Babymooning

 Doug and I had a wonderful long weekend babymooning in Grand Haven last weekend. It was sunny, but not too hot, no rain, and CHILD-FREEEEE thanks to my wonderful parents watching our kiddos. 

We stayed at the Boyden House B & B and it was so nice to have one included meal, and to be right downtown. Usually when we vacation we get an Airbnb, but we didn't need that when it was just us 2.

The first night we walked down to the musical fountain. 

EVERY house had these huge gorgeous envy-enducing hydrangea poms. This house was just so inviting with its cozy porch and lights and beautiful landscaping. (night shot) I have 6 hydrangeas with NONE of the success that almost every homeowner over there had. Who knows why. 

The next morning after breakfast we went to Rosy Mounds and had a good morning hike.

We then went into town and got lunch and had a day at the beach.

Back to the B&B for a shower, nap, change, and then back to town for dinner, more shopping, and then to the musical fountain again. 

The next morning, after breakfast, we went to a little park for a short walk. I wanted to walk on the beach to the lighthouse one more time. We spent forever looking for parking since it was Saturday, but finally found a spot and did some more walking. 

Then a quick tasty lunch downtown, got some gifts for our cat-sitter and baby-watchers, and then started the trip home. Picked up our kiddos, had pizza with my parents, and then home and unpacking. It was over too soon, but nice to have a little uninterrupted time to talk, dream, be together, and sleep!

summer fun

 Strawberry picking with Grandma and Aunt Elizabeth

Picking mulberries on our walk to the park

Playing with the toy car and tricycle in our driveway

Picked up this little water/sand toy at Aldi for $15 and it made for a fun afternoon

It's been so rainy lately we've been inside a lot with music and library books :) which is fun too. Looking forward to a couple weeks from now when my brother and his family come in town for a visit.

Father's day

 I'm so thankful to have 1) had an amazing Godly man for my father, and 2) to have an amazing Godly man to not only be my husband, but the father to my babies. I don't know if I really realized how important that was when I first got married. But the difference between being married to a baby/searcher-believer compared to a man who is grounded in his faith and owns his relationship with the Lord is HUGE and I'm so blessed to have that with Doug. 

This Father's day weekend I was thankful to celebrate both of these special men. 

We had my dad (and mom and sister and brother-in-law) over for a grilled dinner and then out to the ballgame. It started rainy, but ended in a nice evening. 

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks!!

It was a fun evening out. 

The next day we had a nice family breakfast and then went out on a day trip to the Sanilac Petroglyphs to celebrate Doug. 

My babies! 💓

This guide lady made me laugh when she used her little pointer to distract August just like a cat, lol, and it worked!

We had a nice little hike there and out for tasty icecream. It was a nice weekend!

treadmill room

This is the spot in our mudroom where the treadmill used to be right along that back wall. Since home prices are so outrageous we are thinking we are going to be in our home another year at least, so Doug plans to add a half bath to our house. In order to do that we needed to have somewhere to put it! So the treadmill went to the garage (we have no basement) and the half bath is going to go along that wall now. I did not want to exercise in a spidery cold garage so Doug built me a treadmill room.

We had this space in the deeper corner of our garage where we had a freezer, shelving and a table saw. So that all got moved to make space for the treadmill room.

 

moved over

Right away Doug started building the walls.

He spent several evenings and late nights putting up the frame, insulation, and drywall. The plan is in the summer that window can be open/ or have a fan, and in winter we could have our space heater in the room to heat it up a little before we come in.

We have a pretty nice incline Nordic Trak hiker treadmill, it had been making a rickety noise so we had the repair guy come check it out before it got walled into it's new home! Good thing, because it needed the motor and tread part repaired. Good as new. 

The wall got enclosed and has a little window Doug that had. That brings some of the outdoor light into the garage and it's nice to peek in from the stairs and talk to/or see the person on the treadmill. Doug put up a handrail (which has since been replaced with a 2 foot longer one) as that one was way too short and Doug said he sadly watched Jeanie slow-mo falling as her little arm attempted to reach it but it was too high :(

Decor on the side wall.

Doug got these bifold doors off Marketplace. He was asking me first if I thought I could fit through a 12" door. Um no! The thought of it makes me laugh so hard. He was like, "just turn from the side", and it was like "Doug I'm pregnant- from the side it's worse!" lol.

And the view from inside! It is working out pretty well so far :)

So we bought our vanity, toilet, mirror, towel bars. We have our permit before the city and waiting for them to approve it. A plumber is coming tomorrow for a quote and we have an electrician we plan to use for lighting and hooking up a ceiling fan. Maybe by the end of summer?? It doesn't buy us a bigger kitchen/dining room, or basement, which are the things I'm really hoping for in a bigger home, but it's still working for now. 

The Latest Quilt Project

My brother said his girls were pulling out their quilts made by Aunt Anne Marie and my niece Ellie was like "I don't have one!" I must have made her a knitted hat or something else when she was born, but needless to say, she felt left out and so Joel called and asked if I wouldn't mind making one. 

I had seen this pattern online and I liked it, so I asked if she might like that pattern. Ellie's mom Michelle asked for rainbow colors and with a cat instead, so I got to work!

Got all the fabric from JoAnn's, washed and ironed.

Sewed all the stripes together. 

Laid them all out to find it was too wide for the quilting and backing fabric so I needed to shorten the white strips. Back to the sewing machine!

All three layers get pinned together and sewn. That part always takes a long time. Then the binding all around the edge. Of course after another trip to JoAnns after I ran out of the binding fabric and thread!

Making the cat to applique.

The cat turned out so cute I think!

All done!

August and I just took a long weekend trip to Colorado and was able to give the quilt to Ellie. 

She liked it!

And just for fun, pictures of all the other girls with their quilts.

Isabelle and her quilt.

Molina had the smallest/least detailed, poor girl, guess I wasn't in a very crafty mood when she was born, lol.

And this one that I absolutely love those floral patterns for baby Juliette.

All the kiddos with the quilts behind them :)