I blinked and then it was June. You too?
The word mayhem is defined as a situation that is not controlled or ordered, or when people are behaving in a disorganized or confused way. Knowing this, I think the month of May was appropriately named because (this year especially) everything seems to all be happening all at once. I’m already very much enjoying the break the kids summer vacation has given.
The kids celebrated all week long leading up to their last day of school on the 31st. We were blessed with the most wonderful teachers for both kids and we are grateful for the friendships, knowledge, and community they gained throughout the year.
Natalie finished her 6 week long tennis program and loved it. Her year end report card was stellar and we had a good chuckle that her lowest score was in gym class. She still says her favorite subject is art, and that tracks… her bag full of artwork that came home last week was precious. Natalie continues to be our social butterfly making friends everywhere she goes. This summer she’s got lots to look forward to including a volleyball game, overnight camp at Camp Roger, and drama camp at The Civic Theatre. She opted out of golf again this year, but will keep her weekly class at GR Gymnastics after moving up a level.
Thomas had his last game of MFA Revolution soccer last week and scored a goal to close out the season. In addition to soccer, he recently told us he wants to play football this fall. He crushed his report card and we are thrilled by how he totally broke out of his shell this year. This summer Thomas is signed up for youth golf at Watermark, flag football camp through GRCS, and he and Natalie both will begin with their new piano teacher later this week.
Jeff and Thomas spent a night away on Lake Michigan with some other Father-Son duos from the neighborhood for a special guys only cottage hangout. I can’t actually say much of what they did because below are the only two photos that were shared with us Moms back at home… but they returned in one piece and extremely tired.
Smack dab in the middle of the end-of-school fun I booked a work conference in Vegas. Despite the poor timing of the trip, it was a fantastic use of time. The Financial Brand Forum brings in the top keynote speakers, vendors, and entertainment for three jam packed days of workshops, round tables, presentations, and networking. Our CXO Tara joined me on the trip and we both came home energized. We even had a little fun while we were in town including grabbing tickets to the Cirque du Sole show ‘O’ (it was phenomenal!!) and we booked a morning at the Aria spa… a delayed Mother’s Day gift. Oh, and we met Jim Gaffigan!
Speaking of Mother’s Day… our Moms are the best. Without them there would be a giant hole in our lives. We celebrated them with cards, flowers, and hugs. Natalie and Thomas made me the sweetest little gifts at school and we were delighted to spend the afternoon in Schoolcraft with family. It was also my Dad’s birthday and he grilled up a masterpiece of surf and turf.
A couple more end-of-the-school-year fun things included the 1st graders family picnic. Jeff’s parents joined Thomas for the afternoon with their sacked lunches and toured Thomas’ portion of the jungle display. We also had a great time with our GRCS community at Family Fun Night. I volunteered at the front gate with Emily, and the kids had the best time playing carnival games, soaking their principals in the dunk tank, and snacking on treats.
Did you know Oprah was in town?! She was the keynote speaker at the Econ Club Annual Dinner last month. My colleague Misti Stanton and I attended the event on behalf of Mercantile Bank and enjoyed seeing her in person on stage completely in her element. She is an incredible speaker and it was so fun to run into so many familiar faces all in one place. Grand Rapids sure does know how to throw a good party.
We enjoyed another fancy night out with friends at the Great Gardens Party benefiting Fredrick Meijer Gardens. I’m the biggest fan of their auction items and this year they took it up another notch with their speciality cocktail featuring purple gin - yum! We love Meijer Gardens a lot and are very happy to support the beautiful work they do.
Watermark hosted its first Couples 9 & Dine of the summer and I’m most proud of my closets to the pin shot. We had a fantastic time golfing with our friends from Stonewater, the Kriers and the Adkins. There is so much more golf in our near future and we ain’t mad!
Grace’s Table celebrated the opening of the Richmond House a few weeks ago with a ribbon cutting ceremony. I’m so proud of the work the team at Grace’s Table has done to make the opening of the home possible. The entire project… both the actual house and the vision behind it… is beautiful. It’s doors are now officially open to housing local moms and their children in need. And while I no longer sit on the Board for the organization, I will continue my support of the good work they are doing in any way I can.
Along those same lines of good work being done within our community, Mercantile made a guest appearance on the local show EightWest a few weeks back to talk more about Mercantile Community Partners. MCP provides financial solutions that support community development and the growing need for affordable housing. I was happy to join my colleague Emily Cauzillo, Director of MCP, and discuss their current projects which are not just here in Grand Rapids, but throughout our entire state.
Summer is officially-offical with the kids out of school and now that we kicked off lake season over Memorial Day Weekend. Our kids have already conjured a handful of slumber parties with friends, swapped baths for late night swims, and their diets now consist mostly of popsicles. For us adults summer means late nights on the porch, living in a bathing suit despite the less than 1% chance I’ll be getting in the water, and the perpetual chilling of bubbles in the fridge for those sour of the moment happy hours. There truly is nothing like summer in Michigan.
