We are home from camp!!! There are a million loads of laundry to do and a house to clean but I wanted to finish my kid posts!

This is Thomas Michael...
Thomas is...

2 years and 10 months old
will be going to preschool in the fall
can sing all of "Dancing Queen" by Abba
Can't sing ABC's :)
loves to dance
loves Matchbox cars and monster trucks
loves to take baths
hates being "bossed" by Sydney
loves to swim
is terrified of people in animal costumes
hates carousels
loves to be outside
discovered he LOVES camping
could swing in a swing for HOURS
prefers dogs to cats
thinks Jonah is the coolest person ever
loves brushing his teeth
has the best smile
my cuddle bug
tolerates being dressed up by his big sisters
likes to have his picture taken
FINALLY uses the potty for everything!
loves his big boy unders
and is my sweet baby boy!!!

Camp is almost here! I am doing lots of laundry, packing, repacking, making lists....oh boy. But I didn't want to neglect my fourth born, she gets enough of that :) So here she is...

This is Sydney Diane.
Sydney....


is 5 years and 4 months old
will be an all day kindergartner in the fall

sucks her finger still
has the best smile
has no fear
talks VERY loudly :)
is pretty rough with her siblings
donated her gorgeous curls to Locks of Love
still loves all things Dora
loves to swim
hates time out
eats very little meat
needs LOTS of sleep to be decent
can ride a two wheeler very well
loves wearing sandals
likes to change her clothes, frequently
likes to hug
is clingy to me
is well liked by mosquitoes :)
like to play any make believe game as long as her name is Mermaidia :)
LOVES High School Musical
renames her stuffed animals daily
today her two favorite are Troy and Gabriella
loves to sing
loves to play the Wii
is learning things on the computer as fast as I am
is my Boo, forever and always :)

I've been away from blogging for a while. Noah was with us for a few days while my mom and dad were away. We slept out in the camper which is always fun. Plus it's been nice and cool in the evening which makes it that much more comfortable. The countdown for camp has begun, the kids are so excited to go up north and make lots of new friends. I can't wait to reconnect with some old friends and have my kids experience the camp of my youth!! 9 days :)

And now, my next child....

This is Emma Jane
Emma is....

7 years and 3 months old
will be a second grader in the fall
LOVES to read, every time I turn around her nose is in a book!!
has a very "grown up" mind
says the FUNNIEST stuff
has an interesting taste in clothing
has quite the temper
is the best diver amongst my kids
has a great imagination
likes to play on her own
is a devoted friend
has the best laugh
teeters back and forth between tomboy and girly girl
is not the most patient girl :)
is very affectionate
HATES doing the dishes
loves having her hair brushed (NOT!!!)
can't wait to be a second grader
cares deeply about taking care of our planet
loves to ride her bike
answers to my nickname for her "Emma Fred" :)
She cracks me up!!!

And now for my second born (just a sidenote on this picture: This is her dress for my sister's wedding. I am allowing her to "grow out" her bangs....it's already driving me NUTS!! Ok, I'm done now...moving on...)

Molli....

is 8 years and 7 months old
will be a third grader in the fall
is the oldest girl in our family
she knows it :)
is the most like me, physically and otherwise
is very bossy and controlling
is a born leader
can really sing
wants to be a singer, artist, movie star and ballerina when she grows up
is VERY determined, sometimes to her detriment

is an awesome student
reads at a 6th grade level
is extremely dramatic
tends to be a follower if she's around another girl (who shall remain nameless)
is very perceptive of her world
gets insanely tan in the summer
swims like a fish
dives like a pro
is almost ready to wear a bra (AAAAAHHHHHHH!)
loves to write in her journals
loves to dress up
wants to wear high heels
has a great smile
and she makes me laugh...she's my Molli bug. :)

In honor of summer and the fact that my children are home 24/7, I've decided to do a post on each child individually. Tell you all about them right now. And if that's too boring for you...well then don't come and read it :)

I'll start with my firstborn. Jonah.

