Lake George

If you are wondering..."why haven't there been lake pictures on the blog this summer?" You answer is above. The lake house is under construction...and while construction may not be moving as quickly as anyone would like - it is going to be AMAZING next summer (and every summer after). 

We were all missing the lake, so Nancy & Denny rented a cottage right down from theirs and the Idaho Beckers flew in for a fun long weekend.

We did family pictures and we FINALLY have a picture that includes all of the Beckers (Nolan & Agnes, too!) New cottage decor...check.

Our family got a few good pictures too...so, if I get lazy busy...and you see this picture appear in your mailbox in December, well...

The Becker men cooked lots of meats for us on the smoker. Everything was delicious. I might buy Tyson a smoker just so he can "smoke" more and I can "cook" less.

 fishing poles.

 hello.

 One foot in Michigan, one foot in Indiana.

Tom's Donuts & Agnes. Agnes didn't eat any of them. But Nolan might have....

master crawler.

baby pool with Kallie

 boat ride with Kinley & Hadley (not shown)

swim suit model.

It was a SUPER fun long weekend - with LOTS of Becker family fun crammed in. We have missed the lake and the Idaho Beckers so much. Glad we could enjoy both at the same time.

Shame Shame

In case you haven't heard the AWESOME news - Uncle Devin is an AUTHOR! His book - Shame Shame was published and is available on Amazon. We got our copy!

Jack and Josie were excited to see a familiar face on the back of the book. Jack wanted me to read some of the poems to him. I told him we'd hold onto the book and he could read it when he's a little older.

Agnes posed with her Daddy's book, too.
NOTE: Reading the book did NOT put her to sleep. She was already tired...

Bye, Bye Idaho

Uncle Devin and Aunt Kristin came back to Northville for one last visit before they leave for Idaho. Jack and Josie had so much fun with them!

It was sad to say GOOD BYE. We wish Idaho was closer...or easier to get to...

We love you, Uncle Devin and Aunt Kristin {and Rufus}! Safe travels!

Devin & Kristin Visit {and Rufus, too}

Uncle Devin & Aunt Kristin are in Indiana...so they came up to see us in Michigan! Jack was PUMPED to see them! I only heard "when will they be here?" about 150 times on Thursday.

 Devin gave the kids some rides in a box. That's always fun.

 There was indoor camping, piggy back rides, and some zombie attacks.

Also plenty of books...

Both kids were really sad when Devin & Kristin left on Saturday morning.

Part of the sadness was because they took their dog, Rufus, with them. Jack loved Rufus. He especially loved feeding Rufus. Coop & Tuck were happy to meet their new cousin, but were also VERY tired when he left. It was a good reminder for Tucker that he's not a puppy anymore.

They don't head back to Idaho for another week - so we hope Baby Boy can make his debut while they're still around.

Sunshine...with a side of snow & poetry

First of all - let it be known - that we are now the proud owners of the movie {in every form} Frozen.  Josie spotted it when we stopped in Meijer last week and I have literally - never seen her that excited about something (well, maybe about meeting Minnie). She picked it up and carried it through the store. We've watched it about 4 times. She's a happy girl.

For a few days last week (and even this week) the perma-cloud that lingers over Michigan has lifted and we've had sunshine! The fact that we can actually SEE pavement was reason enough to celebrate! Jack wanted to take a bike ride and I didn't argue. We had to navigate some snow hazards, but it was nice to be outside.

Even with sunshine - we still have snow piles...although these pictures were taken last week, so we have less snow now.

And finally - we are SO excited for Uncle Devin, as we learned on Friday his poetry will be published in a BOOK! Like - his own book!! Devin has been working very hard for many, many, many years and his hard work has paid off! His collection, titled Shame, was selected from over 500 entries and won the A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize. We are SO proud of him!

Tyson and Denny toasted to him this weekend - and Devin shared in the toast by finding the same exact beer (all the way in California, where he is conducting interviews for work). The Becker women and children all celebrated with ice cream. Priorities. 

