Baby Bast Blog!

Christmas Eve.

2010-12-24T22:16:00.002-05:00

We went to church at Cascade, had dinner at our house, then opened gifts the rest of the night. As always, Jodi got everything she wanted, including timer switches for the bathroom fans, a Sony PS3 "Move" controller (with sports games!), and a bathroom scale. Yes, someone sure is sweet on her!! (She also got a year-long subscription to "People" magazine, and some UGG boots.)

Connor got a life-size head-shot of his uncle, which borders on creepy but was actually one of C-man's favorite items. Evie isn't really sure what she got, but she sure had fun! Merry Christmas!!

Evie's Birthday Party!

2010-12-24T13:03:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's also Christmas Eve, but we had a little party for Evie in the afternoon. Family, friends, gifts, etc. and with Christmas Eve to follow! She had quite a day, and is a wonderful, sweet two-year-old now.

Heading Home.

2010-11-23T10:50:00.001-05:00

Every trip out there is too short, but that's a topic for another time. I had a great weekend and came home to celebrate Thanksgiving with my more "immediate" family!

This is the Thanksgiving dinner I "missed"; that's my uncle, who is totally normal.

Founder's Landing.

2010-11-22T10:47:00.000-05:00

This is the view from one of the beaches where we used to play as kids.

Our Street.

2010-11-21T10:45:00.000-05:00

This is the end of Elizabeth Lane, our little slice of heaven.

Pipe's Cove.

2010-11-20T10:39:00.000-05:00

I am still finding new "spots" that I've seen from the water plenty of times, but never driven too. This is Pipe's Cove, which is just past Port of Egypt, between Southold and Greenport.

Trying out some new waterproof shoes!

LI: Quick Trip.

2010-11-19T09:22:00.000-05:00

My Grandmother's birthday is just before Thanksgiving (11/24), and since we no longer go as a family at Christmas, my brother and I went out again this year -- me, just for a long weekend, but he stayed a while. I flew since it was a quick trip and I was alone, and that brought back a lot of memories too, since I went through Philly and MacArthur -- and nice views of Long Island on arrival and departure. This is Greenport, and our usual visit to Crabby's.

This is "Snake Oiler", a little present for my little man!

The bar is closed this time of year.

Connor's Birthday!

2010-10-31T16:01:00.000-04:00

We have to separate, at least as much as possible, our children's birthdays from the holidays on which they fall (for our next child I'm shooting for Independence Day!). This year at least Trick-Or-Treating was Saturday night, so Connor's birthday party was "on schedule" on Sunday afternoon. At the party we had lots of family and presents! His favorite item was an 19" remote control Mach 5 race car, given by an incredibly generous benefactor, but of course there are no photos of it. Perhaps in the spring...

That's a glimpse of the box the RC Mach 5 came in!

Tired out after a long day! Such a simple item as a glow stick was one of his favorites.

Halloween!

2010-10-30T09:08:00.000-04:00

Connor's pre-school had a little party on Friday, then Trick-or-Treating in our neighborhood was Saturday night. I sometimes wondered if 33 homes was enough "selection" for the kids, but at this point even Connor only hits maybe 15 houses, and Evie I'm still carrying around, so...

It was a great time, and while Connor is now an "old pro", Evie has really started getting the hang of it. She's so sweet to watch, while Connor is more brave and adventurous now. Connor's costume was "Racer X", who is Speed Racer's (unknown to him) long lost brother and one of the heroes of the Speed Racer series (long-time readers may recall that last year he went as Speed himself). Evie was a Princess, which was apropos since she's our little princess every day.

Random Fall Photos

2010-10-01T15:58:00.013-04:00

Just like it sounds, folks... here ya go!

Our neighbors grow pumpkins all summer, and then throw a great fall harvest party for the whole neighborhood; it's a great event!

Connor is right at home in trees, because he's a monkey.

Happy Birthday Jodi! I think we went to dinner at Carrabba's as well, but perhaps that doesn't need a photo.

South Haven

2010-08-20T15:55:00.023-04:00

We visited Tina's family's place on Lake MI once again, and this time we took a walk to one of the only nuclear reactors on the big lake. (I mean, you'd think there'd be more... after all, what could possibly go wrong with nuclear fusion and / or nuclear waste on the shores of the largest fresh water source in the mid-west??) After hanging around a while, taking photos, gesticulating wildly, and pointing at things, security came out and suggested strongly that we keep on moving. Go figure.

The Fix.

2010-08-19T10:01:00.002-04:00

We hit the line pretty well on this one! Nothing a little duct tape and some 30-weight ball bearings can't fix.

I was a little daunted by the thought of fixing the UG sprinkler line, and even looked into hiring it out. However, after consulting with some Real Men and figuring out the materials I needed, I gave it a shot. Turns out the worst part of the job was finding a store that sold UG sprinkler line in 5' sections (Menard's does, and you can Save Big Money while you're there), as opposed to 50' or 100' sections like most big-box stores. With tools in hand and my trusty side kick C-man, we tackled the job in about 90 minutes. (When it didn't leak no one was more surprised than me!)

"It Must Have Been The Trees, Jimmy..."

