This summer, we…

…played games! Whether it was Jenga at the winery, Play Nine with the young’ns, mini-golf, air hockey, Cascadia or playing cards with Jacob and Carissa, we had a blast every single time!

…spent time with loved ones. We saw every family member and nearly every friend we have over the course of the season. Thanks to everyone who traveled to see us! Thanks to everyone who allowed us to come visit them and thanks to everyone for sharing with us your time and love!

…we spent time with animals! From the wildlife on the farm, to the creatures in the coop and the pasture and inside to Charlotte and Trudy, we loved spending time with all of them! (The sweet little puppy on the bottom left we just got to love on, she’s not ours!)

…spent a lot of time near water! We saw three of the Great Lakes as well as countless smaller lakes, rivers, canals, creeks and ponds! We took the backroads as much as possible and got our toes in the water countless times. Our favorites included Lexington, MI and Leelanau State Park and lighthouse.

…ate some amazing food! From doughnuts to desserts to crepes and even oysters (well, one of us had oysters!) we enjoyed delicious food and often at places with beautiful views! Crab cakes on the lake, ice cream at the locks, and drinks on the rooftop, we spoiled ourselves!

…we enjoyed our garden, although it was far more neglected than normal. Our counter has been adorned with flowers whenever we’ve been home and our taste buds have been delighted with tomatoes, zucchini, asparagus, peas, carrots, onions, corn, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and many herbs as well! We’ve canned three batches of salsa with more to come!

…have all been entertained by James and his antics!! Whether it was becoming the obstacle in mini-golf, or making us laugh with his inability to ever be embarrassed, he kept us all laughing!

…made sure James got to rest. Fighting the fight is exhausting so we made sure he could stop and rest whenever he needed to! We appreciated the understanding and flexibility of everyone we were with who allowed time to just stop for a bit so he could rejuvenate!

The best part of my summer was definitely who I spent it with…

…and that we spent every moment of it together!