Summer is Almost Over

We made it back to Fife Lake again this year.  So wonderful!  Truly one of my favorite places.  The lake right outside our door makes me so happy.  We were on it most of every day.

 

The only challenge is getting the kayaks from the garage across the yard into the lake.  I had a great helper, though.

We also went up to Traverse City one day and played at Great Traverse Bay.  That was a lot colder water but the beach was better.

Peter wanted so badly to camp for his birthday, but due to band camps and other issues, camping around his actual birthday wasn't going to work.  So we brought all the birthday supplies up north and pretended it was his birthday.  It was a great day of presents, motorcycling, and a magic show at the library.  He loved his legos and that evening he and Christian set up a tent outside the cabin and slept out there.  It ended up pouring rain and partially flooding the tent, but they were in cots and stayed dry.  It was a great birthday.  And now he gets a second actual birthday!

Bella was asked to come up and help the magician with his card trick.  The show got off to a rough start but he ended up doing some really impressive stuff that I truly can't explain.

We also took Bella's senior photos while we were up there in the beautiful areas.  They turned out great.  I'll be sure to post some when we're done editing.

Traverse City has a fun little mall.  Besides shopping, the giant chess board was especially entertaining.  Peter liked all the little coin cars that we were too cheap to pay for but had a blast playing in anyway.

After we got home, the local library had a touch-a-truck event that allowed Peter to sit in all the construction vehicles and other things he wanted.  He had to reach soooo far to both sit and control the digger!  He had a blast.

Then, the day after we returned, marching band camp began for Christian.  He got snare drum this year, first freshman to ever do so.  He's been working hard and doing a great job.  He enjoyed camp and is looking forward to a really fun and REALLY busy freshman year with cross country, marching band, and MSC classes while also starting seminary with me!  If anyone can do it, it's Christian.

There are a lot of freshman this year in the band.  This is just the freshmen:

The whole band:

Cat update - still loving little Pandora.  Her favorite thing is the roomba.  She follows it all over the house wherever it goes and lays down and watches it.  When it goes back to its dock, she follows it and bats at it, like "wake up, come play!"  It's hilarious.