2010-08-17T09:06:00.002-04:00

The development where we live was farm land in its former life, and because of that the land is quite flat, and quite devoid of trees. (The name "Clear Meadow" fits it perfectly, in fact.) There is a tree farm right down the road though, and we had a couple pretty-well-grown trees planted. It was a pretty cool process to watch, too. We have underground sprinkling, so it was an "educated" guessing game as to where the various lines ran. We were right half the time, ahem.

Darth Vader's Fortress of Solitude, anyone??

**These photos *will not* orient correctly, and the blame lies with Blogger/Google; it cannot be helped!!**

Phish!

2010-08-14T15:40:00.022-04:00

I have lots of memories of seeing Phish (starting in the summer of 1995), but my how times have changed. I went this summer with just one other guy, since the other group I used to go with sort of "broke up" (or went on hiatus, much like the band). It was still awesome though, and we saw two shows. The hotel I chose was a real winner too, I must say, and it for sure had a swimming pool. In hindsight, this was probably my last (set of) Phish shows, but at least it was at my favorite venue: Deer Creek.

No false advertising: Here's the pool!

The Road, Part II.

2010-07-17T09:54:00.001-04:00

After removal and drain tile, we had it leveled and put in tons of base crushed stone, then the next they finally laid the new asphalt. It was a big project, so hopefully we did it right and the new road lasts 10-15 years!

Road Project, Part I.

2010-07-16T15:51:00.001-04:00

I'm pretty involved in our neighborhood association (Phase II of Del Boca Vista: The Pines!), and after some intense negotiations with Phase I we finally went forward with a road project. In this one we tore out and resurfaced about 500' of the road, starting with the entrance from 52nd Street. The first step is milling and removal of the old road, then we put drain tile (drainage is a huge issue, and this will hopefully correct it) in place along both sides of the road.

Eastern Long Island: The Old Days.

2010-07-01T17:10:00.000-04:00

First, a little history. We have been going to to the North Fork of Long Island since about 1975. My brother and I grew up spending most, if not all, of our summers in Southold, on Elizabeth Lane. We stayed with our Grandparents, and usually our Mom was there too, and Dad was an occasional visitor as his vacation allowed. Back then we didn't appreciate it much, as there was nothing "to do" out there: No cable TV, no reception for "antenna" TV (or FM radio for that matter), no malls, no sidewalks... none of the things that kids from "the city" expected. But our Grandparents always made it special for us, and there was fishing, boating, exploring, and beautiful countryside that was all vastly different from our lives in Grand Rapids, to be sure. (Yes, social commentary could be inserted here, but we'll just leave that one alone!) As we got older we could spend less and less of our summers there, but we never missed a year, and we usually spent Christmas there as well. To say that it's a really special place to everyone in our family is to understate it, really.

My brother and I have been working on 'digitizing' some of our old photos, so here are some "blasts from the past" before we begin our journey into the summer, 2010, trip to the East End!

In my Grandfather's garden.

My Grandfather's sailboat. This one he bought, but he made his first one by hand, from wood, and I mean that literally. He sailed it for years.

Out for a sail on Little Peconic Bay.

Either coming or going -- both were a huge headache.

My uncle's old bike, and the old patio.

The Soundview. Note the name for later.

This is one of the big rocks in the Sound at Soundview. It's also worth noting for later.

This is not related to LI at all, but I had to put it somewhere! This is at Lake Michigan, and while I'm sure the photo speaks volumes on its own, note the rifle, me in the backpack, the dangling cigarette, my Dad using Larry for "balance", and the grin on Larry's face. Nope, nothing to see here folks!

Canoe!

2010-06-25T17:00:00.000-04:00

I'll keep it brief: I went on Cosmo canoe again with some of my buddies from Hope. We had a great trip and for like the third or fourth year in a row, we did not tip. That's only important anecdotally I suppose, but I thought it was worth mentioning. My pledge brother Baer made it all the way from California!

Father's Day 2010!

2010-06-20T16:53:00.000-04:00

Connor spent the weekend with Nonno (pronounced "no-no"; it means "grandfather" in Italian) down in Indy, then they were also in South Haven with Tina and "big" Connor. On Sunday they came up to the Holland house and we all spent Father's Day together, and had a chance to celebrate my Mom's birthday (it was at the end of May). It was the first Father's Day that all three generations were together, so I thought that was pretty cool. Not much in the way of photos, I'm afraid!

Random Shots On A Passing Scene.

2010-06-14T16:40:00.000-04:00

"Good Parenting = Good Cartoons"

I'm usually behind the camera!

Note the shade: They're under the Sunsetter! (TM)

Fairy Princess Evie!!

Memorial Day II

2010-05-30T12:29:00.000-04:00

Just some random action shots. We of course remember my uncle, Paul Gerding Bast, Captain USAF, a bit more on Memorial Day.

Fifty feet of heaven!

When I asked Evie how many she had she said "Oh, just a couple I guess." Right... seems like that's what they all say!

Another perfect weekend at the lake.

Memorial Day I

2010-05-29T12:04:00.000-04:00

We all had Friday off, which was nice and made for a long four day weekend. We were in Holland, and had beautiful, perfect weather. My brother and I went running, which nearly killed me, but at least MB had a reason in that he's training for... well I'm not sure he has decided just what yet, but he's training for something.

We're not homo, despite how this looks (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Another day in paradise.

Without a net!

A safer way to watch the sunset.

