January
We brave the cold, bundle up, and get out sledding with the whole family.
February
Groundhog Day Blizzard leaves us with lots of snow (and a day off from school)! We make a fort as a family, and Mom and Dad find themselves enjoying it as much (more?) than the boys.
An adult weekend away with good friends in Traverse City including wine tasting, lots of yummy meals (Jolly Pumpkin, Thirsty Perch, and Omelet Shoppe), and even some late-night dancing. (Some may even remember Tim inventing the crochet dance.)
March
March Madness at our place...snuggling while watching basketball, playing around, and surviving the last month of a long Michigan winter.
April
We enjoy another beautiful week in Myrtle Beach for Spring Break. Highlights include lots of mini-golf, playing in the sand, baseball on the beach, oceanfront dining and dancing, walks on the beach, and a visit from Nana and Papa Bill.
Celebrating the boys' (and lots of family!) birthdays -- Caleb (#5) and Josh (#2).
May
Baseball! We take the boys to their first Tigers game and Caleb's inaugural season (and obsession with the Kansas City Royals) is in full swing.
June
Mom explores the East Coast with 80+ 8th graders on her first week of Summer Vacation.
Enjoying family time and a trip out to the beach on Father's Day.
Lamers family vacation to Gaylord. Highlights: Josh learns to fish (thanks for your patience, Papa!), Dave's singing bass, campfires, kayaking, and a race across the lake.
July
Josh discovers corn-on-the-cob.
Summer at its best: long days at Grandma's pool with lots of family and friends.
Camp VanderLugt! Highlights: jumping off the dock, trips for ice cream, long campfires, water fights, fishing for the boys (big and small), playing in the sand, and bowling on a rainy day.
August
Tim and I go away to celebrate our anniversary (#8) and come home to discover Josh operating an excavator at Papa Mark's house.
Watch out!
Caleb and Daddy go to a Tigers vs. Royals game, with seats that allow Cal to stare right into the Royals dugout. Melky Cabrera tosses Caleb a ball. (Oh, and it was clown nose giveaway day.)
We finally make it out to Lake Michigan for a swim. Aunt Erin and Caleb have a ball jumping waves. Josh stays as far as possible from the water.
September
Back to school! Caleb starts Kindergarten at Georgetown Elementary. These are the before and after pictures from his first day.
October
My littlest sister gets married. We officially welcome Uncle Sam into the family.
Tim and I go to our first Tigers playoff game. After a long rain delay, we score some great seats (under an awning) and have lots of fun whipping our towels in the air. Unfortunately, things fell apart in the 9th inning for the Tigers...but we have a memorable day nonetheless.
Photo shoot with Nana -- love how she captures their personalities!
November
Warm, fall nights allow for some final campfires of the season.
Making room for baby: Josh leaves his crib and moves down into a bunk bed with his big brother. The first night involves lots of excitement and giggles, and eventually, sleep.
December
VanderLugt Christmas -- the growing family including baby Lucas (born Dec. 4) with two more babies on the way soon!
Levi Daniel is born! The boys love welcoming him home, and Mommy loves the sight of all of her boys under one roof together.
The best Christmas present ever! So, so blessed.
what a beautiful year Dana from beginning to end!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great year:) I too have a baby (7 year old) that was born on Christmas eve...the best gift ever:)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog. I just became a follower of yours:)
wow--amazing! What a year...you'll really love that you wrote this all down in 10 years :)
ReplyDelete