25 Random Things About Mike

1. I've had a snake poop in my shirt pocket on at least three occasions in the last two years.
2. I made $50 last week selling mice that live in my garage.
3. I've had a speaker deliver a presentation to my class about how the Dutch government repealed the law of gravity in 1944.
4. I am a descendant of Charlemagne, Charles Martel, Pepin the Short and Mother Goose.
5. In October I lost a 3 foot snake in my classroom and I haven't seen him since.
6. My new class snake is 3 feet long already and will get to be 5-6 feet when fully grown.
7. My medical doctor once sought advice about me from a veterinarian during an emergency visit.
8. I once had erysipelas, a deadly disease from a pig, which made my face swell up. I needed antibiotics administered intravenously after teaching every day for a week.
9. I've had a feruncle on my eyelid before.
10. I've burned off my eyelashes in class by looking into a methanol cannon and igniting it to see if it would work.
11. My mother once tried to light my hand on fire.
12. I once helped a friend paint his car like a holstein cow using Tremclad rust paint.
13. I have a scar on my bum from falling out a tree and landing on a manure spreader beater.
14. I am 6 foot 5.
15. I'm the second shortest male of my generation in my Mom's family.
16. My recurring nightmare is having all of my teeth snap off at the roots at the same time.
17. I enjoy inviting salesmen in to see how cheap I can get them to sell their product or services before telling them I'm not interested.
18. I've heard my Vietnamese neighbour threaten to eat my other neighbour's dog and our cat.
19. The first vehicle I drove with a manual transmission was a 1954 Chevrolet.
20. I know from experience that you cannot remove staples from your skull with a dinner fork.
21. The most expensive item I've purchased from Value Village was a geriatrics chair.
22. I've only been in a plane once. I flew it.
23. I've only driven a motorcycle once. I drove it into the side of a house.
24. On Valentines day in Grade 12, a friend and I made unique and personal valentines for every girl in our school.
25. I own a bicycle, but it's about 12 feet long so I rarely ride it.

25 Random Things About Rachel

1. I've climbed the steps to the top of the CN Tower. I will never do that again.
2. It looks like someone/thing took a bite out of my right arm, but don't worry, it wasn't an accident and it's not really a bite mark
3. I've been licked by a giraffe
4. When I was 3 I flipped over on my little yellow ride-on duck and had to get stitches in my chin
5. I once went to Holland for a weekend
6. The first month we lived in St. Catharines, I had my picture in the local paper
7. I've had my picture on the front page of several national newspapers
8. According to family tradition, I like to eat my eggs with peanut butter
9. When I was learning how to ride a two-wheeler, I was afraid of the brakes and preferred to stop by driving into a tree
10. I've had a ride to the hospital in an ambulance
11. I've talked to Walter Gretzky and have his autograph
12. I know that staples and tape don't work well to repair ripped pants at work
13. I used to enjoy sitting on the roof of our house and reading
14. I've melted my oven mitts and accidentally set my exam study notes on fire
15. I can't drive a fork lift but I've definitely driven one before on several occasions
16. While I was working doing research on the toxic chemical Thallium, I was afraid that I would lose the outside half my eyebrows due to exposure
17. I've set off the security alarms at customs in the airport
18. I used to have a pet rabbit with three legs named Stumpy
19. I've been accidentally launched over 6 feet in the air on a toboggan, resulting in a terrific boot-shaped bruise on my leg and a bump that still remains to this day
20. I have an irrational fear of seaweed and other slimy lake things, especially in the dark
21. I've sung the first line of Frosty the Snowman live on the radio but couldn't go any further
22. Once when I was in grade school I thought it would be a good idea to learn something new from the dictionary every day. I only lasted two days but I still remember the two things I learned - "reductio ad absurdum" and "drosophila melanogaster", both of which strangely have come in handy at random times in life.
23. I enjoy making up ridiculous stories for telemarketers
24. I've accidentally called a faucet company and asked them for samples of breastmilk storage bags.
25. I've traveled sitting on a lawn chair in the back of a transport truck

Congratulations!