Jodi's Second Favorite Room.

2010-05-22T12:01:00.000-04:00

I'm not assuming I know what her favorite room is, but I doubt it's this one (hence the number two status).

A Day In The Life.

2010-05-20T11:56:00.000-04:00

Random shots from a few days in May.

Fallasburg Park.

2010-05-16T11:12:00.000-04:00

Back in the day there was a summer event called Reggae Sunsplash, and while I attended both years (I think it was just the summers of '91 & '92), all I really knew was that it was at some park "way out in the country somewhere". Well it turns out that was Fallasburg Park, and in another little twist of fate, these days we happen to live "way out in the country somewhere" (sort of). Since we moved here four years ago I've had it on my mind to visit this park and find the field where Sunsplash was held. I always figured some nice Sunday afternoon I would take the convertible for a little drive up Alden Nash, find the park, and walk around. Well that nice Sunday afternoon arrived today, and I took the boy as well. It was a nice drive, and at first I didn't think I'd find the specific field (it's a really big park), but in the end I stumbled onto it sort of on accident -- which was total deja vu, since I stumbled onto it sort of on accident way back then too (but for different reasons, ahem).

I also found the covered bridge, which I thought was pretty cool. I would not have even known to check this area out when I was here for the festival so long ago, but there is definitely some history here.

Mother's Day.

2010-05-09T16:49:00.000-04:00

I really think that every day should be "Mother's Day", but as things are now we officially just celebrate it once a year. Moms are the thread that hold the fabric of society together, and we cannot really say enough about the important role they play in all our lives. For Jodi today, there were gifts, cards, acts of kindness, and a Sunday brunch! And a shout out to my Mom and Grandma, both out on Long Island today!

South Haven.

2010-05-02T15:49:00.000-04:00

Technically, we were in Covert, which is south of South Haven. Tina's family has a cottage there on the big lake, and we met for brunch and to see my dad before his birthday. It was a sunny day, but a little cooler than we thought. We still had a great afternoon and went for a long walk down the beach and back... it's always interesting to see a 'new' part of the Lake Michigan shoreline. In this development they have a boardwalk that runs along the beach, and it's of course great for walking. There was a fair amount of black sand (in spots), and steam was escaping from it with the temperature changes and sun, etc. Great spot, to be sure!

Family Party!

2010-05-01T15:28:00.000-04:00

Jodi's grandma Baas has a birthday May 10 (just one day after my dad!), so we had a family party with her, Jodi's siblings, and all the kids! Grandma Baas loves seeing her great-grandkids, and the weather turned out all right too. A good time was had by all!

Lawn Tractors (And The Cycle Of Life)

2010-04-12T16:06:00.000-04:00

As I was driving to and from Indy, I noticed several lawn tractors being towed on trailors, and it set my mind to thinking about how I cannot live another minute with my current mower. It is nearly impossible to start, and I always have to use jumper cables and really just hope for the best (it usually helps to beat on the engine block with a rubber mallet while turning it over, just to shake things loose). To say that it needs a new battery and a tune-up is an understatement, and that is totally separate from the fact that I hate how it cuts, as it has no guide-wheels on the mowing deck and has a tendency to scalp the lawn on any incline or slope. Point being, I've wanted a new one since the second season I owned this one, which is to say, for three years. I looked at used mowers and realized that for what I wanted, a new one was not much more than used, and there is always the peace of mind (and three year warranty) that comes with buying new. So I cleaned up the Home Depot special, took a photo, put an ad on Craig's List, and went out to do a couple things outside. When I came back in I had just about forgotten I placed the ad, but I had several interested people already! One guy wanted to come over right away, and that's what he did -- with a trailor, and cash (cha-ching). So just like that, the old mower was gone! Monday afternoon, after finishing my research, I picked out the Cub Cadet 1046 VT, and how very sweet it is... two-cylider, 46" cut, electric PTO (blade engagement), mulching kit, 11 cutting heights, deck wash system, glove box, and a cup holder. It's a dream come true, really, and worth the four year wait.

Indianapolis Zoo.

2010-04-10T15:19:00.000-04:00

Next we walked the canal downtown, and made our way to the zoo. It was a pretty good zoo I thought, although I've only been to maybe four zoos in my whole life. There were too many people, that's for sure, and I know people way better than I know zoos (and based on that, I'd say the fewer around the better).

Holliday Park.

2010-04-10T10:16:00.000-04:00

Saturday mornings we like to visit Holliday Park, as Connor loves the playground equipment. Not to shake a stick at what he has in his own backyard, ahem, but this park is pretty great. And it turns out there is a lot more to the place than just the playground, I found after doing a quick Google search. Curious about the spelling of the name? So was I. Some pics from the day!

Indy And Family.

2010-04-09T10:05:00.000-04:00

We usually do a spring and fall trip to Indy, and this year so far is no different. The drive to Indy is just over four hours, so I look at it as a prelude to the Real Deal drive to Long Island in the summer; it's a nice little warm up. I usually get to see my sister* Lea while I'm there, and she loves seeing her nephew and niece, too!

*Lea is not actually my sister, but that's another topic to file under "Blended Families and the New Millennium".

And The Heavens Opened Up...

