family vacation 2013

hiya!

wanted to share some pics from our family vaca to lake michigan!  we rented a house there for a week with gramma cathy, papa dave, uncle dave, aunt sara, sophie, eli, uncle joey, aunt ashley, madelyn, and anderson.  we sure are super lucky to call all those amazingly fabulous people family!

despite a stomach bug being passed around the entire family (except wonder woman gramma cathy!), we had lots and lots of fun.  we hiked up sand dunes (well more like i got carried up while dada worked real real real hard), had ice cream, got to play in the sand / water, and just be together.

mama and dada thought i may be scared of the water this time since it was my first time seeing water like that since i was 4 months old...but as soon as i saw it i got excited and went right towards it (i hadn't even changed into my bathing suit yet!).  i went right in, and a wave came and soaked me.  everyone thought for sure that would change my opinion of the water, but instead i just giggled and went right back for more.  lil' daredevil i am!

it was an amazing week, and i cannot wait to see my family again real soon!

lots of love!

traveling light isn't really an option anymore!

hello beach...i have arrived!

whoaaaaa!  this looks like lots of fun!

aunt sara and me

i just went for it...straight into the water in my clothes!

ok, ok i guess it is time to change.
give a girl her privacy!

cutie pie cousins!

awwww!  aren't we cute!?!

soph, maddie, and me!

check out this beach body!!!

we made it up the dune!  wowsers that thing was HUGE.

girl on the go...always!

ahhh, this is glorious!

yay!  wake board riding in the sand!  go gramma go!

ok big al i will let you ride with me, but keep your distance!

um yea, like i said...distance please!

yep, that looks like just about the perfect amount of distance!

mi familia!

whew!  what work on this hike...
oh wait dada carried me the whole time, never mind!

uncle joey and big al!

me and mama!

the LeMond clan

soph and maddie!

me and gramma!

he is just as ornery as me!

maddie claire and uncle joey!

my cutie pie grandparents!

loving life!

dada, look a DUCK!

double swing...big al why do you look tight on space?? i got lots on this side!

i scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

gorgeous sunset over lake michigan

booo, goodbyes!

they are never fun :(

sum-sum-summer time!!!

hiya!

boy-o-boy has it been hot!!!  we have been having to get super creative over here to find lots of fun things to do that don't involve scorching outside!  i still find stuff to do, but it seems mama and dada don't always agree with my choices (i.e. emptying all the bathroom drawers and cabinets, stretching out all the sunglasses i can find, climbing on anything i am not supposed to, etc).  tough crowd...that all sounds like great fun to me!

so instead of letting me run with my great ideas we went to the children's museum...and let me tell you...it was one of their best ideas yet!  so so so fun!  i didn't want to leave any of the rooms, but then as soon as we went into the next one i completely forgot about the ones before because each one was pretty much the most amazing place i could imagine (i mean a whole room with bubbles, a whole room with ramps and lots of balls, a dance floor that lights up, a playground, and i could go on and on).

then finally it cooled off last sunday so i went on my first hike!  now hike mayyyyy be a bit of a stretch because i found the water and snack breaks to be the most fun part...so anytime i saw a good rock or tree i would pop down and wait for water or food (and let's just say there was a perfect rock or tree about every 15 steps...so yes i ate my way through the woods! perfect!).

we are getting ready to head to lake michigan with lots of fabulous family next week....can't wait to fill you all in on that when we get back.

lots of love!

whoaaaa!  this is the biggest thing of bubbles i have EVER seen!

oops!  got some on the side.

oh nevermind...it is actually perfect because now i can paint you a picture!

me and my buddy will!  i am showing him how it is done...
but he better keep his eyes off my fly swatter cause it is MINE.

i can't even describe what this was but plastic balls flew around everywhere and i could've watched it for hours!

DUNK!  dada watch out...i'll be taking you on before long!

ready for my first hike!

ok, ok so i know we haven't even TECHNICALLY started, but aren't you guys ready for a snack??

ahhh, those 14 steps were tough.  i am parched! 

whew, thank goodness for dada's shoulders!

check me out papa dave!!!  vroom vroom!!!

happy birthday america!

hiya!
i have had a really good couple of weeks.  grandma cathy came to visit, and i loved having her here.  she definitely spoils me lots, and i can't say that i mind one bit.
then this past weekend we had a lot of fun celebrating america's birthday!  we had a cookout and my besties ben and grace came over.  we had lots of fun...but boy was it hot!  thank goodness for the water table and air conditioning because more and more it is becoming apparent that i am just like my mama and do NOT enjoy being hot one bit (but then again who really enjoys 95 degrees with crazy humidity...nobody i know!).

grandma teaching me how to blow bubbles!
(and in case you are wondering this is in b&w because my outfit was a bit of a mis-matched mess...oops!)

so proud of myself!  go bubbles go!

happy birthday america!  (thanks grandma for my outfit!)

what??  you didn't hear me...i said HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

snack time!

soooo proud of this belly!  i work hard to keep this figure!

i help mama and dada water these flowers every night...i am doing a great job if i do say so myself!

i watch mama pick off the dead flowers and throw them over the edge...and i help by doing the same (just one difference, i pick all the alive flowers because they are much prettier...i think mama really appreciates the help!)

me throwing those pretty flowers over the edge...just like mama!

waiting for my friends!

pool party!  (ok, ok more of a water table party...but c'mon we can't actually swim yet!)

me and ben....trying to beat the heat

patriotic bunch we are...ben was pretty pumped that he was allowed to wave a stick around!
grace and i didn't think it was quite as exciting...boys they are so weird!

me and grace winding down the day with some reading time!

whew!  that was a super fun but really exhausting day...i am pooped!

hope you all are having a great summer too!

lots of love!

celebrating my dada!

hiya!

as most of you know...my dada is pretty much the most amazing guy EVER!  so i was very excited to get to celebrate him for not one, but TWO days for fathers day and his birthday!

mama and i worked real real real hard to decorate his gifts.  i was quite the lil' artist if i must say so myself.  i decided to spread the paint with my bum (then i sat all over the hardwood floors just to decorate the house as well...mom thought it was beautiful, right mama??).

we spoiled him with some great meals, went to the bunker hill day parade, and just got to spend the day enjoying our fun lil' family.

happy fathers day and birthday dada!  i love you so very much and am so lucky to have you as my dad.  

getting ready to decorate my masterpiece!

looking good if i must say so myself!

final touches, this takes lots of concentration to get it JUST right!

all done!

decorated this one with crayons!

lucky for me dada got the present...but he left me the box!

all dressed up for my favorite guy!

enjoying the parade!

snuggle snuggle!