Trick or Treat? Definitely ... TREAT!

As you can see, we were visited by seven awfully cute little goblins last night. We had a handsome Mario, a good looking Luigi, a beautiful pink bunny, a lovely cow girl, two pretty little lambs and a darling little cow. I enjoyed their visit very much; I only wish my other two little precious grand kids were near enough to ring my doorbell!

Ken turned 60 last week. I wonder where the years have gone? Last night at church we were talking about age and the difference it makes in our topics of conversation. It used to be that we talked about pregnancies and children. Now we talk about ailments and unwanted facial hair (and that refers to the women!) I have no idea what old men talk about at church. As Ken says, "The alternative to old age isn't nice either".

Speaking of Ken, he is still watching the skies and the weather reports daily. He has a couple hundred acres of corn still in the field and he needs the weather to stay dry for about another week to get it off. Then, he'll start worrying about getting the winter crop in the ground. He has turned into your typical pessimistic farmer.

I'm still teaching.... no end in sight. At least, I'm enjoying it!!

September is Over

Wow! I can't believe that I haven't updated this blog before now. I'm wondering where the month of September went? We are sitting here watching the Giants play their first game in the division play-offs and I am reminded that it is fall already! Yesterday someone mentioned Thanksgiving and I thought "where did summer go?"

As you can see, I posted some pictures of our Carpinteria camping vacation. We had a wonderful, relaxing time with family and friends. It was so nice to catch up on what has been happening in the lives of our Chino friends and their families. We were joined by some of the kids from three of the families. Kenny and Erin and Danny and Kristi represented our kids. They pitched some tents, braved the cold, ignored the raccoons, and enriched our time. I hope the girls have a better idea now of what "Carp" is like since they've heard the boys talk about it often enough. The weather did not cooperate during their stay and I'm not sure if they believed me when I said that we did have a couple of nice days with sunshine, but we actually did have a couple of warm days. The nights were cool however. I actually even got in the water for a few minutes, but it was cold! BR.r.r.r.r.r!! However the beach was still fun and the girls were very willing to indulge us by playing cards and other games with us! They are good sports!

I'm still teaching and it is going well. The kids are very nice and since it is only half a day, I don't feel too overwhelmed. I will probably be teaching for the whole semester. I feel like I have a handle on the lessons now and am in a routine of sorts. I still pick Dylan up every morning and I totally enjoy our "special" half hour together each day.

Ken is fine. He is staying busy with church duties and the business. He will be a very happy man when the corn is out of the fields. He is watching the weather like a hawk.

Go Giants!!! (As a life-long Dodger fan, I can't believe I just wrote that).

School Days

Well, I decided teaching school is a lot like riding bike. Once you're back in it, it just comes naturally. I now finished the second week and I'm feeling a true sense of deja vu. I'm sitting here at night with my laptop on my lap, writing lesson plans, creating quizzes, and grading papers while Ken is watching the Giants and taking naps between rallies. This scene could be a picture of us five years ago.
The kids in my classes are very nice kids, which helps a lot. They whine a little about the work, but at least they are doing it. There is a very pleasant perk about going to school every morning. I pick up Dylan and take him with me; he entertains me all the way to school! Oh to be seven and have such a love for life! Yesterday he recited his memory verse several times for me and then we figured out he could say it 34 times in the time it takes us to get to school. Fortunately, he decided to talk about recess for part of the trip instead.
We had extremely hot weather this past week, which is proof (at least in my mind) that sane people start school after Labor Day. The fact that the air conditioner in my classroom didn't work, emphasized this point. Fortunately I could come home at noon and float around the swimming pool. I was able to see all the local grand kids twice this week, so it was a great week.
Next week, we get the trailer ready for our camping trip to Carp. I can hardly wait!

Back to a Schedule

School was just out in June when I received a call to "long-term" sub at Ripon Christian for the months of October, November & December for a lady who is having a baby. At the time, this seemed like a nice little gig - half a day and English! Who can't use a little bit of money at that time of the year, right? But man only makes plans... he can't control what happens.

