THE BIG CATCH....

Last night after supper the boys wanted Kevin to come in the backyard and "catch" some things...the usual "catch" is Frogs, Tadpoles, Minos, and a Turtle or two. However last night this is what my very happy, excited, and shocked boys caught...

Now our creek isn't that big, so we aren't quite sure where or how they came, but it sure made for an exciting night!



Both Caleb and Ethan wanted to hold these big 18 inch Bass! We have a pond in our neighborhood so Kevin and the boys took them there to let them go.

Ethan Preschool 2009-2010

Last night was Ethan's Preschool Graduation and what a fun and exciting night it was! Ethan had two wonderful teachers, who's love for the kids and Jesus is just overflowing! We are so thankful for them and the awesome job that they do!
Ethan had such a great year learning so many new things, making new friends, going to fun places, but most importantly growing more and more in love with Jesus.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A GOOD DAY...

This past Saturday was just that...it started out at 8am with Caleb's last soccer game of the season. His team played great and won, which is always nice for the last game. Caleb had an awesome goal that went right over the goalie's head, so that was exciting. At the end of the game Kevin and my brother Nate passed out medals and a soccer goodie bag to each of the boys on the team. It was another fun year of soccer for all of us. This fall Caleb will be playing again, with Kevin as the assistant coach. And Ethan will start this fall as well, with Kevin as his coach and Nate as the assistant coach. We will be busy with practices and games, but we are definitely looking forward to both boys playing!

So our day continued and we went and watched our nieces Emma, Lauren, and Claire play their soccer game. Then we got some lunch and headed to Grand Haven for the Kite Festival. It was a beautiful day, however it wasn't so windy out. Kevin and the boys tried flying Caleb's pirate ship kite, but couldn't keep it up for very long. But the boys had a great time playing in the sand, water...yes in freezing, cold Lake Michigan!! We also walked the pier...Levi loved seeing the boats, guys fishing, kids jumping off, etc. But he sure made me weak in the knees so many times...gets too close to the edge and of course doesn't want you to hold him or his hand, ugh. We were there all afternoon and three outfits later we headed for home.

After supper we went to work on the garden...planting some more seeds. Our garden is almost full, we just have room left for tomatoes and maybe a pepper plant or two. Most of our garden is strawberries and we already can see lots of strawberries growing, so that's exciting! Half of our strawberry plants we can eat this year, but the other half we need to wait a year. We also can see little asparagus coming up as well. We are having fun with our garden so far, hopefully everything continues to grow well.

To end the night Kevin made a campfire, so we had to have SMORES! Poor Levi, he missed out on the garden planting and smores because he fell asleep on the ride home from Grand Haven...however just before Caleb and Ethan were going to go to bed, he woke up of course! :)

So this was our GOOD DAY...nothing too major, just being together and doing the things we enjoy. We are really looking forward to more family, fun days this summer...going to the beach, working on the garden, campfires, and so much more!

Levi sure makes us laugh...

Yesterday morning I told Levi he was going to play with his buddy Jack and he says..."Jack, Levi catch frogs...wear boots!" This just cracks me up because a couple days before we gave Jack Levi's old "frog catching" boots. And he is well aware that catching frogs is what Caleb and Ethan do with their friends.

Later on in the day I can hear "trouble" coming out of his room (where Ethan and him are playing). All of the sudden Levi comes running out and I ask him if he is being naughty? He says..."Yes" with a naughty little laugh! At least he's honest.

Then Ethan is playing on the computer and says this game doesn't work. Levi right away pipes in and says..."daddy at work!" Levi loves his daddy and many times throughout the day we have to talk about how daddy is at work, so as Levi says..."daddy work, home soon!"

Levi knows everyone's first, middle, and last name in this family. So it's not uncommon to hear him call the boys by their full name, however he does mix up middle names from time to time. I will hear him call me "Mommy Richard Hart" and let me tell you when he says that he means business! :)

Me and my boys...

Mother's Day 2010

Funny, funny boys...

Kevin and the boys went to get an oil change in the van this morning. All 3 boys wanted to go along, because right next to the oil change place is Farmer's CO-OP. I don't know if you have ever been in there, but they have chicks, ducks, bunnies, birds, etc. all in the store...so obviously the boys love to go there. Well, while they were gone this morning they sent me this email from Kevin's phone...


Ummmm we bought one....


Ha! Ha! Funny, funny boys!! However this did make me a little nervous, because if those puppies were labs...they might of really come home with one!! Now that Farmer's CO-OP has puppies it might not be a good place for Kevin and the boys to go. :)

Our boys are growing up...

