December 2023 Happenings

 

Christmas was a success this year.  Everyone got a long and everyone was able to make it.  Started Christmas Eve at Mom's house.  Mom cooked a huge meal and then we opened gifts, did a Favorites Gift Exchange and played BINGO.  Christmas morning Lanie woke us all up at 6 to open gifts.  There definitely weren't many under the tree now that the kids have gotten older and wanted money and more expensive things but I think everyone was grateful for what they got.  We went to Watsons for Christmas Day lunch.  We hadn't seen Andrea in over a year!  Had a gret time catching up with everyone.  To finish Christmas break we had our annual Hamilton/ Lynch staycation.  At our house we played BINGO, a new game from Lynchs, pool, poker, and some fun active games.  Even Colyn, Carter and Seth joined us!  At Lynchs we played their new game Spots and relaxed with the dogs.  

November 2023 Happenings

 

Spent this Thanksgiving on an MSC Cruise with some of our family, our first ever cruise, for Kaleigh and Colyn's highschool gradudation trip. We spent a day on Nassau, Bahamas, a day on MSC's private island Ocean Cay and a day at sea. Beautiful weather, warm ocean, great shows, dancing and precious time with the kids and mom. For me, the cruise was like adult camp, I loved it! For my husband, Matt Hamilton it was just too crowded. He's already thinking about where to vacation next summer:)

Lanie has really enjoyed her ceramics and sewing classes this quarter!  She created bowls, Christmas tree ornaments and a sculpture.  She sewn pajama pants, a pillowcase and a potholder.

October 2023 Happenings

 

One last camping trip for 2023 out at Dakins Campground for Matthew's birthday weekend.  It was also their Halloween weekend so we got to go trick or treating around the campground.  Jeremy, Lynches, Mom and Jan all came out to visit.

September 2023 Happenings

 

We went to Starved Rock State Park in Illinois with Sorems for Labor Day weekend. We hiked at both Starved Rock and Matthieson State Parks, disc golfed, went into the town of Utica and had Lodi Tap House for lunch.  It was really hot during the afternoons so relaxed in cool campers but at night we played Kuub and Pit.

What an awesome way for Lanie to end her high school year career.  She was voted Homecoming Queen by her class.  She was paired up in the court with Kyle Kingsbury, he was SO great with her!  She got to go out for breakfast with the girls, have supper with the whole court, be in the parade, the pep rally, come to the elementary school for breakfast and be in a Cub Video that gets shared with the whole school.  We are so thankful for everyone that helped her feel loved and so special that week.

August 2023

 

                                                               Lincoln Highway Days 2023

Lanie started her senior year of high school.

                                                       

Jeremy's mom's pool 

Spent quite a bit of time at wineries with friends this summer.

Definitely our wettest Hinterland on record for us.  We tried to make the best of it and still went to most of the concerts.  Both Matthew and Mike fell in the mud and we all laughed.  Carter to experience it with us too!

July 2023 Happenings

 

We finally got to go camping for the first time this year in July.  In the beginning of July we went camping at Hickory Grove Lake with Lynches.  Luckily it was also Colo Fun Days out there that weekend so there was lots to do!  Family and friends came out to visit too:). In late July we drove all the way to Jellystone in Wisconsin to camp with Sorems, Amber Olson and kids and Kooistras.  It was our first time in a resort type campground.  There was even a Christmas in July parade on Saturday night.  

June 2023 Happenings

The MA 1-2 team of 22-23 really knows how to celebrate the last day of school!  We met down in Ankeny for supper and then to a couple bars.

Lanie's last day of Junior year.

Tickets to Dear Evan Hansen was Lanie's birthday present  I think she enjoyed it, I know I did!  I cried throughout the whole thing it was so good!

 We took a 9 day trip to Spain with Mike and Shanna.  Matthew had been planning the whole thing since December.  The first half of the trip we stayed in Palamos and the rest in the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona.  We hiked about 7 miles on the Cami de Ronda on the Costa Brava, spent a day in Girona seeing castles, cathedrals, and museums, went on a tapas and brewery tour in Barcelona, went on a Picasso Art walking tour, walked through 2 buildings designed by the great architecture Gaudi, went to a Flamenco Dance dinner and show, toured Barcelona on a tourist bus and got to see the Barca stadium and Park Guell. I loved learning about life and the culture in Spain.

