It's been a busy six weeks!

We deferred our summer travel until August, as Alesa wasn't entitled to any vacation until she hit the 6 month mark in her current job. We drove to St. Louis at the beginning of the month for my father-in-law's 80th birthday. That was a great family weekend, and Phoebe's grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins spoiled her as only they could. On our way back, we stopped in Dayton where Phoebe met her cousins Jessi, JD, and baby Lilly for the first time.

We were hardly back from that trip when my parents arrived for a week (more spoiling!). We went "up North," as the locals say, meaning in this case Mackinac Island, Mackinaw City, Tahqhamenon Falls, and other assorted sights. Again, we had a great time.

This weekend, we took Phoebe to the Michigan State Fair. Unlike most other state fairgrounds, ours are located not in the heart of farm country, but right in Detroit. Phoebe had great fun on the rides and at the petting zoo. She also had her fill of "fair food," and dad won her a bear (just narrowly missing out on the really big one.) Phoebe was fascinated with the adult rides, and I promised her that when she was a big girl, Uncle Rob and her cousins could take her on them (Dad would do almost anything for Phoebe; amusement park rides, like voting Republican, are on my "no way, no how" list, however).

Random Phoebe cuteness: at bedtime, when we're done with stories and it's time for kisses, I whistle for Manny the dog to come in for his kiss. Phoebe lately tries to imitate the whistling as best she can by saying "foo foo" in the highest, most whistle-y pitch she can manage. You kind of have to be there.

Phoebe loved the Olympics, especially watching "boys swim" and "my girls," which is to say, the gymnasts. She loves Shawn Johnson, and wants to be a gymnast when she grows up. Kerbs, concrete parking blocks, and like structures are all "balance beams" to Phoebe, who has to walk on them, even executing a few little hops like she's seen her girls do (no back handsprings yet, thanks be!).

What follows are pictures from the above adventures, and a few others. I'll try not to be absent this long again.













At grandpa's 80th birthday celebration.














With cousin Jessi and baby Lilly













At Tahquamenon Falls (2d only to Niagara in the eastern US, and made famous in Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha

At Whitefish Point on Lake Superior

In Petoskey with G & G

Phoebe got to bring "JT Dog" home from day care for the weekend. They had a blst together.

Cousin Hank taught Phoebe how to rock out!

At the State Fair yesterday.