Green Lake

Our Michigan summer vacation would not be complete without a trip to Green Lake. The girls were really excited about spending time at "Gammy's Beach". 

At first they were a little sad because our cousins, Trevor and Kyle (aka activity directors),  were not there, but luckily their dad was there to take over the position. Driving the pontoon, jet ski, and golf cart and then playing in the water, they wore themselves out having so much fun.  The time went too fast, but we are happy we made the trip.

Adeline's Baptism

Sunday morning, Adeline was baptized by Pastor Pat at Woodside Bible Church. She read her testimony she composed before family and the congregation. She then answered the Pastor's questions acknowledging she believes in God before being immersed in the water. 

We are very proud of her in taking this next step in her journey with faith, her relationship with God, and living her life as a Christian.

Pretty Piggies

With Baby Kammer due any day, we picked an easy outing of getting pedicures for us girls to do. This was the first time for Adeline and Emmie to have their toes polished at the salon.

Their excitement of the outing could be felt throughout the salon. They managed to pick out one color after carefully looking at both walls of nail polish. Ruth, Katie, and I sat across the aisle from the girls. They gave us a step by step account of what was going on during their pedicure to keep us updated of what was happening. Emmie enjoyed the massaging chair as well. Katie, Ruth, and I had all picked out the same shade of pink and did not realize it till after.

We all had a good time at the salon being pampered. The girls are looking forward to their next visit.

Hands On

The Hannon family went on an outing to the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum. It was a great activity to escape the intense summer heat.

The museum had different areas for all ages, so everybody had fun learning while participating. A favorite activity was the laser harp and the life size bubble maker.  I am not sure who had more fun, the grandparents or the grandchildren. 

Afterwards, we dined at a German restaurant nearby. Adeline was happy to order schnitzel, but she thought her portion was way to small. Eric's parents liked us translating the numerous signs and pictures that were hanging up. It was a fun day.

Time goes so quickly

It never seems as if we have enough time to visit with our friends. We appreciate everyone penciling us in during their summer schedules. We had wonderful times catching up with every family. Meeting new family members and just being together are the moments we cherish. It was awesome to see the children play together as if they have not missed a beat.

We appreciate everyone's time and effort put forth for a memorable summer of BBQs and picnics. Our family is blessed with your family's friendship. Thank you very much!

Training?

While we have been in the US, Eric has been in a few training sessions for work.

The first week he spent in Kitzbühel. It is a small medieval town in Tyrol, Austria nestled in the Alps. He claimed his morning runs were strenuous around the mountains.

The second week Eric felt as if he had been transported to the world of Harry Potter. He stayed on the  University of Cambridge campus at the King's College in England. He had the opportunity to see much of the campus and visit downtown Cambridge. They also took them punting, which is a boat ride on a flat-bottom boat being propelled by a long pole.

Poor Puppy

We received unfortunate news from Germany about Bandit. He was quickly going up the stairs after a rainy evening walk and fell. The worse part is he broke both bones in his front right leg just above his wrist. Our caretaker is also a veterinary assistant, so with the help of her boss, she was able to get an x-ray to see the damage and get him admitted into the animal hospital for surgery the next day. A plate with six screws was embedded to ensure his leg heals properly.

We are very grateful for our caretaker who has taken extreme measures to ensure he is well cared for. She has been very attentive to his care and well being during this process.

We can only pray it heals correctly and he is not in much pain as it heals. It will be an adjustment for us when we return to Germany and pick him up in a few weeks.

Lost Lake Fun

We had another great summer week at Lost Lake. Even though the temperatures were soaring at the beginning of the week, we had plenty of activities to keep us cool and entertained.

Gams and Poppa bringing two dozen large donuts when they came to visit was a surprise as we told  them a half dozen would be enough.  The box was so heavy, Adeline could not carry it. We did not complain about the abundance of tasty treats. We altered our menu plan a few times to enjoy the yummy donuts.

On Saturday, the 4th of July parade, game tent, and pony rides brought many smiles and lots of excitement. The fireworks were once again spectacular.

On the last day, we went to a quaint sandy beach on Lake Huron. The water was surprisingly warm. The girls had fun digging a deep hole and playing in the waves.  The lake was sandy and shallow where we were at, so they could walk out a long way. It was the perfect afternoon to end our vacation up north.

Happy 5th Birthday Emmeline!

It was a full day of celebrating for the birthday girl. We started the morning off with a delicious birthday breakfast. I think her great-grandmother was just as thrilled as she was about the circus shaped waffles.

In the afternoon, we celebrated with cupcake ice cream cones and spending time at the beach as it was another hot summer day.

Disappointed she did not get pizza for dinner, she enjoyed a few helpings of baked beans and corn.

In the evening, Poppa Ray and Meme surprised Emmie with a piñata.  Friends joined our family for another round of celebrating.

A few things she wanted to share:

Favorite Color: Yellow

Favorite vegetables: Peas

Favorite fruit: Peach

Favorite ice cream: Vanilla

Favorite meal: Pizza

Favorite  animal: Horse

Favorite person: Sissy

Favorite cartoon: Kika

Favorite book: Princess books

Favorite Superhero: Supergirl

Favorite Princess: Sleeping Beauty

Favorite friend: Kinsey 

Favorite clothes: Dresses

Favorite Baby doll: Goo Goo Baba

Favorite letter to write: P

Favorite Number: 10

Favorite Song: So long, Farewell from The Sound of Music

Happy 4th of July!

The warm afternoon on Hubbard Lake was spent swimming, boating, and having fun with our family and Laura's family. We finally got to meet our newest family member, Mason. We all took turns giving him lots of attention as we were making up for the last 10 months we missed out on. 

In the evening, we consumed s'mores while we watched a beautiful sunset which lead to the excitement of the fireworks. 

We are thankful for our hosts who made the 4th of July celebration very enjoyable and memorable.

Warm Welcome

At the Frankfurt airport, we are grateful we made it through the airport lines with no hassle. We managed on the long plane ride, even though two of the three entertainment systems were not functioning properly. Even though we had to wait to get our luggage at the Detroit airport due to incorrect luggage claim information, we still arrived sooner that planned in Michigan. My parents were not expecting us so quickly, but they were thrilled when we came through the doors.

Summer vacation was starting out on a great note with a stop at Steak 'n Shake. It is hard to stay stressed when you consume some missed American tastes on a hot summer day while you are with family.

In the warm evening, the girls played with their cousin, Hannah, in numerous water activities. They had a fun time cooling off together.

We managed to stay up late enough to help ease our jetlag.

Busy...

Even though it was the first weekend of summer vacation, it was not a relaxing one for us. 

Saturday, we shopped for the school supplies. Emmie picked out her pencil organizer case. With the help of the store clerk, we found the specific binders and folders Adeline's teacher requested.

Early Sunday morning, we dropped Bandit off at the breeder's house. He remembered the house and quickly laid down as we discussed the paperwork while he would be in her care. We managed to leave with only a few tears.

We made it back to Hofheim in time for Adeline to sing with the school choir in the city's summer festival. She took her place on stage, while we found a spot at a front table with Uschi. The songs are now familiar to Emmie and me as this is our second year of hearing them.  After the show, the girls enjoyed a treat and found a few rides to go on.

In the evening, I checked in for our flight. The excitement of flying tomorrow is lost when the check-in process asks if I am willing to volunteer my seat since the plane is already overbooked. I am just praying it all goes smoothly for us at the airport and we have a safe flight.