Well the school year is coming to an end and unfortunately Caleb's backpack isn't going to make it...it keeps getting more and more holes and they can't be fixed. (Caleb however really thinks that tape would do the trick :) I was thinking we would just try and get by until the end of the school year and then get a new one this fall when he starts 2ND grade. However this was our conversation...

"Hey, Caleb why don't you just use the backpack from preschool for the rest of the year?" And Caleb gives me the "look" and says "no-way!" So I ask him "is there is something wrong with that backpack?" And he says "yes, it has CARS movie on it and I already have to have that on my lunch bag." So I say "oh honey, do you not like that lunch bag?" And he responds with "well it would be kind of nice to just have a plain one."

Well we continued our conversation and I told him I had no idea he didn't like his lunch bag and that I was planning on getting him a new one since that too was falling a part. And that we would go look for a new backpack as well. In my defense I didn't purchase either the CARS lunch bag or backpack. Both were gifts (that he loved) from a few years ago when he was into CARS movie, apparently that has changed! :)

So later that morning I am helping Ethan get ready for preschool and it is raining outside so I pull out his (yellow fireman) raincoat and say "Ethan do you want to wear this?" And he gives me the "look" and says "no!" So I ask him "why?" And he gives me all kinds of silly excuses and then eventually the truth comes out..."I don't like that coat a bit, maybe if it wasn't fireman it would be better." Okay, so I did purchase the raincoat (actually a few of them). I thought they were super cute and worked well for Halloween costumes, since it's always cold and rainy for trick-or-treating.

So my lesson for that day...Our boys are growing up!!! I can obviously see that in their looks, but I need to remember it's also in their "likes". There are certain things that are "baby" or like Caleb says, "that is something little kids like." So I will be sticking with "plain" things, to save my boys from embarrassment! :)

Tulip Time...2003 & 2010

Every year we head out to Holland for Tulip Time...we have the boys picture taken with the Tulips and we snack on a little Cotton Candy and Elephant Ears. I just can't get over Caleb's picture this year. First of all, he's just too cute (sorry I can't help it, I'm his Mom :) and second I can't believe how old he looks in this picture!


It seems like just yesterday we had to actually hold him to have his picture taken with the Tulips! Oh Caleb you are growing up too fast buddy!! We sure love you!

Kindergarten...

Ethan had his "Visiting Kindergarten Day" last week Friday and he was SO excited!! All morning he kept asking us "is it time to go yet...is it time to go yet?" Finally it was time and we were able to meet his teacher for next year, who is new to our school. She was very sweet and we think she will be a great Kindergarten teacher for Ethan. There were some kids from his preschool class there too, who will also be in his class next year. So Kevin and I left feeling really good and excited for Ethan...well after an hour and a half we came back to pick him up and lets just say his excitement was overflowing! The best part was when we got in the van he says "I GOT TO RIDE ON A REAL LIVE BUS...AND IT MOVED!!"

Just trying to get a picture of the boys...

But Levi has this "thing"...every time I take a picture and the flash "pops-up" Levi likes to (actually needs to) go push it back down. So as you can see in the picture (and so many others we have of him) his hand is up and ready to hit that flash down!! So Caleb and Ethan thought it would be funny to join in the fun...

All because 2 people fell in love...

...nine years later and still celebrating!

GOAL!!!

Way to go Caleb! What a great shot, we are so proud of you!!

Levi Bevi

Here are two videos of Levi to enjoy...

Pip-i-e and Lov-i-e

For those of you who know Levi well, know his two most favorite things..."Pipie and Lovie" and he always keeps them close. Normally they aren't suppose to be outside, but we had just gotten home from the store. He decided he wanted to go for another car ride...

Easter

Levi loves his "Gunship" as he calls it, thanks again for the Easter Basket Grandpa & Grandma!


Ethan checking out his treats from the Egg Hunt we did for the boys in the morning before church.


Caleb doing another Egg Hunt at Grandpa & Grandma's house with all of his cousins.


As always the kids had lots of fun together, sure is great having lots of cousins to play with!

Catching frogs...

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Enemy

Last night while the boys were getting ready for bed, we were picking out outfits for them to wear to school today...they always want to wear comfy pants, however they keep ripping holes in the knees. So I told Ethan he was going to have to wear jeans to school, his response "Jeans are fine, just NOT a button down shirt...they are my worst enemy!" Gotta love it! :)

These two sure have fun together...

Best place for 3 brothers to be...

snuggled on ONE Beanbag watching a movie!

