Springtime truly is the best time! Sure, May is a bit of mayhem, but it’s also packed with so much fun—Easter, both of our kids’ birthdays, and (my personal favorite) all the fun social events. To top it off, the scenery is bursting with color, and we’re soaking up every bit of that sunshine. Here’s the latest from our household...
Easter Sunday was a wonderful mix of worship, family time, and favorite holiday traditions. After church, we hosted my parents and my brother’s family for supper, followed by an Easter egg hunt, candy-filled baskets from Grandma and Grandpa, and one final birthday celebration for the kids. By request, I made a special joint birthday cake—half red velvet for Natalie and half lemon for Thomas. We even got a surprise visit from our neighbor Cam, who showed up handing out treats while hilariously dressed as a bunny.
The week before, Natalie celebrated her 10th birthday with her friends Jojo and Vienna in a fun after-school lineup of events. They started with sweet treats at Le Bon Macaron, followed by a bold stop at The Screaming Needle for her second set of ear piercings. The celebration wrapped up with sodas and a giant pizza at Vitale’s. It’s hard to believe Natalie is officially in the double digits—ten years of parenting! She’s an incredible girl, and we’re feeling deeply grateful.
With the warmer weather, Thomas wasted no time switching to shorts every day—and most mornings, he heads out without even a sweatshirt. Of everyone in our family (myself included), he’s by far the most social and can’t sit still for a minute. This season, he’s been loving trips to the driving range whenever he can talk Jeff into going, hitting the bike trails with the Dykstra brothers, and diving into his latest obsession: the board game Risk. He’s taking a break from spring sports, but summer’s already shaping up to be full, with football camp, tennis camp, and weekly golf clinics on the calendar.
The Mercantile office has been full of energy as we gear up to launch our biggest initiative for 2025: a brand-new website! Mercantile also recently opened our newest operations offices off East Paris, which led to the Marketing Team settling into fresh new workspaces at headquarters.
Spring has been packed with work events, but Take Your Kids to Work Day easily tops the list as my favorite. Across the state, our Mercantile offices welcomed the next generation of bankers for a day of hands-on learning—and plenty of candy. There was a lot of candy. Needless to say, the kids had a blast skipping school, loading up on sugar, and getting a peek into where I spend my workdays.
Other highlights this spring have included the West Michigan Woman Magazine Brilliance Awards, the YWCA’s Annual Arise Luncheon featuring guest speaker Chanel Miller, and the CASA of Kent County Luncheon, which raises vital support for court-appointed advocates helping children in the foster care system. Most recently, Jeff and I attended the U of M Health-West Vitality Gala, joining coworkers from both of our companies for a great evening out.
Jeff has been traveling a lot again for work. He still makes regular road trips to the east side of the state, but now he’s also heading to Minneapolis, after expanding business across the lake. When he's not working, he’s golfing. A friend recently sent me a hilarious Instagram reel of a man being secretly filmed by his wife as he awkwardly works up the nerve to ask if he can go golfing. In one scene, he’s trying on new golf clothes and fishing for compliments; in another, he’s cleaning the living room with over-the-top enthusiasm. Eventually, the wife asks if he has a tee time, and he casually replies, “Well, some of my friends do—and there’s an open spot.” Jeff has his own version of this routine. His telltale signs include waking up unusually early and asking if I need help with anything that day. I can’t recall ever saying no—but then again, who turns down free help?
We’re wrapping up the remaining Broadway shows in the 2024–2025 season, including A Beautiful Noise—the story of Neil Diamond’s life—and Pretty Woman. Surprisingly, Jeff had never seen the movie Pretty Woman, so the storyline was completely new to him. A Beautiful Noise was more emotional than we expected—Neil Diamond’s life had its share of sadness—but we ended the night on a high note by joining the cast party and chatting with the production manager. As for Pretty Woman, we found it entertaining, though probably not one we’d rush to see again. On a brighter note, Hamilton returns this June, and we’re thrilled to see it for the third time. We can’t wait!
With only four weeks of school left, the countdown to summer break has begun. In the weeks to come we’re looking forward to more of the same… events, golf, and that sweet-sweet sunshine! May ‘May’ bring you lots of joy… and moments to take a quick breather. See you out there!
