The definition of "winkie"

The girls took swim lessons this year for the first time.  My mom, and this is just like her, bought them new bathing suits and googles for the much anticipated series of events.  They were so excited about the new gifts, they wore their new suits and goggles pretty much this entire day.  They are hilarious.

One of those Sundays...

It was one of those Sundays when Adam and I were so desperate for a nap that we kept shooing little Ava from our midst in between bouts of slumber.  When we finally woke up for good (after much interruption) we couldn't find her right away.  Then we stumbled upon this:

Under our bed.  Sleeping.  In her undies.  

{2012 School Pics}

I think they are the best yet!

{Family Pictures} September 2012

First Day of School 2012

Kira - Kindergarten
Adalin - 2nd Grade

Both did wonderfully.

 

The CRIM 2012

Well, I am officially off the smack-talking list.  I ran the 10-miler.

I've been intending to run this biggest race in Michigan for 4 years now, and finally acquired the guts and took the time to train to actually do it.  Each year, as I have passed up the opportunity for various reasons (some were better than others, like conveniently being 5 months pregnant in 2009), I have felt disappointed and have said, "next year I'm running the 10 mile..."  

Only, I didn't.  And I didn't. And I didn't.  But this time I did.  And gosh darn-it, I'm proud of myself!  

(And, of course, I'm proud of my handsome hubby who offered to run with me, without training at all.  How do these guys do that?!)

The Beach (again)

Scott's Beach.  80 degrees.  Friends in tow.  What could be better?
 

The "Alligator" Snapping Turtles

I came home last Saturday morning to find not one, but two of these snappers in my front flower beds, holes dug, with their back ends happily positioned.  My hypothesis was that they were laying eggs...

 So, we set our recycling bin on its side in front of them, one at a time and used our garden hoe and shovel to scoot them in.  They were NOT happy.  They call them snappers for a good reason. I heard that these big snappers can take a finger off.  Not sure if that is true, but I don't want to find out!

And... this is what we found!  Yep.  There are 6 in this picture, but that hole went DEEP!  There were at least 15-20 eggs, per hole.

 We reloacated the mommas and their eggs to the other end of the neighborhood where there are no houses.

Isn't she brave?  It just an egg with yoke inside at this point, but still, something was scary about holding the eggs!

 

Who does this dog think he is?

Yep, head on Adam's pillow and all.

Wildlife

There's not much of an end to the wildlife we see in our own backyard here.  It's one thing that I will miss desperately if we ever move to a more crowded area again.  

Robins eggs in our gutter:

Swans on our lake (they had babies that we like to get closer looks at with our canoe.)

Snapping alligator turtles (eek!)

Blanding's turtles that crawl into our garage:

Swans and geese cohabitating:

Frogs and toads that always hop onto our porch when it thunders:

More frogs:

Baby turtles:

Sandhill cranes? Egrets?

Grasshoppers on our cars:

And what would the Michigan country be without some whitetail deer?