2010-04-06T09:56:00.000-04:00

Crazy, crazy rain storm, and it made me realize that there's more work to be done on the lawn surrounding the play set. Our property sits on too much clay, and drainage is always an issue.

The main thing though, was how relieved I was too have the major work done and the trees re-planted -- the weather last week was perfect, and it's not likely to be that nice again for a while, so we really had great luck with the timing of everything!

More Yard Work.

2010-04-05T09:51:00.000-04:00

They finally came to replant the trees on Monday, thank goodness. I also took some time to de-thatch and mow the lawn -- and note the mower, as it was not long for this household. Long story, but between me and that lawn mower, well... one of us was leaving, and it wasn't me.

He Is Risen!

2010-04-04T09:41:00.000-04:00

Sunday was Easter, and it was a beautiful day. We went to church at Cascade (our new church home), then to Jerry & Wendy's for Easter dinner and an Easter Egg Hunt. Much candy and good times, and hopefully the kids picked up something about the true meaning of Easter, although I suspect it much like Christmas in that respect.

He Is Risen Indeed!

Time To Play!

2010-04-03T09:20:00.000-04:00

It was a nice weekend, so we got some use out of the play set right away. All I can say... I Hope The Kids Use It.

The Project: The Install!

2010-04-02T19:41:00.000-04:00

The company I bought the play set from delivered it on Friday afternoon, and it was assembled but in like three parts. Big, heavy stuff to be sure, but we were able to manage.

The Project, Part V.

2010-04-01T19:34:00.000-04:00

Our second day working was spent leveling the sand, then installing a thick weed mat barrier, then spreading mulch over the whole area (and lots of it!). I think it was ten yards of sand and almost nine yards of mulch, to fill an area that's 32' x 24' and about 7" deep.

The Project, Part IV.

2010-03-31T19:24:00.000-04:00

I again thought I was back in bid'ness, but my day laborer fell through at the last minute. I was lucky enough to find a buddy from Hope who did this kind of work, and we made plans to work all day Wednesday. I had already bought all the materials, and I laid the timbers out in the rough shape of the rectangle I wanted to build. Paul had the idea to have the sand delivered right away, and it was just one of many great ideas he had through the project.

After that we spent the day framing the surround, which is not rocket science, but the trick was getting the bottom row as close to level and square as possible. Let's just say that some corners were easier than others! It was great weather though, perfect for working in the sun.

Our little helper!

The Project, Part III.

2010-03-30T19:17:00.000-04:00

So another neighbor runs an excavating company (and I'm not making this up). I had him out early the next week with a bulldozer. Talk about the right tool for the job! And in the end I think I needed both, as we really did want to save the trees and the Bobcat was good for that piece of it. Either way, thank goodness for neighbors!

The Project, Part II.

2010-03-29T19:08:00.000-04:00

Sure, it started simply enough. I talked to lots of people and thought I had things pretty well figured out, but then everything fell through and I was sort of back at square one. But a neighbor out here has a landscaping business, and he offered to come over with his Bobcat and move the trees and level the berm.

But it turns out that was not the right equipment to level the berm, although it did well enough to move the trees. It turns out with heavy clay like we have, some bigger guns were needed!

The Project, Part I.

2010-03-28T06:44:00.000-04:00

It started as just the germ of an idea... a seed, really. My dad thought we should buy a play set, initially for Connor, but of course for Evie too. (It's not like my dad does not know that Evie exists, he totally does!) So I started looking into them, and what's involved, the different construction methods and heights, etc. and it turned into quite an education. But I decided on a company called Backyard Adventures and found a local dealer. Now we'll go back in time just a bit, to the spring of 2006 when we moved into our new home... when we did our landscaping Jodi thought it would be nice to have a berm in the corner, with trees on it. Sounds simple enough, so that's what we did. Well it turns out that was a good idea for about six weeks, which was when the weeds started taking over. The rest of the history of the berm is a torturous story of long days sweating in the sun, fighting for control of the area from nature, of lots of money spent on chemicals that had no real impact, etc. It was our own little nightmare. So in what seemed like a very synergistic (how often do you get a chance to use that word in a sentence!) idea, we figured we'd move the trees, knock down the berm, and put the play set in the corner!

Well that was the opening of what I affectionately (at least I can call it that now) referred to as our very own Pandora's Box...

CB turns 38!

2010-03-27T18:28:00.000-04:00

Oh, it's really just a number, isn't it? It's still in the '3's, albeit by a little less every year. Not to worry, since I've read in many places that 38 is the new 32! So I've got that going for me, which is nice...

We did what I would call "the usual", which means dinner at The Chop House (discount, cha-ching!), then a couple of the newer night life establishments. It was a lot of fun and I thank my wife for making it such a special weekend. :-)

Evie Rocks!

2010-03-19T17:35:00.000-04:00

Oh, it's not what you think... but I do enjoy keeping the reader on their toes with a clever play on words! HA!
This is the rocking horse that dates back to the 1950s on Long Island (more specifically, Queens). It first appeared on these pages when Connor was a young buck, but now it's Evie's turn! Not much has changed so the photos speak for themselves.

Sunsetter!

