Fun at Showboat Park

Summer has finally arrived and with it comes longer, warmer days and more time for fun!  I love that it gives me more opportunities to be outside with the girls and to enjoy our beautiful state, even if it's just more time out in our own backyard!  And this week, we've been taking full advantage of every minute.

Last weekend took us to my home town of Chesaning to visit my dad for father's day.  My dad is not the dog lover I am, but he's certainly grown to appreciate the girls and even embraces the craziness that comes with three German Shorthaired Pointers.  The girls always get excited about their trips to visit Grandpa and Grandma because what GSP doesn't love some time in the country?  Of course there are always adventures and lots of things to sniff, but there are also lots of walks, lounging in the sun, petting, and treats!  Everything a good GSP loves.

This year, my parents decided to spend some time camping at Showboat Park, so that is where we went to visit them.  The girls have never been to Showboat Park so this was an excellent place for us to get out and explore somewhere new (at least for them).  With lots of wide open space to roam and very few other campers around, it was a good location to pull out the long leashes to allow everyone more freedom to explore.  And explore they did!

Peaches loved the opportunity to sniff far and wide and to drag Grandma all over the park!  Even when we were sitting at the campsite, she was on the prowl for critters!

But I think the best part of the day for all of the girls was the opportunity to splash around in the Shiawassee River.  It was a hot day, so some time in the water was very much needed!

In typical Maddie fashion, she used the river as a drinking bowl, not getting too deep in order to prevent the water from touching her belly.

Peaches ran right in at full speed.  She jumped and splashed around like a crazy youngster!  She'd then run out at full speed to run back in.  It's actually amazing I didn't end up in the river too! She's certainly not afraid to get a little wet.  She was having a great time and it was so much fun to watch!

Imke spent her time in the river close to the shore where there are lots of things to sniff.  She's always on the hunt for a critter to terrorize.  Of course, along the banks is also where all of the good grass is. Nice long pieces of grass that make for the perfect snack.  And when she's not hunting, she's grazing like a goat.

After a good walk and some time to splash around the river, it was time to head back to the campsite for a little rest.

Peaches enjoyed lounging at the campsite and watching the world around her, while Imke and Maddie were ready for a nap in the shade.  It was the perfect end to their day of adventures.

It was a great way to spend our day and I think the girls would agree!  I'm pretty lucky to have them around to explore the world with me.  I love to see the world through their eyes.  Boy have they shown me a lot over the years and it seems like I learn more every day.

This Summer I'm more determined than ever to make the most of every minute.  With Imke and Maddie getting older and with Peaches' cancer, I want to make sure they don't miss out on anything that a great Michigan summer has to offer!  We are living every moment to the fullest and look forward to sharing our adventures with you.

Now we're off for our next adventure! 

Summer is coming

After several crazy weeks and busy weekends, things have finally started to slow down and this week I've had the chance to enjoy the longer days and the warmer weather.  I always look forward to this time of year.  With more daylight hours and nice weather, I can spend more time outside with the girls every day of the week.  And I take full advantage of it!

Peaches loves to be outside and is especially enjoying the beautiful weather.  She'd spend hours just lounging in the sun with occasional breaks to bark at a passerby or to stalk a bird or squirrel.  Imke has also been enjoying much more outside time this year, now that she has a friend to hang out with her.  She'll happily stay outside sniffing every inch of the yard as long as someone is out there with her so Peaches is her perfect friend.  Maddie prefers to be outside only if mom is out there with her, so while the other two are outside, I have a little shadow following my every move.  But once I head out the door, Maddie is happy to follow and spend time watching the world go by.  She also loves a good nap in the sun.

So this week, I've spent some time out with the girls every night, working on finishing up this year's mulching, adding new flowers to the landscape, weeding, fixing the garden and laying down my annual layer of straw(although there will be now plants in the garden this year due to our upcoming travels); I even made time to just sit back and relax a bit.

 We've made sure to get out for some nice walks around the neighborhood, trying to vary our routes regularly so that the girls can experience new smells along the way.  And we even splurged and had a little ice cream one night, which was the cause of much excitement and an audience of beggars watching my every bite.

But my favorite night this week was the night I decided to have our first bonfire of the year.  It was a beautiful night with no mosquitoes and I had the first lightning bug sighting of the Summer.  It was so relaxing and enjoyable sitting in the yard and enjoying the sound of the wood cracking and the smell of the smoke. It is really beginning to feel like Summer now.  

Over the next couple of weeks, I am hoping to have more time to just sit back, relax, and enjoy all our Michigan Summer has to offer. I'm looking forward to all of the quality time with the girls enjoying the fresh air, sunshine, and bare feet in the grass.  I've got to make the most of it while we can because Summer goes by way too quickly and before you know it, we'll be heading into Fall.

Now we're off to enjoy some time with my parents for Father's Day on this very humid and hot day.  I'm sure that we'll find some fun adventures along the way.  Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, but especially to mine!

Caught up in a Whirlwind

Wow has life seemed busy lately!  I've been caught up in a whirlwind of activities that have kept us on the move for the last few weeks.  From work travel to a fun Memorial weekend in the UP with friends, family time at the niece and nephew's sporting events, graduation open houses, the shelter's adopt-a-fest, and just being able to get the girls out for their daily exercise (and mine!), it seems like I've been on the move for three weeks straight. 

And though today is going to be busy as well, with a full day of graduation open houses and some friend's going away party, I am thankful this morning to have two whole hours on this peaceful Saturday morning to sit and relax with the girls.  So I thought while Peaches is outside on a squirrel hunt, Maddie is still in bed, and Imke is curled up at the other end of the couch snoring away, that I'd take a few minutes to just sit here and enjoy the moment.  I'm going to ignore the buzzing Fit Bit telling me that I should get up and move and the load of laundry sitting in the dryer waiting to be folded or the other load waiting to be washed.  I'm just going to listen to the sound of raindrops hitting the windows, the birds chirping, and the dogs snoring.  I'm going to close my eyes, take a deep breath, and soak it all in because we all need time to refresh and recharge with no commitments and no to-do list. 

Life gets busy for all of us, but it's important to remember that life is short and it is precious and that it is important to slow down and enjoy it!  Some of the best moments of life are found sitting in quiet reflection with those you love best in the world. 

Happy Saturday!