Gramms Came from Texas! and some Sunday business

Ali and Gramms. Gramms is Greg's Grandma. When only get to see her a few times a year because she lives so far away. And unfortunately we were gone in Michigan for a lot of the time she was in Indiana. We got to spend an evening with her though. The kids were not awful, but they were worn out from a fun day of running around. The were pretty tried by the time Gramms showed up.

Enoch was ready for bed, but gave us all one last smile before going up. We cooked some different kinds of hot dogs over the grill. Summer always means cooking on the grill.

All was very excited about Gramms coming and made several cards for her. I think Gramms only ended up with two of the cards because Ali's cousins Hannah and Noah came over and Ali passed out some of the cards to them. I forgot to get pictures of when Hannah and Noah were there.

Lunch. So I have problems. I am really really really worried about Ali going to Kindergarten. I just don't want to let her go. I love her. I want to be with her. I don't want someone else to teach her all day. BUT for some crazy reason, I get calmed down when I think about planning healthy lunches for her. Like some how if I can make her a healthy lunch, she will be ok with out. Weird huh? So I have been practicing different lunch to pack for Ali. This is one of them.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets. Made from chicken breast and bread crumbs. Then I just bake them. The kids loved them. Shad helped me make them. ( I know I am crazy)

I brought the Lego's out after a long time of them being in the closet. The kids loved playing with them. They played for an hour.

Sunday: The boys waiting for the peanut butter cookies to be done. The longest 8 min. of their life.

Rolling the cookies into balls. I always try to do some fun stuff on Sunday because sometimes they can get long.

Ali is stirring the cookies. Everyone takes turn stirring and put in an ingredient.

Vacation!! 2010

This was Enoch face when he saw our house after vacation. He didn't want to come home. It was a good vacation, but I always enjoy coming home. This was the most restful vacation so far. I am not sure why. It could have been because my youngest child was 2 years old. It could have been because we had no T.V. in our cabin. It could have been that I am just getting better at the vacation thing, and I know the tricks now like only use paper plates and keep breakfast simply with no cooking.

This picture is from the Scenic Drive. I love the Scenic drive. Every time you stop it looks like a post card. This picture isn't of any one we know. I like it because it shows how steep the bluffs are. Do you see those dots?? Those are crazy people climbing the bluffs!! When the kids are older we will climb this bluff but as for now we will just enjoy the view.

This is still the Scenic Drive. Enoch is walking up the walk way. They put these boards down to make it easier to walk because walking on the sand is a work out.

The Scenic Drive again. All of the kids are running and playing in the sand.

Enoch climbing up the sand. A good way to use up some of his energy.

A nice guy offered to take our family picture.

This is at the Maritime Museum. The kids love this place. A lot of boats used to crash around here between 1900 and the 1940s so they had several light houses and rescue teams to help the boats. They explain how the rescue boat and team work and how they used to live. Shadrach got to help be apart of the rescue team and loaded the canon with the rescue shell with a rope attached. We also got to see them shoot the canon in to Lake Michigan. Shadrach loved every minute of it.

I am trying to climb the Sleeping Bear Dune with Enoch on my back. It took a while. But we got up there. We only go to the first hump and then we run back down. The trial goes on for 7 or 8 more humps until you get to Lake Michigan. Then you have to go back. I have never done the whole thing yet, but I will go someday when the kids are older.

Ali helping Enoch climb the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Ali has such a loving heart. 90% of the time, she acts like she is 10. She helps me with everything. The other 10% of the time she acts like she is 5 which I think is just fine.

Dancing and singing on the dock. (I don't know who they get that from.)

Shad watching his ants in his bug collector. He is such an observer. I love to watch him watch things.

My family back at the Scenic Drive.

The kids pick through the Dune Grass. This grass is really hard to grow because there is so much sand. They really don't want you to walk in the grass because it destroys the dunes.

My parents dropped by for a few days. And when I say dropped by, I mean they planned a trip up there so they could see us. They went to Mackinaw Island for a few days for their vacation and then drove over to see us. It was great having them there.

Ali on the Empire Bluffs hike. This is my favorite Hike. I would do it every day if I didn't always end up caring someone.

Greg took this picture and we decided to blow it up really big and put it in our living room. Now we can always look at it and smile. It seems so beautiful that it shouldn't be real. But it is.

The stairs on Empire Bluff Trail. I always get excited when I see them because that means we are almost there.

The Empire Bluffs trial again. I like the stair step of our children. Ali, Shad, and EE.

My dad on top of the dunes with Shadrach.

