Fun for Fathers...

Father's Day this year was a family affair. The Muskegon crew were able to leave earlier than expected on Friday. They arrived just prior to the Marx family arriving. Claude and I were the last to get here and it was at our home!! We were finishing up Sadieville's MusicFest.

The earlier arrival allowed for some family fun before finalizing sleeping arrangements.

While we dined on left overs, Hayden entertained us with the action songs he learned at Vacation Bible School.

Aunt Nissa brought florescent straws for the Mini's to enjoy. They actually flores in the straw and inside the drink. Quite cool and a huge hit with the Mini's.

Mike and Ashlyn gave Claude and me a quart jar of Jelly Belly's to thank us for hosting Mike's visit the weekend before. I used a great deal of self-control during the week and saved the jar for the grandmonsters to enjoy while they visited. Thanks Mike and Ashlyn for such a great gift. It was enjoyed by the entire family on Father's Day weekend.

There were a few more shenanigans...

...before we all found a place in our home to bed down for the night.

This was a fun sleepover. Hayden has always slept in Claude's office and Bailey slept in the Pak 'n Play in the basement. Bailey is really too tall for the Pak 'n Play anymore so different arrangements needed to be found. This time we let Hayden sleep in his favorite sleeping bag on the sofa in the basement with Paul on an air mattress on the floor beside him. Hayden was feeling quite grown up. Bailey moved to the pod bed in the guest room with her parents.

Saturday we asked Papa to come and spend as much of the day with us as he could. He told the nursing home he would feed Mimi dinner instead of lunch. When he arrived we were still trying to finish making orange rolls for breakfast. Papa and Tiny stayed all day long and we wore poor Papa right out.

Nissa and Todd had an appointment with Jake for dinner at Joe's Crab Shack in Ann Arbor, Michigan around 5pm. Our goal was to have a big breakfast with them. Then have a Father's Day dinner for a late lunch for the rest of us. In between we baked a special Father's Day cake and had dessert and gift exchanges for Father's Day before Nissa and Todd had to leave.

I baked a chocolate cake while we ate breakfast. Aubrey and Andie set to decorate it just special for the fathers in our family.

The cake was a remote control cake. All the little buttons were decorated on the cake with numbers written on the candies that served for the buttons. There was even a DVR button escpecially to tease Pa (Claude) for waiting sooooo long to get DVR.

While the cake preparations were under way, the rest of the family relaxed and enjoyed time together. Pa even found stories on his laptop to read to the kids.

At one point Hayden wanted to watch one of the science shows about the universe on the DVR in our bedroom.  Michael had something else he wanted Hayden to do. They did their negotiations and Hayden verbally agreed to certain things. Clever Michael wanted to be sure things would happen as they agreed. Michael held up his cell phone and recorded Hayden repeating an oath as to what he had agreed to do and not do when his show was over. After recording Hayden taking is little 'oath made up on the spot', Michael played it back for Hayden. I just thought that process between father and son was precious and needed to be saved.

Then it was time to have Father's Day cake and presents before Nissa and Todd headed back to Michigan.

Andie used Hayden and Bailey's footprints on cloth to make shoe fresheners for the guys. I'm not sure what fragrance she put in them but mint was a part of it at least. Hayden does not like the taste or smell of mint. Here are the foot print shoe freshener pictures:

Nissa and Todd headed down the road to Ann Arbor to meet Jake. I started preparations for a lasagna dinner to be eaten later in the day. Papa took Paul, Aubrey, Hayden and Bailey in his car to Mulberry Lane for a nice walk.

Mulberry Lane is a flat road (not a lot of those in our area) that is covered over with trees. There is a stream running along one side. It is a mile to the end where someone has a farm and then a mile back out. They had a pleasant walk. Hayden learned that another name for water is H2O. They were cautioned about poison ivy and taught what it looks like. When they returned, I was able to give them a great visual of why you don't touch that particular plant. And Paul ran back to the house from somewhere, I believe it was where Papa parked his car to begin their walk. A great time was had by all.

Andie then herded all the grandmonsters up and out to the back yard they went. We positioned Papa on a chair on the deck to watch the kids play. I was able to work between the deck where Papa was and the kitchen to keep dinner preparations going. Claude managed to get a nap.

Andie made a wonderful bubbly game using a bucket, rope and dowels. You make enormous bubbles with it. She brought that over and set it up on the hill.

I purchased two new kites. The empty lot we own next door is perfect for flying kites. It is at the top of the hill with no trees. You just have to be careful not to drift toward the back of the lot where there are trees and a power line.

A lasagna dinner was enjoyed by all about 4pm. Then we settled into the house for the rest of evening. The kids were so tired after a full day. The parents were soooooo tired after a full day. It was nice to settle into the house and watch a little movie with Hayden. Bailey did some artwork. Then it was off to bed for the Mini's. Paul and Aubrey stayed up with Pa to watch "Men In Black". Then they were tucked in their beds as well.

Sunday morning we arose early. Claude was out the door first. David picked up Aubrey and Paul next. I headed off to Church next. Eventually the Marx family headed back to LaGrange.

Thanks to my kids for coming home and visiting again. I just love family times together. I know they weren't raised in this house but we want it to feel like they are coming home when they are here. It felt that way this last weekend. That is a mighty good feeling.