Perch Lake

After our long vacation David going back to a rigorous school schedule was a pretty big adjustment for the kids and I. He was staying late a lot of days and when he was home he was doing a lot of studying. By mid-August we made sure we finally got to explore our new area and headed to Perch Lake just over the border in Wisconsin.

We rented a paddle boat, kayak and stand up paddle board.

 The scenery of green surrounding the entire lake was pretty majestic and the lake water was so clear.

 We used the paddle boat as our floating home base held our cooler bag with an obscene amount of snacks and the kids loved hopping on and off to the different toys.

 We found out Hattie much preferred to be lower to the water where she could feel it.

 All the big kids were so good about giving rides to the little kids on the paddle board.

 One of the hilarious parts of the day was when David and I were kayaking and then he jumped off to hop in the paddle boat with the kids... but they took off without him. They felt so powerful that for once they were in a vehicle where they could out run the parents.

It's so fun to live some place new and experiences things like this just 30-40 minutes from home.

A birthday and Baptism

Mallie turned 8 this year! It's funny, when she was 3 I predicted she would be exactly how she would be later on. Capable, independent, funny and talented. I'm glad she's given up her mischievous toddler ways in the meantime. 

This was her baptism picture!

She asked for baking stuff this year.

Then made her very own cake. I'm glad I have her documented in her little squatting position. She does this everywhere.

Baptism day with the whole family. I hope she always remembers how much all of these people love her.

Right before her baptism started.

So glad David has the authority to baptize her.

I never want to forget that when the Bishopric member excused everyone out of the Relief Society room Mallie bolted out the door and sprinted down the hallway to the baptism font. She was so excited I had to tell her we had to wait for everyone else to get into the room. Mallie is a joy and so fun to watch make her way through life. I've made the comment to others that she really doesn't need me (she can accomplish basically everything on her own) but I'm grateful she lets me still be apart of her life. All of her siblings fight over who gets her to play with them for whatever activity. She seems to be the perfect playmate for each of them and makes any little thing more fun. Since I'm writing this late and school has already started I can include that one of the funniest stunts she's pulled in third grade so far is that she has started initialing my name in her daily planner. She figured it out on her own and decided it was easier than asking me every night. Goll I love this girl!