One Last Hurrah

Two weeks ago the kids and I traveled to Wisconsin for my family reunion.

Each year they rent a beautiful Christian camp facility near my parents; we had a blast!

Despite the rustic, relaxed environment, we did some swimming,

some tubing,

...and lots of general catching up.

My mother exercisd her spiritual gift of Grandmothering,

...my girls and I spent some much-needed snuggle time together,

...and we did some extra-fun activities.

(EXTRA-fun.)

Grandpa and Great-Gram got in on the fun...

...and we saw relatives that we seldom get to see!

My kids LOVE being in the country.

My folks, my Gram, and my sis-in-law.

Love this lady:

We even stampeded a fish hatchery together!

 (It was rainy and cool.)

Hand-on museum of sorts for the kiddos...

Nate, you'd better take those girlies fishing!

Hurray for cousins!

We love to be with family!  The reunion was a fantastic way to close out this great summer vacation!

Wanted: Personal Assistant!

The Proverbs 31 woman had hired help.  Someday I hope to be like her, especially in that respect.  Currently on my to-do list:

1. Function as Director of the 4's, 5's, and K's, and also a Team Leader, in our church's Vacation Bible School program.
2. Fill out & submit health insurance paperwork for myself and all three girls.
3. Get in approximately 1000 hours of piano practice. 
4. Self-medicate a mild but irritating case of poison ivy.
5. Finish weeding the garden. 

6. Get my house clean enough to live in safely.
7. Stake the tomato plants.
8. Try not to scratch poison ivy rashes.
9. Determine why we keep getting overcharged by our cell phone company.
10. Continue training the baby to keep her shoes on.

11. Maintain a positive attitude while scaling the steep slope of Mt. Laundry.
12. Get back on The Exercise Bandwagon.
13. Get back on The Read-Thru-The-Bible-In-A-Year Bandwagon.
14. Get back on The Blogging Bandwagon.  (Clearly, I am the picture of motivation.)
15. Keep working on balancing my out-of-home job (secondary!) with my in-home jobs (primary!).
16. Take Ellia's 3-year pictures.

17. Go grocery shopping.
18. Dust.
19. Find and eliminate the poison ivy in my yard.
20. Scrub the bathtub. 
21. No longer judge any busy woman who has a dirty bathtub.
22. No longer judge any mother whose children are a little bit wild.
23. Plan a menu.
24. Find a way to deter the resident mole from tunneling through our front lawn. 
25. Fill the birdfeeder.  Poor little things!
26. Finish pulling weeds in the driveway.
27. (Ugh, good grief.)  CLEAN EYEGLASSES, for Pete's sake.
28. Continue treating Brienna's sunburn.  (Yes, I am the leading candidate for Worst Mom Ever Award.)

29. Establish meaningful contact with my parents, who by now have probably concluded that I am dead or dying.
30. Go through every belonging we possess & purge ruthlessly for a garage sale.
31. Obtain cheap yet sturdy school clothing for Olivia.

and et cetera... 
Anyone out there up for the job?

July 4th Weekend: Day Two

After an unsuccessful attempt at a parade (24 hours late.  Oops.), we trooped off to find some water instead. 

Brienna has learned how to drink from a cup.  She loves it. 

(My goodness, those thigh rolls look delicious!)

She doesn't like hats, though.  She kept doing this:

We also did a Cousins photo shoot.  Since my camera was drawing a shuddering last breath at the time, this is the only one which was salvageable.  Leah (Shannon's oldest) and Livvie got along exceedingly well this time--they are so funny together.

After supper, we headed out to Point Betsie on Lake Michigan.  Ellia grew more and more comfortable in the water, with Daddy's help.

Olivia was crazier than ever.

And Brienna was quite content to walk around and around a fallen log.

Since it was really hazy and overcast, we didn't bother to stay til sunset, as we usually do.  It was still pretty, though.

Just before the day was done (okay, so it was after 9 p.m.!), we snapped a couple more shots of the girlies.

... and with this adorable photo, my trusty old camera breathed its last. 

July 4th Weekend: Day One

We spent the holiday weekend with Nate's family up in Beulah, Michigan.  It was lovely to spend the days sitting in the yard, playing at the beach, and watching the rugrats run around.  (There are 12 in all, although not all of them can run yet.)  We got up there about 24 hours before the rest of the group did, so we spent the first day with just our little family.  First we did the Pierce Stocking drive, and it was a perfectly glorious (albeit windy!) afternoon for it!

Livvie peers over the 450-foot bluff from the #9 Overlook.

(Would you just LOOK at that hair!)

Ellia & I at the Dunes bluff, with Lake Michigan in the background.  That water doesn't even look real!

Family Photo Op

After the scenic drive, we headed over to Otter Creek so the kids could get wet.

Livvie is in love with her arm floaties.  But since the water was so cold, she never got in deep enough to need them.

Brienna was stunning in her bathing suit.

But the other pose is what makes me smile...

...yep, that one!

(Not the swimsuit wedgie so much as the thunder thighs.)

In a rare display of affection, the big girls hold hands for a walk down the beach.  This might be my favorite picture from the whole weekend.

Since it was our first day on the beach, Ellia wasn't too thrilled with the sun-&-sand sensations.  She got into it later on.  But Olivia loved it all!

Stine Family Reunion, 2010

In loving memory of the two people who were with us last year
and who are in Heaven this year...

Grandpa, promoted to glory December 12,

Troy, promoted to glory September 30.