I’m sitting on a plane home from San Francisco writing and wondering how on Earth can it seriously be August? The kids start school in two weeks and I suppose I should start thinking about school shopping. But I will NOT wish away our last golden bits of summer just yet and instead focus on the fun we had in July. Here’s the recap…
Tuesday night concerts are back at Fredrick Meijer Gardens and we’ve taken part. Community concerts on Tuesday nights in July and through August are free for members and we love packing up dinner and brining the kids. Last month a local music store had a display of woodwind instruments and the kids enjoyed testing them out. As always, it doesn’t matter who’s playing (I don't even remember who the performers were) we had a great time.
Jeff and his golf partner Nate competed in the Annual Watermark Men’s Member-Member Tournament and while they did not come out on top, they played well on day two of the tournament and brought home some cash money. Better luck next year, boys! It was super fun to watch friends Joe Westra and Brett Kingma play in the final horse race and while they also did not come out on top this year, they too, went home with some cash money. And a big thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Kladder who baked cakes and read books with our kids while we were out having fun!
Watermark Women’s Association wrapped its six-week partner league last month and Jamie and I won second place this year in our division. This year we decided to step up our golf ‘costume’ game and despite our second-place finish, we consider ourselves total winners in that department! Big thanks to my mother-in-law Mari who filled in for Jamie on week 4 while she was out of town. So fun!
And while I have yet to golf Thousand Oaks this year, Jeff and I spent an evening there with some of his team from DJs for the Metro Health Benefit. We totally missed out on the live auction item that would have taken us back out to Arcadia Bluffs for a round of golf, but came home with a terrible bottle of Rose from the wine pull wall. But hey… it’s all for a good cause!
Natalie completed her second golf clinic his summer, this time at Watermark through their junior golf program. It was a three-day camp where they focused on skills covering all the basics. She’s still super jazzed about golf so we’ll be sure to find some time yet this summer to bring her out for a round or two before the weather turns.
Natalie keeps raking in the dollar bills from the tooth fairy visits she’s been getting. This last one she let me pull out using a paper towel. She’s also excited to start first grade in a few weeks - we have yet to find out who her teacher will be. We’ve been diligently practicing her reading skills before bedtime each night and right now she’s super invested in the American Girl Series of Addy. We finished Samantha’s set earlier this summer. I read all of the original American Girl book series when I a girl and it’s been fun to re-read them along with her.
Thomas, alternatively, keeps telling us he doesn’t want to go to school. Ever. But we sort of don’t believe him. He likes to get a rise out of us (because he’s a comedian) so he uses any ammo he’s got. Thomas also finally figured out how to chew gum - something we’ve been working on. Before he’d just swallow it after a few chews. But hot dog, he’s finally got it! The biggest news for Thomas is how much he’s grown to love the water this summer. Last year you’d find him on the sidelines playing in the sand vs. actually swimming in the water. This year he’s a fish.
We attended a Whitecaps Baseball Game for the first time in years to celebrate with Jeff’s crew from work for their annual employee party. It was the first-time meeting most of his team and it was nice to finally put some faces with the names I’ve been hearing.
We took our annual family trip to the U.P. two weeks ago this time stopping along the way for two nights on Mackinac Island. We had a blast exploring the island with the kids. My favorite parts were the bike ride around the island, mini golf at Mission Point and feeling super prepared with my mini cartons of wine. Thanks for the pro-tip, Emily! I wrote a special travel post all about our visit you can check out here.
We spent the rest of the week in Ontonagon with my folks at their cabin. We ate big dinners, kayaked, rode 4-wheelers, spent an afternoon on Lake Superior’s beautiful shore and hiked a waterfall. The rest of the time we just took it easy and relaxed. Our visits to the U.P. are always appreciated and needed. It gives us time to unplug, literally, from normal life and focus on connecting with our family. It is our annual reminder of what it’s like to slow down and enjoy nature. We know that we are making memories with our family that will be remembered and cherished forever. I wrote a more detailed log of the trip you can read here.
On August 31st we celebrated Jeff’s sister Stephanie and her fiancé Grant at their wedding on the Eastside of the state. We are very happy for their new beginning and excited to see where their new partnership will lead them together in the future. Grant has been a joyful addition to the family over this past year and is a huge hit with his new nieces and nephew who can now officially call him ‘uncle.’
Last, I’m very honored to officially announce my board membership with Grace’s Table. I’m joined by a stellar group of professionals who I’m eager to work alongside to leverage our networks and talent to grow this incredibly worthwhile non-profit. I’ll be sharing opportunities for you to get involved and keep you updated on the latest.
July was a doozy and I’m looking forward to getting back home, hugging Jeff and the kids and spending the weekend enjoying summer. As always, wishing you lots of fun in your weeks to come. Talk soon.