Jonah...

is 10 years and 5 months old
finally has short hair after an endured season of long hair
is so athletic, he can pick up any sport fast (much to his father's dismay)
is going to be a 5th grader this fall (lord, help me!)
is incredibly handsome
is so good with his little brother, not so much with the sisters :)
has the biggest heart for animals
He wants to be a vet when he grows up
is very sensitive to how other people are feeling, again, not so much with the sisters
kisses me goodbye every time he goes somewhere
HATES reading
loves science
is quite an imaginative drawer
like to play with his "guys" still
REALLY wants a Nintendo DS for Christmas
(he's getting one) :)
is nosy and always wants to know what's going on
yells...a lot
can sing....I love to hear him sing
gets told that he should be a model
likes the house clean
hates to make it clean :)
truly wants other people to be happy

Which makes me a very happy mom. I love this kid.

SUN, GLORIOUS SUN!!!! Now, don't get me wrong, I don't handle hot weather very well. But I do LOVE the sun. And we have had a very wet, cool June so this sweep of sun and warmth is very welcome. We spent the WHOLE weekend in the sun at the pool. It was wonderful!

We had fun celebrating our dads too. Matt took an early morning bike ride with Jonah, father and son :) That gave the girls and I the chance to make breakfast and cards. Then it was off to church and then off to Mom's where we celebrated Matt and my dad. Lots of swimming and steak eating. A perfect day, minus the moments of whining and time outs :)

Another summer week begins and here I sit, trying to find things to keep us busy. Wednesday is Matt's day off and we are heading to Lake Michigan for the day. The kids are excited about the "ocean" which we have to keep reminding them is just a big lake :) They don't care!

Summer is trudging on in the Kurtz home. We've finally had some warmer weather so being able to send the kids outside to play has been a blessing. And I am always grateful for Grandma's pool. I'm going to get a lot of reading done this summer :)

I have been debating whether or not to blog about this, but I really feel like I need to write it down for myself. It's just a bonus that you all can read it as well :)

Before the purchase of our HUGE blessing, the BIG van as the kids call it, Matt and I sat down to really talk through our finances. Now I will come right out and admit that this is a HUGE area of struggle for me. I love to buy things. Love it. I love walking into a store and buying things, not for me but for my kids, Matt, or whoever. I also love to eat out. It's oh so easy to not grocery shop and pull into a McDonald's for dinner.Because of these behaviors and others, we have struggled financially for most of our married lives. Our credit is atrocious and we are completely to blame. We've had many people come along side of us and help us, but it wasn't until recently that I realized that, if I didn't change my heart and my actions, things would never change. I wish I could say that I was miraculously healed of wasteful spending. That is NOT the case. But I am committed to submitting to my husband, to living on a budget, and to saving money. I will not pretend that this will be easy. It will NOT. But I believe that God has called me to obedience, to surrender, and to submission.

The biggest part of this is tithing. We have not tithed regularly, ever. And I have been hot over the head recently that this is a sin. Everything we have is God's. That includes every penny of our money. And by not tithing, I am robbing God. Robbing Him. God forgive me. It just always seemed that we needed that money for groceries or gas. But it was all just an excuse. This Sunday, I was reminded that God doesn't need my dollars, He needs and wants my submission and my obedience. I need to tithe because He told me to. Because it's part of my worship to Him. That I could put money in the plate every week, but if my heart was hard, that it wouldn't matter. And that I cannot tithe with the expectation that if I give Him money, He's going to give me something. I need to lay my offering at His feet, even if nothing else happens, I'll know that I obeyed and worshipped my Savior. This has been huge for me. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around it, but I will tell you that this Sunday, I was shaking with the excitement of placing our offering in the plate. Who knew being obedient could feel so right? :)

Day 1 of summer break started VERY early....I was WIDE awake at 10 minutes to 6...I looked toward heaven and asked God why on EARTH I was awake? He just smiled. The kids bounded out of bed at 6:30, no sleeping in the first day or anything. They were excited to explore and play and head to the playground for a picnic. Till we took a look at the very gray sky and the very wet ground. It appeared our first day would be an indoor one. It actually went very well. The kids were forced encouraged to help with some cleaning around the house which was very nice. I'm starting to work on summer chore lists.....that will go over REALLY well :)

Our van continues to be glorious. We all went and picked up Noah for a sleepover tonight and we ALL FIT!! Legally! In seat belts!! God is GOOD!!!

