Early September Saturday at the “orange” park.

It was late morning when we found some resolve to make something of the day–probably around eleven o’clock. I got off the couch first and Michelle followed–Michelle had been taking a long time to get off the couch for at least the past month since she was “great with child.”

As she stood up, her face turned first to surprise and then to embarrassment. For a minute she switched places with one of her first grade students–this time is was Mrs. Van Bemmel’s turn to wonder what that wet feeling is running down her pants. It didn’t hit for another minute or so–her water had broken.

First things first–Michelle hopped in the shower to clean up after her “accident” and I called the doctor. Dr. Waalkes just happened to be camping at the time. She told us to head to the hospital at our earliest convenience and that she would see us sometime later. Later was right.

Excited and nervous we walked through the door of the hospital and checked ourselves in. Michelle got on her gown and we got comfortable in our room. They hooked her up to monitors and did some checking up on things.

It was obvious that there was no rush, but, not quite as obvious as it was several hours later. By supper time the nurses were starting to get a little antsy. Michelle tried to be as helpful as she could. When they asked if she was having contractions she thought that, maybe, she was having a few contractions. What did contractions feel like again? The nurse gave her best description, but, I could tell what she really wanted to say was, “when your having contractions, you won’t have to ask me what they feel like.”

They called up the drug guy and the party got started. First the contraction meds, then the epidural–and then another round of epidural. Just a note, tall people must need a bigger dose since the first round stopped somewhere in her thighs instead of the stomach. With the contractions coming on hard a fast, Michelle wasn’t asking what they were suppose to feel like anymore. It was war.

A couple hours of volley’s back and forth and Michelle was ready to wave the white flag. It wasn’t an engagement, however, that she could retreat from. The only way to go was forward, or, to be quite literal, out.

One could hardly say that having me in the room qualified as “calling in the cavalry.” My main contribution was fanning her as best I could at the head of the bed. When the nurse brought in a fan, I was obsolete.

It was after midnight when Annica arrived. I’d like to say that it was the most momentous occasion of my life–and it really was in a sense. But, really, I was exhausted–not from anything I did but more from coping with the fact that no matter how much I wanted to help ease Michelle of the pain, there really wasn’t much I could do beside watch and cheer.

There was no way I could comprehend at that moment exactly what it meant that I was now a father. This is something I am still beginning to learn as I sit here and type this four years later. I fell asleep shortly after everything had settled back down. I didn’t even wake up when the nurses checked on Michelle throughout the night. Michelle never lets me forget that.

This fall Annica starts pre-school. She is no longer the helpless baby that landed in our world that warm July night. She runs, she jumps, she sings, she dances, she gets herself ready for bed, and she gives the most exuberant hugs a father could ask for.

I thank my Lord for the wonderful gift of my daughters and I look forward to many more years living and learning as a father.

Happy birthday Annica.

We hopped in the van and went to the park. The warm summer day brought other kids to the park as well. There was even a small family gathering and the girls enjoyed the company. Usually our trips to the park involve Annica finding some friends to follow and direct if she gets the chance. Skyler will try to follow but she spends most of the time just trying to catch up. Annica will spend hours in a swing if you let her. She wants to go as high as possible…and then a little higher. Skyler has gotten used to the idea of a swing, but, she doesn’t usually spend more than a minute or two going back and forth.

We had to bribe them with the promise of a parade and candy before they would leave. Good thing we could deliver. We headed to Hull. After finding a place to park, we headed toward the parade path to find a seat. We managed to find a nice place in the shade close to the residents from the local rest home. The girls had fun. Annica chased down the candy that was thrown but she was up against some fierce competition–young boys have the candy chasing down to a science. There were some nice girls that added to our buckets from time to time. Both Annica and Skyler appear to have super sensitive hearing–even the honk of a pickup would send them on to our laps so we could cover their ears.

After the parade, we hung around and played at a different park as the people cleared out. Annica was on the swing and Skyler played in the sand. We went back to the van when it was readily apparent a nap was in order. Skyler fell asleep on the way home and I carried her upstairs when we arrived. I took advantage of the break in the action to bottle my second batch of homemade beer. (Don’t worry Mom Wories, I’ll save you a bottle this time:) Annica watched me for a little while, but got bored.

