She's growing up so fast!

Well, we are on our way to 8 years old! Wow! It's so funny to think about her when she was... Yesterday we went to the hospital (haven't been there in a while!) for an ENT appointment for Madeline. She had an ear infection a couple months back and the fluid never completely drained from behind her eardrum so her Primary made an ENT appointment. Luckily everything cleared up and her hearing is perfect, no more fluid, and this was a "one time incident" according to the doctor. No need for follow-up. That's good. Madeline was a bit concerned she would have to do tubes, etc. as her doctored mentioned as a possibility, as were we! So, that's done. Good.

Summer has been eventful actually...

We had a grand camping adventure to kick off the summer. A thunderstorm to scare us home for a half-night (we were nearby); fishing, scootering, kickballed, frisbeed, exploring of the local countryside, old farmhouse explored, lunch in downtown Chelsea. It was really a good time and experience.

We followed that up with a long trip up and around the Upper Peninsula to get to Jason & Lane's wedding in Wisconsin. A stop in Mackinac, Sault Ste. Marie, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Marquette, Iron Mountain, Green Bay, Gays Mills, Chicago, home! Wow. What a trip! We saw some amazingly large barges in the locks and found Lake Superior to be a destination to hit again. Iron Mountain surprised us with a great tour of the mine! We figured out we pretty much went backward along the track the iron takes from the mine, to the docks, to the locks, to the mills. It was really neat. We stayed a night beside Lambeau Field in Green Bay and were pleasantly surprised by an amusement park on the Bay! Spent a bit of time there riding the terrifying swings and the Zippin' Pippin' (Madeline didn't care for this roller coaster, a bit too high).

This trip continued to Gays Mills, WI where we were privileged to witness Jason & Lane's wedding. We stayed at beautiful Lonesome Hollow Inn with its tranquility and great fishing nearby. It was a very memorable event and we are super happy for Jason and Lane. I cried a lot! They really look just so incredibly happy and that's wonderful.

Madeline and I spent a couple days in Chicago where Madeline was given her first real chance to swim in Lake Michigan! The waves threatened to swallow her up, but she had a great time just the same. I terrified her enough of the undertow that she didn't venture too far out without me by her side. Good idea.

Since we've been home, we have been in the midst of a heat wave so the pool has been our daily outing. She's an awesome swimmer now after just 8 lessons! We spend a few hours there cooling off before coming home to a well air conditioned house. Whoever invented air conditioning should get a big prize! Next week Madeline gets to spend a few days with one of her schoolmates while we host a mini-girls camp. In the midst of all of this, she is still practicing piano and getting so much better than I could have ever imagined. I feel so proud when I see and hear her play and she's only 7 years old!

Okay, so we just had peanut butter ice cream sundaes! Madeline helped Zak make the ice cream yesterday with organic cream, organic sugar, and vanilla. She helped me make the peanut butter today with organic peanuts and grapeseed oil. Tonight, we all enjoyed it! That is the way it should be. She knows exactly where her food comes from, how it's made, and there isn't anything in it that will hurt her now or long term. That's what we want for her. We also want to be sure we stay healthy in the same way so we can be around to enjoy her for as long as absolutely possible. Now, we just have to convince everyone else in her life to go the same distance. I think it's safe to say, she doesn't ask anyone to do anything she herself does not do. I have to say she is the biggest stickler in our house about what's good for us and what's not. That's good.

Well, we're looking forward to third grade with great anticipation. Thankfully, we are only in the third week of July! Many more Greenfield Village, Zoo, Pool, and play days ahead!