The Van Dyk Family

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2010-03-10T20:52:00.001-08:00

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Hale's iphone interest

2010-01-28T23:05:00.000-08:00

Since before he turned one, Hale has been amusing us with his interest in Landon's iphone. Well, ok, maybe if I'm a little more honest, we've been amusing Hale with the iphone. He's a busy little guy and sometimes we just want him to be still while riding in the car!

In any case, we were a little shocked when we realized that, at fifteen months, he was not "accidentally" unlocking the phone but sliding his little finger across the bottom of the screen with a determined purpose. He quickly developed the skills to navigate the phone's programs - and that's when the real fun began!

Hale is regularly changing Landon's ringtones and other phone settings. So, to distract him, Landon downloaded some toddler apps for him - little games that teach him shapes, colors and counting. He enjoys the toddler games but has also learned how to play the other games Landon has on his phone. He is amazingly good at playing pinball (well, better than me anyway). Landon downloaded "Oregon Trail" for his iphone, just for old times sake, so I occasionally look over Hale's shoulder and see him fording the river or hunting squirrels.

I think Landon is pleased that Hale shows so much interest in electronics. And imagine my joy when we were flipping through the camera roll on the phone and discovered that Hale is also experimenting with photography. Or, at least, we're pretty sure he took these. What do you think?

In his jammies...

You could call this one "Family Roadtrip" since it has his two feet and Landon and my elbows.

He does seem to be improving somewhat - recording events! I believe this is Hale's view of Rocklyn's birthday party.

And I kind of like the composition here- plus he managed to capture a person - his dad driving the car!

Hale update

2010-01-20T14:19:00.000-08:00

I took a few random pictures of Hale in his room yesterday. I thought I would share them along with a few facts.

This is Hale waking up from his nap. He suffered a burn on his wrist in November that we are still covering until it is fully healed. He is really proud of his bandage and shows his "ow" to me first thing in the morning and before he goes to sleep at night. He also shows it to absolutely everyone we meet, so I've had some awkward moments trying to describe the story to people while moving through the line at the grocery store.

Here's Hale playing with his new train set. It is a wooden set complete with a table on which to set up the tracks. He's not that great at putting the tracks together, but he does a terrific job of taking them apart.

Hale has become a fun companion to hang out with during the day. He is quite a ham and loves to get a laugh. His favorite trick is hiding under his crib and then springing out from under the dust ruffle. It's actually pretty amusing - especially since he is so quiet under there that I genuinely start wondering where he is. You'd think I'd remember to look under the bed.

Some new words this week were: duck, broke, cold, wet, Hale, watch and wash (though the last two sound the same)

Outside in January

2010-01-16T20:32:00.000-08:00

It's been a wonderfully mild January so far! Last week, it was still 60 degrees at 6 o'clock in the evening. We joked that, if it hadn't been so dark, we could have eaten dinner on the deck!

Hale and I have been out enjoying the weather almost every day. It's been a little damp to play in the yard but I decided to let him run around in the grass (and ivy) after our walk today.

Knee deep in the ivy

Moving sticks

After we lost the sun it got a little cold so we put on his heavier jacket

Which made it hard to bend over...

but we still managed to find some cool stuff - like little daffodils. I think they are being a little optimistic. Winter's not over yet!

A happy face while eating his snack inside...

Rocklyn turns two!

2010-01-08T13:52:00.000-08:00

We didn't have to feel depressed about Christmas being over this year because we had another reason to celebrate! Rocklyn turned two and we a great time celebrating what a special girl she is.

Modeling some new dress up clothes.

Uncle Kohl got Rocklyn's new bubble gun going and the kids had a blast with it.

Of course, if you know Hale, you know that he is kind of into iPhones so the kids played with that for a while too.

Hale knows his way around this phone but Rocklyn has one at her house too, so she had some tips for Hale.

Christmas 2009 Part IV: Christmas Day

2010-01-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day started out back at Mim and Poppa's for stockings. We look forward to this tradition every year. Mim has a stocking for everyone in the family - almost 40 people! It is a very full fireplace.

Greeting Maggie at the door.

Hale proudly showing off his new slippers.

Karl with Tyce - another one of Hale's cousin friends. Mim has so many pretty things in her house. This tree had a little electric train inside of it and the kids were fascinated by it.

Hale playing hard with his protective eye gear on.

Later in our day we headed to enjoy a feast with the Kroontjes. Yum.

And some games too - like musical chairs.

A fun day with family - we were very blessed.

