memorial day picnic 5-31-10

happy birthday yesterday, ed!

jake & matt (vw) relaxing

"Daddy, LISTEN to me!"

love the little tongue

Every year when our kids were growing up, my mother-in-law would have a Polar Bear Club. They'd open their pool just before Memorial Day and it would be SO cold! All the kids would line up on the side of the pool and when she blew her whistle they'd all jump in. They all got ribbons for 'great job' or 'i'm special', but what they really wanted to do was to be the first one in~a very high honor.

Well, since they moved and don't have their pool anymore, since we've been swimming for over a month, and since ours is heated and warm, she announced this year it would be the Smokey Bear Club. Soooo...the kids all lined up and waited for the whistle. And waited. And waited.

She had brought an old horn that used to be above her fireplace but it seems sometime during the move that it QUIT WORKING! (at least that's what the blower said). Keep trying Dad! ;)

memorial day parade 5-31-10

school picnic 5-28-10

WBS

5-19-10

Women's Bible Study. Proverbs.

Hey, Steven! 5-27-10

Here I am washing windows. Even after I gave him Windex and a roll of paper towels for his birthday because he PROMISED to clean the water splashes from the pool off of my windows...

Feeling any guilt, mister? Didn't think so.

thought for week of may 30, 2010

Be great in little things.
~Frances Xavier

madyline aubrey

sweet girl. i love you.

Java With Juli

This article was in 'thriving family', a Focus on the Family publication, in the May/June 2010 edition. Convicting hardly begins to describe it!

Several years ago, while my dad and I were chatting, he asked, "Juli, do you know what the best gift I ever received was?" I listened as he explained, "Your mother gave me the gift of my children's love."

With tears in his eyes, my dad told how busy he had been while my five siblings and I were young children. "Your mom could have turned your hearts against me. Instead, she always spoke highly of me, painting the picture of a hero in your eyes. All six of my children love me, and I have her to thank."

I'll never forget that conversation. The truth my dad spoke is a constant reminder that my words and my attitudes have a lasting impression on the way my children view their father.

In my attempts to apply that lesson, I've found that a wife can talk about, and treat her husband, as either an incompetent dad or a wonderful father.

One evening, I had a work event to attend while Mike stayed home with the kids. There were plenty of healthy leftovers in the fridge, the boys had chores and homework to do, and I expected to find them in bed when I got home. Instead, I came home to stacked pizza boxes and Mike playing video games with the boys.

The moment I walked through the door, I realized I had a choice to make: I could focus on how my expectations were not met and complain in front of the kids about what should have been done; or I could highlight what a fun dad he is and let the kids see me thank my husband for spending time with them. My father's words came back to me, and I chose to follow my mother's lead.

Praising my husband doesn't mean that I ignore my concerns or stuff my frustrations. There is a time and place for us to deal with our differences in private. Giving the gift of my children's love to their father is the result of my having a respectful and loving attitude, even in the midst of parenting differences.

Maybe your husband doesn't play with the kids as much as you'd like, or isn't as involved in discipline as he should be. Even so, are you willing to frame him as a "hero" to your kids? Whenever you highlight your husband's efforts to be a great dad, you're nurturing a love that's as vital to your kids as it is to your husband.

today

today:

**sitting outside doing pictures**

**listening to my 'christian' playlist on itunes**

**listening to the waterfall**

**smelling my clothes on the line**

**feeling the sun on my back**

**drinking a fountain diet coke**

**just off the phone with my mom**

**knowing i'm blessed!**

off the hook

an honesty moment here...i'm completely stressed about this 365 life album.
there.
i said it.
not the picture taking part of it, but the putting-it-together part.
sooo...yesterday i found a website that will print my blog into a book!!! (http://blog2print.sharedbook.com)
i ordered one for 08-09 so we'll see how it turns out. it's exact posts and pictures from our blog. nothing fancy, and the format isn't all that great (i wasn't able to change it), but at least the memories are there. in print.
i'm seriously excited.
thrilled, actually.
completely relieved.

have a nice day and, hey, thanks for being happy with me ;)

chairs

what does one do w/a really cool but slightly blurry picture? intensify the colors. sharpen it.
and use the 'paint' technique in photoshop

way better!

statue of liberty 5-15-10

kayt and a few of her friends took the holland girls to the statue of liberty and ellis island last sat. and guess what?! she took her 'little' sister along. guess she's not such a little pain anymore...imagine that~she's actually kind of fun! kayt & liv
kayt, jenn & ange (friends since...pretty much forever)

deborah, gerdien, kayt, ange, jenn, matthea, liv, esther, marieke