Last weekend and again this weekend you got to spend some quality and treasured time with your cousins, your aunts and uncles, and most importantly – your Oma! Thanksgiving gave us an excuse to gather at Aunt Bi’s and Uncle Mark’s. Some awesome highlights from that long weekend included:
* Swimming at the Y with Uncles Mark, Jim and Hakon
* An awesome trip to Meijer Gardens
* Exploring Grand Rapids Museum and watching “Let it Snow” in the planetarium
* Movie night – 2 nights in a row: “Home” and “Earth to Echo” – leading to serious snuggles with and for Niklas
* The game of “Unravel” -> saran wrap ball of goodies
* Opening gifts from each other (Lizzy was super excited about her donut mug)
* Jojo and Scooter got to play together!!

This weekend we are celebrating Uncle Mark’s 50th – and we TOTALLY surprised him!! Auntie Amy and Oma flew back from Seattle and Minnesota and arrived early yesterday morning. They snuck into Mark’s office…and SHOCKED him. Then you, Madey, Dan and I arrived after a long day drive, arriving at 10:30pm and snuck up to his bedroom and jumped on his bed. Again, total surprise – super fun!!

Mama:80 minutes, wow! Were you supposed to read 20 min a day for the weekend? so 60 minutes?

Maya: No! Just 20.
Mama: All weekend?
Maya: Yup.

Mama: So you read 60 extra minutes?
Maya: Yup.
Mama: Do you know what they call you?
Maya: No

Mama: Over Achiever
Maya: Is that bad?
Mama: Only if it leads into an illness
Maya: Like you.
‘
‘Yes, Indeed.”

Some fun memories from our trip this year:
. Perfect Family 1.0 (red swim suits) and Perfect Family 2.0 (including Dan’s “Life Partner”, Grace)
– “Summer in a Glass” – yummy drink
– Mama’s bibliography and Daddy’s updated biosketch – ugh!
– Candy Kitchen versus Kilwin’s – where is the cookies-n-cream fudge?
– Doors to the house connected to an alarm that said “side door open” every single time
– Dolphins – many – swam by us every day, sometimes multiple times a day
– “Playing tennis” with Dan and Maya across 2 courts and into the trees
– Maya getting good at volleyball
– Madey reading Harry Potter book 2 for bedtime
– Mama got to sleep in
– Went on 7 mile bike ride through a Henlopin marshland; Maya and Mama traded bikes for the second half.
– Madey and Maya getting Henna tattoos – matching moons on their legs and interesting hand/finger designs
– Stepping on crabs
– Outdoor shower was a huge hit
– Watching “Penguin” movies with while eating Gratto’s pizza
– Bunkbeds and the kids’ dorm
– Grandpa Dick – Go fracking
– KEMPS – card game
– Cilantro times 2
– “Gentle Hugs” = Dan’s (attempted) dunking of Dad (failed)
– BigFish and PigFish – both with Grandpa Dick
– Body surfing!!! – Maya and Mama learning how
– DiJube on the beach
– Subway on the way down and the way home

A classic beach quote!! This time it was yours…

In preparation, we got the house “Hotel Ready.” That was our mantra for the week… we laughed a lot about hotel ready…. especially after you and your friends trashed the place 😉 on Friend Fiesta day.

Okay, well the Brazilians came and left, and we had an AWESOME time with them!! This past weekend, Uncle Mark, Aunt Bi, Niklas, Bi’s sister Alessandra, her husband Rogario and their 12-year old daughter Bea came to stay with us. Bi’s family lives in Brazil, so there was a LOT of Portuguese spoken this past weekend. In addition to seeing our local landmarks, we played 500, Madey read Harry Potter in all her different Brittish and Scottish voices, we learned a new lawn/beach game, you threw up… all kinds of fun 🙂

Here are a few pictures from the weekend, followed by a few just other fun pictures of you this summer!!

Yesterday we bought you a new (used), awesome bike!!

And you L-O-V-E it!!

A mountain bike.
Owned by a 17 year old, who was once 10, and wanted a new bike.
After one season of riding it, and 7 years gone by, her Mom shared their gift with us.

And today, we were invited by one of my old students – Chris Y- to ride.

We had an amazing time riding through the park where Daddy Jim and I officially got married – where we said our vows to each other on April 5, 2008… ending up at a place for milkshakes. Thanks God for summer!!!

Super fun slide show from my friend and former student, Chris Y…
Click here – Big Ole Bike Ride