We are having a good summer, but it is going by too quickly. I'm sure that Ashton is excited to be getting back at school, but I could use another month. Of course, if I was given another month, I would probably be saying that I could use another month. Oh well. Here are some pictures from our week in Oscoda.
Summer Vacation
Over the week of July Fourth, we headed out to Oscoda as we usually do. We couldn't stay at the place we usually stay and had to rent somewhere different this year, and though we were nervous about it, we were ready for the adventure. However, the place was so filthy that mom and I stayed up until 1 a.m. trying to make the place habitable for just one week (we would have left when we first got there except that it was way too late and the children were too tired to be dragged around).
We couldn't get the place clean and mom and I were such wrecks the next day that we packed up all of our stuff and just drove down the main strip hoping to find a vacancy. We found a great place that was super clean and right on the beach!!! We debated just heading home because this place was more expensive than the spider-fest we had just left, but my mom said it was worth it to stay when the boys let out huge yells of happy when they found out that we were surrounded by sand and super close to the water.
We have been vacationing in Oscoda for the last 4 years. Every year we take pictures of the kids (Trenton, too) in front of the Oscoda sign.
This picture is funny because it's true. Cell reception is really hard to come by in Oscoda. But if you stood really still on the balcony you could sometimes make a call. So Ashton had to call someone (Connor, I think), so he grabbed the Buzz Lightyear cell and stepped out onto the balcony. It looked so real it was funny.
Every night the boys fell asleep together. They would end up in the craziest positions. See that hand under Trent's chin? It's Ashton's.
This guy was ultra cool. It was really windy the week we were vacationing and this guy had this huge kite-like contraption that he held onto and the kite pulled him through the water while he was strapped on something that looked similar to a snow board. I have no idea what this is called. He did all kinds of flips and stuff- he was so awesome. My mom and I are going to start training so that we can do this next year. However, we have yet to begin training.
When we go on summer vacation it is usually just me, my mom, and her grandchildren for the week. Chadd and my dad come up on the weekend. When they showed up that Friday, we went straight to lunch in hopes of getting through town before the 4th of July parade started. We beat the parade on the way there, but got stuck behind it going back to the condo. The cool part was that we were the first car behind the parade. That guy in the orange vest was our personal escort. The kids loved it because they waved to the crowd and the crowed waved and cheered back. It was worth the long, slow drive through town because the kids really thought we were part of the parade. 
Here are the children waving to their fans.
That night, the last night of our vacation, Chadd and my dad took the kids down to the beach and my mom and I finally had some quiet! But then they were all being so cute that I had to go down there to take pictures. Our condo was closest to the beach and the view was awesome. The fireworks over the water were great and it was the first year that all of the kids enjoyed them. But Lorelei was way over tired and she just wanted her papa.
Our vacation started out pretty rocky but it ended up being really nice. We're thinking that maybe we should start taking the kids to vacation other places every year, but the idea of staying in another mystery place is a bit discouraging. We shall see.
