Reasons to celebrate with photos!

Missing front teeth for Sawyer, new hairstyle for Sydney!

Sydney got a haircut!

Sydney asked if she could get her haircut short! She used to have a bob when she was a toddler so I was excited to know she wanted a short 'do again! I'm also excited to not have to deal with super long and super thick hair all summer!! Perfect summer haircut!

Toothless Girl

Sawyer lost her other front tooth.  She's so cute!

Fishing with Daddy and Pap Pap!

Last weekend was the opening for kids day fishing.  Jim and my dad were so excited to take the girls fishing! Of course they both wanted to get a line in a week early too!

We packed a picnic lunch.  Mom and I sat and chatted and took pictures while Pap Pap and Daddy ran around like crazy men helping the girls bate their fishing line! No sooner did they cast a line that a fish would be reeled in! Over and OVER!!

When we got to the lake, I reminded Jim and my dad that they have been fishing together for nearly 20 years! I joke all the time that Jim started dating me and my dad at the same time! Buddies forever. I love it! Now the girls are part of the tradition too!

Funny story...as we were getting the charcoal fire going, we dug all the food out of the cooler, set it all on the table, then realized neither Jim nor I packed the hot dogs!!  We remembered everything else, even the stuff that usually gets forgotten, yet we forgot the most important part of the picnic lunch! We had a good laugh about that! Good thing there is a little country store right up the road! We got hot dogs!!! Food always tastes so much better when cooked and eaten outside! What a fun day!

New Bikes!!

The girls might be 19 months apart in age, but they are almost exactly the same height! This means that sporting equiptment has to be updated at the same time.  Good for them, bad for our bank account!

They desperately needed new bikes.  16 inch bikes were too small.  Jim decided that the 20 inch bikes with hand brakes and gears would be a smart investment.  We love bike riding with them and it is nice to have bikes that will stand up to hills and dirt paths better.

They are thrilled with their new bikes.  I had them practicing using their new hand brakes in the yard yesterday.  I think they will be ready to ride on small hills soon!

BRING ON SPRING!!!

iPhone pix from last summer at the lake

I took so few pictures, but at least there are a few to share.

Every morning we hike down to the lake to look for lake glass and other treasures.  We found a ton of glass at our beach this year.

 Baby turtles and frogs are the girls' favorite creatures in the lake!

 Mia thought it was fun to lead me home when I drove the quad up the hill to the house.  Silly pup.

 Mia proved to be the most amazing lake dog!! She jumped off the dock and loved the boat! We look forward to many years with her on the lake!

Daddy got to spend a few weeks with us at camp.  Always making buttermilk pancakes on his first morning home with us!

 Tired lake doggies.  So much running, hiking and swimming.  Sadly, this past summer was old girl Izzy's last year at the lake.  Her hips and joints are failing her so she will stay home this summer.  So sad for us to see her age, but I'm so glad she had a wonderful time last summer.

 Mia pup begged by my sneakers every morning.  Her way of saying it was time for our hike!

 Full days of swimming meant tired little girls!

 The house was newly stained in July.  We were not happy with the orginal stain on the house after we built.  It faded after only a few years.  This new stain is supposed to have a longer life!

 Jim flew to camp with one of his former co-workers this summer.  We enjoyed the short visit, but I was pretty terrified of him flying in one of these tiny little planes!

 Nana and Pap Pap spent a wonderful week with us.  The boys fished while Nana and I spent tons of time at the beach with the girls! Nana is getting a sand foot rub from the girls!

 Driving home from The Vermont Country store in the worst thunderstorm I have ever seen!  I pulled the truck over so Dad could grab a handful of huge hail! Crazy weather!!!

 Mia admiring her special treat from Vermont!

 The newly stained lake side of the house.

Dreaming of the lake

It's that time of year again.  I start prepping for a summer at the lake.  Bathing suit and long sleeved rash gaurds are sitting upstairs already packed and ready to go! Just a few short weeks.

I realized that I never posted many pictures from last summer at the lake.  I barely took any photos on the big camera or the phone.  I'm vowing to be better about photo taking this summer!

Here are a few big camera photos from last year!

Chalkboard drawing on the deck.

 Reading all the time! This year will be even more fun now that Sawyer is reading too!!

 The girls are happiest when they are hiking through the woods looking for creatures!

 And even happier when we are swimming.

 We always celebrate Sydney's birthday with our family before we move up to camp, but we always do a little celebration for her on her actual birthday at camp.

 Sawyer lost another tooth last summer.  Good thing the tooth fairy knows where to find us at the lake.

 Campfires and s'mores!

Aunt Jess and Uncle Kevin sent a bug catcher kit to Sydney for her birthday.  Needless to say, it was a huge hit! Spent lots of time in our yard looking for bugs.  There are plenty of those at the lake! After 6 years there, we have learned to become one with the bugs!

 Ever my nature girls!! Always exploring for creatures and treasures!

 Daily hikes.  Our favorite morning activity.  I sneak in my exercise while we hike the hills and the girls get to treasure hunt.  Each morning, the puppy dog would sit by my sneakers begging to go for our daily hike!

 One of these days she will be riding this quad all around the woods! I think I'm scared!