New Camera

I had to purchase a new camera this weekend. Luckily there were sales to be found in a lot of places. I ended up going to Walgreen's and getting a new Kodak, similar to the one I just broke. (You can only drop it on the floor so many times before it is done broke).

Here's the first two pictures with the new camera. I couldn't figure out how to rotate them so we were looking at them right. Got tired of messing. Here it is, just turn your head to the left.

Anniversary Fish

It was Rob and my 10th wedding anniversary last Friday. The boys spent the night at Nana's house so that Rob and I could have some time alone. I came over on Sunday to pick them up and they had made us this fish cake. By the time I took this picture, Mason had already eaten a fin, but this is the cake anyway.

They were so proud of their creation. They made the frosting from scratch and tinted it to the perfect colors and then smeared it all over the cake. The fins were made out of licorice. YUMMY! YUM! YUM!. It was so good. Thanks guys!

I love you.

Mason: Mom, I have to tell you something.

Mom: Aren't you supposed to be sleeping? It is bed time.

Mason: I woke up because I forgot I was sleeping.

Mom: OH. What did you have to tell me?

Mason: I love you and as long as you love me than I still will love you. Deal?

Mom: Deal.

Mason: Good night mom.

Mom: Good night Garth, I love you.

Camping

Went camping this weekend at Pioneer Park. Fun. Rained a tad bit, but for the most part it was a beautiful day.

I laid at the beach, went for a lot of bike rides with the kids, went for a walk, watched the sunset and had a good time.

Can't wait to go back soon.

Does anyone have any suggestions for campgrounds close by to save on gas, but different than Pioneer Park.

TOday's thought.

So lately I have been running across a lot of good quotes and rather than starting a book, like one of my good friends does, I thought I would just post them and share them. If you have a good one let me know.

The first one, found down at the bottom of this blog page, is from a magnet on my fridge.. I purchased the magnet at the Museum we went to yesterday. It has been rebounding through my mind ever since.

What would you do? I would ...

The Ride Home

This is just a shot of my limited ability to take a picture from a moving train. I thought it turned out okay. This was our view just past St. Joseph, Michigan on the ride home. Such a beautiful state we live in. ( I know this is no portrait by Fisher, but I think its pretty damn good).

56 plus 32 is 88

(we are at Justin's baseball game. Mason is trying to figure out what position his brother is playing).

Mason: Where's Justin playing at?

Mom: Out on the field, do you see him?

Mason: Maybe he's at 3rd base?

Mom: Try again.

Mason: I just don't see him mom.

Mom: If 56 and 32 is 88 then what position is Justin playing?

Mason: 2nd base.

Mom: You got it kiddo.

Chicago Museum of Science & Industry

Monday morning we took a little trip to Chicago on the Amtrak train out of Holland. The intention was to get to Chicago about 1030 am and then visit the Museum of Science & Industry for most of the day before having to get on the train for home at 5:20 pm. HOWEVER, not only was the train 30 minutes late getting into Holland, but we ended up being to Chicago at 12:20 pm Chicago time. That's right, I heard you doing the math and gasping, 2 hours behind schedule. We had to cut out time from the museum. Walk quickly through it all and then whiz on back to the train station so we didn't miss our train.









The train was 30 minutes late getting into the Holland station to begin with. This should have been a big sign.. STOP, don't get on the train.., but we didn't see the sign, or at least got on the train anyhow. The pic above is the two of them, eagerly awaiting the train. Every 5 minutes they would ask about the time again and how long before the train gets here?

This is Justin's "Sweet Pose". He would try and do this every time we took a picture. I just smile at him. He is growing into such a little man now, just becoming his own person.

Climbing the rock wall at the museum. They each had to go about 4 times. There was an interactive kids area where they got to experience how things worked, most of the time with water, and other cool things. There was something for all ages. This was a great time.

Dad and Mason looking out the window on the way home. The boys posing for a shot. All tough looking they thought they wouldn't smile, however, about 2 seconds after I took this picture Mason tooted and they both started laughing.

The last Day of School

I just wanted to put down a few words about the last day of school. Yes, I am glad the kids are home for the summer, but at the same time I am kind of sad. Mason will start full days of school in the fall. Who will be my afternoon buddy? Who will I decide with what to have for lunch? Who will play me endless games of trouble?

Sad day for Mom..

If you need me I'll be over in the corner with the Kleenex.

My Kids

My kids were very, how should I put this, uncooperative? (for lack of a better word) today. This was of course after we had treated them to a round of mini-golf. (For the record I got the only hole-in-one and Rob only beat me by one point. He was keeping score after all.) We went to 4 stores. We were in and out, just needing one or two items at each one and of course there is no such thing as a "one stop shop" with the list of things that we needed to get. They were fighting and punching and arguing and disappearing.. the list goes on and on.. On the upswing though, I did see some children who made ours look like angels..lol

After we got home I headed out to take pictures of the woodpile to put in my blog (see previous entry) and ended up swinging in out hammock with the two of them and taking some pictures.



Here are the pictures.. The wanted a few being "nice" and with their "scary" faces, (2nd picture) but all I could do was laugh at the sounds coming out of their mouths while the scary faces were in place.

I love those two. They keep me on my toes, laughing and always having a good day even when I think I didn't.

I love you sweets.

Quality Time

Have you ever wanted your husband to just randomly come up with something for the two of you to do A) w/o kids and B) for fun... Well Look above at the picture. See all the wood to the right of the wheelborrow? That would be all the wood that my husband and I chainsawed, split with an axe, picked up, hauled down a muddy embankment, across an even muddier clay creek bed and up an equally muddy hill, through some prickers, over some logs and across a ditch... that would be the quality time my husband had in mind after I spoke to him the other night.

All I said was that "It would be nice if the two of us did something together once in a while, something that we both enjoy". To which he replied "Yeah Hon it would be nice". Did I ever once mention in 10 years of marriage that I enjoy chopping and hauling wood.. (The answer would be a big fat no).

THIS WAS NOT WHAT I HAD IN MIND!!!! I thought maybe a nice round of putt-putt golf or regular golf for that matter. A walk or even a bike ride on the bike trail. Going shopping or just hanging out doing something else. But spending almost 4 hours out in the hot woods, hauling all this chopped wood through the gully across the ditch and into the trailer behind our truck was not what I had in mind.

I did like spending the time with him. We talked about quite a bit of stuff. We laughed and laughed and became covered in mud, bugs and whatever else was out there. Did I mention a pre-requisite of bathing in bug spray before even entering the woods???

Let this be a lesson to us all.. When asking your husband for something. BE SPECIFIC. or else BEWARE you never know what you are going to get.