Sisters Trip '09--Michigan

I was lucky enough to have another sisters trip this year. I talked my sisters into coming to see Michigan for the trip this year. I don't know how I lucked out to have such great sisters, but I must have been in the right line in heaven when they were handing out sisters! I admire so much about each one of them--they are the best! I can't leave out my mom here either, because she raised all of us into the great people we are today and that is enough said about how great she is! :)

We started out the trip with a little beauty night at the U of M clinic. We all got microderm abrasion and other various things to make us beautiful. It was so much fun! This is a shot of us pre-beauty treatments.

Cuties!

We are pretty crazy and decided to leave for Mackinac Island right after our beauty stuff. Beauty stuff went until late and Mackinac is a 4 1/2 hour drive--even with me driving! We scared ourselves on the way because we almost ran out of gas. At 2:30 in the morning. In the middle of nowhere. SCARY! We finally found a remote gas station really in the middle of NOWHERE. There were two men, by themselves in separate cars--seemingly waiting for a car full of women to attack. One of them wouldn't look at us the whole time. The other one stared at us the whole time. It totally gave us the hibbie jibbies! Then we started driving and talking about movies where scary things happened on the freeway, after stopping at gas stations in the middle of nowhere. AAAAHHH!

However, we made it safe and sound to Mackinaw City at 3:30am. After a good nights sleep (minus seagull noises) the next morning found us exiting the ferry to Mackinac Island. It was the most beautiful day ever--so perfect.

Watch out Mackinac Island! I love this picture that Jill took of these two.

My sisters and mom LOVED Mackinac Island, which I knew they would but I was still kind of relieved that they liked it so much! We rented really cool cruiser bikes with cute little baskets and rode all the way around the island. Slowly riding and stopping very often for LOTS of photos. The water was so beautiful and blue. The weather was perfect. You can't say that very often in MI! My sisters don't believe me now when I say how awful the weather is here, it was so perfect all weekend for them.

This might be my favorite picture from the whole trip! My cute mom cruising on her bike!! I LOVE IT. We got her these new sun glasses and told her she looked sassy. When I see this picture I can totally just hear her doing her breathing out thing she does when she exercises.

Me and Julie at one of our many photo ops!

Downtown drag in Mackinac. We should have taken a picture in front of the fudge shop which we visited THREE times in our short time on the island. It's just off to the right. :)

Jill and Josie trying out the bikes before our big ride.

Julie looking cute on her cruiser!

This looks so fun, I want to go back and spend a month there and do this everyday--or twice a day!

After leaving Mackinac Island we drove over the 5 mile suspension bridge so my sisters and mom could say they have been to the UP (upper peninsula) of Michigan. I don't think they will ever be back, so good thing we did it!

I am sure the highlight for all of them was seeing "The Big House" (I am being sarcastic). But really could their be a better picture??

We all have on Michigan shirts. Just don't tell my sisters husband who is an Ohio State fan through and through. I'll never tell. The best is my mom's Michigan Gymnastics shirt.
Later in the day (see pic below) we went to the cupcake station and someone asked my mom if she was on the Michigan Gymnastics team! She is in her 70's!

The tailgating here is out of control. We walked all over the place and saw a lot of FANCY tailgating. Wine and ham dinners all spread out. Here we are checking out the tailgaters.

This picture is from Mackinac Island. Here we are at the cupcake station in AA. So delicious! We walked here after eating at Pizza House, one of my favorite Ann Arbor places.

We celebrated Julie's birthday with a caramel cake! YUM!

We also walked around campus a little and saw the law quad which was beautiful. The buildings are so amazing.

More campus shots. It was a perfect day in Ann Arbor and at the Ward house. Michigan won in a close, good game against Notre Dame. I had my sisters in town. Weather was perfect.

I had so much fun and the time went WAY to fast. Can't wait for next year!

School is in session!

It has been crazy at the Ward household! Andy started high school, Abby started 7th grade, Jake started 3rd grade, and Estee started 3 year old pre-school!
It is busy, and fun to be in this stage of life. We are going through some growing pains as we all adjust to summer being over, EARLY morning seminary, high school starting, endless football practice, mom being on PTO board, endless forms to fill out, and multiple levels of homework that is getting harder!
I know from past experience, that we will eventually get into a groove. School started about a week and half ago. Since that time we have also thrown in three different curriculum nights, my sisters and mom here for a trip (so fun!), and of course Dan having to work insane hours.

Since Andy and Abby leave at the crack of dawn I haven't been able to get pictures of them leaving for school. I did get some cute ones of Jake and Estee.

Here is Jake on his first day. He LOVES his 3rd grade teacher!
Estee thinks she is just as big as Jake and is waiting in line right by him.

Jake was ready to get right down to business--he is serious about his school work. :)

Estee (and friend Noah) are so excited for school to start!

Teacher Miss Elizabeth with some of the students.

