picnic in the park

Today was a picnic day. My favorite kind of day.

It was perfect.

Lake Huron

A few days ago, my mom, Rob, and I drove about 1 hour to get to a little, VERY little, town called Lexington.  It's on the coast of Michigan- right on Lake Huron.  There was a jetty that we walked out onto.  It was SO beautiful.  

I hope I can always live by a body of water.  Yes, please.

::Kat and Bern, my cute Mom::

Detroit

Since being home, me and my family have hung out in Detroit a few times.  Detroit gets a bad rap most of the time, but really, it is such a cool city with cool architecture, yummy restaurants, sporting events, various festivals, and lots of other fun things to do. 

One weekend we went down there for the Jazz Festival.  There were stages set up all over the city with artists performing.  It was quite entertaining- the performances and people watching down there. 

::Scott, Rob, Jax, Dad in Hart Plaza after watching one of the shows for a bit::

::a cool building down town::

Then we went down there once to do a Coney Dog taste test (basically a hot dog with chili on top).  On the Food Network they featured two Coney Island restaurants in Detroit and had a taste test battle thing. So of course, we had to go to those same Coney Islands and partake in the goodness.  Except for the fact that I did not partake.  I don't like hot dogs.  But it was still fun to be down there.

::Lily & Dad::

::Kat & Dad::

::Rob, Scott, Jax taste testing::

::The plaza we were sitting in::

3 cheers for Detroit!

bowling

My family took a recent trip to the bowling alley.  I haven't been bowling for quite some time, or at least it feels like that, so it took me some time to warm up to the game.  

Game 1- my total score was honestly like 48 or something.  I got a lot of gutter balls. A LOT.

Game 2- I picked it up and got over 100. hah, not like that's anything to brag about, but I more than doubled my score from game 1.  I also got 3 strikes.

I think bowling will become my new favorite sport for the winter. 

::Rob, Kat, Dad.  He was supposed to be looking at the camera, but obviously got distracted by the thrill of the current bowler::

::Jax.  Seriously, try this. You have to bite around the entire perimeter of the pretzel. The point at the top middle is so hard::

::Rob, Kat, Dad, Jax, Scott::

summertime

Summer has been great thus far.  

For the past few days it has been in the 60s/70s...I feel like Fall is coming.  Noooo... please don't go summer!

So this is what we've been up to:

Nauvoo and Carthage with my family

::Rob, my brother Andrew, and Papa Lovell::

::Mom and Dad, Andrew, Jax & Scott, Me & Rob.  My whole family, minus Lily, who was at school::

Then straight to Chicago.  It was my first visit there... and it was spectacular. I <3 Chicago

::Andrew, Rob, Jax, Kat, Scott on Navy Pier::

Then Rob and I prolonged the family trip and spent an extra day in Chicago to celebrate our 4 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!  

::On the glass floor look out on top of the Willis Tower, aka the Sears Tower::

My personal size deep-dish.  De-lish!

Rob surprised me with a horse and carriage ride around the city.  What a sweetheart.

We sent my brother on a mission to Chile!  It's been 2.5 weeks since he's been gone.  I can't even believe it!

::The siblings- Lily, Andrew, Jacqueline, me::
summertime

We went to the Lovell's favorite place to get ice cream... the dairy

And have done a lot of hanging out.  It has been great.  

Can't beat a Michigan summer with the family.