2010-03-18T17:25:00.000-04:00

Perhaps you have seen these items advertised on television? Up late... infomercials... etc.? Well we couldn't be more excited to own one, Let Me Tell You!!! Actually, our house faces due west, and since this land was a farm in its prior life, there is nary a tree to be found. Point being, afternoons on the Meadow can get warm, with no shade and a lot of sun! We like this thing so far, but another problem out on the Meadow is the wind: It's can be ferocious and sometimes quite wicked. The Sunsetter must (or should) be retracted in high winds. Of course the sales folks happily remind you that hey, if it's too windy for the Sunsetter, maybe you don't want to spend all afternoon on the deck anyway.

New Camera!

2010-03-17T17:11:00.000-04:00

I bought a new Sony W350 (it's in the Cybershot series) and I have to say it's pretty great. It's got some new features, like "panorama" shots, and probably the main thing I liked about it was that it takes HD video (720 lines instead of 360).

The first shot!

Shot #2 (it's Connor!)

Panorama (that's a lot of the Meadow)!

MB at 40!

2010-03-13T17:01:00.000-05:00

My brother's 40th birthday was Thursday, March 11. Part of the weekend was the aforementioned Thunder Nationals event, and Saturday night we had a party for him at Vitale's. It was a great party, and we saw lots of old "blast from the past" faces! Friends from as far back as junior high were in attendance, plus lots of family and new friends as well. What a great night; what a great guy!

Thunder Nationals!

2010-03-12T16:50:00.000-05:00

That's just a fancy way of saying "Monster Trucks", folks. We went downtown to Van Andel Arena for the show, and it was "not quite what we expected" and "pretty much exactly what we expected", sort of all at the same time.

For starters, there were monster trucks, and they jumped over wrecked cars. And it takes a certain kind of person to attend this event, ahem. But it wasn't very crowded, and I think the main issue was the venue: It's too small for this event. There was no mud or dirt, and the trucks couldn't really turn around well or build up any momentum before they had to slam on the brakes to avoid a wall, or each other.

That said, it was a fun event for the kids, and no expense was spared!

Connor In Indy.

2010-02-20T10:51:00.000-05:00

Mark & Kristi took Connor to Indy to see my dad and Tina... a great time was had by all! (And CB & Jodi enjoyed a 'quieter' weekend with just Evie.)

Batter up!

Bath Time!

Our Sweet Little Evie.

2010-02-19T10:21:00.000-05:00

Not much to add, as the photos speak for themselves!

Random Kids.

2010-02-14T17:40:00.000-05:00

Just some of what goes on while I'm away at the cube farm taking care of bid'ness. (As we say around the office, "that software isn't going to just analyze itself!")

I'm sure we're all glad Jodi is so quick with the camera though, so these precious moments can be shared!

Evie Is Walking (Kind Of)!!

2010-02-01T17:25:00.000-05:00

As frequent visitors may recall, Evie has been standing, and sort of holding herself up with furniture, and even moving between things that are close enough to one another. Well another big milestone occurred when I took this old walker / toy of Connor's out of storage, to see if Evie could figure it out. Well could she ever! She is now walking behind it, and cruising pretty well even... we had to chuckle a little about the old axiom regarding babies and "seniors", since we all start out with walkers and we all end up needing them again when we get older. (Except for me. I likely did not need one then and won't in the future. But for the rest of you, it's totally fine and a normal part of the cycle of life I'm sure.)

Hope v. Calvin, Part Whatever.

2010-01-30T18:14:00.000-05:00

This was the big game, and the good guys won! We pretty much spent the day in Holland, stopping at the house in the morning before the game. And while it was Connor's second official Hope game, it was his very first time seeing "The Rivalry"! That said, it was not exactly the most exciting game of the series, and we were just happy to come up with the W.

Fillmore.

2010-01-30T16:57:00.000-05:00

This is the Ottawa County Fillmore Street Complex. Although maybe that could be discerned from the name. It's about half way between Holland and Grand Haven, so it's sort of "centrally located"*.

*Depending on your location. And destination, come to think of it.

Where's The Fire??

2010-01-20T17:48:00.000-05:00

Connor went to another Fire Station with his pre-school class (shout-out to Miss Lynn!), and I think this was like his fourth one. This stuff is getting to be a bit old hat for him, I'd say.

More Outdoors.

2010-01-09T17:43:00.000-05:00

At the risk of being redundant, I do like to get after that driveway. And we played some more, if that's what you call it when I run around in the snow pulling C-man. Note Evie at that door -- she wanted to come out and play!

Playing In The Snow!

2010-01-08T17:38:00.000-05:00

The kids got a great "old school" wooden sled for Christmas (thanks Grandma Joyce!), so we spent some time playing outside and towing them around with it.

Making Cookies.

2010-01-05T17:35:00.000-05:00

Later that week someone made cookies, while someone else waited patiently for them to come out of the oven!

New Year's Day.

2010-01-01T20:01:00.000-05:00

My cousins and other family were in town over the New Year holiday, and we all met at my uncle Dave's for the afternoon. My dad and his brother sure love their grandkids!

Party!

2009-12-26T19:53:00.000-05:00

We had some friends over the day after Christmas. Things got pretty wild, let me tell you, as the party went on from 5:30 PM or so all the way until 9:00!

Nine that same night, that is.

So things have changed a little since school... it was a lot of good, clean fun!

Connor Cooking.

2009-12-25T19:39:00.000-05:00

Connor has a (toy) miniature kitchen in his play room, and one of his presents was some cookware that was to scale. He's quite crafty with it, just like his old man.

