Happy People Beach Scuptures...

These sculptures are about the cutest things I've seen on the beach! Well, there were a couple of cuter guys on the beach...they would have been REALLY attractive to me if they were the ones who had created these sculptures! Anyway...the cute sculptures...

This is the "lady"...

This is the "guy and his dog"...

And here is they are altogether! :)

We will definitely be making our own beach people next time we go...well, at least I will. Hopefully, the girls will want to do this with me...

Home...

Okay, I know I need to stop doing these, but folks...I think they are here to stay. I will maybe begin housing them in a different place on my blog...but I'm addicted...

I love this song with these pics...the girls really are "home" when they are together. Like it or not. :)

I hope you enjoy it like I am!!

Mourning Period...

I know, I know...I HAVE a job, so I should be thankful. And. I. Am. But I'm feeling pretty whiney lately. I loved summer so much that I'm missing it...just like Izzy said the other night on her way to bed on SATURDAY..."I don't want tomorrow to come because then the next day is Monday...and I miss summer!"

MY. THOUGHTS. EXACTLY.

I'm posting some first day of school pics...a week late...(I've been in denial for that long!)

Izzy Grace is in SEVENTH GRADE!!! And she looks like a 7th grader...

Sophie Leigh is a FIFTH GRADER...and she is absolutely darling...

Look at that cutest smile!!!

There she goes...

this is her last year in elementary school...

The picture is blurry because my eyes were blurry...

I didn't take MY first day of school picture...probably a good thing...

the tears would have you all choked up!

Just kidding.

Kindness Project...Sidewalk Chalk!

Shhh...don't tell, but we LOVE sidewalk chalk! We decided that there can't be enough happy messages spread around Frankfort, so we took to the sidewalks! Enjoy this video!!

Yes, we know that happy-ness was spelled wrong...we like it that way. We would really like to create the new word:

Happy-full!

Have a happy-full day! Love, US!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Fishing and Oval Beach

I just tried my hand at making a video and I'm TOTALLY addicted! :) How cute are these kiddos when they're fishing?! I have to say, I've never considered fishing to be hectic, however, with four kiddos needing worms on their hooks (because a fish had nibbled theirs off, or it was in the grass, or the one that got away had a great snack), I had a lot to do...and it was hectic! :)

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

More beach fun...

The sand castle in progress...It wouldn't be an "Izzy" castle without PEACE! :)

Izzy is putting the finishing touches on it...complete with a peace sign and rock wall...it was excellent!

Izzy relaxed in the comfort of her castle and read one of the books from the Percy Jackson series! That was her book series for the summer of 2010!

It's what we did each day...at some point...never got boring...new rocks to discover, games to make up, waves to ride, castles to create, sand pictures to draw, books to devour, plums to savor, meanders to take...and Vitamin D to soak in!!!

This picture is of a rock shaped like a heart...we always look for them...I just happened to have my camera with me when we spotted this one!

We happened upon a girl one night who was very intently sculpting sand...she was only about 10, but she made some excellent pictures in the sand! This one is a happy octopus...pretty great, huh?

This one (made by the same girl) is an alligator!

Izzy drew all kinds of pictures in the sand...this is just one of the many!!!

This is a "drip castle" that looked WAY cool in person...

Those were some of the day-in, day-out beachy things we did...tomorrow, I will post a picture of the cutest sculpture that we came across! Look forward to it...SO cute!!

Tomorrow I'm back to work from my luxurious, lovely summer. So many quotes are running through my head..."all good things must come to an end," "it's better to have loved (summer) and lost, rather than to not have loved at all," "there's always next summer"...but the quote that is most appropriate for this situation is simple: "Whaaaaaaaaaaa."

JET SKI day!!!

Well, the Jet Ski day was the HIT of the vacation! We ALL loved it...we ALL felt the need for SPEED! :) This first picture is of the three of us returning the Jet ski...
Lori, Evan, and Conner are showing their happiness factor...Conner COULDN'T pose any other way...he was too elated! You can see the happy in Evan's smile too!

Here are the three of us! We had a blast...don't let Sophie's sad look fool you! There was a huge swing at the jet ski place and she had just fallen off of it...got all bruised up...seems her little hiney was slippery on the swing! :( We live and we learn...don't you just hate that?!

The funniest thing that happened while we were on the jet ski was when I took a turn kind of fast...Sophie threw her hands up when she was screaming and laughing and she flew off of the jet ski...I knew she was gone immediately...I was only hearing one giggle instead of two! SO fun! She loved it! Izzy worried about her the rest of the time..."HOLD on, Sophie!!!"

