Grandpa Hank.

Sadly, I don't really know a lot about my Grandpa Hank. I have a few fond memories of him. He died when I was very young, though I'm not sure how old I was. The photo above is on the day he married my Grandma Kay, and I think they make the most happy and handsome couple. The photo below is a photo of Grandpa Hank is his younger days, with some of his fellow soldiers. He served in the armed forces and in wars, though I'm not sure which. To be truthful, I am sad that I don't know more about his life.

I love these photos because they connect me to my Grandpa Hank. Some of my memories of Grandpa include:

• He sitting in the green leather rocker next to the end table, smoking his pipe. That chair is a vivid symbol of him. It has since been reupholstered and sits in my aunt's home. I will forever remember that green chair.


• The smell of pipe will always conjure memories of Grandpa Hank for me.


• Making homemade icecream at his house at Christmas time. I don't remember him participating, but I do remember him sitting in the above green chair as we made the frozen treat.


• Sitting on Grandpa's lap in the green chair. Grandma had a beehive hairdo.


• Christmas memories are probably my most vivid recollections of Grandpa Hank.

Today, July 30, was Grandpa's birthday. I always remember it because it was the day after mine.......or, to tell you the truth, it might be July 31, I'll have to confirm the exact date with my mom. Isn't it funny (and sad) how time can wipe away even the most vivid of memories? Today, I see that I need to find out more about the life and legacy of my Grandpa Hank. I have photos, but I need to get the stories behind the photos and learn more about him. I think I'll go talk to my Grandma Kay soon for an afternoon, so she can share more of who Grandpa Hank was with me. And that is a big reason why I scrapbook....I don't want to forget, and I want to be able to share Grandpa Hank with my kids since they never got to meet him.

Now, for a recap of my birthday in photos.......

One of my very favorite places in the world is Lake Michigan. It never fails that no matter my mood, no matter what is happening in "real life"....when we catch that first glimpse of Lake Michigan, feel its sand in my toes, and swim in its powerful surf, all the other stuff washes away and what's left is myself with my family in God's amazing creation. Matt had football camp for the day, so the kids and I headed out to Spring Lake and North Beach, our very favorite Lake Michigan beach. It was the perfect beach day--hot temps and calm waters.

We built a huge sand castle, complete with moats and waterfalls and fountains.
36-year-old toes in the sand.
My daughter picked out these new sunglasses for me for my birthday. You can't see it from this photo, but on the side, there is a shiny gold panel of leopard print. This is not something that I would have ever picked out for myself, but it is totally her style. And I love them and that she picked them out especially for me.
And Matt even got me one of my favorite carrot cakes for dessert. I like mine heated in the microwave just until the frosting starts to melt a bit, with a scoop of plain vanilla ice cream. YUM. And I know that my mom is bringing me one of her famous homemade carrot cakes on Saturday, so life is good (and delicious!).
Here is a photo that my daughter shot of me just before I went to bed.

I could not have asked for a better birthday.

First Day of 36.

Yesterday, I reflected on my life thus far (I turn 36 today, so I'm feeling a bit nostalgic)...and yes, it was fun to think back over the first 3.5 decades of my life and to try to identify some of my life highlights so far. Some of them were big, some were small, and but all have helped to shape the person I have become so far.

I'm a big believer that what God allows to come into our lives, combined with the choices we make as individuals created with a free will, shape us and mold us into who we are at different points in our life. And so it was a spiritual exercise for me to come up with that list, which I am hoping to make into a layout later tonight if and when I get some free creative time.

So part of reflecting on turning another year older is "So what comes next? What do I want to do with the next 36 years of my life?" The "in a nutshell" answer to that question is: I want to be in God's will and do whatever He has for me to do."

