The Adventures of Jack

Trip to Big Star Lake II

2010-07-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

Enjoying some time with Henry

He's not so sure what he thinks about walking in sand.

He definitely liked the water, though.

Trip to Big Star Lake I

2010-07-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

Hanging out in the sweet retro chair at the VanDyke/Bos cottage

Chilling on the dock with Chris and Alisha

Soaking up the sun with Carmen

Trip to Chicago - Jack meets Micah!

2010-07-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

We got a chance to see our friends Erika and Aaron, and meet their son, Micah!

Trip to Chicago - Microwaving the Phone Book

2010-07-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

While waiting for Mommy to finish her clinic,
Jack spent his time in the hotel room microwaving the phone book.

Jack is a Big Boy!

2010-07-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

He looks like such a refined guy in his polo shirt.

Mmmmm! Beef-a-roni!

Reading on the floral couch.

Just hanging out.

July 4 - Pool Party!

2010-07-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

Daddy takes Jack for a dip in Aunt Carol & Uncle Don's pool

Jack hangs out with Aunt Jen and Uncle Bob

Trip to Fla - Downtown Disney

2010-07-20T08:33:00.000-07:00

Trip to Fla - Power Wheels!

2010-07-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

Trip to Fla - The Gulf

2010-07-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

Trip to Fla - Boat Ride

2010-07-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

Kathryn's hanging out with Blake, Jack, and Cole

Loading all our stuff onto the golf cart, headed for the boat launch

Jack wasn't so sure about the wind in his face, but there was no way to keep sunglasses on him.
He enjoyed it eventually.

Trip to Fla - Church at First Baptist

2010-07-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

This totally cracked me up.

My handsome guys.

Cracking up with Papa.

Group shout before heading to Palm Island!

Trip to Fla - Walk to the Park

2010-07-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

We are unbelievably sweaty in these pics.

Fun with Uncle TomTom!

Trip to Fla - Keaton Beach II

2010-07-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

Trip to Fla - Keaton Beach I

2010-07-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

Trip to Fla - Subway at the Park

2010-07-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

We planned to go to Keaton Beach, but the skies started looking ominous, so we ate our Subway at the park.
Jack was a very intense sandwich eater.

Jack is obsessed with drink out of adult-sized fast food cups.

The downpour was intense, but short-lived. Evidently, this happens every afternoon.

Trip to Fla - Hospital Cafe

2010-07-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

Nana had to work at the hospital while we were visiting, so we met her for
lunch at the hospital cafe (which is the most popular restaurant in town!)

Papa shows Jack around the hospital, introducing him to all his coworkers.
Jack was particularly taken with the scenery outside.

Papa was the Employee of the Quarter, so we got this sweet parking spot!

Chatting on Mommy's Phone

2010-07-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

I Can Feed MYSELF!

2010-07-04T15:07:00.000-07:00

Dylan's Birthday

2010-07-04T15:06:00.000-07:00

Jack had lots of fun helping his cousin Dylan celebrate his 3rd birthday.

Here's Jack with Aunt Jen.

Sharing? Just maybe! :-)

Uncle Bob, Aunt Jen, Austin, and Dylan (the b-day boy)

Jack with his special friend, Marty. (Aunt Jen's mom)

Tulip Time 2010

2010-07-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

Easter

2010-07-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

More Pix from Cbus

2010-07-04T15:01:00.000-07:00

We wanted to get one picture with both the Five Guys and the Coldstone (far right). What a delicious evening. :-)

Visit to Cbus

2010-07-04T14:58:00.000-07:00

We went to Columbus to see our friends' brand new baby girl, Gretchen Ann ("Greta"). She was so cute and tiny!

Jack enjoyed the staircase at Katie and PJ's

Jack also enjoyed playing with his beautiful red-haired buddy, Chloe

While we were there, we had to stop by Five Guys Burgers & Fries. YUM!

