Monday, August 31, 2009

Mackinac Island

Great travel companions!

Lis and I on a bike break-taking in the beauty of the island.


O and Lis at dinner, it was a GREAT dinner!



A self portrait of us on our trek.



What a perfect weekend.


1. Fantastic travel partners

2. An 8.3 mile bike ride after not riding a bike in over twenty years!

3. A perfect spa pool to relax in after bike ride...

4. A folk singer in the Pink Pony singing Joni, Indigo Girls and Stevie Nicks...I was in heaven. JONI! WOW!

5. A great blend of walking, bike riding, being carted around by horses and lounging.

6. "crackers"

7. Bats dive bombing us and Lis squealing like a she was about to be attacked by enemy combatants.

8. Orion's crooked walk after the beverage I selected for him...

9. The rain held out!

10. Spending time with my honey and sleeping in...Grandma watching Haiden...

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Squeaking the summer out of the summer...

Victoiously flying a kite!

Cohen and Haiden making "soup"... we had sandwhiches for lunch!

I know there will be months coming up where I won't want to spend much time in the sub zero...so I am squeaking out what is left of summer. I feel good about Glen Arbor, the visit to my Grandma's, the Warner Family Camout, a kayaking trip up and down the Grand River and the weekend trips to the park and the zoo... a lot of time spent outside. This past weekend was no exception Lis, Orion, their lovely child Kib Kib, their niece Layla, nephew Cohen, Wayne, Linda, Linda, myself and Haiden headed up to Grand Haven to my Aunt Sally and Uncle Wayne's. It was the PERFECT day at the big lake. I can't remember a day I have spent at Lake Michigan where everything was so perfect. The waves were big enough to play in but not so big they knocked you over. It was hot enough to want to be in the water, but not too hot to play on the beach. I flew a kite...seriously, it has been decades! I blogged about my Aunt Sally and Uncle Wayne's place last summer. It is really special. We were lucky enough to spend the day on a stretch of private Lake Michigan beach. We could see the overcrowded public access beach and were even more thankful. With three children to keep track of, it sure is easier without hundreds of other people there they can get lost in. One of the highlights of my day was revisiting my trip to the buoy with Lis and Wayne. I remember what a big deal it was when I was a kid to make it "all the way" out the buoy. Really it is only over my head for five feet or so of swimmnig...but back then it was "living on the edge." I felt the same sense of exhileration to touch the bouy without it bashing into my head as I approached it. I LOVE the water and this day was a perfect day to spend in it. Not to mention the kids and the dog were perfectly behaived in the car, on the beach and in the restaurant for dinner. BONUS!

Aunt Sally and Uncle Wayne's cottage is stuck in time...a good time, a traditional Michigan summer house with outstanding views of the lake.

I know I am in better shape this year than last, because the over 100 stairs I took to get to the cottage and then back down to the beach and back up to the car didn't hurt as bad. Haiden even walked every last step this year. The kids were little "show offs," hopping up the steps :). Ahhhhh, to have endless energy.

I spent a good three hours in the water and a few more hours on the beach. . . On to the next adventure! Mackinac, here we come! Adults only this time! :) I look forward to sqeeking every little bit of summer that we have left out of the summer!

Monday, August 10, 2009

My Weekend

Haiden Kissing Daddy at dinner...
My favorite treat of the summer...smores!



Haiden with her Grandma Linda and Vovo
Sunshine Cottage



Best parts about the weekend:

1. Three generations travelling together and everyone having fun!
2. The Sunshine Cottage in Glen Arbor
3. The two bites of deliciousness I tasted from the local pastry shop-still on WW, but WOW the cream cheese lemon bar was one of the best things I have ever tasted!
4. Playing in Lake Michigan with my daughter even though it was cold.
5. Spending some great family time in one of the most beautiful places in Michigan.

Worst parts about the weekend:

1. I managed to not take enough pictures- go figure!
2. More sunshine would have been nice
3. The check out time was WAY too early
4. It was too short
5. It was too short

Overall we had a great trip to Glen Arbor and a nice day trip to Fish Town in Leland. The soft serve was a hit with Haiden and Wayne found some killer pizza for $2.25 a slice. We grilled and cooked at the cottage most of the time, that was a great way to save money and to eat healthier.

I can't wait for next year when we rented a house for a week up there. This was just recon! I can't wait to kayak up there either. We spied on the house we rented next year. Looks nice! Can't wait...it will just be a few blocks to town, and close to the water!! Can't you hear Tim Allen's voice now...Pure Michigan...