We are still trying to plan out our summer so as to make the most of it. I really want this to be a great summer. Camping next week will be a blast! We scrubbed, and I mean scrubbed, the camper down on Wednesday. It was great fun, till Molli fell off of the top of the camper. The camper wasn't open; she and Sydney were on the closed top scrubbing it down, but she managed to cut her leg and get some great bruises. She was up and throwing water at us in fairly short order so I think she'll live :)

And now off to bed I go....day 1 complete!

What's new in the Kurtz house....hmmm, where should I begin? How about here.....



Meet the newest member of the Kurtz family!! It's a 12 passenger van! It is so beautiful and I am still in awe that it's ours!!! Now all of our kids fit with room to spare, we can transport my brother legally, and we only have to take one vehicle when the kids have friends over. It's a huge blessing and I am so excited about it!!!

Only a day and a half left in school year...doesn't seem quite possible that the year has come and gone. Yet here we are on the brink of summer vacation. What's even scarier is that, come fall, I'll have a 5th grader, a third grader, a 2nd grader, and a full day kindergartner. Plus I hope to have Thomas in a two morning a week program. Wow.

I was tagged by my beautiful friend . So the rules are that I have to tag the person who tagged me, complete a list or 8, and then tag 8 other people (and let them know I tagged them). So here goes:

I was tagged by my beautiful friend . So the rules are that I have to tag the person who tagged me, complete a list or 8, and then tag 8 other people (and let them know I tagged them). So here goes:

8 Things I Am Looking Forward To:

1. Swimming every day
2. Connecting with new friends
3. My brother and his family coming to visit
4. Friday night bonfires
5. Camping!!!
6. Firefly catching
7. Being able to stop using my dryer completely
8. Not having to get out of bed by 6:30!

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. laundry
2. Checked Facebook
3. dishes
4. Ate Subway
5. Finished my Jodi Piccoult book
6. Redid our budget with Matt
7. Made out our camping meal plan and grocery list
8. Weeded my strawberry patch

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

1. Wake up tomorrow and be a size 12
2. Financially support my family
3. Go on a cruise again with Matt
4. Take our family to Disney World
5. Rewind time
6.Make my children stop growing
7. Pilates
8. Cook like any of the Food Network people!!!

8 Shows I Watch:

1. Lost
2. Fringe
3. American Idol
4. Grey's Anatomy
5. Private Practice
6. Say Yes to the Dress
7. So You Think You Can Dance
8. The Closer

8 Favorite Fruit:

1. Cherries (fresh)
2. bananas
3. strawberries
4. blueberries
5. blackberries
6. pears
7. plums
8. peaches

8 Places I'd Like to Travel:


1. Williamsburg (well I've been but Matt and the kids haven't!)
2. France
3. Ireland
4. Australia
5. Colorado
6. Hawaii
7. Alaska
8. Prince Edward Island
9. New Zealand

8 Places I've Lived:

1. Brockport, New York
2. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
3. South Lyon, Michigan
4. Mancelona, Michigan
5. Grand Rapids, Michigan
6. Wixom, Michigan
7. Milford, Nebraska
8. Battle Creek, Michigan

8 People I've Tagged:

I'm not even sure that eight people read this, but...

The amazing triathlon participant at My 5 Little Monkeys

The almost ready to pop any day new mommy at Mrs. Hawk

The woman with the most beautiful smile Mindy Schoeb

My sister-in-law who I know reads this (you can do it on Facebook!) Robin

My grandma or my Aunt Lisa who I suspect read this as well (you guys could do it in an e-mail!)

And I'm fresh out of people to tag :)

Did you ever have one of those days where you wish you could just rewind it and start all over?? That was my day today...

