Fall Fun

We left Michigan just after Labor Day and made it to Michigan on a Friday afternoon and Bryn started school on Monday!  She was very excited to start, even though all the other kids had been there since August 11th :)  She had a wonderful first day of school!

We met up with the Graf girls at a park to play.

 Our best shot of Bresnan, Presley, Bryn, and Kennedy

This fall we went to three Florida State football games

Bryn was more excited about this spear than the GameDay production!

 Less than 4 weeks later we headed back to Michigan 

for a long weekend to enjoy some fall weather.

Papa had set up for us all to go apple and pear picking one morning.

The kids had so much fun!   You would have thought they were picking candy off the trees.

And I am pretty sure we had an entire bag of fruit that had bites taken out of them...

 Don't worry, they were supervised!

Bresnan thought these owls were hilarious!   

 Hi Bud-dy

 Sweet girl

This summer we had planted a pumpkin in Florida, brought it to Michigan

 and planted it in our garden.  Bryn got to harvest it..

and Papa and Me even brought it to her in Florida so it made it back home!

Back in Florida we had dinner with our cousins and all the kids ended up in the tub together!

 Ryder, Bryn, Piper, and Bresnan

We headed to the pumpkin patch to buy our pumpkins!

 Bryn was eager to add her face to the scarecrow, and Bresnan does what his sister does.

 Bresnan liked all the BIG  pumpkins

 Bryn liked all the bumpy ones

 Excited little man!

 This is the best shot of the two of them…

One morning we painted pumpkins (naked of course!)

Bryn had a costume parade at school.  She was very happy to wear her costume, walk through all the parents, the elementary school, and church offices.

Bryn and her friend, Florence

 We waited until Halloween to carve our pumpkins to  guarantee it 

wouldn't rot before the big day.  Florida problems!

 This has been Dad's job for the last two years :)

Here we go - Trick-or-Treat!

 scuba diver and Ariel

 I thought for sure he would suck on the pacifier and hate the goggles…

exactly the opposite!

 This girl is ready!

 "Scuba Steve"

Yoo-Hoo … Big Summer Blowout!

Sooo….I am extremely behind on my blog!  But on a good note, I am keeping 

up with everything else!  Something has to fall through the cracks, right?  Well, 

I am doing my best to catch up.

For Mother's Day I took Bryn and my mom to get pedicures.  Bryn had a 
great time and even got a flower design on her toes and fingers!

The day before we left for Michigan, we headed to the Science Center

 to see the Curious George exhibit.  Bryn had been looking forward to it,

 so it was last minute.

Bresnan leaving going in the apartment with the

 projection of their light board creation!

The elevator was a huge hit with both kids!

And I had a hard time getting Bresnan away from the putt-putt course.

On our stop in North Carolina with Grandpa and Nana, 

we always enjoy a boat ride around the lake on our way to lunch.

Bresnan and Grandpa

Bryn and Mumma

Welcome to Port Austin!

 When we arrived we quickly discovered the robin's nest above our door with four eggs in it.  It wasn't long until we noticed they had hatched!

 feeding time

 time to leave the nest 

 and learn to fly!

My little man

We were lucky to have the Phelps family come to stay with us for a week.

Kelli and Ella hijacked my phone, and I am happy to have these memories!

Ella loved on my kids, and they loved her!

Happy Fourth of July!

 Waiting for candy at the parade!

 Sparkler tradition with Norah

 Norah and Bryn

 Little Man

 Chinese Flanderns were exciting for Bryn this year

 Make a wish!

Bresnan discovered a new toy - beer bottles!  Not something we encouraged, 
but something he found interesting all summer long...

empty or full, he found them fun to manipulate!

We decided on getting a play set and after a few days, it was finished!

 sibling love?!

 those eyes…that face!

One morning I broke out the paint..

 knowing full well the direction these children were headed!!!

 That's my girl!!

 The finished products :)

Many days we made a stop at the ball field park to play.  Bryn got 
real good at tackling all the obstacles on her own!

Sibling fun!

Working at the car (bike) wash

 IPad snuggles

 ball field dugouts

intense game of Hungry, Hungry Hippos!

From the very first day of Port Austin summer, Bryn was asking to play putt-putt.  I finally took her and had a great Mumma-Daughter date.  And, she was actually pretty good!

We planted a garden this year!

 having a picnic in the garden

 searching for ripe vegetables

some of our blueberries

The boy loves himself some shoes!

Bryn and I went to the Huron County Fair with Stephanie and Norah.  
They LOVED the rides.  It was a great evening, just the girls!

We took a weekend trip to Ann Arbor to see Aunt Cheryl's new residence.  
We visited a great children's museum and the kids had a blast!

 water everywhere!

 putting herself in a bubble

playtime at Jungle Java

When Grandpa and Nana came to visit, we headed to Mackinaw Island for a night

 Arch rock on the bike ride

There is always one night that turns out to be the best night for 
pictures on the beach, and this night was the night!

Our take on family pictures

It took until the end of the summer for Bryn and Macy to venture out swimming
 in the lake, but when it happened there was no turning back!

Our last day on the beach

and now we are Florida bound!  
It was a WONDERFUL summer!!