Vacation with the Yeh Family - Boyne City, MI

This was our second annual "Yeh Family Reunion". We stayed for a week in Boyne City, MI with Nai-Nai (Grandma), Yie-Yie (Grandpa), Uncle Alvin, Aunt Shaila, Grace (4) and Trentin (1).

Nai-Nai, Yie-Yie and their grandkids

Elbert took Nathan and Andrew to "Stroll The Streets" downtown. Their favorite parts were the face painting and the balloon swords.


Evan buried his feet all by himself. Yes, that is a necklace around his neck. He won it as a prize in a treasure hunt we did at a place called Castle Farms. He wore it proudly.

An attempt at a family picture. It was the best one out of about 5 tries...

Here are the kids at Castle Farms. They were feeding the rainbow trout in the pond.

Queen Mom and King Nathan

In order to get to Castle Farms, we had to take a car ferry. The ferry held 4 cars at a time and took us a short distance across Lake Charlevoix to the road.

This is the only time the 5 kids were sitting still together...watching TV.

The boys were "fishing" with sticks in the river.

At the park

Evan relaxing in the hammock...

Andrew was playing "teacher" in an old one-room school house.

At first, Evan didn't like the backpack. He finally warmed up to it.

We spent a morning at Ravens Hill Discovery Center. We got to hold a gecko, tarantula and snakes. In this picture, the snake was sniffing my armpit with his tongue. It really tickled!

Nathan thought it was really cool to hold the snake.

We got to feed a 60 lb. tortoise his lunch.

Evan hanging out on the porch...

Andrew spent hours with the bow. The arrows were lost, so he improvised with "stick" arrows.

Nathan at the beach...He looks so grown up.

Elbert reading to the kids...

Funny Dream

I had a really funny dream last night. In the dream, I had gone to the hospital and given birth to 19 more children. They had to stay at the hospital, and I got to go home. One day, I was visiting the babies. I pick one up and looked at the bracelet to see what we had named him. His tag said "Evan". I ran to go to tell Elbert that we had to think of another name because we already had an Evan and couldn't have 2 kids with the same name! I woke up laughing.

Happy Father's Day

Before Father's Day, I asked Nathan and Andrew questions about their Daddy. I took them aside separately, so they did not hear what their brother had said.

Here are their answers:

What is your favorite thing about Daddy?

Nathan: Mmm...he is fun. I mean, no, it's not that. It's because he made me cardboard shields, and he's going to make me foam swords and cardboard helmets and cardboard breastplates and cardboard leg plates.

Andrew: Mmm...he made the helmet and shields.

What is Daddy's favorite thing to do?

Nathan: Mmm...let me see...play with us, I think.

Andrew: Hug and kiss me.


What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy?

Nathan: Wrestle. Just one word.

Andrew: Play with him.

What does your Daddy do better than anyone else?

Nathan: That's a hard one. Don't like type everything I say. I think he...now I know. He makes birthdays more fun, and he lets us pick a theme, and the theme is da-da-da...knights and Star Wars people.

Andrew: Obey.

What do you want to tell Daddy this year on Father's Day?

Nathan: He is a good Dad.

Andrew: Here's a present. This present is for you.

Remember This for His Rehearsal Dinner

Nathan: "What is a honeymoon?"

Mom: "It's a trip that a bride and groom go on after they are married. It's a little vacation."

Nathan: "When I go on my honeymoon, I'm going to invite you to come along too, Mom. So, there will be 6 people if she wants to invite her Mom and Dad."

Dad: "So I can come too?"

Nathan: "Yes."

Andrew: "Can I come?"

Nathan: "No. It's only for older people, like Moms and Dads..."

Andrew: "Then I'm not going to invite you on my honeymoon."

Dad: "That's probably a good thing."

Flashback Friday - In California

Six years ago, Elbert and I flew out to Napa Valley for Elbert's brother's wedding. Here we are at a vineyard enjoying the flowers. Nathan was in my belly.

Fun with Shaving Cream

Nicole, our parent educator from the Bright Beginnings program came over last Friday morning. She brought a fun shaving cream activity for the kids. She squirted some shaving cream on wax paper in front of each of them. She put liquid watercolor (various colors) in an ice cube tray. Each child got a pipette and used it to "color" the shaving cream.

Here is Nicole explaining the project.

Nathan was excited about his colorful creation.


Evan just stared at the shaving cream for a long time.

Daddy helped Evan get engaged in the activity.

After they colored the shaving cream, they took a piece of construction paper and pressed it onto their pile of shaving cream. They put the paper in a tub and scraped off the shaving cream with a shower squeegee. The result was a cool multi-colored piece of paper. Andrew wanted to do the process over and over.

Oh no! Dirty hands!

Flashback Friday - Nathan and Andrew

These are pictures of Nathan and Andrew from 2 years ago. We were in Pentwater with my mom, sister Deb, and cousin Brennen. It was a fun week.





Here are Nathan and Andrew today.

Star Wars Jedi

Nathan and Andrew are going through a Star Wars phase. Here they are with their homemade lightsabers ready to fight. Note the armor (aprons from the Lowes and Home Depot free kids workshops). The goggles are especially important when you are battling your brother with a paper lightsaber.

The Next Star Goalie

On Saturday, Elbert got Andrew all suited up to play goalie in the driveway. The only problem...we don't have goalie equipment. So, a small kids' hockey stick and a baseball mitt were used. Notice the chalk outline around the goal... I think this is the start of many, many hours of street hockey.

Flashback Friday - Evan 1 Year Ago

One year ago, Evan couldn't walk and could only say a few words. It's hard to believe that now he is running and talking in 3 word sentences. I'm sad that he's lost all the curl in his hair.

Preschool End-of-Year Party

Nathan's Preschool had an end-of-year ice cream party on Monday night. There were bubbles, tattoos, and face painting. Nathan was so excited about the snake he chose for his face.


Static electricity on the slide...
Nathan and Silas

Andrew's Picture

Referring to the top picture, Andrew said, "This is a knight walking all alone because the King told him to."

Referring to the bottom picture, Andrew said, "He has a package in a box that is not in this picture."

All Boy

In case there was any doubt, Nathan is "all boy". Out of the blue this morning, he announced:

"It's kind of a fun feeling when the farts explode in my body."