Celebrating Mom/Grandma's Birthday!

From Anna :)

From Tatie, a student that my parent's are hosting for the fall

The gift from my Dad - tickets to a few different musicals/plays at Miller Auditorium

Our gift to Grandma was a frame with a picture of our three kids holding the ultrasound picture of baby #4!  My Mom didn't see the ultrasound picture at first glance but it didn't take her long to catch on!  

The picture that was in the frame :)

Saturday Morning Soccer

Another morning of soccer!  Samuel isn't getting much braver but he seems to really enjoy himself as long as Mommy is right next to him. :)

A beautiful fall day!

We had a great day playing outside!

Aliyah holding her baby and watching the backyard soccer game!

Samuel decided that he wanted to pull up a chair and watch the soccer game too.  The only problem?  He was the soccer player!!  That just left Mommy to play soccer while Samuel and Aliyah watched and cheered. :)

My biggest fans ;)

And Hope . . . my sweet girl that would rather sit in a chair and read books than get up and run around outside.

Aliyah decided to get in on some soccer action

And look!  Hope decided playing soccer looked fun.  I'm so glad that she came and joined us!

My soccer boy :)

Waving to the crowd (just like Aunt Anna does) as his name and number were announced, "Number 20, Riley Steen!"  (his choice of players and his idea to wave!)

And not to be outdone by her big brother, "Number 18, Anna Stegink!"

His two favorite sports right now are soccer and baseball.  We spend a lot of time each day playing these two sports!!

Watching Soccer or Playing Soccer?

Anna's soccer season at Cornerstone University is in full swing again!  Seriously one of my favorite times of the year.  Samuel agrees.  He loves going to Aunt Anna's soccer games.  He loves watching her for a few minutes but then he can't hardly sit still and he has to get up and play some soccer too!  Anna's roommate, Paige, who also plays soccer has a little brother Isaac that is just a few months older than Samuel.  They were so cute tonight playing soccer together!  The other two boys were younger brothers from another girl on Anna's team.

Reading Books

This sweet girl

Can sit for a very long time

And page through book after book

After book.  

I hope that her love for books continues!!

Baby Update

7 weeks along today! I had an ultrasound and we saw the heart beat for the first time! The heart rate was 134. So excited and relieved to see that precious heart beating. :)

Tillers Harvest Fest

My parent's are hosting a girl, Tatie, from Ecuador.  She attends Earth College in Costa Rica and she is here doing an internship at KALSEC.  Her roommate in Costa Rica, Santa (from Haiti!), is out at Tillers in Scotts, MI doing her internship.  We went out and visited Tillers for the Harvest Fest today.  It was hot but the kids enjoyed it and I think Santa appreciated all of us coming out to see her and to see where she is working.

All of the kids had a chance to sit in a fire truck. 

Looking at the Ox

Aliyah loved petting the animals 

Hope petting a bunny

Looking at a chinchilla

One of the horses at Tillers

H-O-P-E

Hope worked very hard at spelling her own name on the magna-doodle . . . 

She did it!  Good job, Hope!!

Hope's 1st Dance Class!

Hope had her first dance class today!  She is going to Elevation Dance and Fitness and her teacher is Miss Niki.  Niki is a Christian Mom with 3 little kids and she teaches the classes in an awesome dance studio right in her own basement!  Hope really enjoyed her first class today.  She is doing a combo class of ballet and tap.  Hope's friend Abigail is in the class with her so that makes it even better!  Wasn't my little Hopey girl just a baby??  Seriously!

Miniature Golfing with Grandma

Samuel had a special, wonderful date with Grandma - miniature golfing!  This was the first time ever that he had gone.  Of course, he loved it!  They didn't keep score but my Mom said he got quite a few 2s and 3s.  Not bad for a first time!  After miniature golfing they walked over to Culver's for some ice cream.  I love it that Samuel can have special "dates" with his Grandma!

Samuel's 4th Birthday Party

We had a beautiful Sunday afternoon for Samuel's 4th birthday party!  What made it an even better day was that we our new slider is in so people could walk right out onto our deck from our sunroom.  So awesome!!  

Some of Samuel's party guests (from left to right): Tatie, Anna, Great-Aunt Sandy, Grandma Stegink, Great-Grandpa Bishop, Great-Grandpa Stegink, Grandpa Stegink 

Great-Grandma Stegink and Great-Grandma Bishop having a conversation :)

We had marinated chicken and baked potatoes (both on the grill), fruit salad (thanks Great-Grandma Stegink!), Cashew Salad (thanks Grandma Stegink!) and sweet corn straight from the farm (thanks Grandpa and Grandma Buiter!)

Samuel's presents from Grandma and Grandpa Stegink

Samuel could hardly wait to open his presents.  4 year old birthdays are so much fun because this is the first year that he's been really excited and has totally understood what a birthday party is all about!  This race track is from Grandpa and Grandma Stegink.  He's been asking for it for a long time!

A new coat from Grandpa and Grandma Stegink

Fun books (How come I have never heard of Mo Willems before?  That author is a genius!) from Aunt Rachel and Uncle Andrew

A BIG red tractor and trailer from Grandpa and Grandma Buiter!

A hockey shirt from Aunt Danielle, Uncle Dan, Alyx, Madison, and Jordyn.  Jordyn even has the same shirt!!  When we were camping with them in August, Jordyn and Samuel, on the same days, wore their basketball shirts, their baseball shirts, and their soccer shirts.  On the day that Jordyn had a hockey shirt on, Samuel had nothing to wear!  Aunt Danielle was determined to fix that!! :)

A magna-doodle ("magazine") from Aunt Anna

Samuel's soccer cake.  He even put all the little soccer players on by himself!

He's been asking for a soccer cake for months . . . so glad it was an easy cake to make!

My big (and silly!) 4 year old

Singing along with everyone

During his birthday party, Samuel stood on his tiptoes and told me, "Mommy, if I stand on my tippy toes like this, I feel like I'm 5!"  Slooooow down, buddy!!

Blowing out the candles!

In true Samuel fashion, he asked for a big helping of ice cream and declined the cake. :)

Can you tell that he absolutely loved his birthday party?!  

Happy Birthday big boy!  Mommy and Daddy love you and we are so proud of you!!