My Baby is 1!

Lydia shared (and will share) her birthday celebration with my oldest brother's daughter, Sophia.

They were born a little over 2 weeks apart.

What precious babies!

 

Happy Birthday Lydia and Sophia!

Our Week and Tommy Turns 3!

We had an enjoyable week around the time Tommy turned 3 years old.

He learned how to ride a 2 wheel bike a couple days before he turned 3.  My husband, Nate, was the instigator.  He saw that Tommy could balance really well on his Razor scooter, so he figured it was time to teach him.  

Nate has taught all of our kids how to ride their 2 wheel bikes.  It's not an easy thing to run behind the bike while bending over!  I'm glad he enjoys teaching them how to do it.  I'll stick to math and literature.  Nate can have the bike training experiences.  :)

Click on this link to see Tommy riding his bike.

We also took at trip to the zoo with my in-laws.
We are now official zoo membership people.  Figured it was time since it will only take two trips to the zoo as a family to spend more than the membership.  So, friends who also have memberships, let me know if you want to go together!

Tommy is 3!

But pretty much any time you ask him how old he is, he says, 

"I'm 7."

He makes us laugh!  Love you my little 3 year old.  :)

That same day, we took a trip to the beach.  It was SOOO hot!  The kids had a great time playing in the freezing cold water.  

I may have sat on the beach wishing for a non-existent breeze...  ;)

Thankful!

Vacation - Anniversary and Birthday!

On June 15 we celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary!  I used to think that people who had been married for 10 years were OLD.  Guess I'm old.  The gray hairs starting to pop up here and there would not suggest otherwise...(I'm trying to see them as highlights...free highlights...right.).

We took the kids up north to my parents' cabin for a little less than a week.  Nate and I left on the second day and went to Mackinac Island for one night.  It was so fun to spend the night on the Island!

We stayed at the Inn at Stonecliffe, a beautiful mansion away from the hustle and bustle of downtown.  Our room was so nice and BIG!!!

 Since we had been to the Island numerous times, we decided to bring our bikes and ride around the inner trails and roads on the Island.  I wanted to see things I hadn't seen before, like...the park.  Hidden away by the apartments and small houses of all the workers on the island is a very large recreation area complete with a place to practice your equestrian skills.

We also saw this, which is not something I see every day...or ever.  A horse tethered to the fence like a dog.  Awesome.

I only had to walk my bike up the steep hills a couple of times.  Nate rode the whole way, saying it was "easy" to ride his bike up the hills (bragger).  At least he was kind enough not to mention the fact that it was the 80 year old ladies and me walking our bikes up the hills.  I was totally okay with that.  Nothing to prove.  Remember the gray hairs?  I was going to see if they wanted to have tea later on, but couldn't quite catch up with them...  I was also admiring the seats on their bikes: large and comfy with a back rest.  Gotta get me one of those.

Oh, the houses on Mackinac Island!  Beautiful!  

I told Nate I thought I could handle owning something like this someday as long as it came with a butler and a maid and a cook.  ;)

In the neighborhood where the above house was located, there were these large hedges.  I take it they don't want to get very friendly with their neighbors (or those pesky tourists).

On the ferry ride back to the main land, we rode with the Girl Scouts.  They are very special people, if you didn't already know that.  The leader of said Scouts asked if the captain would drive under the Mackinaw Bridge and he did!  So, we all got to benefit from their extra special-coolness.

We had a great 10 year anniversary getaway!

At the cabin, we played around...

Tommy can play Angry Birds.  Hilarious!

I rode with Emilia.  Love the guys' windblown hair!

Special times with Matthew Bud and Grandpa Buddy.

We ate very well.  Thank you mom.  I'm still a little full.

We also celebrated Emilia's 8th birthday!

 I have friends who make cakes that look something like this:

Source

So, I thought it was most appropriate to show off my totally awesome cake decorating skills.

Drum roll, please:

Yes, I know.  I'm talented.

(Don't worry, we can count.  We did eventually find the other candle so that she had 8 - not 7 - candles to blow out.)

I like to think of that huge candle as creative flair...similar to the pumpkins in the picture above.

We had a ton of fun on our vacation!

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And because I have about 936 pictures on my camera (slight exaggeration), here are just a few more pics from our vacation - in no particular order.

View at Cedarview Cabin

By the Iroquois Hotel - we ate an excellent lunch there

Beautiful woods on our bike ride.

Unknown Soldiers - talk about emotional.

Games with Grandparents

On the dock at Cedarview Cabin

My mom with her parents

Sparklers and bonfires

Tubing and throwing rocks

The Woods.  Best restaurant ever!  Great food.  Great service.  NOT cheap.  ;)

Found while walking through the woods on the grounds of Stonecliffe.  They have weddings here.  I can see why.  It's like stepping into a fairytale.

Everyone was making these rock piles.  I was feeling a little left out ;), so I made one right before we boarded the ferry.

Some random shadows kissing.

10 years together and we STILL love and enjoy spending time with each other.  So thankful.  It's all God.