Aaker Adventures 2011 - Part Four: Ma and Pa

As to Mike and me, there isn't much to tell. We are the ones who pick up the slack around here, pay all the bills, do the laundry, cook the meals, and make sure the kids' activities are funded. Half the time we are more sleep-deprived than we ever were when the kids were little, but it probably doesn't help that we are almost twenty years older than we were at the time.  However, we try not to whine too much because we know that the "days of thunder" are coming to a close.

Due to the extreme busyness of the summer, we didn't get to do as much as camping as we'd liked. The camper made one trip to Lake Beauty for Family Camp over the 4^th of July, one trip to Lake Andrew to stay at Mike's sister and brother-in-law's place, and it made another trip to Osakis to set up camp on property that my parents had just purchased up there. We're hoping for a bit more camping action next summer.

Other than seeing the Gulf for the first time and traveling out of the country, Mike also experienced another first this summer. He ran two road races. Yes, you heard correctly; he ran. All four of us ran the Memorial Day 5K, and then, Mike, Nick, and I ran the Foot Lake 4 (Erika was at Serf Camp). It was quite an accomplishment, and I'm very proud of him.

Even so, I am most proud of his sense of adventure in going to Ecuador.  Twenty-one years ago, I would never have guessed that Mike would one day leave the country on a mission trip, but God has been faithful and growing Mike into the man that he is today.  Just tonight, we were at a sort of Ecuador "reunion," and Mike was already talking about returning.  It just makes me smile because a) it's cool to see him to passionate about the topic, and b) I feel the same way!  It was definitely a life-changing trip.

Speaking of life changes, I resumed my exercise regime again this summer.  I trained quite a bit this summer by running as well – not because I enjoyed it, but mostly because it was a good way to challenge myself and be healthy. So, to motivate myself, I occasionally signed up for road races. In addition to the two I already mentioned, I also ran the Raymond Harvest Festival 5K, which was, surprisingly, a very scenic run around the golf course in Raymond. I plan to run that one again. (On a personal note, I beat the "old fart" who had passed me at the Foot Lake 4. . boo yah!) I also ran the CCS 5K, which was not so fun. Unfortunately, the course was largely gravel, which isn't that big of a deal; however, it was raining on that particular day. I was drenched and mud-caked by the time I reached the finish line, but I ran my best time. Go figure. If my joints can hack it, I plan to do more running next summer, and I might even get brave enough to try another triathalon.

For me, this year was an alternating series of highs and lows.  The highs centered around achievements, the satisfaction of challenges, and of course, Ecuador.  The lows centered around the ever-changing structure of our family.  With Nick becoming more independent and straining toward adulthood, I really struggled with letting go and allowing him to make more decisions.  This summer was definitely a tug-of-war with regard to brokering the power in our relationship.  However, one day, God's still, small voice broke through the noise in my head, and I heard Him say, "Has this kid ever given you any trouble?  Has he ever given you reason not to trust him or to doubt him?"  Of course, the answer was no, so I understood what God was getting at.

Things are definitely better, and I'm hoping that I am a little better prepared when my "baby" gets to the same point.  God has blessed us with great, God-loving kids, a strong marriage, a home, food on the table, an awesome family, amazing friends, life-changing experiences, and in all, a blessed life.  When I consider all this, there is nothing left to say other than "thank you."  It's been a great year, and thanks for being a part of the blessing! 

Aaker Adventures 2011 - Part Four: Nick

It sounds so cliche, but it's hard to believe that this is the 17th installment of the Aaker Adventures Christmas newsletter.  The whole concept originated with the birth of Nick.  At that time, I felt compelled to impress upon you all the details of our lives simply because we added another person to the mix, and obviously, the addition of Erika added even more texture to the Aaker family dynamic.

Now, it is 17 years later, and instead of discussing sleep cycles and monumental events like rolling over, the content has changed to discussions of college choices and future plans.

Yep, as you have probably surmised, Nick is in his final year in high school. As a senior, he is faced with all sorts of decisions to be made, none of which he is excited about due to the fact that he is about the most indecisive person on the planet.

Homecoming

Prom

So far, Nick's senior has been quite memorable.  This fall, Nick was honored by his friends and classmates when he was nominated a homecoming king candidate.  In fact, several of Nick's friends as well as his girlfriend, Hanna, were nominated, so it was a fun and memorable experience.

