What's new with you??

As I like to do every now and then, here is our "what's up with us" letter....
I'm mailing this to family (with updated pictures of the girls, finally!),
but I'd thought it'd be nice to post on here as well.

Enjoy~

Greetings friends and family!

We hope this finds you well! It’s been a hot and rainy summer this year, but we’ve managed to still have a bit of fun here at the Rousehouse!

Our summer has flown by with camps, swimming and vacation!

The girls each had some great camp experiences this year. Both Claire and Ella attended Living History Farms camp and “Her”story American Girl Doll camp. They had a great time learning about history and doing enough crafts to last them a lifetime!

Claire also attended her very first overnight camp this summer! She spent 3 days and 2 nights at Riverside Bible Camp in Story City. She was with several of her good friends and they all had a blast! Claire can’t wait to go for a whole week next year!

As you know, swim team is always a big part of our lives and this summer it got even bigger! Ella joined the Walnut Creek Dolphins! Even though she isn’t quite 6 yet, she’s doing a great job! She and Claire even raced on a couple of relay teams together, taking 1^st place! She is having a great time on the team; making friends and swimming her little heart out!

Finally, this summer found all of us, plus Grandpa and Grandma Wangerin, in a motor home bound for South Dakota! We spent a week exploring the Badlands, enjoying Mt. Rushmore, playing with the alligators at Reptile Gardens and roaming with the bears at Bear Country. We all had a blast, especially Avery, who still talks about the bears constantly! I will admit, I was hesitant about having 7 of us confined to such small quarters for so long, but I had no need to worry. We did great! The girls were so incredibly good! They slept great and played well together the whole time. The grown-ups played nicely too! It was definitely everything I dreamed family vacations should be and it measured up to the memories I had of my own childhood trips!

As the summer is winding down, we are looking forward to Fall and the start of school!

Claire is going into 3^rd grade, full of confidence, with a very good head on her shoulders! We look forward to watching her continue to excel at school, friendships and swimming!

Ella will be entering 1^st grade this year! It’s hard to believe she is ready, but she is! She has been working hard this summer on her reading and writing and she can’t wait to wow her new teacher with her hard work! It will be fun to watch Ella continue to mature this year at school and on the team!

Avery is growing like a weed! She talks non-stop, I mean really, non-stop! She is going to be 3, but she acts more like a 4 or 5 year old! She is very excited to be starting dance class this fall! I often look at her and wonder where my littlest baby went! I continue to enjoy every minute with her; laughing most of the time!

Aves is truly my little buddy and I’m so grateful to have her in my life!

Dave is working hard at Hummel’s Nissan. He is enjoying his work there and really feels like he’s found a “home” in the business! He is still trying to accept the big “40” that is coming down the pipe for him next month!

I am having a great time; enjoying the balance I’ve found between staying home with the girls and working as a part-time Academic Advisor. I love having those 15 hours/week to sharpen my mind and enjoy some adult conversation, but I also love being able to serve as VP of the girls’ school PTO and volunteering in their classroom. I am very excited to start teaching an Orientation to College course at DMACC, online, this fall. Teaching at the college has been a life-long dream of mine, and I’m excited to finally be getting the opportunity!

We hope that life is treating you well. We often think of our family, both near and far away, and wish we could find more time for visits. But, until we see you again, God Bless You!

Keep up with us on our blog at www.rousehouse5.blogspot.com and let us know how you’re doing!

Love,

David, Janelle, Claire, Ella, Avery and Puppy Jack

Praising Jesus all night long!

Last week Dave, Ella, Avery and I drove our Claire
up to Story City for her very first overnight camp!

She, along with several of her closest friends, spent
3 days and 2 nights at Riverside Bible Camp!

The trip up, Dave and I, relived every milestone of Claire's
life, from birth to present!
Claire, while not nearly as nostalgic as Dave and I, laughed
and giggled with her friend Katie in the back seat.

Once we arrived at Riverside, Claire lugged her fully-loaded
duffel bag up to Zion Cabin, grabbed one of the top bunks, and
off she went!
The goodbye was short (a bit buggy and hot for my taste)!
Big hugs, short kisses and pleas to remember sunscreen and
we were off!

On our way home, the families left behind met at Hickory Park
for a little moral support.

Well, 48 hours later, we arrived to pick up a smiling, happy,
not-sunburned, slightly eaten by bugs, amazing big girl!

She had a blast! She loved the campfires, the swimming, the
bonding, the eating and the bunking. She wasn't even bothered
by the thunderstorms God lulled them to sleep with the night
before!

The best part: on our way home, Claire asked if she could start
a bible study at our house, because she had loved theirs so much!

Thank you God for your spirit in our children! Thank you for
giving us gifts like bible camp and the best friends to share it with!

The girls arrival at Zion Cabin

Claire's bunk

Some great friends to celebrate with!

Praising Jesus everybody!

Two awesome counselors!