July 4th and Cherry Festival

July came in warm and fun.  After our weekend in Indiana, we were so exhausted and it took us several days to get caught up on our sleep.  A. had a special 4th of July outfit, thanks to Aunt Christine, and when we went to the grocery store, everyone commented on her outfit and how cute she looked. Notice her shoes are on the wrong feet. :)

We went to Christine's for a cookout that afternoon.  It was so hot and the kids played with their squirt guns. A. has one that I bought earlier in the summer but hasn't had a chance to learn how to use it. Here she is working hard learning.  She really tries to keep up with the boys.

Another family came over to join us and they have a little girl. A. was happy to have a friend to play with.  The friends brought over an ice cream maker and made vanilla ice cream. Christine made chocolate and strawberry vegan ice cream and we all enjoyed it outside on the back deck.

We love going to the beach, and so we went with Christine & the boys on Friday. It's been so hot so we thought that the best place to be is at our favorite beach in Empire.  Here we are laden down with everything we need to have fun.  There is a lot to carry, and we all do our part.

Lake Michigan with Sleeping Bear Dunes in the background.

A. put her baby in the tube, and then decided she should try taking a ride. She had more fun sitting in the tube and having others push her around. She has never ventured into the water higher than mid-calf, so for her to sit on the tube in the water was a big leap for her. She was happy and excited but she was also scared.  All three boys had fun pushing her around in the water. She would have gone on forever, but after a while the boys were done with that game.

Here she is scared because I am not close enough to her.

Cherry Festival started on Saturday and we went to the waterfront downtown to watch the air show on Sunday. We met Christine's family and got there early so we could have a good spot on the beach.

Airshow starting.

This one is well protected from the loud noise!

These two have been picking at each other a lot lately. But they are enjoying a quiet moment watching the air show. Love Christine's shadow at the bottom of the picture.

A. caught the cat, which she tries to do every single day, many times during the day. The cat is smart, but sometimes a sleepy cat, which is why she gets caught. A. is sneaky and quiet when she approches the cat.

Then the cat had a smart day and slept under a chair. A. couldn't get hold of her, so she learned she could just pet the cat and that was OK.

On Thursday, we met Christine and the boys downtown so they could run in the Kids Run which was sponsored by Carter Oosterhouse from HLN.  He's a Traverse City native and he and his wife are often seen around town.  A. loved swinging while we waited for Christine & the boys.  She laughed and giggled so much that everyone around her commented and laughed along with her.

Christine & the boys registered and put on their numbers. We thought the youngest would stay with us while they ran, but he wanted to stay with Mommy so she pushed him in the stroller.

We saw Carter taking pictures with other kids, so we went over and I got a shot with him just before the run started.

We were just there for Christine and the boys and the run, when we suddenly noticed there is a parade happening shortly after the run started. (Realize that we rarely go anywhere in the evenings as A. goes to bed around 7:30 pm. I knew the Cherry Royale Parade is always on Thursday evening, but since we never go, it didn't register with me. I am sure we will go every year from now on.)  We decided to watch the parade while we waited for them to return after the 1 mile run.  A. had a blast watching the parade. It was soooo hot and I tried to keep her in the shade. But she was oblivious to the heat and focused on watching the parade. She got suckers, gum, cheerleading pom poms and other stuff. Who wouldn't love it?! The best part was being so close to a fire engine.

Christine was caught on the other side of the parade and it was taking a long time for them to get back to where we were. She called me and said would we like to meet downtown for ice cream. At first A. said no, she didn't want to miss the parade.  But I told her we would get something cold to drink, so she agreed to move. Everyone was happy with their ice cream cone!

On Friday we planned to meet Christine & family at the Cherry Festival just to walk around and see what was there. There were hot dog samples at the Oscar Meyer weinermobile, free samples of McDonald's Cherry Berry Chiller (just that it was cold was welcome), and we watched the Air Dog Show. But we were scorched as it was one of the hottest days yet.  As I was getting breakfast, A. talked to Baby Kimmy and told her we were going to the Cherry Festival and we would have lots of fun.

It was so hot, but we were able to find some shade to eat lunch. Then we were done and left to go home. As I passed the Elephant Ear stand I weakened and had to have one. A. looked at it and said no thanks, so I ate most of it myself (I can't believe I am admitting to this). I also had to have Kettle Korn.  Notice Baby Kimmy came with us in the stroller.

Close to the parking structure in downtown is a storefront that showcases Lego creations, and this is begging for kids to sit and get their picture taken. I couldn't resist. We have passed it several times during this week and A. was always facinated by the Lego kids.

My youngest son was able to take his 4 year old son to Cherry Festival and I met up with them for a few minutes that day. This is A.'s father and even though he doesn't have custody of his children, he loves them very much and doesn't hesitate to show them his love. A. wasn't able to be with us that day.

My oldest son got a job in Boston and will move there in August. He came up to TC last weekend to see us before the move. A. is so social and loves company of any kind. She latched on to Adam and loved being with him.

My oldest grandson took this picture for us after lunch on Sunday.

