Andrew officially rides his bike!

To say Andrew is stubborn is an understatement.  We tried to get him to ride his bike last year but he became frustrated and decided he didn't want to.  Earlier this Spring we tried to encourage him but he said he just didn't feel  like it.  Now mid summer we try again and he does it as if he's been doing it all along.  Aunt Erin and I took the kids for a ride around the neighbor hood.  Andrew just fell in love with his bike.  And he is really fast.  Later that evening when James came home we went for a family stroll around the neighborhood.  Andrew was picking up so much speed that he was pretty close to catching his "cautious" sister :)

We live here.....

I feel like I have been having this same thought going through my head all summer.  People come here to vacation, people come here just for the beach.  And we live here.  We can come here whenever we want.  I feel so blessed and reminded daily of God's beauty.

We took a fun family walk on the pier to the light house. 

So pretty!

This was such a fun walk/time.  

It definitely needs to become a part of our regular routine.

Van ride

In the evening after dinner we took a van ride to get ice cream and then head back to the beach.  I have told the kids that they can only get special ice cream with their grandparents but they talked Aunt Erin who treated us all into getting one with her.

Aunt Erin came to stay

Erin called a couple of days ago and wanted to come and stay for a night.  I had already committed to watching a friends kids so I twisted Erin's arm to stay two nights so that we could have more quality time together.  Erin came in Sunday night and watched a movie with James and I and then was up and ready to spend a fun day with the kids.

It was a beautiful day so we headed to the beach.  I dug a big hole for the kids and then a path for the lake water to come in.

Adeline and Logan built sand castles.

Aunt Erin took the kids for a fun dip in the water.  It was actually pretty cold water but if we just went in a little ways it was tolerable.

First Sleepover

Adeline and Andrew had their first sleepover tonight.  After James and I shut the door they stayed up for a while talking and laughing.  I thought they would have been knocked out from the long beach day but I think they were too excited to sleep.  Within an hour they were both sound asleep...and didn't wake up until morning.

A long beach day...

I got a call from Missy the night before asking if I would be up for a long beach day.  Of course!  I don't think I would ever turn that down.

The kids met another little Eli who shared his toy boat.

North Muskegon Fireworks

We headed up to North Muskegon to meet and watch the fireworks with the Morse family.  I wasn't too sure how it would go given the very long day we had in the sun and water.  Adeline hung in there and had a blast with her friends but poor Andrew touched a sparkler and burnt his finger.  Daddy spent the whole evening with him, consoling him.  (finger is fine, just took a couple of days to heal)

At home fireworks

We came back to Cindy's house and put on some of our own fireworks.

Carter

Adeline

Andrew

Lauren

Buddies.

Adeline jumps off the diving board

This girl is so much fun!  

She very willingly jumped off the diving board many times.

My next job is to get her into swimming lessons.

James was right there in case she needed him, but with the life jacket she just popped right back up just fine.

A cute picture of James and Adeline

(so just as a side note....check out James' leg....it looks like a large fin, or maybe he got bit by a bee and it swelled up.  either way every time I look at this picture I just laugh)

Fourth of July with the Kamps

James, the kids and I all went over to our friend Cindy's in-laws pool for the day.  It was such a hot day and the water was so refreshing even at 90 degrees.  It was funny because Cindy and I joked about how you would jump in the pool and within minutes of getting out you were already dry.

Lauren and Adeline played so well together the entire time.

Andrew is not shy about the water anymore.  It was fun for him because he could touch in the shallow end and walk around with his floaties on.

James was great with the kids all day.  He might have been in the water just as long as the kids were.

I'm very thankful for my friend.

Beach day with the Morse family

Today we went to a different part of Duck lake and the channel.  Missy picked out a spot pretty close to where the channel meets lake Michigan.  We have about twenty feet of sand where Missy and I sit and are able to watch the kids play.  It really is the perfect spot besides the long walk.  Not far from the water's edge is a sand bar so Missy and I would consistently take the kids out to the sand bar to swim.

Adeline and Andrew enjoyed swimming out to the sand bar with their new floaties.  At one point I had Anna, Adeline, Matthias, and Andrew all in their animal floaties holding on to hands while I pulled them out.

For Uncle Josh

All dressed in Michigan gear.  

Andrew has finally allowed his Michigan hat into his rotation.  I don't know why it took so long but I am glad he is wearing it.

New floaties

 While James and I were out on our date we got the kids some cheap flotation toys.  Adeline is the duck and Andrew is the turtle.  Here they are with their new toys in the pool enjoying a push-up :)