Christmas Eve.

2009-12-24T19:19:00.000-05:00

Traditionally we have opened our Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve, but we've become a bit more flexible on that policy over the last several years. This year was pretty much back to normal, although we were missing Tina (unfortunately). We had lots of gifts and lots of time to open them as well. My brother got me the Element Gasket I'd mentioned from time to time throughout the year, and he and my dad both received the Chia Obama from me, among other things. It was a wonderful night with family.

Evie's First Birthday!

2009-12-24T16:03:00.000-05:00

It's also Christmas Eve, so we had a family birthday party for Evie in the afternoon. (It was family, and an older gentleman that has some loose connection to our family and manages to come to many of our gatherings... suffice to say we're looking into it.)

Evie was one year old, and I for one couldn't believe how quickly the year passed!

Winter On The Meadow.

2009-12-20T18:57:00.000-05:00

It can be quite pretty on the Meadow.

Later That Day.

2009-12-19T18:48:00.000-05:00

When we got home I was watching a movie downstairs, and Connor was in his play room. Jodi was on the main floor doing I'm-not-sure-what, then she came downstairs to do something else. I'm just setting the scene, folks...

I think I noticed Connor heading upstairs, but I know I didn't think anything of it. I went upstairs maybe two minutes later, and found the boy, just as the photos show. He somehow got it in his head to paint the door to the pantry, and the rest doesn't really need description. I should at least point out the knife though; it's a monster.

Seeing Santa.

2009-12-19T18:25:00.000-05:00

We went to Breton Village Mall, which is sort of where my brother and I had our first "mall" experiences when we were kids. We'd follow girls around, and... well, I'm not sure what else we did, but Breton Village was within walking distance to our house. Connor did really well with Santa; Evie, not so much. Next year sweetheart!

Random.

2009-12-16T18:22:00.000-05:00

Jodi at home playing with the kids, and the camera.

Evie Is Standing!

2009-12-14T18:20:00.000-05:00

Just like it sounds, folks.

Winter.

2009-12-12T18:14:00.000-05:00

I actually enjoy clearing snow off the driveway, even though I'm lazy in nearly every other way laziness can be calculated. These days Connor likes to come out and "help", which is one part cute and fun and one part hassle in that he generally makes things worse and I have to redo my work. (I mentioned he's cute, right?) And my mom arrived back in MI for the holidays!

Day Care.

2009-12-09T18:10:00.000-05:00

Jodi babysits for a girlfriend on Monday mornings, and Nina's fun to have around (as far as I don't know).

Holland.

2009-12-05T18:06:00.000-05:00

We all spent the weekend in Holland, which we had not done in a while. It was cold, but we had a great time. I'm pretty sure we went to a Hope basketball game Saturday afternoon, too, and that they won. My goal, having season tickets that I rarely use, is to make it to four games this year, then add one game a season as Connor gets older. We'll see.

Reformation Day / Halloween / C-man's Birthday!!

2009-10-31T17:49:00.000-04:00

It's sort of its own trinity, really. Connor is heavily into Speed Racer, which is kind of cool since I was into the exact same show when I was a kid. Flash forward though, and instead of watching one episode a day, from say, 4:00 til 4:30 (after school), in the new millennium you just order the entire series (six DVDs) online. Then you can watch every single episode, every waking minute of your life, until the thought of hearing the theme song just One More Time brings with it visions of checking in to a mental institution, or at least hitting the eject button. (The best part of course is that, with DVD players in vehicles now, you never really have to be away from it; it can stay with you wherever you go.)

But I digress... it was C-man's third birthday! We had a party in the afternoon, then went trick-or-treating at night. Connor did much better than last year, although it was much colder and unfortunately he had to wear a coat over his costume.

Evie And The Tub.

2009-10-27T17:43:00.000-04:00

She's growing all right. This is her in the tub, if descriptors are really required. Oh, and that's the boy and me after bath time, circa probably the same night.

U of M.

2009-10-24T17:37:00.000-04:00

We went to see Michigan play the Nittany Lions of Penn State, and it went badly. The weather was a nightmare, and the Wolverines played to the same level (pardon the poor analogy). But with my dad's sports contacts, we came away with cool T-shirt and a trip onto the field!

The Baby Bast Blog Is Back, Baby!!

2009-10-10T08:50:00.000-04:00

(Editor's Note: The date for this post is fall of 2009, but it was written at the start of 2010. To keep things chronological, however, and include some highlights from the fall, I am placing it here.)

I get lots of questions about the our family blog... oh wait, check that... I meant "no one asks me about the family blog anymore", because we're all on this new site I dare not mention here (copyright and trademark issues of course), but the initals might be "FB".

I gave up on the blog last April, for anyone still keeping track. It's because of a topic I've mentioned before, but the short story is simply what I call "data overload". I just can't do it all. The photos must be re-sized and uploaded to this "FB" site, and my Grandma's Ceiva picture frame (which I highly recommend), and the Kodak site, then the blog, and then most of that process must start over again with digital video. Not to mention the backups... my goodness man!! The backups!! So there is a lot to it.

