The 4th of July

On July 4th, Jade had to work but the boys and I went to a neighborhood parade and a free carnival.

They loved the fire trucks and loaded up their pockets with candy that was thrown out.

There were tons of free things to do at the carnival. Spencer loved the slide.

A petting area where they also got to hold bunnies.
More climbing and jumping things. Owen was devastated that he was too small to go on this one.

They all enjoyed the pony rides. Owen looks like such a big boy.

Spencer having fun. They also had elephant rides but none of the boys wanted to try it. I think they were a little scared.

That evening Jade joined us for dinner and firework watching at a member's house.



Watching fireworks with some friends from the ward.

Meijer Gardens

We went to a really neat place called Meijer Gardens. They have a fun children's area with a tree house, tons of walking paths, and a water area where you can float boats and splash around.

We even saw a snake in the bushes!

Owen loved the boats!
Connor found a little lost chick that was running around. It was so small!

Lake Michigan

We were pleasantly surprised with our first visit to Lake Michigan. Nice sandy beaches and the water wasn't too cold. The boys loved it!

Backyard Adventures

From our backyard we have a view of the river through the trees.

Sometimes you can even see a boat going by.

Putting up the bird feeder. Thanks Grandma Owen!

Fun Summer Days

Going for a walk.






















On the bridge that crosses the river near our house

The boys loved playing with all of the empty boxes from our move. They would build tall towers and knock them down. Until we found out that a woodchuck was getting under our cars and chewing through transmission wires, air bag wires, and a gas line. We rushed to clean out the garage so that we could park our cars in there before the woodchuck decided to do any more damage. Luckily our insurance covered most of the damage, but if anyone knows how to get rid of a woodchuck please let us know!

Enjoying our New Home

The boys found a bird's egg in the yard. They love exploring and gathering sticks too.

One of their favorite things to do is to ride their bikes and scooters on our private drive. It has been great for them and for me!




We especially enjoy eating outside on our deck.

Graduation Day

Jade graduated from medical school on May 24th. Hooray! We are so proud of him and amazed that it has been 4 years. Now it's on to residency!

Our New Home!

After driving for 4 days, we were so excited to finally arrive at our new home in Michigan. We love the area, all of the trees, and the view of the river behind our house. It's great to have our own place even though we now have a never ending list of projects we would like to do on the house.