Summer Fun and the Start of the Summer Program

What a GREAT summer week!  It was the start of the summer program for the kiddos at the school and Addie was SO excited to be able to go with Ayson. On Tuesday. the big kids (Ayson too) went to a beach in Cortland, the town where Mommy works. Mommy was SO tempted to take off from work and go see Ayson at the beach...maybe next time :) On Wednesday, they both went to the movies (Smurfs). On Thursday the big kids were supposed to go to another beach but due to the high temps, the kids ended up not going. The big kids did go to Camp Adam's Eden on Friday while the little ones (including Addie) stayed back and had fun in the sprinkler and made crafts and played.

The evenings now include summer chores such as helping to weed the garden...which is a pretty easy job since we have had little rain and the weeds are not that plentiful :)





Gianna, her cousin Katie, and Ayson all getting a workout while Addie watches and cheers them on :)


Lacrosse practice!  Ayson is number nine and Daddy said that Ayson did great during practice: good hustle and a great job on scooping.


Mommy and Addie went too (but drove separately).  Addie got to see Mikhan and play with a few other little girls.


Water break!


Mommy and Addie played corn hole with Daddy on Friday evening.


Addie also took a few turns.


Daddy is wearing a "mask" because Addie farted...Addie is laughing in the picture :)


On Saturday, the kids had trampoline/sprinkler fun while they waited for Grandma Collene to come over for a visit.


Daddy smoked 2 racks of ribs and a turkey...yum!




Hugs with Grandma!





Saturday evening started with pool time


Ayson is getting so big that he can now touch the bottom of the pool (Gianna's pool) and he is learning how to tread water.


and Saturday night ended with "delux" s'mores (peanut butter cups instead of "plain" chocolate bars:)

On Sunday, Mommy attended a surprise birthday party for her friend Donna (and neighbor...Donna hosted the poker run).  Donna was blown away by the party:)

When Mommy got back home, the kiddos were finishing lunch and then we all went for a hike at Labrador Unique Area and we walked to Tinker Falls with the goal of also hiking to the hang glider spot (the "tippy top" as the kiddos called it :)

The view from the trail behind the falls. You can just barely make out the little bit of water falling...


A mother/daughter set of fellow hikers took our picture:)


Check out the ledge!


A view from on top of the falls


The kiddos did GREAT on the hike to the Tippy Top (and Daddy got a work out from carrying Addie half way up and then Addie and Ayson for awhile (separately) on the way down:)





While we were up there, a group was getting ready to take off from the hang gliding spot!!!!


SO, we decided to hang around and see if we could watch the hang glider take off before the kids got tired and started to "melt down."


The hang glider getting ready.  He waited for a good strong breeze as the hang glider kite needs to be going 14 mph for lift off and a man can't run that fast...so we waited with him.


LOOK at that!!!!


SO cool!!!!  Ok, this particular hang glider was new to this "mountain" and only had 2 other "mountain" take offs under his belt...after circling twice he CRASHED into the trees to the left of the first picture just a few feet below were he took off from.  Luckily he was OK!  The mother of the hang glider stated he got too close to the trees during his turns and could not get out of his own way. HOLY CRAP!!! Luckily there were lots of people available to help get the hang glider out of the trees where he crashed.  There just also happened to be an emergency room doctor that was present (a fellow hiker) so he was in good hands...Mommy JUST got goose bumps thinking about it again!


After our hike, we stopped at the ice cream store in Tully...which also just happens to be next door to Mommy and Daddy's friends Charlene and Tony!  On the off chance they were home, Mommy texted Charlene to let her know we were next door if she would like to say "hi"
YAY, Charlene and family were abel to stop by for a visit!  It was SO great to see Charlene (a fellow yogi), Tony, and their youngest son Marcus who is not so little anymore!!

Michigan Vacation

This year, we decided to head to Michigan for our family vacation as last year we met Mommy's family in Ohio (Kelly's Island).
On Tuesday, Daddy went fishing (for whitefish) with Doug Easterday while Mommy and the Grandparents took the kiddos to Rotary Park for a little fishing in a stocked ponded area.  The 8-12 year old boys that were fishing next to us were catching fish after fish but we (and Daddy) came up empty handed.


Grandpa showing Ayson how to work the "old school" reel while a ship passed up bound on the St Mary's River.


Another ship going by...


After fishing, Mommy took Ayson to the Convenient Care Center in the Soo as she was pretty certain Ayson had conjunctivitis...yes indeed, that is what it was.  After the 2 hour wait and once Daddy got back from fishing, we all went for a hike near Mommy's old junior and senior high schools.