But there is good news for all of you still in the blogosphere! I found a website to print our family blog, starting at day one, up through the last update on April 22, 2009. The book is 200 pages, hardcover and color, and everyone just loves it. It's a very, very nice item to have, and to give as a gift. But more importantly, it's a great family item to keep and treasure, much like in the "dead tree" days of photos albums (look it up if you have not heard the term).

So our family blog will get a kick-start in 2010. New decade, new resolve, folks. I suppose time will tell how frequently I manage updates, but my commitment at this point is quite sincere. I and we hope you check back often, and if you haven't seen anything good lately, there is likely another site you might check (with initials that were mentioned enough already).

On a personal note, I find it quite liberating to write in the first person once again (that's an inside joke, people)!!

More Evie.

2009-04-21T19:15:00.000-04:00

She's growing and changing every day. She's a real blessing to our family.

Easter Egg Hunters.

2009-04-12T20:02:00.000-04:00

These are some of the Wilterink grandkids -- missing are Evie, Caleb and Breyana.

Easter (He Is Risen, Indeed)!

2009-04-12T18:49:00.000-04:00

We went to Third for Easter, then to Jerry & Wendy's for dinner and a great Easter egg hunt for the kids. Great day, but our household was just starting to get sick... and little did we know how bad things would become!

More Indy.

2009-04-05T17:57:00.000-04:00

At some point during the weekend my Dad realized that we had brought Evie along, and that she was, in fact, his second grandchild and first granddaughter. It was like a light bulb went off: "Hey, that's my granddaughter! Huh, maybe I'll hold her for a minute (as long as I can hold Connor too of course)." So that's what he did.

Note the kids in the first photo, then them again in the second. Different outfits, yes? Is anyone wearing the same thing? Turns out that shirt and t-shirt was his uniform for three long, warm days. I tried to release him from his self-imposed "record" when we left on Sunday, but I'm not sure what happened after we left.

Back To Indy!

2009-04-04T17:51:00.000-04:00

Another trip to Indy, and another really great weekend. The only thing we don't like is the company, er, I mean the drive! It's the drive we don't like, but I had plenty of time to think about ways to improve it so more on that later. We went to a children's toy museum outside of Indy, and that was a lot of fun. The toy collection was amazing, and something any adult would enjoy.

What, More Kids??

2009-04-01T17:48:00.000-04:00

YouGotThatRight. Kids are all we do around here. Note Evie's foray into the Activity Center!

My Birthday.

2009-03-27T17:42:00.000-04:00

I turned a very young and spry 37 on March 27. Jodi and I had a great dinner at The Chop House (half off the food on your birthday, folks!), then we met friends at a new place near Eastown, The Winchester. That was fun, then Saturday night a group of us had dinner at a new place called The Victory Club. It's on the site of the old Lena Lou, which was a great old Ada bar and happens to be where our wedding party, well... partied, the night before our wedding (after the rehearsal dinner). Good times to be sure.

Evie.

2009-03-23T17:39:00.000-04:00

She's very sweet.

A New Procedure.

2009-03-15T17:37:00.000-04:00

Connor is learning something new. C'mon, I meant reading!!

Kristi and the Kids.

2009-03-13T17:32:00.000-04:00

So far these two are the only nephew and niece. She's got chances at more though, unlike MB.

More Kids.

2009-03-11T17:03:00.000-04:00

Connor with his new 'mean and threatening' face, Evie in the Poof chair, and Evie in the getting started in the Boppie!

Holland.

2009-02-28T17:00:00.000-05:00

Big "guy's night out" in Holland. Much fun had by all. Note T. Cotts holding court...

The Kids.

2009-02-25T16:55:00.000-05:00

More of the usual. It's why you folks stop by, assuming any of you do anymore.

New Puppy.

2009-02-22T16:41:00.000-05:00

Lack of updates, I realize. I update Facebook more these days and getting to this one as well as the myriad other data related backups and updates take their toll. At any rate, MB & K got a new French Bulldog named Milo. He's great.

Valentine's Day.

2009-02-14T18:59:00.000-05:00

Saturday we went to Holland for Valentine's Day, after a nice dinner at Centennial CC Friday night. The lake was angry that day, my friends. Like an old man trying to return soup in a deli. I fell in a bit, but we have a nice new gas dryer that did just what it was supposed to do.

Mommy and Evie.

2009-02-14T18:43:00.000-05:00

Just photos... I don't know that we did a lot mid-winter, with an infant and a toddler. We probably did something.

A New Cousin!

2009-02-12T18:38:00.000-05:00

Caleb Jehu Wilterink was born February 6, 2009. Mom and baby did well and are now home!

More Kids.

2009-02-10T18:26:00.000-05:00

The Kids.

2009-01-05T18:20:00.000-05:00

OK, I will admit one of my favorite new things: The phrase "the kids". It used to be "the boy", or just "Connor", whatever. Now there are two, so it's plural. Something about that really appeals to me.

Our Bast Family Christmas.

2008-12-27T21:38:00.000-05:00

We always celebrated Christmas Eve by going to the Methodist candlelight service at my Grandparent's church in Southold, NY (North Fork, Long Island). Then at home we'd have a light dinner, and open gifts.

That was our tradition, my whole life. While that can't happen these days, it doesn't mean it can't happen again.

