Anniversary Getaway...

We didn't have big plans for our anniversary this year, but #15 is pretty special and Greg's parents volunteered early in the summer to watch the kids for a few days.  That was all the encouragement we needed.  :-)

Last summer our family vacationed in Mackinaw City and the U.P, and we spent one day on Mackinac Island.  Although the kids loved the island, I remember whispering to Greg, "We HAVE to come back here by ourselves."  And that's exactly what we did. 

Day #1  Packed and drove to Grandma and Grandpa Burley's house in Cedar Springs, MI. Took Ginger (our 1 year old beagle puppy) with us.  She did great!

Day #2  Met family for breakfast.

Our kids and Kristen

Amanda, Tina, Harmony

Scott & Amanda (and our great-niece due in September)

Chris & Harmony

Gene & Tina

Grandpa & Grandma

Left for Mackinaw City via Petoskey and Little Traverse Bay.  Didn't care for the 90 degree temps...couldn't wait to get to a cooler Mackinac Island!

Little Traverse Bay - lunch at the park

Since we planned to splurge a little and stay a night on the island (and gas was hanging right at $4 per gallon), we went cheapo ($85) on our motel in Mackinaw City.  Although it was fine for what we needed, if we were to stay in that area again, I would probably pay the extra $60 and get something a little more, well...



Accomodations in Mackinaw City (web photo)







A real key...don't see that much anymore...lol.

It's fun to visit local eateries that aren't part of a chain, especially when traveling.  In Mackinaw City, there are few chains, which really enhances local flavor.  However, sometimes it's hard to decide where you might get the best quality food for the best value.  Trip Advisor helped us out on this one, and we weren't disappointed.  For pizza, calzones, salads, and pasta, this is the place.

web photo

Day #3  Had a picnic lunch by the bridge, adjusted our luggage, boarded Arnold Transit for our ride to the Island.

Riding the horse-drawn taxi two miles up to the condo.

Sunset rock, just down a short trail from Sunset Condos

View from the rock

Since there were just two of us, we rented a

patio room that was equipped with fridge/microwave/

coffee pot, sofa sleeper,large bathroom, and lake view.

No a/c, but we had to close the patio door in the night

because of the chill.  :-)  Lovely.

After exploring the room and some of the nearby trails, we walked about 4 miles through the upper middle area of the island.  We sat at the airport for a few minutes, and watched as a horse drawn taxi pulled up and a family entered the quiet airport, and boarded their plane to leave the island.  How convenient would that be!

Gorgeous sunset from the balcony

Day #4  Awoke to perfect temps and a blue sky.



Packed our luggage and checked it in at the condo office to be taxied back to Arnold's dock.  Walked 2 miles down to get some lunch.

(web photo) 

We had researched a couple of the restaurants online,

but our taxi driver recommended The Chuckwagon.

It was really good, and the prices were great. 

 In the abovephoto, it is the little red storefront with the

green and whitestriped awning.

The chef

Fresh cheeseburger on a pretzel bun.

After lunch, we visited a few shops, and rented bikes to ride the 8 miles around the island.  We had a bit of a wait, because the bike rental company is only allowed to have two hundred licenses out at a time.  There are several rental shops (plus people bring their own bikes, plus residents on bikes), so it would get crazy crowded if they allowed too many out at once.  The bikes were unbelievably comfortable, and it was a beautiful ride.

If we could come up with 3.5 million bucks, this would

be the perfect vacation spot for our family.  :-)

Streetscape

Couldn't leave the island without having some famous Mackinac Island Fudge peanut butter ice cream.  It was the perfect "after-the-bike-ride treat." 



Grand Hotel...we'd have to really want that

experience to pay the $.  Maybe someday.

If you click the pic, you can see the location of our condo.

Coming back to Mackinaw City

Drove to Houghton Lake where we stayed at the Comfort Suites Lakeside. 

Day #5  Left for Traverse City.  Walked the streets and visited some shops.  Had a nice lunch at Olive Garden before heading for Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes.  You can get my take on that experience here.

Warning: Object in front of you may be larger than

it appears.    :-)

Back to Traverse City...wanted a Biggby...apparently out of business there.  :-(  Sat at Grand Traverse Bay for awhile, enjoying the view, the sand, the breeze, and the warm water. 

Back to Houghton Lake for the night. 

