Summer has come to an end...

Today was my last day of summer. I enjoyed the day with a trip to Binder Park Zoo with the girls, my cousin Donna, her daughter Lindsey, and her friend Aubrey. We had a great time, despite no naps, they fell asleep as soon as the car was rolling.

My girls with their zoo hats, Addi got a new hat and Kylynn got a giraffe,

Daddy told her Aunt Kari will be jealous!

Kylynn jumping like a kangaroo

mommy and her girls

had to go down the slide!

Kylynn Joy

Now it's back to work for me. I'm really excited about my new position but very nervous. I feel like a new student but I'm sure everything will go smoothly, if not, I'll learn along the way. I have really enjoyed my summer with my girls and will be sad to be back to work full time, but I do love the time with my students and other adults. Bittersweet! 2 days of work and then I'm with them for a long weekend! I think I can manage!

Wine Tasting Fun

I can now say I have been wine tasting in TC. Pretty bad that I'm from TC and had never been till this year. Oh well, now I'm in love! I think I acquired a taste for wine while wine tasting. Kari, Mom and I enjoyed an afternoon away from the girls and headed out the Old Mission Peninsula to check out the different wineries. Good thing I was with the pros, they knew what they were doing so I was along for the ride. First stop, Black Star Farms, Kari and I being tourists

Mom, Me, and Kari, Chateau Chantal, last stop

Kari and I, Chateau Grand Traverse

Kari, Mom, and I at the scenic turnout overlooking West Bay

Kari, not wasting any of her tastes

We toured the peninsula and stopped for lunch at Johnny Pumpkins, the former Bowery, very tasty lunch and then back to wine tasting. I had an amazing afternoon with my mom and sister, thanks so much ladies for making my birthday weekend special.

I'm officially 30!

Today is my 30th birthday! A day I was not really looking forward to but it didn't turn out that bad and I really don't feel any older. I think that age is just a state of mind. I don't feel like a 30 year old that is for sure, that's what I have to keep reminding myself about.
Jason took me out for dinner last night on Old Mission Peninsula, at The Boat House. It was phenomenal! We enjoyed a nice evening together but he took me out last night because he left today with my dad for the UP, yup that is right he left me on my biggest birthday yet! Oh well, life goes on. We celebrated last night with my family. I was able to sleep in today, actually both girls slept in as well so it wasn't as big of a treat, but nice to sleep in all the less. Kind of a low key day, Trish came over with the kids for a play date, we had my favorite for dinner, ham and pineapple pizza and then we had one of the Fromholz girls from church babysit so mom, Kari, and I could go see the Time Travelers Wife. It was good, not as good as expected but it was good to have some girl time. Now the girls are in bed and I'm blogging. I wanted to do some scrap booking but I think I'll break that out tomorrow during nap time. Then tomorrow night I think there will be a trip to Moomers and some scrap booking for Kari and I. We are wine tasting on Saturday so that is what I am really looking forward to. I'll leave you with a few pics to celebrate the big 3-0!

Kari's gift for me, she gave me everything to do with turning 30

Me with the girls, Addisyn is more interested in the cake

G*I*R*L*S W*E*E*K*E*N*D

So I ventured away for the weekend with Erin, Jayme, and Kristen. We went camping up to River Ridge RV Resort. Quite the place. They have a pool so that was where we spent the day on Saturday, not worrying about watching little ones, it was very nice and relaxing. We had a great time playing cards, talking, and eatting. We had a very eventful weekend. I'll let the pictures tell the story.

erin and jayme, playing cards

kristen and kristi, playing cards, in the ac trailer

trying to start the fire

fanning the fire

lighter fluid from the neighbors, didn't help though, ended up going out, wet wood

all packed up and ready to head home

Our hubbies rescued us from the side of the road, in Grandville, poor van

this was the end of my vacation, my view from the van on the side of the road

Overall it was a great weekend to get away from kids and hubbies but we still need them and love them. Thanks for a great weekend of fun girls!

corn on the cob time...

We've enjoyed corn on the cob from the roadside produce stand the last few nights, i absolutely love corn on the cob but I think we've got someone who loves it more, KYLYNN! She absolutely is in love with corn on the cob. Tonight we let Addi try it out, she loves it too and didn't want to give up the ear when she was done. I love corn on the cob nights!

the best invention ever, SPRAY BUTTER!

Kylynn and her new favorite food - Corn on the Cob Addisyn loved it also!

what was left!

My girls!

Home, Sweet Home...

