39 Years !!

Today is my last birthday in my 30's! My mom is coming down and so is my sister, Mark is off and will take the kids for me so I can have some alone time for a while. I am so thankful for a wonderful life and I pray I have many more!

Dayton's Braces Come off, the cast is next!

Before we left to get them off. My first glimpse of his teeth with no braces on them, he was sitting in the dentist's chair. We waited 2 hours in the lobby for him, it was definately worth the wait! We love Dr. Strosser! He is the nicest guy! They gave Dayton a goodie bag with a Block*Buster gift card, popcorn, gum, toothbrush and tied with balloons. It was a nice touch! (Like the red cast! His 2 fingers are not able to bend so we have had a few hurdles with that!)We stopped by to show Dad his new smile!

Dayton's team took 2nd in a tournament this weekend as well, he couldn't play but kept score!

Dayton's braces came off this morning, he teeth look so nice! We had the best orthodontist, he was so good to Dayton and even got them off a month earlier than we had planned. Unfortunately, last weekend at a baseball tournament Dayton was playing catcher and a ball bounced up and hit his hand and broke it in 2 places. He is in a cast for about 3 weeks. So hopefully before high school starts his braces and his cast will be off! His baseball team won the league championship this year, the first year our school has ever done that so he received a nice trophy. Baseball season is officially over and I am so glad, it has been a long (and cold) season, he has had a few injuries and now with his broken hand, he needs a break.

Thanks for the well wishes about my sister in law Lora, unfortunately the when she went to the hospital for the first time (in the ambulance) they only gave her a neck xray. She woke up the next day at home and could not walk, after she went to her own doctor she learned that she has 3 broken vertebrae and is in severe pain. She is bed ridden for about 6 weeks. We are praying that she will heal properly and that she gets some relief from the pain soon.

So thankful!

Yesterday my sister in law Lora and my nephew Taylor were on their way to a college tour and were in a bad accident. The brakes on her car failed on the expressway as she was approaching cars stopped for construction. She ended up using the emergency brake and it spun her car 90 degrees and her driver side slammed into the back end of a SUV. Lora had to be cut out of the car and went to the hospital. Thankfully the side air bags went off, they more than likely saved her life. She has some severe back pain and needs assistance to walk, and some nasty bumps and bruises, Taylor had some glass in his arm but they will be fine. We are definately praising God this morning! Her car was totalled in the same town that we totalled Mark's car almost 20 years ago, I guess we should just avoid that city!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Mom turns 62 today! She is just the sweetest person I know! I know that it will be hard for her today, her first with Dad gone, but she will keep on smiling the way she always does. She is my inspiration and my best friend. The kids think she is an awesome Grandma as well. Happy Birthday Mom! We love you!

Pink Water Fountain

The other day Myah wanted to put her feet in the pretty pink water at the park. I love how many local fountains are dyeing the water pink in honor of breast cancer awareness. I wish all fountains were pink!

Nineteen Years!

Daddy got a little help from Myah the other day when we stopped b.y his office

Nineteen Years ago Mark became a police officer! My how time flies. He is our hero and we are so proud of all of his accomplishments through the years. He is a special person who really does enjoy his job, his whole life is devoted to helping others and working hard. He never complains when the phone rings in the middle of the night or when "duty calls" no matter what, even if it is Christmas. So many of his officers have told me how much they love having him as their boss, he has always enjoyed being on the road and even though now he doesn't have to go out much, he tries to every chance he gets, he likes working side by side with the "guys". I pray that God continues to protect him daily and keep him safe for many more years! Congrats Lt!

Summer Fun

***Picture overload alert!**** Sorry for the crummy quality on some of these, they were taken with my little camera. The family on the 4th on mom and dad's boat, "No One Left Behind"!

Mark with Kurt going 4 wheelin!

Myah with Brielle and Zach go cartin'

Mom and Grandma on the pontoon

Myah wanting to take the Mule out by herself!

Summer is not summer without smores'

The Smith visit!

Love this picture of Myah with Great Grandma

The Smith pontoon

Nana Smith's animal hat collection

Mark, Dayton, Nick and Jeff

Fun with the Smiths again!

Our family reunion

Wesely came all the way from Florida to watch Dayton play ball.

Myah's first trip to the movie theater, we saw Night at the Museum.

More family reunion

We visited Grandma at work.

Dayton's baseball team at a graduation party, so fun

Myah kisses every fish we catch!

Mark at his awards ceremony.

Myah sititng in the new crime unit police car that daddy designed.

I am so behind in posts but oh well, I am enjoying every minute of summer while I can! Dayton has had alot of baseball games, he had a back injury but is ok now so it gave us a little break in our schedule. We had a great 4th of July. We got to see our good friends Jeff and Sherry at their cottage on Houghton Lake, we miss them so much already! Hopefully we can visit them out in Wisconsin next month. We spent time at my moms house helping her get some outside chores done. My Grandma came up for a few days with us and we so enjoy her company, she is the sweetest woman I know and Myah loved having the attention from her Grandmas. My cousin Sheri is in town from Florida with her family and they came to one of Dayton's baseball games with my Aunt and Uncle. Our good friends Kurt and Debbie invited us up to their cottage and we had a blast riding 4 wheelers, mules and go carts through the woods. Lets just say my kids have been sleeping very well lately!

We are going out on the boat today, this weather had just not been very warm yet this summer, it feels like back to school weather instead! We have been taking walks in the neighborhood at night, playing in Myah's pool during the day, jumping on the trampoline and working in my garden. I am a summer baby and something in me just craves the sunshine! I love it!