I had a WIC appointment this morning. So after the big kids got on the bus, I quick got Thomas and Syd ready. We loaded up into the van and the van was dead. Lovely. So I quick made a call and asked someone to come and jump the van. They showed up and, low and behold, no jumper cables. Now I'm started to lose it. She wonderfully offered to take us to the appointment and then stop and get the cables on the way back. Then my appointment took forever! Golly, I sure wish they could come up with a simpler and quicker way to get in and out of there! But we lived and got the van running and life was good. Till we went to WalMart. I had to get 2 things....2. Thomas and Syd were at each other's throats and screaming and pulling hair and it was not pretty. I left without the 2 things that I needed and drove home crying.

Now they are both napping and I am eating chocolate. The day is looking a little brighter already :)

9 days. That's all. 9 days of school left It seems like it was just yesterday that I took this......


It sure is bittersweet. I will be glad of the release of schedule and be able to have more freedom. Yet I cringe to lose the structure and schedule of it. We are already getting glimpses of what could be if we don't keep busy this summer. Lord, give me patience :)

And I need some input. We leave for camping just days after the kids get out of school and I need some help thinking of good camping meals. I usually pick things that are WAY impractical for the simplicity of camping. So any ideas? What do you guys take and make during camping trips??

I will attempt to keep myself in check while posting this, although there are no promises that that will actually happen. But I will try.

My little boy got his heart broken. Not Thomas, thankfully he is still blissfully unaware of the opposite sex. I mean my BIG little boy. And all of the drama has left me a little LOT angry. Here's what happened....

Last year was our kid's first year in a new school district. Jonah was entering the third grade and was mad as a hornet that we had moved and hence, he had to switch schools. He's rather shy, my Jonah. Anyway, from the first day f school till the last, he had a crush. She was the prettiest girl in the third grade and ALL the boys liked her. I knew Jonah was smitten just by the way he said her name. I braced myself for this and all was well. Well, at the beginning of this his fourth grade year, I was informed that this girl had chosen my son as her "boyfriend". After I woke up from my fainting spell, I sat down with my son to inquire just what this meant. He was very forthcoming with the facts, which were that being her boyfriend meant nothing. They simply play at recess, with 4 other kids. I was very content with this arrangement. At Christmas, he asked if he could use some of his money and get her a gift and I complied. It was all very cute and innocent. Now fast forward to last night..........

There are a lot of kids in Jonah's school that have their own cell phones. Now, my position on this is that I think it is RIDICULOUS for 1o year old children to have cell phones, STUPID even. If you are reading this, and your young child has their own cell phone, that is YOUR decision. But my children will NOT have cell phones until they are in high school. PERIOD. So my cell phone rang and a sweet, young girl's voice asked if Jonah was home. After I woke up again from yet another fainting spell, I passed the phone to Jonah. The conversation went like this: "Um no." "Well, she is lying." "No." "Ok, bye." He handed me back my cell and walked away. I followed him and asked what was up. He replied, "That was her. She wanted to know if I cheated on her with another girl." He shrugged and walked away. WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!??! Did we step into a black hole and somehow land in a parallel universe??? These are 10 YEAR OLDS!!!!! I was shocked, to say the very least. But it gets worse.

Jonah is in bed by 8 on school nights. At 8:05 my cell phone rings again and another girl's voice asks for Jonah. I snuck into his bedroom to see if he was still awake, of course he was :) I handed him the phone and stood and watched him have a conversation that lasted 5 minutes. After it was over, he was very quiet. I asked what was going on. He told me that the call was actually a three way call between his "girlfriend" and two other of her friends. And that she was calling to inform him that she was dumping him for someone else. I could tell that Jonah was not ok with this. I held his hand for a minute, kissed him goodnight, and left his room.

After sitting down for a few minutes, I got very angry. First of all, three way calling???!!! I didn't even do that until late high school!! And I sure as heck didn't do it on a cell phone. And what is with all this boy/girl DRAMA???? How ridiculous is it that this is happening in the fourth grade??? Poor Jonah, is just heartbroken. Does anyone else but me think this is just STUPID?????

It's official. Summer is here. The camper is up and has been slept in. Smores have been made and eaten. Swimming is happening on a daily basis. Corn on the cob has been purchased. And at least one of us has gotten sunburned :) Bring it on!

