Michigan. She Treats Us So So Good.

If it weren't for the drudgery of her Winters, we might consider moving to the Mitten.  She is so so lovely and has given us white glove service summer after summer after summer.  We adore her lakes, her farm land, her produce, her sand, her edible small towns...she screams relaxation and stillness to my summer self.  We spent 10 days with her this summer and I've hesitated to upload these photos as they cause me to crave her.  Tim's oldest brother and his beautiful wife hosted the entire family at their cottage this year and we rented another across the street to accommodate the 11 children and 8 adults.  Every day was a taste of summer utopia.  The kids mixed and mingled, we swam, built castles, biked, golfed, golf carted, hiked, ate and ate and ate, slept soundly and woke up to do it all over again.

Following tradition, Dude left a few days early to be pampered by Nana and Papa in Chicago.  This is a tradition that has become cherished.  By all parties involved.  

 Perhaps these men are brothers.  Yes, perhaps they are.

 The GANG.  Quite the gang they are.  

 Dude has always had an infatuation with buois.  Since he was 2.  He spent the longest time way out in the lake, trying to release this particular buois to take home.  No joke.  Squirt finally decided she should help the cause.  

 

 

 

 Cranes, our favorite fruit picking, pie eating, home cooked meal eatin' place.

 Would it be vaca without it?  Not sure what's goin on with the Pirate eye.

 Please ignore the fat leg angle.  Focus on the fact that my sweet niece sat next to me "reading" Danielle Steele for a good 15 minutes.

 Just 5 six year olds, cousin' it up.  

  We left too soon and are already counting the days until we get to go back.  Thanks Nick and Caylie! 

A Darn Good Day

Dude started school a couple days before Squirt this year, so I took advantage of one last day with my girl before I happily put her on the bus for the year.  She was spoiled rotten for one entire day.  Daddy even joined us for part of it as a surprise.  There's nothing our girl longs for more than her Daddy, so this trumped everything else we did.

One of her BFF's, Molly, got her ears pierced this summer, leading my sweet girl to believe that this too should be her destiny.  Given the fact that Squirt is the most responsible member of our family, we decided to grant her wish.  This was before we realized (after she was perched in the ear piercing chair) that is would cost us $85.  I might have found a underground piercer had I known that tidbit beforehand.  She's now the proud owner of two holes in her head and is sporting her November birth stone with adorable pride.  There are dolphin and skunk earrings awaiting her once the 3 week time period of healing lapses.  It was rather charming walking into Claires Boutique, remembering my ear piercing experience when I was her age.  Millions of ears pierced they claim.

We had lunch with Dad at his big office, where she might have watched My Little Pony in the conference room, headed to the most darling ice cream shop I've come across, stopped at the carpet warehouse since my life revolves around the basement right now, and came home to play cars and babies.  It was quite the day.  And she is quite the girl.