Summer Photos I forgot to download

 So apparently, I forgot to download our summer photos from one of our cameras.  Oops.  And there were some fun memories, so I couldn't just let them go.  Above is Ruby, Auggie, and Grandpa eating some icecream.  I love that August looks like he is getting a lesson on how to eat it.  He's so intent.

                                                         Bubbie reading a book to Ruby.

 August had a blast going down the slides this summer!  Zack's parents have a playground behind their house, so we spent a lot of time there.  The kids loved it!

                                                    Look at that face!  What a cutie!

 Oliver got to try out a dunk tank at a 24th of July (Pioneer day) celebration.  He loved it to our surprise! 

 My Dad and Ruby trying to put training wheels on Oliver's new bike that he got for his b-day! 

 We went to the zoo for Ruby's b-day.  They have a big pond out front with this cool dragon statue in it. 

                                                             Looking at the Kangaroos

                                              The Little Princess on her 4th birthday!

His Maturity will astound you

You know your child is getting older when he can grow and wax his own mustache!!

When did our little boy get so mature?

 Such sophistication.  Aren't we all so glad that mustaches have come back in style? (Please tell me that none of you are growing one, please, I beg you.)

You can almost imagine a young damsel tied to the railroad tracks somewhere.  Mu-ha-ha.

The End of Summer

 Okay, so I know this is a little past the end of summer, but I'm still on the quest to entice people to visit us here in Michigan!!  :)  So I thought I'd show a few of the last things we did here this summer.
First up, BLUEBERRY picking!!!  Oh yes, happy day!  To be honest I wasn't ever a huge blueberry person until we went blueberry picking in MA.  Do you know how amazing fresh blueberries right off the bush are?? 

 If you don't, you should.  They are so delicious!!  And they just so happen to have places to pick in Michigan too.  YEAH!  So we headed out one day and got us a bucket full o' bliss!!

                                                         Just look at those beauties!!

 We also went to a few fun farmers markets.  It was so much fun to walk around and see all the delicious things there.  If we were made of money, we might have actually bought some of them!  ha, ha.  Okay, we did splurge on a few tasty things like a yummy watermelon!  But just look at that little diva next to Zack with her heart shaped sunglasses.  Love it.

 There we so many fun colors and veges that you don't see at the store, the kids had fun exploring new things.

                                    Okay, one more pic of the diva, I wish I could have gotten a closer picture, so cute.

 We also got a pass to the Fredrick Meijer Sculpture Gardens.  This place is amazing!!  It's like 130 acres of gardens and green houses plus they have this huge children's garden with all sorts of things to do.  They have a big water area shaped like the great lakes that kids can float boats in.

                                                  Kids + water= a good time had by all!

                                                 Plus they had beautiful gardens of course.

 And a giant tree house with a little tea party area.  We had to rip August away, I think he could have stayed there all day!

 And Lastly, Art Prize.  Grand Rapids has this huge art festival every year all over the down town area.  It started 5 years ago, and has turned into this HUGE event.  It's 3 weeks long and artist come from all over and set up their art and then the public can go around and explore and vote.  At the end of 3 weeks the public votes pick the top 3 winners and they win a cash prize. $200,000 I think to the winner. (The panda above is make out of old bike tires, cool eh?)

So there are huge things all over town, plus stuff set up in the museums and in restaurants and shop windows all over the city.  So you just walk around and experience it all.  It was SUPER cool.  We went 3 times walking around and I think we only saw a fraction of it all.  Plus there was such a wide variety of art that there was something for everyone.  Plus it's all free which is cool. (Above is a huge dragon that was make out of recycled parts plus it was built on 2 tractors, so it could actually drive down the road.  It was cool.)

Well that's a few of the fun stuff we did at the end of summer.   I know everyone is now booking their flights for next summer to come see us!  ha, ha

Back North, and East, but not too east!

So as I mentioned in my last post, we have moved to Michigan!!  We live near Grand Rapids, and so far we are LOVING it!!  Who knew Michigan was so awesome??  Not us.  But seriously, everyone should move here, it's great!

 Here is an almost good picture of the kids inside the moving truck, if only Ruby's hair wasn't in her face.  But honestly, it's always in her face, try try as I might. 