Last night, we all slept in the camper. This summer is different and another chapter for us as Thomas is not in the Pack and Play. He gets to sleep on one of the big kid beds. It took him a while to settle down, but then he slept great. It was so awesome to snuggle with Matt while listening to the kids giggle and whisper to each other. It made me remember how much I love camping, it just means we get to be together.

Today we are celebrating my brother. My baby brother, Joshie, is 22. 22!!!!!!!!!!! Golly, I still think he is 12. He is an amazing guy, I am so glad he is my brother.

Time for an update post, although I keep looking at the pics of Jonah below and LOVING them!! Now if I could just get him to shower more than once every two weeks.....

I am going to vent about a pet peeve of mine. :) Because it's my blog and I can. So there.

A few weeks ago, I read the book Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. He also authored The Davinci Code. I loved Angels and Demons. Thought provoking, easy reading and an enjoyable tale. I also knew the movie was coming out and wanted to read it before I saw the film. My mother did the same, so as part of her Mother's Day gift, I gave her tickets to the movie opening night. And we went. And it STANK! Only about 20% of the book made it into the movie! They changed to story line, changed people's names....UGH!!!! Why do they do this??? I have similar experiences with other books turned movies....the Love Comes Softly series...they were my FAVORITE books when I was growing up and the movies are HORRIBLE!!! I just cannot imagine how an author can allow screen writers to change their work so drastically. But then I guess maybe my hopes are just too high.

There is an exception to this, however. Well two exceptions. The first is the Bridge to Terabithia. My mom read this to us when we were little and I loved the story. I boycotted the movie for fear that it too would end up the same, ruined for me in film version. But the movie was lovely, and very close to the book and I enjoyed it immensely. The other is Twilight. I refused to see the movie for the longest time because I knew (from various sources, thank you Misty!) that there were differences from the book. And also because I just had this perfect picture in my head of Edward, Bella and the Cullens and I was sure the actors would ruin those pictures. But here's what happened, I LOVED the movie! Not because of the book, though. I love them separately, if that makes sense. I treated the movie as if I'd never read the book, and in that light, I loved it. I realized I could not hold the standard of the book to the movie. So maybe this is the philosophy I need to hold whenever I see movies that were based on books. But I am still cheesed about Angels and Demons....grrrrr.

Most of you know that my son's hair has been a slight issue for me. I have been trying to let him have it long and do his own thing. We've cut it back a few times. He has such gorgeous, thick hair....but I reached my limit. I needed him to cut it. And cut it huge. Thankfully, his two good buddies at school shaved their heads for the summer so convincing him wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. So he climbed into the barber chair, grumbling and sticking his tongue out at me. I promised him that, if he hated it, I would give him five dollars :) I am not above bribery. Here are before and after shots.....

















HE LIKES IT!!! And I adore it. He looks so much older and so mature. When we got into the van, I burst into tears. I just cannot believe how different he looks!!! What do y'all think???

It's Wednesday and, typically on any given Wednesday, you would find Matt and I and assorted children doing our weekly library trip, or at Horrock's sampling cheeses or just snuggling watching a movie. But not today. Matt is working today and I must say that has deeply affected my routine for this day. Not to mention that it is gray and cool. Ick.

And to add serious insult to injury, Sydney only has 2 days left of school. Which means that my gloriously quiet afternoons will now have a 5 year old back in them. *sigh* I am glad that she'll be home, it just means more rearranging. And I am so great at that!

21 days left of school for the older kids which means only 23 days until we go camping!!! I am so excited to be at the campground and making tons of memories. We have promised the kids to camp a lot this summer. Even though the campground is only 15 minutes from home, it feels like we are away on vacation and that is awesome. The kids ride bikes non stop, we hang out at the beach, we get to have campfires, and we get to be together. Really looking forward to it!!

The science fair is tomorrow *gag* Pics to come!!!

Today's weather was very appropriate to my emotions, gray and stormy. I don't know why I have such issues with Mother's Day, but it's safe to say that I will be so glad to go to bed Sunday night!!!

