Summer Camping Part 1

 So I won't try and recap the whole summer but I will add our pictures from the 2 camping trips we did this summer.  Why?  Because it's monumental for us!  We went camping with 3 little kids and lived to tell about it! 

 And although it had some seriously ugly points (cue nighttime and mega-load of  mosquitoes) we had a lot of fun and the kids can't wait to go next year!  On this trip we just did one night because, well, we weren't sure how bad it could get and we didn't want to be roped into more torture than we had to.  (Always have an escape plan, that's what I say!)

 So we went to a place about 35 min from our house called P J Hoffmaster State Park.  We had never been there before, but had heard it was fun and pretty since the campground was in walking distance of the beach.  So after setting up camp and eating dinner, we walked the 10 min (would have been 5 without slow coach kids....) and then we arrived at this:

 I mean what??  It was amazing!  So beautiful.  You walk from the campground through some forest that turns into sand walkway and then it just opens up to this amazing beach and sand dunes.

 Auggie looks like he is hiding from the paparazzi here.  We watched an amazing sunset and roasted s'mores.  Could life be better?

 Sadly, nighttime was ugly.  People we camped by were up really late, and well we all had a hard time sleeping except Ruby who zonked out and we didn't hear from until morning.  And there were some serious amounts of mosquitoes.  I mean A LOT.   But in the morning we got to head out to the beach again and it was a blast. 

 There were all sorts of sand dunes to climb and explore and run down!  It was fun.  And the beach was a private beach only for the campers.  So we just played there all morning.

 Ruby wrote her name in the sand for a little practice for kindergarten!

And of course August was a goofball.

Anyway, even though we didn't get a lot of sleep and we all had more mosquito bites than we cared to count, it was AMAZING!!  Have I mentioned Michigan is Awesome?!  Oh and I had to add this video of Oliver running down a dune.  He totally eats it and it's rad.  Don't worry, the picture above is right after, so you know he's okay!  :)

We Went OUTSIDE!!! ON Purpose!!

Our little kittens.  Meow.

 Spring has finally sprung here in Michigan!!  Okay, well it's not really to the spring level that I like yet, but we have had a few days so far that we didn't want to run from car to door.  So there is hope!

 This winter may finally be at its end!  Can I get a HALLELUJAH??!!!  So as you can see, in honor, August broke out the sunglasses and it was High 5's all around.  "Way to go team, we made it!"

 So in honor of spring, we headed out last weekend to Meijer Gardens (a botanical garden near us.) 

 Each year in April they have thousands of butterflies in their indoor tropical gardens that you can go in and wander around and see.  It was pretty fun.  We even got several "I wuv butterflies" from August. 

 Then we let the kids play for awhile in the Children's Garden.  So of course the sand pit was a big hit.  And for a brief minute the kids were even playing together!  On purpose!  Without fighting!  (Warms a Mother's heart.)

 And then the kids ran around on the giant treehouse. 

 And lastly we hit up the giant horse sculpture before heading home.  Because well, our kids don't care much about sculpture, but they do love the gigantic grass hills you can roll down!!

We got many tsks from passing parents.  And lots of mad kids that their parents wouldn't let them roll down because they would get muddy.  Geesh people, let your kids live a little.  Our kids rolled all over that hill and they didn't get too muddy.  And most importantly they had a lot of fun being outside again!  YAY!!  Hooray for spring!

Love Letter------ DENIED!!!

For awhile now Oliver has told us that these 2 little girls in his 2nd grade class kept telling them they were in love with him and chasing him around the playground during recess. ( Much to his complete HORROR I might add.)  And our Primary president at church happens to work at his school as an aid during recess among other things and she told us that these girls are relentless.  I guess it's tough to resist his adorableness!  ha, ha.

Anyway a few weeks ago he came home all disgusted because he had found the following note in his locker at school.

In case you can't read it, "Oliver, I kind of like you.  Isabel/Oliver.  Happy Valentines"

And then I caught him writing his response that he said he was going to post up in his locker just in case anyone was inclined to leave such a declaration ever again:

"Please don't leave I am-in-love-with you notes in my locker Isabel or Mandy.  Warning."

Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha...........Oh man, I can not wait to remind him of this someday when he actually decides to like a girl!  Luckily we intercepted his posting of this and told him he should probably just ignore it instead of being rude.  What a kid.  He cracks me up!  Sorry girls, Love letter-- DENIED!!

Never Ending Snow-ow Fall....

So it has snowed A LOT this winter.  Actually that's kind of an understatement.  I heard on the radio this morning that since Dec. 1st to today has been 82 days and of those 82 days, it has snowed 60 here in Michigan!!  What?  That is some serious snow weather!  I think someone at church told me we have had 90 inches of snow this winter so far!  Yowza!
 

