We Love Aunt Sarah

The kid's beloved Aunt Sarah and my awesome sister-in-law left for a three month nursing job in North Carolina. She plans to work as a traveling nurse for the next year or two. We miss her already!

The family gathered at our house the night before she left to have dinner together.

Aubrey has already scribbled on several pieces of blank paper and proudly announced, "These are for Aunt Sarah!"

Bedtime Snuggles

Watching a movie together

Aunt Sarah and "Evers"

Fallish Fun

Uncle Korey and Owen taking a walk through the woods
Playing at Spicers Orchard

I'll take all the lovin' I can get!

Two of Aubrey's favorite things: tractors and motorcycles. I have no idea why.

Owen and his closest (in age) cousin, Carson. They are ten months apart. Owen loves playing with his cousins!

Uncle Korey and Aubrey (somehow I didn't get a single picture of the kids with Aunt Sharon!)

Spicers Orchard

Apple Picking

With the gorgeous weather we've been having and with our special guests in town, we decided to go apple picking one morning.

His face doesn't show it, but the apples were delicious!

Evelyn only got to chew on my shirt

Aubrey will eat anything, almost.

Normally it is me that gets teased in the family for being so cheap. But now I have proof that even Kim likes to get more for the money. I mean, if it wasn't for her index finger holding it in place, there's no way that last apple fits into the bag!

Dogs Are Apparently Easier

My brother, Korey, and his awesome wife, Sharon, live in Florida and came to Michigan for a short visit. We loved spending time with them! They don't experience the beautiful color change where they live so Sharon asked if I would snap a couple of pictures of them outside. I took this ONE picture with my camera and it's perfect - and it has nothing to do with my photography skills (or lack thereof). The dogs sat completely still and looked at me like they were models. And of course Korey and Sharon look great, too. If they can train their DOGS to pose for the camera don't you think I should be able to get my kids to sit and pose for a picture?

Meeting Some of the "Greats"

Evelyn got to meet her Great-Aunt Judy and her Great-Grandma Glupker when she was two and a half weeks old. Aunt Judy
Four Generations: Ben's Dad, Grandmother, Ben & Evelyn
This is pretty special to me since we no longer have four generations on either side of my family.

Grandma & Evie Kate

A Chat With My Sister, Kim

My sister and I were chatting on Facebook today when I looked up in our chat history and found this conversation from last Wednesday, the day Evelyn was born. I laughed out loud when I read it. Who would have thought that our baby was to be born the very day we had this conversation?! She and her husband Jeff had a bet going. She thought I was going to have the baby on Wednesday the 27th while Jeff thought it was going to be on Thursday the 28th. And Jeff thinks he's always right. I copied and pasted our chat:

Me: I had contractions every time I rolled over last night and I'm uncomfortable today.

Kim: its going to be rather irritating if you have the baby tomorrow bcuz Jeff will be "right", as usual

Me: I bet baby comes tomorrow. Aubrey was due on a monday and came on a thursday. and since I'm due on a monday again I bet it comes thursday. Makes total medical sense to me.

Kim: can you please have her today and make ME right for a change?
you shoulda been a doctor.

July 4th

We loaded up the van Saturday morning and spent the holiday weekend traveling to the west side of the state visiting with friends and family. We spent Saturday night with the Filceks. Ben met them during his college years when he worked at Camp Barakel during the summer months. They planted a church about two years ago and we enjoyed visiting their church Sunday morning. Our friends, Matt and Ashley, went with us. We had a good time.

Sunday night we met up with Jack and Kammy, Ben's college friends who were visiting Michigan. Jack is a pastor in New Jersey.

What an encouragement and a blessing it is so have so many friends in ministry who love Jesus Christ and are living their lives to reach others for Him! We are so thankful for conversations that revolve around spiritual things and friends that share our passion and love for Christ.

We spent Sunday night with Ben's Aunt and Uncle in Grand Rapids and Monday morning we headed over to Holland to spend the day with Ben's extended family. It was a gorgeous day complete with food, yard games, chatting, Lake Michigan, playing in the sand and swimming. I don't have any pictures of our time at the beach because my husband didn't want our camera anywhere near the sand. Here are just a couple of pictures from our day.

Little Miss America
You have to play the American game of baseball on America's birthday, right?

Daddy teaching Owen how to play Ladder Ball

Second Cousins - the only one missing is Bentley.

The Last of the Island

These will be the last pictures I post of our time on the island, promise. There were many beautiful lilacs on the island. They were so big and smelled so good!
Owen with Ben's cousin, Blake. So I think that would be Owen's first cousin once removed?

It was a long day for Aubrey. Her sleeping in Grandpa's arms might have been his favorite part of the whole day!

Ben's grandparents outside of the butterfly house.

Arch Rock

My Family

The kids did a little artwork in the art gallery.

Trying on the top hats. It was a bit big so Grandpa helped hold it up.

Just being silly - one of the things they are really good at!

Ben pointed this sign out to me. Of course it made us think of my mom. She would have loved riding her horse around the island!

Hopscotch on the Island

Grandpa is teaching Owen how to play hopscotch.
He caught on.

The Butterfly House

We stopped in at the Butterfly House while we were on the island. Butterflies only live 3-6 days so we were asked to not touch them. But Grandpa couldn't resist.
Aubrey admiring the butterfly on grandpa's finger.

Inside the Butterfly House

If you look closely you'll notice the butterfly on Grandma's head.

Mackinac Island, Michigan

On Saturday we all boarded a boat and spent the day on Mackinac Island. The last time I was on the island was in 2004 when I took my students there on a field trip for a weekend. It was nice to go back! Our group on the ferry headed for the island. We sat on the upper deck where it was a bit chilly.

The kids snuggling with Grandma while enjoying the ride.

The Mackinac Bridge is about 5 miles long and connects the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. It is the third largest suspension bridge in the world and the largest in the western hemisphere. When you drive across it you can open your car door and look down and see the water. The bridge moves to accommodate changes in wind and weight. It can move up to 35 feet in the center if there are high winds. It is especially beautiful at night.

The great lakes are great in size!

Aubrey with "Aunt Farah"

Here we are on our carriage ride. There are only 9 motor vehicles permitted on the island and they are never seen unless there's an emergency. The 600 residents who live on the island year round and all visitors get around by walking, riding bikes or riding horses. There are about 800-900 horses that live on the island. When you visit you can rent a bike, go on a carriage ride or rent a horse.

There is one small public school on the island that graduated six seniors this year. There is a post office but residents have to pick up their mail at the office. Mail is not delivered to their home.

The island is especially known for the Grand Hotel which has about 300 rooms that are all decorated differently. It's a beautiful hotel where many weddings take place and tours are given.

The island is well known for fudge. One can hardly visit the island and not have fudge!

There is a large home on the island that is used as a vacation home for the governor of Michigan.

There is a lot of history on the island too, which I love. Besides the fact that the 1980s film Somewhere in Time was recorded on the island there many more interesting stories. We toured through a tiny (and I mean tiny) three room home that is believed to be one of the first homes on the island. It couldn't have been more than a few hundred square feet and a man and his wife and their ten children lived there! We even saw the original wallpaper in the home. There are several museums on the island. The Beaumont Museum tells the story of a man who was shot in the stomach leaving a hole where Dr. Beaumont studied the digestive system.

I didn't get a picture of it but there is also a large fort on the island, Fort Mackinac. It was built during the American Revolution and was an important fort during the War of 1812. Today you can tour the fort and even watch reenactments.