6.3.2012 Gator Cookies

This'll be quick...just wanted to post my last project.

 These pictures aren't the best...I took them pretty quick this morning before I packed them up, but I wanted to snap a couple of pictures.  Apparently I should have brushed off the cookies crumbs that were on the gator's face.  When Eli saw these, he said 'It's a dragon!'  Close...

I made these for a friend whose son's teacher is a big Gator's fan.  They aren't perfect, but I was pretty pleased with them.

Too bad she's not a Michigan fan.  Those would have been WAY easier :)

5.27.2012 The last bit of Michigan

Just a few pictures of our last couple of days in Michigan

 Eli didn't have a bathing suit that fit him, so I got him (what else...) a Lightning McQueen swim suit.  Doesn't he look like he could be a model? :)

 Leah playing with Aunt Randee.  This girl loves her pacifier...

 Aunt Randee having a 'turn'

 'Give it back!'

 Leah got in the water.  She LOVES the water.  The only problem is, she doesn't really love to be held.  So she swam with water wings AND an inner-tube thing.  She had a blast floating around.

 I actually got in the water :)

 Adriana helping Matthias learn how to swim.

 Aunt Randee & Parker (and baby Syndey...though she's a little hidden in mommy's belly)

 Leah loved jumping in too.

 After swimming we had a bonfire.

 Leah loved running around barefoot.  I loved not having to put shoes on the kids for a couple of weeks.

 Rick putting Isaiah to work...

 Kristi and her baby :)

 ATTACK!

 Isaiah showing off his trampoline skills.

 This is the problem with bare feet...the pool was not bath enough :)  However, this evening Leah went to bed with these dirty feet.  I didn't feel like giving her a bath-I wanted to sit around the fire :)  So I just brushed them off.  She got a good bath the next day...

 These two are so cute together!

 Eli's first time doing sparklers.

 The birds coming back north :)

 The next day the kiddos played on the trampoline.  (No shoes+no shirt=fun times!  Well...for boys anyway.)

Fun cousins!

We had so much fun on our visit-it went WAY too fast, and was filled with many very fun days.  It was good to get back home to Edgar and my house though too :)  Though I will surely miss the weather...and the soft grass.

Until next time :)

5.26.2012 Fun on the Farm

On Saturday Rick and Kristi had their End of the Year party at Mom & Dad's house.

Leah LOVES playing with Adriana.

Happy girl!

Oops.  This picture belonged in the previous post.  While all of the partying was going on, mom was busy playing with her quilting machine.  Have I mentioned that this thing is cool?

Parker is so cute!  He was over playing by himself just having a blast.

Eli and Leah went over to visit the cats.

A fun family picture :)

Rick and Kristi filled a ton of water balloons for the party.  I tried to help, but somehow have managed to loose all of my balloon tying ability.

Leah was happy to help fill the water guns.

They made a slip 'n slide out of a giant tarp, then used the hose and dish soap to make it slippery.

The kids had a blast even though the water was VERY cold.

Kristi did not escape getting wet :)

Eli and Isaiah got in a little water fight...though I think Isaiah won :)  Eli liked carrying the water gun around.

Leah wanted to get in on the action too :)

It was a very fun day-the kids were nice an exhausted at the end of the day (and very dirty) so you know it was a good day :)

5.26.2012 Mom's new toy

Some people retire and have big plans of sitting on the front porch, sipping lemonade the rest of their life.  Not my mom...

 My mom buys cool new toys.  This is mom's new quilting machine.  It can quilt up to a king size quilt.  It's AWESOME.

 This is where you sew/steer this machine.  You stand and move the handles and sew all along the quilt.

 You have to pin the bottom, batting and quilt top to the machine just right. 

Saturday was the first time mom quilted anything.  She was just using some practice material, and free-handed this pumpkin.  The machine is so cool!  Now I really want to get Leah's quilt done so mom can quilt the top for me :)

Mom got the machine going really good, and quilted some really cool stuff, but I didn't get many pictures.  I'll try and get a few more pictures before I go.

SO, in the end, I'm pretty sure mom won't be bored through her retirement!

5.25.2012 The Little Guys

Just a couple of pictures from Friday :)

 Leah loves this little swing set.  (Which makes me believe she would love a big play set in our backyard... :) )

 She also enjoys Grandpa's hammock.  (Although she's fallen off it a couple of times.  Good thing the grass is soft in Michigan.

 Parker giving Matthias a push :)

Something tells me these 3 are conspiring together to do something crazy...three little daredevils...watch out! :)

5.24.2012 Visiting Grandpa

On Thursday we went up to visit Grandpa.

Mom had talked to his nurse that day and she said he was having a good day.  He was all dressed and ready to go when we got there.

 We took him out to the courtyard for a little fresh air.

 Eli gave Grandpa a hug.

 Leah was a little timid and didn't want to give him a hug, so she ran around in the courtyard entertaining all of us.

 My handsome little boy.

 Grandpa seemed to be in a really good mood, and enjoyed the sun.

Such a special man, and such a privilege to bring my children to see him!