South Haven, Michigan - The Other Days

With chilly weather the second half of our trip we planned some non-beach outings to keep us busy.  Or rather, Brian planned and we went along for the ride.  I have to admit he did a really great job!

We went to Earl's farm to pick blueberries.  Both of the little boys LOVE blueberries, Brian, Max and I, not so much.  But wow, right of the bush - they were delicious!  Brian and I both loved them.  Max still wasn't sold.

We had to be careful that Will didn't put too many green ones in his bucket.

 Just just picked so that he could eat them directly off the bush.

 

Even though Max didn't like to eat them, he sure had fun filling his basket.

 

 

The farm also had a bakery so one night we went back for dessert after dinner.  Brian Was in heaven with his raspberry pie.  He was so happy that he even posed for this picture with Earl the giant blueberry.

 

One day when we were on the beach we saw a paddle boat venture out of the channel and into Lake Michigan.  Brian found the boat left out of Sagatuck, so one afternoon we went for a boat ride.  It was really great until we got out of the river and into the lake.  The weather was really starting to kick up and I about had a panic attack.  Luckily for me the captain was a smart man and turned the boat around.  The boys loved the ride and weren't worried at all.

 

A huge perk of staying in South Haven is that you are close to several other little towns.  One day we headed to Holland to explore the Dutch Village.  It was cheesy, fairly run down, but a whole lot of fun!  We got to see wooden shoes being made as well as a dutch dance demonstration. 

Both of the big boys got to walk a goat - which was really pretty funny.

 There were water pumps so Max and Will could race their ducks.

But their very favorite part was these little cars.  They had to pump the handle to make them move and they both loved it.  The girl in charge put Max in the back to help bump Will's car.  Will was too funny - he didn't like getting bumped so he kept hopping out of his car to push it away from Max. 

  I think they could have rode on these little cars all day.

Another great find on Brian's part was this railroad line.  They restored an old train car from the 1920's and we went for a ride.  It was wonderful and relaxing. 

It was scheduled during nap time so I thought that this little man would fall asleep in my arms early on.  Not the case at all!  He stood and looked out the window for an hour.  He loved the wind in his hair and he would cry every time we would try to pick him up.  Every time we crossed an intersection the train would blow its whistle.  And each time Jack would try to mimic the sound.  It was adorable.

The Air Zoo in Kalamazoo was pretty great as well.  The kids were able to explore all kinds of aircraft. 

Some even moved!  The exhibits were really interesting and there was enough hands on stuff to keep the kids interested for a couple hours.,  It was just enough.

 

On our last day we headed south to St. Joseph and explored their Curious Kids museum.  All three boys loved it and it was a great end to our trip. 

 

Saturday as we drove home we stopped and met the cousins for lunch.  It was nice to break up the drive a bit and it gave us a chance to shop at Ikea.  Now we are back home and getting back into the routine.  Laundry is being done, groceries have been bought and life is returning to normal.  I'm so glad were able to give our boys this wonderful experience.  Now I just need another week long vacation to recover :)

South Haven, Michigan - Beach Days



Early on Saturday July 19th, we packed up the van and headed to South Haven, MI.  While our rental was much less than we were expecting, the beaches were much more.  It was just beautiful!  South Beach was our favorite - although to be honest we only tried out two different beaches.  The last three days of our trip the weather was just too chilly to hit the beach with the kids.

We were lucky enough to have Nonna Carlotta join us for the trip.  The car ride was much more bearable with her playing  interference and she even let Brian and I head out on the town a couple nights while she watched the kids.  The best part was how excited the boys were to have her there.  When we asked Max what is favorite part of vacation was he didn't hesitate when he said sleeping by his Nonna every night. 

 All three boys loved the beach.  Max was very brave.  He didn't seem to care that the water was chilly.  He just jumped right in.  One day was a little windy so there were more waves.  He stood at the shore line and jumped over wave after wave as they came crashing in.  It was so fun to watch.

 

Max was such a little explorer.  He was fascinated with the sand and enjoyed digging to see what he would find.

Each morning before we hit the beach I would pack up a lunch.  Since we were on vacation we splurged and bought potato chips.  Will was in heaven.  Every day when we arrived he would say he was hungry and dig into his bag of chips before he hit the water.

This little squirt toy was Will's favorite.  I bought one for each of the big boys at Easter knowing that they could use them on the beach.  Will and Max had so much fun filling them and squirting each other that I couldn't get a picture of them sitting still.  They were too busy running and playing.  Like most  brothers I'm sure, Will and Max don't always get along the best.  Watching them play on the beach was priceless and shows me that they really are building a loving brother relationship, even if it doesn't always seem like it.

Then there was this little guy.  He was a total beach bum.  He had no fear and wanted to dig right in as soon as we arrived each day.  He tried so hard to keep up with his big brothers and he did a pretty good job of it most of the time.  I'm not sure which he liked more, the water or the sand.  Both were a huge hit for him. 

The only time he had a rough go was when he would get a mouth full of sand.  Poor baby would try to clear out his mouth with his sandy little hands, which would just make things worse.  I think the best part was when he took a sweet little nap in my lap as I lounged and watched the rest of my family play.  It really doesn't get any better.