Well, my last post I must have spoken too soon. Friday wasn't that great of weather. We did however manage to get some water skiing in. I was able to drop a ski and slolom, don't know the spelling, ski for a little bit. Kari's friend Ashley was there and got some great pictures. I thought I had it on the wrong foot cause it was not comfortable at all, so I let go. I tried a little bit later again with dropping the other ski and totally bailed, I'm quite sore.

Nice shot Ashley, just havin funone ski, I still got it

Kylynn watching with Aunt Kari
dropping the second time

and she's down!

playing dutch nuts, nice shot of my face!

Mom and Dad, the champs, I was playing with Ashley's camera, the next camera I want!

Riding on the bus, Kylynn, Ashley, Addi, Aunt Kari,

and Grandpa, what an imagination she has!

We packed up Friday night when it started raining and enjoyed our last ice cream treat of the week. It rained hard all night Friday and all morning Saturday, glad we were heading home. We enjoyed a great breakfast at Kuntry Kupboard and headed home. Next year we are planning on going again, same week. It was a great week and we made a lot of great memories.Now back to reality for a little bit. Addisyn and I both have colds, hers is worst than mine but we'll get past this. Kylynn and I just enjoyed, well maybe, a run/walk. I don't know why I did it in the middle of the afternoon with the heat index at close to 90 or 100 but I guess the extra 5 lbs added from last week were a little bit of a motivator. I think it's time to start running again. I have been very lazy since summer began so it's time to kick it in and drop the 5 lbs. The girls are napping and I'm working on laundry. We have bible study tonight so it will be nice to catch up with our friends. Hope everyone is enjoying the nice summer day!

Summer has arrived...

We had another wonderful day enjoying God's creation. Sunny skies once again today.Addi and Kylynn reading their books in their chairs like mom, aunt kari and grandma

Kylynn Joy

Grandpa and Kylynn, waiting for daddy to come back from his walk

Our family on the dunes

Addisyn Joy, why do babies love sand?

Ice cream again tonight, Kylynn and her superman

Kylynn wanted to do a holder-outer on the dock with mom and dad

Kylynn's first tubing experience...

Today was filled with more fun activities at the cottage. We started out with Kylynn's first tubing experience behind the boat. We went nice and slow for her. She wanted to ride with dad but mom doesn't know how to drive the boat so maybe tomorrow she can get her wish to ride with her dad and grandpa can drive the boat.
We also spent some time playing at the beach, taking a boat ride and she enjoyed another cup of superman ice cream. We ended the day with baths in the sink and tucked them in bed nice and clean. Tomorrow we are heading back to the dunes, hopefully I can get some cute shots of the girls.

Addisyn all set for the beach

addisyn and kylynn all set for the boat ride

tubing with kylynn

The girls with Grandma on our boat ride

Day #3 at the Cottage...

A great day at the cottage. We started the day off with a wonderful breakfast made by Jason. Eggs, hash browns, and bacon, he sure knows how to make a great meal. We then started the outdoor activities with my dad trying to water ski. He got up on try number two, very proud of him. I then decided I needed to see if I still had it in me, I sure do, got up right away and was able to stay alive through the whole trip, almost bailing at one point but I held on. As Katie says I went down gracefully. Then Jason had to try water skiing, got up on try number two, something about his contacts made him fall the first time. Then Kari and Jason tubed, Kari flew over J, quite a scene from shore. We spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in the sun, very nice to be able to enjoy the rays while the girls slept. When they got up they played in the sand for a little while before dinner. Jason also took Kylynn waaaaaaaaaay out in the water, on the tube. She really liked that. After dinner we headed in to Ludington to walk the pier, play at the park, and get some ice cream. Got some great pictures on the pier of the family and the sunset. After walking the pier we played on the park with Kylynn. Jason, Kari, and I followed her around trying out all of the toys. We made a quick stop for ice cream, Kylynn said the one at the cottage was probably closed so we needed to go somewhere else, and the other place probably had a long line, so we opted to try a new place on the way back. She shared a choc/vanilla twist with her momma. When we got home we tucked them in bed and now we're sitting here with my parents and Kari. I'm getting to the end of my book so it's getting good, gotta get it done so I can get my other one read. Looks like tomorrow will be nice again so we'll be getting some more sun. It will be a smaller crowd tomorrow, Trevor and Katie left today, it was so nice to spend time with them, and Kari is heading home with dad tomorrow for an interview, good luck Kari, you'll do great!

swinging with Uncle Trevor
kylynn and dad trying out uncle trevor's kayak

dad water skiing

our familykylynn and mom

kari, mom, and i on the pier

kari and i on the teeter totter