REALLY!?!?!

It has been quite the few days over here at the Wassink house.  Leanne close to being admitted to the hospital on Friday, Saturday her beloved chicken died and then today.  I had a doctor appointment scheduled for Leanne for a recheck on her lungs and I took the babies along for flu shot.  First of all the babies were a mess.  I mean, they were the worst I have ever seen them act in public.  Whining and trying to get down.  I will not let them crawl on the nasty doctor office floor.  Never again will I have the babies come over supper hour.  That was mistake number one.  Thankfully my mom was there to help me.  My poor mother didn't know what she was getting herself into.  Leanne's lungs checked out okay.  Her oxygen level was 95% (normally between 98%-100%) and she checked Reed to and of course his asthma is beginning to flare up too.  Then after that we were waiting for the nurse to bring in the flu shots.  To keep my crabby babies occupied, I was letting them throw tissues in the air.  They thought it was so much fun until it happened.  Leanne bent down and hit the hinge of the door way with her head.  KABOOM!!!  I took one look at her and said "oh, no she needs stitches!"  The nurse practitioner heard me and came flying in the room.  Sure enough she had a gaping deep cut on the top of her forehead.  And my response, I was laughing!!  I couldn't help it.  I felt bad for my girl, but REALLY? REALLY?!.  The babies were still falling apart and my poor dear mother could barely handle all of this.  REALLY?!  REALLY?!!!  I mean we were almost out the door.  Thankfully we they looked closer they decided they could use bonding glue.  I was so thankful because Leanne was turning into a crying mess.  She screamed when they irrigated it and I don't blame her-it had to HURT!!  They got all glued together and it's looks okay.  And my poor mother was holding both babies, during all of this, on her lap and they were not sitting still for her at all.  After all that drama,we had to wait another 15 min before they could get their flu shots and they (Leanne and the babies) were NOT happy. The nurse practitioner just happened to pop her head in to tell us it wouldn't be much longer just as I was saying "I'm going to go insane!" To make the long story shorter we finally got that done and I left with three crying children.  By this time our appointment was already over a hour and I decided right then and there, it was time to pick up fast food from Wendy's and call it a night.  And my poor mother drove all the way back to Jenison after all that.  I don't think she will ever want to go help me again.

Natural instinct

This evening it happened.  When we got the dog,I thought this might happen,but he got along so well with the chickens.  This evening his natural instincts kicked in.  I really don't blame Yooper, the chicken was in his domain. One yellow/orange chicken was in his dog house eating his dog food.  The chickens usually will go in there and eat his food but today one chicken was caught in the action.  Ross came onto the scene when it was too late.  The poor birds feathers were taken out and it was basically dead. Ross took it out back and put the poor bird out of it's misery.  
We were all in the babies' room when I carelessly said "we only have 4 chickens now."  Leanne burst into hysterics and sobbed, "wha wha wha happened to my chicken?" We told her Yooper got him and Ross told her that he had to put it down.  Leanne sobbed "you killed it! you killed my chicken! Why don't you just kill all of them!"  We had to explain to her that we had too and we didn't want to.  She seemed to understand and started to forgive her daddy but then she asked "what did you do with it?"  Ross then wished he could bury his head into the sand, but he told her the truth "I took it far into the woods and left it there.  It will be a good meal for a coyote."  Leanne did not respond well to this and stated "why didn't you bury it!"  Ross told her he was cold and he didn't know where his shovel was.  Leanne insisted he should have found a shovel and buried him.  I agree with Leanne.  I don't think Ross did anything wrong by placing him in the woods but I would have done a little burial so the kids could have said goodbye to their chicken.  Then she sobbed "was it the one with the yellow feathers with a little bit of white on them?"  Three out of the five chickens are orange/yellow and we can't tell one from the other.  Ross didn't know exactly which one it was.  I told her tomorrow she can go check.  I never knew she had a favorite.  She had seemed to finally calmed down and it was time for her and Alli to take a shower.  Of course, the hard question came there.  We had just talked about how God knew the  perfect timing for this chicken's death and how God is in control of everything.  Her big question was "is my chicken in heaven?"  I made Ross answer this one. His answer "Leanne, chickens don't have souls like you and I do.  God will have animals in heaven, but I don't know if your chicken will be there.  But God loves you and cares about you." Death is so hard for little ones to understand.  The other kids were not sad about the death of the chicken, instead they are looking forward to spring when they can get some new chickens. I feel so bad for that little faithful egg laying chicken.  I feel even worse for my tenderhearted little girl. 