But, I also believe that God gives us opportunities and opens doors, and it is up to us which we will open and walk through and pursue. So, what are some of the visions and goals and wishes and dreams that I have for my next 36 years? Here are 36 that come to mind:

1. Have another baby (or two), either biologically or through adoption

2. Earn full professor status (usually takes 12-15 years teaching, I have 10 under my belt)
3. Travel to Africa

4. Take our family on a short-term mission trip overseas
5. Enter (and win?) CK Hall of Fame or Memory Makers Masters' Contest

6. Take and pass the state licensure examination (I am currently certified...different process)

7. Hold my sisters' babies in my arms

8. Return to my wedding day weight and maintain

9. Learn to play the guitar

10. See my children fall in love and get married to spouses who love the Lord

11. Hold my grandchildren in my arms

12. Travel to Australia

13. Return to Kauai, Hawaii, where we spent our honeymoon

14. Design and build our dream home with my husband

15. See my husband win a second state football championship (his first was in 2004)

16. Witness my kids earn their college degrees in fields that they love

17. Become a full-time artist

18. Go as a family on a 3-12 month tour of key world sites (take the kids out of school for a time)

19. Write at least one book

20. Throw my parents a 50th anniversary party

21. Go white water rafting/kayaking

22. Run and complete a 5-K race (and maybe longer?!)

23. Write and record an original praise & worship song
24. Own a little cabin on a lake where I can watch the sun set every day.

25. Travel from Maine to Florida on an East Coast tour

26. Take our kids west on a National Parks tour

27. Go on a cruise with my daughter

28. Trace my ancestory

29. Organize and catalog every one of my photos (yikes!)

30. Bike ride from Grand Rapids to Cadillac on the White Pine Trail

31. See my dream scrap art studio come to reality

32. Grow healthy and thriving sunflowers

33. Lead friends and family to Christ

34. Learn to speak Spanish fluently
35. Travel with my husband to Alaska

36. Contribute to the research and thinking that will reduce psychiatric illness in children.

I had an absolutely fabulous 36th birthday. I'll post some photos tomorrow, but let's just say that my husband helped me along with Dream/Goal/Wish #9 from the list above. Thanks, Honey. I love you, you romantic!

Last Day of 35.

Tomorrow, I officially crossed over from the mid-30's to the just-past-mid thirties, as I celebrate my 36th birthday. I thought that I would post 36 things that I've done so far in my life--or life highlights--and then tomorrow, on my actual birthday, share 36 things that I hope to do/experience/attain in my next 36 years. These are certainly not all of my life highlights to date, but simply a sampling of what my life experience has been thus far, thanks to God's rich blessing and guidance:

1. Was born
2. Earned a Young Author's award in first grade.
3. Had the world's best teacher in 2nd grade (yep, Mrs. R., that's you!)
4. Asked Jesus into my heart and life when I was 7.
5. Was baptized when I was 9.
6. Became a fast-pitch softball pitcher.
7. Competed in a geography and history bee (both NOT my favorite subjects).
8. Graduated as the valedictorian and class president of my graduating class.
9. Was given a college athletic scholarship for softball and basketball--played for 2 years before transferring.
10. Bought my first car (a rusty blue 2-door Ford Escort, but I loved it).
11. Crashed my first car.
12. Travelled on a summer ministry team.
13. Was accepted to and graduated from the University of Michigan with highest distinction.
14. Did NOT run the Naked Mile while a UM student (but did observe part of it once).
15. Attended several U-of-M football games.
16. Earned an A+ in Dr. Rothbury's Statistics class....the most challenging academic course I've ever taken.
17. Walked across and stomped on the "M" tile in the diag. in Ann Arbor following my last final exam.
18. Purchased my first brand new car (a shiny silver Plymouth Breeze).
19. Was admitted into graduate school at Michigan State.
20. Earned a 4.00 in graduate school.
21. Earned a master's degree in educational psychology.
22. Worked at a professional development school.
23. Earned an Educational Specialist degree in School Psychology.
24. Got my first full-time "professional" job as a school psychologist in East Lansing.
25. Designed, conducted and wrote up my Doctoral Research and dissertation.
26. Becamed "Dr." when I finished my doctoral degree.
27. Traveled to Mexico.
28. Became a professor (age 25).
29. Met my future husband and fell in love for real for the first time.
30. Got engaged on my parents' wedding anniversary
31. Married my soul mate.
32. Became a homeowner and dog owner with my husband.
33. Became a mother when I gave birth to my first child, Kennedy, a beautiful daughter.
34. Gave birth to my second child, Hayden, a joyful son.
35. Had the privilege of being with each of my kids when they asked Jesus into their hearts.
36. Witnessed the marriages of my brother and sister.
37. Helped plant a new church.

Tomorrow.......36 hopes/goals/visions for the future.

Fun Facts for Monday.

