Grandpeeps

I have been blessed in my life with an amazing set of grandparents as you may remember from my posts here, here and here.

Well my kids have been the recipients of the same blessing thanks to these cats:

Allow me to introduce...

MAMAW

Kids love playing on the floor with her.

PAPAW

Kids love going for lunch at McDonalds with him.

MAMIE

Kids love baking cookies with her.

POPS

Kids love going on the bread truck with him.

This month the kids' schools celebrated Grandparents' Day. This posed a bit of a predicament since all of the grandpeeps live so far away and the mean age of our "adopted family" is 32. Mamaw & Papaw came to the rescue for Tate's picnic. He was so proud to have them visit his school. Of course, we forgot the most important thing...A CAMERA!!!!

Two weeks later when it came time for Lily's event, she informed me that Nonny would be her guest. And leave it to Nonny, ole girl takes a day off from work and goes to hang out with the elders. What a trooper she is! She manages to snap some pics from their day together.

We are looking forward to the holidays with all of the grandpeeps and the visit from Mamie and Pops in January!

Kool KMAC

It's that time again...my bag lady is givin' away the goods. Click here and post a comment by Monday the 19th and you too can be eligible for a KMAC Custom Design. Lord knows I love mine!

P.S. And yes...MAC...this picture will continue to haunt you for years :)

La La Lily

Music means a lot to me. It seems every moment that has meant something in my life can be connected to a song. It brings me intense joy to see my daughter love music as much as I do. Tonight her daddy and I presented her with a "Mix Stick"...her very own MP3 player already loaded with some of her faves: Hannah Montana, Rascal Flatt, and Zach Brown Band. Robbie and I found ourselves laughing out loud in the car as we listened to our four year old daughter sing along to the words from the song "I Wish." She didn't nail all of the lyrics, but she sure did belt them out with gusto...right or wrong.

So, in honor of my baby girl's 4th birthday and her love of music...my playlist of my most memorable moments with you...

1. I Could Not Ask For More (Edwin McCain): I remember dancing with your daddy at Uncle Red's wedding to this song and crying my eyes out. I was 6 months pregnant with you and felt such pure joy at what a beautiful life God had given to me. I chose this one because it was the moment I realized we were a family. It was as if you had completed us.

2. Daydream Believer (The Monkees): I was 9 months pregnant when a new line of commercials came out with an "IT" mascot walking down the street. Nonny would sing to you in my belly and change the words. Hence, the legend began and every night since then, you have sung with us...Cheer Up Lily Bean...This song will forever hold a special place in all of our lives because of who you are to this family. The joy you bring to everyone you encounter, can not be overshadowed. You are a breath of fresh air.

3. Applebottom Jeans (TPain): Yep...your Nonny again. She decided that once you started walking, you needed to start dancing and you definitely needed some flavor in your life. Before long you knew every word and even emphasized them by slapping your hand on the floor and shaking your hips. I chose this song (as inappropriate as it is) because it shows your sassy side. You may be sweet, but we all know that you will spend your life "adding flavor" in every adventure you have.

4. Butterfly Fly Away (Miley Cyrus): This song you share with your daddy. I took you and Tate to see the Hannah Montana movie, not sure if either, one or both of you would like it. One day, you sat on your daddy's lap and told him that you wanted to sing this song with him, like Miley had sung with her daddy. Of course his heart melted. This past weekend we attended a wedding and you got him again when you said, "Daddy, will you walk me down the aisle when I'm a Princess Bride". You and your daddy have such a special bond. I know that bond will carry you through to being the amazing woman you are destined to be.

5. Me and My Gang (Rascal Flatts): This is another song that has been in the family for a couple of years. I have always loved it when you and Tate sing the chorus at the top of your lungs, "It's a brother and a sister kinda thing." Tonight, while you were listening to your mix stick, your daddy and I beamed as you leaned over to hand one of the headphones to Tate and said, "You wanna listen, Tate? This is our song." We had no question what song that was. I pray daily that you and your brother stay as close you are. Your love for each other reminds me daily how I should love others.

So, to my girl...Beanut...Lily Kate...Sissy...Lily Bean...Daughter of Mine...

I say...HAPPY BIRTHDAY (Of course sung with gusto!!!)

~Mom

The Great Oak

You may remember my last post about him. This week I travelled home to honor the life of my Grandpa Ike. It was a rough few days, but I was reminded many times about what a hero he was. I was asked to give the eulogy at his funeral. I thought I would share:

