Bryce Turns 13

 We celebrated Bryce's birthday with a family party on Saturday, August 16th at our house. It was seriously so hot out and Shane worked all day to paint the field. Everyone that we convinced to play was just dripping in sweat. Despite the heat, we had a great time and the Illini field has been one of my favorites! I still can't believe that he is now an official teenager. He has really grown up so much and looking so much older with his braces and the way he now styles his hair. He is doing really great in 8th Grade and had a great baseball season. We had some great photos from 8th Grade night in Oneida. 

First Day of School, Volleyball, 4-H, and Cubs Game

Shane and I got to sneak away to Chicago for a wedding and also caught a Cubs game while we were there. It was my first time watching a game from the bleachers. It was very hot but we had a really great time! The kids and I got to be a part of the RW Homecoming parade this year. Blaine walked and played with the 6th Grade band, and Bryce, Ali, and I got to ride with the 4-H clubs. It was a pretty warm ride but we had a great afternoon! We also got to support Sawyer on a monumental night where she got announced for 1,000 career kills in his volleyball years. That same night we also tried out the new diner in Billtown and it was really good! We will definitely be back! Blaine and Ali let me take their first day of school pictures just a few days late. But this is the first year that was Bryce was too cool to take pictures for me. (insert sad face) 

Ali's Michigan Trip

 This past July 6th-8th we took Ali Kay on her individual trip to St. Joseph, Michigan. The last time we were there was in 2019 with the whole family. She chose to go back there to pick blueberries and go to the beach. On our way to the hotel, we stopped at Washington Park Zoo in Michigan City, Indiana which was only about an hour from our hotel. It was the perfect little zoo and we were able to see some pretty cool animals and climb this really amazing lookout tower with an amazing view! We got to our hotel that afternoon and put on our swimsuits to hit the beach and splash pad. We then ate supper at a Mexican restaurant across the street called Azul. It was so good! We did a little shopping just down the street from our hotel and went to bed. The next day we took off to pick blueberries and hit the beach again. We also walked to the carousel which she rode probably around 6 times during this trip. We enjoyed a late lunch at Silver Beach Pizza and went back to the beach. We ended the day at a rooftop restaurant and did a little more shopping. The next day we headed to a different orchard to pick even more blueberries on our way home. It was such a fun trip with just our sweet girl. She said she didn't want to go back home. I think she had just as much fun as we did! The last pictures are from our first trip there 6 years ago!