Nik's 2nd Football Game

#84 Nik Masselink

Go Nik!

Nice Tackle!

Today, Sept 20 was an unusually hot day for football. I think we sweat as much as the players on the field! Nik's team played very well but lost again 0-22. Our Golden Eagle is a little bummed that they lost again but he did an awesome job out on the field!

The Circus... The Circus... We Love the Circus!

We love the circus!

Keikei's favorite!

Thank you Nana!

Nana ( Rennae ) took all of us to the Circus on Thurs the 18th and we had a blast! Keagan liked the elephants the most so that's what I took pictures of. Thanks to Jerilynn for the great picture of Nana and the boys!

Nik's First Game

It rained....and rained....and rained!

It was a very wet first game for Nik and his teammates here in Grandville on Sat Sept 13th. Unfortunately they lost 16-14 but they had fun playing in the mud! I guess bleaching white football pants was on my list of things to do on Sunday. The pics we took were a little blurred from all the rain so I will only put in one for now and wait until the next game to send along some good ones of the Golden Warriors.

First Day of School!

I can't wait to get inside!

We LOVE school!

Ok we are kind of cheating. The boys actually started school on the 2nd. Nik is in 5th grade....wow really?! Caleb is in 1st grade this year. Keagan started on the 8th at East Elementary, with the brothers, in the 3 year old program M, W, F in the mornings.
We Actually took the picture of all 3 kids a little later then the first day.....more the the 12th day but at least I got it!

Labor Day Weekend August 29 - September 1 2008

Waves!

I love the sun!

You would never know that I used to hate the sand!

Summer Rocks!!!!

Goodbye to a wonderful summer! We can't wait to come back again next year!

Wow! Labor Day Weekend already! Where did the summer go? We headed once again to the "Red House" however we had two less kids with us. Nik and Caleb decided they wanted to go to walk the Mackinaw Bridge with Grandma Hilda...so it was just Keagan, Eddie and I in Ludington this year. Saturday we hit the beach at Nana and Papa's in Manistee and hung out with Karla and Max, Travis, Cara and Adalynn and some of Travis and Cara's friends from church. Sunday we went into town and window shopped a little then headed to the beach....probably for the last time this summer. : ( We headed home at about noon on Monday. Strangely enough we took US31 which we normally don't do.....we take the back way....especially during a holiday. I said "oh here we go.... look here's the first accident" and Eddie said "oh my gosh that's Travis!" I guess God had a reason for us to go that way home. Travis, Cara, Adalynn and the dogs were all fine however the little Grand Am that hit them didn't come out to well. It really didn't stand a chance up against their Ford F250. Thank God everyone including the 2 guys in the Grand Am, that looked to be totaled, were all fine.

August 23rd 2008

We headed to Laurie and Brian's house and headed out onto Gull Lake for the day. It's even prettier then I remember it. The boys went tubing with Jake and Alaina and we hung out in the water by the island on the sand bar for most of the day. It was a little overcast but well worth the trip! We hope to do it again soon! Thank you Klok's! Pics to follow soon.....I hope Laurie.

Regatta August 2-3 2008

Naomi with the sailboats off in the distance...waiting to see if the race was gonna happen or not.

Go Uncle T! He was out practicing and checking out the water( He's behind Keagan)

The race delay...the water is too choppy...maybe tomorrow

Nik and Nemo

And imagine that we are up north again however this time we are the guests of Nana and Papa, John and Rennae, at the "The Brown House" in Manistee. We again had a blast at the beautiful mighty Lake Michigan. We had a wonderful surprise that Travis and Jeff's long time friend Carl who is in the Navy showed up for just long enough to participate in the Regatta before deploying.....we hope for the last time. We pray that he comes home quickly and safely. However the race was delayed because the water was a little choppy on Saturday...they actually waited until Sunday to race. Nik and Eddie sailed this year.....not together however. Nik went with Papa, John, and they got 3rd Place in the Double-Handed race and a really cool white flag to put in his room. Eddie manged to get a 1st place in the Double Handed race with Kurt Van Volkenburg a member of the Lakeland Recreational Association and a good friend of John and Rennae's. Thank you John and Rennae once again for you hospitality.

The Klok's Arrive!

Jake and Alaina

The older Masselink boys weren't the only ones to drive race cars this summer!

