 2 were missing from Michigan and one was missing from Clinton, but this is all of the rest of them!

Everyone had such a great time visiting, and laughing and remembering all sorts of things....like those slumber parties on Grandma's floor. There were wall-to-wall sleeping bags! There was also bike riding, and all sorts of games going on--basketball, volleyball, football and baseball.

Trevor is getting pretty good at the picture taking thing. I just need to explain to him about how to use the zoom. But I don't think it's too bad considering he's only 6!!

The weather was great, the food was fabulous but nothing could beat the company and good conversation. Can't wait to see everyone again!

It Is Hot. It Is Cold.

This is a packet that Trevor brought home last year at the beginning of kindergarten. I am not a saver of the boys' things. I just don't know where I would put it all, or how I would save it. This particular packet, I will save. Some how.

It Is Hot. It Is Cold.

By Trevor

SUN is hot.

ICS (Ice) is Cold.

MOM is hot.

(Please take note of my green pig snout nose!)

IOSC (Ice Cream) is cold.

It still makes me giggle every time I look at it! :)

Flash Back--August 13, 2005

5 years ago today, we had the greatest looking ring bearer around! He was in Logan and Brianne's wedding, was just shy of 8 years old, and took his job very seriously. And he did a GREAT job! I remember how proud I was of him that day!

Congratulations Logan and Brianne!!

Happy Birthday, Grandma Jensen!!

Happy Birthday to Keith's Mom! We hope that you enjoy your day and have many more!

Grant's Farm, and One Last Trip Around Stadium

Tuesday was another hot day in St. Louis, so we decided to wander around Grant's Farm, home of the famous Clydesdale horses.

We took the tram to the other side of the Farm known as the Tier Garten. (Ron tells us that's German for zoo. After all the time the Vos' have spent in Germany, we figured he was right!) Trevor has never "in his whole life" been to the zoo, so we kept telling him we were AT the zoo!

This is what the goat thought of us!! As you can see, AJ and Megan loved feeding the goats. The Jensen children....not so much. They were sitting in the shade just watching.

Trevor LOVES turtles! He was so happy to find these guys!

We cooled off (a little!) in The Bauernhof. Bauernhof is German for "farmstead." The kids had some pop and snow-cones. The adults were happy to find more free beer samples!

The Busch family now houses their world famous carriage collection in the carriage house. The stables are housed here, too.

My favorite photo spot at dusk. Still love it!

Ron, Holly, AJ, Megan and Jared went to the wax museum, and the rest of us had dinner and then walked around the stadium. There was a game going on, but there was such an energy even on the outside.

And the boys like to try and see what they can of the game from the outside. It's all part of the experience!

We walked back to our hotel and passed the sign for the Arch. ("Jefferson National Expansion Museum"). When we got back, we went for one last visit to the pool, which was on the roof. You could see the stadium and the Arch from the edge. It was so pretty up there, and once again, my pictures just don't do it justice.

Tomorrow it is time to head home and back to reality! We have been gone for 13 out of the last 22 nights, and it is time to go home. Vacations are fun, and it is so much fun to go, but let's face it....

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!!