MB & K's Pirate Party.

OK, no real photos of it but it was a great party. I mean it's not their blog anyway, in a technical sense and also a non-techincal sense, come to think of it. But there is a photo of the boy.

A Day At The Beach.

Our friends the Hollenbachs (Kate & Jeff, Julia & Ella) were in town for a family wedding, so we decided to make time for a day at the beach. It was a pretty good beach day, and of course the kids loved it. The Van Dykens came out too, so we had a great group. Nate had some kind of cooler thing filled with what might have been the latest version of "jungle juice" (see Batcave, circa 1993), but I know little else about all that. It was a great day at the beach with friends we don't see nearly as often as we'd like.

The Beach, 2008.

Pretty good beach this year. Since we bought in 1998 the beach has been our friend, although the science of it says it can't last forever. Should anything happen we're thinking of giving some water to Lake Superior or maybe Lake Huron. Or Detroit.

Missing Connor? Want More??

Here are just a couple photos of the boy from earlier this summer. He's developing right on schedule.

Oh, and we've been meaning to mention that Jodi's pregnant and due around the beginning of next year (January 2009). We're hoping the baby can arrive at the end of 2008, but hey, that's up to the doctors man! (I'm just kidding. We really really really and I'm not joking we really need to have this kid in '08 so c'mon now!!)

All right, enough already. We'll see what happens but that would be the best "insurance and tax man" present that old (and poor) CB could get this year. That said, it's all about the little one, right? Right. We're thrilled of course, and look forward to not seeing any more doctors about anything for quite some time once we're through with this.

So here are a couple random shots of the boy for those of you who Only Visit For One Reason.

July 4th.

Instead of going to Long Island for the week of the Fourth, we decided to stay in town, meet my Mom on her first true arrival at her new house in Holland (the first time she was staying there), and spend the weekend of the Fourth in Holland with her. Good move, overall.

On the Fourth there was the Annual Idlewood Parade, which was pretty cool. Connor was in the parade with my Mom towing him in his old school Radio Flyer red wagon (thanks Grandpa Bast!), and the rest of us were Patriotic Observers. My Dad came up for the day on the Fourth as well, and the weather was great.

We did fireworks at night, and our generous patrons the Van Andels (from across the pier!) did a huge display of fireworks as they do every year. We watched them from the beach and it was great. I had my own fireworks but they were not as appreciated by all the bonfires on nearby beaches. Ahem.

It was a great day as part of a great weekend.