Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
protected
I rolled over this morning and saw the clock read 5:26am. Oh no the alarm did not go off as it should have at 5am. I reset the alarm for Corey and carried on my morning routine in quite a peaceful manner considering how late it was. I never did feel rushed and harried and even left the house earlier than I normally do. I traveled the "old" path to work as I need to stop and pick up donuts for the office. I was very early and felt unusual peace for my morning thus far. I felt as though God kissed me gently awake telling me I needed an extra 26 minutes of sleep. I carried on my way to work with the donuts setting on the front seat. Just as I was pulling up to Baldwin from Main street, a SUV turned into my lane and the driver must have realized his error and went over the median curb to avoid hitting me. His tires squealing and his side raised I thought for sure he was going to roll however he over corrected and the hit the north curb. He then turned into the gas station and gathered himself I suppose. My light had turned green and I had intended on stopping to see if the driver was ok but something told me to keep going. I drove slowly to see where he was going next. He followed behind me unable to keep within his lane or at a consistent speed. After traveling a 1/4 mile, I realized he was a drunk driver out on the roads a 6:30am! I watched as he drove over 5 lanes of traffic hitting each curb from side to side. I picked up my cell and dialed 911 as I drove watching him in my rear view mirror. The road was unusually empty. The dispatcher requested me to stay with him as he turned into the 2nd gas station for another rest so I pulled over across the street and described his every move. He then drove across the side street to McDonald's and went through the drive-thru. I drove to the office and parked my car and stood outside as he sat for a minute with all the windows down eating. At that point a coworker came over and identified the make of the vehicle because I don't recognize many vehicles. I stood and described his moves as I was unable to follow him any longer. He traveled west with a vehicle now on his side and 4 cars and a large truck in the opposing lanes. I watched until he was out of my sight. I stood praying for those on the road with him and thanking God he protected me though the situation. I walked into the office punching in 4 minutes late. I was shaking physically but felt peace God had orchestrated my morning so perfectly and placed me just where he needed me. I put my phone away and prayed that the 2 officers called would get to him before he could hurt anyone. I had received a voicemail from OCCDA 15 minutes later requesting me to drive to 28th and Baldwin per the officer's request. By the time I had received the message and returned the call an hour later, the dispatcher explained the man I had been following was arrested for driving under the influence and was sitting behind bars as we spoke. Tears of relief streamed.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Precious Lord, take my hand
Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home
When my way grows drear
Precious Lord linger near
When my life is almost gone
Hear my cry, hear my call
Hold my hand lest I fall
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home
When the darkness appears
And the night draws near
And the day is past and gone
At the river I stand
Guide my feet, hold my hand
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home
Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I'm tired, I'm weak, I'm lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home
Thomas A. Dorsey wrote this song in 1932 in Chicago, Illinois, after his wife Nettie died while giving birth their son (who also died shortly there after).
“I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, ‘Fear not; I will help thee.’” Isaiah 41:13
Lead me on, let me stand
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home
When my way grows drear
Precious Lord linger near
When my life is almost gone
Hear my cry, hear my call
Hold my hand lest I fall
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home
When the darkness appears
And the night draws near
And the day is past and gone
At the river I stand
Guide my feet, hold my hand
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home
Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I'm tired, I'm weak, I'm lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home
Thomas A. Dorsey wrote this song in 1932 in Chicago, Illinois, after his wife Nettie died while giving birth their son (who also died shortly there after).
“I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, ‘Fear not; I will help thee.’” Isaiah 41:13
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Rhianna's Pinkalicious Birthday
Rhianna's choice for the theme of her 7th birthday party was Pinkalicious, a children's book by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann. Pinkalicious loves t
he color pink. Her magical pinkatastic world is filled with friends, family, fun…and plenty of pink! The book goes something like this... Pinkalicious and her mother make pink cupcakes on a rainy day and she finds herself unable to stop eating them and she turned pink. Pinkalicious takes a trip to Dr Wink and finds she has a rare and acute case of Pinkititis. She was to not eat any pink foods for a week and eat a steady diet of green food. She ate one more pink cupcake while everyone was asleep and woke up red! She then ate every green food she could and turned back to herself again. 
We had a wonderful time at her birthday party. Most of our party guests wore pink or raspberry red. I served pulled pork on pink buns, red grapes, strawberries, sweet cherries, pink fruit dip, veggies with pink dip, watermelon and cherry Jello jigglers, pink cupcakes, strawberry ice cream, and pink juices and pop! We had our first pinata which was a cupcake I painted pink and filled with almost 9 pounds of candy.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
in honor of the middle-born child
I AM a middle-born child. I have an older sister and a younger brother which places me as the middle-born in the birth order of our family. Since the day Dr. Kevin Lehman's book entered our home, it has been the standing "soap box" for this middle-born child. The middle-born syndrome has been a sort of running joke and/or conversational piece among my family however, many points are very true. On one of my journeys surfing the internet I found the following article. Sorry I can not give credit to the author because I'm not sure where I found it. I wanted to share some positive traits middle-born children offer our communities as adults to those other middle-born children who are in search for significance or those first-born/babies who forgot (or still wonder why) they have a middle-born sibling.
