Oodles of Apples

A friend of mine from Trinity's bible study group lives near an orchard and invited me and the kids to come over and get some free apples today.
I took Asher and Rhy and we went apple-picking for the first time.
The pictures tell the whole story ... we had a beautiful afternoon wandering among the trees and sunshine!

Dancing Girl

Rhy had her very first ballet class today!
It's a mommy & me class, so I went along and was able to join in the fun. I've never seen a little girl so excited!
She did a great job with the stretches and positioning ... got a little bit sidetracked when she noticed herself in the mirror ... but did a great job, all in all!
My favorite part was when the teacher kept telling the girls to "kiss their heels," meaning, to make their heels touch, in first position. Rhy, however, would drop to the floor whenever her teacher said this, and physically KISS her heels. TOO FUNNY!
And I think the boys were just as excited as she was. All day long, they reminded her of her dance lesson, and Asher told her how she had to put her hair up and "put some pokey things in it." (bobby pins)
When we got home after class, both boys were plastered up against the door to greet us, wanting to know every detail, and see her new outfit.
I'm not sure if Rhy will stick with dance longterm, but if anything, I think it gives her some exercise, teaches her to listen to a teacher, and gives her a sense of having fun and finding rhythm within her own body. You can't go wrong with that!


She was SOOOO excited to get going!


Big smiles!


We had missed the first two lessons, so she watched carefully in order to catch up!


I love this shot, even though it's blurry. Baby ballerina hanging from the bar ... too cute!

Camping in the Fall

We went on a church campout to Warren Dunes State Park this past weekend. Our last camping trip was a nightmare, so I was a little bit timid. It went SOOO much better this time! Mostly, because we didn't try it with a baby! All our kids are finally old enough to understand that we have to be somewhat considerate of others, and we can't wake up at 4 a.m. shrieking our heads off. :)
It was also fun camping with folks from church. On Saturday night, we had a mini service, and a potluck (yes, I did indeed cook a pasta salad on my tiny camp stove!!) and it was just a blast!
We also hiked to the top of the world's BIGGEST dune, but since I didn't take my camera, I have no proof ... although it was indeed an adventure, as we made it to lake Michigan just in time to see a monster storm descend on our tiny little heads. We ran all the way back to camp and got completely drenched, but it will make for a great memory!


Roxy normally sleeps all day, but refused to lay in the sand, so she was up nonstop. Needless to say, when we got home, she collapsed for a marathon nap outside.


AS cute as she is here, it must be said that Roxy was our biggest liability on the trip. She almost didn't make it back... :) Her barking was enough to convince us that all future Harrmann camping escapades will be done canis absentis. :)


I just love how similar the boys look here, as they tie up their shoes. "No shoes in the tent!" is a vivid memory from my childhood ... as familiar as the sound of the tent zipper going up and down ... wow, that takes me right back to the 80s!!


Nate brought his guitar to play at the mini service, and we also sang around the campfire a few times. It was awesome!




Rhy smiles with a cheek stuffed full of marshmallows. What I loved about this campground were the above-ground firepits, which put a mother's mind at ease as kiddos play around the fire. There's NO way to fall in, unless you're an acrobat. We had a fantastic time cooking hot dogs over the fire, also smores, and pudge pies ... and of course, baked beans with the can shoved right into the coals, cowboy style!


The boys spent most of the day riding their bikes with their friends, in circles around the campground.


My boys!


Rhylah is anything but subtle as she snitches breakfast sausage from her daddy ... the weakest link! :)


This is my spot of choice ... after the hike and getting stuck in the rainstorm, it took a LOOONG while before I could warm up. Temps are chilly here already, although it made for delightful sleeping!

First "Fall" Hike

Fall is our favorite time of year to go hiking as a family.
And one of our favorite places to go is Grand Mere state park, only about 8 minutes from our doorstep.
We spent a few hours there this afternoon, enjoying the sunshine, scaling and sliding down the dunes, learning how to walk "quiet like an indian" in the forest, and just having some amazing time as a family.
Enjoy the photos!


On the trail.


Me and my baby girl.


Me and my honey.


Nathan shows the boys how to make a blade of grass whistle. Gabe asked what dad was doing and I said he was making a "wild mongoose" call. He believed me. Check out his face in this photo.


My silly kiddos!




Climbing up a dune!


A very steep hill, but Miss Rhy was a champ, as were the boys, who couldn't get enough of it!


My sweetie pies!


I told Nate this should be an add for Keen shoes.


Rhy, on top of a dune.


At the bottom, we played awhile in lake Michigan. Asher, being the bravest of my children, stripped down to his undies and waded in a few inches. The rest of us were content to watch, throw rocks, and lay in the sun. Here, the boys are tossing rocks.


Just a fun shot that I now have on my screen saver at home!

Random Cuteness

Here are some random cute photos of Rhylah that I found from recently. Enjoy!

First Day of School

Here are some photos from my boys' first day of school. We had a staggered first day this week, as Gabriel went back to school on Tuesday, and Ash headed back on Wednesday. They were both THRILLED to be back. Gabriel is in third grade this year, and has Mrs. Ulmer as a teacher again. Asher is still with Mrs. Kern and Mrs. Cableman, who both teach the preschool and Kindergarten. He's in his second year of preschool and is loving every minute of it!


Gabriel just looks SOOOO old this year!!


It wasn't Asher's first day, but he still felt the urge to pose with his new backpack next to Gabe.


Love this smile!


Asher, on his first day of school.




Ash and Rhy pose together before we head out to school.


This is them on the same day, LAST year ... just thought it would be fun to compare!


Big Grin!


Holding hands on the way to school.


Ash opens his locker, but is distracted by some long pony tails ... uh, oh!


Asher picks out his name tag. This is a daily ritual in his classroom, and helps the students learn to identify their letters!

More Summer Awesomeness!

Here are some more random shots from some fun times we had in August. We spent time at the County Fair .. where unfortunately, all my kids got sick. Despite that, we still had a great time, petting goats, riding bumper cars and eating corn dogs! Later that week, we went to South Haven to see a tall ship or two in harbor. Asher was DELIGHTED with this trip, as he has always been part pirate...



Me and a few of my kiddos at the county fair. :)



Gabe munches on traditional fair food ... a corndog.


Rhylah pats a goat.


A super tiny goat sitting in the feed trough.


Asher pets a goat.


Just a shot of a gorgeous heirloom tomato out of my garden. This is a Purple Cherokee, and they were the best of the summer ... soooo sweet and yummy!


One of the tall ships that came through South Haven. I've decided that if I ever get a boat while living on Lake Michigan ... this is the kind of boat I would want. Anything less is just not classy enough ... :)




Look at those excited blue eyes!!


I really liked this tugboat ... not sure why.