Back to School Carnival

I had this idea to have a "back-to-school" carnival in the yard for my family.  

We began with roasting hot dogs and brats over the fire.  Lots of sides and desserts to go with them. 

Then the games.  I created some games and used some things I already had to make others. 

Prizes were available in the prize box.

There were some silly toys like the shooting ice cream cones and yo-yos that were big hits.  

There were also school supplies.

The kids had a great time and so did the adults.  

Next time I will be a bit more organized.  I think I'll utilize my adults to "run" a game so there can be multiple things going on at the same time. 

I have some pretty cute grandchildren.  Some have BIG personalities!

I think Eddie really like the shooting chicken game as he asked if he could take it home. 

I think as much as Tom avoids the children, he had a good time too.  

I love the concentration of the children as they attempt to shoot down the cups with the chicken.

There was definitely a learning curve.

Treats were gathered both by "pass the parcel" and by choosing them from the prize box. 

Digging for buried treasure yielded it's own prizes. 

Sammi was the brave one to put the goal post on her head for ring toss. 

I think I'll have a "out of school" carnival as well.

It was so much fun!

 

Whitefish Dunes

Erin likes to have a family day out at Whitefish Sand Dunes State park on the Saturday nearest her birthday.  We didn't attend last year.  I'm sure it was because we were in the temple.

The weather at home was cool and rainy and there were thoughts of staying home by several.

It rained on our way to the beach but was only overcast when we got there. 

Everyone brought their own lunches.  Henry enjoyed his Subway!

The water was very COLD!  I walked in and got my ankles wet and that was enough for me.

The sand was warm and holes were dug and castles were built. 

There were also "Olympic" events captured on video. 

The sun actually showed it's face for a while and it got warm enough for me to go put on a swimsuit. 

The water in Lake Michigan is never warm but watching my family wade in slowly was testament to just how cold it really was. 

I didn't think we would need the beach umbrella but I'm so glad it was packed along. 

We stayed for a few hours and fun was had by everyone.  

Erin dug her "heart hole" so we could have our picture taken inside the heart. 

We should have been on the other side. 

Lydia got to be a mermaid in the sand with lots of feathers.  

Just to make the day complete, it rained on the way home.  It was a perfect day!