When Skyler woke up from her nap, we had a little snack and headed to the pool. It was a perfect night for a dip. It wasn’t very busy and the water was nice and cool. Both girls love the water. Skyler stayed in the little pool while Annica and I went in the big pool. We spent a lot of time swimming around the bubbler in the middle. Annica would try to swim up to it in her life jacket and the flow would push her away. Later on, she made friends with a girl who was diving for rings. The life jacket made it hard for her to join in, but that didn’t stop her from participating–she’s very good at direction.

When we got home from the pool, it was time for supper and then bed. As I rocked Skyler, we went over everything we did. When we got to the end, Skyler said, “Swimming, FUN!” as she threw up her arms. I guess we know what her favorite activity was.

Most of the time she says this because Annica has made some disheartening noise or another–crying because she got a spanking, crying because she stubbed her toe, etc., or screaming because……actually I haven’t figured out why she screams. I’m thinking it has something to do with hearing her own voice and the echo, but, really I’m not sure. I’m sure it won’t be the last time something Annica does confuses me.

Taking a cue from Skyler, I thought I’d let you all know what happened this past week.

Over all, it was pretty typical. None the action really started until Friday. Michelle had been planning all along to spend the weekend in Pella for Mother’s Day, Valerie’s birthday, and Tulip Time. I was going to stay back and do some yard work.

On Friday morning Skyler woke up sounding like a ninety-six year old with emphysema. Michelle and I both agreed we needed to take her in and at least get it checked. The problem was that Michelle had committed to substitute teach and finding a sub for the sub, while ironic, was a bit out of the question.

I stayed back from work long enough to take Skyler to the doctor. She was an absolute doll the whole time and did exactly as the doctor or the nurses asked. The only thing she didn’t want to do was stand on the scale because then she would have had to leave my side. Instead, I carried her on the scale, then the doctor weighed me.

The doctor said it was nothing to be alarmed about–a small ear infection and most likely her cold draining. After picking up some medication, I dropped Skyler off at the babysitter and headed back to work.

Michelle picked up the girls after school and started to head toward Pella. She made it two hours and decided to turn around. She was worried she was coming down with the flu that Michelle Van Egdom came down with the night before (both Michelle’s were out rummaging) and figured she would rather call off the trip than ruin it by being sick.

This all ended up for the better for my part. It’s usually pretty boring when the girls are away. Michelle ended up feeling fine on Saturday, and she helped me with the yard work. It was a glorious day. The sun shone, it was warm and calm. We got a lot done and we have the blisters to prove it.

We closed the day by having Mom and Dad VB over for supper. Mom VB brought steaks over earlier in the day, and I grilled them on my Weber. The steaks she brought over would probably qualify as roasts out in Michigan. We ate well.

Today was a typical Sunday apart from some exchanging of cards. I had gotten Michelle flowers on Thursday already since they had planned on being gone. The weather was a bit of a mixed bag with a thundershower in the morning and a warm windy day for the rest.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers out there.

And that is what happened.

We arrived home late last night after a long day of traveling. Our plane landed in Omaha around 9:30 p.m. and the two and a half hour drive finished our travels for a while again. The flight from Chicago to Omaha went well. The girls slept most of the way and I got to see a beautiful lightning display outside the window of our plane. It was far enough away not to disrupt our plane too much. The landing was a little bumpy, but I’ve been through much worse.

Our flight from Orlando to Chicago had the worse kid on it. It just happened to be my own daughter, Skyler. She didn’t cry or yell but she was constantly moving from lap to lap, discontent with whatever situation she happened to be in. At one point we sat her next to Annica and I think fireworks went off. I was glad when we touched down and got out of the plane.

Saturday morning was much like the rest of the week. We spent some time at the pool. Annica made new friends, and I tried to stay in the shade as much as possible–my shoulders and neck were probably emitting more radiation than that wrecked nuclear power plant in Japan.

On Friday we drove from Orlando to Daytona beach. The girls loved the sand but were a bit afraid of the waves and the surf. I got to spend some time chasing down some waves. It was awesome.

Thursday was a day spent at the pool–the day I got fried.

On Wednesday we went to the Magic Kingdom with Dad and Mom Wories and Valerie to see Mickey Mouse and the gang. I have to say that the girls did particularly well and loved it. As the day went on, the inevitable waiting in line and crowded quarters probably affected me more than the girls. I did my best to keep my opinion of things to myself, but, by 8:00 pm or so, everyone else agreed that it was time to head back.

I do have a bit of an excuse though since I didn’t really get to Orlando till well after midnight the night before. I left work around 11:30 anxious to head south. The day of travel took its toll, but it was well worth it to finally arrive.