We all have them…vivid childhood memories. Take a moment to think back to your most memorable moment as a child. I have to admit…I take time often to think back to those moments of innocence, especially now that I am a mother of two. As I watch Tate and Lily bumble through their lives, I often find myself daydreaming about a time when life was simple and a sense of peace falls over me.
Whenever I am reminded of those times, I always end up back at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Whether it was celebrating holidays, exploring the acreage, or napping in the beanbag, each moment is flooded with emotions of family, tradition, and most importantly, love.
I consider myself a fairly reflective person. Maybe it’s the educator in me or maybe its simply because I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I always approach each day as a learning experience. And again, I find myself back to that place on Austin Road where I learned some of my most valuable life lessons.
#1 PLAY HARD…WORK HARDER…Whenever the grandchildren would ambush the house, the video games and movies were checked at the door. There were many vicious games of Triominoes, wiffle ball, and Kick the Can of which I ALWAYS WON!! (The younger cousins might debate that, but they were too young to remember correctly). I remember many winters sledding down the big hill. Jacqueline and Ashley would race Rusty and Tony on the old wooden sleds. Someone (usually the boys) would always end up running to the house crying with a face full of snow. You see, Grandpa Ike taught us the value of working hard…even if it was while we played. Us Willemsen grandkids might be the most competitive bunch around. No, Grandpa didn’t participate…he simply sat back and watched us play together and in that he found so much joy.
#2 HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS…One of the magical things about visiting Grandma and Grandpa’s was to see what new gadget they had picked up for us. There was never a chance to be bored at the house. Lit up candy canes, an American flag tire swing, and an old blown up alligator floating in the middle of the pond were all ornaments of my childhood. They always made their place feel like OUR home. I remember we had a barbeque at my grandparents the day after my wedding. All of my out of town guests found it hysterical as they rode the golf cart down the trail to find some of Grandpa’s “decorations”. I tried to explain why there was a stuffed care bear strapped to a weeping willow, but I don’t know if they ever got it.
#3 CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS…My grandpa Ike was one of my biggest fans. My favorite game every season was when my high school softball team played Newark. Grandma and Grandpa would always come and I would spend the whole game distracted by watching HIM. I would watch him beam on the sidelines and would listen for him to cheer me on…”Great play 13,” he would say. I moved away to Tennessee over 17 years ago and whenever I would come home, we would sit around the kitchen table and Grandpa would tell me what all of my cousins were doing…whether it was Nick’s cooking successes, Emily’s gymnastic awards, or Allison’s modeling career…Grandpa Ike was always the first to brag on his grandkids. He didn’t say it often, but we always knew how proud he was of us. One of my proudest moments was 8 years ago when Grandma and Grandpa went to Disney World to see me coach in a college softball tournament. Once again, I was watching him beam on the sidelines and cheer me on.
#4 PERSISTENT PAYS OFF…One of my favorite stories as a child happened when I was learning to ride a bike. I came to visit and he had decorated a bike for me in honor of my Uncle Duck. It was light blue with a yellow seat, white handlebars and bright orange pedals. He informed me that today I was going to learn to ride a bike. I loved my new bike and was so excited to learn how to use it. Grandpa would take me to the top of the hill by the house, give me a pep talk and let me go. Off I would ride down the hill, bike teetering with each pedal as I would slowly, but surely, steer my way right over the new tree that Grandpa had just planted at the bottom of the hill. It didn’t matter where my starting point was, I always ended up riding right over that same young tree. Now, notice this life lesson is not entitled PATIENCE PAYS OFF. Whatever patience Grandpa had, I tried it to the max that day, but I sure did learn to ride my bike (and run over trees while I was at it).
That tree story could sum up what my grandpa was to me. I have often referred to Grandpa Ike as my oak tree. He had a silent strength that supported us to grow. He protected us so we always felt safe. And he even let us play in his branches. Tuesday night before I left to come here for the funeral, a dear friend of mine gave me a book entitled The Oak inside the Acorn, by Max Lucado. It is the story of an acorn that leaves the oak tree and is always trying to figure out what it was meant to do. The mother tree tells the acorn, “Within you is a great oak. Just be the tree God made you to be.” Of course, the acorn eventually becomes a tall oak tree for a little girl. The girl ties a swing to its branches, builds a tree house atop its trunk, and finds rest in its shade. As they grow older together, it is obvious the young woman flourishes in the shade of its strength. And in that…she finds strength of her own. Most importantly, she becomes the woman she was meant to be.
Grandpa rarely spoke of emotional things. As a matter of fact, he avoided them at all costs. It even became an ongoing joke that when I would leave and tell him I love him, he would say “Jesus Creminity” and mutter something under his breath. He didn’t have to say a word…it was what he did that made the difference. I am who I am today because my grandfather taught me lessons in my life every day I spent with him. And when someone tells me I’m steady and strong, I smile inside because I know that’s a gift he gave to me. The gift that made me the woman I was meant to be. And yesterday, as I sat at lunch with all of my cousins, I realized we had become the family we were meant to be. And Grandpa Ike is beaming down on us now.

Rest in Peace, Grandpa Ike. May your legacy live on...

Kitty Cats on the Wall

I have a confession.

I have had resentment. I hold it against them. I've tried to get over it, but I just can't. It's just eaten away at me for all these years.

The first bedroom I remember was in an old white house with a screened in porch across from my dad's church. It was an older house and the room was dark with a few "nooks and crannies". I remember a built in wardrobe that I loved to climb into.

