Swimming Season Has Officially Begun

Our neighbor, Hugh and Marlene Gorlitz, opened their pool up this past Thursday, and we were all invited over for the celebratory first swim! Here's a video of Delanie's first time in the water since last year. She is the cutest little frog in the whole pool (you'll understand when you watch the video below). :)

Wagons Ho!

wagon teams . . .

cowboys . . .

88 degrees . . .

wide open lands . . .

dusty trails . . .

blazing sun . . .

dust devils . . .

. . . sounds like a snippet from your history books, don't it?

Well, lucky us, that was our fantastic day today! Cowboy Cal (my mom's brother, pictured above) and his girlfriend, Sue, organized a huge wagon train shindig that our family got to participate in and be a part of. I donned my cowboy hat, Kevin broke out his chaps (ok, no not really . . . but I wish!), Kaden wore his cowboy boots and the other kiddos brought their enthusiasm for adventure!

And boy, did we get adventure!!! 8 miles, 3 hours of adventure out and all around Maybee, Michigan.

Within the wagon train we had pairs of draft horses pulling double wagons, single drafts pulling wagons, teams of miniature horses pulling carts, single minis pulling carts (little body, BIG attitude!) and a wide assortment of riders. There was a huge span of ages in the crowd too and, of course, the boys quickly made friends with two other little boys on the wagon and back at the farm.

Each of the boys had a blast taking turns riding Uncle Cal's pony (named Pony - so original!) and Elijah even got to try his hand at driving a wagon! I was so amazed at how calmly he handled the horse and cart and was one proud mama!

(I just love sharing one of my passions with my kiddos and family.)

We finished up the afternoon with a huge spread of food that Cal and Sue provided and we pigged out, gathered around tables in their pole barn. What a great time meeting new people and getting to know Cal and Sue's friends and neighbors.

Yes, it was killer hot. Yes, we were all stinky and sweaty. Yes, we are all fried to a crisp, despite applying layers of sunblock. Yes, we all forgot our water bottles and felt majorly dehydrated. Yes, we stopped traffic as we traveled the roads of Maybee. Yes, it was an awesome day and a great memory-maker! Yes, sign us up for next year!

Walking Tall, Walking Proud!

Just less than one week after she turned a year old, Lanie is walking! I am so excited for her and so proud of her!

(even if you don't see an image, click on the play button below and the video will play)

Last night, after dinner at my parents house, we were sitting around enjoying some tea while the boys colored and Lanie cruised along the walls, furniture and moving boxes. My Dad sat down on the floor next to her and called to her, and to our astonishment she let go of the box she was holding onto and took two steps toward him!!! Kevin immediately ran to get the video camera and we recorded her next few brave steps. It was so cute because you can tell that she is extremely proud of herself and enjoyed all of the attention she earned.

I wish I had our Canon with us to document the moment as well, but at least there is a video for you to enjoy and for us to treasure! :)

Honestly, I'm a little surprised it has taken her this long to finally take those pivotal first steps! She has been cruising and walking with assistance since she was nine and a half months old. I thought she would be my earliest walker, but instead she has matched Eli in timing for the latest walker. Kaden walked at 10 months, Ethan at 11 months, and now Eli and Delanie both walked the week they turned one!

You can bet I'm going to be following her around with the camera all day today trying to capture a few more brave steps! My baby is getting so big!!!

Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun!

(Click on the photos if you want to view them bigger)

Last night was a rocking, side-splitting, blast from the past! It was 80's Night at our Girl's Night Out Coffee Night!

Although I was just a kid during the 80's, I found dressing the part of an 80's fashionista to be rather natural. In fact, other than a few borrowed accessories (thanks Darlene!) most of my ensemble came directly out of my own drawers and closet!

Uh-oh, did I just admit that?!?!?

However, I think I'll stick to my straightened locks and bangs, and my non-hot pick clothes for just a while longer.

It was so much fun to see the creativity and 80's fashion-sense of all the other valley girls! We had a madonna look-alike, a sporty valley-girl, an 80's prom queen, and so much more!

Have fun spazzing over these totally righteous images. :)

Trampoline Family Fun!

Tonight was an absolutely GORGEOUS evening, and we just had to enjoy the weather by being outside. I love these peeks of summertime hidden between the blustery days and the rainy days of spring.

As you may have already guessed, before we knew it the whole family was piled onto the trampoline and Kevin pulled out our camera and our new wide angle lens. Kevin and I swapped turns behind the camera and everyone had a blast showing off and performing. Even Lanie got in on the action! :) Check out our fun and funky images . . .

Adventure Time!

This past Saturday was Lanie's birthday and in honor of her, Kevin and my families got together to celebrate! Before the actual party however, my parents, my sister and bro-in-law, Kevin and the boys went to a Summer Camp Preview at the Howell Nature Center. I will post separately about the birthday party, but here are a few images and videos from the kid's adventure. They got to ride a zip line, learn survival techniques and built a shelter from scratch!

Here are the videos. They may look blank, but if you click on the play button they will play. :)

There were a few more videos, but blogger won't let me upload them - BAH! If I can work out the kinks, I will upload those too. :)

Menu Planning Monday

Menu for the Week of May 10-17th:

MONDAY - Baked Spaghetti, Garden Salad, French Bread

TUESDAY - Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Beef Sandwiches, Roasted Potatoes

WEDNESDAY - Busy Night so Grab and Go!

THURSDAY - Tacos, Mexican Rice, Corn

FRIDAY - Dinner at Buddy's Pizza to Celebrate Jeremy's (my bro-in-law) Birthday