Took the kids sledding Friday.

Cooper went down all alone for the first time ever.

I think he liked it, don't you?

I missed some questions...

Jillcarmel wanted to know if I had any girlie things... Because I seem like a tom boy like her.

I have girlie things... but I only share them with my husband.

No, you know... I really don't have anything I would call girlie. Bubble bath and nail polish?

Soonaquitter wants to know what activities I do when I'm down.

I take a bath and read a good book, or I go to Borders and get a hot chocolate loaded and just browse the books and music. Sometimes I like to go to a movie by myself. Other times I like to curl up against my honey and take a nap.

Quitelikinmyhand Whated to know If I am afraid of clowns.

No but I know someone who is!

Siennachartreuse- If you could live any place in the world, where would it be? 

 Well I think I could make myself happy anywhere. I don't ever want to live where water isn't readily on hand again though. I have done the desert climate thing for four years, it isn't for me.

SO I am going to say I am happy with where I hang my hat now. As long as I can get out and see the world I will be glad I call here home.

If I have my family with me I could be glad I was anywhere though.

I look forward to asking you all questions!

Hope your having a great weekend.

Seedsower and Green Panther

Both have more doors up!

I am spoiled ROTTEN!

I think I've told you that before.

Ben got me an inexpensive underwater camera I had been eyeballing since Christmas.

We took it to the pool last night. We try to take the kids at least once a week.

NO... we aren't rich, I just have a husband who makes GREAT work exchanges...

Wanna see what I shot?!?

Tough, I'm gonna show you anyways...

It was dark so some of them came out blurry but they still look cool.

Is this the face of an Olympian or what?!

Working those muscles, Cooper was out of the water I was in.

Charlie head...

I am going to have SO much fun with this new toy...

How I spent much of my day.
How Cooper spent much of his.

Well,

What do you guys think?

Ang

Blue is a big color in my world.

Big plans being made for the next week and a half, I can't wait.

Okay, this is something different.

I was having fun.

It isn't a barn.

I'll be bringing you more of those soon.

Hey, I was bored. It was something new on the beach.

I'm looking for something new.

I'll go back to barns.

Ang

A successful few hours at the beach.

Take...

A DOG,

ONE,

TWO,

THREE CRAZY CHILDREN,

Get off my bucket!

Where was I... three crazy children...

A DOG, sand chair, Profitable Glass and Games magazines',

beach hat, owned and worn since high school, a must!

sunglasses, a bucket and a frisbee.

These are the ingredients for a great few hours.

FIRST try to exhaust the dog...

Isabelle had Cooper and George running after the frisbee.

Works for me.

Come on throw it again...

Good air catch

Occasionally throw it in the water so you can see this.

Shall we see that a little closer?

Ick...

Keep throwing frisbee until it looks like this...

Second, watch the kids build dams and moats that are doomed from the start...

But still they carry bucket after bucket of water...

He was huffing and puffing the whole way...

They told him to keep em coming...

Finally he was done.

Hey me... what about me... more pictures of me... remember ME!

Trying to take picture of beach hat to show everyone, since it is one of my favorite things.

I CREATED A MONSTER!

A true camera hound...

Cooper did this to himself.

A LITTLE HELP HERE!

Yes... he loves his bucket.

It is going to be a GREAT summer.

Hope you all are having even HALF as much fun as I am...

ANG

My friend seedsower is in the (unofficial) Xanga video contest.

She has entered a video of her little niece and the first quilt that she made for her coming sibling... It is so SWEET!

  <~ click the link... you know you wanna...

 I promise, her's really is the cutest... check it out and please vote.

Today is the last day, so get your votes in now.  Thanks you guys. ANG

Now back to my regularly scheduled post!

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We last left our monsters at the dock, running towards a waiting boat and Grandpa.

The fog drifting slowly through the harbor, sailboats anchored in the background.

Life jackets were donned and off we went into the FOG...

The tall ship Manitou at dock.

Usually I'm on the shore and she's in the Bay.

We crept slowly out of the harbor.

Then away we went!

When we got out aways Pop said "Here Ang, steer towards the buoy."

To which my response was "WHAT buoy?"

I'm not good at steering normally, I need a land mark to steer towards.

SO in the fog I was worse, much worse.

See the pink lines... all of the straight ones are when Pop was driving, all of the crazy circles...

Yup, that was me.

My Pop the Captain.

