The Wedding

Our next stop on our Michigan road trip was Ann Arbor - home of the wedding we were going to attend.  Patrick's cousin Nic got married to Ariel!  Congratulations!

The wedding was really beautiful - it was outside and the weather ended up being really nice.

 Daddy and Amelia before the wedding burning off some energy.

 Papa, Olivia, Nana and Amelia

 Papa and his two littlest girls

 Paige, Alaina and Auntie!  We were buddies!

Naomi - we had fun playing together too!  This time, she liked me for me vs. thinking I was her mommy!  What a sweet little girl!

 The bride walking down the isle!

 A glimpse of quite a few of the cousins running around!  Amelia was able to join in since she could walk and she felt pretty special.

 Noah and Amelia.  Noah was Amelia's 'watcher' - anytime she was headed for no good - he turned her around and headed her in the right direction! Thanks Noah for being so helpful!

 Great Grandma Betty with the great-grands.  There are still quite a few missing, but its quite the group!

 I got a couple pictures of Amelia by the window - she was so cute.

 

After the wedding everyone came back and we celebrated Great Grandma Betty's birthday with root beer floats! Mmmmmm!

Alaina found these cone cups and was very intense on putting her cups in order!

Bonding with Uncle Mark!

Can you see where this is going to be going in the years to come?  Already following Olivia around.

Uncle James and Amelia

Both Olivia and Amelia loved the fact there was so much space to run around!

Between the two of them, we were running too!

After the birthday party most of the kids went swimming.

Uncle Mark, Auntie Mel, Paige and Alaina convincing Daddy and Amelia to go get their swim suits on.  Of course not much was required for Amelia!

Amelia's excitement that Daddy took her swimming!

Amelia also got to go swimming with Auntie Mel.

More swimming with daddy!

Both Alaina and Amelia had the same swimsuits on.

Daddy was also lifting Amelia super high and then splash into the water!  She loved it!

Lil Light

Last night we were singing songs and when we got to This Little Light of Mine.  Amelia held up her little finger light.  She even hid it under the bushel once!

Boats & Houses

During our adventure to Michigan, we took a stop in Holland, where Gramma, Grandpa, Aunt Michelle, Uncle Tom, Noah, Emma and Elijah were all at!  They had rented a house for the week and were excited to have some fun with us!  We also rented a pontoon boat!!!

Waiting for the pontoon boat.

While you may think we brought enough for a house boat, it was only enough for a pontoon.

I never imagined Amelia would get in the water, but her water experience started out with us sitting on the edge of the boat.

 Next, she started getting dipped with Daddy and then we would pull her back out.  We did put her in and it scared her a bit since the life jacket kept pushing her onto her back, but.....

She wanted to try it again and this time she LOVED it!!!   I was so blown away!  Daddy had to convince me to get in, but I was so glad he did.  It was so fun to experience Amelia's first lake swim with her.

We got out a couple times and every time, Amelia was practically running to go back into the water.  Her enthusiasm was so precious!

Amelia on her pop-up lounge chair.  She is really starting to love the idea of climbing into a chair and sitting.  Though we are still trying to work on the dive bomb exit.

Breakfast time!  Emma and Amelia.

Noah - wow is he getting to be so big!

Elijah and Amelia sitting together playing with stacking blocks.

Elijah is about 3.5 months younger than Amelia

Emma got in on the action of block staking too!

All the cousins loved the stacking blocks!

Amelia had so much fun, so she was all smiles!

Brothers playing together

Gramma and most of the grandkids

Checking each other out

Elijah and Uncle Patrick

Elijah and Aunt Kathy

We also went to Lake Michigan

It was really windy, but it was fun to see the lake. 

Gramma, Noah and Grandpa

The whole clan walking along the pier

Noah and Emma played in the sand.  Amelia would have had so much fun, but we had to travel and there wasn't time to have a bath.  Next time we will have to work it so Amelia can partake!

A classic Noah smile!

Amelia getting some help from Gramma on walking.  The shoes, though adorable, were not as easy to walk in.

Amelia and Elijah, having a moment holding hands.

"Can I taste you?"