I thought I would start out a busy week with a few fun facts:

Ten years ago: July 28, 1998, at the ageo f 25, the day before my 26th birthday, I was in the process of writing my doctoral research dissertation....Wow, has it been that long. I was not yet married, finishing up my first year as a college professor, living in a great tiny old house apartment in East GR, and would meet my future husband the following February.

Places I've lived:

1. McBain, MI
2. Grand Rapids, MI
3. Ann Arbor, MI
4. Okemos/East Lansing, MI
5. East Grand Rapids, MI
6. Cadillac, MI
7. Spring Lake, MI

Five things on today's to-do list:

1. Paint Kennedy's bedroom PINK
2. Laundry
3. Balance bank account
4. Finish a report for work and send to attorney for review
5. Order Kennedy's birthday gift, a bean bag from PotteryBarn Teen for her newly decorated room

A snack I enjoy: Tortilla chips with fresh salsa, carrots/tomatoes/celery with dip, plain chocolate bar

Things I would do if I were a millionaire:

1. Pay off loans
2. Give to church and Cornerstone University to further God's kingdom
3. Open a nonprofit child-and-family art therapy center
4. Design and build our dream home that would include a mini go-cart track for Hayden, football trophy room for Matt, a willow tree next to a creek for Kennedy, and an amazing scrap room for myself.
5. Do some special things for family members
6. Put away money for the kids' college and beyond
7. Travel extensively, taking my kids out of school for a whole year and educating them around the world.

THERE...I think I pretty much spent that million!

Five places I've travelled:

1. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
2. Kauai, Hawaii
3. San Diego, CA
4. Mexican Riviera
5. New York, NY

Jobs I've had:

1. Babysitter
2. Bulk Food Clerk at a Grocery Store
3. College Phone Recruiter
4. Preschool Teacher
5. Marketing Rep.
6. Career Placement Assistant-U of M
7. Golf Course Snack Shack Girl
8. Head Injury Rehab. Assistant
9. School and Child Psychologist
10. Professor

Weekend in Photos.

We enjoyed a family-filled weekend at our niece's wedding.....here is the entire M. clan...and a couple are actually missing! This is my husband's parents, their kids/spouses, and grandkids....and one great-grandson.
Chris and Shannon make the perfect couple. They have been dating for 5 1/2 years and I think we have pretty much known that they would get married from the beginning. They were absolutely glowing. If you look closely at her dress, you can see that it was edged in a soft pink. Never have I seen a dress more perfectly matched to a bride. Shannon is a truly joyful and gentle spirit and made a stunning bride.
The wedding was soft-pink and pea-green accents. My mother-in-law planned for and grew many of the flowers in her garden.
Here is my brother-in-law, Joe, the handsome and proud father of the bride. Joe is a new grandfather and is holding his sweet grandson, Jayson.
Matt dancing with Kennedy and giving her a little "dip":
Our little family at the reception:
A tried-and-true M. wedding tradition is "The Gator" done to Takin' Care of Business. The first time I experienced this was at my own wedding, when I was all of a sudden surrounded by all 7 of the M. brothers and their sons, down on the floor and rolling around to the music. Now, 8 years later, many of my brother-in-laws have opted out and have passed the tradition on to their sons, because there isn't always oxygen readily available.....it takes a lot out of you! You can see Hayden in the red shirt, having a ball and being trained in this important family skill. And, yes, by the end, Shannon was down on the floor in that gorgeous dress, rolling around with her legs up in the air doing the gator!

And this is probably my favorite shot of the night:

And the rest are some shots from my mother-in-law's garden, which is truly a snippet of the colors of heaven on earth. I love the "hairy" look of these:
Sprigs of dill are sprinkled throughout.....when you break them off, you get a whiff of dill pickles!
The kids love to try out Grandma's red pump:
They are getting pretty good at identifying flowers:
And because I once again failed in my own attempt to grow sunflowers--I never even got around to planting them this year--I had to snap a photo of Kennedy with one of Grandma's sunflowers. Maybe next year.....

Saturday.

Looks like storms.
We're off to our niece's wedding.
Hayden has outgrown pretty much every pair of pants he has.
My blow dryer keeps blowing a breaker.
Kennedy wants me to try to give her an "up do"--"Just try it, Mom"
Slumber party invitations are out.
I need some scrap time.
I'm back to work in four weeks.
Calgon.