Hotel Waterpark and Pistons Game

We sure had a great weekend...on Friday afternoon we headed to Detroit. We got to the hotel and did lots of swimming!! Then we went back to our room, ordered pizza, and got ready for the Pistons Game! The game didn't start until 8pm so by the time we got to the Palace Caleb and Ethan were tired. Levi, who took a nap on the ride to Detroit was wide awake. He was so excited...clapping, cheering, and saying "look" about everything! It didn't take the boys long to "wake up" once the players came out, the music jamming, and the fire, flames, and large "booms". Ethan actually was quite nervous about the (huge) flames, so he snuggled close to Kevin but after awhile seemed to enjoy it. All three boys really got into the game and loved cheering for the Pistons! They also enjoyed the "shows" that were put on (between timeouts, halftime, etc). Caleb was so excited with the Pistons last shot...putting them at 101! He thought that was super cool! After the game we got to go down on the court and the boys were able to take 1 shot, it was pretty exciting for them! From there we headed back to the hotel to sleep and then woke up to donuts and more swimming!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Cheetah...

My mom (the boys Grandma Choo Choo) has always sang this song to them...

"Rock a bye a baby, ________ is a lady. ________ is a gentlemen. And ________ is a coffee can!"

(You fill in the blanks with which ever name you want.)

A couple weeks ago we are all riding in the car and we were saying what animals we would choose to be. Caleb said a "Monkey", Ethan said a "Grizzly Bear", and Kevin said a "Moose" (to make us all laugh). So after giving Kevin a hard time, we continued to talk about other animals that would be a good choice. Cheetah came up because it is fast and so from that Kevin turned it around that I wanted to be a Cheetah...which made for even more laughs from the boys! So now Levi has made up his own song and it goes something like this...

"Rock a bye a baby, Mommy is a Cheetah!"

Lovely. He sings this ALL the time...around the house, in the van, at the store, etc. And for the record I said I didn't know what animal I would choose, that I would want to be some sort of fish...like a Dolphin. Oh well, it sure makes for LOTS and LOTS of laughs around the Hart home!

7 Birthdays...7 Parties!!

Caleb was such a monkey, so for his 1st Birthday party we had a jungle theme. He wasn't quite walking yet on his own, but busier than ever! We can't even begin to describe all the JOY he brought to us the day he was born...so every Birthday we truly love to celebrate HIM and the precious gift God gave us!


"Choo...Choo" yes that best describes Caleb at 2!! He LOVED trains, especially Thomas the Train! He knew the names of all the different trains, which we found to be quite amazing. So you guessed it, we had train party!


Big brother at 3 and ready for fun!! We had a Chicken Little Birthday party and boy did we have fun...from the Pinata to shaking our tail feathers, oh and we can't forget him getting the battery operated Jeep!


By 4 his new love was CARS movie...Caleb and Ethan would run around pretending to be race cars...stopping by us to "change a tire" or "get gas". We had so many "races" to Caleb's bed each night at bedtime! We watched that movie too many times to count!


The big 5...in preschool, has two younger brothers now, got a new bike, and Aunt Kate flew in to be a part of the celebration! Caleb was so into Space...so Space party it was, we even had planets hanging from our living room ceiling!


Stars Wars...Caleb LOVES, LOVES Stars Wars (still does) but this was the year it all began! So of course there would be no other theme for a 6th Birthday! Caleb and Ethan greeted all the guest in their Storm Trooper outfits, what a fun day we had!


And now this past weekend we had a sk8ing good time at his 7th Birthday! Yes he went with Skateboarding/Xtreme sports theme and some of the gifts he got went along with that theme...Skateboard, Snowboard, and Hockey Rollerblades! Oh the fun to be a boy and 7! As always the kids got to smash a pinata and eat lots of candy! We sure had a great day celebrating Caleb's Birthday with family!



We are so thankful for Caleb and the special boy that he is!! He is such a fun kid, always ready to laugh! He has such a kind heart and really looks out for others. He's a thinker, and has lots of good questions. He really enjoys school, and we are so proud of all the things he is learning. He is such a people person and loves being with friends! He truly adores being outside...from playing in the snow to catching frogs in the backyard. He keeps us on the go with Soccer games, but we love the joy and excitement he has with playing it! We always say Caleb has a quiet faith, but when you talk one on one with him his love for Jesus is so evident! One of the ways he lets his light shine is his caring heart for others. We are so honored to be Caleb's parents and a part of his life! We praise God for him and all the love and joy he brings into our home! He is truly a gift from God!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY K-MAN!! We love you and keep letting your light shine for Jesus! We look forward to all the Birthdays to come!! Wonder what your theme will be next year? :)

Kindergarten

The other day we got Kindergarten info for Ethan in the mail, so I say to Ethan...

"Levi and Mommy are really going to miss you next year when you're gone at school all day, are you going to miss us?"

"No, I like school and I have fun there, but just because I don't miss you doesn't mean I don't love you."

Thoughts about our boys....

