First Day of School 2016

 Emma is so excited to start her 3rd grade year!  Grandma W took the girls back to school shopping and they each picked out their first day of school outfits.  Emma was inspired by the Olympics and chose a darling patriotic look.  We flat ironed her hair because Emma "just wants straight hair, not curly and poofy hair."  I tell her every day that people would pay to have her color and volume!  She is sporting new braces this year too!

 Kate chose a darling outfit from Justice that said "Never lose your sparkle" and I feel that this sums up her personality perfectly.  Dominique put double french braids in her hair and she looked so cute.  

 "Mom why do we have to take so many pictures?!"

The 3 Amigos! 

Little brother will be starting preschool in a couple weeks.

Our family

 A rainy morning is always better when you have brand new umbrellas to use!  Ha!

And our traditional 1st day of school cookie cake with the Butler family next door.  Rachel is a Junior this year and an awesome soccer player!

Probably my favorite part of the day was when we were sitting at dinner that night.

Mom:  "What was the best part of your day girls?"

Emma:  "Guess who is on my lunch?" she states in an annoyed tone then shoots a glare towards Kate.

Kate:  "Me and Emma have the same lunch and recess!"

It was a riot.  A few days later Kate came home stating "Mom, guess which class is our 3rd grade buddy class?"  Yep - you got it....Emma's class!  Emma quickly told me that they never make siblings be buddies so she was a little relieved.

Like I keep telling them, you're sisters and best friends for life.  

Back to School 2016

We headed to Deer Run for the girls walk-through on the day before school.  They dropped off their school supplies (thanks Aunt Kim) and met their teachers.

 Kate is in 1st grade with Mrs. Makley.

 Emma has Mrs. Leinberger in 3rd grade and her bestie Ella is in her class too!

We had our traditional night before school dinner at our fav Montgomery Inn. 

Summer wrap up 2016 - Braces, Concert, and Irish Festival

We went to the Rachel Platten Concert with the Nichols and Mallue families.  She put on a great show at the Fraze Pavillion in Dayton.  The girls enjoyed belting out "Fight Song" and dancing (so did Sage and James).

 The Dublin Irish Festival always marks the end of Summer.  

 Nothing better than sipping on a beer listening to bag pipers play!

Me and the little leprechauns!

And Check out Emma's teeth - she had braces placed August 4th.  She is handling them pretty well.

I cannot believe that summer is drawing to an end.  Between pool days and travel we have had a fun filled summer!  School starts next week for the girls - Oh my!

Great Mom's think alike!

I had to post this adorable picture of Grandma Zinser and Grandma Weatherwax.

Earlier this week they traveled to Canton to visit with GG and they were wearing the same outfit combination - it was hysterical, but it didn't surprise me!

Looking good ladies!

Zinser getaway to Detroit

Grandma and Papa took the Weatherwax and Nichols kids to Detroit for a few days.

First stop was Greenfield Village.  The kids helped the engineer use the train turntable.  

They took a train ride around the 80+ acre museum which even includes a working farm.

 Next stop was the Henry Ford Museum.  On display - memorabilia from The Magical Mystery Tour.  Hmmm....No wonder why Papa wanted to go to Detroit!

They also attended a Detroit Tigers game at Comerica where they are known for their famous tiger carousel...

and Ferris wheel.

 It was quite a warm day, so they climbed up top to seek some shade!

Of course, swimming with your cousins is the best!

Thank you Grandma and Papa!

As I think about where my kiddos have traveled this summer - North Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Michigan - how blessed are they to have these wonderful opportunities to experience culture in other states.  I have to admit, having a quiet house all to myself was pretty darn nice.  Perfect opportunity to clean out our crawl spaces and closets!

Norris Lake, TN with the Mallue Family

We spent a beautiful long weekend with our friends down at Norris Lake in their family lake house.  This lake is breathtaking.   

Everyone tried water sports.  Emma, Kate and Sage attempted to ski, but they weren't able to get up...maybe next time.  John and I skied and tubed - so much fun, but man does it leave your body sore the next day!

I love this pic of the kiddos having lunch - and check out the stunning color of the water.

 Monica snapped a selfie of all of us!

Cute picture of Sage.  His favorite part of the weekend was playing with the ropes at the dock.  He would use the rope to fill up gas for the girls on their kayak's.  We called him "Mr.Roper" all weekend long.  

Thank you Chip, Monica, Charlotte and Margaret for a memorable weekend!

Kings Island

We braved the heat (90+ degrees) and headed to Kings Island for the day.  Fortunately, a slight chance of rain and extreme heat helped to keep the crowds low. 

 The kids waiting in line for the log flume ride - it helped cool us down a little bit without soaking us!

 Sagie enjoyed Planet Snoopy which is the kiddie area.

We headed to Soak City later in the afternoon for relief from the heat.