"Vacation" - Vitamin C {Our week in Lansing}

We had a really great week in Lansing.  It actually felt like a vacation for once.  I'm flattered that I had friends who drove 1-3 hours one way just to come chat for an hour or two :)  It did seem there were a lot more people this time around that I didn't get to see, though.  I'll take the blame for that, I didn't feel very prepared for this trip to MI.  It didn't sneak up on me, but same as when the movers knocked on the front door, once the event was in my face it was obvious to me all of the things I had overlooked and not done.  The trade off of not seeing so many people is maybe why our time in Lansing for once felt relaxing and not hectic.  You can't have your cake and eat it too...even if you are pregnant.

I like the idea of snap shots.  I snap pictures that make me smile, and obviously things that make me smile are safely correlated to things that bring me joy - go figure :). 

A morning with my Grandma for Mothers Day seemed appropriate.  The Hubby woke up feeling just as crummy as Caitlin did on the drive up to Lansing, so he stayed at the house and got some extra rest.  As toddlers are so unpredictable, snagging a 4 generation photo took more than a few minutes, but it was worth it!

Monday was a guys afternoon out.  Chad got a game of golf in with Na and Matthew.  And for an even bigger bonus, I guess it was a good game of golf for all three of them, something about all of them getting a valid par on the same hole.  We spent the evening at the new Rivet household.  It's a bummer to know that M&M and Addy aren't going to be the next door neighbors they were down in Louisiana.  We really enjoyed seeing them every other weekend!

On Wednesday we drove out to Lowell to see Chad's Grandma and Grandpa.  They found Caitlin a small toad.  She was surprisingly gentle with it.  I didn't have to wipe toad guts off her hands and she will never know how grateful I am for that!

And what's better than toads?

ICE CREAM!!

A couple years ago Chad and I "bought" 10 acres in Muskegon a couple miles from Lake Michigan.  That's not really an accurate statement.  My parents paid for and own the land, it just happens to be the Hubby and I's name on the deed.  Long story.  Anyway, this property has become a pretty amazing getaway oasis for my Mom and Dad.  We spent two nights escaping the hustle and bustle or the real world.  It very nicely added to the vacation feel we were searching for during our visit up to MI.

We bought Grandpa a horseshoe set for Christmas and Caitlin helped set up the stakes.  If you can imagine, she was exceptionally helpful...

A trip to the property isn't complete without a day at the beach.  Growing up it seemed that every camp ground we camped at was on a rocky beach where walking out into the water was almost impossible without shoes.  I guess all those years of sacrifice paid off and the beach that is 2 miles from the property is a beautiful pristine sandy beach :)

We wrapped the Lansing visit up with a visit from two college friends on Saturday and a big Draminski family get together on Sunday.

I can't say thank you enough to everyone that made an effort to see us before we head North.  A super big thank you to Mom and Dad for putting the three of us up for a week and listening to the toddler temper tantrums that were so new then we had no idea how to deal with them!  And to M&M for watching Marvin for the week, I think my Dad appreciates that the most! :)