Hello, Hamlin Lake...Good Bye, Summer! (part 1)

It's the end of one of my very favorite weeks of the year...our week at Hamlin Lake.  I look forward to this week all year, because I know it's a week of relaxation, sunshine, time with my family, book reading, swimming in the lake, eating ice cream, and just enjoying the last bits of our summer vacation.  This year was just as wonderful as all the year's before.  It was a smaller group this time (my oldest brother and his family couldn't make it), but we still had so much fun!  This is a pretty long post, but there's just so much share.

Who wouldn't be in love with this place...it's gorgeous and SO peaceful!!!  If anyone is looking for a nice retreat, Clark's Castle Point Resort on Hamlin Lake is amazing.  Jack and Jean are so kind and you won't regret making a reservation, I promise!

 We started the week with a birthday celebration for Katie and Ben!

No trip is ever complete without a visit to House of Flavors!  Katie tried the Little Piggy this year...she gave it her best effort, but couldn't finish it.

 My crazy, ice cream loving boys!

 Swimming, boating, and playing wears a boy out!

 This year, we tried something new.  We went to Silver Lake, to the beach, and also to the sand dunes.  We were not disappointed.  It was a fun day for everyone!

 Grandma Debbie built a sand castle with Addie.  I wish I was at home, because I have a picture almost identical to this of my Grandma Fincher, building sand castles with us in 1987 at Daytona Beach...Grandma's make the best memories with their grandkids.

 Grandpa got in on the memory making, too!  He rolled up his jeans (who wears jeans to the beach, ha ha??) and helped Kyran and Lucy through the waves.

After the beach, we grabbed lunch and then headed to Mac Woods Dune Buggy rides.  We had been told this was a great place to go, so we took their word and tried it.  They were right, it was so much fun!  It's a seven mile trip that takes about 40 minutes.  It's both educational and fun.  Our tour guide, Alex, was great.  He told us about the dunes shifting (there are actually about 5 homes underneath the dunes) and how one of the houses on the lake currently pays quite a bit of money to have sand removed from their home each year...scary thought!  He told us of the wildlife on the dunes, the vegetation that grows on the dunes, and much more.  He was also a pretty awesome dune buggy driver, so that made the day even more entertaining!

Towards the end of the tour, we were able to get out and walk around on the dunes.  You can't tell it very well from this picture, but this dune was super tall!  The kids had a good time testing our nerves by inching out farther and farther (and then Jason jumped in to help, lol)!  He's a bigger kid than the little ones, at times!

 Part of the family...we were definitely missing Matt, Allison, Eric, Tai and the rest of the kiddos.

Mom and Dad were troopers one night and kept the kids so that Jason, Stacey, Andy and I could go out to dinner.  We started with supper at PM Steamers (highly recommend) and then took a walk down to the pier to watch the SS Badger leave port.  Then, like all parents with a night off from their kids, we headed to Meijer!  It sounds crazy, but there's nothing like a shopping trip (even to Meijer) without kids, that brings you such joy!

 Here we are, headed out to the sand bar.  The kids love going there because it's shallow and warm!  

 Grandma Debbie and Kyran

Addie, enjoying some blueberries on the boat!

Katie had so spend some time on the raft because she cut her foot...but, she was still a trooper!

 Cousins are some of the best friends we can ever have!

 A boy and his momma (no make-up and hair not done, but who cares)!  I love my boys and I love the time I get to spend with them!

I'm telling you...these pictures of this boy and his grandma just melt my heart.  Every. Single. Time.

It's July, so it's fair time!

July bring several things...the 4th of July celebration, hot summer days, time with friends, and county fairs!  We started the fair circuit with project judging for my niece, Katie.  Stacey had to work, so Grandma Debbie, the boys and I took her to have her projects judged.  She did a great job...all blues and even a blue star!

 I forgot to get pictures when she was with the other judges, but I did get a few with the farm scene judge.  She did a great job explaining her project to him!

The week after Katie's fair was our county fair.  I serve on the board of directors for the fair, so it's a busy couple of weeks for me and my family.  Thankfully, I have a fantastic husband who takes care of the boys when I have to be at the fair (which is a lot)!  Here are some pictures of the fun we had during the week...all that hard work pays off!

 Blake and Ben had a great time in the pedal pull!

 Sheep show day...these two are all ready to go!

 Miss Ava had to get in on the fun too!!!

 Ty, Ellie and Max were in the same class for one of the classes!

 These four decided to take tackle the watermelon race!

 Ben, going through the water obstacle

 Blake tackling the straw bales!

 They did a GREAT job!!!

 Kyran came to the fair, too!

 Doc McStuffins and Lambie, in the pet parade

Summer cleanup

A few weeks ago, our really good friend, Chad, came over and helped Andy move our infamous dirt piles.  These dirt piles are infamous because they've been in my yard for two years (or more)!  After asking to have them moved so many times, I've simply lost track of time.  Andy and I are in the process of creating a larger driveway and in doing that, we've filled in a deep ravine and taken out lots and lots of trees!  Chad and Andy leveled all of the dirt piles and took down the last of the trees.  After the trees were down, Andy and I (and Kyran) worked to get the trees cleaned up.  It was a FANTASTIC time with all of the gnats flying around this summer.  Kyran was big help, though!

 All of the dirt that you see in this picture used to be a deep ravine full of trees.

Before, you couldn't see any of the house to the left of the garage.  The ravine and trees blocked it all.

4th of July (just a little late)!

We had another great 4th of July, spent at our little town's annual festival!  We met up with our friends, ate lots of festival food, let the kiddos play in the bounce houses, and watched an awesome fireworks show!  We ended with an impromptu bonfire and a never-ending (or so it seems) sparkler show from the kids!

 Ben, trying his hand at baseball

 Ben and Ty battling it out...it was a close competition!

 The brain trust

 Kyran had his fair share of fun, too!

 Thank goodness for Ty...Kyran wouldn't have made it through this one if Ty wasn't there to help him up, lol!

 I "mustache" you a question...are you having a fun 4th of July???

 Ben found two of his preschool helpers.  He was so happy to see Miss Hailey and Miss Shelby!

 These two cuties joined up for the night, too

This photo just cracks me up!