Road Trip Part III- Michigan

Most everyone knows that all of my family is up in Michigan.  I was born there but only lived there for a year or so before my dad was transferred to Indiana, then Kansas and finally Texas- where I've been since 4th grade.  I always have so much fun when I go to Michigan to visit my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  I don't know if it would be different if we lived closer and I got to go visit all the time, but whenever I go to my Grandparents houses I feel like a little kid again.  So many memories and fun times.  One of the coolest things to me is that my Grandma lives in the same house that she and my Papa bought before they had my dad.  I think it is so cool to be in the house that my dad was a baby in and grew up in, that I spent so many vacations in, with my own kids.  You can picture his stories from when he was a kid so clearly because you know the room it happened in and it makes sense how he could pull my Aunt Nancy's hair through the medicine cabinet door when she locked the bathroom door if you've been to the house! It is really a neat thing to me.  Even though my Grandpa has been gone since I was in high school I can still see him there- he'd always be reclined in his lazy boy when we got there and the door would hit the chair when we opened it- he would pop up out of his chair and be so happy to see us. I still remember sitting at the bar while he cooked us the best oatmeal ever in the mornings and spending hours playing school in the basement and doing crafts with my grandma.

My other Grandpa lives in the house that is pretty much the only house I ever remember, they moved there when I was about 5.  I can still feel my Grandma there too, she passed away when I was pregnant with E, right before I found out she was a girl.  They have games from when I was a kid, that were my mom's when she was a kid.  We always played old maid with my grandma at the kitchen table, got ice cream every night after dinner (coolest thing ever!). My sister brother and I always slept at the foot of my grandparents bed and I can remember my grandpa always getting up early to make the trip to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast. 

  I'm sure everyone enjoyed my little trip down memory lane :-) We hadn't been to MI since I first found out I was pregnant with Berkley FIVE years ago.  We've seen my grandparents in between when they've come down to visit but it had been 5 years since we'd gotten to see everyone else and hangout.  I think the cool thing about family is that you don't have to see each other all the time, it can be 5 years and you can pick up right where you left off the last time and have so much fun! I can promise it won't be another 5 years before we get up there again- we all had an incredible time!  Like my mom says- you never feel so loved as when you go to MI for a visit.

 

We went straight to my Grandma's house when we got to town.  She was showing the girls her Fairy garden on the back porch.

Patton and E playing the piano.

 We met up with my Aunt Kim one afternoon and she took us to do some paddle boating- so fun and a good workout!

 We stayed at my cousin Randy's house (same ones that went to FL with us).  One night everyone came over to hangout- here's Berk and Carter sitting around the fire.

 Being Silly

 P and E playing with toothpicks at Grandpas.

 Patton having one of his trademark fits over who knows what.

 Someone found some stickers

 Randy and P and Dairy Queen.  We went there after I took family pics of everyone- the line was so long because there were about 20 of us that showed up at DQ afterwards, P got tired of waiting and really wanted a drink so he started moving up the line letting everyone know- lucky for him cousin Randy was at the window ordering and hooked him up.

 Ebop at Grandmas

 

 P going to give his Gigi a big smooch

 

 

 

 Uncle Randy and E playing baseball.  I wish I were better about taking pics of everyone- I start having too much fun and forget about it :-(

 Aunt Cindy made E a delicious carrot cake to celebrate her birthday.  We ate dinner outside (because its not 102 degrees in July in MI) and had some cake for dessert.

 The girls with Aunt Cindy

 

 This is GiGi with almost all of her great grand kids- My dad wants me to photoshop Rylee and Eli in so he can give her this picture for Christmas. Unfortunately I'm not that good.

 Berkley is always such a joy in group photographs. 

 

 I love Berk and Gigi in this picture

 My Aunt Cindy, cousin Candie and I

 Grandpa, Betty, and the rest of the crew. We went over to Betty's house to say goodbye to everyone before we left town.  She was having some trees taken down so we had fun watching the guys cut them down.

 These are my cousin Angela's boys.  They are all almost the same ages as my kids.  We went over for Braydin's 8th Birthday party- this is Berkley and Blake.  He is seriously about the sweetest little guy I've ever met.  I wanted to take all my little cousins home with me.  I sure wish our kids could play together more!

 Never got a super pic of Patton and Bricen. Apparently Bricen isn't a big fan of babies!

 After I took the pic of the big kids- I had de ja vu of the last pic I'd taken of E with Braydin and Carter back in the day.  They are even in the same order just with Carter squished in this time. How cute is that?

 After leaving the Detroit area we stopped in Kalamazoo at my cousin Russell's house.  Russell and I were big buddies back in the old days when we were little.  We've really spent very little time together over the last 20 years (it makes me feel ridiculously old to be able to say something about 20 years ago and have that be an age that isn't me as a baby) I've met his wife a couple of times but I don't think I've ever gotten to really hang out or talk with her- its always been quick with lots of other people around so I really didn't know her very well.  Perfect example of what I was talking about before though- you show up at someones house that you know little about as an adult and have a fabulous time catching up and talking about the old days. 

 

Here's P with Loralye, she'll be one soon!

 All 5 kids together

 Berk and Annalyse had lots of fun playing together

 Bathtime! I am pretty sure there are some pics of Russ and I just like this.

 We had E take a pic of the adults

 She took about 70.

 Berk still asks when she can go back to Ana's house to play.

 The joys of trying to get a group photo.

I feel as though I just wrote a novel and I did an excellent job procrastinating the things I need to do.  The dirtier my house, the more laundry and work I have the better I am at getting things like this done :-) Don't miss Part II of the trip that I just posted below!