Keeping up with the news!

The boys are so excited it's Coast Guard Festival time! They have been eagerly looking at the paper here every day because there are so many fun pictures of all the activities going on, the ships and the big red helicopter. This is what I found them doing at breakfast yesterday, it was soooooo cute!

Pretty in pink?

Jonathan has a new accessory, much to his father's and grandfather's dismay. I actually think he looks very pretty!

He wore his bow that cousin Ella gave him to the beach, all around the cottages and home and was furious we would not let him wear it to bed. He didn't care that his grandfather he is named after called him "sissy boy" all day. He was pink and PROUD of it!

He still wants the bow back and is not very happy that Daddy made us return it to cousin Ella today, especially since he picked out a pink shirt to wear with it today!

Rain, rain, go AWAY!!

BIG NEWS!! KATY NEWMAN IS NOW 9 YEARS OLD!!!

Today was the big celebration and she made sure to announce the celebration to anyone she could as often as she could. I also got her into making a big deal of her "birthday eve" as I like to call it. She will also have a big party back home in Ohio when they get home so she's learning quickly to make each birthday into as long of a celebration as she can like her Aunt Laurie is known to do.

It was a rainy, not so nice day but the sun came back out late in the afternoon just in time for the party and then a good storm rolled through once we got home. Two very tired sleepy boys in bed dreaming of the HUGE pieces of cake and pile of ice cream Uncle Doug gave them saying it was revenge for the sugar I may or may not have ever given their girls. I plead the fifth.

A day with the girls

Aunt MaryAnne and Uncle Doug and the girls are here. They will be in Grand Haven for two weeks, spending a few days with us and then moving to the cottage.

This morning the boys had swim lessons, only one more week left of those. We played at the Imagination Station at the Y afterwards and then had the must have Pronto Pup lunch and walked a bit downtown before hitting the beach.

All of the kids played really well together today, it was fun to watch them. A lot of people are in GH now for their annual visits and it was fun to see so many people MA and I played with as kids and their kids playing with ours. Another generation is building memories and friendships. Our family is now 5 generations into the cottage association, there are many other families who have ties for years as well. It's very special.

A big day!

Yesterday was a very big day. First, it was the boys' first dental appointment. I was a bit nervous that they would be scared but they were real champs and did very well. They actually got CHOCOLATE flavored tooth polish and loved it. No cavaties and a great report from Dr. Bill.

Then, we hit the farmer's market and picked up some corn. Michigan corn is in and it was really good last night. We will have to go get a lot more Saturday. The boys each ate 2 ears and wanted more!

We spent the afternoon in Papa Mark's pool yesterday. It was Grandma Kris's birthday and Papa's is next week so we had a joint celebration with Grandma Kelley and Kris' mom Jane here too.

The boys love the pool and that is an understatement! They are now jumping from the sides and steps and going all the way to the bottom of the pool and back up. Repeat 1000 times. No wonder they were able to eat such a good dinner. Dad made his famous ribs and the boys went to town.

The best part of the night was the cake candles. The boys had never seen the ones that keep relighting and they were laughing so hard. It's really hard to take video of this when I am laughing and shaking the camera!

Happy birthdays Grandma Kris and Papa Mark, thanks for the fun day!

Now, we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of Aunt Mary Anne and her girls on Sunday. They will be with us for a few days and then move over to the cottage for a little over a week. We have lots of fun planned on top of Coast Guard Festival events. Can't wait!

Lazy days of summer

Well, Matthew recovered from his bug. Yesterday at the beach Jonathan came down with it and by the time we got home he had a 102 fever. He's feeling better tonight after a day on the couch so lets hope he is ok to go tomorrow.

Matthew and I headed to the beach for the afternoon. The GH pole vaulting event is this weekend with competitors from around the area and country and they are right on our beach. It's quite the setup that seems to get bigger each year.

We enjoyed a beautiful afternoon and the water was clear and warm as can be. There have been some big waves this week so there is a huge sandbar and it's made a nice little swim area, then the big sandbar which is only about ankle deep goes out a good 15-20 feet. Matthew spent hours running across the sandbar and jumping into the swim area. He had a ball, singing and laughing the whole time, all by himself. I had to force him to come home and it was six o'clock!!!

