Late June and July were full of happy happenings.
First off, we finally finished the upstairs bathroom!
The Bathroom
Here's a throwback to when we first moved in.
Before: Here was our first paint job 5 1/2 years ago. Since then, the bathtub got a crack in it, the toilet started doing a weird leaky thing, and the tile's pink. So we decided to go for a full remodel.
Before: I don't recommend painting bubbles on the wall unless you want to sand them all off eventually.
During: Eliot working hard
The boys have found that working shirtless is more effective.
Along with the pink tile, the guys chiseled out at least an inch thick layer of cement!
After!
Anthony and the boys did an awesome job! We had a little help with the plumbing, and drywall, but otherwise, it was all Quinn men.
Our other Summer house project was restraining the deck. Go Anthony!
Last Day of School
Eliot with his Teacher Ms. Archer on the right, and student teacher Miss Wagner on the left.
Eliot with his Break dance teacher Mr. Archer (coincidentally brother of his Kindergarten teacher.)
Ira (and Eliot) with his teacher Mr. Hamilton. Happy retirement Hammy! We're sad our other kids won't have you in 2nd grade.
Father's Day, then Visit from a Grandfather...and Grandmother
Anthony's been a super hero with taking over many of my roles, as I've been recovering from pregnancy, birth, and adjusting to a newborn.
Grandpa Ellsworth...
and Grandma Ellsworth here to help with the kids.
It was a huge blessing to have their help and to feel their love, and just to sit and visit.
Dad teaching Eliot how to do magic tricks.
One of my sisters saw this and said, "Dad? Wearing shorts?!?" He actually called them "short pants," which I think I'll tease him about for no short time.
Picnicking at Calder Dairy
Eating at our new favorite Mexican restaurant, Tmaz Taqueria
The kids with their Grandma Bears. Mom's made these for all 26 of her grandkids!
Reading a family favorite: When the Sky is Like Lace
Hearing her voice read is sends me back to childhood, in the most dreamy, relaxing, magical kind of way.
Besties!
Speaking of childhood, we were also blessed to have a visit from one of my best friends since 3rd grade: Nichole Best. Or rather Nichole Witman, but when we met, it was Best, and our teacher in 5th grade Mrs. Good thought it was the most hilarious thing ever.
Our kids were super cute together. Here they are running around the Wave Field at the University of Michigan.
Ira being all helpful on the way to Zingerman's. He really has stepped up quite a bit the past few months. Thanks little man!
We only had a day with them before they had to leave, so we focused on Michigan favorites: Zingerman's, Bumpy cake, and for Esther's Birthday the next morning, The Bomber Restaurant.
Sass, spunk, sugar and spice? Whatever you want to call it, she's got lots of it.
It was a blast, even good for the soul, having Nichole and Tim and their cuties here with us.
Esther's Birthday
We laid pretty low this year. Esther decorated her own "horsey" cake, we ate at the Bomber, and then the following Sunday we had a picnic with friends at the park in her honor. (Forgot to get pics though)
Oh! And we went to check out the new Unicorn Feed and Supply store in Ypsilanti...
spent some time with Robin...
...And pranced around in her new cape (from me) and playing with her "purple" horse (from our friend Peggy.)
If I remember right, these activities were spread out over a week. One day just isn't enough to celebrate one's birth.
Apparently when she's exhausted from birthday fun, her arms turn to rubber.
Midsummer Fun
It was so good to catch up with our friend Gregory, who we hadn't seen in a while. He was using Robin as his ventriloquist dummy and cracking up the older kids.
Robin started little social smiles around week 4. This was him when I desperately needed a nap, after he had slept all day. They don't say "sleep when the baby sleeps" for nothin'. It's just harder to do when you have multiple children.
Inspired by the kids coordinating their outfits to Robin's, we decided to go full hippie, and make clover chains while waiting for Eliot to get out of his Summer Bridge program. It's sort of like Summer School, and he loved it.
Esther was so tired she sat down in the yard and fell asleep. Now if only she'd nap regularly, indoors.
Beautiful Michigan skies.
Our garden succeeded thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Quinn's help earlier this Summer.
Anthony and the kids at the water park.