Christmas 2009 Part III: Christmas Eve

2010-01-07T14:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve was spent with Landon's immediate family. The evening kicks off with a photo by the tree that we do as a group (though some of us reluctantly) every year.

Hale tearing into one of his first gifts.

Dad and Grandpa helping Hale try on his new slippers!!

I think Hale felt a little bad walking on such cute puppies. He kind of just wanted to snuggle them so he kept rolling onto the ground so he could pet them.

Rocklyn and Hale sporting their new vests from Grandpa and Grandma.

Grandpa and Grandma really hit a home run with this cool Hummer. They took turns driving it on the patio but even with cool new vests it was a little cold.

So somehow it was decided that it could come in the house for a while. Watch out for the Christmas tree!

Hale was a little bit of a scary driver for at first. He's got the hang of it now.

Christmas 2009 Part II: more pre-celebration

2010-01-07T13:51:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas a little early with the Van Dyk side. The kids had a great time with their other cousins.

Hale caused a little mischief (as usual).

Rocklyn bonded with the older girl cousins

Here is Cole - a great little friend to Hale.

Rocklyn and Tarelle listening to Mim's annual Christmas reading

We also did a little family celebration early in the Christmas week. Hale discovered that the boxes under the tree were not just there to make it easier to reach the ornaments...

...but actually had really cool stuff inside them. I'm very glad that he didn't figure that out until it was actually time to open them.

Christmas 2009 Part I: pre-celebration

2010-01-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

Here's the start of my Christmas posting - try to ignore the fact that it is January.

We did a lot of fun activities the week of my birthday. The men in Hale's life generously took care of him so that I could run off shopping to Seattle TWICE - it was awesome! Unfortunately, the week's grand finale was a family-wide bout of a quick-onset stomach flu, but I can give you those hilarious details later...

Here are some pictures taken in Bellevue during one of the fun shopping trips with Susan, Tarelle and Aunt Rosie.

Grandpa Bud's Christmas Gift

2010-01-03T14:18:00.000-08:00

Despite my lack of posts, I've actually put in many photoshop hours during the past few weeks. We went a little calendar crazy this Christmas and I thought I would post the images from a calendar we made for Grandpa Bud.

A fun food

2009-12-12T22:14:00.000-08:00

In an effort to try something new I introduced Hale to edamame last week. I thought he might enjoy taking the beans out of the pod- and he does. I was shocked at how quickly he picked it up.

He's a pro at working the soybean from its shell.

and even made a special spot on his tray for the empty pods.

A nutritious snack - and it keeps him busy too!

Christmas Tree!

2009-12-12T22:01:00.000-08:00

After several failed attempts to get a tree we finally cut one last weekend just around the corner at Stoney Ridge Farm.

It was such a cold evening - we made sure Hale was bundled in his jacket.

It didn't take long for us to find a nice tree (it was way too cold to be picky).

Hale supervised while dad cut.

We warmed up with mini donuts...

...and hot chocolate...

and then hurried home to decorate it before bed.

Hale loves the tree! It is the first thing he wants to see when he comes down in the morning.

Thanksgiving Week

2009-12-01T14:19:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving weekend was delightfully low key so I kind of slacked on my picture taking. On Friday, we headed into the mountains to look for a tree. Hale got his first look at (Washington) snow this season. It was a little dark, but the kids were so cute that picture taking was finally too hard to resist.

Hale and Grandpa in their "matching" coats

We stopped at the Osborn cabin on the way home for a delicious dinner.

Bud's moose is finally hanging up and it looks awesome. Plus it was really fun to throw the kids' toys up in his antlers. They thought it was hilarious!!!

Basketball

2009-11-16T14:12:00.000-08:00

I have to start off by saying that I have a super smart husband. A super smart husband that loves to update my computer to try to improve my workflow. Unfortunately, sometimes the computer updates take a few days. And then it takes me two weeks to familiarize myself with the new system. Hence, a long break between blog posts. Now I am up and running again so I can show you what else Landon has been up to:

Basketball! Church basketball league has started. This year Hale is old enough to stay out later - so we can actually go and watch! We really enjoyed watching the first game of the year especially since Grandma and Grandpa and Rocklyn were there!

Rocklyn and Hale watch as Landon brings the ball up the court

Some clapping (which was not exactly appropriately timed, but I give them points for enthusiasm)

Then they forgot all about the game and played on the bleachers

There was a lot of running and jumping going on

Look at this air!

Happy Halloween!!!