This past weekend, Mike and I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago to celebrate the wedding of Gary Zekveld and Hannah Smith. It was a wonderful wedding and we thoroughly enjoyed catching up with some old friends from university. Congratulations Gary and Hannah! We pray that God will bless you with many happy years together in His service!
The pictures are a little out of order but my poor laptop is on its last legs and working very slowly, and I do not have the patience to fix picture order right now.

The bridal party during the ceremonyThis is Mike and Simon during their "Cooking with Gary" skit at the
reception. This is moments before my dear husband slathered an
entire clove of garlic with peanut butter and ate it.... gross!
In case you were wondering, this results in a minimum 24
hours of terrible breath!

Simon and Jodi, our wonderful hosts for the weekend.
Jodi and I were glad to be able to sit at the head table with our hubbies :)
Mike and I
The happy new coupleThe next few photos are from the professional photographer

100 days to go!

Made it to January!

I guess it is high time that I update this blog...no worries, we survived the transition into 2009 and are still alive and well! The Christmas season was very busy for us, with lots of family visiting, traveling, packing up, unpacking. Now that we are back home again, unpacked and settled back into a routine of home life, I'm pretty sure we didn't forget anything anywhere. Unfortunately, although the camera did travel with us all over the place, I never really knew where it was, and if I knew it was in my purse, I had no idea where that was. Hence, I took absolutely no pictures from over the break.
Things are going well over here. Peter started taking some steps at the beginning of December between Mike and me, and over the holidays he was doing really well. He can walk across a room if he wants to but it seems that he rarely wants to, so he just doesn't. He's taken a few good tumbles and I wonder if the memory of smacking his head on the floor has discouraged him from trying walking on his own for a while. He's really starting to climb on things, most favorite being any kind of rocking chair. He sits himself up on the chair and rocks it wildly... he has a child's rocking chair and loves to stand on it backwards and rock it until it tips over, causing his parents some degree of stress. Needless to say, if we're not around to watch him like a hawk, the rocking chair is definitely not accessible! He has started to say a few things but not with any great regularity and I don't think he has any idea of what they mean. A few times I think he's said "All Done" or "Amen" but he won't do it again so I wouldn't really say he's talking yet. One Sunday in Strathroy over Christmas, I was holding Peter after church and Andrea came up with his cousin Robert. I told Peter, "Say Hi, Robert" and he replied, "Hi Robert", clear as a bell. We think he's just quietly learning all he can about speaking and proper vocabulary, and once he's sure he's got it down, he'll just start talking in complete sentences, haha. The last week or so he's started calling everything "Daddy", which of course Mike is thrilled with even though the lights are "Daddy", the refrigerator is "Daddy", the laundry tubs are "Daddy" and so on. He's become very curious as to what things are, excitedly pointing to anything and saying in a half-whisper, "Wassa, wassa!". Yesterday I was looking through some of the videos we've taken of him over the past year and just marveling at how much he's changed, and knowing that he'll be so much different again in another year. It will be interesting in another three months to have another little newborn in the family, so tiny and helpless. We are so much looking forward to meeting this little one. He/she likes to be very active right around the time Mommy wants to go to sleep, which has made it a little bit difficult for sleeping, but I suppose that's just early preparation for all those sleepless nights later on.
Anyways, I have a few pictures to post so I'll get on to those.