More Robin
Families Belong Together March
Eliot was the only family member that wanted to go with me. So we met up with our friend Sarah to activist in Ann Arbor. We've been really in distress about the situation at the border, especially the Trump policy of separating and detaining families.
Eliot's sign: Let People Be Free
Lets go From Zero (tolerance) to Hero: Asylum for Refugees
ICE spends more than $2 Billion a year on Immigrant Detention through private jails -NPR
Mother and Child Reunion Now!
Inspired by the Paul Simon song. It means a lot to me and makes me cry at least half the times I listen to it.
Robin: Free the Babies!
We had some complications getting home with crazy bus schedules, so we ended up walking a ton during a heat advisory with limited food. Eliot didn't complain at all, so we celebrated with a visit to his favorite grilled cheese joint.
Mini-Ellsworth Reunion
It was fun to figure out, mostly through reunion t-shirts, that I'm distant cousins of a handful of people in our ward. Jodie Behunin, Nick Ellsworth, and Carrie Hooten (though she moved before we could get together,) are all Ellsworths! So we had a little get-together to celebrate Ellsworthness. They're super cool people. I'm proud to call them 8th cousins, 5 times removed...or whatever it was. Ha!
Ira and Origami: Robin Modeling it
Need I say more?
The 4th of July at Independence Lake
Random Swaddle Party
Ann Arbor Art Fair
I've been going to art fairs my whole life, but have never actually bought art at them... until now. We are finally filling our walls! Also, going solo (plus baby) is super efficient. I just buzzed around at top speed until I found exactly what we've been waiting for. On the right is the artist David Skinner. He was super nice and patient as I took a ton of pictures, texted and then called Anthony to hash out the best options for our house.
Farewell to Friends
A few of my good friends have moved away this Summer, not all of them pictures here....Jen? Brittany? Anyway, this is Brooke who taught me some really great art lessons, and is just generally a lovely and wonderful person.
Stephanie was a good friend and "Visiting/ministering teacher" assigned to me, and was able to help me through some tough times, including my miscarriage. She is amazing!
And this is Brittany, who I know through my birth class. Thank goodness she's not moving! It was just really special and good to catch up with her and her SUPER cute mini-me. Just seemed like she should go here in the friend section. Ha!
The most tragic farewell of all, was saying goodbye to some very important people to me. I know the Martinez family from my mission in California back in 2004. Lucia passed away in February, and Jose' was just recently murdered. They were wise, loving, people, who made the world a better place by living in it. They'll always have a special place in my heart, and my prayers are with their sweet children Wendy and Jose' who they left behind.
Pioneer Day
We scrounged up a craft treat, and told some family history stories.
Sibs
Robin's introduction to parks
Ira and Esther after a doctor's appointment
Trip to the Zoo
Quilts
A good friend of the family Jean Gerdes delighted our family with this beautiful quilt designed just for Robin, inspired by his birth story.
Get your own memories stitched up here:
https://www.rememberwhenstudio.com/gallery.html
Grandma Quinn made our little love bug this awesome quilt! He loves it of course. Check out this sequence as Esther interrupts his Grandma quilt photo-shoot. His expressions say it all.
Pottermania
Anthony read all 14 How to Train Your Dragon books to the boys, so I've got some catching up to do. Before Robin was born, I read all the Chronicles of Narnia to them. After he was born, I found some time to read them another favorite, The Little Prince. And then, I just didn't feel like waiting till Christmas to start Harry Potter. Ira's smile is subdued because he has no idea how much he's about to love it.
We were just a few chapters in, when we bumped into this appropriate Target display.
We also realized after reading about Harry's Birthday in book 1, that we could celebrate: July 31st.
We made pumpkin pasties, fruit wands, carrot wands, yorkshire pudding, and birthday cake, Hagrid style.
This enthusiasm turned entrepreneurial when the kids decided to have a Wizard's sale.
They spend days carving sticks into wands with some pocket knives, and also sold chocolate wands and chocolate frogs.
I think they made $6, which is more than I thought they ever could midweek, mid-day, with rain. I think next time they might hold out for more favorable conditions. Despite the low sales, it was still pretty magical.
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