Montague, MI

School ended and we headed to Michigan for Memorial Day weekend. We planned this trip only about a month/month and a half before we went. I'm not sure why, but we (maybe me) felt the need to go on a short trip that weekend. I feel like it was just meant to be, because we had to say goodbye to our sweet Elliott a few days before we left. It was very hard on us so it was nice to get away for a little bit after that. Between school ending and Elliott's passing, Ella just did not want to go. We ended up letting her stay home which we usually wouldn't do, but since we had our big family trip planned a week later we figured it would be ok. She was also in great hands so that made it easier to leave her. We missed her greatly but knew she was happy. 

We stayed at the cutest house I found on VRBO. It was super nice and had a private beach which was the best part. Although it was great, it was in the country and pretty far from civilization. I'm not sure I would go there again but loved it for this weekend trip. 

This is the private beach frontage. I have never been to a private beach, and it was nice not having people around. They had chairs and beach toys so we didn't need to bring a thing. 

There were 85 steps down to the beach. Talk about a workout!

 

It was COLD and windy when we arrived, but that didn't stop us from checking out the beach. 

Our first full day in Michigan we decided to go to Holland, MI and check out the town. We headed downtown first to go in a few shops and eat lunch. I was freezing to the point that I wished I had brought my winter coat. I would have bought one if I had saw one in a shop. We did a little shopping and ate lunch at a local pizza place. 

We made the most of our time in Holland and stopped at Dutch Village. It would have been nicer on a sunny, warm day but the weather was not going to stop us. Dutch Village has animals, shops, and other attractions. A few things were closed due to the weather, but Paige still had plenty to keep her busy. 

There were farm animals and duck races. 

Paige loved this wooden shoe that was a slide. She did this over and over again. 

Paige had to take advantage of every picture opportunity that she could. She is definitely my child. 

We headed back since we were so cold, and the sun finally came out. Thank goodness! 

Adam made this out on the beach. We had a really tough week, and I honestly don't think either of us would have made it without the other. 

Lake Michigan is beautiful. I love the ocean, but there is nothing like Lake Michigan. 

Paige started out in a sweatshirt, then a t-shirt, and ended up in a bathing suit. As cold as it was that day, the afternoon was beautiful! 

Paige has always loved the beach. It's her happy place for sure!

This house had an outdoor shower (with hot water) which was just the right size for Paige. She had sand all over her so this shower was perfect. 

The Lake Michigan sunsets are definitely a sight to see! It was gorgeous. 

The following day was sunny and beautiful. It was a bit chilly but still a great day to be outside. I brought this dress along to get a few pictures, and this house was the perfect location for it. 

Paige said, "Look, I'm the Statue of Liberty!" 

That afternoon Paige and Adam played nintendo. Paige didn't last long. She can't sit still for longer than ten minutes. 

One full day we dedicated to the beach. The water was freezing! That is the only drawback to Lake Michigan. I don't think the water ever gets warm. Even in July it's cold. 

It was a lovely sunny day, and we soaked it up! 

Paige tried out boogie boarding for the first time and loved it. The cold water didn't seem to bother her. 

On our last day we went to Lewis Adventure Farm. This was the nicest farm I have ever been to, and Paige loved it. There was plenty to do for kids and the adults as well. The weather was beautiful that day so it made for the perfect day. 

We had to get a huge shaved ice! 

I enjoyed the animals. There were alpacas, goats, horses, camels, donkeys, prairie dogs, and even deer just to name a few. 

We all enjoyed the big slide. Paige went down it over and over again. 

She had so much fun!

She was all about the jumping pillow since she had done this before at the pumpkin patch. Paige managed to pick up a couple of friends while she was jumping. She is a social butterfly. 

Paige also found kids to play with in the big corn bin. She started talking to every kid that came through. Adam and I just sat back and watched. It was so entertaining. Paige does not know the meaning of the word shy. She thrives on other people. 

It ended up being a great day at Lewis Farms. It was one of my favorite things we have done on a vacation. It was simple but a lot of fun. 

We headed back for one more afternoon at the beach. 

After having such a rough start to that week, this was the perfect weekend getaway. We were able to relax (as much as a person can with Paige around) and regroup. Michigan is such a beautiful state, and I loved seeing a different part that I had never seen before.  

