First Signs of Fall

As the summer winds down, I have noticed the changes in so many things around me....The kids have gone back to school, the weather is changing, the way people dress is quite amusing (still thinking it is summer when it is clearly not) and summer sports such as softball, rollerblading are coming to an end.

We had an amazing summer with the kids, went on two camping trips, played in the bay, went to Cherry Festival, ate lots of amazing food, spent time with friends and family, took road trips to Mackinaw City, Bellaire, Petoskey, down state, Empire, Glen Arbor, etc. I also got Jon to run the Cherry Festival 5k with me, we played disc golf, went on boat rides and much, much more.

Nauti-Cat Sunset Cruise

Playing Disc Golf

More Disc Golf

Now that fall is obviously here, we are turning our thoughts to Halloween, Thanksgiving and yes even Christmas. Alyssa turned 14 this week...yes that is right 14! We took her to Amical downtown Traverse City. She hadn't ever been there,  but has talked about wanting to go for so long. It was an amazing meal...so good!

Happy 14th Birthday Alyssa! :)

Jon and I just got a gym membership yesterday so we can start playing Walleyball during the week with friends. We played for the first time last night and had a great time. I am very excited to be able to work out with Jon, something new for us. :) Can't wait for the leaves to change and for us to be go to the High Roll-away as we have for the last few years.

Summer Fun!

My goodness...time just seems to slip away from me. We have done so much this summer and have had a blast doing it. My niece Kendall turned 1 in July, can't believe she is already 1. It seems like yesterday that she was born! I of course had to get her an outfit to wear on her special day!

A few weeks ago, we went camping to Mill Creek Campground in Mackinaw City. It was a beautiful weekend. The kids had a blast going through some of the shops, eating amazing food and of course going to Thunder Falls water park.

This past weekend, Jon and I went down the river with Neil and Nikki for Nikki's birthday party. It turned out to be a great day with lots of fun and laughs. Molly was even able to try out her new life vest...how adorable! We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful area!

We have of course spent a lot of our time in the water this summer since it has been so nice out. About 4 weeks ago we had the opportunity to swim with Nikki and Neil and one of their friends house. The pool was amazing and I have now decided I want a pool! lol

Let's not forget about Jon and his softball. He is on three teams this year and I am his number one fan! I enjoy watching him play and know he loves it! My friend Megan comes along from time to time to cheer him on as well.

It has been an amazing summer so far, can't wait for all the fun to come as well!

A wonderful weekend...

Last weekend we were able to spend a great deal of time outdoors, the best weekend we have seen yet this spring/summer. On Friday we took the kids to Red Mesa for dinner...it was so good! On Saturday we went to the oh so famous Asparagus Festival in Empire...very interesting to say the least. Alyssa and I walked through a lot of the shops while the boys waited for us. lol. :)

After visiting Empire, we decided to venture over to Glen Arbor and get a late lunch at the nostalgic Art's. It was really good food and a very fun atmosphere. The kids thought the jute box, arcade games and the pool table that came up through the floor were pretty cool. Alyssa and I went to our favorite store "Cotton Seed. " Both towns are so beautiful with so much to do and enjoy. We went through a few more shops including a tea shop where we found some amazing organic teas to buy.

On the way home from Glen Arbor, we decided to top the evening off with a trip to Moomer's Ice Cream! Yeah! If you have been there, you know there is nothing more to be set about that! :)

Saturday night, Jon and I had a "date night" out and simply enjoyed each others company. We made a trip downtown, walked around, visited some of our favorite shops and topped the night off with a trip to La Senorita and a movie at home.

Sunday I was delightfully surprised to see another beautiful day. We decided to bust out our roller blades and make the 4 mile trip downtown, get lunch and eat by the Bay....so amazing to live in such a wonderful area. Can't wait for the upcoming Holiday weekend to be able to spend more time with Jon and the Kids...and possibly go to see my two nieces, brother, sister-in-law and parents!

Happy Spring

This past weekend was Easter and what a fun filled weekend it was. Friday night my parents came over to celebrate Easter with Jon, Kids and I. The kids, Jon and I included received candy and wonderful gifts from my parents...enough to last for weeks! :) We ended our night with games...Jon won of course..he always seems to! :)

It was a beautiful day on Saturday and Sunday, Saturday Alyssa and I had a girls day while Jacob and Jon when shooting with my dad. Alyssa and my day started with a quick visit to the coffee shop to get her a chocolate mocha, then a trip to the Impres for my hair appt. We then went shopping, tried on all kinds of fun outfits, shoes and had lunch at Big Apple Bagel. If that wasn't enough, we came home, worked out together and then watched some of our favorite shows! :) From what I heard, Jacob, Jon and my dad had a great day shooting, visiting and going out to eat for lunch.

Easter Sunday was a very busy day. Unfortunately, my grandma is in the hospital still. She has been there since last Thursday, but is on course for a good recovery now. Anyway, we visited her before going out to her and my Grandpa's house for our Easter dinner. Even though she is in the hospital, she wanted us to still have our normal traditional Easter dinner and Easter egg and basket hunts for the younger kids. It was so much fun watching all the little kids hunt for their eggs and baskets. My niece Charley Jo was so adorable, after each plastic egg she found, she opened it up and then shoveled all the candy into her mouth before my sister-in-law could regulate it! :) She was all smiles! Below are a few photos from our fun day~

It's a start...

I have been inspired by Jon's sister to start this blog and keep my family and friends updated on the important events in my life. I think it is a great idea and have enjoyed reading hers so much that I know that it is time to begin my own.

My goal to start is to at least post once a week; photos, interesting things going on in our lives, etc. This week I have especially thankful for all the wonderful family and friends I have in my life. My brother, sister-in-law and two nieces came to visit us last weekend. It was so great spending time with them and of course getting to spend time with my nieces. They are so adorable!

A couple of weeks ago we were able to go visit my friend Sophia in California and had such a great time with her and her boyfriend Gennaro. We went to Napa, SF, Sacramento, etc. Jon was also able to re-connect with a friend of his that he hadn't seen in 21 years, tour his old houses and see where he want to school and church.

We also were able to take the kids on a trip to Kalahari in-door water park in Sandusky, OH. It was 178,000 square feet of water park fun! :) We also were able to drive to Cleveland to do more fun things. We went to the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame, Great Lakes Science Center, Hard Rock Cafe, etc. It was a blast of a trip...of course we were able to fit in Jon and the Kids favorite places to eat like Sonic and Panera. You can see most of our pictures on my facebook account http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1452829061.