August 2011

August came quickly...

My sister and her fam came for a long visit that included an entire family trip to Chicago!

More time at Higgins Lake playing, boating, swimming, and having fun being a fam...

I don't have a clue why we took this photo for several reasons...

Cousin Time

Love this guy

and her too!

One of my favorite photos of the girls

Time with Jack (Mercer)

Kirra, Narelle, and Bella Mercer

Boating with Pastor Jim

Sun bathing Elli style

Ice cream sandwiches after a long day at the lake

3 going on 17?!

CHICAGO

Believe it or not, this was the best photo of all four of the grandkids wearing their Nana-given outfits!

Back Home

Shykila, Martasia and Kirra being silly

Some of my favorite little people!!!! Despite our love/hate relationship with our neighborhood (due to the violence, drugs, and safety issues), these girls totally make all of the hoopla worth it (usually...well, for now...)!!!

Happy End to August!!!

July 2011

Oh the sweetness of summer, especially up in Higgins Lake!!!

4th of July

Lots of outside playtime

Nana and Papa time

Campfires

1st Camping Trip to Petoskey as a family of 4

Meijer Gardens

Blueberry Picking

Time on the farm where we get our CSA food

Ahhh...wish this could last all year!

My Dad's Daisy Fields

Chillin' at Higgins Pond

Yeah, you're seeing that right...Kirra is pretending to be pregnant!

Wild Woman!

Happy Birthday America

Oooooo....Ahhhhhhhhh

The girls are really starting to play together and show how much they LOVE one another!

Our little running princess

First s'mores of the summer...

Camping with her bestie Norah Byrne

E's first s'more EVER...she wanted "more"

Story time in the tent

Long bike trip to Harbor Springs....zonked!

Back in GR at Meijer Gardens with the Byrne girls again!

Picking ORGANIC blueberries on a VERY HOT day!

Oh, Trillium....this is just a piece of the beauty at the farm where we received FRESH, ORGANIC, YUMMY food all summer!

Playing on the farm!

June 2011

After Eliana turned ONE on the 4th, we headed to Denver for a long week with the entire family!

Hiking in the mountains...

A little mac 'n cheese time for Taters!

Kirra and Narelle sporting their skirts I made (pat on the back for me!) on their FIRST DAY of Summer School!

The Denver Children's Garden is amazing!!!

The girls on their last day of school together...the week went so fast!

After an amazing week of family time, we drove north to Bozeman, Montana to visit John and Abby Carruthers and of course their little Brewer!!!

Friends for 31 years...and possibly a future marriage between our little ones! :)

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy Brewer a HUGE stuffed bear!

Abby spoiling Kirra and teaching her how to bake!

A day in the Montana Mountains...glorious!

Can't get enough of this little man!

Driving across the US of A with a 12 month old and a 3 1/2 year old could seem overwhelming, but our little travelers were amazing! We stopped at Mt. Rushmore for breakfast and headed out to the Bad Lands for lunch...

Of course, we had to stop at Wall Drug, South Dakota for a little "treat"

We drove through the UP and ended at Higgins Lake where we dropped the girls off and Alan and I continued on back to Grand Rapids to meet up with our friends for a long weekend getaway in Chicago!

Kirra got her hair cut for the 2nd time ever...she loved it!

We had a great treat once back in Michigan, Abby, John and Brewer came for a visit!!! I was pumped to have more Brew-man snuggles!

Summer at Higgins Lake...my favorite thing!