Playdate!

We love us some Fredrick Meijer Gardens!

 Thinking they were sooo funny holding their tickets over their faces....

         

Wait for it....

 Bam!



Using their fingers to spray the water all over....

 

Oops! Sprayed herself in the eye! :)

Swimming...in the two inches of water......

Dancing like crazy fools....nope, their was no music and noone else was dancing but sometimes you just gotta' shake it!





Miss Laynie was lucky enough to make a (short) roadtrip with her Grandma this week!  They traveled to the Binder Park Zoo which has an awesome safari exhibit.  It was Laynie's first trip to the zoo and she talked about it for 24 hours straight after she got home! I was lucky enough to stay home and give our house a much needed deep clean, finish a few sewing projects and soak up the quiet of my house.  It was a win-win.  Actually, make that a win-win-win since I'm pretty sure Linda would consider it a "win" as well to spend the whole day with Laynie! Anyways.....they had a beautiful day for it and Laynie was even breave enough to feed a giraffe after much coaxing from Grandma. 

For the grandparents on my side.... :)

Laynie telling us all about her big day........





All spiffed up in her Sunday best!

Something monumental has happened.  Laynie-Lou has moved from the nursery classes to a big-girl 2 year old Sunday School class!  Is it only with your first that all of these little things seem so significant or will I be blown away each time one of my children reaches a new "milestone"?  I know that this really is no childhood milestone but it is just one more reminder of how BIG she is getting! I am incredibly grateful for how seriously our church takes their children's ministry.  The curriculum used is scriptural and developmentally appropriate and I know that Laynie's little brain is soaking it all up!


The first week in her new class she came out holding a little craft that she had done and I almost cried...literally.  It was just so cute and she was so excited about it.  I couldn't wait to get home and take pics of her with her little paper plate covered in bible stickers and crayon! Well, we live literally two minutes or less from the church and somehow in these two minutes she managed to rip the entire thing up! Well, that is real life for you I guess. 


The second week we made it home with her craft in tact! Here she is showing off her artwork.....

Truth be told however, I have my doubts as to the authenticity of this craft.  I know for a fact that she can't write her name and feel pretty confidently that she can't "shade" letters or draw a smiley face either.  She may have stuck the sticker on...but it is pretty well centered compared to her usual sticker placement. :)

Loving this.....

"The Gospels remind us that Jesus, before he taught the people, felt compassion for the multitudes that followed after Him.  Sometimes He felt it even to the point of forgetting to eat.

  How did He put His compassion to practice? 

He multiplied loaves of bread and fish to satisfy their hunger.  He gave them food to eat until they couldn't eat any more, and twelve full baskets were left over. 

 Only then did He teach them."

- Mother Theresa

Bedtime...

O.k, I would normally be pretty opposed to posting a sound clip of myself singing.....however, I didn't think the Grandmas should miss this.  Please disregard my singing and focus on Laynie's sweet little voice saying her bedtime prayers and singing "Laynie's Lullaby".......



The Cottage: Take Two

There is so much to say about this trip however, this post is long overdue and nap time is almost over so this will be a random smattering of a few of my fav. memories from the week. :)

Gettin' ready to hit the road...

The most wonderful place on earth....



An afternoon at the rapids.........
Laynie was a little concerned and only went down once.  Jeff convinced Hail to give it a try and Aud was dragged in by her hubs...all in all, a really fun time! 

Love my sisters :) Especially when they exhibit dorky tendecies in public. 



Live music overlooking the water at sunset. GORGEOUS! 
It is hard to say what I enjoyed more, the original version of "Astro Boy", Nick and Hailey's random made up lyrics on the way home or Katie's continual singing of this strange song throughout the rest of the trip.  

Evening swims before bedtime......



      

I love this picture.  Boy does she adore my dad.......

Trading in her capri sun for a diet coke.  Nice.



Nanny and Papa driving up to help celebrate my Birthday! Woot woot! Hail made me my cake..so thoughtfully decorated. 

I think my dad's favorite memory would deffinitly include his little grandaughter sneeking in every single morning to wake him up at the crack of dawn.  O.k. maybe this wasn't his fav part of vacation. She would climb out of her bed and be in there to get him before I could even sit up! The two of them spent many mornings making breakfast for the rest of the clan.  Hailey later confessed that she thought it was magic fairy's who prepared her wonderful breakfast while she slept.  Right Hail, that is exactly what happened.

                                   

Lots and lots of tennis.....

and lots and LOTS of Ice Cream!!

Up and down the river. Every. Single. Night.  Only a few things to say about this....

Summer Shandy.  I lost my dog.  Sandbag.  Jeff = D.J. deluxe.

    
Jeff literally giving Audrey "the shirt off his back".....



It was a great week.  Fun was had by all!

Goodbye sweet little cottage.  Can't wait till next year!