The Parrent Family: Summer in Michigan

My friend Carrie met us at an anchorage with these beautiful flowers first thing the next morning that we arrived in port. My sister still had the kids so we had a great chance to catch up, get some sun and enjoy the day. We rafted off to John and Carrie, Bernie and Mike for the day.

My brother-in-law Rob (Michelle's husbands) parents' Mike and Carolyne came for a visit at the Spears house and we celebrated "Grams" birthday with a huge plate of brownies. Michelle made a great dinner too and it was so nice to see them again. On our boat trip we went to their home in the Bradenton area of Florida's west coast during the Christmas holiday.

The girls made up three dances full of cartwheels and acrobats and did a great job!

The boys danced to two songs as we sat on their comfy couch (oops my toes made it into the photo). It was fun to hang out in her big beautiful home again. She took the kids to see a few movies in the theatre, out for pizza and ice cream, over to the country club for swimming in the pool and so much more. They have a great big tree house out back that the kids loved playing in and time flew by fast!

Sweet little Bella, the Spears family dog, styling her new winter jacket.

I ended up spending 8 hours on the road to get to my sisters. My parents planted a car in Grand Haven so we could get Craig's truck in Boyne City. Then all the way down past Ann Arbor to my sisters to get the kids and back across the state to Grand Haven to the boat was another 3 hours. It's good to be home!

Lot's of cousin time!

Nothing like a July summer in Michigan! Family joined us in Smith's Bayou in Spring Lake (inside the port of Grand Haven) for a day of swimming and anchoring out with friends. We rafted up next to John and Carrie, Steve and Sharon, Wayne and Shari and Tab and Renee's boat. It was hot and fun!

Our friend, Tab, really pulled Carrie around on this raft with his teeth! Ha, it was so funny!

Craig diving off the aft deck of our boat. I think jumping the 17 feet is scarey enough...but he needs to do it head first and take it to a whole new level.

Jaxon has never been the first one into the lake, but it was hot enough to get him in and he had a riot!

Craig, Tab and John (Carrie's husband), jumping off the aft deck. They did a half dozen times and made a huge splash!

A view from the water! I love my digital underwater camera!

The kids couldn't run up there fast enough to keep jumping!

Ryann's shelf needed to be cleaned, so she took the opportunity to play!

The kids were so proud of Craig getting a job that we threw a celebration! Any reason to make cake.

Craig's first day at work was a sweltering hot one. He's owned those 'lucky boots' for 15 years and now has to duck tape them together. He worked on Spring Lake doing some dock construction for a friend. He's now working in the Grand Rapids area putting a trim crew together and tackling a 4,500 SF home for a high end reputable builder in town. Reality is setting in and he's gone from 6:00 am till 6:00 pm most days.

The "Red Bull" girls were passing out free drinks at the park!

My sister Michelle and Derek came for a visit and we enjoyed their company very much.

Derek and Jaxon are still inseparable.

Hot roddin at the skate park!

We missed Elizabeth, my niece, as she was at camp all week. It was rather hard to get a photo of all the kids at one time.

It was so hot during the day, that we opted to do the beach in the evening. 25 knot winds made for fun waves to play in.

Best buds!

North Shore beach has a park, pavillion and path down to the beach! Run Jaxon run - there's no other way for him to go!

My dad took me out car shopping (photo to come), and my mom took the kids (with Alexander and Emily) to our Maxine's house to go swimming. She is going to be 95 in September and is an unbelievable woman. She was swimming with the kids and full of great conversation and energy. She worked at McDonalds until she was 90! Just amazing and inspiring!