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!

Iowa Games

Claire had the awesome opportunity to participate in the Iowa Games this year.

They are held in Ames at Iowa State University.

It's quite a production. The entire campus is crawling with athletes of every kind. There is an opening ceremony, parade and awards ceremonies!

The swimming events were held at Beyer Hall, which is Iowa State's Swimming Center. Just having the chance to compete in a "big pool" is cool enough, let alone doing well!

Claire competed in 6 individual events and 4 relays. 1 of the individual events she had never done in a meet before and another she hadn't swam all summer.

Well, despite the nerves, the venue and the blistering heat, Claire kicked some swim fins!

She finished in the top 3 (good enough for a medal) in 9 out of 10 events. Her non-medal finish was 4th place by a hair!

And the best part, she loved it! She once again had the opportunity to try something new. To show up, with nerves and fears, and go out there and do her best! And, have a great time doing it!

I was so proud of her. There was no one else her age from our team there, and only a handful of older swimmers that she knew. I was not allowed to be on deck, or in the clerk of course with her. So, I gave her a hug, told her I was proud of her, and sent her off. What a great feeling to watch her come walking through those doors, suited up and ready to swim. She looked so small, yet so big at the same time. My heart swells every time I watch her grow. Every time I see her walk through fear and come out the other side braver, stronger and proud!

As a proud mother bear, I try to protect my children at all times. I try to pave the way for them, blocking any danger or hurts along the way. But then, God reminds me that I have to let them go too. I have to let my girls experience life and discover what God's plan is for them.

While letting her swim at the Iowa Games may not seem like that big of a deal, it's huge to me. It's huge because it's one more opportunity for me to step aside and let her "step up" and do something outside of her comfort zone. Now, would I be this mushy if she'd lost? Who knows! But, I'd like to think so. I like to think that under it all, I'm just happy when my girls come up on the other side. Whether it's the other side of the swim lane, the other side of a health crisis or the other side of hurt feelings. I hope I can always be there waiting for them, probably with a camera in hand!

Cally the Caterpillar

Once there was a caterpillar, playing in the garden.

Along came a girl named Ella, who took him to her den.

Into a cage he went, to eat and eat and eat.

Until we saw a cocoon had been his little feat!

We waited and we waited,

while that cocoon just sat and sat.

Until one shining morning,

well won't you just look at that!

A beautiful butterfly appeared that day!

We watched it with wonder and delight,

until we opened his little cage, and watched him take his flight!

We love you Cally the Butterfly!

New House!

Well, almost a new house.

We had the house painted this summer and, man, what an improvement!

I have never loved this house, but with a little bit of work, we'll get it feeling more like home!

Besides, the girls say we can never move because they have too many friends close by.

I guess I'd have to agree! : )

Where's the candy?!

Fourth of July Celebration!

As is tradition, we headed down to Valley Junction to watch the parade!

We had a great group of kids, and adults!

We all enjoyed watching the parade, and we especially enjoyed the candy!

Grammy and Avery watching the parade

Hey, where's the candy!

Swimmer #2

As you know, Claire has been part of the best (not just my opinion, they really are the best) swim team around for the past 2 years.

I've gone on before about how great it has been, and what a positive impact it has had on Claire.

Well, I've never mentioned what it does for the rest of us:

Long, hot, humid practices

Little sisters being dragged here, there and everywhere to watch

Evening upon evening in the pool or in the car driving to a pool

etc, etc, etc.

Well, there is one more thing it has done for us. It's made us a swim family!

That's right! After several invitations from Coach Kim, Ella finally decided to give the team a try this summer, and she's loving it! (After all, it beats sitting on the bleachers watching practice!)

I think she's a natural swimmer. She has taken right to the water, and the hour long practices twice a week. She even likes wearing the swim cap and goggles!

Finally, this week, she had a chance to show us what she's got. Ella participated in her first meet last night. What a show!! She was a little nervous when we first got there, but 10 minutes in the water to warm up and she was ready to go.

She swam in 3 events: 25 Free, 25 Back and the 100 Medley Relay.

She did great! (By that I mean she dive-jumped off the starting block and swam all the way to the end without being DQ'd.) I could not have been happier! It brought tears to my eyes watching my baby swim like that. Watching her swallow her nerves and stand strong and brave on that block. Watching her fight to keep going, straight and narrow, all the way down the lane.

I had to stand back and thank God for the gift of Ella. From the moment she was born, she has blessed me and scared me and loved me and inspired me and reminded me of God's love. She is so caring and loving and selfless and now, a member of the best swim team around!

Thanks to my friend MaryAnn for taking some great pictures!

Enjoy~

Ella getting ready for her first event

Coach Kim offering some last minute advice

Taking her "roll-over breath", we're working on that!

Made it!

Back stroke ready! Looks like a pro already!

Swim baby swim!


Almost there.....

Thanks to Grandpa and Grandma Johnson, Boppa, Daddy and Avery for coming to watch our Ella compete for the first time!

Thanks to big sister Claire for being such a great example, for taking Ella under your wing. You are not only a great swimmer and great team member, you're the best sister!

And congrats to Claire on a couple of first place finishes and some great swims against 9 and 10 year olds last night!