Mansion Reunion

This past weekend I was in Kansas City with my college roommates for a reunion. It was such a great time of being together and sharing life for even a brief time. We laughed, cried, worshiped together ate delicious food, shopped, watched a movie and even laid in the sun. Unfortunately we were not complete...Jessica, Renee, and Sarah, you were greatly missed! Until next time...

Lunch after Church on Sunday

Kate Oates, America's Next Top Model

Sweet Annie Jane spent most of the weekend with us girls

Salmon and Salad for Dinner...Yum Yum Yum

I loved the mini vacation, but also missed my kiddos. David was a pretty good substitute. He and Jack have very similar personalities

The night we arrived we made our own sushi. This was actually the first time I've ever had it! Not too bad, but not amazing.

Hair bows

Now a true girl, Ellie's hair is long enough for a bow.

Isn't it still summer?

This past weekend at the lake was very windy and cold. We were wearing jeans and sweatshirts all weekend. I could have sworn we still had a few weeks of summer left...I'm not sure what it is about being at the lake that I take so many more pictures. Maybe it's just we're more relaxed and have time to grab the camera more. I always said growing up that Higgins Lake was my favorite place on earth. I think Jack is starting to feel the same way. Every time we come it's like the best thing that's happened in his little life and every time we leave he cries and sobs his way home.

The water was so rough on Sunday and there were white caps all over

More Birthday parties for Jack. If you look closely you can see he's holding up his last 3 fingers to show you how old he is.

Jack is enjoying his new Firehouse and truck play set. We live across the street from a firehouse and he loves to walk by and look inside to see if those firemen are sliding down the pole yet.

Within reason, we let Jack eat what he wanted to for his birthday...Don't even ask, he's not sharing the chips and dip!

Ellie is showing her USA Olympic support...Go Michael Phelps!

Uugh...I'm so tired of cheering!

You can't make me take a picture!

Recently Jack much prefers having someone tell him a story rather than reading one. He always asks for scary ones too. Not sure if that's good or bad yet. I guess I'll know when he wakes up with nightmares. Here we have story time on the couch with Daddy. Ellie must be really getting into the story while I think Jack is contemplating what might happen next.

I need a gate!

Jack never really loved to climb the stairs so we never felt the need to have a gate at the bottom and we had tried a few but nothing fit well either. Eleanor is a terror. She loves to climb the stairs and especially if she sees you coming after her. She will get the biggest naughty smile on her face and climb so fast she's actually slid back down a few times. I've tried other barriers but somehow she can still get over them. It drives me nuts because I'm not used to watching her so closely.

There she goes

One of my blockade attempts...toys and clean laundry

3 years!

It is amazing how time goes by so fast! My baby will be 3 on Monday. Last night we had a celebration with the Goads for Jack and Sydney's birthdays (Sydney is 4 on the ninth). Just a simple dinner and ice cream dessert. We hinted at what Jack might like for a gift, but Josh's parents hit a home run with Jack's present. I was surprised at how i actually captured his excitement...Don't you hope for a reaction like this with everything!

Can anyone guess where Jack was ALL day today?

Coastguard Festival

Every summer the Coastguard Festival at Lake Michigan is a big event. My Grandma who loves to camp in her motor home seems to plan her entire summer around camping during the Coastguard Festival. The beach is not really very far from our house in Grand Rapids but because we go to Higgins Lake so much on the weekends we don't seem to make it out there very much. Last week my parents took Jack for Kids Day to the Festival. They toured the whole boat, walked the pier and beach, watched the musical fountain, ate ice cream, etc... Most of all Jack talked for hours about the boat and all the steps and ladders he got to climb. Thanks Mom and Dad for taking the time share the special things about West Michigan with our kids!