Fun in the Sun!

Today I visited Lake Michigan for the first time!  It was so beautiful:

Holland State Park

Sarah and Christy took me this afternoon for a girls day at the beach. I was really impressed with the smooth white sand and the endless blue water. It was bright and sunny, and the water was refreshing, but not cold. We had a lovely time. Here's a few more pics:

It was a great way to spend the day, though I felt sorry that Mark (and the other husbands) weren't able to join us (still, it's fun to do something just the girls...). Mark and I do hope to go to the beach this weekend, and it sounds like we'll be able to coordinate that with some family, too. (It'll be his first trip to the beach here, though he has seen Lake Michigan before...).

In other news, yesterday, I drove Mark to work and spent the day in the Holland area shopping. I didn't go to any unique shops, but I did visit several large stores we don't have in BG, and I found some great deals.

So it's been a fun week so far!

Internship: Week 1

Since last Sunday, we've been in Michigan, where Mark is doing his internship at Black Swamp Percussion. We're staying in the Grand Rapids area, about 30 minutes from his work and also 30 minutes from Mark's Aunt and Uncle. (Lots of cousins live in the area, too!). Our place is also close to a beautiful mall, shopping centers, and lots of restaurants, which is really fun. We'll be here for 3 more weeks in order for Mark to get the hours he needs (working full time, M-F).

We're staying in the large two bedroom, two bathroom apartment with one of Mark's coworkers and his wife. (Well, actually, they're on their honeymoon, so we'll only be sharing the space for our last two weeks here). The complex is in a beautiful area--it's like living in the middle of a forest! It's also right along the Kent Trails, which is a long bike/walking path in this area. It's a great place to get a walk and enjoy some pretty scenery!

The road that winds through the apartment complex.

The view from our living room.

The entrance to Kent Trails.

Kent Trails

There are beautiful wildflowers all along the trail.

 

We've also been able to spend some time with Mark's family in the area, which has been really nice. On Tuesday night, we went to our aunt and uncle's house for a cookout with all the cousins and their families. It was a great time to see everyone (but I didn't think to bring my camera!). 

Then, on Thursday, I went with the ladies in the family to pick raspberries. I'd never done that before, and it was pretty fun. We also had lunch together and spent some time chatting in the afternoon. It made me remember how nice it is to live near family--I think I'll really miss that again when we move back to BG at the beginning of August!

The raspberry farm...patch...vines?

Aunt Debbe Jo with Adele (Mike and Sarah's daughter)

We filled two of these trays (that's 20 pints!)

Adele, Sarah, Aunt Debbe Jo, and Christy

Mark's been busy with work, but I think he's adjusting to the schedule. The worst part, it seems, is the commute. We're pretty spoiled by living so close to school in BG! He's been able to do something different each day at work, and the people there have been really friendly and easy to work with. I think it's going to be a great experience!

Family Trip

I've been meaning to write this post for nearly a week now--my, how time flies! So I've finally got something interesting to write about because the week after Father's Day, Mark and I went on a big road trip to see Mark's extended family.

We left home on Sunday morning, and met up with Gran (Mark's mom's mom) and some aunts and uncles as well as one of Mark's cousins, his wife, and their new baby in St. Louis. On Monday, we headed south to Bunker Hill Ranch, where Gran has been hosting a family reunion each summer for longer than Mark can remember. There weren't many other cousins there, but Katie was able to come at the last minute, and Heidi was there with the kids, and we got to see all the aunts and uncles. This year's trip was filled with all the classic activities: card games, party games, bingo, trips to walmart (for the ladies), golfing (for the guys), swimming, canoeing, and kayaking on the river, and so on. I had a blast on the river with Hannah and Zach, but it sure wore me out (and my clumsiness left some bruises!).

In addition to all that typical stuff, we had the pleasant surprise of finding some adorable puppies at the nearby greenhouse. As it turned out, Heidi and the kids picked one out to take home with them. She's adorable! (Coincidentally, they picked the one I thought was the cutest :-). Another good surprise was that the cafeteria there added a salad bar (set up inside a modified canoe--so cute!). So we had lots of fresh veggies to eat, plus they did the smoked ribs again, which I ate more than my fair share of!

