Our month started off helping at our church VBS (Vacation Bible School). The theme was Surf's Up, so we were busy decorating the church with beach themed things. The boys used a lot of their hot air on inflating a bunch of inflatables. Alex was on crafts for the week, Evan and I were on snacks and Eliza is still attending VBS.
Eliza got her first haircut. I've only trimmed it once or twice in her life, and she was ready for a haircut at last. She wanted someone professional to do it, and she's really happy. She didn't like all the snarls that were happening.
Here is her getting her hair cut by Kevin, who was recommended to us by the Douglass family. He was really nice.
We invited one of our family friends to join us for ice cream at DQ one day. They are trying to figure out what type of spider was on their car. I guess Mel has a spider IDer on her phone.
We were invited out on the lake by the Douglass family.
Alex got to learn how to get up on the board to surf. He didn't give up and got up a few times, but he was shaking pretty good at the end.
Eliza was loving the knee board.
Evan might have found a new sport he really wants to do.
My onions curing in the basement to keep them out of the light and heat and have a fan on them to keep the air circulating.
Alex was very happy to get a new trombone case. Now he won't have to re-tune his instrument every time he takes it out of the case. The tuning slide in the original case has to be pushed all the way in to fit in the case.
Evan and Eliza were thrilled Alex's trombone case came in a giant box to play in.
The box didn't last very long.
Rosie is very much enjoying her perch in the front window now that she has a bird feeder there. She gets chipmunks, birds, squirrels all day long to watch.
Someone drew smiley faces on the windows in the living room with their finger oil/dirt. So being no one would admit fault we had each kid clean a window. Alex decided he enjoyed this task so much, and enjoyed seeing out the windows so much, he cleaned all the lower story windows inside and out, including the sliding glass doors.
We took the kids to BW3's for the first time. It was really cold in there, and the sauces were too hot for most of us, but it is good to try new things.
Clayton came for a visit to pick up some chairs we got from a neighbor. The boys talked him into playing a new game with them, thankfully he made it home before the rain.
Alex and Evan helping out a neighbor kid with his RC car.
I made eggnog for Mike which requires 12 egg yokes, so I had to think of something to use 12 egg whites with... and Alex decided Angle Food Cake. So we made Angle Food cake from scratch together.
Ta da! Not too shabby. Tasted great!
Alex's good friend Oliver moved away early in the summer. We were lucky enough to have him over for a day to hang out. The kids decided to strip the power wheel of all it's electronics while he was over. They had so much fun unscrewing everything and disassembling it. They hope to install the drives and such into another platform to continue using it.
We headed to the twilight session at the splash pad. We had the whole place to ourselves for about 15 min, but less than 10 people came so they mostly had the whole place to themselves.
Evan saw a huge spider web in the tree one morning he had to show me. I had to use him as a backdrop to be able to see it.
The boys had a thing at the library so the rest of us hung out reading our books waiting. I love our library.
We visited with Oma and my friend Emily and her daughter, Lila, at my sisters house one day. The kids got to swim and play while the rest of us caught up.
These tomatoes are amazing. Wish I could share them through the web with you all.
All packed up for Ludington to visit Uncle Geoff. The telescope came with us this time. It's tricky to pack it and the rest of the stuff we need for 6 days.
When we got into town we at ate House of Flavors.
Alex, Geoff and I split the Pig Out for dessert. 4 scoops of ice cream on a banana with toppings, whip cream and a cherry. We tried Michigan Pot hole, Carrot cake, Pirates Treasure, and Raspberry Chip Cheesecake.
We finished!!!
And earned a pin!
Evan entertained the dogs with his RC car until it ran out of batteries. Uncle Geoff gets to look out at this every day.
We took it in while we could.
Uncle Geoff took the boys out on the skidoo but I was too chicken to learn to use it.
He took us out on his boat and showed us the lake.
We had a great time.
He took the kids tubing, but after a few laps they called it quits and asked for more air in it.
We visited "Grandpa" Bart while we were in the area. He has been working on getting an old school bus up and running as a RV. He has been working on this since his wife passed a few years ago. Took out all the seats and has put in all this wood by hand.
We took him to lunch at a nearby diner that was amazing! I loved their kids menu.
This was the kids menu
Mike saw this on the wall and I thought it was fun enough to share.
It was nice to see "Grandpa" Bart if it was only for a bit.
We got back to Uncle Geoff's and did some swimming.
Eliza and I enjoying our boat while the boys and Uncle Geoff play on the doc to see who will fall off first.
Eliza's headphone holder was her kitty.
We got in a round of disc golf while were were there. We really enjoyed this course.
We visited the Northern light house.
And took a tour of it.
That was pretty neat. There were an amazing amount of spiders everywhere. Turns out Mike and I bought a picture of this very lighthouse long ago when I lived in Royal Oak, we've had it in our living room for years and just now know which one it was of. Evan pointed it out when we got back.
In the evening we went over to the state park to see the sunset.
The kids had fun playing in the water.
