Last Days of summer...

Tuesday was our last ward beach day. I had an appt in the morning, so we were a little late to the beach. It was only 70 deg at our house, so I didn't put on my swim suit. I left the girls dressed to and was actually were just planning on taking our picnic to the beach because I didn't expect others would still be there, but I was wrong. Gretta got into her swimsuit and enjoyed one last day at the beach with her friends. Eliza has decided she doesn't like the way sand feels on her feet and makes me carry her all the way to the beach and back and hold her the whole time. Hopefully she over comes this fear by next summer. She will be to big to carry then! 

After a nice lunch and a few hours at the beach we headed to downtown. 

We visited the Kids' Museum and then I took them for a treat at the Chocolate Cafe. 

We had to tell Jessie and Bessie hi!

and our favorite ducks too!

Wednesday after a nice morning with our friends the Parker's we meet Eric downtown for one last lunch. We even got to ride in the horse wagon after.

It is sad to leave summer behind!

Showing off her new school stuff

The last few weeks when I have been checking fb Gretta and I would look at pictures of all her friends 1st days of school. She has been so jealous and can hardly wait to start. She can't figure out why she has to wait so long. We saw a picture of her friend in Utah, Sydney, with her backpack on, so she wanted me to take a few pictures of her. This is what the photo shoot looks like. 

Eliza had to get in on the action!

The backpack is almost as big as she is.

Eliza bobo!

Surfer Girl

Gretta has been begging for a boogie board and we finally gave in. She was so excited! I guess you can take the girl out of California, but not California out of the girl.
We had a great time at the beach on Saturday. Eric and our MBA friend, Matt Conran, were even able to surf Lake Michigan. 

Visiting the Vet

My kids really want a pet. I am not sure how many hours they have spent at the Kids' museum playing in the vet room since we arrive in June, but I think it is over 20 hours. You would think they would get board, but not so. Gretta loves being the doctor. She is pretty good at it too!

Intently listening for heart sounds. I think she learned this skill from me, or maybe because the poor girls has gone to the doctors so much.

Eliza had to get in on the action too!

Hair cut & Manicures + the kids museum

On my list to do before Gretta started school was to get the girls hair cuts. I cut Eliza's bangs myself a few days ago. They didn't look bad, but she still needed a hair cut. We braved the local beauty college. Gretta's girl did a great job. Eliza doesn't have much hair and I think that makes giving her a hair cut deceptively hard, so the girl only did so, so. Oh well. What do you expect for $5. Since the hair cuts were only $5 I told the girls they could get manicures too. They have been begging me to take them for pedicures, but those cost $18, so we settled on manicures. 

Eliza being so good while she got her hair cut. 

Afterwards we went to the Beach Kids' Museum. Gretta showing off some safety goggles and her new hair cut.  

Eliza's nails. Sorry it's sideways

Gretta's nails

It was a fun day!

Jelly belly truck

Monday we meet Eric downtown for lunch. Then visited the Jelly Belly truck that was visiting town. I didn't know there is a Jelly Belly factory in WI. I thought the only one was in California. We got a few samples of Jelly Belly's and had a fun time. 

Berrien County Fair Demolition Derby

We had tickets to the Demolition Derby on Saturday night, but since the kids were sick I stayed home and Eric went with a friend. Demolition Derby Michigan style is pretty exciting. They even had a riding lawn mower division! And to boot, there was a 10 year old girl who rode in the lawn mower division. It was insane. Shall we set Gretta up to ride in the demo derby 5 years from now!!

These are pictures of the aftermath. They brought in small Bobcat forklifts to pick up and carry out the smashed up cars!

The grand finale did not disappoint! Below you can see a picture of the blue car whose two back wheels are on top of the cement median. The car had been rammed into so hard that it got lifted up and left on the median. Unreal! 

Thanks Nana for the New school clothes

Saturday Dennis and Linda took Gretta & Eliza to "Pinkalicous" the play in Chicago while we went to the Temple. The play was a big hit with Gretta, but Eliza got scared. She is the one who is obsessed with "Pinkalicous" the book, so I thought she would really like it. The funny thing is she told me all about the play she didn't even go to, so she at least thought she did something fun.

Thanks Dennis and Linda for such a great trip!

I think part of the problems is that they woke up sick on Saturday morning., so we cut the rest of our Chicago trip short and came home early. Luckily the weather cleared up and Dennis and Linda were able to see some of the airshow before they could their flight home.

When we got back to Michigan the girls were so excited to find a package from Nana Carolyn with new school clothes. Gretta is counting down the days and is so excited!!!

We also got the letter that told us who her new teacher is and that she will be in afternoon kindergarten. She gets to meet her teacher next week. She can hardly stand it. She wants me to drive her by the school everyday.

Thanks Nana for the clothes!!!!

Ed Debevic in Chicago

The waiters dancing. 

Eric has wanted to go back to Ed Debevic's in Chicago ever since we moved to Michigan. He went there once his freshman year of college and just couldn't wait to come back. So we humored him and went on Friday night. 

We had a good time.

Thanks Dennis & Linda for a great trip to Chicago. 

Friday at the Field Museum with Dennis & Linda

Friday morning we rode the water taxi from Navy Pier to the Field Museum. It was a beautiful day! We even got a sneak peak of the Air show when 5 blue angles flew over head. 

Then we had a great time at the Field Museum. We were able to see most of the Museum. I didn't realize how big it was last time we came. 

Digging for fosils

Making music

Dinosaur Sue

We sent most of the day at the Museum and then road the water taxi back to Navy Pier and then back closer to our hotel. Eric joined us around 5:30. He took the train into Chicago and we went to dinner.

Chicago at night with the Fors

After visiting the Church History sites in NY and OH, Dennis and Linda meet us in Chicago for the weekend. The girls were so excited to go swimming on the 27th floor of our hotel. What a great view!

Our hotel was right by the Chicago River. We took a night time stroll hoping the girls would fall asleep, they didn't, but we had a nice time. 

Berrien youth fair

Tuesday we went to the Berrien County Youth Fair with Cherity Andersen and her kids. They are MBA friends of ours who moved to South Bend. We had a good time. I am sad I didn't get more pictures. We also went to the Circus. The best part was the motorcycles in the cage. It was really hot, so we left after that. 

We also caught the duck races. 

We had a good time!

Setting the frogs free

Since we moved in about 6 weeks ago we noticed 6 frogs in the window wells. The girls liked to think they were their pets. It has been hot and some of them have growing quite large. I was worried they weren't getting enough to eat, so we decided to free the frogs. Eric was brave and went down in the window well and caught them in the garbage can. He rescued 6 frogs. The girls were so excited to see them set free. 

This is the smallest one.

One of the larger ones.

Family history in Kalamazoo

Today after church we went to see the grave site of Eric's Great, Great, Great, Great Grandpa and Grandma's graves. They homesteaded in Kalamazoo Michigan. Harlow bought the land  in 1848

Harlow Thompson born 1821 and died in 1853 and Clarinda Thompson born in 1817 and died in 1854.

When Clarinda died in 1854 she left 5 children ages 11 to 18 months. Eric's descended from the youngest, John Henry Thompson who was 6 months when his father died and 18 months when his mother died. He was sent to Rockford, IL 

Little did we know when we moved to Michigan that Eric had some relatives who lived here before. 

The Schoolcraft School house