Wow!....It's been a long time....

I haven't updated the blog is quite a while! To celebrate Tim's completion of law school and the Michigan Bar Exam, we headed to Siesta Key for a week of relaxation. We had a great time at Tim's parents new house there and even got to spend some time with our good friends, Scott and Liz, who joined us for a few days. Brandt loved the sunshine and being outside. He made "castles" at the beach and chased the seagulls. He helped Tim catch many fish in the canal outside the house. It was a great vacation.

Christmas Tree Hunting

We bundled up and headed out to find our Christmas tree last Saturday. Brandt loved the snow...but it got a little cold after a while.

Mishap

You may be able to tell from this picture that our shed door is busted. I had to bust it open. While I was looking for more leaf bags in the shed yesterday, Brandt swung the door closed and it latched behind me. I was locked in the shed and Tim wasn't home. Brandt initially thought it was pretty funny that I wasn't coming out, but the laughs turned to cries and I had to kick the door open. Fortunately, Tim was able to fix my damage when he got home.


Tim and I decided that living in a neighborhood with mature trees has it's blessings...but it also has it's burdens. Below is 26 city yard waste bags filled with leaves from our yard....we have a good 10 more bags to go... :-) We love our trees, though.

Fall Fun

Brandt has been having fun this fall. We've visited Robinettes' Apple Haus and a pumkin patch. Yesterday Brandt got to wear his Halloween costume to the library for story-time and go trick-or-treat-ing. He's also been a big "helper" in raking the leaves in our yard. What a fun season...

Hilton Head Trip

Brandt and I went to Hilton Head, SC at the beginning of October to visit my parents. Unfortunately Tim couldn't join us and we missed him. I managed to bring a 17 month old on 4 plane trips as a single parent....what a journey :-) We had a great week playing on the beach, swimming, visiting a petting zoo, and playing with Grandpa and Grandma.

Summer Vacation

While Tim was between semesters, we took a vacation up North. We spent two nights in Leland, where we hiked, tasted wine, and just relaxed. Above, Brandt is relaxing on a rocking chair in downtown Leland. Below, is the Leelanau River.

Below is the view of Leland Harbor outside the apartment we stayed in.
A gorgeous sunset over Lake Michigan, North Manitou Island is in the background.

We took a hike along a nature trail near Leland. Brandt didn't even mind the backpack too much!


Below, Brandt is contemplating life while looking out over Sutton's Bay.

After spending a few days in Leland, we spent the remainder of the week and Labor Day weekend at Big Star Lake with my family. Brandt loves splashing in the water and throwing things off the dock.


Below, my nieces Lauren and Sarah are fishing at sunset.


Can you tell I like sunset pictures? Isnt' this beautiful!?

First Haircut

Brandt had his first haircut today. By haircut...I really mean a few hairs cut. He doesn't have all that much hair but a few long ones in the back needed some help. Our friends' sister, Erika, came over and did the honors. Brandt wasn't too sure about the whole process but there were no tears or whining- so I considered it a success!



Here's Brandt showing off his new 'do to Tim along with a goofy smile!