With regard to Hanna, Nick and she have been good friends since the 8th grade.  Not only did (do) they work together at Cub foods; they went to Prom together in May as friends, but by June, they decided to start dating.  I guess I don't need to say a whole lot on the topic other than the fact that Hanna is very sweet (and responsible and organized), so we are more than happy to have her in our lives.

Like most teenagers, Nick is rarely home. As I alluded, he still works at Cub Foods, and he is still involved in sports. As to organized, school sports, Nick's top priority is still the swim team.  He just started his final swim season (sniff), and he and four of his friends were honored by their teammates in being chosen captains.

This spring, he is planning to join the tennis team.  He and his pals played A LOT of tennis this summer, and Nick and his friend, Mitch, even tried playing doubles in the Rice Classic this summer.  

In addition to all the school activities, Nick plays tennis, golf, Ultimate, etc, etc, etc in the summer, which explains why my house always looks and smells like a locker room. Of course, he continues to be quite involved in youth group at First Covenant Church, where he serves in SLT (Student Leadership Team). 

As much fun as high school and being a kid has been for him, it is now time for him to be thinking ahead.  It's time, of course, but he has been dragging his feet.  Last summer, he told me, "Mom, I don't want to grow up; I like being a kid."  Well, don't we all, Peter Pan, but that's life.

So far, Nick has done one college visit. . .to Bemidji State, which he liked quite a bit. He applied and has been accepted at both Bemidji and Ridgewater, but he still plans to visit North Dakota State University and maybe Bethel University (if Mom can talk him into it). As of today, he is thinking about majoring in Construction Management, but he is open to see where God will lead him.

Aaker Adventures 2011 - Part Three: Erika

One person, in particular, who is really excited about getting a new room is our own Miss Erika. She is our resident fashionista in every sense of the word – whether it's in reference to clothing or interior design. In 2011, she discovered a fashion for magazines such as Teen Vogue and Seventeen. Since she's 15, that isn't such an extraordinary fact.  However, one of her goals these days is to make sure that she presents herself and her ensembles in unique, quirky, and fashionable ways.  That explains why we are always late for school.  Even though she gets up a full 45 minutes before we have to leave, it takes her that long just to figure out what she's going to wear, and her clothes-strewn floor is evidence of that fact.

Her fashion passion carries over to her future room as well. The other day, I caught her downstairs with her pen and pad; she explained that she was “designing” the color scheme and logistics. Anyway, Erika is the member of the family who had an action-packed summer.

In May, Erika accomplished two important achievements. First, she completed Lifeguard Training. She really didn't want to do the training because she really didn't want to become a lifeguard BECAUSE she didn't want to be just like her brother. That seems to be the rule in her decision-making. If Nick did it, she doesn't want to do it. Anyway, even though she completed the training, she has not had the opportunity to actually work as a lifeguard yet since her summer was a bit too busy for her to get a job. She applied at the YMCA and is waiting to see how that story will end (Yep, she eventually changed her tune about the lifeguarding gig.)

Then, in mid-May when she turned 15, she took passed her Driver's Permit test, which was, to her, liberating, and to us, a bit frightening since her previous behind-the-wheel attempts had been somewhat “adventurous.” She has much better success in driving with Mom since Mom doesn't spaz nearly as much as Dad (surprising, I know). There have been a few times when she has made some questionable choices, always using the excuse, "But, I have the right of way!" Anyway, Erika has made definite improvements, so I guess that's why kids, especially Erika, are supposed to practice for a year.

After our trip to Treasure Island in June, Erika then spent two weeks at Lake Beauty Bible Camp as a Serf Camper. When discussion of attending Serf Camp originated, Erika once again dragged her feet because she thought I wanted her to go simply because Nick had. Nevertheless, she applied and was accepted and later admitted that she was very glad that I had "encouraged" her to go. Both she and her BFF, Cassandra, spent time working at the camp and with kids as part of the experience.

Speaking of Cassandra, I would remiss if I didn't add a few lines about my second daughter.  Cass and Erika are together so much that most weekends, they will conspire to find a way to stay at one or the other's house.  Even though they are purely silly and speak their own lingo, we are blessed to have Cassandra in our lives.  She is the "daughter" who appreciates books and reading as much as I while Erika (and Nick) dislike reading and prefer math instead (Yeah, I have no idea how THAT happened).