In Dr. Kevin Lehman's "The Birth Order Book," he describes a grown middle-child lamenting his position in the family, describing himself as having been born too late and too soon. As an adult, you might still hear your parents telling you that you were too young to do what your older sibling did and too old to act like your younger sibling. Even so, it might come as a surprise to learn that the challenges you faced as a youngster might help prepare you for life as an adult.
According to Lehman, the middle child's middle-born child struggles for recognition but might grow stronger as a result. According to Lehman, the middle child's birth order deprives him of the special distinction afforded his older and younger sibling. If you are a middle child, your position in the family might have caused you to feel excluded from the family spotlight and might have left you competing for your parents' attention. Children born between the first child and the last struggle for recognition and respect from their families.
An adult middle-born often has impressive social skills. After growing up in the middle, you might see yourself developing into an adult whose background in the middle prepared you for reality; as a result, you might work harder for recognition while making fewer demands from others along the way. Lehman's research suggests that middle-born children often evolve into resourceful, tenacious adults capable of turning obstacles into opportunities. You might see yourself reflected in Lehman's depiction of a middle child whose background prepared him for life and gave him the tools needed to compromise, empathize and share.
Familiar with "give and take," the middle-born might become a balanced adult. Lehman's research indicates that because of an adult's experience as a middle child, he might empathize with victims of injustice. Sometimes, however, the grown-up middle child's capacity to endure unfair treatment compels others to take advantage of him. If you grew up in the middle, you might relate to the simple explanation given by Jane, a grown middle-child, when asked why she accepted her spouse's mistreatment. "It's not so bad," she said, "I can handle it" .
An adult middle-born may put a great deal of effort into making relationships work. When you reach adulthood, you might resist sharing your thoughts and feelings with others, including your mate. This cautious, reserved behavior might carry over from childhood, when you might have felt excluded from the secure family circle. However, as an adult, your appreciation for being included and accepted might impel you to nurture your relationships and to stay faithful to your spouse or partner .
Your skills and strengths as a middle child might serve you well in the adult world. Once they become adults, Lehman advises middle-born children not to under-sell themselves by comparing themselves to their older siblings or to others. As adults, middle-born children often possess excellent managerial skills and leadership qualities. If you receive an offer to take a job in management or in some other leadership position, don't turn it down, thinking you lack the qualities necessary to do the job. Lehman recommends going for it, using your natural middle-child skills and strengths to your advantage.
In Dr. Kevin Lehman's "The Birth Order Book," he describes a grown middle-child lamenting his position in the family, describing himself as having been born too late and too soon. As an adult, you might still hear your parents telling you that you were too young to do what your older sibling did and too old to act like your younger sibling. Even so, it might come as a surprise to learn that the challenges you faced as a youngster might help prepare you for life as an adult.
According to Lehman, the middle child's middle-born child struggles for recognition but might grow stronger as a result. According to Lehman, the middle child's birth order deprives him of the special distinction afforded his older and younger sibling. If you are a middle child, your position in the family might have caused you to feel excluded from the family spotlight and might have left you competing for your parents' attention. Children born between the first child and the last struggle for recognition and respect from their families.
An adult middle-born often has impressive social skills. After growing up in the middle, you might see yourself developing into an adult whose background in the middle prepared you for reality; as a result, you might work harder for recognition while making fewer demands from others along the way. Lehman's research suggests that middle-born children often evolve into resourceful, tenacious adults capable of turning obstacles into opportunities. You might see yourself reflected in Lehman's depiction of a middle child whose background prepared him for life and gave him the tools needed to compromise, empathize and share.
Familiar with "give and take," the middle-born might become a balanced adult. Lehman's research indicates that because of an adult's experience as a middle child, he might empathize with victims of injustice. Sometimes, however, the grown-up middle child's capacity to endure unfair treatment compels others to take advantage of him. If you grew up in the middle, you might relate to the simple explanation given by Jane, a grown middle-child, when asked why she accepted her spouse's mistreatment. "It's not so bad," she said, "I can handle it" .
An adult middle-born may put a great deal of effort into making relationships work. When you reach adulthood, you might resist sharing your thoughts and feelings with others, including your mate. This cautious, reserved behavior might carry over from childhood, when you might have felt excluded from the secure family circle. However, as an adult, your appreciation for being included and accepted might impel you to nurture your relationships and to stay faithful to your spouse or partner .
