Cedar Point

After our Crum Cousin weekend in Indy we headed to Ohio to visit with Frank's family.  On the way we visited Purdue (where Madeline began our college visits with a campus tour) and Notre Dame (where Madeline endured the parent led tour with no intention of applying and Frank bought out most of the bookstore.)

We stayed on Lake Erie down the road from Cedar Point amusement park.  You would not believe the number and size of the roller coasters!  I skipped the park visit but Frank and his dad took the girls.  Madeline road 16 and Emily rode 17 and they didn't even do them all.  I think they are crazy.  Here are some photos from outside the park:

We also went to the beach at Cedar Point.  A lake beach is quite different than an ocean beach but the girls still had fun in the water because it was REALLY HOT!  I didn't think Ohio got that hot.

And who would have known that Cedar Point had a Notre Dame connection?  Turns out that Knute Rockne worked as a lifeguard on that very beach every summer, perfected the forward pass on the beach, met his wife there who was working on the hotel kitchen staff, and got married in the town of Sandusky near by.

Something new for Olivia

Olivia has worn glasses for more than 11 years.  For the last couple of years I have been offering her the opportunity to try contacts.  This year she finally felt ready for them.  She got them in for the first time pretty fast and now she can do them in just a few tries.  She'll be an expert before we know it.

You'd think I would also take a photo of her without glasses but I didn't.  Check later posts for shots of her glasses-free.

Something new

Back in May when I visited Madeline for Ring Day (someday maybe I'll post photos of that), I got side-swiped by a semi on the way to the airport while driving our 10 year old Volvo.  While the doors had an interesting circular pattern torn into the drivers side, it was still drivable.  A few weeks later it died on Madeline and we decided to take the insurance money and get rid of it.  Madeline gets the Pilot now and I got to buy myself a brand new car.  Here is my new Acura MDX.  I have liked them since just after I bought the Pilot so after almost 9 years I got my chance to own one.  Now I'm back to parking far away from every other car and being fanatical about keeping it clean.

Happy 25th Anniversary

Twenty-five years ago for some reason all my Dad's family got together for a weekend of family fun in Indianapolis and have been doing it ever summer since.  I don't know what the events were for that first weekend but it has morphed into a golf tournament (even though few actually play golf well), a couple of parties, and a day spent at the lake (everybody floats well).  Originally organized by a core group of cousins, it's become known as the Crum Cousin (that is morphed term as well and I believe it started as Scum Cousin).

We haven't attended the weekend in years.  And the last ones we attended were off-site in Chicago and New Mexico so we haven't been to Indy in a really long time.  Couldn't miss the 25th!  It was great to see everyone and the crowd has gotten MUCH larger - there must have been about 80 people there and alot of kids.  I didn't pull out my camera until the day at the lake but here are some photos.

Always a bit of an Irish theme

Floating Family!

 

So, next year will go offsite again to Michigan.  I doubt we'll make it two years in a row.  But, I know that the family was happy to have so many of the Texas Hollands in attendance. 

Locks of Love

Olivia has been growing her hair for the past 2 years with the intention of donating it to the Locks of Love organization.  She has not enjoyed having really long hair and while she didn't look forward to having really short hair she was ready to cut it this summer.  Since I was going in for a haircut I made her an appt as well.

Loooooooong hair pre cut

Chop Chop Chop

It didn't turn out as short as we expected.  I think he took only the 10 inches needed to donate the hair.  I didn't get a photo of the final hair cut but here it is with the missing ponytail.

For her altruistic efforts she got a nice haircut in a real salon (not the usual Super Cuts) and a Braum's shake.  I think it will be awhile before she grows her hair long again.

Back on the blogging bandwagon

After a nearly two month hiatus I'm trying to get back to blogging.  So much to report.  I'll start slowly and work my way back through July, June, and May.  Check back for more soon but enjoy the 4th photos below.

Happy 4th of July

We made it home from our cruise in time for 4th of July.  The girls were excited to decorate bikes and scooters (even though last year's decor was still attached and we had to remove it first and start again.)  The Rehagens were in town this year so they joined in.  And of course we met up with the Schwarz's for the "traditional" 4th celebration.  We walked/rode in the parade, went to the picnic (conveniently located on our cul-de-sac again), and then had everyone over to swim and cookout.  We covered the scaffolding with helium balloons and I shop-vacced the boards covering the new back deck and we were able to use the new outdoor space as best as possible.  It lived up to the girls expectations and we followed tradition dating back for at least 3 years!! (According to the Mounts and the Schwarzs you MUST go to the parade, compete in the hula hoop and watermelon-eating contests, and then swim and cookout or it isn't 4th of July.)