Jilbert's Dairy

When Britt and I were younger, we'd spend parts of our summers in Marquette, and Jilbert's Dairy was our favorite place to eat ice cream. It hasn't changed a bit, and it was great to take the boys there for their first "Jilbert's experience!"

The boys with Jilly.

Britt and Ethan with Jilly.

The boys with the Jilbert-mobile.

Stuga

Sorry the blog has been in hiatus. We just returned from a weekong visit to my grandparent's Stuga (Swedish for "cabin") on the beautiful Lake Superior. The boys loved Stuga and the beach, and Jackson has been asking when we'll be going back to "kooga." The sand was so soft, and the water was very calm (and cold). However, this high-maintenance gal opted for Stuga daytrips, and sleeping in town due to Stuga's lack of electricity and running water. Enjoy the pictures and be watching for more vacation photos in the near future.

Breathtaking view from our beach.

Jackson exploring the beach.

Mischief.

Papa and Ethan's treasure after one of many adventures.

Stuga noodles!

The boys with their second cousins...

Ethan, Lars, Annika, Jackson, and Petey

(Thanks to Petey, the boys REALLY want a dog).

Searching for the perfect rock.

Like his mother, Ethan hates bugs...particularly mosquitoes.
Thank goodness for mosquito-net hats!




Oops! I "fell" in.

Ethan and Mommy love Stuga!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there, especially to my dad and my husband. You are both wonderful men and excellent role models for Ethan and Jackson. We love you!

Papa, Jackson, Andy, and Ethan

August 2009

Jackson and Ethan with the washers game they got Daddy for Father's Day. Don't worry Daddy, we're practicing for a washers showdown when you get home!

Storybook Island

Ethan, Momo, and Papa headed to Michigan today (Jackson, Aunt Britt, and I will be joining them on Monday). After Jackson and I dropped everyone off at the airport, we decided to visit Storybook Island. It's still as great as I remembered it. It's fun to watch Jackson play when Ethan isn't there. Jackson was much more cautious and careful without his big brother to show him the way. Don't worry Jackson, we'll see him soon! Now if only we could be seeing our Daddy soon too! Love and miss you Andy!

Slippin' and a Slidin'

After a weekend of rain and 40 degree temperatures, we were super-excited when the thermostat hit 85 today! We pulled out the slip and slide, and both boys loved it! They can't wait to show their Daddy their slips and their slides! Love you Andy!

Jackson wasn't into slipping or sliding - just splashing.

Nice form!

He's a pro!

Ethan the Camper

Ethan, Momo, and Papa went camping in Deadwood this weekend. Mommy and Jackson stayed home due to the 100% chance of rain ALL weekend. I don't think Ethan even noticed the rain. This kid LOVES camping!

It's pouring rain in this picture. Rain doesn't prevent them from having an excellent campfire.

The campsite had a porch and a porch swing!

Ethan visited the Black Hills Mining Museum.

A great tourist spot for a very curious little boy. If you ever need to know anything about mines, you know who to ask.

Daddy's Boys

We love and miss you Daddy!

Hope this picture makes your day!

More Park Fun

Our routine is becoming, shall I say, routine. We wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed, ride bikes to the park, eat lunch, take naps, ride bikes to the park, eat supper, take baths, go to bed. Everyday. Some days the routine is boring, but I find comfort in our simple days. The only thing that could make them better is if our Daddy was here. Here are pictures of the boys at yet another park.

Little Slugger

Ethan had his first t-ball game on Friday night. There was much enthusiasm over batting, but he was sent to tears when he was expected to be in the field. After a little pep-talk he was in the field watching his teammates chase the ball! At least he finished the game, and now he is super-excited for the next game tonight. Enjoy these action shots of #9!!

Trainspotting

It's becoming a regular part of our day: Going to the "train park" everyday at 10:40am so we can see the train drive by. The boys pump their arms, and we get whistled at everytime. Ethan has fun guessing what kind of freight is in each of the cars. These boys love trains!

Ethan and our train

Choo Choo!

Beautiful Black Hills

We spent the weekend camping at Custer State Park. In a previous blog posting, I mentioned that I might like camping, but this weekend reiterated the fact that I HATE camping. Yes, I hate it. The bugs, the smoke, the dirtiness...it's just not me. On a bright note, my kids and parents LOVE camping. My hubby does too so I see many camping-filled weekends in their futures. I'll be getting my nails done and reading a book.

Roasting mallows.

Despite the camping part of the weekend being horrendous, we had lots of fun day trips in the Black Hills.
Ethan and I rode the chairlift and went down the alpine slide while visiting Keystone, SD.




Although we didn't take a helicopter tour of the Hills, we did enjoy watching it take off and land.

We rode the 1880 train from Hill City to Keystone. It was a fun idea, but it proved to be too much for Jackson who isn't keen on sitting still for extended periods of time.

We saw buffalo on a daily basis...even just a few feet from our camper, but the highlight of animal spottings were the bighorn sheep. It was a first time sighting for me!