Jack's First Haircut

It has been a long time coming.  In fact last week the checker at the grocery store referred to him as the little sister about four times.

 Great Aunt Carm did the honors and he was such a trooper!  There were no tears and he was actually all smiles through most of it.  I think it was because he loves his Aunt Carm and he was on Nonna's lap the whole time.

 It was over before we knew it and I can't believe how different he looks.  This is why I had put the whole thing off as long as I did.  I just wasn't ready for my baby to look like a little boy.  I know he can't stay my baby forever, but I don't want to rush the whole thing either.  I can't get over how much he looks like Brian now.  It's a bit crazy!

 

Role Models

I had several role models to look up to as a kid.  One of them was the family I grew up next to.  Bev was like a second mom to me and her daughter, Karen, was my big sister.  I have so many happy memories from my childhood that include Bev, and I'm so sad that she passed away yesterday. 

We knew it was coming, she had been in hospice care for a little over a week.  I was lucky to be able to visit with her several times. 

During one of my visits the chaplain from hospice stopped by.  He was a wonderful man and he talked to Bev so kindly.  She introduced me to him and told him that I have three sweet little boys and that my husband and I are very family oriented.  Thinking of Bev describing me this way brings tears to my eyes. 

I learned so much about being a family from her.  She and her husband loved thier kids with all thier being.  They took family vacations and spent so much time together.  Bev made every outing an adventure.  She would call me when I was home alone in the summers and ask if I wanted to go 'bummin' with her and Karen.  I lived for those phone calls.  We would run errands and I loved every minute I spent with them.  

I'm so lucky to have known Bev and I'm glad my boys got to know her too.  Thanks to her I do my best to make running errands fun and I try to make the most of every moment I get to spend with my family. This morning we went on a family adventure to our new favorite park.  The kids had a great time playing on the playground, but the highlight was the path to the pond.  They fed the fish and turtles in the pond and loved every minute.  I couldn't help but think that Bev was looking down and she was happy with what she saw. 

I'm so proud to have been her friend and I'm even more proud that she saw me as a family oriented mom.  Hopfully I'm half the mom she was.

Happy Fourth!

Yesterday was such a great holiday!  We packed up early and headed to the parade.  Some of my favorite memories from being little include parades and I'm so excited to share them with my boys.  I have to admit that the parade was actually a bit lame.  The convenience of a small community parade - you know where you can park five feet from where you sit - outweighed my desire to see the big city parade.  Maybe when the kids are older we can do the big one. 

 Will was his typical silly little self.  I told him not to go in the street and he pushed the limit by hovering on the curb :)  He cracks us up.  Max was too worried about when the tootsie rolls would be thrown to pose for any pictures. 

This sweet little guy takes the cake for cutest moment of the day.  While Will was hanging out with Daddy in the shade Jack tried out his chair - and he loved it!!!  He looked so darn cute.  He was all smiles and you could tell that  was just so proud of himself.  Unfortunately as soon as I turned my back I heard crying.  Poor Jack was sprawled on the sidewalk with the chair on top of him.  Luckily he recovered quickly.  He took his job of watching the parade very seriously.  I think he clapped and waved the entire hour we watched.  It was adorable!

We finished off the day with a great bbq at Uncle Mason and Aunt Josie's new house.  It really couldn't' have been a better holiday!

Botanical Garden

Mother Nature has blessed us with more beautiful weather.  We took advantage on Thursday and headed to the Botanical Garden with Nonna and cousin Carissa.  It was amazing.  They currently have a Lego exhibit in the climatron.  Our little Lego man was very excited about it.  He was even more excited because near each display there was a sign telling us how many Lego's it took to build.  The butterfly was over 60,000  - Max was officially impressed.

 

After the Legos we explored more of the Garden.  Max was happy to tell us where to go - after all he had a map :)

Before we knew it the time had come for us to get in line for the tram.  We rode this for the first time last year and its a really nice way to see the garden.  Of course, it's close enough to a train to make the boys' day.  While we waited Nonna had a great time playing with Jack and Will.  Jack is getting so close to walking.  I think it will happen very soon and he was happy to get out of his stroller and practice his skills.

Will had a great time too.  He thought it was pretty great when he could run around and he loved his time playing with Nonna and a hanging fern.  It was a great outing and I can't wait to head back!

Most Beautiful July 2nd Ever!

 I really don't think July has ever started out this amazing!  I can't believe how gorgeous it is outside!  We had to take advantage of mother nature's generosity and play at the park.  I finally feel somewhat comfortable managing all three boys at the park by myself.  Max has no fear and climbs on everything - and most of the time he makes a new friend whom he ends up running around with. 

Will didn't used to like the slide.  Wow has that changed!  He couldn't get enough of this super fast, super steep slide today.  He just kept climbing up and sliding down - over and over and over.  At least I knew where he was :)  Jack loves the park too.  He likes hanging out in the swing and he loves it when Max helps him slide down the slide.  Since this park doesn't have mulch I let him crawl around and explore bit.  He loved it! 

I hope tomorrow is just as gorgeous because we are heading to the Botanical Garden!