The next room I remember was in the house I grew up in on Rte. 5 & 20 in Flint, NY. It was "blood red" with lions and tigers wallpaper...yep you read it right. Blood red...lions and tigers. Two details I remember vividly...there was a hole in the wall behind my door that I would eavesdrop on my parents watching movies in the living room. I remember hearing "Booger" burp on "Revenge of the Nerds" through that hole.

The other thing I remember is the former occupant had written "Kilroy was here" on the back of the door. I always wondered who Kilroy was??? I think it was several years later that I finally found out.

The bedroom I probably stayed in the longest is the most memorable mainly because I grew up in that room. I shared it with my brothers, my grandma, nanny, and many friends who temporarily "ran away from home". There were a few things I loved about that room and one thing I hated. The room had really high ceilings...

so high that I could throw my rifle in it. This was a great feature until one night. I woke up to a BAT flying over my face. I can't share with you the other details from that night, but I can tell you that its hysterical and involves both of my parents in their underwear.

The other wonderful feature was the built in closets. Those closets still hold the award for "Largest Closet" in my life. I'm hoping that changes in the next year with our building addition to our house. They were big enough to climb into (which I did often) and had drawers to hold all of my thrift store tshirts and sweatpants.

Now for the loathed item. I sure did say loathed. Remember that lions and tigers wallpaper from my 2nd bedroom?? Well it pales in comparison to the pastel pink, green, yellow and blue kittens that were plastered all over my teenage bedroom.

I tried my best to cover them with pictures of Kirk Cameron and Bon Jovi...my feeble attempt to "dress it up" a bit.

So resent I have...for years...almost 25 years. All I ever wanted was the white furniture and peach and mint green comforter to make my bedroom a girls' dream!

Nope...never happened. Oh I hear ya...I got lots of other things, but those things don't quite matter. All that matters is my mom and dad wouldn't get me the beautiful little girls dreamroom that I wanted. END OF STORY.

OK, so maybe I'm being a little dramatic and slightly selfish. Maybe I'm carrying over a conversation about "the things we never got as kids." But, that's ok and I suppose I'll get over it. I finally got to use all 25 years worth of dreaming to create an enchanting space for Miss Lily.

A dollhouse complete with furniture and barbies

A beautiful dresser to store her clothes in

A "dress up" center to keep all of her NECESSITIES

A nook for reading and writing

And...

The Grand Poomba...

A beautiful daybed trundle with a feather boa canopy...

It doesn't get much better than this folks...

P.S. Note to Mom and Dad...I really did love all that other stuff AND I forgive you!

A Black Tutu and Star Wars Shirt

The first day of school...WOW! I don't remember my first day of school. The only thing I remember from Kindergarten was watching the kids play on the playground while I sat inside with a broken arm. I also remember my first day at Canandaigua Primary. Believe it or not, I was pretty shy in my early school years and I remember not really enjoying school that much, despite being pretty good at it. I do vividly remember both of my brothers' first days. I can remember a picture of each of them in front of the tree on 5&20 with their little backpacks. I remember them climbing the steps of the bus and me and my mom and dad waving at them as the bus pulled away.

Boy...Times have changed...No backpacks...No bus...

I took the kids shopping for their school stuff. I was super excited to help them pick out their new backpacks and trapper keepers, UNTIL I read the supply list. Yep...you guessed it. No backpacks...no trapper keepers! They pay $10 for their standard tote carrying their standard folder inside. How boring!

So, we opted for school clothes instead. They were both so excited to pick out their first day of school outfits. Tate had to have his yellow Star Wars shirt and his Mario Kart lunchbox. Lily, of course, had to add a little style to make her first impression. So...we ended up with a black tutu and pink tanktop with black hearts (not pictured due to recent NY trip that resulted in souvenir shirts :)

The start of school has gone great so far. Both kids love their teacher and have made some new friends.

On another note, they have also both had their first timeout...one for not staying in line and one for spitting...I'll let you figure out who did what. Bet you'll never guess!

I know most moms are crying when they take their kids to school for the first time. No...I'm not cold-hearted. I am just so thrilled to see them in a more simple life. It is a complete answer to prayer. Looking forward to many more "School Times".

First Big Girl Trip

What's a mom to do? We live 300 miles from Robbie's parents and over 800 miles from mine. My parents average around 14 days a year with my kids which is not by our choice, but simple geography. So when Bobo and Igglers offered to take Lily to NY with them for their visit, I really didn't have a choice. I was that kid that lived away from my grandparents and I felt shorted. All my cousins seemed to spend all their time together and I felt distant from all of that. Thankfully, I have managed to have a close relationship not just with my grandparents, but with my aunts, uncles and cousins too. Of course, I was nervous and worried. Not really sure why...of course, I trusted my brother to drive safely and to watch my baby girl like he would his own. But...any time your kids are away, there's an unsettling feeling that comes over you.

All of that was put to rest when I started receiving pics. She looked like she was having a great time! And I could tell from all the pics that I had given my family a great gift by sending some of my love north to them.

I'm sure this is the first of many solo trips and I can only hope each of them is as memorable for my kids as this one. Thanks Bobo and Igglers for making it possible!