Company and rainy day fun....

We had an animal get into our coop and eat all of our chickens the other night. Dan set up a live trap and this is what was waiting for us in the morning. He is so cute but so dead.

We had Dan's sister and her family visit us this weekend. The weather wasn't the greatest but we did manage to grill out one night and eat outside. Corn on the cob, kabobs, and good beer; the perfect summer meal.  (No beer for the children of course!) :)

The next day it rained most of the day but we headed out to Fishtown in hopes that rain would let up. We went out for pizza and them walked around the historic fishing town that has been converted into a shopping area. It was really neat to see but the rain did not let up so we didn't stay long.

Once we got home the rained stopped (of course). We had a bonfire and the kids played outside. Now it's back to the grindstone. We have so much to do before school starts I don't even want to think about it.

Fun in the sun....

This weekend was super hot but thank goodness we had some friends visiting to distract us all weekend. Dan's friend Jeff from his hometown and his wife Heather came up for the weekend. We had such a good time with them and the kids had so much fun they didn't want them to leave. We took them out to Lake Michigan to the beach and just hung out around the house relaxing all weekend.

After they left on Sunday morning we went to Dan's annual work picnic. It was at a new location this year; a beautiful setting out in the country next to a spring fed creek that was super cold and refreshing. There was a blow up slide and games for the kids and really really good food. There were raffle prizes and prizes for the games. Dan and Jude won the water ballon toss and Therse won the popcorn race. It was a super fun day for everyone. We are truly blessed that Dan works for such a good company that treats us so well.

Weekend update....

 

It has been a busy weekend here. First we finished up the little patio area that we made off of the deck. Dan got all the bricks for free from an old building they tore down. I was actually able to help out a lot with this project and it was a lot of fun and I think it turned out great. The patio set I bought off craigslist for a super great deal.  

On Saturday we met up with some friends of ours at the little splash park a few minutes from our house and had a picnic lunch. It was a beautiful day and it was nice to visit and hang out for the afternoon.

 

On Saturday night we went to a little concert at an art park in the woods. It was a great idea but once we got there it was over run with rich people sipping wine and eating a catered spread of cheese and olives. My kids were well behaved but still kids and at the break started running around. Elijah wiped out on the gravel trail and started crying just as the music was getting started. Then it started poring rain and the baby was crying. It was a little crazy so we just left. So much for giving my kids a little culture...

Summer; oh how I love thee....

It has been HOT and we are loving every single minute of it! We live down the street from a great little lake with a nice sandy beach that we go to all the time and it is shallow enough that I feel safe bringing all the kids by myself. The only downside is it is also shallow enough to warm the water up fast and swimmer's itch is a problem. The 3 oldest kids all got it last week, not fun. We just need to be better about toweling off when we get out of the water next time because I will NOT stop going to the beach while these 80 and 90 degree days are here. Oh I live for this. The long 9 months of winter are worth the 4 weeks of summer. (OK maybe those numbers are a little off, but you get the idea.)

When we are not at the beach we are out in the yard just enjoying the sunshine. The kids love making up games and filling up the big plastic tub we have to cool off in. We also did vacation Bible school last week, that was fun.

Dan parents came to visit last weekend and we drove out to Lake Michigan and hung out at the beach and walked around the cute little town.

We only have 4 weeks until school starts! I can't believe how fast this summer has gone. So, I am going back to enjoying it, have a great weekend everybody.

Cherryfest Junior Parade....

 

Every year there is a huge cherry festival here and it is the highlight of the year to say the least. It brings thousands of people from all over and it last a whole week.  The company Dan works for takes part in the junior parade every year. This was the first time we participated and it was a lot of fun. We parked at the end of the parade and walked to the start and stopped at a little lemonade stand on the way. It was a beautiful day, perfect for a parade. All the kids did great, even Blaise and Patrick didn't complain the whole time. We will have to make this a yearly tradition for sure.

Up north...

 We just spent a few days up north visiting my family and camping. The weather was not that great but we had a lot of fun anyway. This was the first time most of my family got to see Blaise so that was fun. My grandparents are both in their 80's and still going strong. It was so great to see them and watch them interact with my kids. I know we don't have much longer with them and every visit is precious.

 My sister and brother in law have a pontoon boat so the one sunny day we had we were able to get out on the water and enjoy the sunshine. It was so nice and relaxing, a true vacation worthy day.

My sister and brother in law are building their house right now so we stayed in a camper borrowed from my aunt while we were there. Not too bad really. It all went well despite rain and 5 kids. :)