Lucy and Steven Drive to AZ, Belle Isle

 Monday morning my parents started their drive back home with Lucy and Steven. Since they have left they have been to the Lincoln Heritage Museum, Fantastic Caverns, Uranus, Art Cartopia, Aunt Irene and Uncle Charlie's house and today they will make it to my parent's house in Arizona. They have also gotten to swim in many hotel pools which has definitely been a highlight for them. They have been begging to swim in a pool all summer but we just don't have the access to any free pools here. However, Lucy and Penny's friend just moved somewhere with a pool so that might change things for us. Here are some pictures from their adventures.

Meanwhile things have been very quiet and easy here. It's been a good break from the crazy busy I was feeling before. Plus it's given me a chance to recover from my backache and headaches. I am finally feeling better and I even did a couple small workouts this week. It was nice to get my body moving again.

While I am enjoying the quiet, Penny is struggling with it a bit. She is used to noise and siblings. She was feeling lonely. So this week she had two playdates with Isla. When I picked her up from one of the play dates I got to have my own "play date" with Grace and hear about her amazing trip to Spain. We talked about how different the culture is there. Like how being topless at a beach in Spain is no big deal, so different from here in the states! Penny also got an an all day playdate with Luna this week. They had a water balloon fight in which I mistakenly got involved and ended up slipping and having a good fall because I was dumb enough to fill up water balloons on a tarp. Of course the tarp got slippery and of course I was the dummy to run on it.

This week Penny and I also had some fun getting some things ready for her birthday party next month. It's going to be a spa theme so we tried making cocoa face masks to see if they would work. While they were too bitter to eat, we did enjoy making ourselves look silly.

We also went to the Dollar Tree and Walmart and found some things for the goodie bags-a pedicure kit and lip balm. It reminded me how much I enjoy shopping with Penny. She's fun company because she is just a silly kid. After our shopping in store, we ordered some hair chalk from Amazon and had some fun trying it out once it came. It was pretty tricky to use and I am not sure it'll work out with just me trying to do all her party guests' hair but if anything my girls will enjoy it.

This week Ben kept busy. Monday morning I took him and Jacob to someone's house to pick weeds (he was referred to her by a lady he mows lawns for). This lady was really kind and let me read my book on her deck instead of in my car- which was what I had been planning to do. It took them 2 hours to pick all the weeds- it was definitely a lot of work. They were lucky it was a cool morning and there was plenty of shade. Afterwards the bags were pretty heavy due to the amount of dirt they took out with the weeds; they're still learning. They got $25 each so she paid very well. I love that he is willing to work hard.

Ben spent Tues-Thurs  volunteering at Scout Day Camp with Andrea. They had a lot of fun running the craft booth and apparently they were a hit with all the campers and got quite a few compliments. I'm glad they did a good job and didn't just mess around...like they're prone to do. I'm also glad it got him out of the house and doing something other than playing the Switch or Minecraft. He's a good kid.

Thursday night I was asked to bring someone at church a meal. I was trying to skimp on groceries this week so I could save a little money because life has been expensive so I kind of wanted to say no. But I thought of the Bible story of the lady who gave her last meal to the prophet Elijah and decided I was being ridiculous, I am not that destitute. It turned out ok because the casserole I made was plenty big enough to feed us and the couple we were bringing the meal to.

Friday I decided to take Ben and Penny to Belle Isle. Traffic has been insane since it is orange cone season, construction everywhere and on the journey there and back we of course encountered some of those orange cones. It makes me not want to leave the house. Other than that it was a nice outing. With these 2, there is no fighting and they are typically in good spirits. We were given a little scavenger hunt to do in the Aquarium and they were very diligent about finding the right fish. It kept them busy. After the aquarium we walked through the conservatory. The plants are always fun to see and it was nice to talk about how cool it is that God has created such amazing and diverse plants. Our last stop was a quick walk to the lighthouse on the island and to the lake where we sat on some rocks and ate a snack. On the walk back the kids were getting a little hot and just as they were starting to complain, a cloud hid the sun and cooled things down amazingly. It was a tender mercy.

