Pumpkin Patch

The weekend before Halloween, we all headed out to the pumpkin patch for some fall fun. It was the first cold morning of the season, so we bundled up! Nathan's friend Eleanor had her birthday party there that morning, so we got to celebrate with her, and had early access to all of the fun stuff. This place is one of the most popular spots in town for fall fun, so it was really awesome not to have to navigate the crowds. I was even able to get all three kids looking approximately in the direction of the camera!

Labor Day Weekend

The best way to say farewell to summer is to spend Labor Day weekend in Northport! It was a bit of a cool weekend, but that didn't keep us from the beach.  On principle, I swam in Lake Michigan on Saturday.  The frigid winter and late spring meant that the big lake never really warmed up, but I couldn't let the entire summer go by without swimming at least once! The rest of the time we played in the sand and at the cottage.  

Natalie loves playing with her baby dolls--all of whom are named Danielle. :)

"How big is Danielle? SOOOOO big!!!" Such an awesome big brother.

Sturgeon Bay Vacation

For the second year in a row, my parents rented a cottage on the shores of Sturgeon Bay, and invited us to come along.  Last year was fun, but Nathan and Natalie both got really sick, I was a queasy pregnant lady, and Todd was only able to join us for a few days.  What a difference a year makes!  This year we were all healthy, Danielle is a sweet 6 month old, and Todd was able to take the whole week off.  It was SUCH a delightful week. It was relaxing in every way. Only one day was rainy, and Todd took Nathan on a special father-son trip to an indoor water park. The rest of the time we relaxed, played on the beach, made s'mores, climbed the dune down the street from the cottage, cooked simple meals, read books, and soaked up as much of Michigan summer as humanly possible. Mom and Dad watched the kids one evening so Todd and I could sneak off to Petoskey Brewing Company for date night.  I came back home feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. What a gift!