The girls had made it down there Sunday evening after having their flight canceled on Saturday. We flew Southwest Airlines exclusively so the whole “hole in the roof” thing that canceled a bunch of flights affected us directly. The only good that came out of it was that Michelle got to spend an extra day home while most of my family was still around after we threw my Dad a surprise birthday party on Friday night.

The surprise was exactly that. Dad didn’t expect a thing. Kelsey, Ashley and Kara arrived early in the morning Friday. Janell, Whitney, TJ, Sable, Lacey, and Alaina came in a little bit after. We had to do some shuffling to keep the cars out of plain site, but, as I said before, it was a smashing success.

I’ve kind of kept to the highlights for simplicity sake. After dragging my brain through the last week or so, I think it’s time for a rest. Until next time. Oh, and I promise pictures very soon.

This morning on the way to church I noticed that it was one of those special winter mornings when everything is covered with white powder. Each branch on all the trees, every nook and cranny, is covered with white sparkly crystals that shine in the sunlight. The beauty is stunning. And while the sight is something to awe at, there is a harsh reality behind that beauty. In order for such a thing to happen, the temperature has to dip low enough to suck all the moisture out of the air and freeze it to everything exposed. Brrrr.

The cold weather brings another thing of beauty into the Van Bemmel household this year. Having had our chimney inspected, we are now free to burn all that wood that Grandpa Van Bemmel has been busy splitting for us. As I sit here right now I can see the glowing embers pulse as they draw in the air around them and feed the flames. I can hear the slight whistle as the moisture caught inside a log or two boils out under pressure from the heated core.

Michelle and the girls left for Chicago this past Friday picking up “Aunty Val” along the way. It sounds like they are having a good time at Mom and Dad Wories’ house and attending the various Christmas activities. I’m sorry I have to miss out, but Interstates doesn’t close down for Christmas like some of the previous places I’ve worked at have. It will take me a little bit to build up some vacation days, but, all in all it’s a good arrangement.

As I hinted at in the heading, this post is doing double duty this week as both a very tardy “weekly” check-in and “THE” annual Christmas letter. Let’s get down to business.

Annica hasn’t slowed down one bit. The stakes are a little higher since she is older and able to reason out new ways of getting into things. Anything can become a step stool in a pinch and I believe that there isn’t anything she can’t get at if she really puts her mind to it. The ingenuity of that girl is astounding. The biggest change since last year, however, has to be in communication and memory. Michelle and I learned early on that it is unwise to to try and “trick” her with explanations. Let me give a made up example. If Annica asks why she can’t have any more candy, a grown up explanation might be that “if you have any more, your teeth will fall out.” Of course she’ll take you for your word, but, she will also remember just how much candy she had and a few days later, when you may have let her have more candy than the time before, she will call you out.

“Mom, I had a lot of candy today, didn’t I,” she might say.
“Yes Annica, you did,” Michelle might answer.
“More than the other day when Levi was over and we played with paint?”
“Probably.”
“But my teeth didn’t fall out, did they mom? I must have super strong teeth. Yay!”

Of course her logic is undeniable, and you have been caught in a lie. The best course is to tell her the truth in the best way you can put it because her elephant memory is bound to catch you if you take the “easy” way out.

Skyler is Annica’s best pupil. Since the first day she started crawling she’s wanted to go up. She conquered the stairs in short order. Just a few weeks after she got steady on her feet, she started trying to pull herself up on the kitchen chairs. Today it is just as hard to keep her from climbing on the top of the couch as it is Annica. Annica still has a step or two of speed over Skyler, but, when the two run back and forth in Skyler’s room, you can tell that Annica is gonna have to keep up her game to maintain that lead. They are starting to play together downstairs away from the watchful eye of Mom. Skyler seems to have a higher tolerance for Annica’s always-in-your-face, physically controlling type of play than I do when watching them. We can’t even imagine what we’ll do when they become teenagers.

But, like Aristotle and Plato, the pupil is not a mirror image of the teacher. While Annica takes to new people and strangers without a second thought, Skyler can play shy. She’ll hide her face in your shoulder and peak when guests arrive at the door. When she gets sleepy she gets cuddly and often goes to bed without putting up a fight. She can also be sly. She knows that Annica is particularly fond of her blanky and bunny and when she wants to pick on her, she’ll grab either one and run with it which usually results in some bodily harm as Annica wrenches it from her and Skyler hits the ground. What’s a mom to do?