I have mixed feelings about my son moving all the way to Boston.  I am happy for him to find a really good job, but will miss him as he will be so far away.  I am close to all my children and always miss the ones that are not near me. My youngest daughter is in CA near San Diego. I am thankful that I am able to visit her and her children in a few weeks. I can't wait to hug those kids. I have already talked to her daughter about my visit and we decided I will go to Disneyland with them while I am there.

I realize it would be rare to have all my children live near me. My Mom had 7 children and 4 of us lived in different states. It's just the way it is now. I am so thankful that my oldest daughter moved back here just 2 years ago. And that my youngest son is here, too.  I'll take my blessings as they come. And I am truly blessed, for sure.

Trip to IN for a Wedding Celebration

Family is very important to me. I have a big family, and love to celebrate everyone's accomplishments/celebrations.  Earlier this month my niece had a destination wedding on a Caribean Island.  She and her husband live in Chicago and decided to have the wedding celebration for family and friends on their rooftop deck.  The party was this past weekend, so A. and I caravaned down to IN with my daughter and her boys.  A. & I stayed at my sister's house, the bride's mother & father. 

We had a great drive down to IN and met other family members at my brother's house. His daughter and granddaughter were travelling from AZ, but didn't arrive when scheduled on Thursday night as there was a power outage at Midway airport and all flights were cancelled. The airline said they couldn't get them on a plane to arrive before late Saturday afternoon. But with a lot of phone calls and persistance, they got on a plane and arrived Friday evening.  While we were awaiting their arrival, other family members filtered in.  A. had a great time running the length of the house with her 1.5 year old cousin, while the guys talked baseball.

I love helping prepare for these parties and spent the evening cutting up fruits and veggies with my sister.  A. and I got to bed late and I started counting the hours of sleep missed.  It really added up over the course of the weekend.

I have learned not to worry about bringing toys for A. to play with.  She just needs one baby and maybe a few accessories that we can keep track of.  She found all the baby stuff at my sister's house and was content playing with the car seat and bumbo.  You wouldn't think a 5 year old could fit in a bumbo, but this one with skinny legs didn't take no for an answer.

And now the party.........view from the roof-top deck.  You can see the Sears Tower (or whatever it is called now) and the Hancock building.  The view behind us (which I didn't take a picture of) showed the Rush Memorial Hospital where we took my Mom for her 2 surgeries and her doctor appointments when she had cancer.

My sister and A.

My niece and great niece.



It was a hot day in Chicago and we drank lots of water. A. loved going up to the deck on the roof with whomever would take her, and then coming right back down again.  She and her second cousin were partners in going up and down.

They have a loft in a building on the west side of Chicago.  This is a candid photo of the kitchen: bride on the left and groom in the middle talking to his mother-in-law, my sister.

This is my great niece with my sister...........

My grandsons--getting through an adult party the best way they could.

I wanted to get a decent shot of the two of us at the party.  We had such a good time.

My sisters-in-law.  These are the greatest ladies I could ever ask for as sisters-in-law. I love them both very much.

This little one kept busy the best way she could, too.

My niece just graduated from college.  Wishing her luck to find a good job.

And now for the family pictures up on the roof-top deck.  Patiently waiting for the rest of the cousins to arrive..........it's really hot up here.

These cousins have a good time together, no matter what.  The younger ones were done with the sun and the heat, though.

My A. loves her second cousin.

 One last quick shot of those who were still there.

I love this woman, the bride, so much.  She is the kindest, sweetest person and deserves all the happiness she can get.  She married a great guy, too.  I wish them both the best of luck.

My sisters................(it got a little windy while taking these pictures)

Add the bride..............

Add the two youngest brothers.............

The two oldest brothers couldn't make it, and we all missed them. 

Our youngest brother had to go home to PA and left Sunday morning.  My two sisters stayed in a motel in Chicago as they stayed at the party til the end.  A. & I had my sister's house to ourselves.  We went to church with my brother and visited with him afterward while strong thunderstorms came through.  The lack of sleep helped me to decide to leave and drive home on Sunday afternoon.  I know it was late to be driving home, but as it stays light in northern Michigan until after 9:30, I decided to go for it.  A. was a champ.  She talks non-stop while I drive, and I sing along with Harry Chapin.  She doesn't watch a movie, just talks......about the cars and trucks that go by, about our cat, but mostly talked about going to a party.  Obviously she had a good time at the party on Saturday.

We got home at 9:30 and A. raced to see where the cat was, stopping only for a second while I took this picture.

On Monday morning she woke up at 6:30--way too early for the amount of sleep she needed. I let her come into my bed, and she fell asleep again, which was good.

It took us 2 nights to make up for our fun weekend.  She slept 12 hours on Monday night.  It's Tuesday night at 8:30 pm and A. is still not asleep.  I think she got used to the late nights, and liked it a little too much.

We had a fun time this weekend, not only going to my niece's party, but just seeing family and catching up on everyone's lives.  It was too short, but better than nothing.  I love my family so much, and love being with them as much as I can.