Sunday, August 2, 2015

Michigan!

(To view the videos, click on the title "Michigan!" to view this post in Blogger.)
 
Reason #1 we LOVE Michigan and why it's absolutely worth every minute of the 13.5 hour drive...Bill, Donna, Abby, Kate, Hannah, Matt, Jack, Emily and their newest addition Gigi:)
Thank you, Barkers, for letting us join your Glen Lake summers! 
 

...and the 8,257 other reasons we LOVE trekking to Michigan...











 
 
Lake Michigan on a VERY, VERY windy day.


Yes, those are crazy people all the way down there that HAVE to hike all the way back up.








The crew coming back in...


Andrew loved doing anything and everything with Matt all week, who is such a delightful and polite young man at only 15:)

 
A family tradition of looking for special rocks in Lake Michigan, this was by far the most company we'd ever had on the beach.

Grandma telling Andrew the legend of the Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Margaret ADORES Abby, as does Andrew..."she's a BIG TEN college athlete!"



 
"I was here.  BB"






 






Jack, Hannah, Matt, Abby, Margaret




My sentimental one...






 
GoPRO Time!


 












The Running Bear 5k was during our week there for the first time...what a fun race---and FLAT for this C'ville runnger!  7:30 PR only possible because I was literally chasing collegiate athletes.  Andrew had a PR, but for his slowest 5k ever.  Evidently, he is motivated by running races with his friends in the school 5k as opposed to with cousins and strangers.  It was painful.  Not gonna lie.





Big brother Matt!



 
Andrew was psyched to have a basketball goal this year, new to the experience thanks to Bill and Donna's purchase of the property adjacent to Villa Glen.


 







Donna kicking ass wake surfing at sunset.




 
The first of MANY meals to and from Michigan...13.5 hours each way this time.

 
One word = Melatonin
(We hit the road straight from Champs, hence the team tie-dyes.)
 
 

Matthew's first tubing!



 
Donna demonstrating proper cherry pit spitting at Cherry Republic...and she is damn good.  That girl's got distance!

Celebrating Kate's 21st!


The sunsets never get old...






 
Be still, my heart...







 



 
 "Faster, Dad.  Faster."

"Stop, Dad, Stop."




Our last summer with a diaper bum:(


 

Saturday, July 4, 2015

God Bless America

July 4 in Baltimore!

(Photo credit to Steve Killian for these great shots on the link...)

 




Thursday, July 2, 2015

June

And exactly why should one not swing in pink high heels?


 
"Got my toes in the water, ass in the sand
Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand.
Life is good today.  Life is good today."
 
The perfect, quick beach trip!  Andrew literally played in the waves 8 hours one day.  Margaret alternated between the water and befriending other girls to play with in the sand.  Matthew was content soaking it all in and going in the water when we wanted to cool down.  We did NOT expect to be sitting under our canopy for 20 minute stints for a few more years.  What a pleasant surprise!





 









How can that possibly be comfortable??

Margaret starts lax...and loves it, as she does most everything in life.
 
INDIGO GIRLS!!! 


JJ continues to invite Margaret to stand with him during swim meets (at least during the hours that she is there before bedtime) and it's amazing what she's absorbing.  She announced last week that she can do butterfly (which they do not instruct in 6-unders.).  Her demonstration is pretty darn good for a 4-yr-old.  Her arms looks great!

 
 


Our little Hooligan...




 



Picture in the paper from Meet #2, Forest Lakes.  So glad a friend sent this to me.

http://www.dailyprogress.com/cavalierinsider/forest-lakes-vs-fairview-swim-meet/collection_6a205a1e-1556-11e5-9518-ebeb95637b82.html

June Picnic with friends, complete with a Triple Crown victory..the first since '78!
There are actually a remarkable number of kiddos missing from this 5-family pic!