Your skills and strengths as a middle child might serve you well in the adult world. Once they become adults, Lehman advises middle-born children not to under-sell themselves by comparing themselves to their older siblings or to others. As adults, middle-born children often possess excellent managerial skills and leadership qualities. If you receive an offer to take a job in management or in some other leadership position, don't turn it down, thinking you lack the qualities necessary to do the job. Lehman recommends going for it, using your natural middle-child skills and strengths to your advantage.
Todd Keene and the Power Team
Our home church, Rush Creek Bible Church, served host to Todd Keene and the Power team earlier this month. The Power Team is a group of athletes who perform great exhibitions of power, strength, speed, inspiration, and motivation. They performed five evening shows and went to thirteen schools during their visit with us. The school Assemblies are presentations of encouragement and inspiration as the Power Team encourage kids to stay away from drugs, alcohol, cutting, and suicide. Each evening show lead to a powerful gospel presentation. God is using the Power Team to reach kids all over this nation. They are able to reach many individuals the church can not reach for Christ through this "unconventional" method. 
I must admit, the muscle building and strength shows are not "my thing", but I enjoyed watching all the kids take the team on as a positive role model in their lives and even more kids and adults turning from death to life as they made Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior.
Saber is the Power Team's first female member. Being the only female member, she is a powerful witness to many little girls who look up to her as a role model. Saber quickly became Rhianna's favorite Power Team member. She asked for two hundred frying pans to learn practice rolling them up into a burrito just like Saber!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Spring Break 2010
Thursday, April 1st
Rhianna had a half day so I hooked up the tandem bike and rode to school to pick up her up. The ride home was bliss. It was sunny, warm and beautiful. Rhianna and I stayed outside to play with sidewalk chalk, she rode her bike, we read in the hammock together and she played on the swing set.
Friday, April 2nd
Corey was able to stay with Rhianna most the day before he left for work and I came home from work. The two of them worked hard in the back yard putting up another section of our privacy fencing.
Saturday, April 3rd
We headed to Lansing for Morgan's 6th birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's. What a fun time all the cousins had playing together. I have to admit the siblings, along with Nana and Papa, sure had a good time!
Sunday, April 4th EASTER
We enjoyed our celebration of our risen Lord and Savior at our church in the morning. Corey was able to play drums which hasn't happened in at least six months due to scheduling issues. We celebrated Easter dinner at the Stratmeyer home. The food and company was wonderful. The afternoon and evening were spent celebrating Emily's 12th birthday!
Monday, April 5th
We were able to sleep in as a family until 8:30am! Two of us are early risers so that is very unusual to sleep in that late. Lazy mornings are nice every once in a while.
Tuesday, April 6th
Our first day off together as a family in a very long time. We had no schedule to follow and absolutely nowhere to be! We all slept in again until 8am. We were hoping to see butterflies but the weather was not so nice and Rhianna wanted to stay home and play with her dolls. Cousins Michael and Joshua came over in the evening for Boz, cars, Guess Who?, pretzel ice cream dessert and a very long walk outside.
Wednesday, April 7th
Corey and I both worked and so Nana had Rhianna for the day. Nana had scheduled a play date with the Vander Giessen girls. I was called to go in an hour later than usual for work due to the slow schedule so I was able to enjoy snuggles with my darling and conversation with Nana before heading to work. After I had left, Morgan and Kendall joined the fun over at Nana's. We all had dinner together at Nana and Papa's after work.
Thursday, April 8th
Again, we all slept in until 8:30am! We fixed a large breakfast and then headed downtown to the Grand Rapids Children's Museum. We surprised Rhianna with a family membership including Nana! GRCM had a dance company come in a do a show and Rhianna was able to squeeze in and see all the girls dance. She loved it! After playing so hard, we walked across the street and had lunch at the Cottage Bar. I punched out all the dolls, clothing and accessories in Rhianna's new Klutz Paper Doll book. Rhianna and I went to Applebee's to see Corey and have some dinner.
Friday, April 9th
Doctor was out of the office so we went down to one person in our department and so I was able to have the day off. Again, we all slept in until 8:30am! We played paper dolls as we waited for Corey to wake up (he had closed so he sleeps later). We then headed to Naked Plates where each of us painted a work of art. Rhianna and I said goodbye to Corey and then headed to the Holland Aquatic Center while Corey headed to work. The two of us hit every attraction there. Rhianna stood on the side cheering me on while I did the zip line and obstacle course. We swam for four hours. After leaving waterlogged and starving, we stopped for dinner at Culvers.
Saturday, April 10th
We went to Klingman's park to play. Klingman's went in the old Roger's Department Store building and they also bought the land next to Roger's which was an old Taco place if I recall. Klingman's demoed the building there and built a park. The park is very nice. Rhianna played for quit awhile but the wind made us leave sooner than what we wanted. We came home and played with her model clay.
