Manistee Vacation/Uncle Will's Party

Hello, Family and Friends!



We've been having a great summer... it's been so much fun to see everyone and to see my baby brother get so much bigger. I'm getting bigger, too, and I love to sing. I know the words to lots of songs, and the soundtrack to "The Sound of Music" is now one of my favorites. I could listen to "The Lonely Goatherd" over and over again, but I call it "O-Lady-O" which makes perfect sense if you know the song.



Anyway, like I said, Bennett is getting so big. He loves his new friend...







But he still loves his swing. Here he is sleeping with his leg up...





Getting ready to go on our Manistee vacation. Can you believe Daddy had the whole week off??






Tighe and Carlee, Uncle Rod and Aunt Peggy came over to Gamma's for the fireworks...





This was the sunset of the 3rd of July, the night of the fireworks. We had so many beautiful sunsets that week, but here's a picture of just one of them...



Carlee and I are watching the sunset and playing in the sand...

We had a big bonfire with the neighbors, Al and Janet, and all their guests. Here I am sitting on Miss Janet's lap. She's so good to Gamma and all of us!

Here's a picture of all of us around the fire watching the fireworks.

Mommy and Aunt Peggy talking to me.

The next morning was the Fourth of July parade. We got there late and left early because I was really tired (I like to get up early on vacation!)

Uncles Randy and Rod, Mom and Aunt Peggy waiting for the parade to begin.

Bennett is getting to be such a big boy... here he was sitting up so straight! He doesn't sit on his own yet, but now he is rolling everywhere!

Gaa loves Ben and Ben loves Gaa (and his fingers!)

Mommy got me a little elephant watering can so I can help Gamma water all her pretty flowers!

Saturday, Mommy had to work so Daddy and Gamma took us to the petting zoo. I loved the kangaroos!

I met up with my cousins Maegan and Emilee at the carnival, too!

Another beautiful sunset over Lake Michigan!

Uncle Rick holding Bennett...

Mady and Blaire walked down from Orchard Beach while they were camping just to see us! (Their moms and aunt (Laure, Lisa and Maria) came down later! Thank you for visiting! Hope it didn't rain too hard on you that night!

Here I am in the swimming pool with my dress on! Later we turned it into a sandbox (and yes, I realize that I had a whole beach of sand to play with!)

Watering Gamma's plants again. I'm such a good helper!

Aunt Kay and Uncle Bob came with Busia Belle to visit.

Bennett sitting with Gaa and her big sister, Belle.

Uncle Bill, Billy, Chris and Sarah came from the east to visit, too! They sure love to play cards!

Bennett liked Sarah... see his smile?

A big lower laker came out of the river during my nap. Good thing Mommy took a picture of it!

Courtney helped me look for bugs. That's my new obsession. Bugs are cool (except for the one I was playing with in my sandbox at home the other day. Mommy called it an earwig, even though it didn't look like either an ear or a wig. She didn't like me playing with that one!)

Maegan helped feed Bennett. Really soon he'll be able to eat other things than rice cereal!

Thursday afternoon, we finally got our suits on and went to swim in the lake. I got knocked over by a wave and the water was cold, so I didn't love it, but I still keep asking to go swimming in "Gamma's lake!"

Well, Bennett found his thumb... although since that week we think he's forgotten where it is!


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Friday we headed over to Gaylord for Uncle Wow's Florida Farewell... he's going to medical school to be a doctor like Daddy! The party was a lot of fun. I played golf with Dad and Hunter... Daddy actually golfed three times that week and is quite good!

Aunt Mary Beth holding Bennett...

Gigi and Uncle Keith came up for the party, and so did Miss Geri and Miss Carynne! It was nice to have so many people there!

Bennett got cranky for a little while, then Mommy took off his clothes and he was happy. He was even happier chewing on Miss Geri's finger! She's going to be a wonderful grandma!

Swinging with Aunt Mary Beth and Hunter.

Mr. Kelly brought his harmonica and bongo drums and he showed us how to play!

Daddy brought his guitar, too, and he played for us by the fire that night. He's really good and we all wish he would play more often. Mr. Kelly played his drums and harmonica then, too. Good idea, Kelly, to jam!

The next day a deer came in to Gramma's backyard. She didn't stay very long, but Mom got a few pictures of her!

That evening before we all went out to dinner, Mommy fed Bennett and then as she was burping him they both fell asleep. I guess Mommy was tired from all the vacationing (did I mention that I like to wake up really early when I'm on vacation?)

We went to Michawye Inn the Woods for dinner (thanks again, Gigi!) and got a great picture of Uncle Will and Bennett. (It took a few tries...)

The next day we went to Miss Jan's to see Grampa Dave and Aunt Pam. Grampa Dave and Miss Jan are going to get married next year! This was the first time Aunt Pam met Bennett. It was so nice to see her... it has been too long!

We had grilled pizzas and mac'n'cheese on the patio. It was a nice way to end our vacation.

Thank you to everyone who let us stay with them for our vacation. We had such a good time seeing everybody, and afterwards, I kept talking about everyone I had seen. We all look forward to seeing everyone again soon!

Miss you and love you!