Saturday morning Ben stayed home to mow lawns while the rest of us attended a baptism. They mostly kept things simple at this baptism and that was appreciated. Penny will be the next one to be baptized in our ward, it's coming quickly. Saturday afternoon Tyler took Ben somewhere he could go shooting. Ben said it was great that he got to go shoot guns but the hand gun was a little tricky for him too shoot. Later Saturday Tyler and I went out on a date. We got some dinner and then some candy at 5 and Below and had some deep thought discussions about teaching the Gospel to our kids. We are super exciting people ;)

Milford Farmers Market, Lakeport State Beach

 Monday morning I did an intense upper body workout which left me with a horrible achey back but the aches never went away. I found out Monday night my friend (that I had hung with at church) tested positive with covid and I started to worry that it wasn't just a work out ache. That night I felt feverish and woke up with a killer headache so I decided to get an at home Covid test. Well I tested negative but I'm still not convinced I don't have it. I still have a massive headache and back ache. So I took another test a few days later and still negative. I am hopeful that whatever it is, I didn't give to my parents and that it goes away soon.

This week Ben had soccer camp and made me laugh with stories about vanquishing his worst enemy- really he just finally beat a kid in a scrimmage that kept beating him. Steven had tennis 3 days this week and his attitude towards tennis is still not fabulous. He doesn't love trying new things and I am basically making him play which he doesn't appreciate. I just want him to play so he can be part of a team in high school and meet people. One of the days was a High School practice and Steven said that he was the worst player out there. One of the coaches (who can never seem to remember talking to Steven or me) said that even if he was the worst, which he isn't, that means he can only get better. That made me feel better about forcing Steven into tennis. I think it'll be ok.

Monday night we went to Cheesecake Factory with my parents. My kids are still struggling with good manners in public. I tried to bribe them to be good but it only worked with Penny. Maybe we need to start going out to eat more so they can relearn how to behave in public. Tyler and I got our usual Spicy Chicken Chipolte Pasta and found out they changed the recipe. It was still good but not what it used to be. The sauce was different. I wish people wouldn't change something that was already so delicious. At least they didn't change their cheesecake. That was still amazing. 

Tuesday Grams and I took Steven to get some shorts at Kohl's. It was a frustrating ordeal. Steven refused to say what shorts he wanted- it was apparently to dificult to make a decision. I was achey and hungry and ended up snapping at him. I would rather not repeat this experience. That afternoon we went with my parents to see the new Minion movie. It was pretty ridiculous but not awful to sit through. Ben thought it was hilarious and I kind of love listening to his constant giggles. That evening I took Steven to get a physical for tennis and he was nervous about it. Once he got in the appointment and realized it was not that big of deal he got pretty chipper and so I guess the day had a better ending.

Wednesday I took Lucy to get a haircut. It was fun to hear Lucy complain to her hairdresser about how boring her week has been but then she told her about our trip to Mackinac and shared with her all the things that we bought there. I am sure she cared ;). In the afternoon Poppy took the boys to Defy since they didn't get to go to Mackinac with us. The girls were awful jealous and super annoying about it. As my mom says, there is really no way to keep things always fair for everybody.

Thursday morning I worked with my mom on Penny's blanket-we always give the kids a blanket for their baptism. Lucy even helped out. Thankfully this is the last kid getting baptized because my tool to cut the fabric has gone dull. That afternoon I took my parents to the Milford Farmers Market. There was a fun gnome craft for the kids and the parentals got a few things. Then we stopped by the Milford Bakery for the kids to get a treat. It was a warm day and my back seems to hurt the most when walking but I survived and it was nice to get everyone out of the house.

