Millennium Park

By now you know us...... if it is sunny and warm assume we are playing in water with friends somewhere! This summer has been a perfect host to all of our favorite things: family, giggles, ice cream, water, parks, friends, outdoors, lakes, campfires, you name it-we are trying to get it all in. I will draw from these pictures in February, when we've been trapped inside and have played hide-and-seek for the millionth time. But for now, we have to get all the important daily doses of Vitamin D, friends, and water. This particular Monday we had a fun playdate at Millennium Park with a few of my work friends and their lovely children. It was three mommmies and 7 kids for an afternoon of playground equipment, sprinkler park, picnic lunch, and then a swim in the lake. Thank goodness all this entertainment was at one park. Whew, we were a tired but happy bunch after all this fun. Thanks Elders and Yacks for another wonderful time with friends!

Carter's last T-ball game

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Luau

I had to get a couple posts to illustrate what a SUPER FUN summer we have been having. Honestly, I have determined that this is the summer against which all others will be measured. The weather is beautiful (and please let it continue), the kids are at great 'get-up-and-go' stages (heck we are traveling without the Pack N Play for the 1st time in 7 years...yippee!), the stars are aligned for us to be maximizing this wonderful chapter of our lives. Next we will be intruding on Minnesota. It will be a week to remember, that I am sure of! We have many things on the agenda- loads of fun, family time, and memory making to take place! But for now, I have to post a few of the fun things we've been up to.

Mid July we spent on the shores of Lake Michigan. After one exceptionally fun Saturday at the beach, we came home and hung out with our dear friends from small group that live down the road. They had their annual Luau...and what a perfect night for it. The party was complete with something for the whole family:

Beverages at the Tiki Hut and BBQing for the guys....Socializing with friends and a delicious smorgasbord of food
Water balloons and guns for the kids= TROUBLE

More mouthwatering food and fun

a dessert table and Slushy machine for the kids...can you believe it???

Dinner on the porch with other kiddos
a bounce castle...the boys hardly came out!
Here Christian is with his good friend Morgan (she is the baby in our small group) they get to play together at daycare during the school year.
"Morgie's pretty, mommy!! Do you like our flowers?"
The night ended with fireworks and being up WAY past the kids bedtimes, especially since we played hard in the waves all day (see previous post). Isn't this the best summer ever???

Beach Bums

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Lil' Sprouts

There are only two green thumbs in this household.......and they both belong to this little

lady. She comes by them naturally, as both her grandma's maintain meticulous flower gardens. I on the other hand I am busy maintaining the family and all that goes along with that joyous responsibility, that I am likely to kill most anything I am put in charge of. Thankfully, this year Ella and Carter take care of the urns and herbs we have randomly growing. In the spring, Ella gets the itch to plant seeds. I look at the packs of seeds that cost me less than $1.00 hmmm....I think, "what the hey?" They spend hours prepping, planting, and playing on.their.own. So I indulge them. Might I add, that Elle has a very nice pot of Morning Glories sprawling on the back deck and now these lovely beans. Last week in one of the many "perusals of the property" Carter makes each day in search of treasures a.k.a. insects, frogs, and a nice little Garden snake, he discovered Ella's bean plant had a few beans. She went to inspect: low and behold there were 11 beans on the one plant. YIKES! I had completely forgotten it was even out there. Grandma and Grandpa were over for a visit so it happened to work out perfectly to accompany our delicious dinner (mind you, I snuck a few "store bought" gasp for fill the bowl). She was so proud and delighted. I must say, she is getting to be such a domestic little thing. She loves dusting, organizing, playing babies, and helping Christian with the potty training, oh and anything in the baking department tickles her fancy too! She is so cute...when she's less lippy and more helpful! I am so thankful for my little girl.

SMILE

Five new ADULT teeth are growing in.

Look at this gorgeous jack-o-lantern smile! Can you believe it.....not so long ago it seemed like we were waiting for those first pesky teeth to pop through. But this summer holds a record-- 4 teeth have come out. She lost one last year right before her 6th birthday and now look at her! With true entrepreneurial spirit, she has decided to save all the money she has been collecting from the tooth fairy, to take to The American Girl Doll Store at the end of the month when we vacation in Minnesota. She is raking in the cash these days.

This summer will be marked by quickly a tooth begins to wiggle and how rapidly Ella has it laying at a 90 degree angle. She passes on the corn on the cob, which is a favorite, and asks for 2nds of anything that is smooshy or squishy. All though, it is not new, she will enjoy ice cream by the scoopfuls, twice daily, if allowed. But of all these things I am reminded of just how quickly it all goes. You see, she is getting ADULT teeth. At times she thinks and talks like an...adult. She is growing up all together to fast. In just over a month, she will turn seven, go to school ALL day, every day, and pick her own clothes and friends. For now she is choosing to pull out her teeth, play with her brothers and Ainsley, swim every chance she gets, read books increasing in difficulty and length, and create amazing projects. She is tender hearted and so thoughtful while in the same breathe snippy and full of attitude. I swear it was just yesterday I was pulling her in the wagon and watching her splash in the kiddie pool on our back deck. {Maybe I am feeling all sentimental and nostalgic in light of another transition we made this weekend....that is another post entirely.}

The first tooth came out last August.

Time flies while we are having fun and we've been doing plenty of that lately!

Take me out to the BALLgame

This summer we are taking advantage of a lot of the different opportunities available to us in West Michigan. At the end of June we went to Fifth Third Ball Park with a few of our friends from small group to watch a Sunday afternoon game. Mind you, there were a few pop up bouts of rain, but they didn't last long, and after a few "delays" the game was underway. The kids didn't mind at all since it was a warm rain and they were having fun playing despite the lack of baseball. Lawn seats, were definitely the right choice since eight of the spectators in our group were under 8 years old! It was a fun day, but since it took so long for the game to start we didn't end up staying until the end. As an added bonus, the ballpark gave us free tickets to another game since we waited so long for the game to begin. That will be a perfect outing for Scott, Carter, and Ella! Here are a few pictures, I had to go back to June to catch up on some of my blogging. This has been such an absolutely beautiful summer that we've been out and about enjoying all the wonderful-ness....which doesn't leave me a lot of extra time for blogging!

We were welcomed into the stadium by "Super Why"...... how thrilling to see a cartoon walking around. Carter was border-line speechless.

It was something to watch them cover and uncover the field. Getting settled on the lawn, only to have to pack up and move a couple times to stay "some-what dry"
Brother's bonding over baseball.

Enjoying lunch on the lawn with friends.

Rain delay

Looks like the sun is coming back out.
Carter even ended up finding a friend from daycare who was there with his parents. It is so funny to see 4 year olds "discover" someone in a different setting.
Grady, Melissa, and Christian.
Playing on the lawn....the attention span wasn't that long!
Looking forward to our trip to the new Target Field in August for another baseball game.