Congrats, again, Dev!

iPhone Christmas

My first Christmas gift of the year was a new iPhone 5. I can't even begin to tell you how badly I needed a new phone. After listening to me curse under my breath a few times, Denny & Nancy must have decided I needed a new one, too. And it couldn't have come at a better time. I was able to use my new phone to capture a few Christmas moments that I probably would have missed with my old phone.

Devin, Kristin, Tyson, and I were able to sneak away for a few adult only meals! So thankful to Nancy (and occasionally Denny) for babysitting. We really love being able to enjoy kid-free dining while we're back in FW.

Aunt Kim got Jack a Foosball Table and he insisted it be put together immediately. We convinced him to wait until the next morning. You better believe - at 7am the next day he was asking anyone who would listen - to put it together for him. He got the hang of it pretty quickly...but if you are ever playing with him, watch out because he cheats!

Josie got a Road Trip car from Aunt Kristin & Uncle Devin. It has a mommy, daddy, Josie, and Jack in the car. I think they also included a road map with directions to Idaho. (just kidding)

Jack got a Doctor Kit and he was sporting his doctor specs. Very professional - especially in a Batman t-shirt!

 

Josie and Uncle Devin did some "work" over the break. Josie helped Devin write some poetry. 

And finally, this was Miss Jos on New Year's Eve. She had quite the party in her crib with all of her Disney friends. I'm still trying to figure out how Goofy passed out on her back!?!?

Hey Uncle Devin...

We hear it's your birthday. Mom & Dad sent you something special from Amazon. We know you'll love it. Love, J&J

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Those two {really cute} children didn't sleep well last night. Which means Tyson & I didn't sleep well either. Not sure what was going on…but we are all a little bleary-eyed today.

Perhaps they were still excited after the LIONS win yesterday! Bears fans? {you all were very quiet yesterday}

Lake for Labor Day

Uncle Devin came in from Idaho for Labor Day Weekend. We packed up Friday and headed to the Lake! It was a GREAT weekend filled with family, friends, and yummy food…not to mention lots of time swimming in the lake and playing outside.

 We missed Aunt Kristin! She had to stay in ID for work. Hopefully we will see her soon!

Tucker got in LOTS of tennis ball fetches from the lake. That dog was born to swim. Devin had a relaxing time…or at least a somewhat relaxing time. As relaxing as a weekend can get with two kids running around.

We had a "visitor" on Friday night. A green frog somehow managed to sneak into the house and snuggle up on the water cooler. He was escorted out. 

Jack and Josie had a great time with Grandma Nancy, Grandpa Denny, and Uncle Devin. It's so nice to have the lake as a meeting place for the family!

Happy 1st Anniversary - Devin & Kristin!

Today is Devin & Kristin's ONE Year Anniversary! Remember our visit to Idaho last summer for their beautiful wedding? Well, we are sending them big hugs and a HUGE congrats for "surviving" their first married year! They say the first year is the hardest...but I think "they" are lying. Add a few kids and a few moves...that's when things get interesting. 

We sent them some Anniversary mail...but Idaho is far away and we hear the Pony Express runs slowly out there, so there is no telling when they will get it.

Mail has been a top priority for Jack and Josie lately! We have a mailbox at the end of our street and they have enjoyed taking walks to send some "love notes" to friends and family!

Look at that artwork! Wonder what special lady will be getting that card???

Devin & Kristin Visit

Uncle Devin and Aunt Kristin returned to Indiana last weekend for a quick visit. My pledge daughter (and Devin's Btown roommate), Kelly, got married in Indy. It was a beautiful wedding and we had a fun time seeing so many friends from our past.

After the wedding, we stopped by to see Aunt Kim - she's recovering from a knee replacement LIKE A CHAMP! Then we were headed to the Lake.

Jack put in some hard work - mowing the grass. Honestly. When is it acceptable for this to become a reality? I'm thinking 8 years...

He did take a break to go "fishing" with Aunt Kristin.

 Josie kept Nancy busy.

And Jack had a BLAST with Uncle Devin, splashing in the lake.

 Doesn't Uncle Devin look great with a lap full of mostly naked kids? I think so too.

It was a great weekend! We always enjoy our time on Lake George, but it always more fun when we have the family around to enjoy it with us!