Things that were great about this (extended) weekend

So, I haven't posted much this summer. Not for any particular reason other than the usual summer stuff--either we're busy working or busy having fun, and there's little time for sitting down at a computer to write about it! But I'll try to do better.

This weekend (I'm counting Thursday, too) was a particularly great one. No vacation or anything, we just stayed home. But I was recovering from three very busy weeks of data collection and co-teaching a graduate course, so it felt so great not to be working nonstop. Also, Kevin came home from his backpacking trip for work. Plus...Dave and Laurel were here! That always makes life a party. And there were all kinds of fun, easy-going things going on, like:

• Celebrating my grandpa's 80th birthday with all my siblings and their spouses, and (almost) all my cousins.
• Building a fire at mom and dad's Thursday morning, because it's Dave's favorite thing and it has been so chilly for a Michigan August!
• Playing on the Wacousta school playground (for the first time in lots of years), where we saw...
• All three kids sitting on a tire swing, singing, "sisters, sisters, and a little brother!"
• Taking naps on three different days, just because I could. And really, really needed to.
• The kids are sleeping all night, in their own beds! So much more sleep! 
• Finishing lots of much-needed household chores, including laundry, cleaning, and grocery shopping - all in one day.
• Having the whole family over for dinner Friday night, including the two new babies!! Also...
• Hearing DJ say, "Tah-to" [what he calls Otto.]
• Boating on the Grand River on the most perfectly beautiful summer day. All the kids were happy.
  

Following boating with pizza and house-brewed cream soda at Eagle Monk Brewery.

Pizza cheers!

Nellie's taking pictures again

Discovered the self-timer

• Enjoying other tastes of the season: zucchini bread and homemade pickles, sauteed zucchini, salads with garden lettuce and tomatoes, basil, and cucumbers.
• Eating outside.
• Building a "toad abode" with Nellie, who is remarkably good and finding toads and frogs and loves them all like her own children.
• Half listening, half dozing while Nellie took out the garbage, dusted, vacuumed, and swept the floors - just because she wanted to.
• Taking a long walk/bike ride this evening, watching Nellie start and stop on her two-wheeler (she says she's working on winning the gold medal in these events, actually), Annie cruising behind on her little bike, and DJ walking--no, almost running--behind her. I'm seeing family bike rides in the very near future.