We have had an awesome time visiting with our friends, learning to play eucher, hanging out at their coffee shop, and reminiscing about old times. They spoiled us to pieces with the 5 star treatment. Anything we wanted from the gourmet coffee bar, plus we stayed in the master bedroom and yesterday I soaked in the Jacuzzi which was a real treat if you know how I feel about baths! We got a tour of their little city where all the action happens. They live and work right next to the beach. People come from far and wide for the canooing, sailing, bird watching, kite boarding, and who knows what else. It’s quite the tourist destination, which is totally opposite of where I am from. We had the pleasure of going kayaking down the Tawas river yesterday and man, I wish I could have had a camera with me. The water was like glass reflecting everything from the beautiful wild life, to the golden sunset.

Now, as much I would have love to stay and have some more of that, it was time to move on. Our friends urged us to spend another day in Tawas. There was so much more to see and do, but I’ve got some kiddos waiting for me in Kentucky and I think my heart is actually beginning to physically ache from missing them. The sun is beginning to set in Ohio and we will soon be rolling into town where I will be able to give hugs and kisses until those two manage to squirm out of my arms. It’s been a FULL 7 days apart from them which is record breaking. Its good thing I am not the one driving because we would probably end up with a record breaking speeding ticket!

After spending the night in a cabin they have in Gaylord Michigan we began J’s birthday with a trip to Macinac Island. It’s a one of a kind destination in that it does not allow any motorized vehicles. You ride a ferry to get there and then you can make your way around the 8 miles perimeter by way of foot, horse, or bike. We spent the day riding our rental bikes around the island
and taking in the beautiful view of Lake Heron and the many great landmarks of the historic island. I also bought some peanut butter fudge because the island is famous for it’s fudge and you can’t go without stocking up (even if it is $8 a lb yikes!).

After loading up on coffee and the world’s best donuts we headed toward the Canadian border. We went through immigration without any trouble, which makes me grateful for having a clean record. There was what could have been a catastrophic mix up, but luckily J glanced inside his passport and as he closed it I noticed the picture inside was a rough biker dude with a handle bar mustache. I said “J! That’s not yours!” We had the passports of the couple that was in line behind us! It was an easy fix though and we were on our way. At first we thought Canada was going to be a big disappointment, but not too long on the road the scenery started changing and we couldn’t take enough pictures to capture it all!

As far as wildlife so far we’ve see chipmunks, a fox, a bald eagle, and geese. Unfortunately despite all the signage for Moose crossings, beware of moose, night danger etc. we still have not had any moose sightings. Darn it. It’s still cool to see the signs for them to remind you they are in the area, along with signs for snow mobiles. We don’t have those back in Texas. There were a few other reminders that we were away from home when saw a trailer that said Mush With Pride and I could hear the sled dogs barking from inside. That was kind of cool. I got a Kit Kat at a gas station and it was in french, it tasted kind of different too. Even though we pretty much drove straight through (aside from sleeping in the car part of the night) it has been a great visit. this morning we went to the beach and relaxed.

It was so peaceful I felt like the Lord was saying “if you are quiet enough you can remember that you still have a heart beat, and if you really listen, you will hear mine.” And as I did, I heard it in the waves crashing on the rocks.

There have been a few little bumps in the road along the way, but all in all it has been a priceless getaway.

We are still in Minnesota even though we were supposed to be trekking through the Canadian soil by now. I guess we just can’t get enough of it here. Yesterday we met up with our pastor who was also in the area for the same wedding as us. We hit a couple state parks saw some lighthouses and ate at a famous pie restaurant. The odd thing about the nature parks was that the government still has them all closed. You can’t drive in, but that hasn’t stopped anyone from exploring all the natural beauty that the state has to offer. Instead people are just parking outside of the park and walking in on foot. That was fine for a little day time rendevous, but we still couldn’t use the parks in the area to camp so we just slept in the car last night.
Today we went to some more parks. We hiked all over the place and even took a dip in the icy cold Lake Superior. This whole trip has been an adventure, we have a plan, but we’ve also veered from it a time or two. While we were on the shore line skipping rocks J said “I wonder if this was the destination” This is one of those trips where it is truly about the journey itself, but sometimes you have to stop and take in the moment without thinking about where you are headed next. When he said that all I could do was smile and nod. We are currently staying in a town called Grand Marion. There are some really neat shops and restaurants and beautiful seaside scenery. In the evening we left our hotel to be a part of the live outdoor entertainment. As we approached we could see that people were raising their hands in worship. Then we heard that they were singing songs from the Bethel worship album (which couldn’t be anymore up our alley). It was an unexpected, but welcome opportunity for us to worship with the body of Christ on the north shore. Inbetween songs one of leaders announced very somberly that they had just experienced a horrible tragedy within their group. He said “for those of you that are not a part of ministry, you wouldn’t know that we lost someone in our group this morning. 1 year old baby Reagan was playing at our camp sight and was hit by a truck. He was rushed to the ER and died an hour later.” I cried when I heard it and I am crying again now as I write it. I can’t imagine what the parents are going through. I debated sharing this story on the blog, but I feel like I was there to be a part of this mourning and crying out to God and that maybe you all would like to remember baby Reagan’s family in your prayers as well. As far as my little babies they are still with their grandparents getting spoiled and having a great time in Kentucky. I miss them terribly, but J and I are grateful for this opportunity for just the two of us to reconnect. We are blessed far beyond what we deserve.

