PAUSE

Where on Earth has this summer gone?  Where is my pause button on life?  It feels like I was just sitting here updating for our Fourth of July weekend and now it's half way through August.  July seemed to be a fun filled busy month for us.  Michigan has blessed us with a beautiful summer.  People have been complaining that it hasn't been warm but anything over 72 is perfect in my book.  As long as the sun is shining and we can stand to be outside in only our bathing suits, I rate the weather as acceptable.  We've spent every free evening minute on the river - Lily races through dinner so that she can venture down to the boat for a quick spin before bedtime.  On the weekends she helps us pack up a cooler and bag of goodies and prepares to float the day away.

The last couple of weekends Lily's been alternating weekends at the grandparents while Mike and I have had things going.  Two weeks ago I helped organize an event with the Cascade Community Foundation out at the Airport Viewing Park and then Mike and I got to enjoy a couple of free days at home.  While we did hit up a couple of restaurants we've been wanting to try without Lily, we did get a few things done around the house.  Our main outdoor task was cleaning up our front walk-way.  I eventually want the entire space on either side of the path to be grass and to get rid of the tree but for now I'll settle for it not being a jungle (after pics still to come).

I also recovered my couch cushions to match better with our sun room ceiling as well as the cushions for one of our outdoor patio tables.  These patio tables have been my project since May but I've finally gotten around to finishing them and blogging about them.  The green one is a hand-me-down from my parents to my brother and when my brother moved in with us, he left and the table didn't.  After I'd gone about making it pretty he asked for it back and I told him when he got married we'd buy him a new set - no way was he getting this one after I nearly paralyzed my finger on the cans of spray paint.  Compliments to my  mother on the cushions - way too difficult for me.  The blue table is a hand-me-down from Mike's grandmother.  I got a lot smarter on this project and invested in a $5 spray can handle (best purchase EVER).  These cushions were way easier - all I had to do was sew a band around the square and use the staple gun to secure the fabric to the base.  Absolutely in my league of DIY - although I'd never used a staple gun before and had to sit on half the cushion to hold it steady.  Good sight I'm sure.

Two weekends ago we were all over the place.  Thursday night we ventured over to Grand Haven for a party at one of my boss's houses and enjoyed some good karaoke and Coast Guard festivities.  Friday we headed over to Detroit for a wedding on Saturday.  We used some hotel points, stopped at some antique stores, survived IKEA, and had a nice dinner at a seafood place.  Saturday we partied it up with some of our best friends from high school at a fabulous wedding - got to meet the Tigers mascot Paws, dominated the photo booth, devoured Midnight Koney dogs, and only one of us wound up with a hangover.

This past weekend one of my BDO besties got hitched - and in style I might add.  Mike and I always say that everyone else's wedding is way more fun than your own but clearly we didn't take notes from this couple (or I should have taken notes from this bride).  Buerger (I know I have to stop calling you that now) you were a beautiful bride - even all hammed up...and I don't mean cheesy ham cute if you get my drift...