Caleb and Alaina

Nik, Caleb, Jacob and Alaina on Tornado

Laurie, Jacob and Alaina arrived for another visit on July 23rd. We went to the beach and ate s'mores and then before they left on the 24th we took the kids to the Mason County Fair. Something I have never been too but will go again if we happen to be there again when it is. The kids had a blast!

Ludington July 2008.... late arrival.....July 20th-25th

I want to go to bed!

Finally!

What a hole!
We couldn't get down Lincoln off of Duneview or Dewey.

We had fun making s'mores with our friends the Kloks

Another beautiful Ludington sunset!

Now we get back to a little normalcy....kind of. Here we are finally at our favorite summer destination......Ludington , MI ....."The Red House." Eddie was only able to stay with us until Tuesday. Luckily our friends Mary and Eric came up with us for a few days and gave him a ride back to Grand Rapids so he could work and the kids and I could stay and play for a few more days and we didn't have to make an extra trip home! But what to do without Dad?

MIS ( Michigan International Speedway)

We camped and it rained all day

Then it kind of stopped so we went to the beach...why not.... we were already wet!

Sunday....Race day.....Eddie was ready

150mph! Whew! Too fast for me!

At the checkered flag....the Final Standings were.....Grandpa "Fast Eddie" showed them how it was done!

The Masselink boys had an absolute blast at Race Car Driving School. This is something they will not soon forget and I am sure we will be hearing stories about how fast they went for years to come! Thank you so much Ed and Deb for a great weekend!

4th of July 2008

Caleb, Nik and Keagan at the 4th of July Parade in Manistee

July 5th at Lake Michigan

What a beautiful sunset!

July was a busy month for us not only were we up north in Manistee at the "Brown House" for the 4th we were up again a few weeks later for our annual vacation in Ludington at the "Red House." It seems like we'd get home kind of unpack and then be packing up again to go away. But before we hit the Ludington we made our way down to MIS and Race car driving school in Brooklyn, MI.

Keagan's First Airplane Trip June 2008

We Love San Francisco!

Leilani, Keagan and Anthony

Our Hostess with the Mostess

Gotta eat at Joe's Crab Shack

Some of you may think that I was a little crazy attempting this by myself me being a lover of flying...ha! I, by myself, took Keagan on her first airplane ride and it wasn't an easy one....two layovers later...we touched down in San Francisco at 11:30pm their time...it was 2:30am our time! Whew! We only had 2 small incidents...she decided it was a good idea to get out of her stroller in not one airport but 2 airports! Once in Grand Rapids, MI so not a big deal, small airport not may places to go. The seconded time she decided to escape was at Bush International Airport in Houston, TX! I almost killed her...she was laughing an running away from me smiling all the way down the concourse! Of course no one stopped her for me. I probably would have given them a medal for helping me out!

After we finally got our luggage, etc and we were off to Amanda and Steve's house in Walnut Creek for the next 10 days! Amanda and Steve went to Hawaii for their 10th Anniversary and for Amanda's 35th birthday. We had a blast with Leilani and Anthony. We were there for Leilani when she graduated from preschool. It was our last day in California and the weather was fantastic! It happened to be 110 that day in the shade! But it is dry heat , no humidity and I loved it! It was sad to go but on our way home we again had a layover at Bush and got to eat dinner with Aunt Beth...thanks Aunt Beth.... so that made it easier. The trip home was filled with layovers and delays and we ended up arriving back in Grand Rapids, MI at 1:30 am instead of the original 11:00 pm we were supposed to! I have told Eddie that I will not be traveling with the kids again for a while unless he is with me!

Memorial Day Weekend May 2008

Laurie and Brian

Caleb,Nik Jacob, Alaina and Keagan

Eddie and Keagan with Big Sauble

The kids relaxing

What have we been doing this summer? A little bit of everything from visiting Amanda, Steve and the kids in California to camping at MIS for race car driving school! We have had a fun action packed summer this year! It all started Memorial Day Weekend when we spent the weekend with two of my best friends and their kids. Laurie, Brian , Jacob and Alaina Klok joined us for a fun filled weekend. We hiked to Big Sauble ate at Luciano's and hung out at the Red House. It was a little cold but our first time guests had a blast and we were making plans for their next visit before they even left!