Alex and Geoff kept saying "Firstborns Unite!" because they share a special bond of always being right and having the same opinion on everything.
Evan got his telescope out and got some nice pictures of the moon.
Mosquitoes love me so I bundled up as much as I could to stay out with Evan to star gaze.
Lovely picture of the moon on the water.
My attempt at getting a picture of the stars in the view finder in one area we were looking at. We hope to visit this fall/winter again to see the stars at 7pm vs 11pm and stay out longer without any bugs trying to eat us.
We took in a game of bowling while we were there. Evan thought he left his hoodie here so we were trying to call them the next day on our way home so Uncle Geoff could pick it up. Uncle Geoff went as far as to go to where we had dinner in town as well. Turns out it was in the car the whole time under a bag. Thank you Uncle Geoff for trying so hard to find it when we had it all along.
Is there anything Evan can't do?! Eliza and I shared her round.
We can't visit Uncle Geoff and not watch The Price is Right!
We also got in a game of Cards Against Humanity (Family Edition) or as Evan says "Cars against Humidity"
Oh my goodness the fighting between Evan and Eliza while we were there. If they weren't fighting they were sleeping.
But once you get them apart they did ok.
On our way back we stopped for lunch. Evan ordered breakfast and made himself a fish winking at himself out of syrup, not intentional but a happy coincidence.
Doing laundry and putting their feet up to read a book after a great week in Ludington.
We made it to orientation for Evan. Alex volunteered to help at the event, while Evan and I got his ID, schedule and computer, and we took the time to walk his schedule.
The line to get your ID never went down, it was so so long in a very hot hallway. I stood in it again for Alex so he could get his ID updated and it took almost an hour and a half to get to the end.
With Mperks points you can get a dollar off gas. Mike and I both needed gas so we went to Meijer and pumped up at the same pump.
Saved $25!
James is headed to Michigan Tech this year. Thankfully he didn't get away without saying goodbye and we were able to secure him a train rug to take with him to put in his dorm room.
The things the kids think of while we are the Degen's for game night. I never really understand what they get up to in the basement. One thing I do know, is they are always having fun. Evan was able to figure out how to play Happy Birthday on a rubber chicken while we were there.
I love it when Evan helps in the garden. He's trimming basil so we could make pesto. Yummmmmmm!!
My onions finished curing and I got them prepped for storage.
We made a Baker's Bakery making Cheezits. You may have seen it. ;)
Mrs. Degen gave Eliza these really pretty stick on nail polish. I might be the worst person on the planet for this job, but we got it done. Now Eliza has pretty nails.
You know those tomatoes I'm growing... they make the BEST BLTs!!!!
Finally got to a movie at the theater this summer. We usually go a few times to the $5 shows, but it's just been so busy. We saw The Wild Robot.
While Alex was chewing on a milk dud in the theater he leans over and tells me he lost a tooth. So this is his milk dud encapsulated tooth that I wrapped in a napkin and put in my pocket. I put it in hot water until the tooth was out. The things we do for our gross children.
Eliza's popsicles with the principal went ok. We got ice cream and such, but then Alex hit Eliza in the face with a bar or swing, I think, and she got a bloody nose. So she had to go through the school and see her teachers with a bloody nose, which she was so embarrassed to do.
After Eliza's school we went to the new Sheiko building that just opened and toured it. This building is less than a mile from our house, and is K-5, but Evan just got to the Middle School and Eliza is in a different school for her Magnet program. So none of the kids will go to this brand new school that takes less than 5 min to get to.
Alex and Eliza have a habit of dropping their books on the landing while walking by. Just a slight shove and they will topple down the stairs.
We held our annual ice cream social.
Evan and Eliza did a great job at decorating the road and driveway to make people feel welcome.
We had a pretty good turn out for the event. Always nice to see the neighbors and catch up.
Eliza was one of the winners for the summer reading challenge. She read, I think, 5000+ hours since the beginning of summer. She's been reading nonstop. It started when Mr. Malisow gave us some books and she found a series she liked, then she needed another, and another. Then I gave her a book that was 3" thick and she was super scared to read it, but we explained that it's just a bunch of her smaller books in one bigger book. Now she's plowing through 4" books. We have another Alex on our hands.
Her gift basket was a crafting basket. Evan was jealous because last year she was also picked but on the second go round. Eliza decided to give Evan one of her stuffed animals she won with the frog hat.
I've been seeing a hummingbird in the garden in the mornings. It's nice I can hear them before I see them.
We have some new neighbors across the street. They are fast becoming Evan's good friends. They are super friendly and nice, and they love being outside just like him. They are bare feet shirtless bandits, but really good kids that we are enjoying getting to know. They are on the younger side, but not by much. Boy (10), boy (8), girl (4).
Alex's first day of school
Evan's first day of school
Eliza's first day of school
These kids need to be up by 6:30 now to get on the bus on time. The boys are out the door by 7:10 and Eliza at 8:10. So far all is well getting them going and we are all adjusting to them being back to school. It already isn't very light outside, wonder what it will be like in a month.
Ready to go.
Another school year begins!
