Trinidad Comes to Door County...

Steel drums, or rather more accurately steel pans, were first made of old oil drums in Trinidad.

So naturally, you can find people playing them in the "Cape Cod of the Midwest" - Door County.

Cari and I attended a tour at the Birch Creek Music Performance Center in Egg Harbor. Birch Creek offers an acclaimed summer music program for aspiring young musicians from across the country (and even at least one kid from Hawaii!).



The other day, however, they were working with folks just a wee little bit older with us as their students...



Birch Creek invites in its many friends and benefactors to tour the facility and participate in a little mini-lesson of their own...



Who knew Cari could rock out on the steel pan!

Kelly Lake

Last weekend we left the city behind and headed up to Cari's Uncle's lakehouse on Kelly Lake.

Our kids, naturally, had themselves a grand old time!



We all gathered around the campfire...



Mostly to watch Kekoa make about 50 s'mores with marshmellows, chocolate and graham crackers...



We tooks the kids out on a paddle boat...



But for the kids, most of the fun could be found playing in the muddy sand...



Making one heck of a mess!

Best Picture of Alyssa, Ever!

Here is the best picture of Alyssa we have ever seen!

Can you believe she'll be 18 in 7 months?!

Little Miss Nalani's Birthday

Here's little Miss Nalani, the dramatic one.

Of all of our kids, only Nalani would manage to charm everyone into celebrating her birthday with a two day, four activity birthday celebration.

The first day's activity started with a visit to a strawberry farm...



Of course, since it was Nalani's birthday, a dirty ol' pair of jeans just wouldn't do.

Miss Nalani picks strawberries in style...



Unfortunately, much to Nalani's chagrin, the rest of us weren't going to get all gussied up to crawl in the dirt and pick strawberries...



Bretty had more fun putting that whole strawberry thing aside and just hung out with his cousin Tyler...



Later that same day we also had to have the birthday party, complete with a strawberry cake...



She loved most of her presents, but we all were a bit disturbed when she unwrapped the Cabbage Patch doll...



Of course, that was just day one.

Nalani wanted to make her own stuffed animal for a part of her birthday. So off to the mall we went so Nalani could pick out her very own animal skin...



I personally thought that skin was enough, but Nalani insisted upon stuffing it.

Then, because she's little Miss Nalani, her new stuffed friend needed some stylish new clothes...



Not many outfits to choose from, huh?

Well, meet Nalani's newest stuffed little pink friend...



That's Miss Nalani with Apple Kalei Bicoy.

Finally, birthday cakes with candles are fine for most folks, but not for Miss Nalani...



That, my friends, is a birthday cake filled with fireworks...



Happy Birthday little Miss Nalani!