Estee LOVED her first day and can't wait to go back--she is a social little child!

I am so happy to have my four, wonderful, busy, great, kids in all their stages of life. What fun for a stay home mom! I just hope to keep it together!

Abby's blog

I noticed Abby put up something on her blog. It made me laugh.
You should check it out.
http://therockinbookfreak.blogspot.com/

oh, I like your....

This is what Estee says in her cute little voice all the time lately.

It's really cute. She tells me whenever I do my hair "mom, I like your pretty hair"

She told Dan the other day "I like your blue pants with a blue string" (he was wearing scrubs)

She told her friend "I like your little glasses"

She tells Andy "oh, I like your hootball hat" (football helmet)

MOST of the time this is really cute, but yesterday in Sam's Club we were walking down one of the isles. A bigger lady walked by us and I hear her little voice say "oh, I like your big....BODY!" I tried to pretend I didn't hear and walk faster, then Estee runs after me and says "mom, did you see her big" I grabbed her and put my hand over her mouth at that point. So embarrassing!

My Garden...

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE having a garden! It's tiny and it's our first year trying it, but it is the greatest to have tomatoes from the garden. When we planted in May I really thought it was kind of a big waste of money, because I thought nothing would produce fruit. I am happy to say I was soooo wrong.

It's hard to believe that these beautiful tomato plants started out like this......

Actually, they started out much smaller this was after a month or so of growing.

I went out last week and picked everything that was ripe......

Can you believe all this! I was so happy, and I knew I must make salsa ASAP!

I got some great help making the salsa, Estee had her butter knife and kept cutting tomato after tomato and saying "we're making Sa-sa" it was dang cute!

I love this garden so much, I know it is tiny and people have much more awesome gardens, but I think mine is perfect! I am wondering why I haven't done this every year?

Estee's Tea Party

Estee had her third birthday! She had a fun tea party with some little friends. She LOVED it so much. All the cute girls wore their twirly, fluffy skirts. Here they all are trying to pose for the picture holding hands--so cute! The stars of the party were:

Estee the birthday girl!

Beautiful Ashlyn who loved drinking her "tea" (lemonade).

Darling Lydia who loved the fruit.

Cute Esther (or Da-do) who is never without blue bear

Sweet Ellie, the girl of little expression, but still looks adorable all the time!--don't you love this outfit!

Awesome Abby the helper, who loves little Lydia because she sucks her left thumb just like Abby always did.

Delicious Barbie Cake.

The girls loved these star and flower sandwiches! Estee had so much fun at her tea party! She tells me everyday"tomorrow is my tea party mom". She wants one everyday!

By the way, she dressed herself entirely, including the flower on her arm, and stripped socks.

Thanks to all her cute friends for coming--she loved it!

Here is a video of the party. Enjoy!

boys haircuts and cute dress!

It's been a while and I'll catch up later on all the summer activities missed....
First, I have to say thanks for Elizabeth for this adorable dress she MADE for Estee's birthday. She made it from Dan's old shirt, so it's even more special! She is the most talented sewer ever. I am loving this little dress and it's even cuter on than off. Take a look!

That's my adroable little three year old! In her cute dress made by her friends mommy, from her dad's shirt.

These have to be some of the funniest pics of the boys ever! We totally buzzed their hair off. I was so sick of the long hair and it never being combed. Jake was a good sport and laughed himself silly when he saw the half way done job. Andy just saw the pictures of himself and is refusing to let me see post them. Man alive, teenagers, What do you do with them!

All the boys, including Dan shaved off the hair. I think it looks like a great summer cut. Jake looks the most like a cancer patient, but still cute. And Andy and Dan look totally normal and cute as ever. Andy has been acting like a teenager and freaking out about the cut, but he is slowly getting use to it! Yay for summer!

Finally, residency is done!

It has been the worst of times, it has been the best of times--wait it hasn't been the best of times. It has been a LONG five years, but it has also flown by. I am really proud of Dan for finishing his residency is Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery with flying colors. I am also proud of me, and the kids for making it through this hard time. Here are the boys at a dinner where they honored the four graduating residents.

Dan with his certificate for an award he received. He was happy to get it and we were all proud of him.

Abby looking beautiful and all grown up!

Vasu and Dan (friends and both finished with residency!)

With buddy Brad and Dr. Bradford (the new Chair).

Dan's year of residents--he got really close to these guys after suffering together and spending so much time together. Vasu, Dan, Brad, and Supriti.

We were so happy Grandma and Lindsay came for a fun visit and to have Estee for the night, so we could enjoy the dinner :)

We did lots of fun things while Grandma and Lindsay were visiting, including going to Greektown in Detroit for some yummy Greek food, and also going to our favorite Astoria Bakery. We also got to go and get pedicures together, it was a so much fun and here we are with our beautiful toe nails!!

We loved having grandma and Lindsay here for a visit, it's so much fun for all of us.