Pool Day.

July days should include everything that today included....sun, friends, family and water. We spent pretty much the whole day out in the sun in the pool today, playing with friends and just having fun. Some of us worked on perfecting our handstands in the pool:
While others of us worked on swimming underwater:
It was so sweet to see Kennedy teaching Hayden how to swim under water. She was so patient and encouraging as I watched them from the upper deck....by the end of the lesson, they were each starting on an opposite side of the pool and swimming underwater to meet in the middle.

And, of course, another girl had to join in on the swimming:
Little Samantha and her mom, Meegan (my sister-in-law), joined us for a fun afternoon. While I didn't get a photo of Sam in the pool, I did catch this sweet one of her just before they left.

Yep, it was the perfect July day, if you ask me.

Speed Racer Boy.

Today was all about Speed Racer and cars and stop lights and go...go...go....as we hosted a few of Hayden's friends to celebrate his fifth birthday. Because his actual birthday was a couple of weeks ago when we were at the cabin, we kept today pretty relaxed and low-key with swimming, water balloons, a couple of activities, and lots of free play time. The boys really seemed to enjoy their time and Hayden had big smiles all afternoon.
We made graham cracker and M&M stop lights and gum and candy bar cars.
The highlight of the day, without a doubt, were the water balloons. We had 200 balloons that I painstakingly filled this morning. Ok, the truth.....I filled 10 of them and then hired 2 neighbor kids to fill the remaining 190. The best 20 bucks that I ever spent!
And here I am running away from the boys, who were following my husband's directions to "Get Mrs. M!" All I can say is paybacks, Dear, paybacks. I must have been quite a sight running away with both the video camera and my camera held above my head in an effort to keep them dry!
Another highlight for Hayden was this gift from his Daddy. For the last 2 years, Hayden has been saying that he wants a trophy. My husband, being an athlete and football coach, kept saying that you don't just get trophies, you have to earn them. When Matt tucks Hayden in, he sometimes tells stories about the Speed Racer Cup. Matt found this old trophy, had a new plate engraved for it, and never has there been a happier boy.....the Racer Cup Champion!

Here is Hayden with his little best friend, Caden, with the Speed Racer mural I found at Party City for $1.99. It will make cute thank-yous when I print out photos of each of the kids against this mural.
What a day. Now, on to Kennedy's slumber party for next week. Whew.

Big Red Box.

When I heard the doorbell ring and Ruby give a little bark today mid-afternoon, I figured that it was the Oriental Trading delivery of the Speed Racer party supplies for Hayden's birthday party tomorrow. I breathed a sigh of relief that it had apparently arrived on time, just in time.

But when I went to the front porch, it was a HUGE box. I thought that the company could certainly do better with not wasting shipping materials. Then I saw the words "Red Envelope" along the bottom of the box, and I thought, "Hmmmmm, I didn't know that Red Envelope and Oriental Trading were operated by the same parent company??"

I hauled the HUGE box inside, and opened the outer box, and then among the HUGE pile of packing paper, there it was........that tell-tale red box tied immaculately with a white ribbon. The one that any woman who loves Red Envelope knows immediately.

To tell you the truth, I was baffled. Did my husband actually order something and have it sent to me? Did I have a secret admirer? My husband came into the room and was equally baffled...and a tad bit skeptical as well, I must say, because he immediately said, "I want to read the card"....you have to love those little displays of protection that say "I feel a bit threatened here, and she's mine."

So after I shot a couple of photos (of course), I opened the card:
And started to cry. This was just the sweetest gesture from a friend of mine who I met through this amazing art of scrapbooking, Sonja. Sonja is one of those people whose heart and soul are deep and who just makes people feel good and right and cared for. And Sonja, who, by the way, is going to give birth ANY MINUTE NOW to her fourth son....took the time and care to send me a gorgeous gift for my birthday.

My heart was warm all day due to this kind and unexpected gesture. I'm usually pretty good at predicting what people will get me for gifts or "planting ideas" in my husband's head when it comes to gift-giving occasions, so to tell you the truth, I'm not surprised that often. But this was truly, TRULY an unexpected surprise. I touched me deeply that Sonja, whom I have only known for a year, who is going to give birth SERIOUSLY ANY MINUTE, took the time for this amazing gesture of kindness.

