Hot and Sandy

 We got to celebrate with Travis this week as we attended his 8th Grade graduation.

It was really hot last week, with temperatures well above 90 every day, and no rain in the forecast for the next 10 days. It was a week where we watered plants a lot, did things outside earlier in the day and because we could, the kids and I were at the lake a lot.   

As of yesterday, they have already gotten 17 hours of swimming in, and who knows how many pounds of sand in my van, and this is just the final days of May and first days of June!  They were able to go with Payten and Bristol on Thurdsday, after Payten got out of school, and they all had a great time together.

The kids also held their own VBS in our yard for the neighbor kids.  They had a Bible story told with puppets, a craft, games and a snack as well as taught them songs.  They all really enjoyed it and I was proud of them for coming up with it all on their own and pulling it off fully without me.  I have some pretty cool kids!

There was some special mail that arrived this week as well.  Ezri was awarded the Mark of Excellence award for 4H because of an essay she wrote on what she can do because of 4H.  This award is open to 4H members 4H aged 10-12, two per county.  After anxiously waiting almost two months since submitting her application and essay, it was a very exciting thing to receive!

In addition to that, Ezri and Alora each received a response from the Village of Hopkins Council in regards to letters they had written requesting consideration of a change in oordiance that would allow them to have chickens on their property within the village.  They were quite excited to read that the wheels are in motion to begin making that change happen, and now they are fully planning the details of owning chickens when that becomes a possibility, slowly wearing their dad down as they go.

Friday evening, I did some celebrating as well, gathering with the four women who have helped me coordinate our MOPS ministry for the last year, with a dinner at the Melting Pot in Grand Rapids.  

Saturday morning, we headed out for another Tee Ball game for Elam.

After that, because it was already hot at 11am, we got ice cream from the creamery in Hopkins - yum!  

Later, the kids and I went to gather eggs and hang with the chickens for a bit.  

This was followed up later in the afternoon by more swimming at Sandy Pines, a picnic on the beach (with our friends, who joined us later) and then some relaxing together back at Kathy's as the day finally cooled.