Kevin has been playing indoor soccer one night week, however the games are usually after 9pm...so the boys and I haven't been able to go to a game. However this week the game was at 8:15pm, so the boys and I went for a little while. The boys (actually I should say Caleb and Ethan, Levi fell asleep on the way there and continued to sleep in my arms the entire time) loved watching their dad in action! Kevin even scored a goal while we were there!

A gal watching the game with us thought it was really neat how Kevin and his 2 brothers are playing soccer together...which got me thinking...I hope that someday too Caleb, Ethan, and Levi will live somewhat close to each other and be able to play soccer together. There is just something special about the relationship with brothers...I pray that our boys are forming strong friendships with each other now, that they will carry on into adulthood. Kevin and I are constantly telling the boys to look out for each other, stick up for your brother, share with one another, teach and help each other, but most of all love each other! We want the boys to know that friends come and go in life, but your brother(s) will always be there.

Okay so we are on the ride home and the boys are singing "we will, we will rock you...got mud on your face, be disgrace..." and from that they are talking about farting..."cutting the cheese". I couldn't help but laugh and smile, because they are good buddies and they are teaching each other things (most the time it seems like silly things-jokes Caleb learns at school)...and they are proud of each other(the joy Caleb and Ethan had for Levi when it was his Birthday was overflowing)...they are looking out for each other(Ethan tackled a classmate of Caleb's and when I asked why he did that, he said because I thought he was hurting Caleb)and the list goes on...

We sure love our boys...so thankful for them and that they have each other! We pray that they will always cherish the fact that they are brothers. It's a cheesy quote, but I like it "There is no buddy like a brother".

Trying day...

The other night we are eating supper and it is Kevin's turn to tell us about his day. So he says, "Well I had a trying day at work today.." Caleb right away responds with "There is no try, there is only DO!" We sure love you K-man!!

Cousins...

Our boys have been blessed with lots of (Hart) cousins!! Which make Birthday parties, camping in Ludington, hanging out at Grandpa & Grandma's house, and the list goes on SO much fun!! The kids play great together and share lots of laughs!! This past fall we took this picture of all 10 cousins together...

...BUT it's outdated!! Today, Kevin's brother and our sister-in-law...aka Uncle Brian and Aunt Lindsay are on their way to Ethiopia to bring home their two boys!! We are definitely lifting them up in prayer, as well as their four girls back home. What a special journey this has been and continues to be for them. We pray that God wraps His loving arms around each of them!

Our boys are quite excited to have the boy-girl ratio evened now...6 girl cousins and 6 boy cousins!! :) We are looking forward to meeting these two special boys next weekend! And I can't wait to take a new updated picture of ALL the Hart cousins!!

We Love You Hart Family!! Our thoughts and prayers are with you as you continue on this journey!!

2 year check-up...

Levi had his 2 year check-up today with our pediatrician. I always enjoy these appointments, I like to hear what Levi should be doing and things he will start doing...potty training, the next big event! It's always reassuring to hear that he is healthy and right on track. Levi sat so good and just listened to our doctor talk, it was quite cute. At then end of the appointment he had to get 2 shots and the H1N1 mist, which he was so good about. When we got home I looked back to see what Caleb and Ethan were at this age...

Levi: 33.9 lbs and 36.5 inches tall

Caleb: 30 lbs and 35 inches tall

Ethan: 28.8 lbs and 35 1/2 inches tall

And the winner in weight and height is Levi!! He is definitely the best eater of our boys! :) We always mark the boys height on our wall chart and when we did it the other night we couldn't believe how much Levi had grown in a year! He is definitely going to be a tall boy!! We praise God for Levi and that he is growing so strong and healthy!

The big two!!

Two years ago today God blessed us with a special baby boy...Levi Kevin Hart



Levi brings so much joy and laughter to our home. His sweet smile and dimple make it so hard to ever tell him no. His zest for life is contagious. The excitement he has when he sees you, just warms your heart. The hugs and kisses he gives are the best. The way he says our names or his favorite phrases are just precious. The towers he builds or tinker toy creations he makes are impressive. The love and fun he has with his brothers just makes us happy.



Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!! We love you and pray God's blessing on you today and always! We are excited to watch you grow and look forward to seeing God's plan for your life unfold!

Soon??

The days both boys are gone at school can be kinda l-o-n-g for poor little Levi. This morning while I am folding laundry he come to me and says...

"Daddy soon?"

"No, not for awhile"

"Papa soon?"

Oh buddy...

Ice Sculptures...

Today we went and checked out an Ice Sculpting Competition and the boys loved it! They liked seeing all the different tools the people would use...from a saw to a clothing iron! They also enjoyed figuring out what the different sculptures were going to be. We had a good time...cold, but fun!

Happy New Year!!