This year, given all the unexpected excitement, we were truly blessed. Both my parents, who live out of state and usually miss these kinds of events, were in town for Christmas... so when our precious little Evie was born, they were both within about a one hour's drive! (Jerry & Wendy were of course here, and we spoke with Sandi & Bob who cannot wait to visit and sent their love.)

The Bast side of our family celebrated Christmas this year on Saturday, December 27, in the afternoon and early evening. It was pretty great. Everyone was, as always, too generous, and everyone made promises, as always, that next year they would not spend as much. It was a really fun and generous event.

December 26.

2008-12-26T20:42:00.000-05:00

Friday came right on schedule, and it was actually a pretty great day. I left early for the hospital, but not before my generous sister-in-law offered to come over. She straightened things up around the house and watched Connor, while I went to pick up Jodi and Evie from the hospital. That went swimmingly, and we arrived home safely in the Jeep. The rest of our First Day Home together was pretty great, and we of course started adjusting things for a family of four. I'd say we had frank and open discussions about a picket fence and a dog, and 0.4 more children, but we didn't.

Later, Christmas Day.

2008-12-25T22:25:00.000-05:00

I went to the hospital next, for a fun filled day of configuring, and re-configuring, a really bad arm chair from the '70s. I also watched marathon sessions of "American Justice" on A&E. (For those of you who may not know, it's hosted by Bill Curtis. Actually, if you didn't know you would find this out quickly enough, as he let's you know before and after every break. I think his exact line is, "I'm Bill Curtis, and this is ... blah blah blah".)

Oh, and I hung out with Jodi and little Evie (!), who were happy to have me. It was great when my Mom came by in the afternoon, her first trip from Holland all week (really bad MI weather on top of, for those of you keeping track, a horrific train ride from Chicago that left Sunday night around 5:00 PM and only arrived in Holland on Monday morning at about 4:00 AM).

So this was Christmas Day... Evie is very new and very cute, and we all spent the day together. I left around 6:30 and got Connor at Jerry & Wendy's (thanks!), then finally... and I mean, finally... I got home with the little man, and we Just Hung Out. It was the Little Man and it was Me. I think we watched "It's a Wonderful Life", but Connor was goofing around and I was mostly doing computer stuff. I may not have painted this as the most merry of Christmases, but for us, it was.

P.S. In the photo, Connor is talking to Mommy later at night; I think they both came away sensing a real "meeting of the minds". My Dad could tell me the Latin phrase for that, or a lawyer probably could. Or these days, I could just Google it.

Christmas at the Wilterinks.

2008-12-25T18:04:00.000-05:00

I finally got some sleep after the quietest Christmas Eve I have ever spent. Connor and I got up pretty early on Christmas Day, and I got him ready all by myself! We went to Jerry & Wendy's for a big breakfast and gifts, and Connor got to play with all his cousins.

Evelyn Grace (Evie).

2008-12-24T12:58:00.000-05:00

My Grandmother's name is Evelyn; she lives on Long Island as some may remember. She has one daughter (my Mom), and two sons. My Mom is the only one with children, so that leaves my Grandma with two grandsons. At this point I am the only one of the two of us with kids, and our first was another boy. But this time we had a girl, and I could not think of a better way to honor my Grandmother than to use her name for our daughter. We are calling her Evie, with a 'soft' E.

Christmas Eve Day.

2008-12-24T12:32:00.000-05:00

Well... I suppose there's plenty to offer for Christmas Eve Day (feel free to skip this part and scroll up to the photos!)

See, I had the day off. That was nice, but little did I know...

Our original plans were to go the doctor (as a family), then get a lot of groceries, then go home and relax a bit, then go to church with Mark and Kristi for the Christmas Eve service, then spend the rest of Christmas Eve with them at their house. Our family tradition was always to open gifts Christmas Eve, but this year things were changed a bit, and we had plans for a family Christmas (and the gifts) on Friday, the 26th. So that was the plan.

Instead, Jodi's water broke at about 5:00 AM.

Being the understanding husband and generally compassionate guy that I am, I of course insisted we go to the hospital right away, and immediately gathered Jodi's things for her and started packing.

That, or I may have said, "Honey, that's crazy, just go back to bed. I mean, seriously, you're not having that kid today."

Whichever one of those paints me in a better light, go with it.

At any rate, once we figured some things out and spoke with the doctor on call, we got ready, got C-man up (and tried to explain things to him!), then left. I was hungry, and I remembered that a woman friend of mine told the story of when her husband stopped at McDonald's on the way to the hospital when she was in labor (it's a lot of 'hurry up and wait', anyway, he explained to me later), so I thought a precedent had been set and stopped for breakfast. I mean, drive through, of course. Duh.

So, we checked in and things were as they seemed: Jodi was having the baby that day. I brought Connor up to Mark's, made dozens of phone calls, then went back to the hospital. We sat around until noon, then they came for Jodi, and gave me my OR gowns. I went in around 12:10, and our sweet little Evie was brought into the world at 12:13. It was something, and went quickly. We were out by 12:26.

We sat in recovery for three hours, unfortunately. Evie was three weeks early, and they take special precautions. Then we went to Jodi's room, and saw some family later in the day.

It was quite a day, and a change from any other way I've spent Christmas Eve in the past (ahem).

We were blessed that day, and the hand of the Lord was evident in all that happened. We of course loved and appreciated the significance of her birthday.