Fun Times with Sock Monkey

2010-04-03T17:18:00.000-07:00

Our dear friend Denise made a sock monkey for Jack for Christmas. He loves it.

First Haircut - Part II

2010-04-03T17:17:00.000-07:00

The best. face. ever.

The finishing touches...

All done! He did great. :-)

First Haircut - Part I

2010-04-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

We decided that Jack was getting a little shaggy on top, so we took him to see our favorite stylist, Annie.

He is trying as hard as he can to see what's going on behind him!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

2010-04-03T17:13:00.000-07:00

One Saturday morning, Mommy decided to make homemade chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream. Jack thought they were delightful. As we look back on these pictures, we can see clearly that Jack was starting to come down with something. We didn't realize it at the time, but the next day, he had a terrible case of the stomach flu. Which he generously shared with Mommy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa. :-(

Cute Face

2010-04-03T17:11:00.000-07:00

Our Little Bookworm

2010-04-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

Jack absolutely loves his board books. He goes over to his little library, chooses one, brings it over to the reading chair, and then sits patiently in Mommy or Daddy's lap while we read. He even flips the pages for us!

Sweet Sweater

2010-04-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

Pants on the Ground

2010-04-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

These blue cords just would not stay up! He was a lowrider all day.

Pi Day!

2010-04-03T17:06:00.000-07:00

March 14, 2010
For Pi Day this year, the variety was apple. And for the record, it was scruptious.

Goodbye, McDonald's

2010-04-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

Our McDonald's on 8th St. is a wonderful place. The people know us by name and they love to see Jack. Just recently, we saw signs at the drive-thru saying the the building was going to be completely razed and a brand-new Mickey D's would be constructed in its place. While I agree that it's probably time for an update, there's something a little sad about it. We thought we'd snap a few pictures for posterity. These were taken the day before the demolition started.

The Slurreo

2010-04-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

Almost every Sunday morning after church, we go to have coffee with friends at Great-Grandma and Aunt Kenni's house. And every time, Daddy makes this ridiculous concoction in a cup, which involves crushing several Oreos and drowning them in chocolate milk. Everyone kept asking, "When are you going to share some of that with Jack?" This was the day.

Jack Goes to Cincy!

2010-04-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

Jack came with us to the regional convention of the American Choral Director's Association (ACDA) in Cincinnati. Mommy and Daddy did a lot of singing, and Jack mainly just goofed around and hung out with great friends.

With our good friend, Rachael

We stayed at the convention hotel, which was the Hilton Netherlands Plaza. Nice place! Here we are in the lobby, where lovely choir ladies are doting on Jack.

At Skyline Chili, with Mommy and Henry

At Breugger's Bagels, wearing silly Mr. DeStigter's glasses

I Can Feed Myself!

2010-04-03T14:45:00.000-07:00

Here's Jack, taking matters into his own hands.

Success!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-04-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

Cookie Love :-)

Ice Cream Truck

2010-04-03T14:42:00.000-07:00

Uncle Bob and Aunt Jen got Jack an ice cream truck with "real" ice cream treats for his birthday.

First Birthday - Part IV

2010-04-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

First Birthday - Part III

2010-04-03T14:39:00.000-07:00

First Birthday - Part II

2010-04-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

Birthday Banner

Jack and Mommy enjoy the pizza lunch

Grandpa reads the Bible story after lunch

Look at all this loot!

First Birthday - Part I

2010-04-03T14:33:00.000-07:00

Jack turned one on January 27, but we celebrated on January 31. Here are some pics of the festivities.

Jack's cousins Dylan and Austin

Jack with Nana and Papa

Daddy prepares the gourmet pizza lunch

Great Aunt Kenni and Grandma (with Uncle Bob in the mirror)

Barnyard Cakes Galore!

2010-04-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

Three special cakes for Jack's birthday...and the cow his just for him!!

Random Silliness

2010-04-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

Jack enjoys disassembling the lower shelves of our pantry. On this particular day, he found some gourmet cocoa in a tin container. He dragged it all over the house with him.