On Thursday after breakfast, we all parted ways, and Mark and I, along with Mom, Dad, and Hannah, went on further south to Arkansas to see Mark's Dad's parents. That stretch of road is pretty curvy, and always got Mark carsick. So he takes Dramamine, and I drive. I think the first time I followed Mark's Dad along that route, I was pretty intimidated by it, but this time, I thought it was really fun to race along those winding roads!

While we were in Jonesboro, we continued to play card games, mostly with Mom and Hannah, we walked the mall (and did a small bit of shopping), and we went to see Brave in 3D (we enjoyed it--the plot was definitely not what I had been expecting, but in a good way). We also enjoyed some good food--a pizza buffet, and, for my birthday dinner, Ruby Tuesday followed by Andy's custard. Yum! Mark and I left there on Saturday morning to drive halfway home, staying the night in Kentucky. Then, on Sunday, we came back to BG.

We were tired by then, but I'm glad we were able to go. Now, we're just one week away from our next adventure--Mark's internship in Michigan! But first, some pictures (courtesy of Mom and Dad):

Before bingo.

Gran and grandkids after bingo.

The Cook branch of the family.

Board games on the porch.

Enjoying the ribs!

Uncle Mark plays b-ball.

On the mini-golf course.

Katie with her first favorite puppy.

Zach trying to make his pick.

Hannah with the puppy they ended up bringing home.

Me with the runner up. (Look at all that fur!)

At my b-day dinner.

Frozen custard--yum!

Dad with Grandpa.

Summer Days

I don't know how it is where you are, but it sure feels like summer here! We've been at or near record temperatures this weekend in the mid-90s. Thankfully, our apartment complex's pool opened up just in time for this little heat wave, so I've been enjoying that lovely amenity! I came to this pool last year as a guest of a friend who lives here, but it's kind of fun to be able to go or not go totally on my own timetable. I've also enjoyed being able to "pay it forward" by inviting another friend to join me.

Other than that, I don't think there's anything too interesting to report. We're still enjoying the new place (although it is considerably warmer than our garden-level apartment was, so on a day like this the A/C runs constantly). We managed to get out to see the Avengers at our inexpensive local theater. I've been reading a lot...quite a leisurely summer so far! We still don't know how the rest of the summer will shake out, so I'm just trying to relax and go with the flow, which seems to be working for now. :-)

More Pics

We've been working hard to get settled in over the last few days, and we're really close now! Things seem to be unpacked and tidy enough to take some more pics, but you'll notice a few stray boxes, and Mark's practice room really isn't finished yet. I also haven't unpacked my curio cabinet, put up pictures, or finished organizing our DVDs and CDs. Overall, though, we're getting settled. And, with a few small exceptions, I'm really happy with this place. So, here's a look at how we've got it set up (pardon the weird lighting in a few...I guess I'm no photographer!).

View of the living room from the front door.

View of the living room from the dining room.

View of the living and dining rooms from the patio door.

Our lovely balcony.

Dining room and kitchen.

Even though the kitchen is still galley style, it's considerably wider than our last one, which makes it a lot nicer!

Mark's office/game room (there's a TV in there, too).

Mark's practice room--still needs curtains and a bit of organizing.

Hall bath--looking better with the shower curtain up!

Master bedroom.

Master bathroom.

  So, what do you think? Want a closer look? Come for a visit! :-)

The New Place

Today was a big day! Mark had school stuff all day (juries, presentations, etc), but I got to pick up our keys, pay our rent, and start moving in to our new place! I worked on my own in the morning, but a friend helped me out in the afternoon. By the time we finished up at 4pm, I/we had moved a total of 4 carloads over and unpacked at set up the kitchen (well, most of it...I kept some things at our old place to use for the rest of the week). I'm pretty tired, but it was fun to take Mark over after he was done at school and show him what I'd gotten done. Before I started bringing stuff in, I took some pics. Once we're all settled in, I'll take more. But, for those of you eager to see how the apartment looks, here you go!

When you walk in the door, you can go left into the living room:

or right into the kitchen.

 There's a hallway that leads to the bedrooms, with a hall bath on the right side.














On the left, there are two small bedrooms.




























 On the right, our master with a small bathroom.




























So that's the tour!