It really made me remember that we often don't know how our acts of kindness will change someone's day or brighten someone's week. It reminded me that I need to take more time and use more creativity on a regular basis to exhibit random acts of kindness.

And it reminded me what an amazing art scrapbooking is. The amazing women with whom I have connected as we create together and share important memories with one another. Last week, I received a gorgeous handmade card from another scrap friend, Julie, and it made my day to know that she took time to design, make, and send me a card. And a message today from Heather, another scrap friend, just to say, "Hey, Happy Birthday, have a great day!" What an amazing group of women, artists, and moms I have had the privilege of getting to know, and I thank each of you for making my days that much more special and memorable.

So, Sonja and Julie and Heather....thanks for the birthday surprises. They touched my heart in a deep way, and I feel privileged to call you wonderful women my friends.

And have you ever seen happier toes in your life? (Sonja got me these wonderful spa slippers from Red Envelope....seriously the most comfy things I have ever had on my feet!).
And by the way, for those of you who are wondering about the Speed Racer supplies...they never came. So I called, and they screwed up, and they will be here on Thursday. And my party is tomorrow, WEDNESDAY. So, I had to make a frantic trip to Party City tonight......grrrrrrr......but at least my feet feel great after all the crazy last-minute running around!

Anatomy of a Mommy-Daughter Date!

Today was all about laundry and getting both kids haircuts and some swimming time. After we cleaned up following our pool time, Kennedy and I decided to make it a Mommy-daughter night out. I have always made a concentrated effort to spend one-on-one time with each of my kids doing special things that we enjoy together; I think this is critical so they know that they are unique and special and so that they know how to be treated (and to behave) in a social situation.

In the last couple of weeks, I have noticed that Kennedy is really entering a phase where she cares about style....taking extra time to fix her hair just so, dressing up, making sure she has jewelry on, walking with a little extra sway. It's as if she is really getting in touch with some of the fun things about being a girl.....I had to smile as she walked a bit ahead of me....that extra little swing in her hips.....I love that she is enjoying being a girl!

Tonight, Kennedy and I started our date with dinner at Logan's for their Monday night 2 meals-for-12.99 (what a deal!). Kennedy ordered shrimp, while I went with what I always order at Logan's--Santa Fe Tilapia--and then we traded halfsies. We enjoyed a great meal and some fun conversation, mostly about what she thought 2nd grade will be like.

After dinner, we headed to Staples and Target to do some preliminary school shopping. Kennedy picked out some erasers, a cute notebook/folder, and some ala carte paper clips/clips/push pins that were too cute and fun to pass up--kind of like a buffet of office supplies where you fill your container for one price. She comes by her love of cute office supplies honestly! At Target, we went in looking for a few things and came out with 170.00 worth of.......well, I did get 2 baby shower gifts, some storage totes, hangers, new hardware for my bathroom cabinets, and a cute new tote. Dollars sure can add up at Target, that's all I can say.

After shopping, we capped the night off with ice cream at Maggie Moos....Kennedy got sweet cream with PB cups, and me with my regular.....Carrot Cake ice cream (to DIE for!) with crushed up Heath Bar.

I love being a mom to a little girl.....but most of all to THIS little girl.

I want to FROLIC with the GOLD QUILT.

OK, you may be thinking that this is quite a strange title.....but it has been what a good portion of my weekend has been about. We have lived in this house for nearly 3 years, and I have painted each room one by one. When we bought the house, it was VERY white with some nasty colors and wallpaper borders thrown in for effect. Since that time, I have added rooms of red and tera cotta and artichoke and rain and apricot and pencil and......frolic and gold quilt. These are the colors that my daughter and I selected from Sherwin Williams (Duration HOme.....paint so smooth like frosting, I highly recommend it!). The GOLD QUILT now graces the walls of our master bedroom, while we can FROLIC in the master bath any time we want now! Wow, that kinda' came out wrong...but so be it! It feels so great to have these rooms painted. I expect my new Pottery Barn quilt in the mail tomorrow or Tuesday, so I promise to post pictures when the look is pulled together. I'm also going to pull together a photo collage from our first 8 years and some other touches....should be nice if it turns out in reality how it is in my mind. The bathroom is so bright now, and I plan to pair the FROLIC green with touches of black and white.....and now to figure out how to camoflauge the powder blue counters? We priced out a new one today at Home Depot, and to get a nice Corian counter with a vessel sink and waterfall faucet (so cool!) is over 1.000.00....so.....it won't be happening right away. I can live with it for a while longer, I guess, and I'm still loving how bright and happy it all looks.