We had some quick storms come through last night. There were some water spouts in the lake just off GH and a huge rainbow when the storm ended. Pretty gorgeous.

We watched a great deal of the funeral for the Grand Rapids PD officer today, they did a wonderful job with organizing that huge event. It was very emotional and touching and difficult to watch. They had officers from over 125 departments in the US and Canada and even one from Glasgow, Scotland. It has been a tragic week but the GRPD should be very proud of the day today and how they have handled themselves. Rest in peace Officer Kozminski.

One other note. Having the boys take turns being sick this week has given me a chance to spend some time alone with each of them. I have really enjoyed this rare one on one and talking to each of them. They are a joy to be with and they are such happy little boys who are growing up FAR too quickly!! I wish I could keep them four for a long time. We're having so much fun listening to them and watching them learn and grow. Every year they seem to age alot in the summer from spending time with all the bigger cousins and kids at the beach. They are confident and getting better at being more outgoing around adults. I just love my boys, I can't even explain it.

Family time, vacation time!

The cousins on the steps. Ella was in bed and Matthew was sick. In the lower one we told them to all make a silly face.

The big group of family has left. Just my dad and Uncle Tom are at the cottage now and it's pretty quiet! We took Dad out for dinner tonight to celebrate his birthday belatedly. Had a little rain coming in but not near what we NEED, it's so darn dry!

Today was my last day working for a couple weeks. I go back the last weekend in July and work 3 days and then I get another week off. It's been really busy in the 911 center the last few days. They had a big fire, a bad fatal accident, a drowning and other calls galore. It's really the busy time of year with all the tourists in the area too. Our hearts also go out to Grand Rapids Police Department who lost a young officer in the line of duty in a shooting this past weekend. What a horrible tragedy.

VACATION TIME!!! Can't wait!!

Want more photos???

Rather than upload so many pictures here, which takes a long time, I have put a link to our Flickr website off to the right side of this page. I will upload a lot of pictures there. There are now new pictures from the 4th, our trip to Michigan Adventure, the beach and the pool with all of our cousins.

We have had a wonderful weekend with family. My uncle, his three daughters (and their families) and my sister and her family have all been here. The boys have lots of cousins to play with and have had so much fun.

Sadly, today Matthew woke up with a bug and got sick and has a fever. Daddy stayed home with him and Jonathan and I went to the beach for the afternoon. Hot, hot, hot! Water is still a bit chilly but tolerable. We went back tonight for a big family dinner, we brought spaghetti sauce. We celebrated cousin Emma's 5th birthday and Uncle Tom's birthday. We also had a show late tonight on the deck with songs from cousins Katy and Katie and friends Sophie and Morgan. I will load pictures tomorrow. Neighbors from many cottages came down the hill to attend the standing room only show, what a night!

Tomorrow we part ways. I have promised to take Lainey to the movies for her birthday so that may be in order in the morning. There is a high wind warning for tomorrow so while it will be hot the sand may be too much for us. We'll see.

Matthew in the pool.




I love this picture of Jonathan.










This is how quickly the boys move, it's actually them on the spinning teeter totter!







Summer is just flying by so quickly but what great times we are having! I am suddenly very far behind on posting about our adventures. I will try to recap with the highlights.

I need to be more careful how I phrase things

Yesterday at the beach Matthew let out several very loud burps in a row.

I told him that girls wouldn't want to be around him if he kept doing that out loud.

He looked at me for a moment and then said, "Cooooool."



The boys had a great time playing with cousin Katie Schmidt and her friend Morgan. They built a large sand castle, made friendship bracelets, tried to learn how to cartwheel, enjoyed piggyback rides, played in the water (not for long, it's only about 55 degrees!!!) and enjoyed a long lazy day at the beach. We had dinner at Cozy Corner with all the cousins and family, Sarah made delicious ribs for all.

