just the two of us

my work schedule is pretty awesome, I only work three days a week (granted, its 12 hour days though) which means I get 4 days off a week.  i'm spoiled, I know.  will all this time off it means I get to spend a bunch of time with diana!  usually we just do stuff around the house or run errands, but every once in a while I can talk her in to going to see a movie with me!  we don't really have a babysitter in our town that we use, so if we want to have a special date night together, we actually have to made it a date day and go out together while ledger is at school.  there is a movie theater a few miles away that actually opens up at 9am, so we just go see an early matinee and go out for lunch afterward.  

see, romance is still alive, right?

goodbye rental

I've been a land baron for many years... not really, but that's always been the joke term we've used since we own a rental property.  I've had it for many years, basically since I first moved to Indiana back in 2003.  when I first moved there for a job I went down and looked for an apartment.  I didn't have much luck, everything was too expensive.  I was just a lowly Christian school teacher- I certainly didn't have much money to spend on an apartment just for little ol me! i had gone around to all the places i had heard about and didn't find anything i could afford.  everything was too expensive, really gross, or way too small.  i could handle small, but a 400 square foot loft apartment for $750 was a bit much...  about to give up, i went to the local grocery store to pick up one of those weekly ad things that they put by the newspapers (this was before everyone had the internet on their phone and people still read the newspaper...).  i noticed a two bedroom for only $500.  wow- what a find!  i went to check it out and it was a duplex.  i hadn't even thought about looking at duplexes, i just assumed they would be too expensive.  i really loved it and convinced the guy to let me rent it.  i was very releaved to have a place to stay that was in my budget.  a couple months after settling in and feeling comfortable in the new job and new place, i saw a sign on the front lawn that said 'for sale'.  uh oh!  thinking the worst, i gave my landlord a call.  'i saw the for sale sign.  does this mean i'm getting kicked out?' 'nope', he said, 'the new owner has to honor the leases'.  what a relief!  my next question i asked was 'ok, how much are you asking?' and within a month i owned the place!  it was really cool to own the whole duplex, i lived in half and rented out the other side, which meant that the renter actually paid the whole morgage- i was living rent free!  but it did mean i had to do a lot of repairs and stuff.  a small price to pay to own my own place!

a few years later i met and married diana (i know, i still cant believe it either!).  she moved in and we made ourselves a home together.  we went through some rough times with renters, everything from needing to call the cops, taking a delinquent payer to court, many many plumbers, and even digging out the front yard!  when ledger was born the small place got a little tight and we moved on to another place, but we still kept the duplex.  we rented out both sides and maintained it even when we moved up to Michigan.  thought it was often frustrating to manage the place long distance, it was still worth it due to the extra income.  this past winter we had a lot of issues with the place- we had to replace the roof, furnace, water heater, and a bunch of issues with the plumbing.  it was getting to the point where we were actually loosing money on it for the year!  well, that was enough of that then.  we decided it was time to let it go, it was time to relinquish my role as land baron...  we went about finding an agent and getting it listed.  much to our surprise, it was a very hot property!  we actually ended up raising our asking price two times- and then accepting a bid that was several thousand above the highest asking price!  not only were we going to get rid of the rental property headache, but we were going to be paid quite handsomely for it!  we were beside ourselves with delight!  

after all the paperwork went through, we headed down to visit the old place one last time.  it was good to see it again with diana and reminisce about it for a while.  

goodbye, old friend, you served us well but you will not be missed!

snuggins

one of my favorite parts of being a daddy is the times when ledger and I get to have some snuggins time!  when diana or I are sitting on the couch and ledge starts poking around with no purpose, we know that he's got one thing in mind- snuggins!  he just loves to cuddle and so do we!  getting the chance to just nuzzle up next to him and show our affection through hugs brings all of us so much joy.  we are definitely a hugging family.  I always love to spend a little bit of time snuggin and chatting about the day or some silly idea he has while we sit on the couch.  ledger's one goal in life is to make his mama and daddy laugh- and it happens often!

we have asked him before if he is always going to let us snug with him and he has said yes.  even when you're 17? 'yup' he replied, even when you're 27? 'yup' he replied.  alright buddy, we are holding you to that...  see, we've got it right here in writing for the whole world to see!

