Grand Haven - Coast Guard Festival Kid's Parade

This was our first year to partake in the Coast Guard Festival.  We don't get excited about large crowds and long, drawn-out parades, but the Kid's Parade (a half hour long mini-parade that takes place the first weekend of Coast Guard Fest) was just about perfect for us.

Awaiting the start of the festivities

Celebrating the Coast Guard

...and the Disney Princesses weren't too shabby either

We left with a bag full of candy and SWAG, too!

Detroit Tigers 2014

As is becoming tradition, Dad and the girls went to a Detroit Tigers game with Grandma & Grandpa Purdy, and Uncle Kent.  (Mom stays home in the quiet house by herself all day, totally miserable - hey! that is my story, people!)

Ready for game day!

Silly pose!

The girls aren't really in it for the baseball, but they sure do love the carousel!

The ferris wheel is a big hit, too!

Hannah Marie, a girl of many hats

Taking selfies with Dad

Best buds with Uncle Kent

Megan - lookin' fly in her new hat

Grand Haven - and Saturday Morning at the Beach...

We have fallen into quite a nice little Grand Haven routine on Saturday mornings:  a) eat breakfast b) hit the beach.  It's simple, but it keeps us happy.

Early start to a perfect beach day

My little mermaid

My big mermaid

Beach snack

It isn't all fun and games around here.  We work hard, too.

After all that hard work, we felt we deserved a trip to the splash pad.

And ice cream too, of course!

Grand Haven - Friday Night at the Beach

It was a beautiful night in GH for a bike ride to the beach.  We are usually daytime beach customers, but this was a pretty nice way to kill a Friday evening.

Always a good sign when this happens

We weren't dressed for the water, but it happened anyway

As is her nature, Megan exercised a little more restraint than the little one

We made it to the end of the pier, and Hannah didn't fall in the lake - victory!

We tried a new ice cream place on the way home (Nibs) - it was a very productive night in GH!

The ice cream is getting to this one...

Dress-up Day

Grandma Dee broke out old Halloween costumes for the girls to play with at her house.  Hannah is a total dress-up fiend, and went wild about her costume options.  Here are just a few to share:

I have never seen a more perfect outfit for this one.

Creepy, but suiting

Such an oddball...

Catch Air

Feeling that summer is getting away from us too quickly, I snuck out of work early one day to enjoy an afternoon with the ladies.  I took them to Catch Air, one of the newer play places in town.  Megan had been there once before on a school trip, but Hannah was a first-timer.  

Armed and dangerous

Flying down the big slide

Megan's turn

Airborn!

This was right up her alley

Waaaay more fun than work

They suffered through a post-play Costco trip with frozen yogurt

Pony Party

Megan was recently invited to a "pony party".  We were thinking that meant cowgirl-themed decor and maybe a few horse crafts, but...

These people aren't messing around here!

We noticed a horse trailer when we pulled up to the house, and things started to get a bit real after that.  Before we knew it, we saw these guys running across the front yard...

Goats!  You know it's a good party if there's goats.

Enjoying the pony party.  Sally the horse was kind enough to give all the guests multiple rides.

I snuck little sister in at pickup time so she could get a ride too.  :)

Dad's day with Hannah

After Megan's grand adventure, it was Dad's turn to take Hannah out for the day.  She picked a very aggressive itinerary, but Dad was up to the challenge.

Ready to start their adventure

...and especially excited to be skipping a day of school!

Partaking in some of her new car activities

First stop: Binder Park Zoo!

Up close and personal with the giraffes

Yeah, that's a giraffe tongue

Giving him a little lettuce snack

Hello!

Behind the back snack

Speaking of snacks, time for a picnic for this gluten-free gal

Always important to hydrate

Leopard spotting (pun intended)

Chatting with her people

A little ipad time in the car...along with the largest orange soda known to man (Nice, Dad!)

Next stop: Critter Barn!

Hello critters!  I'm Hannah!

Grooming the goats

'Sup?

She found the feed bucket!

Hello new goat friends

Loving on the bunnies

That's your big boy

Never a dull moment with this one

Not sure how excited this cat was about straw...

They seem happier with the brushing

"Here kitty, kitty!"

From Critter Barn they traveled to Grand Haven, swinging by Mancino's for a delicious gluten-free pizza

Then it was off to the Chinook Pier for some mini-golf

Hmmm, that's some follow through, but the ball is still on the tee...

That's better!

And finally, let there be ice cream 

No date is complete without a stop at the playground

Hannah's day with Dad turned into an overnighter (mostly so Dad could get his chores done in GH, as we had plans the rest of the weekend) - Saturday morning meant a trip to the Farmers Market and another favorite playground

Goofy gal

Fresh strawberries from the Farmers Market!

This happens every time - note the strawberry stained face.