Waffle Farms Week (Sunday-Friday)

We spent our vacation this year at Waffle Farm Campground in Coldwater, Michigan camping with my brother and his family.  My parents actually rented a cabin on the same lake for the week also so we spent the entire week doing lake activities.  The first night we gathered at maw maw and paw paws cabin to eat dinner and the girls got to have fun with watermelon.

 Can't NOT love this view.

Tyler and Gunnar just chillin

Tuesday morning Ben got up early to take the real fishermen fishing...Dad, Presley (with Chad), and Tyler to catch some fish for the fish fry we had planned on Saturday.  Presley loves to fish and she showed it by getting up at 6:30am to go out!

Two beggars every morning for breakfast

We also left the campground for some fun while it was so windy on Tuesday after the rain.  Adventure Park was just minutes away so we did some go carting.

 The first night the girls got right to fishing off our site.

Love this pic of my dad and Ben.  He took time out to explain some of the new fishing equipment my dad should use!

 View from our site

 Tubing was in order on Monday!  The kids couldn't wait!

My parents rented a pontoon for the week - they stocked it daily, thus we ended up calling it "The Snack Shack"  Needless to say, it's where the kids hung out.

 Ben with Maizy.  She loved being by the water.

 View from our bed in the camper...what a site to wake up to.

 Rainy morning UNO (on Tuesday)

 Gunnar loved camping

 Tyler and Abby with Maizy

 More tubing...

 Tyler tried dropping a ski to go slalom...he is still working on it.

 He can definitely handle two.

 Abby learned to ski!  Up on the second try!

 Love Tyler in the background.  He was excited for her.

 Abby helped our cause of trying to get Gabi to learn...Tyler helped her.  She was up on the first try!

 Yep, mom still has it!

 And Chad owes Ben $100 for doing a 180 degree turn on the knee board.

 Presley even giving skiing a try.  She almost has it!  Love the pic of mom and dad helping her.

 

Mom's Retirement

Yep, it's happening.  My mom is finally retiring.  After almost 40 years of daycare in her home.  Her current daycare families got together with Chad and I and decided to throw her a small get together this past Sunday afternoon.  We invited several families from the past and we were so excited to see some of them show up.  Just shows how much she has impacted families.  I am sad, however, because I won't be doing the Circle Time any longer and I won't be able to take that time with all her kids that love her and my mom so much but I am happy that my mom will be able to do some relaxing and enjoy life with my dad.  It just only seems fair. 

Happy Father's Day!

This is how we spent Father's Day...in Paradise.  Well, Paradise Lake, that is.  The day was beautiful - warm and sunny so we couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend it with my dad and brother and his family. 

Fun in the Sun!!!

North Central Graduate!

Today we celebrated 5 years in the making...a college graduate.  Trenton graduated from North Central College today and we couldn't be more proud!  Aunt Annie, Uncle Jay, Dave, Maw maw and Paw Paw, Chad, Amber and the girls joined Tyler, Gabi, Ben and me today to watch Trenton walk the podium and receive his Batchelor's Degree in Psychology.  Loved the fact that they called his name out as he received his degree unlike the bigger schools.  Granted, it was longer, but it was an exciting feeling hearing his name be called. Can I just recall that after the prayer for the parents and grandparents Ben told me to look under our chair and what was there...a penny!!!  Thank you mom and dad R for letting your presence be known today!!!

Awesome, awesome day.  Trenton got us in the back room of Jimmy's - good food and great connections to get us all in today quickly.  Family photos and moving out of his dorm/apartment followed. 

So very glad the family was able to come and enjoy this fabulous day with us.  I have to say it was a very bittersweet time watching my boy walk across the podium.  Left me feeling sad that my babies have to grow up.  Trenton loved the gift we left him today...a quilt I have been working on for about two weeks now.  I kept a couple stacks of tee shirts for this project knowing it would come and it did.  With the help of Ben, Tyler, Gabi, my mom, Abby and my grandma Jones I got it done with time to spare and he LOVED it.  So many memories to cherish. 

Congratulations, son.  Proud of your accomplishments.  We knew you could do it! 

Bluebirds

The bluebirds have been gone now for about a week and this was the last pic I took with my iphone about 4 days prior.  I was hoping the parents would return and have another brood but nothing...just an empty birds nest.

Had to throw this pic in...the weather has been just perfect as of lately but Gunnar has taken such a liking to our fan when we turn it on.  So funny to watch him. 

This is kinda how we are feeling this evening...we replaced all our posts on the front porch today - painted and everything.  Pretty exhausted, but looks great!  Way overdue!