And the tears came

School began this week.  I've been ready for it, although summer seemed to fly so quickly.  I'm thankful for that.  Hope that you had a good summer.

I remember in March realizing one day that I was ready for my boys to be in first grade.  They needed it.  They were ready for it.  I was ready for them to be somewhere else all day.  I even remember talking with others about it: perhaps I even blogged about it.  Noel was ready for Kindergarten.  K doesn't seem like as big of a deal to me.  In our program at school, kids are gone just half a day.  Noel and I would still be spending a majority of the day together. . . including eating lunch.  Good stuff.

So to recap: school started and I aware of what grade my children are in and where they need to go.  Though I still haven't purchased everything on the school supply list (I couldn't find a clipboard at Meijer: what is up with that?), I managed to get the rest of the stuff together.  It didn't all happen on the first day, but it happened.  :)

Tuesday morning arrived and I woke up the ducks with great joy.  I took many pictures.  Gary got up early so that he could participate in the fun (a.k.a. Shanda told him he needed to be up and dressed and be a part of the fun).  I even got my kids to school way too early!  Through it all: the early morning devotions where I prayed for them, making them a special breakfast, taking pictures, driving to school, taking more pictures,  seeing their names on desks, leaving with just my Penny in tow. . . not one tear.  In a way it was very strange.  I'm a crier and I celebrate beginnings and endings.  I know exactly where I was the first time I opened my first classroom door.  I stopped and remembered.  I stopped the last time I walked down Girl's Hill at Camp Roger as a counselor.  I stopped and celebrated and knew that I would never be here again.  I can still see and smell it.  Tuesday?  "Good-bye!  Love you!  Don't fight?"  (For those who may be new to the Sprick family. . .the ducks are all in the same classroom.  Every day I pray for no fighting.  I need to because every day in our house there is fighting.)  I didn't "take a moment".  My boys were leaving me for the whole day.  I knew that I'd be packing lunches for the next 17 years.  I knew that I was entrusting my boys to someone else. . . someone else would be with them more than me.  I knew that time is flying and soon they will be in high school.  See????  Lots of emotions, yet no tears.

No tears when they first came home.  No tears when video was posted of them learning and speaking Mandarin.  No tears when school was "awesome".  No tears when they were so crabby and I was thinking about telling them to go to bed at 5:15.

Tears came at the hilltop praise and prayer service.  Zeeland Christian hosts a dinner/service/open house to dedicate the beginning of the school year.  Cool.  Good.  I've been know to cry in church: God is so awesome!  BUT. . . the tears didn't happen while I was sitting in the audience.  No.  I had been asked to pray on behalf of the parents.  I was honored and excited.  I love to speak in public and I love to pray so I eagerly said "yes".  There I was. . . standing in front of a microphone. . . in front of some folks I know and many that I don't know at all.  I lost it.  I began to cry. . . I could feel it coming on. . . and I was praying.  Blurbing into a microphone ain't pretty.  I did have the sense though that though I was embarrassed, it was o.k.  God can work through tears.  Often when someone cries in public there can occur a sense of empathy or sometimes you feel awkward for them.  Thankfully, most eyes were closed so I didn't have to see the awkwardness.  I high-tailed it out of there after the service.  I don't like the "nice prayer". . . especially when the presentation wasn't so "nice".

So the tears came, not in the way that I would have envisioned or liked, but they came.  Tears that my boys are growing up.  Tears that I am not going to be their "primary" every day.  Tears that their wings are spreading and their flights without me are getting longer.  Tears that My Father knows them so intimately and is carefully guarding them every day.  Tears that it is such an honor for me to be a mama.  Tears that I can't believe how much love I can have for these amazing little people.  Tears that there will be struggles and hurts at school that I can't protect them from.  Tears.  It is good.  Embarrassing, but good.

Garrison's view

We had a cold and rainy day on last Thursday while at the cottage.  Garrison needed something to do, so we allowed him to use our little digital camera.  He is obviously my son because he took over 200 pictures in two days.  As I was shutting down the computer last night, I stumbled upon these and spent the next twenty minutes laughing as my sweet son.  He is one of a kind and so are his pictures.  Hope you enjoy!

This is one of my favorites.  I like it that he took a picture of Gary and I.

Simon and Bryce

Simon and Bryce

Simon and Bryce
(I didn't upload the other eight!)

Nice one!

This was a special stone that he found.  Glad that he got a picture of it because shhh I threw it away.

Garrison seems to have a knack of getting personal pictures of his family.  Here is Grammy.

Gramps

Uncle Koe

Auntie Kate

Auntie Trisha

Beautiful flowers angle #1

Beautiful flowers angle #2

Beautiful flowers at the same angle #2.  Again, many many pictures of these flowers.  He must have loved them.

To add interest, he got daddy hiding behind the flowers.  I can see you Gary!

Simon wasn't interested in posing for the camera I guess.

Now we will always remember the cereal.  Good thing he took two pictures in case we lost one of them.

Quick: self portrait.

He also documented items in our cottage.  There are about 30 of them.  So. . . her is a fan.

Here is a light.  I sit in this chair in the morning with my DMD.

Fan in the girls room.

Let's not forget the tree outside.

Penny loving the rain (and my hips sheesh!)

20 pictures of the video.  He was so excited to have taken pictures of this video because then he could look at it any time.

Close-up of cousin Lydia.

This is a favorite!  I of course have the matching picture of Garrison taking a picture of me.

Artsy!

Close. . .

Garrison's fingers

Garrison's feet

There is my sweetie!

Is your mama a llama?

