Brookfield Zoo

We left Courtney's in Coloma at 9 am and got home around 11:30. Another great playdate with the Browns! All the kids got to see what they wanted. Sam-Giraffes, Camy-Alligator, Cole-penguins and Tyler-Orangatan! ahahhaha Ok Tyler, you didn't see an Orangatan but your heart was so set on it and you were so disappointed when we went through the Gorilla house and there wasn't one that we told you the Baboons were Orangatans. Sorry, but it made you happy!
Sam walked round bear foot b/c she got blisters...but not once did she complain...she was a happy girl.
Tyler also got picked to help with the dolphins. He was so excited and proud. He play hide n go seek, he got to make the dolphin spin around and wave. It was fun.
Dolphin, stingrays, gorillas, sharks, bears, giraffes, penguins, aligators and turtles. We pet goats and fed ducks. We laughed and laughed! What a good day.

BB Gun

Tyler recieved a BB gun from Aunt Kathy before she moved and he couldn't wait to use it. So, the kids and I went out to the farm one evening. Tyler got to shoot the gun and pracice his bow. Grandma, Sam and I made refrigerator pickles. It was a great evening!

Sam

BLONDE HAIR BLUE EYES! BEAUTIFUL GIRLS!

My hope for the both of you!

I hope you-
know about hand me down cloths, homemade ice cream and leftover meatloaf sandwiches. I really
would.

I hope you learn humility by being
humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your own bed, mow

the lawn and wash the car. And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car
when you turn sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can
see puppies being born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for
something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your

younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you draw a line down the middle

of the room, but when he/she wants to crawl under the covers with you because
he/she is scared, I hope you let him/her.

When you want to see a movie and your little
brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you will let him/her.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with
your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride,

I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you off two blocks away so you don't
have to be seen riding with someone as un-cool as your mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your dad
teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.

I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read
books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you
also learn to add and subtract in your head..........

I hope you get teased by your friends when

you have your first crush on a boy/girl, and when you talk back to your mother
that you learn what Ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain,
burn your hand on a hot stove, and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer onse, but I

hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you
realize he/she is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch
with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy at
the holidays.

I hope your mother punishes you when you

throw a baseball through your neighbors window and that she hugs and kisses you
at Christmas/Hanukah when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.


These things I wish for you!! tough times

and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to
appreciate life.


I'm here for you. And if I die before you do
, I will go to heaven and wait for you.

Written with a pen, Sealed with a kiss..

Kal Haven Trail

I've wanted to do the kalhaven trail forever and now that Tyler likes to ride his bike and can keep up with us I thought it would be a fun thing to do one evening. The weather was perfect and I could take the bike cart for Sam if she got tired riding her bike (she decided on the bike cart for the WHOLE trip). I asked Grandma Tonda if she wanted to join. We put in at Gobles and rode to Bloomingdale. Tyler wiped out and complained most of the trip there but we stopped and played in a stream which helped for a few. We ended in bloomingdale where Grandma Tonda bought us hot dogs and french fries and we went to the park to have a picnic. It was the best part.

The trip back was a little rough. We left Bloomingdale at 8:30 and started getting dark fast. Then we also realized the trip there was so easy because the trip home was ALL up hill. By the time we got to the truck it was 9:45 and we were all dying.







of course we get silly....

Coast Guard Weekend

The kids and I went to Grand Haven Thursday night to have dinner at the house with Uncle Shaun, Mikiala and Taden. The kids played in the pool and we ended the night with ice cream at Skoops.




Friday we took our time getting around. After lunch we headed to the boat. Dan came into town around 6:30 and then we took the bikes down to the carnival. The kids had a blast. Tyler had a friend Brandon from the boat to ride the rides with. Sam enjoyed being big enough and brave enough to ride the bigger rides. We got back to the boat around 10:30. The kids stayed with G-ma and G-pa while Dan and I headed back to the house to sleep.












We woke to rain Saturday morning. So, Dan and I went to breakfast and met the kids back at the house. No parade for us. It cleared up after lunch and we actually got a boat ride in. After dinner we did one last bike ride for ice cream and then we headed out to the fireworks on the dingy. It was a great evening.






Sunday MY BIRTHDAY...we hit the river and went kayaking.