In Lake Michigan looking for rocks.

Walking to Lake Michigan. Every one loved swimming in Lake Michigan. It is normally pretty cold, but this year it was wonderful. We went to a new spot this year were a little beautiful river flows into Lake Michigan. The river is shallow and clear so the kids can easily play in it, and Lake Michigan is right there when you want to go over to it. We jump into the wave for a good 30 min. I was really nervous with all three kids in Lake Michigan. I was afraid a big wave would come and scoop us apart and I wouldn't be able to get to all three, but we were fine.

Caring Enoch on my back. This is the Sandy Moraine (sp) hike. Enoch did really well for only being two, but Greg and I still had to carry him 1/3 of the time.

Church was over an hour a way from where we were staying. In past years we have drove the hour to church, gone for the three hours, and drove the hour back. This year we did not. We decided to take a hike in the woods and have our own little church. We sat in front of this beautiful tree and Greg taught out of Preach My Gospel. I can't decide what I think. If it is more important to drive all that way to church even though we just drove 8 hours the day before. OR if doing our own church teaches my kids that it is important.... I am still thinking about that one.

Greg found CRAZY BIG MARSHMALLOWS!!! They were about four times as big as normally marshmallows. They kids that they were wonderful. We had a camp fire 3 or 4 of the nights. Shad LOVED to help with the fire, through twigs in the fire, and just watch the fire.

Shadrach eating the crazy big marshmallow.

Ali after eating the crazy big marshmallow.

I tried to eat out side at almost every meal. For some odd reason. My kids cannot keep food on their plate or in their mouths. SO this makes less clean up for me and it is fun. Michigan has a special kind of Hot Dog that we always buy up there. They are made like the old kind of hot dogs with the sausage like casing.

The kids playing right in front of our house on Little Glen.

Our kids hiking on the Windy Moraine hike. The first part was up hill and the last was down hill. They LOVED the down hill part.

3rd day of Greg being home late

Enoch started his day off in time out. Three times in a row. He really should have stayed in time out all day. In the evening he head butted me so hard my lip started to gush blood. Baby H slept while we swam with our neighbors day care.

Ali and her friend Katie.


Shadrach and his friend Tyler.

Ali has just learned how to swim. She now needs no floaties at all. Little Katie and Big Katie are behind her.

Me and Enoch. One of the few smiles of the day. He is screaming up in his crib as I write this.

I think I was in the pool with 14 kids. The oldest being 10 and then three 8 year olds, four 5 years olds, four 4 year older, and three 2 year olds.

These are the kids my kids hang out with everyday.

I am waiting for Greg to come home right now. Since we are leaving on vacation in a few days, he has had to work late a lot. BUT there was good news. He got a promotion today. We don't know for how much because his boss's boss is out of town. And then we are going to be out of town. But it is still fun to get a promotion. I get to redo the budget. :) My favorite thing to do.

I feel tired today. I think Enoch wore me out. Plus, I think Ali is having WAY TOO MUCH FUN this summer. She is so worn out. And even though she is worn out laying half dead on the couch, she still asks "What are we doing next, mom?"

The picture are in reverse order!

So I am new to blogging. I can't figure out how to get the pictures to go in the order I want. I so they are in reverse order of our day.

MMmmmmmm brownie mix!

The best part of brownies.

We had the missionaries over for dinner tonight, so I decided to have brownies for dessert. The kids helped lick the bowl. It was a little overwhelming cooking dinner because the kids were very energetic and Greg was not home to help. He did not get home until 2 min. before the Elders did. -Sigh- He is at a YM presidency meeting right now. Hopefully I will see him soon.

Enoch enjoying the pizza he made himself at lunch.

Ali always likes to make several little pizzas.

Once a week we make our own pizza for lunch. The kids love it. It makes a mess. BUT they love it.

That is Enoch's hand sneaking some cheese to eat before they get cooked. Shadrach decided to use a lot of cheese this time and Ali used very little cheese.

I don't think you can see it really well but there is a butterfly right by this necklace. Shadrach found it. He spent the next hour observing it. It didn't fly away. I don't know why. Soon Ali and Enoch joined in. Shadrach is my "thinker." He sits and wonders and thinks and ponders most of the day. I love it about it him. However the down side to it is if you every want him to get anything done quickly, it is impossible. He will stop and stare and investigate for 2 hours instead of getting dressed.
After the butterfly observation, I went to church to work out with my friends. Yes, you heard right. WORK OUT. I am trying to be healthier. We only worked out for 30 min. It wasn't too bad. Notice no pictures of the work out;)