A Camping Birthday for Jude

Jude just turned three! For his Birthday, we joined the rest of the VanDusseldorp Family for a camping and fishing celebration! We went out to Chatfield Reservoir and enjoyed a beautiful, rain-free (which is hard to come by) evening of camping!

Jer cooked up some brats and hot dogs.

Glow sticks! 

Through all of the smoke, the kids roasted marshmallows and made smores!

Not only was it Friday the 13th, it was also a full, honey moon! It was beautiful and the photo doesn't quite to it justice. 

 After a somewhat decent night's sleep (not bad for tent sleep anyways) we all woke up and packed up our camp. We took a short hike down to the water where we did a little fishing.

We also enjoyed some wildlife. We even saw a deer.

Across the water, there were hot air balloons. 

We didn't swim in the water, but the kids got to wade for a bit.

There's the dirty-nosed Birthday boy! 

Father and son, just enjoying the scenery! 

There were tiny footprints all over the beach. I believe this one was Abby's.

The great thing about Chatfield is that it's only a twenty minute drive, which meant that we were home by 9:00 a.m., just in time for a nap! It was a great way to kick-off camping season and we look forward to a few more trips.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUDE BRUCE! Thank you for inviting us to your camp-out Birthday party! 

Introducing, Patricia VanDusseldorp, BSW

I have collectively been a college student for about eight years. From the time I graduated high school in August, 2003, to the time I graduated college in May, 2014 a lot has changed in my life. Over the ten year span I have gotten married, raised two children, purchased a home, and graduated from college! I am certainly proud to say that I am a college graduate. I enjoyed the experience and opportunities, but it was never, never easy! 

From Journalism; to Photojournalism; to Photography; to Nursing; to Physical Therapy; and on to Social Work, I would say that I've had a very well-rounded college experience! I have learned a lot over the years and while I wish I had the degrees to prove the hard work, you really can't put a price on the knowledge and experiences that I have gained. 

These were the ladies that were also interns at Jewish Family Service.

This was about all that I could see from my seat at the ceremony--a sea of blue hats and the Tivoli!

I didn't do this on my own! My parents have always been incredibly supportive throughout my indecisive college career! No matter what field I was studying in, they were genuinely interested and supportive of my efforts. I am truly grateful for instilling in me, the value and importance of a college education. 

 And none of this would have been possible without my supportive husband, Nathan. Through countless study hours and late-night papers, Nathan has helped me to get through the years of hard-work and has been incredibly encouraging. He has also worked very, very hard to support my efforts by working to make up for the income that I wasn't able to bring in during my time in school, especially during my internship. 

The girls also deserve a "Thank You!" They were always very patient and understanding when I couldn't play because I had to study. I would never, never suggest going to college while raising two young children. It forces you to spread yourself too thin; your unable to dedicate yourself fully to any one thing and it creates a distance between yourself and the things that matter. 

 I hope to make it up to them! 

Mom ordered this amazing cake from a German bakery!

Michael wasn't able to attend the ceremony, but was able to join us for the celebration afterwards. We celebrated Michael's graduation three weeks later!

It was a wonderful, emotional, and fulfilling day. I had been waiting a long time to walk across the stage and am proud to say that I did. We celebrated with family after the ceremony at The Old Mill. 

And now I will rest, knowing that I can officially sign my name

Patricia VanDusseldorp, BSW

"So Big!"

When Elizabeth was little, maybe between the years of one and two, we would ask her, "Elizabeth, how big are you?" She would throw her hands into the air and remark,"So big!"

She has always seemed big to me because I want her to stay little. But she has never seemed as big as she already has this summer. 

Over the last week of school, Elizabeth was determined to ride her bike without training wheels. We told her that if she could learn do ride, she would be able to ride her bike down to the pool this summer, beginning on the day that it opened. 

On Monday we took her training wheels off and took her up the street to Peabody. Elizabeth was confident but couldn't quite keep her balance. Nathan ran beside her and would let go once in a while. By the end of the night, Elizabeth set a goal of being able to make the whole stretch of track with only a starting push. 

 On Tuesday, Elizabeth achieved her goal! She was officially riding her bike without training wheels and it only took her about an hour of practice! 

On Friday, Elizabeth and Nathan rode their bikes down to the pool for opening day (pictured above)! 

Elizabeth set mini-goals over the next two weeks. She can get going on her own, she can control her speed, she can make a turn and she's learning to pop up on and off the sidewalk! 

But wait...that's not all! 

Since the end of the last summer, Elizabeth wanted to be able to dive off of the diving board and swim to the other end. On opening day, Elizabeth practiced her swimming and got comfortable with the pool again. The very next day, she was confident and took the big dive! 

She dove, popped up, and swam to the side!

Our girls are both very brave, determined, and strong-willed. These two "milestones" have reminded me that if you have confidence in your children, they can accomplish just about anything! I can't say that I was comfortable with bike riding or the diving board. I set my fears to the side and it allowed Elizabeth to flourish!

Elizabeth, I'm proud of you! I'm excited to see what the rest of the summer will bring!