Catching Up!!

I was out of town last week (see below) so here are two weeks of collages at once!

First week of summer vacation!!

The first week of summer vacation was amazing!
We made our new summer list!
We held baby chicks at the Library Summer Reading Kick off!
We biked to Bauermann Blueberry Market for redskins for dinner!!  And stopped to look at the giant 'wishing flower'.  And stopped to read Harry Potter in the shade of a tree at the garden.
We ate watermelon (not from Michigan) at the Farmers Market!  And enjoyed more Michigan Strawberries!
We made daddy a rad Father's Day t-shirt on a real screen press.
We read quietly in the morning before mommy woke up (all dressed and ready for the day!)
And we even went to the zoo!



Anna's week at Gainey Ranch in Montana

I was blessed to be selected to travel with a group of faculty and students from Hope College, to Gainey Ranch in Glen Montana.  We spent a week in the beauty of nature discussing the first year experience at Hope College (and laughing, and hiking, and praying, and laughing....)

A great poem I read at the airport in GR before taking off for Montana.
Flying in over the mountains
The amazing chapel on the ranch.
Sunset on the ranch (2)
Moose right outside our meeting/meal hall at the ranch.
Taking a moment to lay back and relax after a hike in the mountains (straight ahead is my cabin)
View out the back window of the cabin I shared with 3 amazing ladies!
Another moment to lay down and read after another busy day!
The hike to Agnes Lake.  We climbed 1500 feet to 7840 feet.  It snowed.  Amazing.
View from the Big Hole National Battlefield.
Little bunny outside of the chapel on Friday morning.

Blessing abound!

Last Week Of School Collage

We had a full and fun last week of school last week!  The kids had a final swimming lesson (during school) followed by a 2nd grade fun swim.  They loved it! 
I still can't get used to the no car seats!  I snapped a pic of the girls in the backseat as we ran to the library one evening.
"Discovery Day" (aka Field Day) was last Thursday.  The kids had a blast playing games all day long!!
Thursday night was the opening of a summer favorite "Street Performers"  The "balloon man" is always #1 on their list!!
Once the weekend hit there was fun like crazy.  The girls went to Indiana with Grandma B. and Noah and Tom fished and played on the lake.  Once we were all back home there was time in the sprinkler and sidewalk chalk...and we settled in to summer vacation 2012!!

And Just Like That...

We have 3rd Graders!

1st Day of 2nd Grade.  September 2011

Last Day of 2nd Grade.  June 2012

All the fun, laughter, homework, reading...have made them a little silly!!

Walking in to the last day.

Welcome Summer, we are ready!  I don't know if there is a happier mom anywhere in the world today.  I live for summer vacation!  Bring on the lazy days of fun.  Did you know this is the "Summer of NO" for us?  Meaning, no formal camps, signed up activities (Noah is playing baseball right now...loophole...he didn't do a spring sport).  We are working on our summer list, we will have nature journals, we will do art, we will be lazy, we will read, we will enjoy a slower pace.  We will treasure every single moment. 

Gift #1500:  Summer Vacation 2012