August and September 2016

August and September 2016 were a blast...

except that it all kicked off with our friends the Clarks moving. 

Our traditional, porch (friends are moving) photo

Miss you guys!

The end of Summer means cramming in the fun!

Mom and kid outing to the University of Michigan Museum of Art

Todedo Zoo

We got super close to an ostrich

And giraffes!  I was really proud of Ira, who is terrified of most animals and despises being close to them.  He even hates petting zoos.  But he was dying to see if it was true that giraffes have purple tongues, so was determined to get as close as possible.  Their tongues ARE purple!...ish, bluish, blackish...and really long.

The Parakeet Retreat

We then had the pleasure to visit my homeland, Pennsylvania to visit my parents and friends.

Watching the joust at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Fair

One of my favorite people and best friends, Nichole

and her cute kids!

More favorite people! The Gubbins and Calverts.  We all grew up together, so it's fun to see friends marrying each other and raising families.

Lindsay and Camille. :)

These signs help me know I'm back home.  The depiction of the colonial elf boy, and my sisters' voice in my head joking, "Hey! Don't call us slow."

That's right, Rita's (not Eliot) originated in PA.  We loaded up while enjoying Dutch Wonderland...which as it turns out, is waaay more fun than I thought it would be.  The kids were perfect ages for the fun there.

My Mom, my thumb, and myself in front of the Marietta house I grew up in.

And my childhood playground, which consisted of Marietta woods, old ruins, and the Susquehanna.  I know, you should be jealous.  It was the best.

And it's not a trip to Lancaster, without a visit to Root's Farmer's Market

Funnel Cake (originated in Pa)

Whoopie Pie (also from PA)

and this kind of Pot Pie (from PA)

And we finished off with the Turkey Hill Experience!

I love my Mom and Dad

Back in Michigan, we...

went to the temple,

spontaneously jumped in tiny wading pools with  pajamas, 

and started school!

This is how excited Ira was to go meet his teacher the week before school started.  First day of school though, he hopped out of the car by himself, and navigated himself in.  Everything turned out to go better than he expected.

Eliot started his second year at the Ypsilanti Cooperative Preschool.

And Esther continued to stay home and venture out with me

Sure she's naked in a hole in the wall Chinese restaurant, but look at that smile! 

Pants on the head.

Dramatic pants on the head

In September we took a fun trip down to Indianapolis to meet up with some of our Quinns.

We visited historic sites,

swam at the hotel,

visited the Indianapolis Temple,

partied at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis (which is totally amazing),

played cards with

Valine and Paul

Dallin

and Becca.

It was really fun to spend time with the fam.  I love these guys.

And we'll end with a few keepers of cuteness.