(more pics)

balentimes day fun

another fun holiday to celebrate at school!  its valentines day, or as ledger calls it 'balentimes day'.  we got a bunch of valentines to fill out for his classmates.  he got some silly ones with cats, and they came with suckers that had emoji faces on them.  if you stick the emoji face directly on your tongue then it comes off like some sort of edible temporary tattoo.  ledge was very interested in this feature, as you would guess, so he tried one out.  the first time it didn't work, but then he got it to stick on the second try.  he was very pleased!  we had a good laugh and finished up the cards.  he brought them to school and the whole class had a great valentines day party!
(more pics)

snack for daddy

wanting to make me a special treat for when I got up from a nap, ledger raided his trick or treating candy (yes, its january and he still has some left- now that's self control!).  he took the twizzlers and attached a piece of bubble gum to one of them and a sucker that had lost it's stick to the other one...  not the most nutritious of snacks, but certainly a unique treat!  he took the time to get me a cup of water and even a specially made sign so I would know that it was a treat for me.  the snack wasn't exactly delicious, but I was so impressed with his ingenuity and the kindness of making something special just for me!

I sure do have a sweet son- and a sweet snack too! 

riding the bus

we have been having some issues with our car lately.  the transmission went out.  ugh.  we brought it in to be worked on, but that unfortunately leaves us with only one vehicle.  it can work fine most days, but on days I work then we have no way to bring ledger to school.  the only option we could see was temporarily signing him up for bus rides.  he was all for this idea- he's really excited to ride the bus!  we've been holding off on this because he's only in first grade, kinda young to be riding the bus by himself.  he had to get up a bit early to make the bus, but he didn't care, he just wanted to ride the bus!  after the first day he ejoyed it so much that he let him ride for the rest of the week too.  we finally got our car back, so his career as a bus rider came to an end, but he sure did love it!

robit

one of the Christmas gifts he got was a kit for making a robot (or as we call them, robits).  we took the opportunity on a free afternoon to put it together.  it was a fairly simple device, it has wheels that go forward until it hits something, then it turns and goes backwards until it hits something again.  we pieced together all the bits, screwing in the nuts and bolts, attaching the wires, and finally putting a battery in it to see it work.  we put it on the kitchen floor and let it go.  it was hilarious to watch it root around back and forth!  then we had an idea- we gathered up a bunch of his hardcover books and built a maze on the floor for it to try and get through.  it was really funny to see it bonk one side and try to figure out how to wander down through the path!  it sure was a fun little robit to play with for an afternoon!

(more pics)

balancing art

ledger is a very artistic kid.  before he was able to draw he would express himself by putting his toys in silly positions.  we would always call this his 'balance art'.  he hasn't done it in a while, but while taking a bath he was busy at it again.  he called me in to check it out- and it was fantastic!  I couldn't resist the chance to add another entry into his balancing art catalog!

(more pics)

taking down the tree

with another successful Christmas season behind us, it was time to face reality and take down the tree.  this process is quite a bit different than putting the tree up.  everyone is excited to put it up  and make a special occasion of it, but no one wants to help take it down!  I rounded up ledger anyway and made him help me.  we still had a fun time getting it down, and ledger found some ways to be silly.  the best one was that he took the Christmas tree skirt and tried it on for himself!  looking good in a skirt, buddy!

rental issues

everything has been going so well lately that of course there had to be a problem with the rental property...  here's what seems to have happened: the pipes got backed up and so the renter called a plumber.  they came and rooted down the toilet but it didn't help at all.  the renter called me and I got the plumber I trust to come in and take care of it.  he did, but by then the damage was done.  some of the waste water had backed up into the place and got pretty nasty.  we got the whole thing taken care of (other than some cleaning), or so I thought...  the renter on the other side wasn't home the weekend this happened.  when he came home he found quite a surprise: his bathroom was covered in sewer platter!  he was super mad when he called to let me know.  I headed down there to try and get to the bottom of this.  turns out, the first plumber thought it would be a good idea to root through the toilet, but here's the problem: the pipe for the toilet is a straight pipe connection with the toilet on the other rental side.  that means that the rooter just went in one toilet and out the other.  as soon as they turned on the spinner blades, they totally destroyed the toilet on the other side, splattering all the waste everywhere!  ugh.  I replaced the toilet, cleaned the bathroom hazmat style, and got it all taken care of.  there were some angry renters, but I finally solved the issue.  well, solved that problem anyway...  about two days later the water heater and furnace gave out.  of course.  so we had to get someone to come in and replace both of them.  so much for making any money on this place this year...  we have got to get rid of this place.