Sunday, April 11th
After cleaning the office we headed to Hager Park for the Age of Discovery. We walked the huge replica of the fifty states and played at the Age of Discovery. The weather was sunny and beautiful! Before heading home, we stopped in to see Nana and Papa. Nana made us yummy smoothies.
We sure did enjoy our spring break this year! I have not had this opportunity to spend so much time over break with my family as I have had extra hours in the past few years due to coworkers leaving over break and needing to fill in. I am very thankful for the wonderful memories I have made this past week and I'm sure Rhianna and Corey did as well.
Rhianna had a half day so I hooked up the tandem bike and rode to school to pick up her up. The ride home was bliss. It was sunny, warm and beautiful. Rhianna and I stayed outside to play with sidewalk chalk, she rode her bike, we read in the hammock together and she played on the swing set.
Friday, April 2nd
Corey was able to stay with Rhianna most the day before he left for work and I came home from work. The two of them worked hard in the back yard putting up another section of our privacy fencing.
Saturday, April 3rd
We headed to Lansing for Morgan's 6th birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's. What a fun time all the cousins had playing together. I have to admit the siblings, along with Nana and Papa, sure had a good time!
Sunday, April 4th EASTER
We enjoyed our celebration of our risen Lord and Savior at our church in the morning. Corey was able to play drums which hasn't happened in at least six months due to scheduling issues. We celebrated Easter dinner at the Stratmeyer home. The food and company was wonderful. The afternoon and evening were spent celebrating Emily's 12th birthday!
Monday, April 5th
We were able to sleep in as a family until 8:30am! Two of us are early risers so that is very unusual to sleep in that late. Lazy mornings are nice every once in a while.
Tuesday, April 6th
Our first day off together as a family in a very long time. We had no schedule to follow and absolutely nowhere to be! We all slept in again until 8am. We were hoping to see butterflies but the weather was not so nice and Rhianna wanted to stay home and play with her dolls. Cousins Michael and Joshua came over in the evening for Boz, cars, Guess Who?, pretzel ice cream dessert and a very long walk outside.
Wednesday, April 7th
Corey and I both worked and so Nana had Rhianna for the day. Nana had scheduled a play date with the Vander Giessen girls. I was called to go in an hour later than usual for work due to the slow schedule so I was able to enjoy snuggles with my darling and conversation with Nana before heading to work. After I had left, Morgan and Kendall joined the fun over at Nana's. We all had dinner together at Nana and Papa's after work.
Thursday, April 8th
Again, we all slept in until 8:30am! We fixed a large breakfast and then headed downtown to the Grand Rapids Children's Museum. We surprised Rhianna with a family membership including Nana! GRCM had a dance company come in a do a show and Rhianna was able to squeeze in and see all the girls dance. She loved it! After playing so hard, we walked across the street and had lunch at the Cottage Bar. I punched out all the dolls, clothing and accessories in Rhianna's new Klutz Paper Doll book. Rhianna and I went to Applebee's to see Corey and have some dinner.
Friday, April 9th
Doctor was out of the office so we went down to one person in our department and so I was able to have the day off. Again, we all slept in until 8:30am! We played paper dolls as we waited for Corey to wake up (he had closed so he sleeps later). We then headed to Naked Plates where each of us painted a work of art. Rhianna and I said goodbye to Corey and then headed to the Holland Aquatic Center while Corey headed to work. The two of us hit every attraction there. Rhianna stood on the side cheering me on while I did the zip line and obstacle course. We swam for four hours. After leaving waterlogged and starving, we stopped for dinner at Culvers.Saturday, April 10th
We went to Klingman's park to play. Klingman's went in the old Roger's Department Store building and they also bought the land next to Roger's which was an old Taco place if I recall. Klingman's demoed the building there and built a park. The park is very nice. Rhianna played for quit awhile but the wind made us leave sooner than what we wanted. We came home and played with her model clay.Sunday, April 11th
After cleaning the office we headed to Hager Park for the Age of Discovery. We walked the huge replica of the fifty states and played at the Age of Discovery. The weather was sunny and beautiful! Before heading home, we stopped in to see Nana and Papa. Nana made us yummy smoothies.We sure did enjoy our spring break this year! I have not had this opportunity to spend so much time over break with my family as I have had extra hours in the past few years due to coworkers leaving over break and needing to fill in. I am very thankful for the wonderful memories I have made this past week and I'm sure Rhianna and Corey did as well.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Baby News
We just received the following news from my brother Jason and his wife Kelly:
It's Official.....Jason and I(Kelly) are unexpectedly expecting. Baby VG is due around October 7th, but mommy is already hoping for late September :)
It's Official.....Jason and I(Kelly) are unexpectedly expecting. Baby VG is due around October 7th, but mommy is already hoping for late September :)
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