Today, it is cloudy and we are going to try Michigan Adventure for a few hours. The Newmans should be on their way from Cinci and here this afternoon. It's looking to be a chance of rain for the 4th but there will still be lots of fun. I have to work but the boys and Daddy will have fun and then the boys get a day with Aunt Mary Anne on Thursday.

I have been slacking on pictures but I will take the camera today to Michigan Adventure. I am hoping the kids will join up to go on the rides and I can excuse myself so I can take pics. I twisted my ankle on the beach yesterday so it will be slow going for me, never fails!

Stay tuned.....things are really heating up here on the shores of Lake Mich!

June Recap

Slip and slide has been a big hit this summer.

Hayley likes to get in on the action too!

We are most thrilled by "big red helicopter" sightings and the whole beach hears about it!

On the way to "Thomas, Live on Stage" with Grandma Kris and Papa Mark.

In the pool pyramid.

Trying to keep dry!

It's been a long, hot, dry month of June. Beautiful beach days, swimming lessons, hours in the pool, playgrounds, bike rides and of course lots of ice cream cones, the boys are having a wonderful summer.

Every Monday they have swim lessons at the YMCA and they have learned to float and kick and swim underwater. We have been working with them in the pool at Papa Mark's and they are really doing well swimming with and without their swim floats. The new thing is they got snorkels and goggles and will swim for ages with those. They hum and sing the whole time they are underwater. It's pretty funny!

We've spent many days at the beach and things are full swing in Highland Park now. The rest of the family will begin arriving this weekend and things will get even busier.

We saw a beautiful pink sunset tonight at Uncle's Bill's Coop with cousin Mary. The boys watered all their flowers and pretended to canoe in a canoe on the beach as we visited.

Zinged twice in an hour by a four year old!

The boys got two new Thomas trains each today. They were trading them back and forth and deciding who would keep which one. Jonathan gave Matthew Emily but not her coal tender. I told them that Emily would need her tender and they asked me why. I told them the tender carried the coal that Emily needed to make her go.

In unison, without pause they said, "But mom, WE make the trains go!"

Then, Jonathan says, "Mom, you're full of it"!!!!!!!!


Short time later Jonathan was in the middle of one of his neverending question sessions which never stop until you distract him.

I said, "Jonathan, why do you ask so many questions?".

"Mom, why do you know all the answers?"

Sometimes I feel like I am playing "Are you smarter than a four year old?" and the game never ends!

My lillies......well, almost

The lillies have been ready to bloom for about a week. I noticed last night 2 of them had and were gorgeous and reminded myself to take pictures of them today.

Well, Jonathan found them first. He says he wanted to see if they would grow back like the impatiens are after the deer ate them.

No more lillies this year.

Life's a Beach

Well, it is for the Bil Mar. The DEQ turned down the waterfront restaurants appeal on their plans to rebuild the restaurant with underground parking and all. HOORAY!!! We do not approve or want a bigger restaurant in front of the cottage and we sure don't trust them to build what their plans show. This whole thing has been a disaster for two years as they have been trying to rebuild.

The boys had a fun day yesterday with Grandma Cindy and Papa Terry. They went on a trolley ride, the green trolley downtown. Said they loved it.

They spent over four hours in the pool at Papa Mark's in the afternoon yesterday. They are getting really brave and jump off the side and the steps into the pool now. Only a matter of time before they are jumping off the diving board, I am sure it will happen this summer. They got snorkels and fins for the pool and had fun with those.

We went to the beach today, beautiful day but the water is a bit cold, not that that stops the boys from going in. We had a visit from Uncle Tom for awhile and from friend Panda (her name is Brenda but the boys named her Panda last year). Great afternoon, we didn't want to come home.

At one point Jonathan was pestering Matthew who was trying to build something in the sand. Matthew leaned over and yelled, "Jonathan, you are RUINING my life!" They crack me up!

Another day at the beach coming up tomorrow. I love this time of year.

Full, fun, sunny weekend!

Not much relaxing around this house.