2009-10-31T22:19:00.000-07:00

Well, since both boys crashed before 8 o'clock tonight I have a little time on my hands to get our Halloween pictures up! Landon is home from Germany (yay!!!) and fought his jet lag long enough to make a few trick or treat stops with me and our little lion cub.

I wasn't quite sure how Hale would react to being dressed in a suit of fur- but I needn't have worried. He was so excited about being a lion! When I tossed the costume to Landon so he could help Hale get it on, Hale pointed to the little furry pile on the floor and did a big lion roar. He'd never laid eyes on it before - so Landon and I were totally shocked that he recognized it. He practiced his roars into the mirror a few times after he got the costume on.

We were running out of daylight so I had to make my Halloween photo shoot super quick. Daddy and lion were anxious to hit the road. What a beautiful evening!

Hale heading backwards down the stairs to the car - not so fast Hale!

Hale modeling the front of his costume...

...and the back...

...and the top!

Roaring with Dad.

More dad! More!

Our first stop: Mim and Poppa's house!

Choosing a treat with Mim's help.

Arriving at Grandma Susan's door!

Grandpa Bud was still working in the field so Hale shot a few hoops in Grandpa and Grandma's living room to kill time until Grandpa got home. Unfortunately, he started to overheat a little bit so we had to turn him out onto the patio to cool down for a while. He was more than happy to play on his tractor in the dark, but came to the window to peek at us every once in a while to make sure he wasn't missing out on anything!

A big thanks to Gaard for lending us such a cool costume!

Beautiful (Fall???) Weather in Minnesota

2009-10-26T23:00:00.000-07:00

Whenever Landon and I visit Minnesota together we get atypical weather. Landon first visited me in August of 2001 and it was the grossest (hot and humid) weather I had ever experienced. Almost every Christmas at home has been green and wet. This time, when I took him home to see the beautiful colors of fall, we saw WHITE instead.

Oh well, it was fun to be home for one of the earliest snowfalls ever in Minnesota - October 10th. This was just a light dusting - we got a more substantial snow during the next week. But even a light dusting was exciting for the Washington boys. Landon wasted no time getting Hale's shoes on to go play in the snow before breakfast.

Hale wasn't sure what to think - he was still kind of waking up.

He walked around a bit...

...and eventually got brave enough to touch it...

...and then the boys decided it was time for breakfast!

Minnesota!!! Minnesota!!! Minnesota!!!

2009-10-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

One little cheer for every week that we were there. That's right, Hale and I spent three whole weeks in Minnesota. We saw sun, rain and snow - and enjoyed it all with my family!

When I walked back into our house in Washington I looked at our pile of mail and wondered "where do I start?" Then I turned the corner to the laundry room and wondered "hmm...where do I start?" Now I'm trying to catch up on my blogging and I'm wondering "where do I start?".

Here are some pictures from the beginning of our trip - during the 10 days that Landon was with us. We took a trip to my family's cabin. It was cold, but wonderfully relaxing!

Gaard helped Grandpa make the pancakes in the morning. He was initially very enthusiastic about "playing chef" but eventually lost interest. It was so cute when he turned to my dad and said "Hey Grandpa- how about you just be the one chef and I'll just be the one waiting for my pancakes?"

Grandpa was understanding and Gaard hurried off to play with Hale.

We took a pontoon ride in the morning and Hale got to drive!

Then we took the boys for a walk in the woods. The fall colors were just beginning so we had fun looking for colorful leaves.

From the archives

2009-09-22T16:48:00.000-07:00

I have a busy week this week so I'm not exactly sure what inspired me to edit this picture from the summer archives. Sometimes I just need a fun break from my other work.

This is Rocklyn in the yard this summer. She was twirling in her dress.

I'm pulling from the archives...which means I'm actually all caught up with my photo editing. I'm ready for a job! Anyone need me to take pictures? Let me know!

The Puyallup Fair: Mischief in the show ring

2009-09-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hale sure had fun with the fair ribbons.

Which was great until he decided to run into the ring with them. Catch him Landon!

Fortunately, with some guidance from dad...

...his path is diverted. Total family embarrassment avoided...

...but only for two seconds until Hale makes another attempt. Dad is already expecting this and doesn't let him pass.

Landon is successful at rerouting Hale again.

Hale is happy kicking up the sawdust for a while.

Then tries to distract the judge's table.

It works. They are definitely distracted. Hale gets a wave through the screen.