I did say this.  This week.  "Is your mama a llama?" I asked in a rather loud and goofy voice.  I wanted to make the ducks laugh and it worked.  I also pretended to be a train conductor as they got into the van.  I took pretend tickets and put pretend punches in them before they could board.  I used an accent that was part British and part surprised old lady.  I made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and then snuck some (you have done it too!).  I missed Noel's Kindergarten assessment because I didn't look at the calendar until too late.  I decided not to meet up with some friends because we are just a little too busy.  I'm planning on making homemade relish tonight.  Took the boys to get allergy testing yesterday morning.  I kinda got annoyed with it.  Whew.

Right now Simon is crying in his bedroom.  He is upset with me.  I know: mean mommy.  I've asked (the first time was loudly but I'm over it now) him to stay there until he can remember how salsa got all over his shirt and his shorts.  It is everywhere.  He was eating chips and salsa for lunch and then. . . kablam!  The salsa must have exploded.  "How did it get there Simon?"   "I can't remember."  I'm thinking How can you not remember salsa going all over your body?  I don't see how this is possible!!

Today I gave Penny a yogurt covered pretzel while she was in the car.  I ran back into the house as I buckled her in just to get one for her. . . no one else.  See, I couldn't stand her breath.  She was eating dog food and her breath was fierce!  The other ducks were upset at me because they didn't get one.  I'll give them one if they decide to eat dog food first.

I seem to have lots of stuff bumping into each other in my brain.  Trying to figure out if I missed a calling from God recently.  Trying to discern what volunteer positions I should take at church.  Trying to wrap my mind around giving up artificial sweetener in September.  Hitting my head over and over regarding my non-existent weight loss.  Should I really pay twenty dollars for a lunch box just because it has angry birds on it?  Reading a blog post about adoption while looking at my son. . . wondering where we are on the spectrum.  New school program beginning on Tuesday.  Stuff.  Lots of stuff wandering around and crashing into other stuff.

Sometimes it might be easier if my mama was a llama.  Then again, I would really miss out on dirty salsa clothes, impromptu picnics on Tuesday nights, kisses from Gary, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, clean sheets and feeling the love of my Father in heaven.  Plus so much more.

And it is only Wednesday.  :)

And we're back

Hi All!

We have been missing for the past while.  Good reason though: VACATION!

Last week we were able to go to Fremont Lake and enjoy so many things: most of all God's faithfulness to our family.  I love these people.  I love how I get to know my nieces and nephews over a week.  I love having fun and deep conversations.  I love seeing my kids thrive and grow.  I love not thinking about supper for one week.  (Thanks mom!)  Do you get the picture?  I love it.

Speaking of pictures, wow!  Um. . .  did I really take 800 pictures?!?

Yes.  I.  Did.

So, here are 46 of them.  I know, 46 is a ton for a blog post.  Feel free to scan quickly or just stop at this point.  Thanks for coming back.

Here we are. . .the whole crew.  I love this picture.  Love these people.  Love being crazy.

Uncle Koe can still throw Garrison.  (Notice Noel getting into the boat.  She didn't put on her bathing suit, so she went in her unders!)

Kevin had a dream.  A dream that all four of the original Koemans would be able to get up behind the boat.  

This is as far as we got.  Close, but we need a bigger motor to haul the four of us out of the water.

Before my brothers got into the water they made sure they were fresh.

A little snack at the beach.

Pancake breakfast.  

Garrison caught this whopper!

Simon proudly displays his dinner.
Simon by the way spent most of his time fishing.  He loved it.

So.  In.  Love.

"Penny, give Dakota a hug."

Gary tries to throw me into the lake.

The lake is a great place to look for treasures.

She is always moving!

And she is learning how to pose.  Oh help me!

Noel and Garrison tubing.

Penny spends more time being dirty than being clean.

A favorite of my favorites!

Noel wanted to learn how to water ski.

This is about the best she did.  I was so proud that she tried!!!

One of these folks isn't happy with being in the water.  Can you guess?

Yup, still got it.  Every year I post of picture of me on one ski.  I gotta have proof!

Kneeboarding

Everybody is doing it.

Love it that she fell asleep in my arms.

Kevin tried something new to help my nephew Bryce get up.  They got up together and then. . . .

Kevin let go and Bryce continued by himself!!  (See Kevin in the water?)

Love these next two pictures.  Simon and Penny enjoying smores on the end of the dock.

A goose pooped on her dessert tonka pie.  Boo!

"Who is a great brother?"
"This guy."

Early morning boat ride.

All ready to go.

She would sing. . . I think it sounded loud in her ears.

Evening boat jumping.

Peek-a-boo

Sometimes you know you'll just be awhile.

Can't you see Gary's love for me?  :)
This is the first year that we finished the bag of peanuts.

Ryan caught this small pike.  So cool.

Annual kickball game

I always prayed that I'd meet someone who got along well with my family.

Joy

More joy

Fast joy

Closing prayer

Read this out loud.  It isn't quite right.  :)

We've been coming to this cottage for six years now.  So many things are the same, yet some things have changed.  One of the things that can change is the artwork in the cottages. . . including this new sign.  It must have been an type-o.

Overall this was a great week.  We had some struggles with the weather.  We had some struggles with dad: he didn't participate much.  We had some struggles with mom getting sick: missed you mom! We all struggled with sleeping in a new place and with great (sarcasm here!) mattresses.  Overall though. . . amazing.  This is a highlight of our year.  As I'm sitting here and typing Noel is as my elbow and asking when we are going back to the cottage.  It isn't the place.  It isn't the summer.  It is the memories of being with people that you love.  I love my family.

And remember: God Love You.