Top 10 things I love about summer ( this year )

10. Watermelon.

9. Not having to bundle up the kids, or heat up the car.

8. Less laundry, ( summer clothes have so much less cloth in them ).

7. Grilling!

6.Watching and listening to thunder & lightning storms with my bedroom window open at night.

5. Shopping at the farmer's market.

4. Listening to the crickets chirping in the evening.

3. Swimming, of course.

2. Everything is so green!

1.The kids play outside longer.

Easy Child (Care?)

I came home from my 'one day a week' of working to find this picture my husband Jason had taken of the kids during the day. My niece had been visiting also and I guess this was the easiest way for him to stay sane for a while.

Except for the slight risk of trampling, it was a pretty good idea, no?

The play pen seemed to hold up pretty well too. I guess with childhood/babyhood obesity on the rise, they should hold at least 100 pounds.

So for all of you stay at home dads, or maybe even you moms out there who desperately, need a break, try-or maybe I should say don't try this at home.

Our Summer Vacation

I've finally gotten around to putting this post up! Woo Hoo!

These pictures are of our family vacation. We went to Gull Lake Ministries for a week of family camp. A few families from our church were there also. We had such a wonderful time. We kept busy, but were able to relax and enjoy each other.

Every night had a theme. From a carnival, to a rodeo, to the adult banquet nights(our favorite) , we were never bored.

Here is Jason taking the boys on the kiddy train during the carnival night.

                                               

             The boys with their special request balloon animals. Ligers!  " It's pretty much my favorite animal." ~ Napoleon Dynamite

Snow cones!

Isaac on the inflatable, bouncy, thing. Why don't they make those for adults?!

     

 Annabelle, ready for a day in the sun. 

 

We took a pontoon ride on the lake with our friends, the Cochranes.

Everybody had to wear a life vest, so as ridiculous as it seemed, 3 week old Olivia donned one as well. It gave us all quite a laugh.

Our favorite, daily activity was going to the beach.

Jason on the 'Ice berg'

Annabelle liked the sand and mud the best.

I think Isaac and Seth liked the ice cream the best.

The week we were there, Seth had his 3rd birthday.

We had a little make shift party for him.

The boys playing with Seth's new play-doh.

Mommy and daddy with the birthday boy.

We also went to the Binder Park zoo. This was the cutest animal there, a red panda.

It was just draped over a tree branch for the longest time. SO CUTE! I want one.

We went with Bart, Debbie and Ethan Glupker.

Thanks for inviting us guys, we had a great time.

Daddy forcing Seth to touch the scary goats.

This was the coolest zoo! They even had dinosaurs!

They didn't let us get too close though. This was the best shot we could get.

A little bit braver now, the boys with the goats.

The zoo had a place where we could pet and feed the giraffes! 

They are such gentle, beautiful creatures.

Annabelle didn't think so though.

We took a cute, little train around the children's zoo.

A family photo in "Africa"

The boys made a friend at the zoo. A giant fire ant!

Sorry I Couldn't Resist

4th of July

This year for the fourth of July we were lucky enough to be invited by our good friends, Stephanie and Ben to go boating on Lake Cadillac with them. Ben works at Four Winns and gets to borrow a boat now and then. We had such a wonderful time.
Isaac went tubing for the first time and he absolutely loved it.

Seth and Cody ( Ben and Stephanie's little boy ) enjoying the view.

Stephanie and Cody. Stephanie is pregnant and will be having another little cutie, Friday, July 11th! We are all excited to find out if it is a boy or a girl.

Annie wasn't very happy about the loud motor and the life vest at first, but then she really started enjoying herself. And of course the pacifier helped a little too!

After boating, we crossed the canal into Lake Mitchell for dinner and swimming.

It was Annabelle's first time at the beach ( actually she was there when she was 3 months old and very colicy, and she screamed the entire time, but that doesn't count does it? ) and she loved the water and the mud. Watch the video at the bottom, SO cute!

Make-shift fun

It was a beautiful day today, so i took the boys out to see if we could make a water slide.

The bottom of the slide.

A poor little Lego man just about to take the plunge.

Laundry Day

    Usually when I get the fresh smelling, warm, laundry out of the dryer, I call the kids to get on my bed and then I dump it all over them. They absolutely LOVE it! Well this time Isaac didn't want to wait, so he jumped in the laundry basket and I emptied all of the warm clothes onto him. Here are some pictures of him snuggled down in the clean clothes.