Besides painting, our weekend consisted of:

• Me NOT being at CHA, which is a bummer....but I can't wait to see all the new product lines.
• A little bit of scrapping.
• A cleaning party! To my family's great dismay, I called a cleaning party to do some deep cleaning...and I love it when our house is clean and better organized. Now, if it could only stay that way.......
• Today, we slept in until 10:30.....yep, we slept right through church. I can't remember the last time we all slept that long....I think we are still recovering from vacation.
• Sorting shoes. It's amazing how many pairs of shoes that we as a family have amassed. I remember that the last time we had a garage sale, I had almost thrown the shoes away but opted to put them out and sell them for $1.00. I clearly remember a large van of immigrant farm workers coming and buying EVERY SINGLE pair of shoes we had...they were thrilled. And it put me in perspective. We will have many more pairs of shoes to give this year.
• Planning for a little Speed Racer party that we are having for Hayden on Wednesday.
• Planning for Kennedy's sleepover for late next week. This will be her first slumber party, so any tips from seasoned slumber party moms would be appreciated!
• Purchased stain for the back deck....I hope to get it done tomorrow, weather-permitting, and then I'm going to pain an old table a dusty aqua to put on the deck. It should look nice when complete.
• A work project. Yuck.
• So happy that all 4 of us are back in one place. We have one more week to enjoy before football camp and then practice begins. Summer, where did thou goest?
• Happy Sunday night!

Random Stuff on Thursday.

Imagine how my heart felt when I opened the mail today and, amongst the bills, was the sweet and unexpected card from Kennedy, who has been at Grandma's all week:
I'm thinking that I need to start an album of all of these sweet sentiments....to pull out when she is 15 and hates me!

Matt and Hayden left to go pick up Kennedy and are gone for the night; so, I have treated myself a bit. I started with an hour-long float on the pool; I hardly ever get time to just float, because the kids are always splashing and begging me to play dolphin or throw them or count how long they stay under water. This was relaxing and peaceful and quiet. Heavenly. And good for my tan to boot!

After my float, I browsed the aisles of Michael's for a while and bought some new scrap embellishments, including some cool clear sticker borders from Hambly. I then treated myself to dinner at Red Lobster, where I enjoyed calamari and an exquisitely wonderful dish of baked tilapia topped with......of all things, macadamic nut white chocolate butter sauce. It sounds interesting to say the least, but it was so complex and unexpected and delicious. Apparently, this was the winning recipe from the Next Food Network Star competition....and it was definitely a winner with me!

We have officially entered birthday season around here. Hayden's was last week and we are having a little friends' pool party for him on Wednesday. Next Tuesday is my birthday, followed by Kennedy's on Friday, which means a sleepover for her little friends. Whew. If I have a third baby, I have to time the birth for winter for sure!

I'm settling in to watch "Hopkins" and do some scrapbooking. The house is quiet, just Ruby and I, and I'm enjoying every minute of it but also missing my family and can't wait for them to get back tomorrow.

Piles, Mounds and Stuff.

This week has been about mounds and piles and stuff. As the photo above suggests, I think I have washed nearly every piece of clothing, every blanket, every bath and beach towel, and every sheet that we have. And I still have a couple of loads to go. Now....putting it all away so we can sit on the couch again!
And we came home to a beautiful bountiful mound of daisies surrounding the entrance to our house. When we left, they were tight buds and now they are all over. Daisies are my favorite flower. I remember growing up, they were my mom's favorite flower, and I always thought they were so plain and ordinary. Now, as I am older, that same simplicity that I thought was plain and ordinary now seems so refreshing and, well, wonderfully simple. The black-eyed Susan's are getting ready to bloom, too, next to the gorgeous blue-and-purple hyacinths at our entry.
I also started a new project today....sifting through all of our clothes to get rid of old/ill-fitting/outgrown stuff. I need to do this for myself and for both kids, so it is quite the project. I am getting ready to paint our bedroom (FINALLY!) at the end of the week, so I really want to get things pared down. I'm contemplating a garage sale, but we'll see........
These are the clouds that quickly blew in tonight....along with some severe gusts that actually caused us to go to the basement. I lost a few clay pots off the deck, but the worst has seemed to pass. Ahh, the interesting weather in Michigan.