Saturday we headed out to Michigan Adventure Amusement park. Aunt Mary Anne and family gave the boys season passes for Christmas and Jeff and I bought them for each other so we plan to go alot this summer. It's the biggest amusement park in Michigan and, as they bill it, "two parks for the price of one" as they have a water park side as well.

We decided to just do the rides this time. You have to be 42 inches tall with shoes to ride most of the bigger rides, luckily for us Matthew is our brave boy and is usually first in line and he is JUST at 42 inches (maybe a bit shy) with his fast shoes on so Jonathan usually didn't get measured. Good thing, because he's a bit shorter.

We did many rides, the boys went on everything they could including two roller coasters. One they liked so much they got right back in line and did it again! They did: Ferris wheel (once they figured you didn't go upside down!), log ride, frog hopper, tilt-a-wirl, motorcycles, airplanes, helicopters, boats, all kinds of fun rides. We spent 5 good hours there and will go back many more times now that we realize it's only 22 miles from home!

We left the park and spent a couple hours at the beach. There is something so pretty about the beach at 7 pm after all the crowds head out and the water glistens as the sun starts to get lower on the horizon. It was hard to leave.

Sunday morning we met up with Grandma Kris and Papa Mark and went for a pontoon boat ride. Pretty fancy pontoon boat! It had a sink with running water and a potty on it! The boys loved seeing all the other boats. We saw a sailboat race at the yacht club and the big red helicopter from the Coast Guard. We also saw fish, turtles, herons, swans and lots of signets and lots of duck families. We had a picnic lunch and headed back about 2pm.

We went to the beach afterwards and stayed until 7 again. Daddy brought one happy Hayley dog down for a swim and we were one tired family by the end of the day.

The deer ate all the impatiens Uncle Tom planted in the park by the cottage. They are all about 1 inch tall now, poor things. Need to see if we can spray the bed with something to deter them. You could even see the footprints where they got up and walked in the flower bed!

The boys had their first swim lesson at the YMCA this morning. Grandma Cindy and Papa Terry took them. There are four little boys in the class and one of the other two has the same last name as us without the extra E, the teacher thought she had triplets in the class. They had a great time and will go on Monday mornings all summer long.

Summer has arrived in Grand Haven, it's going to be in the 80's and sunny all week. Papa Pete is coming for the weekend so we'll have to do a dinner for Father's Day. Jeff got a grill from Home Depot Friday night that is his present. I told the boys to tell him "happy father's day" and they said, "Why? He's not a father, he's a daddy!" Can't argue that one!

The playscape saga continues...

The playscape is moved, set in cement and all the pieces put back together but it still has no roof. The best plans went awry when our third helper got set to come assist Jeff and his friend Jason. Helper #3 is a deputy, a k9 deputy, and I ended up having to send him on a track instead of helping Jeff that day. The roof is just too heavy and will take at least three people to lift so it will continue to sit until we can recruit more help.

We had a hot, thunderstormy weekend with intervals of sunshine. We did get up to Highland Park to see the Stevensons who were here from St Louis celebrating their son George's high school graduation by renting a cottage and bringing guests here. Got part of a beach day in and then the rain came.

The boys refuse to wear anything other than short sleeve shirts and "short sleeve pants"! They are getting tan despite the 50 sunscreen they wear at the beach but they spend almost all day every day outside playing. They are excited they can touch the bottom of the pool at grandpa's this year and we need to find them some swimming lessons. Matthew is jumping off the steps into the pool and from the sides too. Jonathan isn't quite as brave yet but he will be soon. They are still in swim vests in the pool but we have dropped them from the beach. I guess we will bring them if it's rough but so far the boys just stay in the shallow water and play.

Wednesday and Thursday of this week are their last days with their current daycare lady. They have been with her for two years now so it will be a big change next fall. They had a couple other kids there with them on days with her. They will go to daycare at our church beginning in late August. The four year old class has about 15 kids we think so it will be a good step up before beginning school the next year. The boys are really excited about it.

Even more fun, they will spend the summer this year again with their grandparents on days I work. I am sure they will have lots of adventures. We are lucky enough to have Jeff's dad and stepmom living here in town and Jeff's mom and stepdad live about 2 hrs away and they come to play too.

