Highlights of our most recent trip to Michigan

Wow... were we soooo busy.  Due to time restraints and the fact that any minute there will be some crisis that will need my attention... I will just touch on the highlights of our trip

Friday...The Wedding

We took all the kids to the beach in an attempt to tire them out before leaving them with the baby sitter (my cousin Jesse) in the hotel room.  They had a wonderful time and so did we.

It was a beautiful wedding with the the TC West Bay in the background and the sun setting on the beach.... perfect.  The flower girls gave their mom away (soooo cute) and you could tell that they were just as happy about this new union as the bride and groom were.  

Saturday...Collins/Zeile Reunion

We met some of the fam at Great Wolf lodge... they had one room left so we took it.  The kids played at the water park until they were so tired they couldn't see straight.  All the cousins had a wonderful time together.  

Sunday... more reunion fun

The kids attacked the water park bright and early and then we headed up to Mema's (Grandma Eddee) for lunch then back to TC.  We stayed at Jeff and Lisa's and the kids played Wii until they crashed.  At some point in the evening I was over served and a few of us engaged in Margarita induced cartwheels... I pulled a hamstring and limped around for the remainder of the trip sporting a huge bruise on the back of my leg.

Monday... yup you guessed it... more family stuff

We all went to Sleeping Bear Dunes... Pat pulled out Sam's g-tube while trying to get him out of the car seat.  Not a big deal... it happens... but it had to be put back in and I didn't have the right kind of syringe or any lubricant.  So here we are with  Sam on a towel in the parking lot... he is throwing a fit because the sun is in his eyes and he want to be up and running around with the other kids and we are huddled around him trying to get his tube back in.  Finally it goes in and all is well.  However my faith that kind strangers still walk this earth was restored when a very nice woman came up to us, announced that she was a nurse and asked if she could help.  After that we checked out he dunes and then headed to the beach.  Great Day!

Tuesday... 

We took all the kids to the one of the many Traverse City beaches.  We had lunch in the park and the kids rode the train. That night we had dinner at Habana Cafe for Jennifer's 9th birthday.  Good food, good company, really good margaritas!

Wednesday... Good bye to one side of the family and hello to the other...

Back to Great Wolf Lodge bright and early to see the Zeile clan off.  The kids wanted to play this Quest game so they all got wands and headed off through the Resort to find their treasures and Runes.  We said our good byes and then left to meet Grandma Moore at the Northwestern Michigan Fair.  After throughly checking our the livestock and other creatures we hit the rides and hit them hard!  The boys had a great time and Sean discovered funnel cakes...yum!  Andrew won 3 gold fish that were later released into Jesse's pond...which is currently stocked with previously won fair fish.  

Thursday...more cousins

We met the "boys in the woods" at the park and they played some made up game that seemed to keep their attention for quite awhile.  Andrew caught some tree frogs that unfortunately came back with us to Illinois.  One has survived capture and I hear whispers about making him a "home" in the terrarium that is packed away somewhere in the basement.  

Friday...headed home

We visited with some more family and then packed up the wonder van and headed back to Illinois.  There is never enough time.  We always wish we could spend more time with everyone.  Secretly I wish that everyone lived in a different state so that when we came to visit we could spend all our time and energy with them instead of hopping from house to house and only getting to spend snips of time here and snips of time there.  

Saturday... back in Illinois

Pat had his first soccer coach's meeting.  Later that evening we headed to yet another fair... Lindenfest.  We met up with some friends and the kids tackled all the rides for people 46 inches or shorter.  Once again my faith in man kind has been restored by a carnie.  Some of the ride carnies were very nice and gave Sam extra long rides when there was no line and were really sweet to him.  Then we let Andrew play 2 games of his choice.  Of course he choose the balloon dart game.  He actually hit a balloon both time which would have won him 1 mangy looking stuffed animal... but the carnie also gave Sam one.  It was very nice of him, but Sam thought it was a game and threw it back to him and clapped.  He held on to that little stuffed penguin all the way home.  3 balls for $1.00 gave you a chance to sink a cop in the dunk tank.  Now most of you know that Sam has a really good throwing arm but there was no way he was going to hit that target.  Well one of the cops pokes his head out from behind the target and asks if I was going to let Sam throw all three balls.  I said yes (both Sam and Andrew got 3 balls).  Well Sam threw that ball and wouldn't you know it ... he sunk that cop!  His other 2 pitches sunk him too. Sam was so proud and he clapped and laughed.  Of course his balls didn't come anywhere near the target but it sure made Sam's day.  

Sunday... our anniversary

Yup... 12 years of wedded bliss.  We are spending the day doing yard work, putting away all the stuff that we brought with us on vacation and spending time with the boys.  We will most likely hit the pool for a few hours and maybe, just maybe got out to dinner.