After a few loads of laundry, some repacking, and a chance to sleep in our own beds, we were on the road again - headed to Grand Rapids, Michigan. The next stop of vacation week was a chance to visit some old college friends. Our hosts were the Johnsons, who had recently moved into a new home. We were their first guests! The set-up was pretty great: our basement bedroom was nice and dark and included a walk-in closet large enough for Jonah's bed (seriously, who puts a ginormous walk-in closet in a basement guest bedroom?!). And we had our own bathroom. Jonah slept in past 8am each morning...which, even for Iowa time (7am), is GREAT for Jonah.
We arrived Wednesday evening, and the Johnsons had planned a grill out with tasty food and fantastic company. It is so wonderful to have friends where, even if we only see each other once or twice a year, we can still pick right back up where we left off. These are people we have lived life with; it is good to be known. And it's fun that now the second generation of friendships are beginning to form. In this particular group, Jonah was joined by five girls...but he didn't seem to mind :)
On Thursday, Jonah joined his friends Haven and Kate at the park for some serious swinging, sliding and bubble-blowing. Kate loved the swinging, Jonah loved the slides, and Haven loved the bubbles :) We're not quite at the age where the kids play together, but the moms enjoyed each other's company.
After some lunch and a nap, we packed up the babies again to meet up with the rest of the gang at the pool! It's been a while since Jonah has been swimming. We did a little indoor swimming over the winter, but this was the first swim of the summer. Jonah took a little bit to warm up, but soon enough he was loving it. Kate taught Jonah a fun little rhyme that goes like this: "I'm a little ducky, yes sir-ee. I jump in on 1-2-3!" Jonah caught on right away, and each time he splashed into Dad's arms, he asked for "more!"
Kisses. Jonah has become very affectionate with his kisses. He loves to give kisses on the lips and kisses on the cheeks. Usually kisses on the cheeks are very symmetrical (if he kisses one side, he has to kiss the other, too). Often, if I ask for a kiss and Brandon is standing nearby, he'll give me a kiss, then lean in and give one to Brandon, too :) I LOVE this stage. Sometimes he's not in the mood for kisses, but this particular afternoon, he was feeling the love.
After the kiddos got their fill of swimming, we had a lovely dinner poolside. Another great day in Michigan! Special thanks to Laura's parents for their generosity to host us all and let us use their pool!
After a yummy breakfast with the Johnsons on Friday morning, we were off again. Next stop: Morrice, Michigan. We stayed at Bibi and Babu's house - but we didn't even get to see them! They are currently in Namibia, Africa doing work with a Nazarene Church there. This is their third trip to Namibia. Can't wait to hear about their trip when they return!
We did get to see Uncle Caleb, Aunt Erin and Uncle Aaron while we were there. Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures. There was lots of Trivial Pursuit, lots of yummy food, and lots of Uncle Caleb chasing after (and entertaining) Jonah so I could take a break :) I kept thinking to myself...where can I get one of these at home??
We also attended Brandon's cousin's graduation open house, which turned out to be a great way to see LOTS of extended family in a short time. Thanks for throwing a party, Nolan! (And congratulations!!).
I think Jonah's favorite part about Bibi and Babu's house was the little step between the kitchen and dining room. It's not even really a step, more of a large threshold - probably a drop of 1-1.5 inches. But for some reason, he loved going up and down, back and forth. He must have done this a few hundred times in the two days we were there. What a goof.
Our time in Morrice seemed really short - probably because we drove up to Mt. Pleasant and back on Saturday. And by Sunday morning, it was time to pack up and hit the road (again!). Whew! I think we need a vacation to recover from our vacation ;)
We arrived Wednesday evening, and the Johnsons had planned a grill out with tasty food and fantastic company. It is so wonderful to have friends where, even if we only see each other once or twice a year, we can still pick right back up where we left off. These are people we have lived life with; it is good to be known. And it's fun that now the second generation of friendships are beginning to form. In this particular group, Jonah was joined by five girls...but he didn't seem to mind :)
On Thursday, Jonah joined his friends Haven and Kate at the park for some serious swinging, sliding and bubble-blowing. Kate loved the swinging, Jonah loved the slides, and Haven loved the bubbles :) We're not quite at the age where the kids play together, but the moms enjoyed each other's company.
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| Jonah and Kate take in some bubble action. Kate can blow the bubbles herself! |
Splashin'
Kisses. Jonah has become very affectionate with his kisses. He loves to give kisses on the lips and kisses on the cheeks. Usually kisses on the cheeks are very symmetrical (if he kisses one side, he has to kiss the other, too). Often, if I ask for a kiss and Brandon is standing nearby, he'll give me a kiss, then lean in and give one to Brandon, too :) I LOVE this stage. Sometimes he's not in the mood for kisses, but this particular afternoon, he was feeling the love.
I think Kate was feeling the love, too :)
After the kiddos got their fill of swimming, we had a lovely dinner poolside. Another great day in Michigan! Special thanks to Laura's parents for their generosity to host us all and let us use their pool!
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| Jonah (15 months), Kate (19 months), Haven (17 months), and Paisley (4 months) |
After a yummy breakfast with the Johnsons on Friday morning, we were off again. Next stop: Morrice, Michigan. We stayed at Bibi and Babu's house - but we didn't even get to see them! They are currently in Namibia, Africa doing work with a Nazarene Church there. This is their third trip to Namibia. Can't wait to hear about their trip when they return!
We did get to see Uncle Caleb, Aunt Erin and Uncle Aaron while we were there. Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures. There was lots of Trivial Pursuit, lots of yummy food, and lots of Uncle Caleb chasing after (and entertaining) Jonah so I could take a break :) I kept thinking to myself...where can I get one of these at home??
We also attended Brandon's cousin's graduation open house, which turned out to be a great way to see LOTS of extended family in a short time. Thanks for throwing a party, Nolan! (And congratulations!!).
I think Jonah's favorite part about Bibi and Babu's house was the little step between the kitchen and dining room. It's not even really a step, more of a large threshold - probably a drop of 1-1.5 inches. But for some reason, he loved going up and down, back and forth. He must have done this a few hundred times in the two days we were there. What a goof.
Our time in Morrice seemed really short - probably because we drove up to Mt. Pleasant and back on Saturday. And by Sunday morning, it was time to pack up and hit the road (again!). Whew! I think we need a vacation to recover from our vacation ;)
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