Yesterday, I was out in the back of the place walking my route with dear old George, when my cell phone rings. It was the girl I am subbing for. She asks me if I can be there at school on Wednesday already, because she is in the hospital where they will try to stop a premature birth. Wednesday is opening day, YIKES!

My initial thought was "I can't possibly do this". But then I thought of the stress she is under, and I could only say "No problem". (However, I did get a promise that I can have off for our annual Carpinteria Beach vacation next month.) So, this morning I am off to school to try to figure out what I will be teaching Sophomores next week. Pray for me (calmness of spirit) and Darla (safe arrival of her little one!)

Family Fun

Wow! It has been a busy but great July so far. We finished the Alaskan cruise on Monday the 12th and Tuesday morning Melanie came with her kids for a visit. The house was an exciting place for Andrew to explore and Jenny entertained us with her stories of imagination. It was so nice to have them stay with us a while. The boys, their wives, and kids all came to visit a few times which made the days together even more special. I love watching my kids and grandkids have fun together. Between swimming in the back yard, swimming lessons, a wedding, visiting, pool day, and an outing to the beach - it was a busy nine days! I did take advantage of the situation by taking a picture of all the grandkids together at the beach. It's not too often they are all together and awake! Fun times!!! Now the house is very quiet..... too quiet.

Leaving Kodiak and Homer Behind

We are pulling out of the port of Kodiak, Alaska. It is rainy and foggy which is supposed to be typical weather here. This morning we went on a marine wildlife tour where we saw some whales, sea otters, and such. It was interesting to hear about the history of Kodiak. We didn't realize there was a fort here during World War II of over 35,000 soldiers and that the Japanese actually sent a scout team to Kodiak looking to invade. Very interesting stuff.
Yesterday we were in Homer Alaska, which has to be the all-time prettiest place I have ever visited. The weather was gorgeous. We rented a couple of cars and toured the countryside, stopping at many grand vistas. Of all the places I've been in Alaska on four trips, Homer is my favorite.
Monday we were in Anchorage for the day. We took a road trip down the coast and saw the mud flats and a wild-life refuge center. We saw two grizzly bears and some gorgeous elk, moose and caribou. I also saw a baby muskox which was only 5 weeks old. Anchorage is probably a bit too busy for my taste. There is only one major road in Alaska, but we managed to get stop and go traffic on our trek down the coast. Our guide was a very interesting man who knew a lot about the area. We had a nice time.
We will be at sea now for a couple of days. We are hoping for calmer seas than we had since my last posting. We have a sea day, a glacier day, and 2 ports of call remaining. I'm off to sit in the spa on the Lido deck. Pictures will be posted when we get home.

Seeing the Sights

We are sitting here in bed, gazing out of the wall of windows at the beautiful Glacier Bay, drinking a cup of coffee. Today we stay on board ship because we have a day of touring some of the glaciers. The ship will be silent and from past experiences, we know ahead of time the day will be awe inspiring.
Thursday we were in Sitka, where we had an experience of a lifetime. We took a motorized ocean raft, that only seated 6, and headed 15 miles out into the Baranof Bay, destination a dormant volcano. We suddenly pulled up, the guide stopped the engines, and we watched as two humpback whales blew, and then came to the surface not more than 100 yards in front of us. Wow! We watched them a while, then continued on into a sea otter colony. What darling creatures! We entered a volcanic sea cave where there were colors of rock and sea that were mesmerizing. On the way back, we again came upon the humpbacks and this time one of them, jumped out of the water right in front of us, seeming to wave as he went back down. Unbelievable.
Yesterday, we were in Skagway, where we attended a historical drama about the local villain. Very interesting and cute. The production included some audience participation and Joni was chosen to join the girls in the can-can line. She was a-kickin' with the best of them.
Lots of fun. Again, pictures and more updates will follow.