 He is taken ladies, hands off!

He and my Mamala have been married for 38 years...

No wonder he fishes...

Just kidding MOM!

The rods were in and we were trolling. Four poles in the water.

Pop played pick a number between one and five...

To see who got to real in the first fish, just in case... 

Major childhood flashback since that is how my Pop used to settle anything between D and I.

Finally the Buoy!

No bites here.

We went to a different spot.

Remember this picture?

Well this is from the other side.

No matter how nicely we talked to them, the fishies weren't bitting.

So we headed back to the harbor.

Me driving the boat while Pop reeled in.

I can hear him in my head saying

"No wonder she couldn't drive straight... She was taking pictures! "

I wasn't!

Only like two... maybe three...

Back in the harbor the kids read the boat names...

We were only out a couple of hours.

No bites at all, we had a great time though.

We entertained ourselves by making faces at the camera

(I'll save those for another day.)

and just enjoying being together.

We all LOVE fishing with Pop.

Can't wait until next time.
Ang

Cooper and I were out and about today.

We were taking pictures from the dock and Cooper was begging to go on the boat.

After talking to the man a bit and finding out he knew my Pop from fishing circles.

I let cooper take a quick walk on the deck. B kept asking if I was sure I didn't want to come aboard. It wasn't until I was walking back to the car and he yelled "Come back anytime." That I realized he had been hitting on me... In a very nice, friendly way... Still who hits on a woman with a toddler? Especially when she looks like a bum in shorts and a tshirt dirty with little Oreo cookie hand prints on it. I guess some men just like low maintenance women. 

I live in a resort town.

Right now it feels like everything is waiting.

Not these guys though.

Cooper and I had a very nice day.

So... the weekend has been going really well here so far. Friday night Charlie and Is spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa's house so the next morning Ben and I took Cooper out to breakfast at Rounds.

For three of us breakfast was sixteen dollars and that was with the tip, so the prices are good . The griddle cakes are WONDERFUL and the rhubarb pie... mmmm...

Rounds is one of the last lunch counter restaurants in the area, if not THE last. I don't know that for sure though so don't quote me on it.

The customers are a varied bunch, there was an older couple planning a vacation home occupying the booth next to us, and a bum at the counter when we came in taking advantage of an endless cup.

Oh... And they serve corned beef and cabbage every Tuesday... I have NO idea why...

Cheap entertainment. Cooper napkin head... this reminds me of Cooper undie head... My son just likes putting things on his head, what can I say.

Oh... check out his reflection in the table. I thought that was cool.

Cooper and I were messing around at the counter taking pictures when in walked Mr.Gee. Right away he asked if we were from the area to which my response was yes and of course I know who you are!

If you have lived in Traverse city most of your life and attended any number of Cherry Festivals at all You would know who this man is. He has been a part of The National Cherry Festival here for fifty four years, serving in different capacities. I remember him MCing our Band competition during the festival,  hosting parades, and grand marshaling , to any number of other things.

He said that this year they will have a stand situated on the corner of Front and Union for all of the parades so that he can tell stories about the area and buildings and occasionally a funny embarrassing one about the people in the parade. I can't wait to find a spot as close as I can.

So that was Saturday... So far it's been a great holiday weekend.

Hope all of yours are going as well. Ang

Today is a better day. I'm trying to make it a better day any way.

So here is a new happy memory.

 My Great Aunt Shirley made a special trip up to see us at Easter time. It was just an over nighter she drove six hours here and six hours back to her home... All to do THIS...

The kids were so happy... you would think she gave them GOLD or Yu-gi-oh cards.

I told them they were lucky, Aunt D and I had to graduate high school before we got our special blankets from Aunt Shirley. 

Aunt Shirley who is in her seventies, although she doesn't look or act it, said she wanted to give all of the grand babies their blankets before her fingers stopped working and that D and I had always been special to her.

Talk about making some one feel good. I get the warm fuzzies still and I need those today.

I returned the favor  I think when I insisted the kids sit for this picture. Pop printed one out almost immediately and Aunt Shirley was so happy... You would have thought we gave her... gold or lottery tickets?

NOW I feel better. Ang

We took the kids to see Meet the Robisons.

It was a great kid movie.

I'm still here, Just busy.

I haven't done laundry in a week. If my sister doesn't go home soon my children are going to be running around naked. HEY! That would make for a great blog.  Ang