4th of July at Hermits Cove

We spent a long weekend up at my Grandma's camp for the 4th of July. We had absolutely gorgeous weather and really enjoyed our vacation! Lots of walks on the beach, swimming, sauna swimming and campfires on the beach! Keith and Katie stayed as well so it was awesome to see them and the kids had fun with their cousins. Ryan and Lanette came to visit a few times as well!

Kenton and Audrina absolutely love baby Isabel she is such a sweetheart!

 

 Kenton, Maddie, Bennett & Kael

 Thee most perfect summer nights are here...
Seriously what more could you ask for!?

 We stayed up late after the kids were in bed each night enjoying the fire on the beach and awesome company.

We had thoughts of heading to Copper Harbor fireworks but ended up staying at the beach and doing a few of our own fireworks. Corey and I had picked up some decent fireworks in Wisconsin and the kids enjoyed sparklers!

Audrina and Kiersten

Tars and Audiloo

waterpark getaway

We went to the water park in Duluth with Matti and Sue last weekend. Something the kids looked forward to for a few weeks. Kael had an absolute blast running around and going down the big water slides with Dad. Audrina and Kenton were not quite as thrilled to be there (especially the first night) I think it was all the noise/commotion when we first walked in that had these two terrified! I headed back to the room the first night after about an hour because they didn't want anything to do with the place! Audrina finally warmed up a little bit and liked to go into the big pool and then to the hot tub (she called it the hot water), but no kids area, water slides, lazy river...! Kenton spent about 10 min in the hot tub right before we left on Sunday but mostly spent his time sitting in someones lap ;) Maybe next year he will enjoy it a little more.

All ready to head down to the water park!

About 5 minutes before we left Audrina finally let Dad bring her down a slide, she loved it! And for the past week since we've been home she keeps saying, "I went down the slide with Daddy!!!" Maybe we should have made her go down right away to face her fears!

(Help me??) Hahaha!

It's been so fun to be able to bring the kids to a water park for the past 4 years! Something we always look forward at the end of winter/beginning of spring as a little getaway ;) And hopefully something we will be able to keep doing.

gone fishing?

After their fishing trip was cancelled while we were in Florida these guys decided to have some fun with the mounted fish that were hung in the rental house...

Ha! And...they each wanted their own solo shot!

back to reality...

It's been a busy few weeks! And I feel well traveled! I spent some time in Florida, Detroit and everywhere inbetween...a few hours in Minneapolis, New York, and even saw Chicago. Wow. I am ready to stay home for a while.

We had fun while Jessica and Justin were here! Lot's of visiting and a few late night Rook games, I haven't played that game in years, SO fun!

We make our guests eat at the kids picnic table...haha!!

We made it Florida for a few days of sunshine! The temps were around the mid 60s which was perfect since we didn't have time to spend at the beach. The wedding was in St. Augustine, it was a gorgeous gorgeous town and the wedding was absolutely beautiful!!

 Mr. & Mrs. Johnson

 

 Mini golf!

 

...we left a little surprise for the newlyweds ;)

We got home from Florida on Sunday night and pulled in the drive about 5 minutes before my brothers Brandon and Matt, who were coming from North Dakota. We got up at 4 Monday morning and headed to Michigan.The kids were already there, they went back with Jessica and Justin when we headed to Florida. Corey had to stay home to work so we missed him!

I'm not sure what was going on with my camera in these next 6 or so pictures, but here is a few pictures from home...

 I had sick kids the entire week we were at my Mom and Dad's! I could probably count on one hand the amount of times they have ever been sick at home. It seems anytime we head out of town is when they end up sick. It was the stomach flu and poor Kenton started puking on Monday night right after I got into town, Audrina got it a few days later and then Kael was up all night sick the night before we had to leave. Needless to say it was a LONG (14 hour) drive home with the kids still not feeling 100% and I was going on no sleep. It was nice to come home on Saturday so we were able spend the day with Corey on Sunday. He hadn't seen the kids in over a week.

More Rook!

"Mommy, where am I...!?"
...trying to stay entertained on the drive home. I have to say they were all pretty good for the drive! Especially since they weren't feeling well.

The Chicago skyline. We had stop and go traffic for quite a while through here. Which is expected but frustrating with kids wanting to go! We normally head through the U.P. but weather looked horrible so we opted for the Chicago drive and had dry roads the entire way.

So back to the grind over here! Hopefully a healthy household and looking forward to Spring. We are more than sick of snow!

still here!

... I guess I have been very sporadic about blogging lately! I just can't find the motivation. Or it's just the same 'ol same!!

We play legos EVERY day! Yesterday he had me help him make an entire scene out of the lego book.

This little lady loves to leave her artwork just about everywhere; toys, tables, walls, her face or her little brother... The other night I was doing dishes and turned around to find her decorating the fridge. I handed her a rag and she tells me, "Mommy it's too hard! You clean it off for me??" I tried a bunch of different things to try and get the marker off of things with no luck (they're definitely not Crayola markers!), I bought some "Mr. Clean Magic Erasers" and those seem to do the trick. ...Lil' stinker!

The kiddos love their 'cuties'!  Kento loves to knock on the fridge until I open it for him and knows right where to find them :)

A few things I am more than excited about...

- Only ONE more week of basketball! I really, really, REALLY cannot wait to get my hubby back! And he is not going to be coaching baseball this year (although they do keep asking him to do it)! Yay!!

- Jessica and Justin will be here one week from Saturday! Can't wait to see them!

- We will be IN Florida in 2 weeks for Jordan and May's wedding! Woot! Woot! I'm hoping for some sunshine and warm weather! And looking forward to a kids free weekend! I can't thank my sister enough for staying a few extra days with the kids!