Lucy and Ellory's 9th birthday- Schut side celebration and fun in Minneapolis.

We had a fun weekend in Minneapolis! We got to celebrate Lucy and Ellory's 9th birthday with the Schut side and do some fun activities there. One fun activity that I had been wanting to do for years and we finally got to do was the ice castles! Felt like we were a real life Elsa. It was so cool and unique! My two sisters were there and my parents. We missed my brother and his family, but glad we had most there.

Look at how neat that is!

They had a little tubing hill that was fun!

Kley missed the big group picture earlier because he was on call that weekend and got a work call right as we got there, but glad he was able to join for the end of it!

My sister has this claw game store close to their house that's always a fun stop for all the cousins!

Happy birthday to Ellory!

Happy birthday to Lucy!

Another fun thing was my mom, sisters, and I got to go to the Ben Rector concert! He played with the Minnesota Symphony and it was SO cool! What a special concert experience, I loved it! Kley and the girls got to go swim at my parent's hotel pool while we were at the concert, so they loved that too! And next time we see my sister, she'll have another baby, yay!

My pictures uploaded out of order, but here's some more ice castle fun!

Grandpa, Grandma, and Aunt Kayla.

Giant ice chair.

Ice slides.

The group- thankful for a special weekend!

Lucy and Ellory's 9th birthday- family celebration.

Our favorite family birthday celebration is letting the girls pick an activity and restaurant to go to for our family celebration (and then open a few presents at home later). This year, we headed to the arcade for Lucy and ice skating for Ellory, and both picked Culver's for supper! It was a very fun weekend celebrating two of our favorites. Happy birthday Lucy and Ellory, you are so loved!

We stopped to pick up Great Grandma Schut to join us at Culver's too, how special!

 

Lucy and Ellory's 9th birthday- De Jong side celebration.

What fun to celebrate our twins, Lucy and Ellory! It was so special to think back on nine years ago when they were born and talk about the details we all remembered. What a gift they are to our family!

We celebrated with the De Jong side at the bowling alley!

Fun spot for a birthday- we ate there too and they have a neat arcade area.

Fun with cousin Will (Gerrit was there too but was running around). 

Birthday cake time.

On their actual birthday, we went out for supper with Kley's parents and grandma- it was great!

 

Lucy and Ellory's 9th birthday- friend parties.

Happy 9th birthday, Lucy and Ellory! What a joy to celebrate you. It is such a gift to be parents! Lucy and Ellory each had a party at home with a few friends from school/church. Ellory chose a pink/blue theme, had pizza and cupcakes, played family, make bracelets, and did paint by number canvas paintings.

We love you so much, Ellory- happy birthday!

Lucy chose a sports theme, made cupcakes, did some sports crafts (foam basketball court game, sports bookmark coloring, and sports sand art), and we had amazing weather that weekend so we were able to do some sports challenges outside (like pogo stick, running, basketball shooting, throw a ball into a bucket, etc.)

We love you so much, Lucy- happy birthday!

Winter happenings 2026.

Our good family friends, the Ragsdales, came to stay with us for some weekend fun, and fun was had! Very thankful for their friendship. :)

Last day of basketball for Lucy and Ellory- they did great!

Another volleyball tournament for Norah- she's doing great and it's fun to watch!

Recent reads 2026.

The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom by Shari Franke- This was written by the oldest daughter of Ruby Franke, head of the popular 8 Passengers family vlog, who is now in prison for child abuse. Her memoir of resilience and all she has overcome was very moving. It was a difficult read at times, hearing about children not being cared for as they should, but powerful.

The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing by Laura Love Hardin- This is a memoir about how drug addiction made her lose everything and how she overcame it. I don't think I've ever read a more honest and raw telling of what addiction and prison is like. I loved how she used writing as a way to make it through and I loved that she overcame so much. I definitely don't agree with some of her life choices, but it was such a good read in that I really felt like I was experiencing it along with her.

The Sound of Gravel: A Memoir by Ruth Wariner- Ruth grew up in the deserts of Mexico in a polygamous community. She was the 39th of her father's 42 children. Her father was murdered when she was very young and her mother remarried another man who treated her terribly. They traveled back and forth to the US to collect welfare money, and the poverty they lived in was astounding. She endured such hardship and was like a mother to her younger siblings for the majority of their lives. The courage and perseverance she had was remarkable and she overcame so much. 

If You Would Have Told Me: A Memoir by John Stamos- This was an okay read for me. I wanted to read it because I love Full House so much, but I didn't love some of his other stories/language/choices. I did, though, really enjoy the parts where he talked about what it was like to film Full House, his experiences with the Beach Boys, his friendship with Bob Saget, and I loved the way he talked about his love for his parents.

Big Dumb Eyes: Stories From A Simpler Mind by Nate Bargatze- After reading a few heavier books in a row, this was a treat. I love his humor that I really appreciate that he is a clean comedian. This was a very entertaining, enjoyable, and light read.

Happy Valentine's Day 2026.

 Happy Valentine's Day from our three loves! :)