How were the pictures?

Yesterday morning Leah, Elizabeth, and I went to Kirk Park for an annual photo shoot.  I'm a bit late in getting this done, but I've learned from previous experiences that the atmosphere needs to be just right.  Too much sun and the eyes go closed.  Too hot and the hair goes frizzy.  Too windy and the dresses go flying.  When we arrived at the park it was a bit brisk (64 degrees) and the sand was damp.  The fog had just lifted off of the lake making it seem majestic.  My original plan was to get a few good shots by the dune grass and sand, but the girls had other ideas.  They ventured down by the water where I continued to take pictures.  Both girls were excellent models and I had a blast taking all the pictures!

We packed another week full of activities starting with an overnight visit to South Haven where Tim's parents were camping for the week.  Leah and Elizabeth enjoyed riding their bikes around the campground and playing with other kids who were camping.  I had fun driving into the downtown area and visiting some of the shops.  Once we got passed the rocky lake bottom it felt like bath water in Lake Michigan and the girls managed to swim for over an hour with their cousins who came for the day. Our next outing was to Saugatuk and Douglas where we took the chain ferry across the Kalamzoo River, rode the trolley between cities, and did some shopping at the sidewalk sale.  Thursday the girls and I took Jazmin to Zeeland for the annual Dogarama where dogs of all kinds competed for different awards.  Friday night we ventured to Holland to try our luck at roller skating.  By the time we were done most of us were wet with sweat and crabby and Leah was also minus one tooth!  At the end of the week we made the much anticipated trip to Michigan's Adventure for a day of rides and water fun.  The park was crowded and the sun was hot, but we still enjoyed ourselves.

Have you ever gone bump on the hump of a camel?

It was a beautiful morning for a trip to the zoo.  This visit was our second of the summer, but Leah and Elizabeth were just as enthusiastic as the first visit.  I promised them they could ride the camel today.  I chose not to bring my camera along because I figured I had enough pictures of animals from our last visit.  To ensure that the girls rode on their own I purchased a "souvenir" photo of their ride.  $5 for a very mediocre picture was hard to swallow, but I got home scanned it into my computer and made some changes with my scrapbook program. I guess the $15 I spent for 2 small laps on the camel plus a photo was worth the experience.

What did you do this week?

Last Saturday we made an early morning trek out to Payne Lake for the annual barefoot contest.  It was a long morning for such a short amount of footin that Tim actually did, but Leah and Elizabeth enjoyed playing in the water with the children of the other participants. Later that afternoon we went to our neighbor's pool party. It was fabulous to just relax on Sunday.  Unfortunately our plan of going to Michigan's Adventure on Monday was postponed due to rain.  In the middle of the week I spent 2 full days being trained on the latest technology at the local ISD.  Even though it was hard to sit for 8 hours each day, I learned a lot.  Tim and the girls had some quality daddy-daughter time during those 2 days.  Toward the end of the week the girls enjoyed playing outside literally all day in the hot humid air with the other kids in the cul de sac.  Their latest game involves taking the majority of the toys from our garage and displaying them as a store.  Then carnival workers purchase prizes for their games which customers then play and win prizes.  Despite the huge mess it keeps the kids occupied for hours.  Last night we had a family game night and played Sorry for over 2 hours.  Today Tim and I are making the trip to Illinois for my cousin's wedding while Leah and Elizabeth spend the night at Tim's parents' house.  We are all looking forward to the cooler temperatures that will arrive for next week!

How was your vacation?

The girls and I recently took a short vacation to Illinois.  It was the only vacation we have taken or will take the whole summer!  Unfortunately Tim had to work so we left him behind.  During the 4 short days that we were away we did many things.  We went shopping, went to a park, did some hiking, attended church, and visited my grandmother.  The highlight for the girls was spending the afternoon at a water park with my parents.  The weather was absolutely perfect!  Toward the end of our visit Leah and Elizabeth enjoyed going to their cousin's bandanna birthday party.  At the end of the week we made our annual trip to Sandy Pines to visit our day care provider Kim.  The girls had a fun time at the aquatics center and really enjoyed playing miniature golf.

Who are the toes of your family?

Yesterday while traveling on the road after an afternoon in the sun Leah and I rode quietly as Elizabeth slept hunched over in her car seat.  After a long period of silence this was the conversation I had with Leah:

Leah:  Mommy, is Daddy in charge of you because he is older?

Me:  Well, Daddy is older than me, but we work together as a team and we are in charge of you and your sister. 

Leah:  Oh

Me:  I think of Daddy as the head of our family.

Leah:  So if Daddy is the head does that mean that Elizabeth is the toe?

Me:  (Laughing) That's very creative...

Is July really over?

The last week of July was busy with gymnastics, tennis lessons, and the final week of swimming lessons.  Leah and Elizabeth also attended Kids Camp at our church for four nights.  We drove to Haggar Park to play for a morning and then toward the end of the week the girls and I made a trip to Howard City where they enjoyed fishing and tubing.  I can't believe that the month of July is over and it is already August!