Friday I drugged myself up with Tylenol and Advil and after Steven's tennis, we all went on an adventure to the beach at Lakeport State Park. I actually got into the water. It was cold but it felt good in the hot sun. We were smart and wore water shoes so we didn't hurt our feet on all the crazy rocks. The kids played well together and seemed to have a good time. They all behaved extra well because I had taken away their screentime (because they had not behaved nicely in the car ride back from the farmer's market) and they wanted to earn it back. I feel like I should do that more often ;)

Saturday morning Tyler took my parents shooting. He took Ben too but Ben was too young to shoot at the place. Bummer. That evening, I took my mom and Penny to Tropical Smoothie Cafe for lunch and we got cookied at Crumbl. My mother and I are very similar in our love for good desserts. I love their chocolate chip cookies all warm with ice cream. Perfect combo. That night the kids, my mom and I all finished off the third season of Stranger Things. I still am not thrilled with my kids watching it but at the same time it was kind of fun to share a show with them and talk about all things.

Mackinac/Young Mens Camp

Sunday I was a substitute teacher for Relief Society. I was feeling fairly nervous about it but kept telling myself that I needed to trust in the Lord that it would be ok. And it as ok. Once I got started all the nerves seemed to poof away. It helped to have my friend sitting front and center and my mom there too. It probably wasn't the most exciting lesson ever but I tried to lure them in with cookies and candy. I used the cookies and candy as an object lesson on covenants. There were a lot of good comments and really only one comment that had nothing to do with the question I asked (the lady talked about how the RS was so awesome and prayerful with picking the topics) and another comment that was super wordy and my ADD mind struggled to stay focused. I am glad it's done but hope I didn't do too good of a job. I'm ok to not be asked to teach again.

Tuesday Tyler and the boys headed off to Young Men's camp at Seaton Creek Campgrounds. Apparently only an hour or so in, Ben sliced his finger with a knife, not bad enough for stitches, thankfully. The boys went tubing down a river, played pickleball, got lost looking for sticks, went down an Alpine slide, went to Lake Michigan for 2 seconds (but the water was too cold), ate good food (hobo dinners were a favorite), kayaked for a little bit, walked 6 miles and basically had a blast. Tyler came back worn and wanting some peace and quiet because teens...

On Wednesday my parents, the girls and I left on our own escape to Mackinac. We had to change our original plans a bit. We were going to stop at a little zoo in Frankemuth on our way to Mackinac but it was going to be rainy all morning there so we had to skip it. And boy was our drive rainy. I don't love driving in Michigan rain. It was hard to see at times, especially when there were cars in front of me flipping rain onto my windshield. We spent some of the drive listening to the story "Flunked." Poppy wasn't a fan of it because the main character was a bit of a punk but we finished the story on the way back and she does reform herself. I enjoy having stories to listen to because it helps distract me from how achey driving makes me feel. I am such a wimp.

Eventually we got out of the rain and we stopped for lunch in Gaylord where we encountered our first open play place since COVID. The girls had fun in the germ fest ;). Then we stopped at a place where you can sometimes observe Elk but the elk were far away and not easy to see. After that we went to the Spud Warehouse because it sounded like a quirky gift shop and it was. I ended up getting this awesome coaster that describes teens perfectly. Tyler says we should put it in our seminary room.

After our rest stops in Gaylord it was onto Mackinac City. When we got there we first went to the Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park. It was a quiet place and not peopley at all. I appreciated that. The coolest part was most definitely the demonstration of how they cut wood before the mill (which Lucy got to help with) and then the demonstration of how the water powered saw mill worked. The girls and I also walked one of the short trails and then they played on the playground. They have some ziplines that Lucy was dying to do but I was the lame mom that said not today. I think it might be fun to come back there sometime with Tyler and do the zipline.