In September, Erika was thrilled to get her braces off her teeth. Her "bestie" had hers taken off in August, so Erika was counting the days until she would be free of metal.  Likewise, for the first time in four or five years, the Aaker household was finally without braces or a payment for braces!

With the start of school, Erika had now entered her sophomore year in high school. She is still an avid swimmer, participating on the school swim team, where she typically swims the 200 free, the 500 free, and relays.  

Erika is now involved with her winter sport, Nordic ski. Last year, she whined and complained about Nordic, so you can imagine our surprise when she told us that she wanted to ski again this year.  Apparently, she has made some improvements in her form because as of now, she is going to be skiing at the varsity level. 

So far, there are no plans for a spring sport, so her mother is hoping that she can get a little part-time job to fund her numerous shopping sprees. Her next major feat will undoubtedly be passing her driver's license test in May when she turns 16.

Aaker Adventures 2011 - Part Two: The Big Move

As if we didn't have enough craziness going on in our lives,  we also moved residences in October. Around March or April, Mike, who constantly peruses the Homes Plus real estate guide, found a home that he thought we should look at.

Of course, we immediately fell in love with it, which is a definite hazard when you decide to go around and look at houses. Anyway, we decided to put ours on the market. We were a little cautious about doing so because we had tried to sell our house about two years ago, and we didn't have any bites, which was very discouraging.

Nevertheless, we reasoned that if this was what God intended for our family, He would open the doors even in the midst of a poor housing market. We were very clear with our realtor on this point as well. We weren't in any rush to move, so we weren't going to be giving our house away just because the market was less than favorable.

Even though keeping the house clean became an Olympic feat, the hard work paid off. Fortunately, God opened the necessary doors, brought reasonable and interested buyers (one of which was a former students of mine - how weird is that?) and we moved to a little farm place that is just under five acres and is a couple of miles from town (Willmar). (And it is basically across the road from some good friends of ours - the Magnusons.)  And yes, I will not allow Mike to pick up any more Homes Plus real estate guides.  I do NOT want to move again.

Moving, in and of itself, was an adventure.  We had lived in the Collegeview house for eight years, and that meant we had to wade through eight years of toys, junk, and other accumulated materials.  A garage sale, multiple sales on eBay, and multiple trips to Goodwill helped us to whittle the pile down to the necessities. 

We moved over MEA weekend, and somehow, we managed to cram all of our belongings into two enclosed trailers (from Dan Sands and Jeff and Pam Magnuson), the Maracom truck, and the Maracom van. (Fortunately, we had been able to get into the barn ten days prior to our closing so that we could move the contents of the second garage. That saved us a ton of aggravation.) 

On Thursday, October 20, our family, my mom and dad, Cassandra Lankenau and Harold and Amy Korthuis moved everything out of the 2800 house.  Of all the pieces of furniture to move, the piano was, by far, the worst.  Mike said if that piano ever gets moved again, it will be moved by chopping it up into little pieces. :S

On Friday, October 21, we had more help to move in.  The same crew from Thursday plus Rick, Rhonda, and Gavin Klein, Wade Fernelius, Hanna Savig, and Ardis Aaker helped.  Pam Magnuson was a lifesaver by making us all lunch and our family, supper.  It was a whirlwind of activity, but we were in. . .and I DO NOT want to do it again. (Did I mention that already??)

In the twenty-one years that we've married, it has always been our goal to be out in the country, so we are loving our new place as well as the peace and tranquility. The lady that we bought the property from had lived here since the early 70s when she and her husband bought the land.  They build the property into what it is today, so we felt very blessed and honored to now own it.

It is a three bedroom rambler (soon-to-be five bedroom), and it has one outbuilding (a former horse barn). Our current project is adding two bedrooms in the basement for the kids.  One of the stipulations in buying the house was that we told the kids that they would have to dig their own egress window holes, which they did (with minimal grumbling).

So far, the egress windows have been installed, and the framing for the rooms has been done. It has definitely been a group effort, and we are very thankful to Mike and his dad for giving up htheir Saturdays to make it happen.  Even though the kids promised to do their share, Mike has definitely been picking up their slack with regard to the egress windows, framing, measuring, cleaning, sheet-rocking. . .well, you get the picture. We're hoping that this project will be done very soon.

As you can tell from the pictures, I will have plenty of weeding to do in the flower gardens next summer.  Feel free to come over and help if you're bored. :)