We spent Labor Day at a local park/ lake with our friends, the Ketchams. Angela and Joel and their kiddos have been great friends. We enjoyed them last year but didn't really get to spend much time with them; this year they have become invaluable friends and we can have tons of fun with them, now that we really feel like we know them. Sometimes it's pretty hard to be the ones with three little kids -- especially since we happen to be two of the few families who still live in old style apartments, with no running water, etc. It's hard to get tight with people when you rarely see the outside of your apartment, save frequent running trips to the bathroom, etc :0) It's a strange place to be in, having left so many great friends and family to come to a place where the families are super busy, all transient, and you don't have much time to get to know people. It's great to have friends that can identify, and they're loads of fun, too!
Josiah and Laney are the little beefcake twins! Laney loves "'Siah," and I have to say I do too! He's so happy. He's a real go-getter, and I think Laney admires that about him ;)
Safety first! Actually, not a life saving device -- but she was certainly prepared for something! I think she just enjoyed being decked out in the Ketcham's gear...
We may not have cut the hot dogs. but she would have floated had she fallen in the water ;)


Ah, it doesn't get any better for Emma!

We really did have a blast. We tried to hike a trail and had to turn back because the mosquitoes were so thick -- in the light shafts through the trees it looked like when the sun streams through the window and you see all the dust particles.... pretty thick! It was great to get away and relax a little anyway. I had actually been burning citronella candles in our living room to cut down on mosquitoes in our place at night, so as long as we were going to be subjected to Wisconsin's "state bird," we might as well have some fun!