It's Been a While....

There have been so many fun days since I've last updated. First, Laura made a trip 'home' for several days and we crammed in lots of great times - two baby showers, a birthday celebration, dinners, friends, and family. Thanks to all those who came to the showers and were so generous with gifts and well-wishes! It was wonderful to have Laura here - and she may be a mom the next time we see her!



Steve and I both have October birthdays so we celebrated with a family dinner - we got to pick the menu and the rest of the family prepared, cooked, served, and cleaned up. Steve and I just got to enjoy it all, especially the fact that Laura was here with us this year.

Happy Birthday, Steve!
You are a wonderful son and we are so proud of you!

Steve and me

Bill and Steve

Me, Ji Su, Marva, Laiya
Ji Su gave me a beautiful gift from her homeland of Korea :)

This next picture is of an article that was in our local newspaper, highlighting the 1988 State Champion Basketball teams of South Christian. Steve is on the left.


The rest of the pictures are miscellaneous shots taken in the last two weeks....

Deven shooting hoops

Lynn gets a hug from Zac

Zac on Steve's cycle - gives his Grandma shivers!

Tori by her playhouse that used to be her mom's :)

Wish I could get some good shots of Ty and Deven playing football....this one is of Ty running out on the field - # 36.

He's out there somewhere - I think that's him two players in front of the ref in the middle of the picture.

Tori (in the middle) w/ her cousin Brittany and her friend Riley

That's Deven on the far right.....


Couldn't resist including this short video clip of Deven running with the football - it's hard to find him in the clip, but the audio will tell you what a great run it was!

And once again we enjoyed supper out with friends, Gary & Shirley and Curt and Jan :)

This last slide show is of fun times with Abby, Sophie, and Noah. We visited their pre-school, played in the park, enjoyed time with Aunt Laura, and made a final trip of the season to Captain Sundae.

Spotted this 'walking stick' on our garage one day....

Thanks to all of you who venture out
to share our lives!
We are blessed!

Who Wouldn't Want My Life?!?

Some nice person named Brenda left a comment on one of my last posts that said "I want your life!" Well, who wouldn't? My life is full of precious moments, as you can tell once again from the pictures of my week.

This first one was taken at Deven's game on Monday. It's hard to see, but he's #8, right in the middle of the photo.

That's Deven scoring an easy touchdown - yards ahead of the opponents!

The rain and cold from Monday continued into Tuesday and so Abby, Sophie, and Noah had been indoors all morning. We braved the rain and headed out to lunch and to the mall to play for a while.

This is sweet Abby enjoying her grilled cheese sandwich :)

Sweet Sophie

Noah loves the play area at the mall :)

My friend Ruth hosted a wonderful lunch on Wednesday and included some of my favorite people!

Diane, Lyda, Jacque, Ruth, Tena

Same group except Ruth took this one of me with my friends

Thursday was lunch with Beckie and Marva - always nice!

Friday was Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day at South Christian. I was in the Grandparent category for Ty and in the Special Friends (a.k.a. Stand-in Grandma) category for several nieces and nephews. I was able to join them in their classes and even found Bill and his student teacher Kyle. This next pic is of the two of them and the one following is of Bill's classroom and some of his students.


A special treat was having lunch out with all the nieces and nephews. This photo is of Johnny and me.

The lunch gang -
Guys in back: Ty and Johnny
Guys in front: Kenny and Byron
Girls: Laiya (front) and Ji Su

Ty's game was on Friday night this week - that's him, # 36, coming in off the field.

Our week ended with a wonderful dinner with our 'dearest and best', Dick and Jacque. We celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary, an especially meaningful occasion after Dick's battle with cancer this year. We praise God for the CURE he has given Dick!


All the joys and special moments of the week were tempered by the death of Travis Gortsema on Thursday morning. We did not know Travis, but his dad is a former student of Bill's and we share in their sorrow. I took the video clip below from our bedroom window during an incredible summer storm in June, not knowing when or how I'd use it. Somehow it seems appropriate here as the Gortsema family weathers the storm in their lives.

Also remembering our first child,
James William Bonnema,
known to our family as Jimmy.
He will be forever loved.
October 4, 1970