Hmmm, mid-December we had Danielle, Lauren and Tom over for an "interesting" dinner of Thai food. It was a bit of an experiment, and I won't post the directly after dinner pictures, haha, but we had a lot of fun playing games in the evening. Here is one sequence of a type of "telephone" game with alternating descriptive sentences and pictures. I think all of our stomachs were sore at the end of the night from laughing so hard! I had been trying to get a picture of Peter to show him walking, but it's really hard when it's just him and me at home. Most of the pictures end up being blurry shots of him lunging toward me. The next two are the best so far....
We left for Hamilton on a Friday at the beginning of the Christmas holidays, during a terrible winter storm. It took us two hours to get there, usually a 45 minute trip. Thankfully we had much better weather for our other driving trips during the holidays... one night in Hamilton, two nights in Strathroy, three nights in Hamilton, four nights in Strathroy, and finally home again for one night then back to Hamilton for one night.
This is Peter enjoying watching the snow from our bedroom Friday morning before we left.
It seems that winter can be pretty hard on kids... Peter's had some sort of cough or cold since the middle of October...it's hard to tell when one sickness ends and the next begins, or what is due to molars coming in. If he doesn't pick it up in the church nursery, Mike brings it home from school. For the most part, he hasn't been really sick, but the coughing often flares up in the middle of the night, keeping us all awake. Poor kid! Here he is enjoying the rocking chair that his Mom got from Uncle Dave for Christmas...lots of fun!As if he doesn't spend enough time strapped into his car seat, whenever it ends up in the house for whatever travel plans we have, he LOVES sitting in it. He'll sit in it and play for a loooong time, kind of boggling but it's nice to know where he is all the time :)And last but not least, here is a picture of Baby Vander Deen #2 at 25 weeks (Jan 10). Growing well, kicking lots, and we are looking forward to meeting our newest little bundle in April!!

Stolen List of 100 Things

My dear sister Danielle just posted a list of 100 things she may or may not have done... call me a thief, but I prefer to think of it as being somewhat inspired to do something other than pictures on the blog this post. Or maybe it's being somewhat bored. Besides, she got it from someone else anyways. Nothing is truly original, isn't that what they say?

1. Started your own blog - obviously
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower - most memorably in Oma and Opa's backyard...
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disney
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables - this summer!
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping - ummm
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run - does grade school count?
32. Been on a cruise - to Flowerpot Island, haha
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person - I would hope so, living 20 minutes away!
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors - several times
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing - I guess this depends on your interpretation of rock climbing...
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt - just in time!
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance - with dear little 6 week old Peter
47. Had your portrait painted - well, does a self-portrait count?
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling - haha, in a swimming pool at snorkel lessons
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie - not quite big screen but we had fun
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp - a holding camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Seen the Lincoln Memorial in person
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone - poor finger
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper - front page of several!
85. Read the entire Bible
86. visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92.Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby - and one on the way!
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own

Early December Update

Well, we're into December now - the lights are up, and the house is slowly getting decorated. I seem to have misplaced my creativity again, and this has been making it difficult to make things look semi-festive. Oh well, we don't really spend much of the Christmas season at our house anyways.
The loss of my creativity has not only resulted in a lack of decorating skills, but also in a lack of inspiration for writing blogs. I hope this is not too disappointing for my three readers.
How about I just post pictures.

This is Peter at his first First Birthday party, in Strathroy. Yes, he's standing
on his own... he'll do that if it's his own idea, and this week he's even taken
his first few steps between his Mom and Dad! However, if it's not his idea,
there's nothing we can do to convince him to straighten those noodle legs.Taste-testing the cake with cousin Robert in the backgroundWe got to meet our brand-new nephew Matthew Richard when we
were in Strathroy... I don't really have any great pictures but here he is,
not even 2 days old!Hmmm... the once favourite Blue's Clues book has been completely
destroyed over the last little while. While he used to be so careful with
flap books, Peter seems to have developed the idea that flaps are for
ripping and eating for lunch. Peter at his second First Birthday party, on his actual birthday here in
St. Catharines. What a lucky boy! Two parties, two cakes, two messy
eating sessions... what else could a little boy want? It appears that the cake was fairly goodOf course, with a birthday comes presents. We have to wonder, though,
if the age suggestions on the box might be a little too young, as I don't
see anyone under 20 years old playing with anything in this picture...
actually that big house-looking thing wasn't a gift from any of us - one of
my managers from work gave it to me and I thought I would let Peter play
with it for a while despite the fact that it hardly fits in the living room.
Unfortunately he likes playing with it quite a lot, so I guess we will be
tripping over it for a while yet! Why can't kids like the small toys?
Pictures of Little Vander Deen #2! We had an ultrasound on Nov 26
and it was so exciting to see this little one moving around in there.
I've been feeling little kicks for 5 weeks or so now, and it's exciting
to know we're halfway there to meeting him/her!

