Chickens on the 4th

Take one look at these pictures and you'll know exactly why I question my firework purchase every year. I don't know any kids who are more skiddish to loud noises than these three. Seriously ... who grabs dad's noise cancelling headphones and jumps into the back of the car to watch fireworks??? My kids, that's who. Big chickens!

Happy 4th of July all!

Kids Bowl Free

We signed up for the "Kids Bowl Free" program this summer.

Here's a few pics of our family's love for bowling (and each other).

Steve's b-day

Happy Birthday Steve

Seriously ... 34?? How is that possible?!?

Only one more birthday as a law student?
... seriously?? How is THAT possible?!?

I'm continually amazed at how you handle the stress of law school and balance it with healthy doses of family life and church callings. You are amazing!!

Viewers please note ... it's summer in Michigan
wherin ice cream in waffle cups becomes the perfect substitute for baking a cake in this weather.

CHICAGO!

A few fun pictures of our AWESOME weekend in ...

Chicago!

Took the train and played this game the whole way.

Super fun ... but Steve won WAY too many rounds!

Took a boat "architecture tour" down the Chicago river. We learned a lot about who built the different skyscrapers and why they designed them the way they did. We learned all about the great Chicago fire and why it was responsible for making Chicago the "birthplace of the skyscraper". We found it all very fascinating.

View from the giant ferris wheel at Navy Pier.

View OF the giant ferris wheel at Navy Pier.

Stain glass window exhibit.

More stain glass

and even more stain glass ... this one is over 5 ft tall. Just beautiful.

The city at night...

The Chicago River all lit up.

Michigan Avenue

Watching the bridges open up to let the sailboats through.

Us at the Michigan Ave bridge.

Seriously, so cool.

Taking a water taxi to Sears tower.

The Sears tower ... tallest building in the western hemisphere. See those four tiny white boxes sticking out near the top? Turns out they're ... (see below)

Yikes! They're observation deck windows ...

This is the street/river view from 103 stories up!

View of the city from the highest vantage point available.

What a fun get-a-way. Loved this two day event!

To R Dad ...

hAppY FaTheR's daY!!

These kids have the BEST dad. He takes them on bike rides, plays board games almost every day, explains the scriptures as we read each night before bed, climbs trees, "roughs up", and tells them that he LOVES them. Lucky kids!

And the winner is ...

Remember the tomato contest Sunny was in with Uncle Rick and Grandpa?

The contest that awarded bragging rights to the gardener who could grow the first edible tomato of the season? Remember my previous post, showing my little Green Thumb's progress. Remember how she's spent the last month tending to her precious little sprouts ... watering on hot days and covering on cold nights? Remember ... remember ...

The following picture is probably the saddest one I've taken ALL year ...

Varmint holes! At least a half dozen of them all over my little angel's garden.

And the tomatoes ... yep, MIA.

Ooh, darn those tomato stealing gophers!

Thankfully ...

I noticed the missing tomatoes before she did,

and thankfully ...

I had a couple of on-the-vine guys on my counter

and thankfully ...

I wasn't caught hanging them on the tomato cage.

You should have heard her excitement,

"Oh ... my ... gosh, Mom, I WIN, I WIN!!!"

phew - crisis averted, summer salvaged, child's emotions in tact.
Do I feel bad about "lying" to my 5 year old?

Not even for a second!

And miracle of miracles ... she even tasted the prize winner for herself.

Congratulations, little Green Thumb!

(Oh, and gopher ... I've got my eye on you.)

Butterflies ...

This post is just a little out of order ... yes, secret's out ... my life does get a little out of order sometimes.

We had such a great time at this year's MSU butterfly exhibit. Had the whole place to ourselves and the butterflies were litterally all over us! We were doing ok until one of those little guys decided to flap it's way over to Ike's face. What a funny little guy ... put him three feet from a screaming freight train, no problem ... but let a butterfly near his head and it's meltdown city!

(Photos courtsey of our personal photographer Emily)