Not to mention that it's been in the teens for what seems like ever!  Everyone here is a buzz with the fact that next week it's suppose to get up to 32 degrees.  I mean seriously?  Are we really getting  excited about 32 degrees?  But we are!  Amazing what you can get use to, and what you can become excited about! ha, ha
 

Zack said our mailboxes look like a hobbit hole.  (Poor Mailman need some off roading gear.)  The snow is up over the top of them.  And when he uses the snow blower it just blows snow into a giant snow wall.  It can't even launch it over the top anymore.  Talk about a winter wonderland!
 


Sadly the kids haven't even gotten to go out and play in all that snow too much because it's just been too darn cold. But once in a while they just can't resist the call of the snow and they brave  the chill.

 

So we have been spending a lot of time indoors, which at times has been really fun, and at times a little trying.  But we are making the most of it!  And we still LOVE Michigan despite the cold weather.  It has been really beautiful with all the whiteness. 

This is kind of a sad picture considering how terrible the Broncos did in the Super Bowl, but Oliver and I made a cake.  It was pretty tasty!


Everyone enjoyed it!!
Well, can't wait until next week when it's going to be so warm we can bust out our swimsuits!  Okay, maybe just one less layer!  Stay warm!

Our baby is 2!!

 Our baby boy August turned 2 this week.  So crazy how time flies.  So I thought I would do a little post about him and the things he likes right now for memory sake.  He loves to be outside, which of course right now isn't so great with all the snow. But mostly he loves going down slides and going on the swings.  Both of which took his older siblings much longer to enjoy than 2 years.  In fact neither of the other 2 like swings much still. 

 But our little August is fearless.  He climbs, he slides, he does it all!  He also loves to wrestle with anyone lying on the floor- just a cautionary tale for anyone that may happen to visit......
And he also loves to chase and be chased around the house.

 August is also very loving!  He will hug just about anything we tell him to. 

 He love, love, loves his brother and sister.  And he will mimic just about any and everything they do- like it or not.  In fact today we were dancing in the living room to music and all of a sudden I hear, "shake your booty, shake your booty!"  A line he often hears Ruby say.  He has also taken a shining to "Monsters" like Ruby.  He is always saying, "Oh, Oh no, a Monster....hide, a monster."  And he loves to play hide-and-seek.

 We are finding he is a pretty happy go lucky guy except when he is sick, then watch out- grump city.  But he has inherited Ruby's stubbornness, something we are hoping will only be a phase.  Fingers crossed.

 His favorite foods include grapes and strawberrys, cheese and fruit snacks.  He also loves to play with all Ruby's princess things.  And barbie is probably his favorite toy right now.

 Lately he has been talking up a storm and is stringing more and more words together.  His newest phrase is, "I wike this Mama, I weally wike this." 

 And of course not to be forgotten he has a stuffed wolf that he loves.  He loves it so much he has almost bitten the nose right off it.  I don't know what we are going to do when it comes off. 

Anyway, we love our little pumpkin and all his crazy ways.  Can't wait to see what year 3 will bring!

Brrrr....freezing in Holland

 Last Saturday we went to the town of Holland to check out an ice-sculpture contest they were having in their downtown area.  We thought that sounded kind of cool, so we bundled up, packed the kids in the car and headed out.  Some of the sculptures had been done the day before, so they were a little melty, but some were still being created which was fun to see.

 That being said, it was seriously COLD out there.  I mean cold.  The wind was whipping up and it was chilly.

 So as cool as the sculptures were, it was sort of a peek and dash situation.  There was no lingering longer to watch.

 It was suppose to be a little warmer that day, but it sure didn't feel like it when we were out.  But it was fun to get out and stretch our legs a little and see something different.  And of course the kids were rewarded by stopping at the toy store there!  Leave no toy store left unexplored is there motto!

 But we also went out to see Lake Michigan.  We had been told that the lakes look neat when it's winter too.  So we drove out there to see. And it was really interesting and beautiful.

 All the ice and snow mixed with the sand was really cool. It was kind of like being in the arctic (not really) with all the ice chunks in the water. 

We even saw some people out ice fishing on one of the inlets that was completely frozen over.  That was fun. The kids got out for a minute, but quickly did an about face when they realized how cold it was with the wind.  ha, ha. 

*I just have to add this story because I want to remember it along with this day.  While we were driving out to the lake, a song came on the ipod and Zack said, "when I hear this song and drive through the snowy forest like this it makes me want to rock out in a sleigh!" 
Me:  "What?"
Zack: "You know, it's just like a really good sledding rock song!"
At this point I was busting up laughing so hard.  Even as I type this, I'm laughing to myself.
Me:  "Ummm.....I didn't know there was such a thing as wanting to rock out while riding a sleigh."
Zack: " Oh yeah,  don't you ever just get that feeling.  I think I'm going to make a new genre of music, Sleigh Rock.  Get a band together and make some songs.  The first album can be called "Sleigher" get it?  Ha Ha Ha Ha"
Me:  "Oh my gosh, you are so strange.  Never have I heard of someone wanting to rock out on a sleigh.
I seriously laughed my head off for a good 10 minutes.  I couldn't stop.  It was so ridiculous!  Oh how I love that strange man of mine!!  ha, ha ha