PreSchool!

Getting Ready for Mrs. Jenson's class

Trying to get a nice pic is impossible...especially when dad is the photographer!

Brady is all ready for 3/4 year old preschool at Westshore

Colton is goofy, as usual!

Good Luck Mrs. Jenson:-)

Well the first day the report was "They did well, Brady cried at first and they really like to be by eachother". The second day was "Brady likes to be stuck to Colton's side, Colton wonders off without Brady only for moments before Brady runs to him" The third day "Colton has a bump on his head because Brady pushed him into the table, I seperated them at story time and it went much better!" Oh 14 more years of schooling for these boys could bring on many grey hairs...!!!!

Much better pics to come when mom has the camera!

FIRST SOCCER GAME

Water Breaks were a big hit!

Colton, Bailey, McKenna, Ashlynn....who looks tired??

Brady, Colton and Chase scrambling to come close to the ball!!! Having fun.

WE made it through to snack time!!! Look who has all the snacks:-)

Brady - "Look mom I am running really fast, I have no idea where the ball is but I am just running and running and running"!

All in all the first game was full of laughs. Colton doing 6 summer salts was probably the biggest laugh of the morning. They are playing with our high school friends kids. Jaxson Whitaker, McKenna Plummer, Ashlynn Anderson, Braylen Bennett, Chase Smith and Bailey. We lost about 25-2 or so...who could keep score? The kids did not have any idea about a score, which was great. Brady literally ran up and down the field never stopping as fast as he could and once in a while the ball would get in his way and he would kick it. Colton had a few good kicks in between his front flips!!

Final Summer Camping Adventure!

We went camping last weekend with the Brainards at the KOA in Traverse City. What a fun filled time for all. Campfires, mini golf, bowling, t-shirt making, bike riding, awesome playground, hobo pie making, smores and the list goes on...what more could we ask for!!! The kids all played so well together and our little cabins were so cute and clean, we will for sure head back to this spot next year. This Labor Day weekend we went to Michigans adventure with the Hellmann's, Jarred did the rip cord with Jeff and Jamie....they all had such a good time. Had brunch at the marina, Leah and had went on a beautiful run around the arms of Lake Michigan, visited Papa Felt and played at the farm, had friends over for a cookout on Monday and the boys are still playing hard as I post. Colton and Brady ran their first race this morning with the Hellmann and Eckerman kids. WOW, they never cease to amaze us, Colton ran the entire route and Brady made it all but the last 2 hundred was a walk/run for him...they did great. The weather could not have been better and I think we are all partied out and ready for school in the morning! Feeling absolutely blessed to have had such a fun filled summer with our family and friends, couldnt ask for more. Now hoping for as good of a fall filled with soccer, football, hockey and school and one more fall camping trip with 17 other families...Can't Wait:-)

Pool Days

Our little buddies have been little fish this summer. These are their daycare friends at the pool one afternoon last week. Its amazing to me how well behaved kids are at daycare, look at all these kids and not any issues all afternoon...WOW. IT was a really great day and every time they get in the pool they get a little better at swimming, the last day of Y swim class is Monday and they are swimming short distances on their own...!!

T-Ball

Jace Brainard, Colton and Brady enjoyed the t-ball season for the first time this summer! As you can see by the look on some of the faces.....pure determination:-)

Summer Concert

Sing it....Colton!

Brotherly LOVE

Colton gets his moves from his dad....

Brady likes to shake his arms...focusing very hard!!!

Brady is in the background shaking it up, Colton is trying his new move

They can even dance on the ground

Relaxing with an elephant ear

We went to the Shinedown concert at summer celebration this summer. We have not laughed that hard in a long time, above are snapshots of Brady and Colton breaking it down throughout the night, it was so funny, random people were taking pictures of them, the pics do not do the comedy show justice!

Camping Trip #2

THE FAMILY

THE FISH

AND THE FRIENDS!!

Colton practicing his back float

Brady practicing the american crawl

Two studs on sleeping bear dunes....a.k.a Jarred and Jake

THE MEN

THE WOMEN (WELL THE FEW THAT BRAVED THE HIKE)

The Swimming, The Lake, The sand dunes, The men, The Women....we had a great time with our fellow Journey friends at the annual Benzonia camping trip. I must say Sleeping Bear Dunes is the most beautiful site I have ever seen in all of Michigan!!!

CAMPING - The Channel

Who would of thought....SURELY not anyone who knows our family well....We are trying out camping this summer...FOUR times, YES JR is going camping with us...FOUR times!! Here are some pics of the first adventure, I think its obvious we had a WONDERFUL time, the whole family including our cousin Brandon and Maximus. We met up with three other families, the Whitakers, Smiths and Plumers all of who also have small children, they all played and had hours of good fun which included lots of the dreaded....DIRTY FEET!!! Thanks to our VanHees cousins we were able to stay in a camper, we are grateful for their generosity. This is what summers are made for, looking forward to Benzie Michigan camping this weekendwith our small group from church, yet again borrowing a camper. Then a traverse city trip in a "rustic cabin" and a fall adventure to Pioneer Park with 15 other families...what great friends we have, perhaps someday we will purchase our own camper, that is if I can ever convince JR:-)

Swimming Lessons

Brady and Colton did swimming lessons for the first time this year. They were the youngest in the class, but they did a nice job for three years old! They blew bubbles in the water, practiced back float and front float flutter kick. We swam in a friends pool last weekend and they were jumping in the deep end without us, with back pack float on of course, but they were little fish it was great to see.