Our next stop was the McGulpin Point Lighthouse, the girls were eager to climb to the top. The man at the cash register was friendly and told the kids a funny story about why the top step from the cellar was uneven- because the kids had to wipe their feet after leaving the dirt floored cellar.  He also asked the girls to count how many stairs to the top of the lighthouse. Penny got right on it and Lucy whined that she couldn't be expected to count and go up the steps. She was pretty moody most of the trip. My parents did not go to the top but the girls and I went up all 44 steps and had to crawl through a small doorway to get to the landing. It was a beautiful view.

As we were leaving the lighthouse we saw a pathway that headed to Lake Michigan so we took it, it was longer than expected but the view at the end was worth it. It was like our own private, rocky beach. On the pathway they had all these historic plaques with people cut outs. The people cut outs kept freaking me out, they looked so life like.

Then we got dinner at DQ and went to the beach. Lucy had been begging all day to go to the beach so at last I relented, although all I really wanted to do was go to our VRBO and relax. We went to Alexander Henry Park and found a small beach front. Grams and I had just settled down in what we thought was a safe spot and then a random wave swooshed up and soaked us (phone, shoes, blanket,everything). It caught us so off guard and we were quite the sight struggling to get up and get out of the wet. It was embarassing.

Our last stop of the day was at Walmart, where I had some major bowel issues (thanks to the ice cream at DQ), and we got some breakfast groceries. Then we went to the VRBO in Toppinabee- a very small and quiet town. It turns out the lady who owns it lives next door. She had the tiniest yorkshire terrier and it was eager to say hello to us. We ended our day with the girls taking baths and then watching some "Nailed it". I would love to say that we all slept well that night but Lucy did not. She got the floor in the room with Penny and I because there were only 2 small beds in it. Unfortunately she kept rolling into the door of the closet and waking up and freaking out "Where am I? I'm scared!". I ended up having her sleep in my tiny bed (because her and Penny refuse to be in the same bed) and didn't get the greatest sleep of my life. I ended up doing some midnight Amazon Prime Day shopping since I was struggling to fall asleep.

Thursday we got up early and made our way to the ferry. We got to wait in line by a really cool pirate boat that I would love to take Ben on. We also were behind a super large dog, that made the girls a little nervous at first, until they realized he was pretty tame. When it was time to board, the girls wanted to sit on the open air deck. My parents were smart and stayed on the bottom (much warmer) level. The ferry took us under the Mackinac Bridge first and that was really cool but as it sped up to go to the island, the wind was strong and cold. We were freezing. 

Once on the island we booked a carriage tour and then did some shopping. At one of the shops, Lucy had a thin shelf with cards fall on her- a toddler had tried to climb it. I told her it was because she was sending out such bad vibes. She was in such a mood. We went to grab a quick bite before the carriage tour and Lucy was disgusted by everything at the market (the bread did not look the same as Subway bread). She ended up getting Apple Jacks and then claimed that the cereal didn't taste like Apple Jacks. Penny on the other hand got trail mix and I discovered she loved it.

The first half of the carriage tour was nice- we saw some good sights, heard some interesting stories (stomach digestion was discovered on the island), got told some funny jokes and then were dropped off by the Grand Hotel Carriage Stables. They told me they weren't nervous about horse rides as long as the horses weren't black, so thankfully our carriage horses were brown. Once off the carriage we went to stables and the kids were impressed by a horse named Woody because he was HUGE! We also saw a forge and Penny declared that she wanted to make a knife so she could stab someone. I worry about that kid. She is dark. Then we enjoyed some delicious doughnuts and were off on the second half our carriage tour. 

On our second half of the carriage tour we had a guide named Elliot with a rather dry sense of humor and he frequently said "Oh Elliot you're so funny and handsome." We went through the forest and saw a few cemeteries and learned that there our native american remains all over the island and they have to do a special ceremony anytime one is discovered. Then we stopped at the arch rock which was ridiculously peopley but a beautiful view. I would love to come to the island sometime when it is less peopley.