cabin again

the annual tradition of going to the cabin continues.  it was a little smaller group than usual, with this being our first trip up without our beloved jeffry lee.  unfortunately jon was not able to come either, but at least we had dusty, aaron, and adam!
we met up at Aarons,  a little earlier than years past, that way we got a some more time up there.  we stopped for lunch in big rapids and then headed all the way up.  it took some getting used to not having jeffry lee there, he was always the one who was extra loud and excitable- so the rest of us had to make up for it!  dusty took over the fire starting duties, and by 1pm we were all cozy and ready for some fun.  the day brought a lot of silliness, great stories, crazy games, and some really great conversations.  after a visit to sporties for dinner, the party continued well into the wee hours of the night.  the best part of these trips is the renewing of friendships through the deeper discussions that happen at the end of the night.  there was a lot of talking about life, relationships, and deeper purpose.
this was our 18th year of the cabin tradition, and it keeps getting better!
(more pics: 1, 2, 3)

prizes time!

let the festivities begin!  after ledge got his new pajamas on (which he loved), then its time to dig into the overflowing mound of gifts!  we took our time, letting him open each gift individually and taking a few minutes to play with each thing as he got it.  his excitement with each new gift was a real joy to watch- as a father I really understand the sentiment how its better to give than to receive.  its such a delight to see that little toothless grin on his face as he marvels at each one of the gifts he opens. 

we made sure to get ledger involved in gift giving this year as well, both diana and I took him out to find gifts for each of us.  its good for him to understand that he's not the only one who gets gifts, and allow him to feel some of that joy in giving as well.  diana and I got each other a few things as well, so everyone was enjoying some new things Christmas morning.

ledge spent the rest of the day playing with a toy for a little while, then moving over to one of his other toys.  he jumped back and forth all day having a great time.  we had insisted with our extended families that we did not want to have any plans for Christmas day, which we were very thankful for.  we didn't have anywhere to go, so we were able to just have a wonderfully relaxing day with just our family!

(more pics: 1, 2, 3)

christmas breakfast

one of the Christmas traditions in our family is Christmas morning breakfast.  first thing we do after ledger wakes us up is pop open a container of cinnamon rolls. we don't really eat these at any other time in the year, so its kind of a special treat for all of us.  its a yummy way to start the special day and it also gets the place smelling really good!  once our bellies are full, then its time to rip into them prizes!

waking up christmas morn

its here! its here! its finally Christmas morning!  our boy was super excited as he woke up and walked out into the living room to see a bunch of prizes under the tree!  he came storming into our room to let us know that santa had come during the night and left us tons of stuff!  we hopped out of bed and took in the beautiful sight of the tree and all the gifts.  we were in for a very fun morning!   we let ledger open one gift first thing: a new pair of pajamas.  we give him a new set every year and have him open it first thing- that way he puts them on and looks great in all the pictures!

(more pics)

brinkmas!

Christmas is almost here, so its time for Christmas with the family!  we started the festivities this year with my family.  we unfortunately had to celebrate without chad and miyuki this year, but that did mean that we had a small enough group that we could fit comfortably at mema and papa's place.  in preparation for the night, ledger decided that he wanted to dress in his best: button down shirt, bowtie and vest!  he's always looking for an excuse to get fancy.  we had a lot of fun chowing down, chatting it up, and tearing open some prizes! it's been interesting as Christmas has changed over the years.  when we were kids we got tons of toys and things to play with.  as we got older and started getting married, the toys disappeared to make way for more clothes and household items- you know, stuff that isn't nearly as fun.  the cycle happened again as Jackson, jaideyn, and avery were born.  as they get older though, I'm starting to see the change to clothes instead of toys.  but then ledge showed up and is still all about them toys!  through it all we have always had an awesome time together and trying to surprise each other with thoughtful gifts.  all in all, another rousing success!

(more pics: 1, 2, 3)

art hop 2018

we love our small town of Allegan, and so does the rest of the town- they are throwing celebrations and festivals almost every weekend!  this weekend was no different.  it was time for the annual art hop!  its a special night where there are a bunch of amazing local artists who set up showcases to display thier arts and crafts for sale and everyone wanders around downtown checking it all out and just enjoying the wonderful community together.  for the special event they also offer hot chocolate with marshmallows and horse drawn carriage rides around town!  we always like to make an evening of it and start off by going to the regent movie theater and watch a wonderful Christmas classic (this year's was 'frosty the snowman'!) and then spend the evening wandering around checking it all out.  we always have a great time, even if it is a bit cold...