 We moved to Michigan for Zack to work at Grand Valley State University.  He took a visiting position here for various reason, but long story short was that the school in Oklahoma had some serious problems and we wanted to get out while it was still possible.  So we gave up security (sort of) and took a leap of faith and so far things are working in our favor and we are happy that we did. 

 My parents helped us move- AGAIN!!  Bless their hearts, I mean they have only helped us move 7 out of the 9 times we have moved in the last 10 years.  They are pretty awesome.  Pretty awesome indeed. 

 Luckily we had a little time once we got to Michigan for them to sight see a little bit before heading home.  So of course we had to go to the beach.  OH YEAH, that's right, you read me right, THE BEACH!!! 

 It is amazing!  There are tons and tons of beautiful beaches here to visit, and they are all basically 30 min from our house!  WHAT??  How incredible is that.  Seriously this is a hidden secret of Michigan.  I had no idea that they had such amazing beaches.

 The day we went with my parents it was a little chilly, so we hadn't planned on getting in the water, but just getting a look.  But let's face it, when there is water and children, there really is not stopping them.  Even my dad got in a little and jumped some waves.  (Yes, look at those waves!  I mean this is a lake.  Crazy.)

 But we have been back to a few different beaches since then and they are all so fabulous!  I mean look at that!  And the best part?  The water isn't salty!!  I love it!  That is one of my least favorite things about the ocean is the salty water, it burns.  Well that and all the seaweed gunk that washes up on shore that is kind of smelly.  Well folks, Lake Michigan has neither of those!  I'm sold.

 Auggie still hasn't figured out that he shouldn't eat the sand yet, but he had a few lessons, so I hope he's catching on.  He has a lot of fun trying to chase the seagulls.

 And Oliver is always on the quest to build a sandcastle that Ruby and August don't destroy.

 It's been so much fun to live so close to beaches.  I can't wait to explore some more next summer.

 Okay, but seriously, aren't you feeling a little tempted to move here by us?  Or at least come and visit?  Not convinced yet?  I'll get you all in the end.  I'll keep trying to tempt with other attractions.

But act fast, our spare bed might start filling up, so book you vacay to our house soon! ha, ha

Where Have We BEEN??

Where haven't we been this summer is a better question??  So I realize that there has been some serious silence on the blog front, but we have been quite the movers and shakers this summer.  That coupled with a 2 month long cold and a cracked rib for me and a broken computer for Zack (which meant he was using mine for all his work stuff making it less available for me) made it a low posting summer.  It's not that things weren't going on, because they were, trust me they were.

 We have spent A LOT of time in the car this summer.  I mean A LOT.  A-LOT!  I'm talking like 65+ hours road tripping it in about 6 weeks time.  Whew.  We have had to take a serious break from the car just to get our land legs back!!

But the mini van ran like a champ, and the kids did pretty darn good all things considered.  Thank heavens for portable DVD players and redbox is all I can say.  

We stared out driving from Oklahoma to Utah to visit family which is always fun.  That's for another post.

 Then we came home 6 weeks later from Utah to Oklahoma, only this time we picked up an extra passenger.  Grammie!!  I'm pretty sure she enjoyed the back seat with Oliver (and she took in a few kiddy movies to boot.)

 The kids had fun going to the pool at the hotel on the way home.  We almost couldn't get them to get out!

 (I'm pretty sure this is a yawn not a surprise! ha, ha  It was pretty late, but what do you do when you've been cooped up in a car all day?)

Boo, bed time.

A lot of this happened.  Pretty sure the hotels don't like you doing this but hey....

Much ice cream was eaten in the car and out.  

And then Grandpa joined us in OK to make our next road trip a mere 5 days later to Michigan!  So of course more swimming was had.a

 And of course you have to stop at a Cracker Barrel on a road trip.  It's tradition.  Well at least when moving.  Which we tend to do often.  Ahem.

More car, more car, and more car.

Until at long last we got to our new home in MICHIGAN!!!  

Yep, if you didn't know already, this family has moved once again.  We are now new residents of Walker, MI.  (Outside of Grand Rapids.)  May we stay put for a little while.

So as you can see we were too busy riding in the boring old car to be posting on the blog, but hopefully we are back in business here!