Best Feeling...

I used to think that the best feeling in the world was when a baby nuzzled my neck and fell asleep. I'm sure that is still pretty awesome, but this definitely runs a close second...that cool feeling when your feet hit the sand at the bottom of the steps to the beach...the sinking, cool, smoothe-crinkley yum that happens when I first dig my toes in is the BEST!! These are my toes...and my BFF's toes too...couldn't get the kids to stick around for the photo!!

Remember we are working backwards...

On our last full day at the beach, one of our activities was FISHING! :) Izzy wasn't too sure about it...she's smiling, but she had many worries about how humane this activity really is...

How about all of those fish we can see...she doesn't seem to even notice them!

Sophie is deep in thought...everyone was quiet...it was the best!

This is a picture of ONE of the fish that Sophie caught. Of course, as always...she was the first to catch a fish. She is so lucky...lady luck is always on her side...she wins at every game we play, raffles, whatever....even fishing. Happy day.

Vacation...working backwards...

Our last day...so sad...This is the girls on the front porch of our cute little house we rented...called Sweet Retreat! ...and what a sweet retreat we had!

Izzy and I were walking on the beach at sunset and we thought we needed a picture...Izzy LOVES the sunset and I do too...mamas and daughters, daughters and mamas...My two cuties...

The Ward Girls...loving the beach!!

So, this was the last day...I will work backwards in my posts to tell of our great adventures in Saugatuck, Michigan!! I tried to take pics whenever possible!

Shhh...don't tell, but I'm trying to find a way to live in Saugatuck all the time....any ideas??

Number 19!!! Check!

# 19...Cut fabric squares for "memory quilts" for the girls!!!

I did it! Oh my...I dreaded it too! I actually had no idea how long it would take, how many t-shirts they had for me to cut, and what the whole process might look like...but I just went for it. It was soooooo hot outside, so I just decided that I'd stay in. I had girls sleeping and hanging out in the living room. "Now is as good of a time as ever," I told myself. "Maybe I should just pick up the craft room instead," I decided. Well, one thing led to another and here I am with all of the quilt squares caught up!!! I'm not going to actually sew the quilt right now because there will be plenty of other things to cut and put into it, but WHEW!!! what a reliefI actually stopped dreading the cleaning, cutting, and organizing and started LIVING IN THE MOMENT and ENJOYING the 'RIGHT NOW'!!! Yahooo!
Luh-huh-hove when that happens!!

Overcast Day...

This is a picture from last year...

we plan on seeing the sunset at some point...

I need a new sunset pic!

Well, today is Wednesday...and it is our first overcast day! We have opted to go to the shops, the library (which is why I'm posting again), and possibly on a Duck ride! As we were just shopping the shops of Douglas, I ran into my friend from high school, Steve. He was closing a shop (one that I always go to and love) to make a delivery. I will call him later tonight so that we can meet up again! Got to give him a hug and introduce him to my BFF and my Izzy. So, that is it for today...no pics because I'm not uploading right now...waiting until I get home!

Favorite things I saw at the shops:

• Dream journal for Izzy (she LOVES to remember her dreams!!)
• Book journal for Lori...record books you've read (she can't ever remember if she's read a book or not!)
• Sign that says: Who are these kids and why do they keep calling me mom?!
• Rocks with great words on them...inspire, love, peace, hope...etc.
• Little craft that I can do...
• Magnetic words...enjoy...sweet...etc.
• Shower losenge that is aroma therapy for headaches, good feelings, etc.
• Amy Butler bags...so cute
• Church windows that are primitive, but lovely
• Copper sculpture for the yard that spins...sooo cute, but it is 975 dollars, so I won't be bringing it home...
• Picture with about 20 doors...when we commented on it, the owner of the store told us that she had taken all of the pictures when she went to Italy a year ago...then put them together on a poster....it was even better once we knew the story had happy written all over it!!
  ENJOY TODAY...I will be!!!

Vacation!

I won't be posting much for this week...unless I come back to the Saugatuck Library...
We have been to the beach, the art barn, the beach, horseback riding, and we will be heading back to the beach later on today! We are here checking the weather to plan the rest of the week! We have jet skis, duck ride, fishing, and other surprises still to go! I've finished one book, and have begun a new one...that I'm LOVING...called Driftwook Summer! Try it out...I want to be the main character, Riley...she has the perfect job--she owns a bookstore which is in the bottom of her house and she lives in a beach town...I'm just going to pretend that I'm Riley this week!
Talk to you soon,
Riley (aka Brenda)