You’ve got bikes chained to every parking meter.There are even special bike lanes everywhere you go. We haven’t had a ton of time to check out the city with the main priority being my photography job. That’s our pastor getting down to the cha cha slide.But the wedding was beautiful and I am so happy for the bride and groom who we have known for 4 years now. And I have them to thank for making this trip possible. Next up the North Shore!

My parent flew in to Minneapolis from Louisville today and tomorrow morning they will be taking the kids back to Kentucky with them. We spent the afternoon and evening at the Mall of America.I had never been before, but what an experience! We ate a place called Kokomo’s where I actually hula hooped in the restaurant. You know it’s a fun place when they encourage hula hooping. We stopped into the almighty Lego land and American girl store. It’s a cult-like experience. If you’ve been then you know what I am talking about. Z rode his little heart out in the amusement park area.But above all the things that will be logged in my mind, the one I will never forget is the Flying Dutchman ropes course.J wanted to try it and it looked like a fun little adventure. I saw little kids joining in so I knew it couldn’t be that bad. Welllll, let me tell you, it was bad. J and I both thought we were going to loose our lunch. The Flying Dutch is the tallest skyrail ropes course in the world. It’s basically like an obstacle course where you walk across creaky wooden bridges and tight ropes starting at 30 feet above the ground, all the while you are securely fastened to a metal track, but your brain doesn’t know that and who wants to fall in order to gain the assurance that you are not plummeting to your death!? I can’t remember the last time my adrenaline pumped like that. I went up the first set of stairs and walked across a jiggly cable holding onto some ropes above me and when I made it to the other side I announced that I was done! Level one was enough for me, I didn’t think I could go any further, but J said “you can’t quit! You have to keep going. Come on.” That was all the encouragement I needed although he still insisted I lead the way.By the 4th story you are 56 feet above the ground and I can’t tell you what the view was like because if I had looked I would have thrown up! J asked one of the workers there if anyone has ever puked and he said not while he was on the clock, but a kid peed his pants earlier that day. I am not at all surprised.The only thing that got me through was singing as I walked across. I had to get a song in my head each time I stepped off of the security of the sturdy metal columns. The songs ranged from “A whole New World” to “Strangers in the Night” and I sang them out loud not caring whatsoever what anyone might think. At the very end of the 4 levels you have the option to walk a little plank that hovers over the amusement park and pull on some ropes to sound a fog horn alerting everyone that you completed the course. I took a deep breath and teeny tiny baby steps over to the edge pulled the ropes and then had to decide whether to walk backwards or turn around. Here, I am to worship, here I am to bow down… HOLY CRAP what am I doing up here!?I turned around walked back and then clung to the post for dear life before heading back down the stairs. If you are not the slightest bit phased by heights, I am sure this is nothing, but for J and I it was INSANE, but we did it. We did it together.

7-14-11Blessed are the flexible for they will not become bent out of shape. I learned that quote on a missions trip and it’s stuck with me ever since. After realizing we weren’t going to be able to camp in Minnesota as was originally planned we hopped across the border to Wisconsin’s beautiful Willow River State park. We showed up just before they closed and set up camp by the illumination of the car headlights. The kids were fussy, everyone was tired, and J was insistent on using that same air mattress that let us down (literally) the last two times we went camping. I was frustrated by the whole situation, but for the record it stayed inflated the entire night thanks to J’s chewing gum/wrapper patch that he concocted. It rained some at night, but it was a welcome sound as the 4 of us safely snuggled in our little shelter. We got up early and decided to take down the tent while it was still drizzling in order to avoid the storms that could come in. The moment we stepped out the rain stopped. In the end we were able to take the tent down and go for a nice long hike together as a family.

We let the kids dunk their feet in the icy cold water. and we even climbed to the top of the cliff so that I could have multiple heart attacks every time my children were remotely near the edge, even if they were in my arms and there was a rail. Once again, the stairs were killer, but the view was nice. After showering and getting all of our stuff together it started to rain just as we were pulling away from the park. How perfect is that?

Iowa is a beautiful state. My husband is from there. We were originally going to visit the city of his birthplace, but we ran out of time. We were also going to visit the world’s largest concrete garden gnome, but couldn’t find it. So what did we do in Iowa? Well, we went to a park and played a mean game of kickball with J’s niece and her gang. My team looked like we came straight out of an episode of King of the Hill and despite being labeled as the gimps due to repeated injuries, we still managed to bring home the title of champions. The work out didn’t end there either because after that we went up to the top of a water tower that was converted into an observation tower.The stairs were very steep and seemed to go on forever, the view was nice though. We had a ways to drive, so we said our goodbyes and got back on the road again. After traveling for several hours we stopped to fill up in a little town in Minnesota that just happened to have a mini carnival going on. Thank you Jesus for sending a bounce house, paint, and games to some kids that have been cooped up in a carseat half the day.