Summer 2019 - MI, VT, Bethany Beach (a forgotten post, oops)

This is a post I wrote a long long long time ago and forgot to put on the blog:

Taking a trip down memory lane, in the summer (2019) we fit in road trips to Michigan and Vermont and spent a great week with Nana and Papa at Bethany Beach. 

Lisa and I continued our sometimes annual family adventure in Charlevoix, MI with the kids and visited some of our favorite spots - Sleeping Bear Dunes (on a rainy day), biking around Mackinac Island (a favorite!), and a new adventure rafting the Sturgeon River (a NEW favorite). 

This year we tacked on a special adventure which I don't have a picture for but I'll never forget. Lisa and I left the kids at the house to go on a run one morning which led us across a drawbridge that's in Charlevoix. No big deal except on the way back the bridge was BROKEN. Just stuck, halfway between up and down. Funny at first, but then we overheard bystanders talking about how the last time this happened it took all day to fix. Not so funny. After some brainstorming (do we swim across these dangerous waters?!!!), a kind young college-aged boy on a jetski came to our rescue and offered to jet-ski us back to the other side at a speed of about 2 miles an hour. I guess we didn't give off an impression of seeking high adventure. Anyway, we made it to the other side, and by the time we had grabbed a coffee, the bridge was fixed. Which made the drama of it all even more amazing.   

This was not from the day we were saved by a jet-skier, but it does showcase our aura of high adventure.

July 2019 - Amelia (4), Alice (14), Owen (9), Will (11), Jacob (10)

Started raining just when they all got to the top...

On another day, we rented a raft to go down the Sturgeon River. No rapids, but lots of obstacles (tree branches, stumps, etc.), in our path which actually made it so fun. We started our journey as 8 nervous individuals, since we had no idea what we were getting into. But, with Amelia warning us (constantly) when to duck down into the boat so as not to get knocked over by branches (there were SO many branches wanting to knock us over, it was ridiculous), Owen & Alice hyper focused on keeping us focused, Jacob & Will keeping us entertained with stories of what might lurk ahead, and Lisa and I wondering when it was ever going to end, it did end and we survived. After we finished the course, we were finally able to appreciate how much fun it was and feel like we accomplished something, and discover we worked pretty well together as a team! I wish they had something like it closer to home in case we ever need reminding.     

This rafting place (Big Bear Adventures) also had a ropes course that was a lot of fun.

This is a fountain in Charlevoix that Jacob never fails to run through when he's wearing his street clothes.

On the ferry on our way to Mackinaw Island

Good old Mackinac Island! We love renting bikes and riding the 7 or so miles around the island.

After saying farewell (for now) to the Anderson's, we were soon off to our next adventure and we trekked up to Vermont to see Mary & Robert. We love to visit our dear friends who are always up to something interesting. This visit, Amelia and I got to sleep in their RV, which felt adventurous, and which had I known there would be a pandemic in just a matter of months I would have bought from them, but, sadly I am not a clairvoyant. 

Jacob, Owen, Anderson and I went on a fantastic bike ride in Burlington, VT along the Grand Isle bike path along Lake Champlain. This is a seriously beautiful bike path - there's a causeway with the lake on both sides - which I highly recommend and would like to do again when I can go the entire way,  perhaps without children asking when we would turn around (note to self).

THEN, we decided to do a corn maze.

This was soon after we started the maze.

Now, see Nancy's face right there? That's when she starts realizing we might not make it out.

We lost a couple different people for a while at different times, we went in circles, we stood on the platform and saw no beginning or end. We ignored Anderson. We heard Anderson. We wondered where Anderson went. We felt claustrophic. We couldn't see above the corn. There were corn stalks everywhere. Then we listened to Anderson. Then Anderson found us. Then Anderson led us all to the exit. All is well with the world.

And, finally, we ended our summer with our beach week with Nana and Papa in Bethany. We saw bunches of cousins, and family and friends and celebrated Jacob's 11th birthday and had another great time together. 

Amelia & Avery

Uncle Harris & Lois

David, Wendy, Anne & Mike

Drew, Avery, Amelia, Adah, Oliver, Jacob, Owen & Henry 

Owen, Jacob, Grant, Avery, Amelia, Finley, & Drew

Jacob & Lyle

So appreciative that we had this time all together!

Chugging Along Through Fall and Winter

Time flew by so fast that I went another long spell without updating the blog! 

Before we knew it it was Halloween - Amelia was a fairy, Owen a pirate, maybe an attempt at Jack Sparrow?, and Jacob the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man. 

Owen joined the cross country team for the fall and ran the 2k race at 2 meets.

We LOVE our Thanksgiving traditions of going to NY, seeing all the cousins (and everyone else too of course), playing a big game of football, watching football, eating tons of food, and our annual family adventure (which has turned into just me and Owen) into NYC!!

 Look at all those kids! So hard to get them to all look at the same time. 

Back together again. 

Mike's cousin Jeremy and Diya are engaged!!!

Laila (6), Drew (5), Avery (8), Amelia (3), Jacob (10), Owen (8), Heath (9), Olivia (6) 

(ages at Thanksgiving 2018)

Owen and I ate and walked our way through Manhattan with a stop at Dylan's Candy Bar, Wagamama's, the Empire State Building (well, the lobby), and everything in between.

Next was Christmas

Amelia was in her first school dance show. She did a little routine to the song Hot Chocolate from the Polar Express with her class.

In Richmond we saw Charlotte and Bill with baby Graham! His first Christmas.

Sam turned 18!

Visits from Anne Van...always the helper!! Owen had a small "indoor football game in the basement" accident that required a staple on his scalp (which he handled like a pro with no numbing med, NONE!) and AVA kindly took it out for him. Priceless.