Sandbox

We bought this sandbox for Bryson's birthday, and both of the boys love it. They play in it every chance they get, sometimes without permission. This was one of those times; by the time I caught up to them, their PJs were already full of sand!

Smores!

One night while Chris's family was visiting, we went out to roast marshmellows and make smores. The little campground pictured here is actually part of our property. It's separated from our house by a small creek, and you can only get to it by passing over a log "bridge". It even has a fire pit already built into it. We had a great time sitting around the fire, talking, and eating yummy smores!

Pool & Playground Pics

Here are a couple of cute pictures from the pool & playground. I love this picture of Chris having slide races with Emily; he's such a fun dad!

Sprayground

After the 4th, my brother's family stayed with us just a few more days. We had such a great time!We went to the sprayground and playground, Chuck E. Cheese, and the library. We took walks around our neighborhood and played in the little kiddie pool in the backyard. The adults (and Ethan!) stayed up late to watch movies and eat popcorn & ice cream. It was a wonderful week! Here are our pictures from the sprayground.

Happy Birthday, America!

What a treat it was to spend the 4th of July with family this year! My mom & dad along with Chris's whole family celebrated with us. Everyone had a blast!

4th of July Celebration

The 4th of July was a blast for our family this year. We've never had a chance to celebrate America's birthday with the kids before this year. Last year, Carter was sick and we laid around rubbing his tummy and reading him books all day. 2 years ago, Bryson had just been born and was diagnosed with Jaundice. He stayed under heat lamps for 2 days, and the 4th passed with hardly a thought.

This year definitely made up for it! We went to a super fun festival with bounce houses, fair food, and a great fireworks display. The kids had so much fun and LOVED their first fireworks show. Bryson kept saying, "OOH.", "PRETTY", and "WOW". Carter clapped at each one and announced all the colors. Great fun!

More Beach Pictures

Although no one quite as much as Carter, everyone enjoyed the beach at Lake Michigan. Bryson used a tablespoon to fill a big bucket almost to the top. He was so intent on scooping up heaping spoonfuls over and over again. He loved the "BIG sandbox!" as he called it. Kids and adults alike, we all loved the beach!

The Beach

Words cannot describe how much fun Carter had at Lake Michigan. He smiled so much his cheeks hurt. He made sand castles, played in the water, was buried in the sand, made "sand angels", and ran around and around and around. I think this might have been the best day of his life so far. :-)

Grandpa & Granny's Place

We all had a great time hanging out with Grandpa & Granny (my dad's mom & dad), too. Granny is the neatest person with a passion for family. I feel so blessed and so loved whenever I visit her. Grandpa fixes up and sells old bicycles; he has hundreds of them in his driveway. The kids loved trying them all out! It was really wonderful to catch up with Uncle Dan (dubbed "The Doot-Doot Man" by Carter), Aunt Rox, Aunt Nancy, and Annie again, too.

Grandpa & Grandma's House

On our Michigan vacation, we stayed several nights at my grandparents' (my mom's mom & dad's) house. I have so many memories of staying there as a little girl; it was a lot of fun to bring my own kids there. My grandma, a red-hatter, is so full of energy. She never sits still and is usually baking something. I love her laugh; I wish you could hear it - it's wonderful, loud, and contagious. I think it's the only laugh I've ever heard that actually has a northern accent! My grandpa is quieter but just as active. He is always busy around the house - mowing his a jillion acres or doing some other huge project like building a light house and man-made pond complete with an island and bridge! Everyone had lots of fun hanging out at their house playing games, driving the golf cart super fast and nearly tipping it over (Sarah!), trying out the paddle boats, and feeding the turtles & fish in Grandpa's pond.

Bryson's Birthday

Bryson turned 2 years old in Michigan. We had lots of extended family come to celebrate his birthday. Counting grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, there must have been about 30 people! My grandma made Bryson a cake and and lit a big number 2 candle for him to blow out (Carter helped!). The kids (and Pop-Pop!) had a great time running in the sprinklers, playing with their cousins, and eating cake! I'm a little sad at the idea of my baby being 2 years old already, but I'm so proud of him too. I'm so in love with my little man. Thank you, Jesus, for putting him in our family!

Road Trip

When my brother's family came to visit, my parents and I dropped everything and went to Michigan for a week-long whirlwind trip. My dad rented an RV, and all 10 of us rode together across the US. The RV was brand new and very, very nice. The kids (and adults) loved being able to move around, play games, have meals, sleep in full sized beds, and watch TV in the RV. Getting there was 1/2 the fun! R-V! R-V! R-V!