Jack enjoys walking behind the push toy Nana and Papa got for him.

Jack is an astronaut.

The New Throne

2010-04-03T14:24:00.000-07:00

Jack finally outgrew his little infant carseat, which was situated in Dave's car. So Dave took Kathryn's carseat, and Kathryn got the coolest carseat known to man - the Britax marathon in the Cowmooflage print. SO AWESOME. You notice that Jack is also wearing camouflage pants in the picture.

Marzipan enjoyed the box.

Good Clean Fun

2010-04-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

Jack LOVES the bathtub. He especially loves this little green frog,
which lights up all psychedelically when it makes contact with the water. Groovy!

Winter Fun

2010-04-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

When it's freezing outside, a young man's gotta find things to keep him occupied.
Like playing the piano...

Duets with mommy...

Not so sure about the Diet Coke...

New Year's Fun

2010-04-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

We love to ring in the new year with our friends Kate, Peej & Chloe.
Here we are, having fun at the California Pizza Kitchen in Columbus.

On our way north, we met some familiar faces for lunch at Chili's in Toledo.

Christmas 2009 - Part II

2010-01-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2009 - Part I

2010-01-09T09:54:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving in Virginia

2010-01-09T09:52:00.000-08:00

Jack's first trip to Colonial Williamsburg

Thanksgiving meal at Uncle James's house

Eating pork BBQ at Bunny's

Hanging with family at the Ruritan club

Grandpa's Birthday

2010-01-09T09:49:00.000-08:00

Jack-O-Lantern

2010-01-09T09:47:00.000-08:00

Here's the man, all dressed up for Halloween! We just couldn't resist the play on words.

No Fall Guy

2009-10-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

Autumn is definitely one of our four favorite seasons. I'm not sure Jack would agree!

It's a good thing we took these pictures yesterday, because today we got about a hundred inches of rain and the trees are all underwater. And Jack can't swim. Yet.

Mr Gigglesworth

2009-10-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

We finally got some decent video of Jack laughing! Kathryn bought this toy for him yesterday - it's basically a bunch of interconnecting half-spheres with a jingly ball in the middle that you can take apart and do all sorts of crazy stuff with. HE LOVES IT. New favorite toy? Could be.

I think the best part of the clip is from about 1:18 to 2:05. Enjoy!

I Love Puffs

2009-10-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

Fun Times in the Exersaucer!

2009-10-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

"Oh my! Who is that charming young man in the window?"

"I'm not sure...but he's quite the dapper gent!"

Going for a Walk

2009-10-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

This may be the last time the bunting fits!

Hayride!

2009-10-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

We spent this afternoon at Crane's Orchard in Fennville.

Jack didn't mind being all bundled up.

He loved the hayride!

Labor Day

2009-10-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

By the fire pit with Grandma and Aunt Kenni

Sloppy kisses. :-)

RAAAR!

Jam Session at Mommy's School

2009-10-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

I Know I'm Cute

2009-10-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

Just Chillin'

2009-10-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

Hanging out in my army pants

Yep. Mommy thinks I'm cool. :-)

My New Chair!

2009-10-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

This is the new chair where Jack eats dinner. Fun!

Captain Adorable

2009-09-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

Visit to LC

2009-09-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

Jack and I went to Liberty Center to visit Great Grandma and Grandpa, and to say goodbye to Uncle Dan (who is teaching in Beijing for the year). We were surprised by Nana and Papa, who made a surprise trip to Ohio to see us!

More Rice Cereal

2009-09-01T18:34:00.000-07:00

This time, Daddy got a chance to feed him. Highly entertaining.

This spoon is MINE.

This bib is MINE TOO.

Our baby's thighs are so robust, we occasionally have a difficult time removing the Bumbo. :-)

Rice Cereal

2009-09-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

We held off on feeding Jack solids for quite a long time, since it was pretty obvious he wasn't hurting for nutrition. But he was getting more and more interested in our food, so we thought it was about time for rice cereal.

