This is our first Fall in the Pontiac house which marks our inaugural experience of the ‘color explosion’ created by our many giant oak trees here in the Ottawa Hills Neighborhood. Alternatively, we’ve gotten very familiar with our new property as we rake and leaf blow the ‘beautiful mess’ this season makes. Jeff and I make neat piles while the neighborhood kids destroy them, making all of my Fall dreams come true. And I mean that genuinely.
Natalie begins Fall Break today which means getting a breather from our usual morning routine. We’re also taking some PTO from work this week to spend time together as a family and this weekend we head down to Schoolcraft for the annual Smith Bonfire at my parents house.
Thomas participated in the Grace Church Trike-a-Thon benefitting St. Judes a few weeks ago. He was very happy about the toy gas tanks available for fueling their vehicles and made it a point to stop after each lap around the track. This is an annual event that Natalie participated in the last two years; it was fun to continue the tradition with Thomas.
We returned to in-person church two weeks ago with Mars Hill in Grandville and while it’s a shell of what we’re used to, it was good to be back in person. Right now the service includes in-person teaching but with worship pre-recorded. Masks are required at all times which makes it a bit difficult to drink coffee and eat bagels during the service like we’re used to, but it’s a small price to pay for getting back into the swing of things. They also require everyone to RSVP the week prior to allow for physical distancing.
Last week we were able to join other Mars Hill families at Post Family Farms for an evening of donuts, cider and kids playtime outdoors. It was really nice to connect with friends who we haven’t seen since last winter and with all the incredible kids activities on site it was fun for the whole family. We stayed out too late, ate too many donuts and had a great time.
As for Mars Hill Grand Rapids - a planned second location much nearer to us with goals for bringing together a more local, more diverse community - we remain hopeful and await more details promised soon.
Jeff and I wrapped up our golf game for the season with a couple last hoorahs with friends this month. I was able to spend my usual Wednesday night with friends at Thousand Oaks followed by dinner on Reds patio which ended up being very chilly even with the space heaters. The colors on the trees framing the fairways were gorgeous and the perfect farewell to our ladies 2020 golf season.
Later that same week Jeff took a weekend away with friends from high school for their annual guys golf trip. I think it goes without saying, but they had a great time. Meanwhile, back in Grand Rapids the kids and I painted pumpkins and even decorated one for Jeff in his absence.
The kids and I also spent some time at my parents house that same weekend where we celebrated my sister-in-law Rachel who’s expecting their first baby in early December. They are having a baby girl and her name is Brianna! My mom and I hosted the shower with a small group of family and friends for brunch, gifts and a few games. Both kids helped Aunt Rachel open her gifts and Natalie won the guessing game and took home an entire jar of Rachels favorite candy: Sour Patch Kids. She was thrilled. We CANNOT wait for Brianna to arrive just in time for Christmas!
We also took our annual family photos this month with the fantastic Jill DeVries and, my goodness, we could not recommend her enough. We had purchased our first session with Jill as a gift for Jeff’s parents earlier this year where she wrangled our entire crew of 15 - an impressive task. This time it was just the four of us and as I sift through the portfolio I’m having a difficult time picking which will end up in frames and hero our Christmas card this year. Here are some of my favorites so far:
I had a blast last weekend with girlfriends for a night away in Saugatuck. We started off the day with a hike to the top of Mt. Baldhead which is a very long set of steps - we added a champagne toast at the top too! A long brunch at The Southerner followed and then some shopping in downtown Saugatuck. Next was reservations at Coastal Society for more shopping and then beverages inside one of their bubbles. Our afternoon was spent visiting two wineries: Modales and Fenn Valley where were enjoyed wine tastings and cheese boards. After checking into the Ship and Shore Motel we finished the day with dinner at Everyday People Cafe. We partied… until we couldn’t… and then we slept. And it was wonderful.
My weekend away was quickly followed by family time at the Zoo Goes Boo with Jeff’s parents that Sunday. It was our last meet up with them before they relocate to Palm Springs for the next couple months. The weather at the zoo was rainy and cold but us Kladders aren’t quitters and we stuck it out until the very end! The kids had a great time following the trick-or-treat path and we saw lots of animals who didn’t seemed bothered by the rain at all.
Speaking of Halloween, while our neighborhood association is not promoting trick-or-treating this year we still expect trick-or-treaters to visit our hood. We’ll be posted up on our porch with our fire pit ready to hand out candy from a safe distance with some spicy chili cooking in my crockpot. I’m considering asking my Dad to make one of those PVC pipe dispensers that we could slide candy down from our porch to the kids. I’ll see him this weekend and pitch him the idea.
We also visited Fredrick Meijer Gardens earlier this month to check out the pumpkins and mums situation. It’s always a nice/quick way to spend time with the kids after dinner on a week night (Pro Tip: they are open late on Tuesday nights). Their displays never disappoint.
We are excited for Halloween festivities next weekend and looking forward to the holiday months to follow. Wishing you and yours a safe and fun filled rest of Fall.