A bed at Beaumont

 Unfortunate situations are always better with a friend and a good book.

 On day two the nurse allowed him to walk in the hall and he thought he was pretty big stuff. 

We still aren't sure if it was allergies or a virus that triggered this little unfortunate adventure but either way E landed himself in the hospital shortly after the school year started with labored breathing and possible pneumonia. It was a scary morning before the ER visit but he perked up immediately upon getting IV fluids and antibiotics. I did spend  the night with him, but thankfully he recovered super fast and we headed home the next day. He was such a brave trooper through all the procedures and prodding and the cool gifts from the nurses were a big bonus. 

Back to school 6th and 1st grade

Just like that...our summer of fun together is over. I really REALLY am one of those moms who loves the summer with my kids at home. They truly are my heart and I love that they still love to be with me doing things and going on adventures together. It was a beautful summer in MI, but  now on to more learning and reuniting with old friends and making new friends in school. They were both pretty ready and happy to return, but yes, that is a cast on C. He took on the trampoline and the trampoline won just a few days before school started. 

Soaking up the last of summer

 We had a busy summer with baby fawns in our yard. On several occassions we had brand new babies get left for the day by their moms in our yard. We did our best to watch out for them!

 night swimming before school begins

 This was the summer of Nathan hanging out at the pool with the boys for sure. 

 E is always building something! He's quite the thinker and tinkerer!

A boy after his Mom's own heart. 

A day at the lake

We took a little break from the backyard pool and headed into the park to chill at the lake. They boys loved the warm water and sand and were even brave enough to go on the GIANT slide! C was a fan, but E wasn't. 

C turns 12!

I can't believe that C is entering his last year before he becomes a teenager. He is growing up so fast and thinks of himself as a teenager already. He loves listening to music, reading, playing fortnite, swimming, biking, and being with his family (even his little brother). I'm always in awe of how well he still "plays" with E and how carried away he can still get with his imagination. I never hear "I'm bored" from C. He always finds a way to keep busy and have fun. I love his tender heart and am so humbled to be his Mom. We surprised C on his birthday with tickets to our family's favorite comedian Tim Hawkins. What a FUN time surprising him. We had a birthday dinner at chick-fil-a and then drove to the concert for a BUNCH of laughs together. A fantastic way to celebrate C.

Random Summer Fun

 We made a final trip to Toys R Us before it closed up for good.

 E's teacher organized a 5K/1 Mile run that the boys and I participated in. We took the easy 1 mile route and got rained on the whole time. It was super fun, but I think next year we will try to tackle the 5K for more of a challenge! 

 We don't have much for mini golf around here, but it somehow got mentioned and E expressed how he had never been mini golfing before. Well, we had to fix that, so it went on our summer bucket list. E was just itching to go and when we made it it totally lived up to his expectations and both of the boys had a blast! 

 C embarked on his first overnight 5 day summer camp with friends from church! He did fantastic and of course didn't miss home at all! 

 While the big brothers were at camp the little brothers had a sleepover together. 

 Summer fun=Midday summer nap! A rare but super cute occurance these days. 

 Helping Mom wash the car!

 Free slurpee day!

4th festivities

D was working and missed out on the fun

A fun night celebrating freedom with friends! The fireworks were right in our town, but traffic was bad getting home. When we got home E was so tired and asked me if this was the latest he's ever stayed up in his life! Both boys were definitely tired, but it was definitely worth it! 

Mackinac Island

 1st time up as a family in Papa Don's plane!

 These boys trust their pilot.

 Our taxi ride downtown

 lunch with a view

 SO MANY amazing flowers all over the island! 

 My favorite part of the day; listening to the waves and tossing in rocks with the boys!

 Home just before the sun disappeared

After 3 1/2 years in MI we finally made a trip up north!  As an extra fun bonus we had the privilege of having D fly us directly to the island in his Dad's plane. We had perfect weather for exploring and decided to rent some bikes to get around. Biking and catching horse taxis are the only way to get around this island! It was a beautiful day checking out this charming island and making fun memories together.