Michigan Visit - Stop 1

***WARNING - More pics on these next few posts than any blog should have!***

We are home!  We had such a wonderful time in Michigan and got to see so much of our family....actually, we got to see everyone in our family with only the exception of our brother-in-law!  And how sad that we missed him by only one day?

Our first stop was to Jake's parents - you know, the other Mannes!  

The weather was WONDERFUL and we spent much of our time outside.  Here are Leto and Cole riding the tractor with Grandpa Dave.

Leto taking over!

We played many rounds of Duck, Duck, Goose, only for Cole and Leto to pick each other every time.

Seriously.  Every.single.time.  I guess those smiles were worth it.

I love this picture of Leto in deep thought as to what he should draw.

And to work he goes!

Maurah was LOVING Ring-Around-the-Rosie.  (Anybody else have trouble singing that without thinking about the plague?  I'm finding more and more children's songs to be really demented!  Really - just sing "It's Raining, It's Pouring" and you'll see what I mean!)

Lexi and Hayden watching a movie with their beddy buddies.  Both have such sweet cheeks!

Favorite stories of the trip:  **Hayden said "Poo-pah" for Grandpa and kept asking where "Poo-pah" was.  It cracked me up!  She has already learned how to say "Grandpa" where it sounds much more like it, but I won't forget "Poo-pah" any time soon!  Ha!

**Maurah absolutely refused to go to bed one night.  She plays this game with Jake's dad where she's terrified of him and won't go near him.  Still, she would NOT go to bed without saying goodnight to "Bumpa".  Finally, "Bumpa" came to the stairs and said goodnight to her and she went to bed without so much as a fuss.  Now we know her secret that she's just playing hard to get!  

**It's a joy to see Cole and Leto playing so nicely together.  Granted, it doesn't happen all of the time and there are many instances that we need to interfere, but the boys did so well considering their ages especially!  I was so proud of both of them asking each other what they wanted to play, if they could play together, or if they wanted to play alone.  I look at them and can so quickly go back to the first year of their lives where they spent so much time together.  They have such a special bond that I hope never fades.