Mollee

P.S. Aunt Jen came and took some pictures of me, Bennett, Foxx and Kate last week. She has a preview up on her blog... click the link at the top right that says "Aunt Jen's Photo Blog" and scroll down to the post titled "Mollee, Ben, Foxx and Kate" from July 21.

Bennett's First Food/Up North Weekend

Hi!

To anyone who gave me bubbles for my birthday, THANK YOU! I LOVE BUBBLES! I blow them in the house and outside all the time. I love to try to catch them (but they are really hard to catch!) This is my big bubble wand. It blows big bubbles! I love to pour out the bubble juice.

Bennett was sleeping in his Pack'n'Play and had his feet propped up on the side. His new thing is to turn himself around when he's laying on his back.

Here I am showing Ben how to play with finger puppets. He likes to put them in his mouth (wonder where he got that idea!)

Mommy bought Bennett a Bumbo seat so he can sit up and see what's going on. He loves it!

Now that he's four months old, the pediatrician (that's what they call the baby doctor... Mommy had to help me spell that word!) said that we could start feeding him cereal. Good thing we have the Bumbo... anyway, this was Ben's first time trying it. I don't know about you, but I don't think he likes it!

Last week we went to Mancelona and Gaylord to hang out with Aunt Mary Beth, Gramma Jackie, Hunter and Uncle Don. We had such a good time. Here we are eating suckers (my other new favorite thing) on the back deck.

Uncle Don and Bennett just chillin' out. Don't you think Hunter needs a new brother or sister?

Bennett is in to chewing on things... his fingers, his chewies, blankets, and now Gramma's chin!

I love this picture of pretty Aunt Mary Beth and me.

See what I mean about Hunter needing a new baby? He thinks that Ben is the coolest and loves to hold him.

On Friday we went swimming at Aunt Mary Beth's pool. Hunter had a life jacket and was jumping off the side into the pool. I liked being thrown in the air and also dunking under the water. Mommy says I'm a little fishy. On Saturday at Gramma's, we went to the pool again. Here we are in our sun hats getting ready to go. Oh, and Gramma put a cute skirt on me!

Mommy didn't take any pictures of us at the pool... she was far too busy making sure that I didn't jump in and drown. I was so fearless that I would stand on the bottom step of the pool and dunk my head all the way under and then jump up. Then I was jumping off the bottom step into a part that I couldn't reach. Mommy would either hold my hand or catch me. And one time I jumped when she wasn't looking. I got a time-out for that. But other than that I had a lot of fun. Hunter was tall enough to walk around the shallow end by himself. Hopefully I will be tall enough next year. I can't wait to get back in the water!



Later on Saturday, our friends Meghan and Kelly came over. We hung out and Kelly took us on an adventure in the yard. Then I went to bed because I was so tired from all the daredevil swimming I had done. But Hunter stayed up and played cards with everyone. He told me later that he won! He and Kelly are buds... here they are doing a fist-bump!

Here's Bennett after a long day sleeping in his swing. Gramma thought he might be cold... from the looks of it, I would say not!

On Monday, Uncle Will came home from Florida. He and Aunt Holly, Grampa Dave and Miss Jan went down for the weekend to visit his new medical school and apartment. We are so sad that he's leaving but we know he'll do well. Anyway, he stopped by to see us at Aunt Mary Beth's before we left. We played together for a little while before we had to go home. It was so nice to see him!

After we got home, Ben and I were hanging out on the couch. Mommy thought we looked very cute together! I have now learned how to say "cheese" for the camera. Although I usually ask to eat cheese after I have said it...

Bennett is getting to be such a big boy now. He is so smiley and he laughs a lot. He loves to be tickled on his tummy. Oh, and he loves to be at Aunt Melissa's... I think he has a crush on Kate. He thinks she's the funniest. She loves to rock him and gives him her tabby blanket, which he loves. We're not going to see them for a while since we're going up to Manistee for the 4th of July and the week after, and then to Gaylord for Uncle Will's going away party. We will miss them, but they are going to their cottage on the lake, too, so I hope they'll have fun!

Well, we have good news from our backyard! The deer are back. This one is licking the patch of dead grass where we set out the salt lick over the winter. We had thought they were gone, but now we've put the salt lick out again and they are also eating the bird food out of the feeders!

See? Here I am helping Daddy fill the birdfeeders... the birds do get to enjoy their food, but often in the morning we wake up and all the food is gone... Mommy says that the deer are eating it all! That's okay... we like having them around!





Daddy thought this was a sweet picture of Bennett asleep in Mommy's arms (still his favorite place to sleep!)


Okay, I know you can't see it, but I have a big boo-boo on my knee. It happened when I was going for a walk, but it's getting better now. You can imagine that although I have these cool Winnie Ka Pooh bandaids on, they weren't on for long. Anyway, Mommy kissed it all better.

Bennett still loves his bouncy seat with the jungle on it. He will play in it for hours. Now he's so fidgety that he scooted himself all the way out the bottom once, so Mommy has to buckle him in.

Shhh! Whisper! Ben is sleeping.

And it's time for my nap, too. We'll try to post from Manistee, but Mommy thinks we'll be spending too much time on the beach.

Happy Independence Day to all!

Love, Mollee