First Couple of Days

We set sail on Monday afternoon, heading for the beautiful state of Alaska. We left home at seven in the morning, flew to Seattle and were on the Lido deck of the ship eating lunch by 1 o'clock. Everything went smooth.
We are having a great time enjoying the scenery, visiting, playing a variety of games, and of course eating. Yesterday we docked in Ketchikan and we went on two very interesting tours. We first went on the Duck Tour which was full of Local Color and we came away with quite a few facts about the area and the culture. We were thrilled to see Eagles. Then we went on the Bering Sea Crab Expedition where we were on a ship used in "The Deadliest Catch" TV show. I got my picture taken with a giant King Crab which came out of the pots which I will post when we get home. They demonstrated many different styles of fishing for the various species. It was truly wonderful. I kept thinking about how much Steve would enjoy this expedition! On both tours we saw hundreds of Eagles, some as close as ten feet from us. What a spectacular site!
Each time I've been in Alaska, I've been struck by the beauty and grandeur that only a powerful God could create. More updates later!

Father's Day

Father's Day is a good day. So often we forget to honor our dads and husbands and to take for granted all they do for the family. I invited the kids to come on Saturday for a barbecue and swim time. With the girls having dads in the area, church services, and visiting my dad on Sunday, Father's Day can be rather hectic. Having a get-together on Saturday was nice and relaxing for Ken. He liked the special time with the kids and grandkids.
Of course, the weather didn't co-operate as planned. It was in the high 70's, which meant only the bravest of us used the pool. (That was Dylan, David, and Dayna). But until the wind picked up, at least we could sit outside. I think it is funny how separated the guys and the girls are on the pictures! When we were outside, the guys were on one side of the pool, the girls on the other. When we went in the house, the guys sat in one room, the girls in the other. I guess they don't want to hear about babies and weddings, and we don't want to hear about cows and finances. Danny and Kristi stayed over night and we were able to play some games with them and Kenny and Erin.
Thanks kids for making this a special time for Dad (and me)!

Isn't My Family Beautiful!

I took some well deserved abuse for posting a picture of my swimming pool on the blog. I didn't think I had very many interesting pictures. Today Erin and Kenny gave me a disk with their wedding pictures on it. I thought this family picture was a great one to post. When I look at this group, all I can say is "...My cup runneth over!"

Summer?

Looking at the calendar, I know it is June. Looking at the sky, it looks like March. It is cloudy again and of course the wind is beginning to blow. The pool water is too cold to swim in so I bought some solar rings, hoping to speed up the heating process. But until the sun decides to shine for more than two hours a day, the rings won't do the job. I wouldn't care, except school is out today and I always look forward to having the little ones (and their moms) come for pool days.
On the positive side, the mild weather has been great for my mini-garden. The tomato plants are very prolific, and we will have our first taste of home-grown beans tonight. I am beginning to see some possibilities from the pepper plants. In case you are impressed that I have a garden, don't be. I'm not one to get out there and hoe, cultivate, weed, etc. I use pots and miracle -grow soil. I enjoy the fruits of labor, not the labor!
It's been over four weeks since I took the tumble down the stairs. My ankle is still weak and very sore, but I'm able to walk on it so I know it's healing. I'm being careful, especially around stairs and steps.
Also, I have three new pets. My cat, Rascal I, disappeared while we were in the mid-west in April. Since the grand kids, especially Jenny, loved him, I replaced him with a look-alike kitten which I then aptly named Rascal II. In order to maximize the odds of keeping a cat, I also got two other kittens- Socks, and Colby. Hopefully, one of these kittens will survive and make it to adulthood.