The spectators are apparently also distracted. We get many comments after the show about his antics. Fortunately, his mischief is taken with good humor by all. It is a good thing that farmers are used to dealing with the unexpected. This is not an opera where you are glared at for rustling your cough drop wrapper. Most cow shows are casual enough that if your child lets out a cry (or runs all over the place) it's not a disaster. Good thing!

The one exception may be at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI. They roll out the red carpet for that event. We're going in October.

We're leaving Hale at home.

The Puyallup Fair: Fun with dad

2009-09-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures of Landon and Hale goofing off at the fair together.

Hale pointing out the facial features of the cow. He is really into eyes, ears, and noses now that he knows where they are. Every time he pointed at the nose he got a lick from the cow. When he pointed to the ears he got a swat from the cows big ear. Both things made him laugh hysterically.

A time out to get his shoe back on.

More ribbon fun

The best part of every fair is being with dad!

The Puyallup Fair: Visiting with Rocklyn

2009-09-18T10:11:00.001-07:00

It was so great to visit with Josh, Tarelle and Rocklyn while we were in Seattle! Rocklyn shared her toys so well with Hale (and we won't tell Landon how much Hale enjoyed playing with her shopping cart and doll stroller). She made show day at the fair extra fun!

We stopped for doughnuts before the fair.

The two kids up to no good at Top Pot

And then they played some more at the fair. They loved petting the cows together. I got some video...maybe I can get Landon to help me post it soon.

Here they are hanging out by the show ring.

Rocklyn looking casual

Hale running around...

...then stopping...

...then telling a story that Rocklyn has already heard and doesn't care to hear again (or at least that's what it looks like).

And finally, eating cake in the barn after the show.

The Puyallup Fair: The price of beauty

2009-09-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

After being part of the Van Dyk family for six years you'd think I'd finally be used to all this cow stuff. But what happens on a show day never ceases to amaze me. It is a lot of work to get these girls beautiful. Their whites get whitened, their blacks get blackened, and their hair gets cut and styled with a blow dryer.

This cow has an entourage that would make an A-list celebrity jealous.

Three hairstylists!

Two good looking tails

Oh wait, she's got a little spot on her foot! Phew, I'm sure the judge would have marked her down for that.

A few words of encouragement from Hale and they are ready for the show ring.

Ribbons! Yay, good job girls!

All done. Back to the barn now...

The expert traveler

2009-09-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

We have taken I-5 south of Seattle 4 times since the last week of August. That's eight one-way trips of at least 3 hours in the car. Hale has become a car-seat riding champion. It has been so wonderful that, during these hectic weeks, Hale has made the car rides very peaceful.

Here he is in a rare moment of sleep. Usually he is awake and looking out the window. Ideally (for him), he is enjoying some fruit snacks too.

He loves to sit and drive the truck while we pack up. Here he is peeking from the drivers seat.

Good thing he is becoming an expert traveler. We have two more round trips to go this month!

One last Hoorah!

2009-09-12T14:48:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought it was time to put the little blue pool in winter storage, summer has come back for one last hoorah! Life has slowed down a little bit (for this week anyway) so we were actually able to soak in the sunshine.

Landon is working in town three days a week now so we did a little picnic at the city park on Friday. We ate fajitas together and then Hale and I stuck around and played at the playground.

It was too bad that I had sour cream sitting in the car because I think Hale could have stayed all afternoon. It took him all summer- but I think he has finally caught on to how fun playgrounds can be. He used to just stand and stare at everything and I had to order him around: "Hale, walk up these stairs...okay, now go down the slide...now let's do it again!". Now he gets around without any prompting from me. Actually, it was kind of hard to keep him in view yesterday. This playground has many little tunnels perfect for kids and way too small for mommies to climb into. He'd be right in front of me, and then the next minute he was all the way on the other side of the playground - and I'd have to take the long way to find him!

That's not to say that he doesn't just stand and stare every once in a while. He is totally fascinated by kids 3-6 years old. I guess it's because they are just a little bit more capable than him and are therefore playing in a way that Hale wishes he could.

It was fun to watch him observe. And every once in a while when a stampede of kids would whoosh by us, Hale would try to step into the back of the pack. But he just can't quite keep up...yet.

Summer Portraits

2009-09-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

I was honored to take pictures for Landon's cousin again this summer. Her kids are so cute and we were at their grandpa and grandma's farm which made for some fun moments.

It's too bad you don't see her face in this one, but I just loved her sandy feet!

Here's a few from another shoot that I did for some friends. It was my first "couple" session and I loved it! They contributed lots of ideas which made getting good shots really easy!