After the arch we heard a bunch of tree puns from our guide Elliot and then we were dropped off by the Governor's mansion. The girls wanted to be dropped off their because the guide said you could roll down the hill and be in town in 30 seconds. The "hill" was asphalt, no rolling down that. But we stopped inside a pretty church and checked out a wigwam. 

Then we did some more shopping which apparently was stressful for Penny because she just wanted to pick the best souvenir ever and it was so hard to know what that would be. She ended up with a tie dye hat that looks real cute on her. Lucy got a Minecraft style shirt that she had no problem picking out. We also made a stop for hot dogs since Lucy never really had a real lunch. We ate them by the beach and the girls dipped thier toes in the water. Lucy was mad that I wouldn't let her climb around the rocks more. Sometimes I think she has a death wish.We also a good view of a giant cruise ship that apparently was docked at Mackinac. Maybe it's because I live in Michigan but going cruising on the Lake Michigan and Lake Huron seems strange.

After everybody got their souvenirs we got back on the ferry. This time we all sat on the bottom level. Lucy upset Penny by taking the window seat again. She refused to move and therefore Penny pretty much pouted the entire ride back. Super fun the drama with these girls. Then I couldn't find the shirt I got Lucy so she started to melt down. Luckily it was just buried in my bag. I almost wished it had gotten lost though with the way she was behaving. 

We ended our long day at the beach by the Mackinac Lighthouse. It was extremely rocky and rough on the feet. Lucy had brought her crocs but Penny hadn't brought hers so she ended up borrowing Grandma's swim shoes which surprisingly fit her. The water was super shallow and the waves were tame this time and the girls had a good time. They were not happy about having to leave but the grown ups were tired and ready to eat something. We ended up eating at a Subway in a Walmart, that way I could get Penny something to eat. Then we were back at the VRBO where the girls took a bath again and then watched some "Nailed It". After that it was bedtime and I slept much better that night, even though I was still squished up next to Lucy.

Friday morning we were in no rush, although Poppy was up early, humming away. We got ourselves packed and ready and then headed back home. On our way home we stopped in Frankenmuth. We had a bit of a hard time finding parking because most of the lot was blocked off but after driving on the wooden, covered bridge, we managed to find some parking. In Frankenmuth we saw some parrots, ate a lot of delicious samples at the Cherry Republic, found some cute Beanie Boo's and peeked in on another blacksmith where Penny could someday make a knife to stab people with. She could also make a wand which is way less violent. Then we were on our way back home.

When we got home, the boys had also gotten back from their camp. We unpacked and chilled for a bit and then I took the girls and Ben to Jesse's baptism. The talks and baptism were short but they had a slideshow of Jesse pics at "intermission" that lasted at least 20 minutes. The kids started to groan each time a new song would start and there would be more pictures. So rude but also, I understood. I think baptisms should be short and sweet. Afterwards we enjoyed some refreshments and I enjoyed chatting with my friends. 

Saturday we took my parents to the John K King bookshop in Detroit. It is such a cool bookshop but usually we go in the winter. In the summer it is a little warm and stuffy. I still found a couple fun books and I still enjoyed exploring it. Then that evening I had some teenage girls from church over because I am a glutton for punishment and they were needing a night away from their parents. I got them to play a game with Steven and Max for a quick minute but then the opposite genders were done interacting. The girls showed me a super inappropriate snapchat that shocked me and I wasn't sure how to react. But then they were on to something else. They also appeared to be bullying someone on Instagram and I had to curb that. There was a lot of uncomfortableness for me but it did make me super appreciative for my teen. He may be prone to laziness and love video games too much but he does not get into the trouble that those girls were getting into. I think it was probably a good thing I saw that snapchat pic too so I could be a tattle tale and make parents aware. It perpetuated a rumor that needed to be squashed, true or not. They may be upset that I broke confidence but someone has to be the grown up. We shall see how it all pans out.