Lazy Summer Days

The kids were done playing with the wagon, so Lucca decided to take a nap in it. Too cute! Then, the same afternoon, the boys decided to have lunch in their tree house. We love summer!!

Beach

Sunflowers

July 23: Rhylah and I planted sunflower seeds by the garage in May. I really wasn't expecting anything to pop up, because nothing ever really does, with the sand soil we have in our yard. But look at these beauties!!

Visit with Rielle: Part 2

Ree had never been to the beach before. This was the face she made when we first plunked her down in the sand. She reeeeaaaalllly wasn't sure if she liked it!

Asher ADORES Rielle.

Gabe teaches her how to shovel sand.

Sandy baby toes!

Walking with Uncle Nathan.

Heading down to the beach.

The dance of joy, upon seeing Lake Michigan for the first time.

Ree is a big fan of #5 ... Asher Harrmann! :)

Visit with Rielle: Part 1

Gretchen and her family drove over from Milwaukee this week (July 19-26) and dropped off their sweetie patootie, Rielle ... the youngest baby on MY side of the family. In exchange, we gave them Rhylah (an R for an R) :) and they took her with them to camp Arcadia for the week to keep Sydney company. They are having and absolute BLAST up there (not sure if Rhy even WANTS to come home!! She tried archery and LOVED it!). And we had a blast with Ree ... took her to the beach for the first time EVER, rode the carousel, and had all sorts of fun times.

Gone Fishin'

Papa and Grandma Staude came to visit us for a few days right after July 4th. Other than the fact that we all came down with stomach flu right before they arrived (and ended up getting them sick too...ugh!), my dad brought along all his fly fishing gear, and taught me and Gabriel how to fly fish. It was super fun! He even gave us two poles...mine has my great grandpa John's rod (My mother's grandfather) and my dad's reel from when he was 12 or 13. I love the history of this pole almost as much as the fishing, and was happy to learn all about it!

Fourth of July: Part 2

The sunset on the 4th was one of the best I've ever seen on Silver Beach. We LOVE living on the eastern side of the lake, because we get the awesome sunsets over the water! Gabe, Ash and Rhy dug their little burrow hole in the ground and lay back to watch the fireworks. It was fantastic.

Mmmmm....picnic!

The north end of the beach was insanely busy. We stayed on the south end.

Fourth of July: Part 1

We spent the Fourth of July on Silver Beach... on of our favorite holidays of the year. Usually, we have company, but this year, we didn't! We packed a HUGE picnic, as usual ... macaroni salad with TONS of eggs, a wonderful salami and prosciutto sub with olive relish and goat cheese ... and clever little blue berry cheesecakes in mason jars. The weather was a bit chilly, but the lake was warm and we had a blast!

Digging their hole to sit in during the fireworks. Everyone does this at Silver Beach, making a sort of ramp, to lay back against. Then, when everyone leaves at the end of the night, it looks like a million huge crabs have been digging burrows all over the beach.

All set!! Of course, fireworks aren't till almost 11 p.m. .... eastern time zone. Sigh!

Hello handsome!