"Tiny Beach"

This past Saturday we went to Lake Michigan for the day. This was our first trip of the summer, mostly because of Olivia's leg. After we got back from the shore, Josh and I were really wanting to go back to the beach. And like my mom and dad say, "If you can't be on the Jersey Shore, this is a close second." The kids quickly made distinctions between Lake Michigan and the shore. Olivia called the lake, "our beach" and Esther has called it the "tiny beach" since we returned. The water was really rough, which made swimming for the kids out of the question. Josh and I took turn taking the kids in and found out quickly that we couldn't go too far with them, or getting back in was really tough because of the rip tides pulling us back out. One time I thought Josh was going to have to save me and Olivia. Other than the rough waters, it was a great day. Gideon took a long nap on the beach, the kids played great, and we enjoyed the quiet and each other. It was great to get away with no cell phones, no agendas, not even a watch. It was simple and wonderful.

Garrett found a piece of drift wood and made it his surf board for the day.

Garden Update

With all the fun vacation pictures, I haven't really wanted to blog about our garden. However, I am so proud of how well it's going, I have to get these pictures up.

Our first fruits. The green beans never even made it to the stove top, we ate them all raw, yummy! The tomatoes were on sandwiches for myself, Josh, Olivia and Garrett. Soooo good!
The cherry tomatoes are amazing and tonight for dinner we finally saved enough to put them in our salad.

Here are the three tomato plants before vacation.

Here are the tomato plants one week later - they went crazy! The big one on the right got so heavy that it pulled the wire supports out of the ground and my neighbor had to help my place posts and string around the whole thing.

Olivia helps show the enormity of the tomato plant.

Cucumber plants before vacation.

Cucumber plants one week later. It's not turned the right way, but you get the point.

Green beans before vacation.

Green beans, one week later.

Family Photo shoot

We'd like to thank Aunt Corrie for our family pictures this year. We had a fun time taking them and even more fun playing in the ocean with our "picture clothes" on. Hope you like them.

Vacation

We had such a great time on vacation this year. The Jersey Shore has been my family's vacation spot for almost 20 years, and think it only gets better! The kids were awesome the whole week and living with extended family went EXTREMELY well! We couldn't be more thankful for a week of fun and sun!

I do have to let you know, that I have no beach pictures. I know, how could I forget the camera? Well, I did. I am waiting for my sister to share her 300 pictures that she took, so I can make a video. Here's just a taste of our week.

Dinner time! All the kids are in the picture, Garrett is hiding in the far left.

It was so great to spend time with my niece Avery. She's so adorable and loving!

Totally a forced picture. While we were waiting to start our ride night I had the kids pose for pictures - I think the look on Garrett's face says it all.

Garrett loved every ride this year!

The superman ride was the longest wait they had and the shortest ride - Garrett got bored waiting and decided to see what the ride tasted like.

My cousin Lauren, husband and daughter, Ella were down for the day and rode with the kids.

Esther rode the Carousel with her P-Pop. All week we were at "P-Pop's beach." And the whole ride home she would say, "Home?" And I'd say, "Yes, we're going home." She would ask, "P-Pop's home?" To that I said, "No, baby our home." Then she would cry. She loves her P-Pop!

This is the best picture of all the kids with P-Pop and Grammy. It's not easy getting kids ages 5 years-8 months to look at a camera and smile all at the same time.

Olivia's leg and random fun

Today was the big day! We've been anticipating "hopefully getting her cast off" for a while now. We always used that terminology because we didn't want to have her hopes up and then have the Doctor not take it off. Everything checked out great and they let her take the cast off. She wasn't scared of the saw and only cried when they put ointment on her sores (from the cast rubbing). Those should heal quickly and she's on her way to walking without her cast. She's still a bit slow, but I know she'll be running around before too long.

This is how happy she is to have her cast off!

In other news, Josh cut Garrett's hair the other day, into a mo hawk. This was at Garrett's request and of course Josh didn't hesitate. I wanted to get the pictures on now, because we will be cutting it off before the shore, it would make a pretty funny tan line.

Garrett's "million dollar" hair cut. . . and million dollar bill that he got at the parade. It's really a corny tract on the back - but the kids think it's great that they have a million dollars!

Josh and I were trying to get a good picture of us and were giving the kids turns at taking them. Garrett had already had his turn and jumped in the picture that Olivia was taking without us even knowing. Sly guy!

4th of July

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Look at him go!

Gideon first crawled only a week and half ago, and already is all over the place. He's going to sitting really easily and is loving his new found freedom. I can't believe how big he is! Time flies!