Crab Boil and Pool Fun

On Sunday the whole gang headed to Aunt Carrie & Uncle Jeff's house in Jonesville, where we had a crab boil and the kids had some serious swimmin' time.

Gram and her kiddos

Elli thought finding a heart-shaped "chippy" was the bomb.

Ellison kept hailing her taxi

Goodness. Josh & Gram

Jon trying to perfect a full rotation. Instead he got a couple of back smackers.

Mookie & Aunt Carrie

Hanging out over by the goods - the crab and shrimp. And I'm not referring to the two men in the photo.

Me and the 'rents

We 3 sibs

If anyone knows Papa at all, it's that he is always in desperate need of a bib.

Chow time!

Ellison learning a few things from the older cousins.

So excited to try out her first s'more. I think we've offered them in the past, but she was never feeling adventurous enough. Needless to say, she loved 'em.

Helping Aunt Andrea and Aunt Carrie do the s'more prep.

[August 22, 2010]

Shopping & Wedding

Just woke up, starting the day off in her favorite spot, this morning as Belle.

Ellison decided she wanted to go with Uncle Josh, Aunt Andrea, and the girls to run errands in Saginaw. (!) We were amazed how willing she was to go with them this time. Daddy ended up riding along, too. They went shopping, and she was of course spoiled even more by Uncle Josh with a new "GPS" (DS) game and a new pink case that she loves wearing over her neck/shoulder.

Uncle Josh and the Mookster

That afternoon, the babysitters arrived to watch all the kids while we adults went to my cousin Ashlee's wedding reception. It was a great time for everyone, and it was nice to actually get to see so many of my cousins, aunts, and uncles this time (all 1 billion of them). I even got to see people we went to high school with, which felt strange.

Carrie and Jeff

Andrea & Josh

Jonny and me (and it looks like Uncle Bob, too - ha)

Our immediate fam, minus the kids

Family #2 minus the missing central person - Uncle Carl. :-( Leif, Meghan, Aunt Yvonne, Shawn, Tori, Brian, and Jim, minus their kids.

Carrie, Tori, Meghan, Andrea, me, and Shawn

We were completely ridiculous giggling and rearranging ourselves, like 47 times, for pics. ("I need to be photographed on my right side," "My arm looks fat," "Wait, I wasn't looking," etc.) I think we ended up being the entertainment this side of the tent.

Then a very small sampling of the 46 cousins (yes, my grandmother seriously has 46 grandchildren, and that's NOT including the great-grandchildren now!!!) got together for some pics.

Rachel, me, Missy, Meghan, Dena, Ashlee, Carrie, Melanie, Lindsay, Shawn, and Blair

The evening was beautiful and perfect for a wedding, and everyone had a blast. Congratulations, Ashlee & Brian!

[August 21, 2010]

Family Time

The next morning started off with the little bride following Grandma out to take out the garbage.

It was such a beautiful morning, the 3 1/2 of us hung out on the front porch just enjoying ourselves. As typical when we are there, we woke up to a missing Daddy. He was next door bright and early having coffee with Uncle Bob & Aunt Marlene.



Later that morn, as the dead finally awoke (Aunt Carrie), Daddy got the mini-bike out to give Elli some rides. Unfortunately, I was in the middle of getting my hair done when she hopped on with him, so I couldn't get any pics. She was loving every minute of it! I could hear her squeal from inside as they drove past, she would wave to me, and she had the biggest smile on her face. She kept telling Daddy to go faster, and said she wanted to go through the corn field. Then aunt Carrie got in on the action. And yes, she has a helmet on, it just happens to be invisible.
This is gonna have to do for now, Daddy. I hear, at least on a weekly basis, how badly he wants his motorcycle back. Then he adds how much his little Mookie was worth it. :-)



My cousin Shawn's kiddos: Andy, Isaac, and Allie. Grandma Yvonne was watching them for the day, so we got to see them. Getting so old!



Ell hung back with Gram & Aunt Care while the 2 of us ran to the outlet mall. While we were gone, Uncle Josh and the gang arrived. When we returned, we came home to the 3 girls doing manicures in the driveway, and Lucas playing around. Ellison had yet another dress-up outfit on, one of several hand-me-downs from her cousins she got on this trip.

Olivia doing up Ellison's nails.

Olivia, Ell, and Emma

Lucas, as always with a hose in his hands. :-)

Aunt Andrea and Olivia

Emma and Mookie (in dress-up outfit #36). She had the BEST weekend playing with her cousins. As soon as they arrived, she literally hardly said 2 words to me. Mom & Dad were on the back burner for sure.

Ell's fave place to hang out there. First thing in the morning she would ask to change into a dress-up dress and then want to go to the back porch.

Jonathan throwing some balls to Lucas.

[August 20, 2010]