Ionia Free Fair

We had a great time at the fair on Saturday. It was a free fair, with a free circus, and we even parked across the street for free parking. Chris is not a huge fan of the fair scene but we all had a great time. The swords the boys 'won' for picking a duck out of a pool were definitely not free but they were totally worth it.

Going to a fair on a cloudy day totally reminded me of going to the Oregon State Fair as a kid. I loved going with my family and coming home with some item that my Dad won for me. I remember tolerating an hour of walking through cows, bunnies and shammy cloth booths so that I could go on rides. I remember going on the SuperLoop with my mom and watching her get scared for the first time in my life. I remember my Dad buying a bag of cotton candy and getting like one bite because we had to split it among all 7 members of my family.

This trip my fond memories were... smelling something new each time I took a breath, watching the funniest little clown act I have ever seen (a trained dog dressed like an elephant stuffed animal who played dead for a long time - I thought it was a robot), watching my boys walk proudly down the midway with their swords and sheaths attached to their belt loops, Alex climbing to the top of the big slide by himself carrying his potato sack, helping Aaron go potty in a porta-potty and explain to him that "no we can't flush this one".

Bunk Beds!

Chris assembled bunk beds for the boys room yesterday. It made us both feel a bit old as we realize our boys are getting big. The boys loved the bunk beds and spent most of the day climbing up and down, and of course, jumping off the ladder on to the floor.

The great thing is that we already had this trundle bed that slides under perfectly. After seeing that his room now sleeps 3, he said "when you grow another baby he can sleep there" I am not pregnant now, but someday we will have three kids in that room... maybe four. I'm sure we could pack them in.

Sharon (Chris' mom) bought these great bedding set for the boys when Aaron was born and that was so nice to have all new stuff. Thank you Sharon!

This week in boyhood

These guys love Chris' tool box.

Aaron hasn't worn a shirt in weeks.

Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting

House updates

I wish I had a before/after picture for you.  We just replaced our dining room and entry lights and oh what a difference it has made. 

Our camping trip

I took the boys camping last night. Chris is in Washington D.C. this week so it was just me and the boys. I had to make a trip to Grand Rapids for a doctor appointment with an SCI specialist at Mary Free Bed Hospital. After the appointment was finished we continued on to the Lake Michigan campsite at Muskegon State Park. It was a great campground right on the beach with great accessibility features. Although we couldn't really utilize them all because it rained/drizzled the whole time. After spending an hour in the tent where the boys and I drew pictures... read books... and realized that we'd rather be outside in the rain than stuck in the tent. 

I got a fire started in the rain. It was a proud moment. Not so good for little Aaron. He burned his hand on the roaster stick while I was handing the man my camera.

The boys loved having their own flashlight. Aaron especially liked the head lamp.

It was cold, windy, and overcast at 10 am this morning, yet the beach was still so fun.

Their faces were filthy the whole time. It was awesome!

This picture was taken next to my artwork that was purchased by Mary Free Bed Hospital.  It was fun to see it on the walls. It was even more exciting for the doctor to walk into the exam room and say "So you are the artist! I love your piece!" I was thrilled.  I'm still smiling about it. I have never had art out in public before - its very exciting.

My little patch of heaven

The humidity broke today and the weather is perfect! Chris left for Washington DC yesterday for a conference, so the boys and I spent this morning hanging out enjoying what our own yard has to offer. I love where we live. We have been in this house for 2 years and I still am in awe of the surroundings. Being on the river, towered over by a huge canopy of trees, having the art studio, and now a new swingset (thank you Chris)  

Chris built this swingset a couple weeks ago. The boys love it and use it all the time. Chris burried those 12 foot posts in almost 4 feet of concrete underground. Its pretty sweet.

The window box plants are growing out of control. I planted those flowers from seeds and they have grown wild. It was the first time I have ever had success growing a plant from a seed. 

The boys had a great time painting in the art studio. I love working right along side those boys in there.

Here are some more pictures of what the art studio looks like. The posters on the wall are a timeline of art history from the begining. It was a project I did in college and I actually use it. Amazing.

Summer Fun

This summer has been relaxed and pretty uneventful so far- which is exactly what the boys love. They have been having fun at neighbors, swinging on their new swingset, going to our very own "beach" at Lake Lansing, and wearing their bat masks when its not too hot.