Michigan

I cannot tell you how many times I would wonder what the girls were up to and look outside to find them playing on the trampoline, running like mad girls around the yard, pushing each other on the swing, or just sitting in a circle and talking like this. Such girls. They were so cute together! It's a different world out there...the trampoline didn't have a safety cover (and no one fell off or got hurt), the yard didn't have a fence (and no one uninvited came or left), and because the yard, which is small there, was so big, the girls were often out of hearing distance - so they fought and then worked it out - all on their own, without adult intervention. Weird. :-)

We took one day and went to Uncle Andy's work.  They have lots of animals hanging around.

This was the truck he was working on at the time.

Yes, even llamas.

Emily even found a random duck egg laying around.  What is that pose, you ask?  I have no idea.

Smores at the campfire in their backyard. Yes, the grass is green and fires are permitted.  Nope, it doesn't catch the entire state on fire, but yes, the mosquitoes make their appearance as well.

One of our adventures was to see the place where they make clogs and ceramics just like they do 'back home' in Holland.

We tried on lots of clogs...but we didn't end up purchasing any.  They told me they would be great for working with the horses but I wasn't convinced.

I did buy some ceramics though.  They are very proud of their heritage here.  The Dutch influence can be seen nearly everywhere.  We even went one day to Windmill Island where an authentic Dutch windmill resides.  This is an old carousel that has been restored and put back into use.  The paintings were so vibrant and well done I fell in love.

They have recreated an old street from a Dutch town...

It was quite overcast this day but it did not actually rain on us.

Showing how a millstone grinds wheat into flour.

They still use this windmill to make flour and they sell it across the state.  The gears were awesome to me!

Crazy kids on the bridge.

With so many flowers around there were bound to be a few butterflies.

Dancing to the music of the organ.

In the children's garden they got to water all the plants.  Well, whatever the big girls did, Em had to repeat.  So, this is Megan watering the plant.

And Em doing it too.  Or at least she thinks she is.

Kylie wanted to take a picture of us.

Em thought this would be a 'cute shot' and jumped up on the rock to show me.

8, 6, 5, 4...they might have more height in their genes.  And no, Em has not caught K yet.  Everyone keeps asking but Kylie still has an inch or so on Em but since Em is so skinny, she looks taller.

After a couple days inside due to rain, we bailed out and went to a bounce house arena.  Boy, was this place huge and the slides were the biggest I have ever seen!  They even put a spray on them to make them go faster.  I paid my five dollars and we ran around for two hours having so much ridiculous fun.  I might have finally forgotten for a little while that I was an adult.  :-)

I took three quick pictures and ran the camera back to the car so I didn't need to think about it again.  Em went to Chucky Cheese with Auntie Bethany because Em hurt her ankle the day before and I didn't want to risk it getting worse.

On our next sunny day, we went to Nana's farm.

And then had a picnic lunch in our car...

And made our first trip to Build-A-Bear.

Kissing their hearts to 'give them life'.

Filling them up.

And then cleaning and brushing them.

The girls did a very thorough job at this point.

SO excited with the finished product.

Back at home, they were invited to their first tea party.

Now the world was right, one pony for each girl.  :-)  Megan and Audrey had been so good about sharing before this!

Well, we have made it back to Redding.  It took us a couple days to recover from our wonderful 18 hr trip (we were flown from Michigan to Baltimore to San Diego to Sacramento).  It was super good times.  I think I might have been more tired and irritated than the girls.  They took the hit like professional travelers.  M is also now moved up here.  We get to move into our new house on Saturday so this week is tons of work getting this house fixed up to sell and still getting things in order on the new house, changing addresses, starting school, etc, etc, etc.  We are moving at the speed of life - which right now is downhill and going so quickly I have tears forming and streaking back from my eyes.  Have a great day!  God Bless!!