birthday girl

My Allison is now a big 4 year old.  Her birthday was Nov 19.  She is such a joy in our lives. Allison believes that she is Cinderella's twin.  One day, this past year, she said to me, "Reed is Luke's twins and Luke is Reed's twin, Cinderella is my twin."   Allison's favorite color is purple, favorite thing to do is watch mommy cook/bake, and she loves to play "mom and dad".  She also loves Minnie mouse and all things princess. Belle comes in a close second to being her favorite princess.  We call her princess and sweetie but she is also called chipmunk by a certain aunt because of her small stature.  Her Grandpa B (Bykerk) likes to call her Sunny.

 

I posted a few pictures of her from baby to now. 

 

Allison Paige

7 lbs 8 oz

my only bald baby

 

Allison at 1 year

 

 

Allison loves her daddy



 

 All the kids with their pet chickens

 

 

 

Alli and her sand cookie

 

 

She LOVED her purple princess castle cake!

 

 

We're so happy that Allison is part of this family.  I couldn't imagine a day without her!  May God grant us many years to come with this little sweet princess!!!

Dead Wrong

Dead wrong, yup, I was dead wrong.  I didn't know I was wrong until we reached that point.  I thought it would be easier, but it's not easier, just different.  I'm no longer a zombie, but instead I feel haggard. The thing that I was dead wrong about is that I told myself, when I was extremely exhausted from sleep deprivation, that it would be so much easier when they turned one.  They, being my precious, mischievous, getting into the toilet bowl, crawling in sissy's room, taking things out of the cupboards, pulling each others hair, hitting each other, stealing each others food, crawling on the table at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, standing up constantly in their seats, putting things in their mouths that are not supposed to be in there, crawling over the other one cause they don't realize they can go around, crawling crawling crawling everywhere, and forget about taking them downstairs, that is a whole new world down there.  Down there is a toy room that they shouldn't go into.  Down there are way to many little parts like, Lego's, Barbie accessories, little itty bitty toys that just do NOT belong in their mouths.  Down there are two more bedrooms they shouldn't go into.  But if they do get a chance to go down there and the room doors are open, they are in there.  Down there is another bathroom that is off limits, but we have other shorties that forget to shut the door when they are down there.  And between down there and up there are the stairs.  They know how to climb them, over and over and over and over times 2, but they can't get back down unless they use their heads as a cushion as they fall.  It's just best if we stay up here.  Who are these little adorable lovable, give me a 2 tooth smile and makes it all worth it? Who are the ones that giggle and hang onto mommy's pant legs while she's trying to make dinner?  Who are the ones that greet daddy with big smiles and drool?  I think we all know who the culprits are.  Why it's Luke Grant and Reed Lane.  Cutest twins ever.

Leanne turns 7

Leanne, my oldest, turned 7 years old this past Friday.  She is my helper and I miss her a lot when she's at school.  She is very good with the twins and has a take charge attitude. Her favorite color is pink and her favorite hobby is arts and crafts.  She hates dolls and never did like to play dress up.  She still likes Thomas the train and her other favorite thing to do is reading.  She's currently reading The Boxcar Children books. 

Here's a few pictures of her growing  up

Leanne when she was a baby

1 year old



Leanne, 2 years old, with her brother,Clay

Leanne's 3rd birthday

 

 

 

 

in Disney World

 

 

 

 

First day of preschool

 

 

First day of kindergarten

 

 

 

 

 

First day of first grade

 

 

 

 

Leanne is a good big sister

 

 

 

I can't believe she is 7 years old.  It went so fast.  I hope that God grants us many more years to be parents of this bright little girl.  Happy Birthday Leanne!