I'm off to do some scrapping. I will share some layouts and other creative stuff tomorrow, hopefully.

Lagged.

Today, we are jet-lagged....without having ridden a jet. Wow, do we all feel tired. Kennedy is at Grandma's house for the week, being spoiled. As for the rest of us, we spent the day trying to get up the energy to do laundry, get groceries, and get everything from vacation put away. You know the feeling....sometimes you need a week of vacation to recover from vacation!

Anyway, the refrigerator is full, the washer and dryer has been running non-stop all day, most of the camping supplies are put away....and I almost finished one scrap layout, too. We grilled pork for dinner, accompanied by a fresh salad and local corn-on-the-cob with freshly baked lemon bars for dessert. I must say that while I love to eat out and experience new foods, it felt really good to cook and enjoy a meal at home after so many days away.

Tomorrow, the clean-up will continue and, given that it is supposed to be near 90 degrees, we will probably spend most of the afternoon in the pool. And isn't that what July days are all about? Good night, friends.

Be it Ever So Humble.

I love vacations. I love being by the water every day, all day. But, when it comes right down to it, there really is no place like home and nothing like the feeling of comfort and familiarity that comes with unlocking the door and walking into home after a long time away.

I think these two agree.

Day 14.

We have been gone from home for 14 days. It seems like longer, really. And for once, I have been able to do so without wondering what's coming in the mail.....or whether our house will be OK.....or whether we're going to run out of money in our budget before we get home. To tell you the truth, I really haven't thought about home much.....OK, except when it is time for bed, because I really do miss my own bed. And I am ready for a few days of mosquito-free living, for sure, but I have really been able to keep my mind at peace and away from our typical home-stuff, which has been a good breather for the mind and soul.

Today is Saturday, and tomorrow we are heading home. On Thursday night, Matt's extended family arrived. And let me tell you, did they arrive. Many of you know that Matt is from a huge family (he has 6 brothers and 2 sisters) and there are 20 granchildren, so when they come rolling into a place, they don't do so quietly! It has been fun having family here, and the kids have loved playing with their cousins.....but the "quiet and relaxing" aspect of our vacation is definitely long gone, and we are a bit sad for that. The fun continues, it has just changed a bit! So, here are a few highlight photos from the last few days:

A few of the M. counsins at the beach:
I'm not sure what they were talking about sitting on that old log out by the water, but it was a precious shot:
Hayden was a willing volunteer when his Uncle Fred started burying kids:
A few of the M. brothers swimming in Lake Michigan with the kids:
A pretty sailboat that moseyed by:
This view of the dunes beyond the water catches my breath every time:
My little sun-kissed beach bums:
Grandma brought all the stuff to tie-dye t-shirts, so that was Fridays big project. It was fun to see each kid put his/her unique spin on the project, and they each turned out so unique.

I love this mosaic, which is encrusted in the door post at an art gallery/cafe called the "Trick Dog" in Elberta:

I can never resist a patch of daisies:
This is probably one of my favorite shots from the week. I decided to stay back on the beach while Matt walked out on the pier with the kids. And when I saw this shot, I was glad that I did:
Hayden and his Daddy, enjoying a float on the Lake Michigan waves:

Today (Saturday) brought a rainy morning, which put a damper on the boys' charter fishing trip. Instead, we ate a big breakfast and the headed out for putt-putt golfing. They had this cool old antique stove with heavy iron pans filled with colorful golf balls....and my husband thought I was off my rocker for taking a photo of it:
My hole-in-one (one of them....I actually shot 3!):
Kennedy and her cousing, Sam, loved the golfing.
Golf was followed by a trip to the local Hill Top Soda Shoppe, where they make their own ice cream with all local ingredients...they even make their own Diet Cola!
Tonight, the men are smoking 2 big turkeys in a make-shift smoker over the campfire, so dinner should at least be interesting! After dinner, we're headed to the beach one last time for a couple of family photos, and then the morning brings packing up and the long trip back to McBain to pick up Ruby before heading back home.