Miss You Michigan!

We took our summer vacation to South Haven, Michigan this year.  We picked it because of the close proximity.  It only took us 5 hours and 15 minutes to get there which is closer than our drive to Naperville!  We rented a house there with Jeff, Erica, Macy, Grandma and Grandpa.  It was a really nice trip.  Our house was in a great location...only a few blocks from the beach and a few blocks to town so we walked everywhere!  The weather started out nice and warm but then got cooler as the week went on.  We actually only went to the beach twice (at least to swim and play)!  The beach was lovely and honestly it was hard to tell that you weren't at the ocean.  There was plenty of soft sand, waves, and expansive water.  I didn't miss the salty taste and liked the big sand bar and clear water!  Luckily there were lots of kid-friendly activities to do so we didn't miss going to the beach (that much)!

Some of our excursions included a really cool kids museum in neighboring St. Joseph.  We went blueberry picking and picked 3 lbs of blueberries in about 20 minutes.  This was a big hit with the kids.  We visited our friends The Littles who live a little over an hour from South Haven and finally got to meet their three lovely children and see their home.  We took walks to the nearby park, along the riverfront and pier, and into town for the farmer's market or to get some tasty breakfast treats at the bakery.  We went to Holland, Michigan, and visited a Dutch Village little amusement park for small children.  We went to a farm one afternoon and picked peaches and fed the animals.  Keith and Colin rented a kayak one day.

In the evenings after the kids were in bed the adults played games, watched movies, and made s'mores by the fire pit.  We did feel a little guilty that the kids missed out on that (just a little!).  One night Grandma and Grandpa stayed behind after the kids were in bed so Keith, Jeff, Erica, and I could go out for a nice dinner.  Thank you!  We only ate out a couple of times, choosing mostly to make meals at home which was a lot easier with all the kids.  It was kind of fun to make food for everyone too like pizzas with crusts and veggies we bought at the farmer's market.

Unfortunately Colin did get sick out of the blue on Wednesday of our trip (right in the middle).  He had a slight fever and developed a bad cough.  But he is a trooper and he really didn't let it get him down much at all.  He continued to do almost all of our activities with gusto.  The girls (Macy, Caroline, and Julia) all got sick the following Saturday which was the day we returned.  I am so glad that they waited until we were home to get sick because they have not been happy campers at all.  Caroline's fever got up to 103.4 on Saturday night so it is nice to be in your own house when something like that happens!

But we really liked Michigan and think we'll go back next year.  There were so many young families there and you really just can't beat the location and its proximity!  When the kids are a little older maybe we will venture further away but for now it seems like the perfect spot.  We're already scoping out rental homes for next summer when we may try to coincide our visit with the Blueberry Festival.

Lake Michigan

Beautiful morning sky over the lake

Julia enjoys lunch with Grandpa on the deck

Caroline, Beach Beauty

Colin was in heaven with his dump trucks in the sand!  Thanks Meme!

An ice cream treat for Miss Julia

Colin builds at the kids' museum in St. Joe

Caroline, Julia, and Jackson

Swingers at Dutch Village in Holland, MI

Baby Cecelia, Joey, and Polly

A man with a mission: pick blueberries!

Colin and Grandpa ride in the back of a mule out to pick peaches

Julia found some!

Colin loved feeding the animals and feeling their tongues on his hands