 



Brave

Brave.  Yup, that's what I was yesterday.  Brave.  I was going to go to Target before I met the school bus when I only had the four younger children, but decided against it when I remembered that Leanne needed to pick out her birthday treat.  Brave.  I picked Leanne up and then we were off.  I debated if I should take my double stroller or pile the twins and Alli into the cart.  The cart won.  Alli went in the front of the cart and the twins went in the big area of the cart. The older kids walked along side of the cart. Brave.  I've made a scene at the library before with the five, but this was my first time to go to a bigger store without Ross along for help.  GULP.  Since the twins were occupying the larger area of the cart, I debated if I wanted to take another cart or get a basket to put underneath my cart.  I opted for the basket underneath the cart since we didn't need many things.  We were off.  We got Leanne's treat and she had a big selection because the halloween candy was out.  That was the first things into the basket.  The twins heaved whatever was in their area over the side so I was thankful I chose to take a basket along.  Trying to act normal while people stare at you can be hard.  I try to ignore them.  We continue.  The twins are no longer sitting down, but standing up and holding onto the sides of the cart.  They were so happy!!  Go down another aisle and a lady exclaims "TWINS".  I smile and nod my head and continue on my way.  Get a few more thing and check them off my list.  Pass another lady in a aisle, she points and smiles.  I think to myself, I create a scene where ever we go.  I'm almost done.  I'm starting to get hot.  I can't wait to leave.  Everyone was behaving wonderful.  I even let them look at the toys for a few minutes.  The kids don't get out much.  We head to the check out.  While in line, a lady in the next aisle makes my day and makes the trip really worth it.  She says to me, "I've been watching you as you went through the store (who hasn't?), and you're twins are the cutest things I've ever seen.  At one point, one of them had his arm around the other one (I didn't see them do that, but I was very preoccupied).  Your kids did good in the store.  You're a good mom."  I think that what every mom wants to hear.  Thank you to that very kind woman who went out of her way for telling me that.  It truly brightened my brave day.  After that we proceeded to go out of the store and I got everyone in the car and went home.  Maybe when I get up enough courage and nerve, I'll do this again someday.   

Vacation

This past week our family went on vacation.  We went all the way to Curtis (located in the Upper Peninsula).  It was a long drive, but all the kids were wonderful.  We stopped during our trip up there at Arby's.  Ross and I were kind of dreading to take all of our children in there, but every one needed a break from the long car ride.  Ross and the kids sat down (of coarse in the back of the restaurant) and I went to order and bring back the food.  They were well behaved.  As I sat down with the food, an older gentleman came over by us and told us what a lovely family we have.  He repeated it a few times and looked at each of the kids.  It meant so much to us to have a random stranger come up to us and say that!  Usually people say  to us, wow, you have a busy family.  It was so refreshing!!!  We know that we are blessed to have all of our children, but it made us feel even more blessed that someone else noticed.

Our week at Curtis was so much fun.  Scott and Shannon Denherder, along with their two little ones, Gavin (almost 3) and Alice (1 1/2 years).  We shared a large cottage and we rented a pontoon boat that needed two people to get it started (it was a pile, but a fun pile).  The kids played in the sand and played in the water. 

Gavin and Allison playing at the cottage

 

 

 

Ross and one of the babies (I don't have

a clue wich one it is)

The kids playing in the water at the cottage.

We went sight seeing every other day. If you ever go to the U.P.  check out Fayette (a place they used to mine iron ore).  It's a historical place with buildings set up with things of how they used to live. 

Clay and Leanne by a wagon wheel at Fayette

Seney wild life refuge is another good place to go.  Ross and I usually take the kids for a drive through there on Sunday.  It's a nice little drive through nature. 

Reed loved driving through Seney.  We let

each of the kids take a turn driving.  We start

them young.

 

Another great place we went and usually go every time we go to the u.p. is Kitchi-iti-kipi (palm book state park).  It is a natural spring that you take a slow moving raft across.  You can see the spring through the beautiful clear water.  Great big fish are usually swimming in the area too.

Some of the Big fish at the spring

The spring (it looks cooler in person)

Leanne and Clay looking through the glass

at the spring

Pictured Rocks are also a great place to go.  We usually bring our bathing suits and swim at Lake Superior.  We love swimming there.
This year, we also drove up to Munising.  We wanted to see the aftermath of the wild fire they had this past spring.  It was so odd to see all stumps of trees and charred trees. We drove by all these burned trees and Lake superior suddenly appeared out of no where. We stopped at the campground there and let the kids go out and play.  They gathered all sorts of beautiful rocks there.  Sparkly pink and orange ones, dark gray ones, ones with unique cracks in them. 

 

The loggers are starting to take down the

burnt trees.  You can see a stack of them in this

picture

 

 

 

There used to be an inn in this location.

The fire consumed it.

Family picture at Lake Superior.  Not

the best picture of us all, but we were

cold and the wind was blowing.

 

We had a wonderful time spending time together as a family and with our friends.  So happy that God gave us time to relax and enjoy His handiwork.