We then headed back to Rotary Park so that the kids could play and we had an early dinner at Clyde's Drive-In with Aunt Shirley, Uncle John, and Aunt Penny.  Yum!

Later that evening, Auntie Holly and the cousins arrived to spend the week with us!


S'mores!


Aannnnd corn hole :)  It stays light until 10 pm in the summer and A^4 were all beat by bedtime!


On Wednesday, we went to breakfast at Frank's Place with GREAT Grandma Roe (Grandpa Roger's mother).
Addie taking a swipe of whipped cream from her hot chocolate. Addie INSISTED on sitting next to Grandma Pat for every meal!




Great Grandma and her family




Grandma Pat corralled A^4 for a family photo shoot BEFORE the kiddos went swimming:)




Swimming at the hotel pool Auntie Holly and cousins were staying at while in the Soo.


A^4 had a lunch date with Doug and Sue Easterday (Doug was Mommy's World History professor in high school AND Mommy and Daddy went to France with Doug and Sue in 2014)
Daddy showing Doug and Sue his favorite toy at Project Park.


Cheese!


Auntie Holly, cousins, and Grandma and Grandpa also stopped by Project Park to play!




Afterwards, A^4 and Doug and Sue went to the Palace Saloon for Mexican (and monster margaritas :)


Of course the kids loved the paper umbrellas and boxed version of mac and cheese!


Wedensday late afternoon, we went for jet ski rides on the St Mary's River. Thanks, Grandpa!!!!


The kids had a blast!




Mommy too :)


We then stopped by the Antler's for a drink.


Wednesday evening we went to Music in the Park.
Mommy and Auntie Holly have many fond memories of running around this park with our cousins, Betsy and Peter.


Addie and Ryleigh

Addie was fascinated with a 2 month old infant and told that family (on the next blanket over) ALL about herself, Ayson, and all of our pets :)

A flashback picture of Mommy's Grandma and Grandpa Roe and cousin Nicole.


On Thursday morning, we went to the cabin to do a little exploring in the water.


Silly cousins!





Auntie Holly got a kick out of this sign..the mosquito is holding a small child :)


On Thursday afternoon, Grandpa Roger took us all for a pontoon boat ride on the St Mary's River to Barbeau.












We even stopped by Aunt Shirley and Uncle Al's house (Grandma Pat's sister) and invited them along for our boat ride to Barbeau.


Boat Captain Addie!






We docked at the The Cozy Corners Tavern and Grill in Barbeau and had a drink before heading back home.


Boat Captain Ayson!


HOWEVER, Grandpa Roger does not typically take 11 people on a boat ride to Barbeau and we ran out of GAS!!!  Now, Grandpa does always have 2 full gas tanks with him but he never dreamed he would need three! We were about 1 1/2 miles from our boat dock.  (sorry Grandpa, yes Mommy had to put the adventure on the blog!)
Luckily, Grandpa had motored to the west side of the St Mary's River (and shipping) channel before we ran out of gas and Daddy and Grandpa were able to paddle us through a side channel to a less busy (ship wise) area.


From there, we got a tow to a marina that was across the channel.  The current is so strong that Grandpa and Daddy would have had a hard time paddling to that Marina across the channel.  We then called up Aunt Shirley and Uncle Al (we had already dropped them off at their house) and they brought us enough gas to get us back to our dock!!!!  What fun! The kids (big and small) had tons of fun and enjoyed the adventure :)


After dinner, "Auntie Kathy" stopped by for a visit AND she brought each of the kiddos TOYS!!! It was great to see you, Kathy, and thanks for the gifts.




Thursday night, all of the kiddos slept together at Grandpa and Grandmas.


Pictures with the grand kids on Friday morning! Thanks for the great (short) week, Grandma ad Grandpa!  We all had a great time!



On Friday, we then started our trip home by heading back to Auntie Holly and Uncle Alek's house.
Our entire trip to Grosse Pointe Woods on Friday had the one goal of missing the severe thunderstorms and we did it! Auntie Holly was not as lucky and she caught the tail end of one storm and experienced quarter-sized hail for a portion of her trip.

We had quickly stopped for lunch and not even ten minutes had passed and Addie was out with a half eaten cheese burger in her lap :)


We had another great evening with Auntie Holly and Uncle Alek and the cousins on Friday.  Thanks again, Holly and Alek!
A^4 was up and ready to go by 8:30 on Saturday and we pulled into our driveway at 4:30...ahh, it was good to be home!!!
A flash back photo of Mommy, Grandpa, and Auntie Holly :)