IT'S AUTUMN!

Happy Fall! We've have a beautiful Autumn so far this year.

We finally got a Michael's Craft Store in town (next we might get running water), which means there were neat things at good prices to decorate outside with. This is the first Fall I've actually done any decoration. It was fun!But can you believe it?!?!? We've already had snow this year. Thank goodness it didn't last any longer than the 24 hour flu! This little guy cracked us up! I cleaned out my freezer earlier this week and found these hot dog buns frozen in there (who knows how long they've been there). Pete threw them out in the yard and it only took this little guy less than 5 minutes to discover them. He picked it up and tried to take a bite out of it when he found out it was frozen solid! We laughed and laughed as he slowly gnawed/scraped at it. Then, he very painstakingly carried that hunk of frozen bun up the tree with him. He sure was funny!

A BOEHM BOATING DAY!

This past weekend, Pete's brother's family came to Michigan for a visit. My niece Megan sent me a text asking if we could all go boating. Like we need a reason to go boating...OF COURSE we can go boating!!!

Megan and Jazzy all ready for a bit of Taco Bell and then an afternoon of boating.
As soon as we arrived at Paw Paw Lake, all four kids (well...Phill really isn't a kid anymore...but he'll always be my kid) decided that the 4-man tube was the first order of business. What a blast!Phill and Megan enjoy a short time in the wake before Pete starts to whip them around.

My sister-in-law Ella doing what she loves most: soaking up the sun.Megan and Jazzy enjoying time spent together.
Michael...Mimi says to "pull up your pants!"Michael catching some air and heading for Phill.Out of all the tubes, the 4-man tube was definitely the favorite!
Phill...Yeah...he's cool!Oh man! Hold on, Michael!Megan and Jazzy catching some air as well.Megan and her Auntie Lisa. I love this kid!Whoa! This is so much FUN!Jazzy taking one of the hundred pictures of herself. Gotta love her!OUCH! Major wipe-out, dude!Pete's brother Fred and his wife EllaHold on, Michael! Be a man!Jazzy and Megan...inseparable all weekend long.Where'd you get them rowboats, Phill?Yee haw! Ride it, Jazzy!Phill and Michael hot-doggin' it. Yeah, they're cool.

What a great day it was! We were so happy to take them out on the boat with us. A day of memories we will never forget!

Our Traverse City Weekend

We started out journey out at the Wooden Shoe Restaurant in Holland, Michigan. Pete loves to have breakfast there when we are out that way. "Wooden shoe" like to eat breakfast there, too? :-) This is the resort at Portage Lake. We had heard about it and stopped there on the way to Traverse City. We saw a few rooms and fell in love with the Inn. This is where our next year's vacation will be!Anna and Jazzy getting ready to board the boat for their parasailing adventure!Up, up and away!

Look! We're flying!

While the girls had their heads up in the clouds (litereally), Pete and I just relaxed on the beach. Okay...the Mission Lighthouse was cool! Didn't know it was the 1/2 way point between the equator and the North Pole. Coolness!The Old Mission Lighthouse.

The outhouse at the lighthouse! LOLOL!

We had a jim-dandy good time!

FATHER'S DAY, BIRDS AND PLANTS

Today, we celebrated Father's Day with a steak dinner out on the deck. What a beautiful day it was to celebrate! We had Pete's mom over and had a good time. There was also a somber time of remembering Pete's dad. A bittersweet day for the family, but we stuck by each other and got through it with some laughs, smiles and tears.

Phill and Pete. Since Phill moved out, it sure is nice having him over. Yeah...I'm starting to miss having him around a bit. Jazzy put her new hair cutting skills to use later in the day and gave Phill a haircut. He sure needed one!

Pete and Jazzy. It's hard to believe, but we have known Jazzy for 10 years already! What a gift from God she is to us!

Mimi (Pete's mom) and Pete. It was a very difficult day for these two, with dad just recently passing away. It was a real joy having mom with us today. We love her!

This picture is a good representation of just how tall Phill really is! Did that boy really come out of me????

Here we are...Pete and I. Yes, I do believe this is the longest my hair had been ever! It kept blowing in my face and mouth while I was trying to eat, but I kept it down today because Pete likes it best that way. I prefer it braided.

Now how cool is this? This past week, we have had a mama owl and two baby owls taking residence in our yard in the evenings. This right here is the mama owl. It's the first time we have ever seen owls, and we think it's awesome!

This is one of the baby owls. We had no idea that they made clicking noises along with their "hooting." We go out every night now and enjoy experiencing them. WAY COOL!

Did I mention that we got a new camera??? It's a Canon Power Shot A720, the best pick by Consumer's Report. I was experimenting with it yesterday on close ups with plants and foliage around our yard. I think the pictures turned out pretty darned neat! Enjoy!