"Grammin' " it up

My mom is so much fun and it was really nice to have a few days to just be with her. A good deal of our time was spent laughing until our sides ached and tears rolled down our cheeks. Between Mike's quick wit and mom's ability to take a one liner and run with it, we all got a great ab work out during the remainder of her trip. Here are some snap shots of the rest of her trip:

I think we had more fun with Mack's Kids Meal toy than she did:
Catching a break after our long drive home:

Grams and Mack cooling each other off as we rested on our " long, long walk"
We spent the entire day in Frankenmuth browsing through shops:
Oh! And eating ice cream.


When Mack was asked what kind of ice cream she wanted, she said " Blue!" I think we found the bluest ice cream in all of Michigan:
Mack sporting the lady bug socks Grams bought her ( she got me a matching pair!).
Looking for a frog at the botanical garden:


Sewing lesson #2 was more productive than the #1:

The week flew by but not before we could make some great memories. Having my mom so near makes me realize all that I miss about her. I confess that the days after she left were pretty lonesome for me but I can't be blue for long- 6 weeks and counting before we head for Colorado!

The very long, very short trip.....

Finally! The weekend of Grandma's 80th birthday party was at our fingertips.Friday was our travel day and we anticipated leaving South Lyon around 10 am but the plan was slightly altered when we woke to find our power had gone out the night before. While this altered our plan a bit, we still managed to get on the road shortly after 10.

About half way to our destination, we encountered car troubles and while this subject certainly could require a post all it's own, I'll simply say that after a two hour detour, we were back on the road a little grouchier but happy to be on our way again.

The auto shop where we "landed" was fantastic. They have things to keep kids and adults alike occupied:


The sign for the " Vacation Station" might as well have been illuminated like angel wings or fairy dust , for as happy as we were to see it! We unloaded the car and stretched our legs before heading out to dinner with Aunt Bev, Uncle and Cousin Michael and Gramma. Our travel woes were soon tucked away in the back of our minds as we reconnected with family.

The "upstairs" of our little place was a loft which Mackenzie LOVED:

It's a great testament to how likable my cousin Michael is that Mackenzie went right to him on her own accord. (Even if she did hop off his lap as soon as she ate part of his dinner .)

After dinner we picked through a few shops in down town Ludington and stopped just long enough to watch a magic show. Then, as if our heels had mini-GPS's in them, we found our selves lake side.

Mack and Mike watching the magic show:

The squeals of pure joy that came from Mackenzie as we touched our tired toes to the water was something I hope never fades from my memory. Grams joined us and we splashed and played and dove in the water until it Mack could barely keep her eyes open. The rest of the evening and the next morning, she talked of nothing else but " the waves in the big lake" .
Though this picture is blurry, it is one of my favorites because you can see the pure joy Mackenzie felt as the waves crashed against us.

Saturday was the " Big Day!" We woke to clouds but that didn't dampen our spirits. After a pit stop for a few " must haves" at the store, we headed to Ludington State Park where we helped set up for Gramma's birthday party. Before too long, the clouds gave way to pure sunshine. Mackenzie, tired and surrounded my people she didn't know, was happy to spend the day in the water or building sand castles. Mike and I traded off spending time with Mackenzie. After lunch and cake, mom, Janet and I along with a few others took a trip down an extra lazy river on inner tubes. The ride took over an hour and dumped us into mighty Lake Michigan. After we located our clan and secured our tubes and rafts to car tops, we headed back to the picnic area. I am something of a wimp , so the trip down the river was really exciting for me. And if you hear otherwise, I did NOT try to drown Janet! ; ) hehe

Mike and Mack in the lake.
Mary and Janet were there to celebrate the big day, too. They treated Gramma to an early birthday dinner and took care of getting the food to the party. I know Gramma's day would not have been nearly as enjoyable with out them there.
Sisters:
cousins:
Mack made a friend on the beach ( you can see him if you look just to the right of my florescent white legs):
And here is a rare sight- Mackenzie is OUT of the water ...to eat cake!
It was really great to see so many who love Gramma come out to celebrate her. She is a remarkable woman who has sprinkled her humor, knowledge, joy and inspiration upon so many. Isn't she beautiful?

After a full day at the beach, Mackenzie feel asleep in the car. We tucked her in her bed for a short nap while we ate dinner and mom and Mike headed out for drinks with Gramma, A. Bev, U. Mike and C. Mike. To commemorate the rare occasion of the three "Mike's" being together, they snapped this picture along the way:

Our time in Ludington was so we headed back to South Lyon, our shoes full of sand,our hearts happy with memories.

Grams Arrives

The day couldn't get here fast enough, and when the day got here, the minutes dripped by. But FINALLY, we had our long awaited, beloved Grams.

Mackenzie, though shy at first, didn't take long to warm up to Grams. Here she is clutching onto " Mimi" the doll Grams made for her. Mimi traveled to Michigan in a purse that matched Grams' and was made by Aunt Janis.
We ate dinner at our favorite mexican food restaurant in downtown Detroit. Mack showed Grams the proper way to eat salsa:
We headed back to South Lyon where Mackenzie showed Gram's her treasures ( her bed, her dolls and books). Mackenzie never let Grams get too far away. Even a quick trip to the bathroom required Mackenzie's supervision:

Mom and Mack smelling the sunflowers:
The fun carried on. Each morning Mack woke up looking for Grams and they played together all day long:

Stay tuned!

This is a photo of Mack saying " We're still here!"

We have been so busy the last few weeks. Last week and the week before we had play dates every week. It's been a lot of fun to spend time cultivating new friendships and relishing in old, comfortable ones.

The anticipation is building here as we wait for Gram's visit! Our wait is almost over- she'll be here tomorrow! Stay tuned for pictures of our trip to Ludington for G.G.'s 80th birthday party and many other adventures!

Creative bubble popping

No, it's not the newest Olympic competition,it's Mack's new favorite past time. She was banging together metal pan lids the other day so I got out the bubbles and we created a new game!
Wait for it, wait for it!
This picture just makes me smile- it captures the freedom of being a child.
Unfortunately, sometimes our freedom needs reining in:

S'mores, please!

We had a "cook out" at Grammy's tonight. Mike got a fire going in the fire pit where we roasted hot dogs and later made s'mores.

Mike doing what it takes to have a good cookout. He's using those Eagle scout skills!
Grammy and Macky eating a s'more. Mackenzie is wondering why you'd ruin a perfectly good chocolate bar with marshmallow and graham crackers:
Mack and grammy making " grass angels"
My little streaker. There is only one time in your life that this is legal. Better enjoy it ( in the back yard)
Stopping to scope out some bugs:
The perfect way to end the evening:

Princess Playdate

We invited Olivia over for a Princess Play date. The girls dressed up in their finest princess outfits and best jewels. They made crowns and then snuggled in with popcorn to watch Cinderella.

Mack in her fancy clothes:
Pretty princesses
Hard at work making their crowns:
Mack's completed crown. She did it all on her own!