Cottage Week, Part III

2009-09-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

Cottage Week, Part II

2009-08-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

Cottage Week, Part I

2009-08-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

Every August, Dave's parents rent out a cottage at Hutchins Lake. This is Jack's first time! :-)

Austin (Jack's cousin) insists on tickling him every time he sees him. I try to tell him that Jack isn't ticklish (which he isn't), but he does it anyhow. One day, maybe he'll prove me wrong.

Tabitha's Wedding, Part IV

2009-08-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

Mommy with Jack's IKEA buddy, CarlaJoy.

Tabitha and Alex, getting ready to eat their cake.

There were numerous toasts, and everytime we would clink glasses, Jack would reach for my cup. Since it was just water, I thought I'd let him give it a try. He drank it like a champ! Sippy cup, here we come! :-)

Tabitha's Wedding, Part III

2009-08-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

This was a tiring affair. Note the "shadow" on my shoulder...yes, friends--that's drool.

It was a hot night, but lots of fun. It was exciting to see all of Tabitha's plans become reality!

The whole gang...should we use this as our next publicity shot?

Jack is hanging out with his friend, Nathan.

Tabitha's Wedding, Part II

2009-08-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

Jack with his new buddy, Alisha. She had been waiting to meet/hold him since he was born, but somehow we always managed to miss each other!

The beautiful bride and her mom and dad. Incidentally, Tabitha is probably almost six feet tall. Her dad is impressively tall.

Here's Jack's friend, Meili, showing us a twirl in her pretty pink dress. She learned ballet this summer, so she was eager to show us all her moves. :-)

The drool monster himself.

Tabitha's Wedding, Part I

2009-08-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

Tabitha, our friend and fellow Choral Scholar, got married this weekend. She wanted her wedding outside, with the reception in a barn. We kind of rolled our eyes at her...what kind of country-bumpkin, backwoods event was this going to be? Alas, it was a classy and charming affair.

Baby and Mommy

2009-08-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

Coupons!

2009-08-10T08:08:00.000-07:00

I was trying to entertain Jack with his toys, but he kept grabbing the Arby's and Steak 'N' Shake flyers off the table. He probably goofed around with them for 15 minutes. I should have known he would love coupons, given his Dutch heritage.

And plus, they taste GREAT!

Buddies!

2009-08-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some shots of Jack and his friend, Nolan. Nolan is two months older than Jack, so he is sitting well and starting to crawl and get around. Jack is still pretty floppy. :-)

This totally cracks me up. They look a little romantic, don't they? I'm sure Jack is just losing his balance.

Beach Weekend with Kate, Peej, and Chloe

2009-07-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

We recently had the pleasure of hosting our Ohio friends Katie, PJ, and Chloe for the weekend. We did a little beach-combing, although the weather was a bit cool for it. Here we are, climbing the dune to get to the waterfront:

The big lake! Chloe was hesitant to walk in the water, and I don't blame her! It was chilly.

Here's Jack, riding comfortably in his Ergo carrier. He's figured out how to ride in style.

The happy family, with quite the picturesque backdrop! Note that I still look weirdly pregnant in this shot, until you spot the chubby legs dangling out the sides. :-)

Trip to North Carolina: The Reception

2009-07-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

The reception was held at a beautiful banquet hall called The Crystal Ballroom. Jack didn't stay for too long, because it was getting rather late. But since our hotel was adjacent to the reception, Mommy still got a chance to party the night away. :-)

Trip to North Carolina: The Big Event!

2009-07-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

Jack was such a good boy for the actual ceremony. And Anna was a stunning bride! :-)

Trip to North Carolina: Wedding Rehearsal

2009-07-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

We rehearsed for the wedding, which was to be held at the beautiful First Baptist Church in downtown Winston-Salem. What a gorgeous space! Jack loved looking around.

