Just checkin' in

Hello Team!

As the title of this post says, I'm just checking in :) It's been a few months and I thought I'd update you on our little family.

OLIVIA
My bubbly, life-loving, little girl finished her first year of school. Junior Kindergarten suited her to a tee. She loved her 2 teachers and came home every week (and usually daily) talking about the new things she learned. I guess I'm glad for that - if she didn't, I'd be wondering what was going on in her classroom! Usually every day ended with a hug for the teacher.

Olivia also made some great little friends so there were a few (times 10!!) play dates set up this past year. She looks forward to seeing them throughout the summer too.

She recently graduated to Pre-School D swimming lessons. It took her about 5 tries but our determined little girl pressed on and finally passed. She was verrrry excited. She'll begin Pre-School D in the fall.

Another feat of hers is learning how to ride a 2-wheeler! It took her only a couple of days after Corey found a how-to on YouTube. Many of the kids in the neighbourhood have now begun to learn too. Way to go Olivia!

So this summer for Olivia is pretty full. She is going to an Arts & Crafts camp for one week in July (includes swimming in the afternoons!!) and she will be going to Vacation Bible School with a friend for one week and she will be going to a Day Camp at Cedarview Alliance Church for a week in August.

Did you know it's Olivia's birthday this month? July 25th she will be celebrating her 5th birthday. It's amazing how fast these 5 years have gone by! She is growing into a very responsible, compassionate, and kind little girl. She is becoming famous for belting out a tune or two about how much she loves Jesus and how much He loves her. So incredibly cute :) Corey and I are very proud of her and look forward to what this new year will bring her.






JORDYN

Our quiet, laid back, little girl is just that although she has found her voice as of late.. When she and Olivia get going, it's a pretty loud household :)


Her repertoire when it comes to vocabulary consists of: dadada, bababa, and a weird gurgling sound only she can make (believe me... Corey and I have tried to mimic it!).
She is sitting on her own now although I still put pillows around her. She actually has started to make motions to crawl this week! I'm excited for that stage but then being able to plop her down and know she isn't going anywhere is a nice stage too...

She is thoroughly enjoying her "solid" foods. She absolutely loves her fruits and is so-so with the meats & veggies. But sneaky mommy mixes that with her fruit and she gobbles it all up.

I would be very surprised if she doesn't turn out to be a lover of the outdoors. She loves going for walks and playing at the park. She is recognizing 'outside' noises like birds and planes. It is so neat to see her notice new things.

Corey
My handy man is keeping himself busy around the house when not working or playing hockey. His next project is building Olivia a bookshelf to contain her many many books.

IBM is going well and we are very thankful for continued employment. Since the weather has been beautiful, Corey's been biking to work. I admire Corey for wanting to take care of himself and to stay in shape as best he can.

Corey has adapted well to being a father of 2 girls. He loves playing with them - having tickle fights with Olivia and doing all he can to get Jordyn to laugh. There's nothing like seeing your husband and kids laughing together. Warms my heart.

RACHEL
Well, what can I say about me. I am loving my time home with the girls. I am cherishing these times because I know how fast time flies by. Lately the girls and I have been going to the park with little friends and going for lots of walks. We've visited with some friends too which Olivia loves.

I am finally finding more time to focus on a hobby of mine - making cards. I'm not the most creative on the block but I see some designs I like and I just copy them :) It's a great outlet for me and it's nice to have something in my life that's just for me. If you'd like 'home-made' cards created for you, just let me know ;)

What else have I been up to? Well, I had the privilege of celebrating 6 years of marriage June 25th. Corey and I went to Wakefield, QC for the day and we had a blast reconnecting - brought back memories of our dating days :)






WHAT'S NEXT?

We decided to buy a camper for the family so we can begin a tradition of summer camping. Corey came across a great private deal in the spring and our first camping trip was the May long weekend. We camped for a few days at Rideau River Provincial Park and had a blast!! The weather was great except there were too many mosquitos as far as I'm concerned. We hit the beach a few times and in general just hung out. Olivia loved riding her bike there and Jordyn loved watching her.

We just came back from a week at a private campground (Quinte Isle Campark) near Sandbanks Provincial Park. It was so fun! There were activities for the kids 3 times a day (rock painting, tye-dying, relay races, basketball, colouring...). They also had a huge pool and a brand new splash park. It was a great experience and we've decided to go there every year as long as we can. Olivia had such a good time with her new little friends and always wanted to ride her bike, hit the pool, and roast marshmellows. I love her zest for life.

We also have a PEI trip planned for this summer. Our last one for the year. The last time we were there was 11 years ago when Corey and I were newly dating. It will be nice to go back with the kids.

IMPORTANT DATES
July 25: Olivia's 5th birthday
August 27: Mom & Dad Van Dyke's 44th wedding anniversary
August 31: Mom Van Dyke's birthday


I will sign this book off now ;) It would be wonderful to hear how you're doing. I love getting your emails so send off a note or two when you can.

Enjoy the rest of your summer. May it be richly blessed!