Last days of Pre-k

May marked Paige's last month in pre-k. Paige did two years of pre-k, and her first day seems like yesterday. She has come such a long way the past two years. She learned all her letters and numbers. She learned to write her name. She learned how to behave in a classroom setting. She learned the hard way how NOT to behave in a classroom setting. She spent a fair amount of time in the self control chair. She made friends and had a wonderful preschool experience. Friends Forever was a great preschool, and I'm sad that it's over. 

Paige had one last leader day before school let out. My mom and I both were able to go. I love seeing Paige at school. She LOVES leader day and loves being the center of attention. This day was bubble day so it was an especially fun day at school. 

Paige loves to be infront of the class with the pointer. She enjoys being in charge and wants to a principal when she grows up. I can totally see it. Ha! 

Paige loves the big room and loved the craft table. She will greatly miss "the big room". It was her favorite part of preschool. 

The kids were able to go outside and play with bubbles and had so much fun. They all loved being inside the bubble. 

Paige made a lot of friends this year, but she especially loved Tinley. She will miss her so much. Luckily, they are able to talk on FaceTime. 

They had popsicles and popcorn one days and played on the playground. 

One last class picture! This was a great group of kids. 

This was my last pre-k pickup.  I will miss this so much. This building holds so many memories for both Ella and Paige. 

 Although Paige will miss pre-k a lot, she is so ready for kindergarten. 

The graduate! I can't believe it's over. Didn't I just have her yesterday? 

Paige’s birthday

Paige turned 6 this year. How is that even possible? I remember birthing this child like it was yesterday. 

Paige is one of a kind. We can't even believe she belongs to us sometimes. She loves life and always has. She thrives on activity and fun. She can make a friend anywhere she goes and loves human interaction. She is wild, loud, and rarely stops moving. She can be pretty bossy but has a sweet side as well. There are great things in store for this kid in life. 

Paige wanted a unicorn birthday party this year with the whole family here. We had pizza, salad, and cake. I tried to keep it as simple as possible, and I'm glad I did. It made cleaning up so much easier. 

 

This girl loves her birthday. She pretty much loves anything that she knows will involve some fun. 

I love making these balloon arches, and Paige has started requesting them. 

A birthday would not be complete without a cake from Gaylacake. This one was confetti, lemon, and strawberry cake. I wish I had a piece right now. 

I bought this candle holder for her party this year. I'm hoping to switch out the candles and use it for holidays. 

Paige wanted to open her gifts immediately. She gets so excited. She had plenty of gifts to open and received a lot of fun, nice things. 

After we ate, Paige wanted Rylee and Bridget to go up to her playroom and play with her. I think having kids over to play with was the highlight of her party. 

Paige is a great big cousin to Rylee. These two are so cute together. Paige has loved her from the get go and loves to play with her. 

Paige thought it was a great party and had so much fun visiting with everyone. It was a great way to celebrate our sweet SIX year old! 

April 2021 happenings

April was Paige's last full month of preschool. They wrapped up letters and started doing fun, themed days toward the end. It's easy to see from this picture just how much Paige loved preschool. 

 

Ella enjoys taking her skateboard over to the school parking lot across the street. She has always had really good balance and is really good at skateboarding. 

Paige had graduation pictures taken at school. It is still hard for me to believe she is old enough to go to kindergarten. 

Paige loves playing with Barbie's. It was a nice day so she set up a picnic outside for them. 

Our boys doing what they do best.... begging. 

April would not be complete without a trip to amish country for flowers. We were able to eat at the amish restaurant this year too which made the trip complete. 

Elliott loved to sit on my lap on the couch. I would get interrupted frequently though, and he didn't like it. 

Sweet Pre-k friends

The kids went to "Friends Forever Forest". These kids did all kinds of fun activities at school. Paige loved these friends so much. 

One day I surprised her and took her to Mickey's Kingdom. We didn't get to go last year due to COVID so it was nice to finally be back to her favorite playground. 

My sweet boy. He sat by the stairs a lot, and I think he was waiting on Ella. As she got older, he loved her more and more. I think he appreciated how calm and quiet she is. :)