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.