Handicapped Trip

Ken and I had a very busy week planned last week. We were going to go to Iowa and attend Kristi's graduation from Dordt, Kenny and Erin's wedding reception in Orange City, visit with Steve and Alyona in Milwaukee and celebrate Jenny and Andrew's birthdays in Illinois. I was looking forward to an "action--packed" week of "go-G0-GO"!
Tuesday night, at around 9:20 my cell phone rang and I ran to answer it. I missed the top step of the stairs and tumbled down - not so gracefully, I might add, and ended up on the landing with my foot tucked up in a weird way. We ended up in emergency where they said the x-rays were inconclusive, but that I probably tore some ligaments in my ankle.
Loaded down with pain pills, ace bandages, ankle braces and crutches, we decided to go ahead on the trip since graduation and wedding receptions were not exactly "do-over" events. I discovered a whole new way of traveling. Anybody who has ever traveled with me, knows I do not like to sit still and I always want to keep busy. That was not possible and I have never been so sedimentary as on this trip. I much prefer to push the wheelchair than be in it! Needless to say, I felt like a very senior citizen! Despite everything though, we managed to do most of what we had planned.
We went to the graduation reception at Dordt, but did not make the ceremony since it was too hard to get around there on crutches. Instead, we were able to give Danny the tickets for the ceremony and very glad he could watch Kristi "walk". It was nice to see Kristi's family and enjoy her excitement. We also attended the wedding reception. Ken parked me at a table and took away my crutches, so I remained sitting at the same table for three hours. I got to meet some interesting friends of Erin's family and enjoyed our conversations very much! Saturday we went to Milwaukee. We went out to eat with Steve and Alyona and in the restaurant there were steps to climb. I am embarrassed to admit it, but I fell again! I'm not very good with crutches. Fortunately, only my pride was hurt this time!! Sunday morning we had the pleasure of going to church with Steve and Alyona and then she made us a very delicious brunch. It was very nice to be able to sit and talk with them and catch up on their lives. Then we headed to Chicago. Late Sunday afternoon the Lumkes family got together at Jay and Melanie's house for a birthday party. I always enjoy Jay's family. We had a nice visit and the kids were SO CUTE. Andrew is walking all over and Jenny has such an imagination! Sunday night and Monday were spent "hanging out" at Melanie's and playing cards. We cut one day off our proposed trip because of my limited mobility, but otherwise did pretty much what we had planned.
When we got home, there was a message from the doctor. It seems that after reading the x-rays, the radiologist decided that my ankle has a slight fracture. It might take a while before I'm walking through the fields again...................GR.r.r.rrrrrrrrrrrr!

Kenny's wedding

Last weekend Kenny married Erin Kuiken. We are so happy for them both! The weather was perfect for the wedding; the place was gorgeous; the ceremony was God-honoring. It was so much fun to have the whole family together again, it was the first time in over a year! We took advantage of the rare event to have our family picture taken. Hopefully I will have some to post soon! It was enjoyable to watch the little grandkids enjoy each other. They could not have been better!
It is wonderful to know that all of our kids have found their life partners. Once again I am reminded that GOD IS GOOD!

Easter Sunday

What a wonderful Easter Sunday we had! We left for church early because the choir had to practice for its anthem and the children were singing . While I was waiting for the service to start, I read through some of the notes I had taken during past Easter sermons, preparing my heart for the worship that followed. I came across this quote from one of Rev. Headley's sermons: "Despite the attempt by Jesus' enemies to keep Him in the grave- the seal, the stone and the guards had as much chance of succeeding as a gossamer spiderweb being used to contain a ferocious dinosaur." Oh death, where is your sting? Oh grave, where is your victory? What a blessing to know that the grave is empty for all who believe in the risen Lord! Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Following the service, our "local" kids and grandkids came for lunch, along with my folks, some of Thelene's family, and most of Bev's family. We had about 31 people (plus 4 newborns) and we managed to "squeak" the Easter egg hunt in, despite the cold weather and threatening skies. We finished about ten minutes before the storm let loose! It was fun to see the kids run around the yard, finding the treasures. After everyone left, I also got to talk to Melanie and Steve, so it was a SUPER DAY!
As our March Madness game nears an end, it is obvious that busy Shelly will be the winner of the Olive Garden gift card. If anyone needs a night out, it's her! Despite the taunting by some of my boys about not doing well the year I'm not keeping score, I will feel vindicated if Duke wins. That should catapult me up the standings, at least above Tom! However, Danny will take second place (the In n' Out card) and Kristi, sadly, gets the last place McDonald's gift card. It's been unpredictable, but fun.
The next big event in our lives is Kenny and Erin's wedding! WOO-HOO! We are looking forward to the event, but also to the blessing of having her join our family.
Ken and I feel very blessed!

