recent days

Barrett in the tree @ the lake

Barrett had a great time jumping in this toy!

Raina did, too. She really didn't want to come out!

Lauren had fun at the fair, too.

Lauren at home on the swing.

Raina climbs up the big slide to hang out here (the top of the swing set).

Lauren in the big kid swing.

Raina smiling behind those fingers.

Barrett loves to play in the sand box.

baby shower weekend

It has been a busy few days. We headed over to the lake this past weekend for Heather and Chris' baby shower. Diana and Amanda had done a great job with putting together a few fun and entertaining games. In one we had to make a homemade mobile (my group won!) and the next one was called the "Daddy Derby". The males in the group had to compete in an obstacle course carrying a baby doll. This included running around barrels, carrying bags of groceries, swaddling the baby, paddling out out the raft, putting a diaper on, then paddling back to shore to deliver the baby to momma Heather. Too funny. It's caught all on video and some pictures. :)

Then Sunday I headed over with my baby girls to Kate's baby shower. She looked so beautiful and talked about how ready she is to get her body back. I understand the feeling. She is due August 10th, but the baby has dropped into position and she had dilated some. I also got to see Andrea and Rachel, as well as several other wonderful women! It was a fun afternoon.

Friend Getaway

Playing a game outside

At Harbor Springs harbor

Enjoying some wine, cheese, and good company

The men in a vineyard

Ben and me at the harbor

Boyne Trip 09

**Click on above picture for more pictures from the weekend.**

Last weekend was a nice getaway for Ben and me. We left Thursday (after dropping our kids off with dad and Trina) and headed over to meet up with Randy and Kristen. We carpooled north with them, which made for a fun ride up. Once at Boyne the men went golfing and the ladies decided to unload the van and then play some cards. We took it easy and enjoyed the nice afternoon poolside. The next day the men went golfing (well, they did this every morning, so maybe I don't need to keep mentioning that) and we just stayed in. The weather this particular morning was horrible and I'm surprised the guys kept on with the golfing. They came back soaked! After that we decided to take it easy and then head over to the local casino for a night of gaming fun! :) The next day we followed a similar morning routine, yet this time the ladies headed into Petosky to walk around the art fair. We met up with the men and then headed off to wine tasting country. I had never done this before and I was in for a treat. It was just so much fun! One winery we stopped at was Ciccone's and Madonna's dad was there!!! So of course we got a picture with him!! :) On the ride back to the hotel we danced and laughed a lot in the van. It was a riot! Later that evening a few of us went to the hotel bar and danced some more. It was a fun day to say the least. Our last morning while the men were golfing, Kristen and I went to the steam room, jacuzzi, and then the pool to finally have some time outside (the weather all weekend was very bad...highs in the mid-sixties...ugh). The drive home was subdued and we were all ready to get back to our kids, but we kept saying how we love having a weekend like this and we'll have to do it again next year!

A long weekend away...gotta love it!

Pretty Lauren wearing Kim's hat

Ryan and Ben with all the boys...going turtle hunting!

Raina at the zoo

The girls on the fourth

Barrett playing with the bubbles!

Strolling through the zoo

Fourth of July Weekend 09

**Click on the above picture for more pictures from the weekend**

Last weekend we spent up at Ben's grandma's lake house. Ben was able to take a few days off of work, so we made it a little family vacation. We got up there Thursday afternoon. We played a little outside and slowly a few people started to arrive later in the day. Friday the weather was not ideal for playing in the water or laying out, so we decided to take a trip to the zoo. We had a large group and the zoo was so much fun. We definitely wore the kidlets out. :) The kids loved the octopus and the fish probably the best. Barrett cruised through certain parts of the zoo, just so he could get to the monkeys and snakes. He didn't like the sting ray hands on part of the zoo, though. Overall a very fun afternoon.

Saturday was the fourth and although the weather wasn't the best, we put on our swimsuits and wished for the best. It never did get very nice, but atleast we were having a good time. We had a small awards ceremony for the golfers (there's a tournament in the morning...I never participate) and appetizers with the neighbors. Fun stuff.

Sunday we played outside and finally the weather was great! The boys went turtle hunting and brought back several turtles. The kids love this! Then we placed them (as best we could) in a line and watched the turtles race back to the water. :) The girls were not scared at all by the turtles and were right there with the rest of the kids. Wow, I didn't even touch one turtle! Later that night Grandma Sue and Sheryl watched the kids and we went to the movies.

Monday we just hung around a bit, but then headed home at a decent time. We were able to come home, have dinner, cut the lawn and settle back in. What a nice mini vacay we had!