Trip to North Carolina: Rehearsal Dinner

2009-07-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

Anna's rehearsal dinner was a cook out at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, NC. It was a gorgeous setting, and very appropriate for July 3!

Cedar Point Fun III

2009-07-03T09:22:00.000-07:00

Liz's shoulder makes a great headrest. :-)

With Daddy by the carousel.

With Mommy on the carousel!

Cedar Point Fun II

2009-07-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

Jack loved looking at Meili!

Starbucks? Check. Donut? Check. Awesome roller coasters? Check. Perfect day!

Jack was not so thrilled about being in the stroller.

Cedar Point Fun I

2009-07-02T17:33:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we went to Cedar Point with our friends Henry and Liz. Meili (their 3.5-year-old) was quite fond of Jack. These are some shots that Liz took. Only about 24 more inches, and Jack will be ready for Millenium Force!

Cousins!

2009-06-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

Caleb (4), Josiah (2), Austin (6), Jack (4 mo.), and Dylan (2)

June Birthday Extravaganza!

2009-06-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

Because Josiah, Uncle Bob, and Uncle Tim all have birthdays in June, we had a big birthday bash while the California Becksvoorts were in town.

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

Jack got Daddy some golf clubs for his very first Father's Day, which Mommy covertly hid at Grandma and Grandpa's house. She had him looking EVERYWHERE for them. Muuuhahahaha. :-) The little boys had fun pulling them out.

Jack Meets the California Becksvoorts

2009-06-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

Dave's brother and sister-in-law (Tim and Michelle) live near Los Angeles...this is the first time they've seen Jack!

This was also the first time for Jack to meet his California cousins, Caleb and Josiah. Josiah seemed quite interested, but Caleb was having too much fun playing on Grandma and Grandpa's swingset to pay much attention. :-)

June Cuteness Part II

2009-06-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

June Cuteness Part I

2009-06-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

Random Springtime Fun

2009-06-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

Here's Jack with his buddy Nolan. They're both so chubby!

Jack loves his cow. He tries to roll over to get it, but most of the time he's too lazy and just flops back over.

Clothing? Optional.

Look out, ladies. :-)

Family Comes to Town!

2009-06-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

It had been a long time since Nana and Papa saw Jack, so it was fun to see them "ooo" and "ahh" over how big he was.

Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Cartledge met Jack for the first time!

Jack loved spending time with his Papa!

Our Little Easter Peep

2009-06-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

Tulip Time Part II

2009-06-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

A nice family shot:

A bow on the butt!

He was pretty angry by the time we got to Grandma and Aunt Kenni's:

Tulip Time Part I

2009-06-12T13:15:00.000-07:00

Following the tradition of all good Dutch folk here in Holland, we dressed Jack up in authentic garb for Tulip Time.

Here he is with Daddy in Centennial Park:

He kept trying to eat his nametag.

Can't forget the wooden shoes!

Kansas City Music Tour!

2009-06-12T12:45:00.000-07:00

Just after Spring Break, I took over 100 music students on tour to Kansas City. They took the cushy charter buses; we took the good ol' Grand Prix, since Jack came along. Here we are as we started our trip.

Here's Jack's first experience in a Waffle House! Look at the way he's eyeballing Daddy's chocolate chip waffle. And so it begins...

A photo op at the corner of 18th and Vine...a very famous spot in jazz history. Jack did not care for it. Note his expression.

Worlds of Fun - Jack's first amusement park!

Spring Break Travels

2009-06-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

I am SO SORRY that it's been such a long time since we've updated! Spring just gets crazy, as I'm sure you all know. Jack and I had a great time over my Spring Break from school. We visited Ohio TWICE, and we went to IKEA with CarlaJoy. All in all, a fun time.

Who Needs Humans?

2009-04-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

Jack with his best friends - the stuffed elephants that hang from the pack-n-play. Daddy is, once again, superfluous.