We also got season passes to Michigan Adventure for this summer and we are looking forward to spending some fun times at the amusement park/waterpark. We are going to go this Saturday and see what it's all about. I'm not sure if the boys or Jeff are more excited about all the rides!

We finally sold the minivan, they are on the way to pick it up as I type. It will be great to get that off the driveway. I am just not a minivan mom, I need windows that open and a sunroof and a car that can handle snow better so we've moved on to a GMC Acadia and I love that car!

Screams in the night

4 A.M. and bloodcurdling screams.

"Moooooooom!!"

Mooooommmmmm!!"

Not the usual half awake middle of the night cries which usually signal thirst or need to go potty but the heart-stopping, horrible screams when something is really wrong.

Jeff and I nearly run each other over trying to get into the boys' room to see what is wrong.

It's Jonathan.

"What's the matter Jonathan, what's wrong?"


Jonathan answers softly, "I don't know...." and then rolls over and goes back to sleep.





There is nothing good on tv at 4 A.M. and I have to be up at 5.

It was a long day.

Why are we blogging?

So part of my reasoning for beginning a blog was to share and be able to remember some of the funny things the boys say and do. I'll also share some of the funny 911 stories along the way.

This story has made quite the rounds already and seems to be a favorite. It's a prime example of how these boys are just too smart for their own good and how Jeff and I are doomed.


Last week during the garage sale chaos the boys kept getting in trouble for riding their bikes and toys too close to the cars and in the garage between the tables. Finally, they lost their bikes for a couple days and we had a long talk about needing to listen to grownups and paying attention.

Right after our chat I took the boys to go pick up pizza. In the parking space next to my car was a puddle of oil from another car. I told each boy to be careful not to step in the oil as they got out of the car. When we came out I reminded them again. As Jonathan got in the car he said he stepped in the oil!! I asked him why and he said he wanted to see what it would be like. GRRRR!!! So I told him his crocs were mine for a week and he could not have them back.

Five minutes after we got home he comes running out of the house wearing crocs.....I told him he wasn't allowed to wear his crocs. Jonathan says, "Oh, these aren't mine, they're Matthew's, I paid him a quarter to wear his!" !!!!!!!!!!!!!

The sad part is it was MY quarter too, I dropped it when I paid for the pizza and Jonathan wanted to hold it and said he would give it back to me at home!!!!

The Grand Debut

To blog or not to blog? Good question. I have been trying to decide that for quite some time. I read and enjoy several blogs now and have decided to join the ranks, what the heck?

This is going to be a work in progress and we'll see how it goes. Summer tends to be a busy time for us so who knows how far I will get right away but I'm going to give it a chance.

Spent a beautiful day at the beach with the boys today. Not many people around yet but it was hot and hazy and the water up to 68 degrees according to my handy thermometer I keep in the "mom backpack". We spent a lot of time splashing each other and throwing buckets of water. The boys were adorable in new American flag swim trunks and flag t-shirts. They're getting really good at wearing their own backpacks to the beach so they can help alleviate me looking like a total pack mule as we trek across the sand. So far they only carry their own kid size towels, a bucket, a scoop, a sand rake, and a watering can. I still carry sunscreen (various spf formulas for both kids and adults), bug spray, my towel, snacks galore, the aforementioned thermometer, wipes, my book (why? I don't usually read it), drinks in the drink cooler, my chair and cell phone and keys. There has to be an easier way!! It's totally worth it.

The boys are learning the words to Jimmy Buffett songs as we travel around town, makes for lots of fun in the car and is helping me stay sane instead of hearing their other "favorite" songs repeatedly all day long. This mom can only take so much "Choo Choo Soul ABC's"!!

Jeff and his wonderful friend Jason began a huge project of moving the playscape from the neighbors to our yard over Memorial Day weekend. Cousin Jamie helped one day too. No one knew what a big job this was going to be. It's getting there but will not be finished until more help comes this weekend to lift the heavy roof onto the top. I sure hope the boys appreciate and play with this thing!