March Madness

After a couple of months of excitement - weddings, babies, showers, etc. - this month is pretty laid back. We are looking forward to Kenny and Erin's wedding next month, and then hopefully a trip to the mid-west, but in the meantime, things seemed to have slowed down a bit. The weather is warming up and the beauty of springtime in the Escalon area is always enjoyable.
I don't know if I have ever mentioned this on my blog, but I have nine very darling grandchildren!
As usual for our family, March means NCAA fun- March Madness. Last year Kristi played for the first time with our family; we are hoping that Alyona and Erin join us this year. Since the prizes are gift certificates to restaurants, and no entry fee for family members, I'm hoping that we get 100% participation again. One change this year: I discovered that I could set up the game on line and not have to do all the listing, tabulating, etc. myself. Who said technology is a bad thing?!

New Grandson

We welcome our ninth grandchild, Trevin Jay, to the family. The picture was taken shortly after birth by either Tom or Laura. We are all anxious to see him in person!

They're Here and I Was Wrong

I was shocked when David called and told me that the babies were BOTH GIRLS!! My perfect record of guessing is gone now. But what a couple of little dolls. I am happy to say that they are both healthy and Shelly is doing as good as can be expected. Krista Joy weighed 5 lbs, 15 ounces, and is 19 inches long. Kylie Renee weighed 7 lbs. 5 ounces and is 20 inches. They do not look alike at all, but I'm sure that when Krista catches up to Kylie in weight, they will look more like sisters.
God is so good! Now we wait for Laura and Tom's little one. Another blessing.....!

Miscellaneous

We have no new babies to report yet. Both Shelly and Laura are due soon and are doing well. Every time the phone rings, I hope "is this it!" Such excitement. I am "going public" and saying that I think Dave and Shelly are having 2 boys (my second guess is one of each) and that Tom and Laura are having a boy. So far, with grand kids, I've been right. Won't I be surprised, and excited, if instead we get three more girls!!
Yesterday, sadly, Diego died. He was the big beautiful German shepherd dog in the picture above. He followed me faithfully on every walk I took around this farm. I will miss him. We don't know what happened, if he was hit by something or ate something poisonous, but he was near death when we found him yesterday morning. The boys rushed him to the vet, but he died quickly. I know he was "just an animal", but I will miss him.

January Update

Christmas was a bit different for the Koolhaas family. It was the first time that we have not been altogether. With Dan getting married in the midwest on January 2, it made no sense for Steve and Alyona, Melanie, Jay and kids to fly to California, only to rush back. Instead Ken and I celebrated two times - Christmas west on Christmas Day and Christmas east on New Year's Eve. Although different, we enjoyed both. It was unseasonably warm on Christmas Day, so the boys and kids spent much of the afternoon playing ball in the front yard, while the girls sat and watched. Christmas east was totally different. We arrived in Chicago only to experience light snow flurries. The rest of the time in the midwest, we experienced record breaking cold.
Dan's wedding was gorgeous! We were blessed by the sanctity of the ceremony, and everything was perfect. We were so thankful that our kids were able to be there (except for Shelly who is too far along in her pregnancy to travel) and that most of our siblings came all the way to Michigan to witness the event. We felt very blessed!
Ken and I drove Kristi's car back to California. I lived a year in the midwest, but I never experienced 27 degrees BELOW zero before. We were thankful to be back in California!
The next two months could prove exciting. Dave and Shelly's twins are expected to arrive anytime and Tom and Laura's baby is due in February. We will follow these blessings with another wedding. What fun!