In other realms, it's science fair time. UGH. Last year, we were introduced to the "Purdy Science Fair". Oh boy. All the kids are encouraged to do a project, but only the third graders are graded on it. Emma was in kindergarten last year so we made a bird feeder out of a milk jug and she painted it. Molli did something with rice and water and Jonah studied goldfish. Well, as I went to deliver said projects, it quickly became evident that this is not simply a kid's science fair. This was a popularity contest. Some of the kindergarten projects could have been done in High School. And the project boards??? Oh don't even get me started. Clearly, many of these kids did NOT do their own projects. I made Jonah write all of his stuff out(bad handwriting and all),I helped some but he did most of the leg work. Isn't that how it's supposed to be?!?!?!? Not here. Not to mention, that if you do not have your child's project at the school AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, there's NO where to put them! Last year, both Emma and Molli's projects were on the GROUND!

So I enter this year's science fair with trepidation. The girls have picked cool experiments and we have documented and made their project boards. Not fancy, but THEY did the work. Well, with a little help from me. And I will be waiting at the gym door AS SOON as it opens to make sure they get a spot. After all, I have to play part of the game, right??

Ok time for a whining post....aren't you glad you decided to stop by?? :)

This has been a tough week for Matt and I. There is too much history and too many gory details to go into, but it's been a tough week. I have felt isolated and alone for the first time in many years. It truly reminded me of when we lived in a place where I had no friends and no one to sob my heart out to. I have literally gotten NOTHING done this week. The house is a mess and I've been sleepy and groggy. I can sense the depression hovering. And even though it's been this way, God has given me glimpses of joy. Thomas potty training...who knew that could bring me joy? Sydney learning to ride her bike. Jonah's MEAP scores....silly little things like this that I feel God has given me to help remind me that I am NEVER really alone. And that He is in the small stuff too. That's good, because I've needed Him there this week.

Part of my depression is this coming Sunday. Mother's Day has been rough for me for many reasons. One of them is that I feel so inadequate in expressing my gratitude and love for my mother. It seems so silly to have a dinner, give a card and a gift and that that somehow encapsulates how I feel about her. I could give her all the gifts in the world and never come close to showing how much she means to me. And being a mother, it's a tough day. In my opinion, there should be a totally random "Mom Day" where we could shower our moms with celebration of who they are and what they've done for us. That would mean so much more than Hallmark cards and potted plants, in my opinion.

So there you have it, my whining post. Now please excuse me while I go and eat everything that isn't nailed down.

Man, I love this weather. It feels like it's been a long time since I've been able to send the kids to school in sweatshirts and flip flops. I've missed being able to play outside and have bonfires and ride bikes. Speaking of bike riding, I must brag on my Sydney girl. We really don't have anywhere to ride bikes at our house, no sidewalks, etc. Although, the bigger kids have made bike trails around the house, but it wasn't a good place to teach Syd to ride without her training wheels. So we hauled the bikes to a local park. Within a half an hour, she was off and riding!! Not only that, but Sunday she was so determined to ride on her own that she taught herself to get her bike going on her own! I'm so hugely proud of her. We took a very long bike ride yesterday and she was a pro..I am so glad to be done with training wheels!!

In other fantastic Kurtz news, Thomas is potty training!! He has gone two whole days with no accidents, even during naps! He woke up this morning with a dry diaper and asking to go to the bathroom. He even runs in from outside to go pee! I am so thrilled!! Just in time for Mother's Day, I couldn't think of a better gift!!

Today is also Cinco de Mayo. We are not Hispanic, too Irish for that :) But nevertheless, we are having a Cinco deMayo dinner celebration today! I am making chicken empandas and we're drinking Spanish soda. I can't believe how excited the kids are!

I've begun laying the groundwork for our summer plans. Matt doesn't get any vacation time in the summer so we have to plan things that are close by or that we can do on a Wednesday or Sunday. So far, we are going camping (we can do that because the campground is right near Matt's work so he can go to work from there), headed to Michigan Adventure, Craig's Cruisers, and a ton of fun stuff when my brother and his family are here for a few weeks in July. Can't wait!!