View from our balcony at Houghton Lake

Day #6   Drove the back roads to Cedar Springs. Couldn't wait to see the kids again. The feeling was mutual. :-)  Before nightfall, we were back in our driveway, thanking God for protecting us over the 1,224 miles we traveled.

Girl's Getaway..

Early last week, the girls and I spent a couple of days with my Grandma Yount in Cincinnati.  We wanted to go down earlier in the summer, but between her schedule and ours, things were a bit crazy!About three weeks ago, she went into the hospital for some physical issues.  It ended up being a virus, but while they were running tests they found some very suspicious stuff.  Scary stuff.  She had a large and aggressive cancerous tumor, and the hospital physicians were unsure of how far it had spread.

Major surgery is hard on a young woman, not to mention a great-great-grandma, so she spent a few days thinking about whether or not she wanted to put herself through the emotional and physical implications of it.  We squeezed our visit in after her kids had all gone home, and helped her get some things in order while giving her a bit of companionship.  It was hard see her at that point of decision, and the girls and I made sure to give her plenty of space to think and pray.  The morning of the day we came home, she decided to go ahead with surgery.

Here are a few pics of our time together:

The girls know they are allowed to have coffee at
Grandma's house, and they make the best of it. 

All coffee'd up and ready for bed.  :-)

                                                                                                                      

Waking up after a good night's sleep...and playing with
every stuffed animal they can find.

Kaitlynn's favorite thing about being at Grandma's is helping her fix breakfast!  Grandma always lets the girls work right along with her, and that makes them feel really special. 

 

Another round of coffee...



And every proper girl knows this is how you are supposed to place your cup/spoon when you are finished taking tea (coffee).  :-)

Grandma's neighborhood is wildly populated with deer.  This little guy was sitting in a front yard, undisturbed by nearby construction and traffic. 

Having a tea (coffee) party on the patio.  The girls always use an English accent during their parties, and Grandma even gave it a try.  I'm terrible at it, so they always get a good laugh when I try to say a word or two. 

Let's just say Alli was a little buzzed out on coffee at this point...lol!  I think they had 2 pots between the two of them within about 48 hours.

Kaitlynn found a decorative deer in Grandma's house and this was her reenactment of the what we saw earlier in the front yard.  :-)

Grandma and I...through the lens of a 4-year-old photographer.

Allison loves scarves, and Grandma had an extra for her to wear.  She thought she was big stuff. 

Before we left, we took a bit of a trip down memory lane, which included a stop in Hyde Park to see the house where Grandma and Grandpa lived.  Grandpa Yount passed away just before I turned 4, and Grandma stayed in the house until I was probably 10 or 12.  Some of my favorite memories come from 2850 Erie Avenue.  :-)  We made a brief stop at the lower lookout of Eden Park, another place I love to go as a kid.

Exactly a week later (three days ago), Grandma Yount had surgery.  She is recovering at home, and doing well.  There is a bit of a road ahead, but her body and her faith are both very strong, and we are so thankful for how God's Hand could be seen in so many ways in her behalf this week!  If you think of it, keep her in your prayers as she prepares to undergo a round of chemotherapy about a month from now.

July - Part 3

My dad had celebrated his 59th birthday last Sunday.  It was a great week for him, made complete with a visit from his aunt and uncle, Rick and Deena Brown, from Illinois.  They did a couple of day trips, and then on Saturday we gathered for a family meal.  My great-uncle Rick is my Grandma Nichols' youngest brother.  He is only 6 years older than my dad, so they look more like brothers.

And there's nothing finer on a hot afternoon than chilled watermelon!

Most of the elites in my parents neighborhood cruise around on golf carts.  We're a little more rednecky...lol.

And that pretty much sums up July!  Stay tuned for pics from Grandma Yount's house - the girls and I spent a couple of days there earlier in the week.  Special times!

Happy 15th Anniversary to Us!

Even though the quality isn't so great, I wanted to share a few pics from our wedding day. Our photographer gave us all of the negatives (yeah, that was back in the Dark Ages), and I'm fixing to have them transferred to disc if that works better than scanning. These are just pics of the pics, but it's the best I have today. :-)

In a time where marriages are falling apart in mass, we are both humbled and blessed to be able to celebrate this milestone. Our parents gave us the foundation, and we have done our best to build upon that to create a God-honoring marriage and home.

Our humongo wedding party

Jennifer Bailey - miniature bride

Joseph Bailey - miniature groom

Over 300 people came to celebrate with us.

~August 2, 1997~