May 2023 Happenings

 

Colyn and Kaleigh graduated this month.  I got to see them when they did the tunnel on Field Day.  It's crazy that there is only 1 cousin left going to the Nevada School.  They had their graduation reception at Indian Creek Country Club.  

Lanie's learning CPR!

As part of Taylyn's girlscout project, Lanie and her collected first aid kit items for people in Guatamala with the help of the Multi-Age 1st and 2nd graders.  They presented to the kids first and then came back a month later to have the kids make bags with all the items.  Nearly 50 bags were made.

April 2023 Happenings

 

Lanie celebrated her 17th birthday! We went out to eat at Hickory Park and spent time together as a family.  We got her tickets to Dear Evan Hansen down at the Civic Center in June.  She was celebrated at school too:)

Mom and I went to see the musical Hairspray at CY Stephen.  It was amazing! We smiled the whole time.

 Lanie went to her Junior year banquet and prom.  We got her dress at Harmony Clothing Closet, I did her hair, and we borrowed undergarments from Grandma.  Colyn stopped by with Brooklynn for pictures and Lanie's SCL staff got one of Lanie and Kaleigh.  Lanie stayed almost 2 hours and came home happy.

March 2023 Happenings

 Much of our month was spent in Tope Auditorium rehearsing and then performing Oklahoma the Musical.  Lanie struggled through the first two shows but by the 3rd we had figured out she just needed to see me and keep the positive reinforcement going along with take a break in the middle off stage.  She did an awesome job at the Sunday matinee.  I think she still wants to be involved next year and we'll just have to pay closer attention to what accommodations might need to be made.

The first Saturday night of spring break, Lanie and I went down to Mindy's in Des Moines to go to the Botanical Garden and plant terrariums with succulents and air plants.  Lanie and Aiden both helped plant too:) The weather got bad fast and we got a couple of inches of snow, so Lanie and I ended up staying the night.  

February 2023 Happenings

 

Lanie went to her junior year Crystal Ball on a Saturday night in February.  She let me do her hair in an updo and wore a new dress and shoes, my pearl necklace.  I think she had a great time and stayed for about an hour.  While she was there she saw her cousin, Kaleigh and friends from basketball and drama.

On the Friday after Parent/ Teacher conferences Matthew and I went skiing with Lynchs up in Manquato, Minnesota.  Carter decided not to come and Lanie had weekend camp so it was kind of our Valentine's Day gift to each other.  Bad part is that the snow hills were so slick, Mike fell about an hour after being there and tore his ACL.  He spent about 4 hours in the ER.  Then about an hour later, Matthew fell and scraped up his face.  We made the best of it by going to the mall the next day and to a movie and 2 breweries.

We celebrated Kaelan's 20th birthday at Grandma's.  We had fried chicken from HyVee and yummy side dishes, salads and desserts made by Grandma.  He requested Lemon Poppyseed Muffins from the Hamiltons:)

January 2023 Happenings

 

We went to the After Prom fundraiser Draw Down Dance at Indian Creek Country Club with some friends we don't hang out with near enough.  There wasn't any dancing going on but we did do a Whiskey Pull and took home some delicious cookies too:). I hope it raised a lot of money.

Lanie decided to try basketball again this season.  I don't think she'd gone out since 8th grade.  The girls on the team have been super supportive and good to her.  The coaches have been flexible and patient too. Lanie has gotten to play in almost every game for at least 1 minute each half of the game.  It's been extra fun because Kaleigh has played on the JV team too so they played together.  Kaleigh would tell Lanie where to go and what to do and include her in a lot.  Lanie even got to score a few times in games.

Grandma took all of us out to eat for lunch at Fuji to celebrate Carter, Colyn and Kaleigh's birthdays.  Then we came back to Grandma's for cakes and ice cream.  I can't believe Carter is 19 and the twins' are finishing up their SENIOR year of high school.  Where did our little babies go:(

For a girl scouts badge, Lanie and Taylyn hosted a dinner party on a Sunday evening in January.  They cooked steak, roasted green beans, mashed potatoes, lettuce salad, and lemon meringue for dessert.  We invited Sorems and Lynchs along with Taylyn's family and their guests.  Everyone appreciated a night not having to cook.