(more pics: 1, 2)

big box- big fort

diana was at work when she saw something that she knew ledger would really love: a giant box!  she brought it home and we put it in the living room for him to just go to town on.  when he saw it he was so excited that he could hardly handle it!  he's always loved to play with boxes, going all the way back to when he was a toddler.  well, this is by far the biggest box he's ever been able to play with.  we knew we were in for some real creativity on this one.  we put it together and he declared that he wanted to make a box fort.  we cut out a door and let him do his thing.  he pulled out his markers and spent the rest of the day decorating and filling his new box fort.  we even found a string of lights that we taped up on the inside so he could have light in there.  he was in heaven for the next week as he played and fixed up his fort!

(more pics)

santa parade

as December rolls in, our little town has a bunch of special events to celebrate.  and what is the best way to celebrate Christmas? a parade with santa, of course!  ledger and I braved through the freezing weather and celebrated downtown with hundreds of other Allegan residents.  there were a bunch of floats, the fire engine, the high school band playing Christmas tunes, and a bunch of people throwing out candy- what's not to love!  after the parade santa headed down to the board walk where he took pictures with each of the kids.  ledger was all in for some of that action!
(more pics: 1, 2)

his first concert

growing up, one of the bands that I really liked was the newsboys.  I've been listening to them since 1996, when I was in high school.  I've had the chance to see them a couple times in concert, but its been almost 20 years, and they have a new singer now.  well, they are on a new tour where they are back together with two of their old singers, along with the new one, and playing all the old hits.  that's all I needed to get me interested.  ledger had gotten to know and love some of their music as well because all I listen to is music from the 90's...  diana and I decided that we would go to see them as a family and take ledger to his first music concert!  in preparation I looked online and found the playlist for the tour and made a mixtape so ledger would be familiar with all the songs.  we played it all the time in the car and at home.  eventually he (and diana) learned all the songs and could sing along with them too.  mission accomplished!  now the three of us are ready for the show!

the day of the concert ledger decided he wanted to dress up for the show, so he put on his button down shirt and bowtie!  we got something to eat and then headed over to the venue and picked our seats before the show.  we got some good seats near the front (ledge wanted to go check out the balcony, but we didn't sit up there).  as showtime was coming closer we took a few minutes and stopped at the merch table and got their new cd as well as a light stick thingy for ledge to wave.  

the lights started to flicker- we know what that means: its time for the show!  ledge was pumped as the newsboys took the stage.  i've got to be honest, so was I!  over the course of the show they played all the hits that I remember from years ago, as well as the new hits (which ledger prefered, honestly).  the ploy to get ledge familiar with all their songs worked really well and he was able to sing along to all of them.  my favorite part was definitely when peter furler and phil joel came out to join michael tate and the rest of the boys for the older songs.  

they had a special offer to anyone who wanted to sponsor a child: a free tour book and the chance to meet the newsboys after the show!  ledge was excited about that opportunity- and so was I!  so we signed up and go the book.  so when the show was over we went over and lined up to introduce ledger to the boys.  as we were waiting in line, ledger asked what the name is of the singer.  I told him michael tate.  he wanted to say hi to him, but he couldn't remember his last name.  I told him 'its tate, like tater tot, but without the r'.  well that was a mistake, because now he wanted to call him mr. tater!  oops...  we got up there and they signed the book for ledger and even had a joyful laugh at how he was wearing a bowtie and looked so handsome!

on the way home ledger was talking about how much fun he had and how excited he was that he got to meet mr. tater.  I was excited too, buddy...

(more pics: 1, 2, 3)

oh, christmas tree

there's that Christmas cheer in the air- that must mean its time to get the Christmas decorations out!  ledge helped me go down to the garage and pull out the boxes filled the tree and everything.  we started the evening like we always do when its tree decorating time: we put some Christmas cookies in the oven and let that glorious smell fill the air!

with Christmas music playing, we get to work assembling the tree.  then its time for the best part, putting the ornaments on it!  ledge pulls out his handy step stool so he can reach all the way up to the top.  he is surprisingly good at figuring out where to put the ornaments to keep the tree balanced and well covered.  after the general ornaments go up, then its time for the special handmade craft ornaments that ledge has made over the years- he makes sure to make these very prominent for everyone to see!

then, the piece de resistance: the star.  this is always a favorite because it shines light all the way up to our extra high ceiling, which always looks awesome!

finally, its up and now we are ready for the season!  before you know it it'll be present time!

(more pics)