Eating spaghetti on his own... of course it's stone cold by the time he
actually gets it in his mouth, but he had fun trying to pick it up.
Definitely an eat-in-the-kitchen ordeal!I turned around the other day from washing the dishes
to see this little milk monster on the floor

Happy Birthday Peter!

Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear Peter,
Happy birthday to you!!

My dear little Peter,
It's so hard to believe that it's been a whole year since you came, tiny and crying, into our world! On the other hand, it's also very hard to remember what life was like before you, or "BK" as Opa says, Before Kids. You have brought us so much joy and happiness and we are SO thankful to have you in our family! You've learned so much over the past year and it has been so wonderful to watch you grow and develop into a little toddler, yes, no longer a baby. What will this next year bring for you? Walking, talking, becoming a big brother! We look so forward to walking with you and watching you grow in the coming years! Congratulations on your birthday! We love you!
Love Mommy and Daddy

A Few More

Peter loves his books, and sitting on your lap to have them read to himWe used to have one of these horses when we were kids...
we found one at a garage sale and he seems to like it :)On one of those warm November days, we went outside to play in the
leaves. He enjoyed it, and tried to eat as many leaves as possible. He likes to sit in front of his bookshelf, pull all the books off the shelf,
and flip through them one by one.

November Update

Well, we're into November already and the leaves are piling up in the yard. I'm thankful we didn't get any of the snow that other parts of southern Ontario received last week! However we did get a pretty big thunderstorm last Sunday, with enough wind to take down one of the bigger trees in our backyard. Thankfully it fell in such a way that it didn't touch any part of our newly built fence!
We are doing well... Mike is approaching report card season already and is very busy with school. I am doing well, keeping busy at home and trying to keep Peter under control! Although not walking yet, Peter is pulling himself up on everything he can grab, cruising around furniture, and crawling everywhere. He is so happy with his freedom! With his freedom, however, comes lots of opportunities for trouble... I had to do some quick research into the electrical abilities of our front-load washer to find a way to put a lock on the buttons, unless I wanted load after empty load cycling through the machine. Kind of defeats the purpose of an energy-efficient washer don't you think?
Peter loves his books, and enjoys spending time pulling all his books off the shelf and flipping through them one by one. It is so enjoyable to sit quietly with him and read to him, even if he usually wants to turn the page long before the words on that page have been read. We hope that his love for books will continue through the years! Although he hasn't started saying any recognizable words yet, it has been exciting to see that he understands some things that we say. He can clap on demand, and point out our noses and our ears. He knows to sit down when we tell him to, and he understands "no". However, understanding "no" does not necessarily translate into obeying "no" and that seems to have gotten worse over the past week or two, as he has been deliberately defiant in certain ways. Having children is a surefire way to learn a long lesson in patience, and to understand that we are by nature sinful creatures.
It's hard to believe that it's almost Peter's birthday, only another two weeks and he's officially ONE. Where did the time go? The past year has gone by so quickly, with so many changes in him. On the other hand, I look at pictures of him when he was a newborn and I can hardly remember him being so tiny. I'm sure he will look like a veritable giant compared to his little brother or sister come April!
Anyways, on to the pictures!

A few weeks ago, Mike and I left Peter with my parents for the weekend
and we drove to Chicago to visit Gary and his fiancee, Hannah, and
Simon, Jodi and Joash. We spent Saturday afternoon together, touring
downtown Chicago and going out for supper. We went for dinner to the Cheesecake Factory, where we
enjoyed a delicious meal. None of us had room for cheesecake
afterwards, though.
Ummm, I think this was the Trump Tower
Peter received a package in the mail from his Great-Grandma
in B.C. A beautiful knitted blanket! Thank-you Grandma!
What a lovely surprise!
No, Peter doesn't have glasses yet, but doesn't he look just
charming? All he needs is a tie.
Little Joshua Peter Speelman, born to Marty and Rachel on October 22.
Congratulations you guys! He is such a little sweetheart!
The happy Speelman family, finally holding their little one.
We attended the wedding of Janice Dekker and Paul Seney on
October 25 in Chatham. Congratulations to the new couple!
Hmmm..... someone's trying to start an empty load of laundry...