Summer Fun!

We've definitely been keeping busy this summer with lots of activities!! Brett loves to spend time outdoors looking for bugs, riding his tricycle, going for nature walks, doing art projects, going to the local school playground, and of course, playing with water (just to name a few)! He also spends many hours a day playing pretend with all of his trucks, cars, airplanes, and trains. Sometimes he is content to stay home all day  just playing with his toys and creating things with his active mind. Brett also still LOVES to read books, either by himself or with Kyle and I. I often find him in his room with all the books off the bookshelf, carefully looking through each book and "reading" them to himself.  One of these days I really have to get that on video! Hearing his little voice is just priceless :-)

Brett loves to mix things together, so one morning I gave him a whole bunch of stuff from the kitchen to pour, squeeze, and stir. 

Of course, he had to sample the sprinkles :-) YUM!

A few weeks ago, Brett finally got his tubes put in. It was a rough day because he (again) wasn't feeling good the day of the surgery, and on top of that, he was just plain SCARED while we waited in the pre-op room. When it was time for the surgery, the nurses took him away screaming. Definitely one of the worst moments of my life. The good news? The surgery only took about 10 minutes, and he was back in our arms in no time.  And, since the surgery, he has been sleeping wonderfully - like 12 hours a night, and either sleeping through the night or waking up just once to get a drink or get tucked in again. And since he is sleeping so much better, he is SO much happier...and so are WE :-) After the surgery, Brett was quite the lucky little boy because he got, not one, but TWO different care packages from friends (Thanks to our great friends the Boone's and the Lokers!). All of his new treasures really helped to improve his spirits after a hard morning at the hospital. Here is a picture of Brett painting with the cool new "paintbrush" he got from the Boone's. He had a blast!

One evening when Kyle was mowing the grass he found this little guy...

And one 3 year old little boy + a toad = hours of FUN!

At one point Brett told me, "I want to keep him. I love him, mommy." I had to tell him that we could play with him for awhile, but eventually he would have to hop back to his family. 

The Slip n' Slide has a been lots of fun this summer too!

The sprinklers are his favorite part!

Here's a picture of Brett enjoying a lazy afternoon - train movie on and a book in hand :-)

That same day we decided to do some building with mini marshmellows and toothpicks!

We made lots of things, like houses, helicopters, and shapes!

 Brett thoughts it was pretty cool :-)

And lastly, to finish this post, here is a picture of Brett immersed in his books :-) Happy reading!!

Sharon Mills

Next month, on July 8th, Kyle and I will celebrate our 6th year anniversary!! In some ways it seems like we have been married much longer than that - it's hard to remember a time without him right by my side. Then, in other ways, it seems like just yesterday we said "I do". I remember that day so vividly, and it really was one of my most favorite days EVER. It was a beautiful sunny day - perfect for our outdoor wedding at Sharon Mills park in Manchester. Every summer since we've gotten married, we drive out to relive the memories of when we became husband and wife. We reminisce about how magical that day was, enjoy the pure beauty of our surroundings, and imagine what our future will look like. This past Sunday, after celebrating my parent's 40th anniversary, we decided it was a great day to go back to Sharon Mills for an evening picnic. Brett was in his glory, surrounded by all the wonderful things nature has to offer, and we all had so much fun together!

My sweet little boy LOVED the water! 

 One of our favorite parts was finding all the clams in the water...

 and splashing!!

"Look mommy! I found a really big one!!"

We had so much fun walking through the cool water! 

And found many treasures to take home!

Of course, Kyle and I had to get in a few shots of just the two of us :-)

He is the love of my life :-)

And together, we brought this sweet boy into our lives! He is our sunshine :-)

And here is a picture of Brett and one of the many flowers he picked for me. He sure knows how to melt his mama's heart :-)

My two favorite boys

I love this picture!

The architecture is amazing! Sharon Mills was once owned by Henry Ford, and eventually became a winery before being bought by the Washtenaw County parks and Recreation in 1999. I wish I took more pictures -- the whole place is just breathtaking!!

Happy 40th Wedding Anniversary, Mom and Dad!!

A few weeks ago, on May 20th, my parents celebrated 40 years of marriage!! FORTY YEARS!!! They have experienced a lot during those years; bought houses, raised children (and many pets), changed jobs, and faced challenges -and through it all they have loved each other deeply, respected and supported one another, and even during hard times, they have never given up on the union they share. If that's not something to admire, I don't know what is! My brother Matt and I knew a party would be in order to celebrate this amazing couple and we wanted it to be just right. They have given so much to us, and now it was our turn to do something special for them. We decided a small intimate party with family would be perfect. My good friend Zuzana is a talented artist in cake making, so I asked her if she would be willing to make one of her beautiful cakes for the party - and thankfully she said YES! :-) My parents were so surprised and happy to see the gorgeous cake made in their honor, and the party was a complete success! It was a beautiful evening full of family, good food, drinks, and laughter - and really, it was just about perfect. I loved seeing the smiles on my mom and dad's faces, and I think this was a night they will never forget :-) I love you, mom and dad!!!

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!!

I took many pictures of the absolutely gorgeous cake, and here are just a few :-)

Zuzana made everything from scratch, including the flowers! 

This is the only picture I took of the group...and everyone wasn't even there yet! 

I

Brett had a lot of fun playing with his second cousins, Ryan and Lizzie!!! The alphabet puzzle was a big hit..

...and so were the popsicles!!

After appetizers, drinks, and dinner, it was time to cut the cake!! We couldn't wait to taste it!!

I think they were happy :-)

And then, after eating the most delicious cake EVER, it was time to party! Volleyball for the kids...

..and cigars for the guys!! (And drinks all around!)

My dad was in his glory :-)

This was one of my most favorite nights ever. Seeing my parents so happy, and being able to do something so special for them, meant the world to me. Family is so important and I sure am blessed to have so many amazing people in my life! We often wait to bring everyone together for a celebration of some sort, but ya know what I think? We need to do this way more often. Our family may be small, but boy do we have a good time together!! Happy Anniversary, mom and dad!!! Here's to 40 more years of happiness and love!!