Memorial Day Weekend 2011

    We are salty and dry from a day spent with sidewalk chalk, under the hot-hot sun, in dresses and shorts, grilling steaks and planting.
    The house is warm because the screens are in and the huge windows are open wide, and only just now a smooth breeze is coming through to tell us about evening.
    The speakers have been on high all day, so we could hear our folksy tunes outside.
    The dog is exhausted, the girls are chatty, summer nightgowns are going on over powdered bellies.
    We clapped, gave thumbs-ups to and said thank you to our service men and women today, while watching a short and loud parade, and we danced in the park with friends. Some of us rolled down hills, and everyone under 4 feet picked armfuls of dandelions.
    One of us happened upon a local race today and joined in, finishing the initial run with a burst of friends and energy.
    This old Victorian looks and feels like a cottage, with shoes and chalk and food and toys everywhere.
    We are missing our cousins, who for 48 hours were the most important people on earth, and with whom we made those holiday kind of memories.
    We ate our snack of prunes on the porch and shooed ants while waving at the resorters, who think we must be new in town.
    We bonded with the new family up the block, whose children were covered in chocolate ice cream and had full diapers, but no one cared enough to stop the impromptu playdate.
    Our feet are exhausted but our heads are dancing with the promise of sand and lake, summer and sunshine, every day.

Dixie

Marta Speaks

At a fountain wishing wall, making a wish:
I wish I.... 
I... 
I wish I had a wall like this one!


And this morning:
I'm having a wedding, so I'm on Prince Eric's phone. And I just tooted, so excuse me.

Date At The Farm

Sisters, As They Should Be

Once upon a time they never fought. People would wonder how we managed such happiness between siblings. We'd shrug and say we were lucky.

Our luck has run out.

Love

In Brief, and In Photos

I like to think that we've been "happily busy" lately. Yes, we've been swamped with work and our To Do list, but I think we've fit in a handful of extra fun days, too.

Be sure to catch the Northern Michigan hit show, Tank Tops On Ice

Yes, she's wearing exactly what you think she's wearing.

Trevor and I embraced the chance to spend a weekend sans kids at Andrea and Nick's house, and while in Holland we visited local breweries (and made the guys "reluctantly" play board games).

On St. Patrick's Day, a leprechaun visited while the girls were out and left green footprints all over the house.

Also, clues...

... that lead upstairs...

... into bedrooms...

... and to a treat!

Later that same day...

And look at this, I don't know how to make these pictures go with their friends above, but here is more of the park.

A bit of attitude...

A very first original recipe, of which she was very proud.

"Cheddar Bunnies and ranch, then dip."

 Coloring Easter eggs...

Baskets! He came! He left a trail of bunny-shaped marshmallows wherever he went (even down the playroom slide, ahh!)!

Testing the new Slinky on the back stair, because the steps are so steep (and munching jelly beans, naturally).

The lone Easter service goers...

... because someone was sick.

"Oh hi Aunt Andrea!"

"Eh, I'm just eating Cocoa Wheats for dinner. Totally nutritious meal."

"What makes you think we're so much alike, anyway? Maybe it's the way I eat chocolate-based foods while I talk on the phone to you?"

"Haha, everything you say is the best thing I've ever heard. You're so cool and funny and you look like a princess."

What?