Aside from being referee between the lightning and thunder that are our girls, Michelle stays busy with housework and substitute teaches occasionally. She sees Michelle Van Egdom quite often at either our house or theirs so that the kids can play together and the mom’s can commiserate. If she’s not planning a trip to Chicago or Pella, she’s probably trying to sell some Tastefully Simple, playing volleyball, or trying to keep me in line (that can be a full time job in itself).

The thing I commend her most for is her unending creativity in coming up with things for the girls to do to keep busy. Most of the time, I admit, I’m content with finding something, anything, that will keep them occupied and allow me to sneak off and do my own thing. Michelle, however, has a gift for thinking up fun activities that that not only occupy but also teach something in some way. I guess it goes to show that a good education never goes to waste.

As for myself, I’m enjoying my job at Interstates supporting the computer systems. I find that most computer problems are equal parts machine and human error. Unlike others in my field, I enjoy helping the human side as much as the machine although both can be equally frustrating.

I’m home almost every night at 5:30 which makes for good family time before 8:30 when the girls go to bed. Although supper time can be a struggle–Skyler still isn’t a fan of her high chair and Annica rarely stays in her chair for a whole meal–our nights fill up with running around and a good amount of tickling.

After the girls go to bed, I’ll most likely either read a book or get back on the computer. Putting sermons online and keeping up the website for church gives me a few tasks to complete each week. I’ve also worked on computers for another business and a few individuals on the side. As far as writing goes, my weekly scheduled posts have slipped a bit. Judging from the size of this time, I’d say the need to write it out has probably just been building up. I’d really like to say that I’ll be more disciplined in the future, but, I know myself too well to make any promises.

It looks like I need to put another log on the fire, so, in closing, let me wish each and every one of you a merry Christmas and a happy new year. May God be as gracious to you and your family in this new year as He has been to ours in the year past.

Growing up I was always around someone who did enough talking for the both of us. On the playground, it was my brother. At home, it was my mom. Sundays, around the table for coffee, it was everyone else.

When I got to college, I let the people getting paid to talk do all the talking. I was always more of a listener. I might be found in a coffee shop having a one-on-one discussion, but, even then, I was given to listening.

That famous Michigander, Ernest Hemingway, once said, “I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” Well said. I agree.

At home I have a new person to do the talking for me.

Lately Annica has been given to semi-long discussions on the phone. One day Aunt Val called wanting to talk to Michelle and ended up talking to Annica for fifteen minutes instead. Michelle didn’t learn about it till she came down the stairs from putting Skyler to bed. Tonight, Annica talked to Uncle Ryan for a while to wish him happy birthday. She paced back and forth on the couch where the cushions, now on the floor, used to be. She would occasionally cock her head to one side as if to cradle the phone there just like Michelle has a habit of doing.

Psalm 127 says that children are a blessing because they will speak with the enemies in the gate. I can’t help but laugh at the picture that plays out in my head as I think about it.

Suppose our house had a long driveway and one of my “enemies”–probably someone I had a heated debate with–came to call on me. He would enter the gate piping mad–rehearsing his speech. Annica would meet him at the gate with a “Hi man.” By the time he reached the house, he would probably have heard all about what Annica and Levi did yesterday when he came over and when grandpa Bert was coming to visit. Annica would tell him that Skyler isn’t feeling good and has a fever. He might wonder what she’s talking about when she says that grandpa Bert will give her a “pie in the face.” By the time he reached the house he would have forgotten his point.

Skyler would follow right behind, listening intently.

Five hours in the car brought us to Arby’s for a bite to eat before heading over to the hotel. After checking in, we took the girls to the pool. Annica isn’t quite tall enough to stand in the shallow end of the big pool. Skyler is stuck somewhere between a fear of water and a longing for the freedom of movement. She oscillates between clutching your throat and trying to jump out of your arms into the water. Michelle watches both girls like a hawk every moment we are within five feet of the water.

Annica’s first jump from edge of the pool into the water and my arms was full of hesitation. After the second jump she remembered that she had done this all before and began her five foot leaps from edge to arms. She thinks that I am catching her but she is really diving in all by herself. I just keep her from going under.

After the pool, Skyler went down in the pack-and-play provided by the hotel. Annica is sleeping on a makeshift bed consisting of couch cushions on the floor of the small closet beside the one large bed. The fact that this might be a bad idea didn’t occur to us until it was bed time and Annica duly reminded us that she is currently afraid of the dark. Forgetting the night light and setting her up to sleep in a small closet in retrospect seems on the fringe of diabolical. She’s sleeping now.

We’ll see how the rest of the night goes.