You know something is going on when I come up on the one week mark of no blog posts. My excuse this time is a really happy one! We had the opportunity to go to visit friends in Northern Michigan and it didn’t take much convincing for us to pack up and take off. Our summer has been busy to say the least. SJ was in therapy the whole time, J had school and was leading worship on Sundays, and now school is about to start full time for the kids. So it might have been a bit of a whirl wind, but we were able to manage a weekend getaway.

Z was with his grandparents the past two times that we’ve visited Lake Huron so this was his first time to experience it all. It was nice to be together as a family even if there were times we wanted to disown each other. It wouldn’t be a vacation without some sibling rivalry and maybe a broken bone right? We don’t know if Z broke his wrist or not, but we probably going to bring him in tomorrow to have some X-rays done. He seems okay for now, but I just want to make sure everything heals properly if there is any severe damage. It was a playground injury by the way. He was doing some stunts on the monkey bars at the beach.

Anyway, enough story time. We really did have a great trip let’s move on to the photos.

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SJ was the first one out of the car to run over to the beach the moment we arrived and then she was the first one in the water when we got our suits on. She was so sad when the weekend was over!

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This is my best friend Mels. Her family has a beachside cafe in East Tawas Michigan. If you are ever even remotely close to the area you have to check out A Different Blend. Tell them Messy Mom sent you.

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And while I am suggesting coffee shops she is also the creative genius behind The Lighthouse Coffee Bar in South Dallas where J and I ministered for a long time. Although they are on opposite ends of the country you will find a lot of similarities between the two menus because Mels created most of the drinks and dishes. I’ve included all the links for you guys. You’re welcome.


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During our two and a half days in Michigan we pretty much spent the entire time at the beach and then grilled out at night. The weather was a little bit nippy at times, but it was pleasant most of the time. I am just thrilled that it wasn’t raining and it was windy enough to get to see all the kite boarders and wind surfers doing their tricks. That’s what those things are in the background.

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I did my share of swimming, tubing, and sand castles, but most of the time I was the resident lounger.

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When the little ones got tired they knew where to come.


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It was a quick turn around, but worth the drive for the adventures we had and the memories we made.

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Hopefully we’ll get to return soon.