Catching Up

I feel like I had been doing a good job of updating for a while there, but now I see I've fallen behind! Here are some highlights of what's been going on since my last post.

Actually, on Friday, 7/20 (before my last post, but I didn't mention it...) Mark and I went to the Picnic Pops concert at a ski area just north of Grand Rapids. The owner of the company where Mark is doing his internship also plays with the Grand Rapids Symphony, and he gave us some free tickets. We weren't particularly familiar with the music (Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons), but it was a fun atmosphere.  

We got there late (due to traffic), so we were quite far from the stage.

There was a huge crowd!

See the ski lift going up the slope?

Unfortunately, on the way home, we were rear-ended at the end of the exit ramp from the freeway. No one was injured, and we are VERY thankful for that, but we're disappointed about the damage on our car. It does seem like our insurance will cover it, though, so we're happy about that, too. (Michigan is a "no-fault" state, which means that even though the other driver caused the accident, because it is minor, he's not considered at fault or liable. Our insurance, though, is extending coverage to us and waiving our deductible because of the situation, so we're relieved it's not just a loss for us!). The field inspector should be coming early next week to take a look and let us know what the settlement will be. Anyway, here's how our little car looks now:

This was definitely the lowlight of our trip, and we're eager to put it behind us! We're also prepared to start looking for our next used car. :-)


So, moving on to happier things, Monday, 7/23 was our 8th wedding anniversary! Since we've been so busy, and since July and August are peak tourist times in this area, we didn't end up doing anything fancy (but we may still try for a weekend getaway sometime soon). Instead, we went for a nice dinner at Ruby Tuesday. My favorite part of the meal was sampling two tasty drinks from their extensive non-alcoholic (free refills!) drink menu.

Yum!

Later that week, Mark and I were able to have dinner with Sarah, Mike, and Adele at Larry's Pizza, a "lazy man's buffet" where you order the types of pizza you want and a server brings them by your table before taking them around to the rest of the tables. We definitely stuffed ourselves there! The next night, Christy and Drew had us over to their place for dinner, and we played "Apples to Apples" (our first time, though we'd heard of it before). It was nice for Mark to be able to get some family time in!


While I was on my own during the week, I took several walks along the Kent Trails, did some school work, and spent some time on the phone with the insurance company. I also got out my beads and made some jewelery, which I haven't done in a long time (incidentally, my sister has also revived her beading hobby of late!). One project I did was shortening up one of my paper bead necklaces from Uganda. It's my favorite one because of the colors and shapes of the beads, but it's a bit too long for me, and it's never looked right to me doubled up. I finally realized I could just restring it to make it the right length, and then use the extra beads to make something else. Here's what I ended up with:

These earrings are my favorite!

Over the weekend, we didn't end up going back to the beach, but we did go for breakfast at the Real Food Cafe (we went last summer and decided we needed to go back). Mark had a breakfast Monte Cristo and a pancake, and I had an omelet. I think it's become a local favorite for us. 

Finally, yesterday, I spent the whole day with our extended family again. Christy picked me up (again!) and took me, along with her sister-in-law and nieces, to meet up with Aunt Debbe Jo, Grant, Melissa, and their boys at a thrift store up on the north side of town. I've noticed that this area seems to have an infinite number of thrift stores, and the family seems to frequent this particular one, especially on the last Tuesday of the month, when everything is half off! I found 3 skirts, a cute green purse, and a few glass dishes I look forward to using at my upcoming tea party--all for less than $10! Aunt Debbe Jo, though, found the bargain of the day. As soon as the kids jumped on this love seat, which also rocks, I think she was sold. They giggled and giggled (even before getting tickled)! 

Christy with her nephew (Grant and Melissa's son) and niece (on her side of the family).

After shopping for a while, we went back to Aunt Debbe Jo's and had a wonderful lunch. I think there were 12 of us at the table--she sure can feed a crowd! :-) Christy and her sister-in-law and kids left after lunch, and I got a chance to visit more with Grant and Melissa. Then they took off to do some more errands, and I made some more jewelry (using Aunt Debbe Jo's extensive and inspiring bead collection!). I also spent some time with Grant and Melissa's boys, who were really enjoying an afternoon with their grandma. For dinner, Mark and cousin Mike were able to join us, and it was a lovely way to spend a day. We even got homemade ice cream! 


So, if you're still with me, now you're up-to-date. We've had a good stay here, but we are both looking forward to being back at our own home in a few days.
 

More pics

For more pics of our family and adventures in MI, click on over to "Finding I Am"--that's Sarah's blog, and she's posted some good pics from the beach, plus some adorable close ups of Adele.

Grand Haven Beach

Yesterday Mark and I went to the Grand Haven Beach with Sarah, Mike, Adele, and Christy. This was Mark's first trip to see Lake Michigan since we've been in the area. This beach is about an hour away from where we're staying. It also has a nice boardwalk area where we went for some ice cream at the end of our beach time. We were pleased that the crowds weren't too bad, especially when we first arrived just before noon. This beach also had bigger waves than the ones I saw at Holland State Park (I don't know if that was due to the location or wind, though). We all enjoyed going out and jumping some waves (even little Adele!). We stayed there for most of the afternoon, so we were tired when we got home! Thankfully, though, Mark managed to avoid getting sunburned! I think Mark and I will go to the beach in Holland sometime so he can see that one too.

When we first arrived--not too crowded!

See the waves!

There were A LOT of people out boating.

A statue along the boardwalk.

From the parking lot as we were leaving.

Rockford Sidewalk Sale

Today Christy and her mom let me tag along on their trip up to Rockford for their downtown sidewalk sale. Rockford is a town just north of Grand Rapids (and where Christy's mom grew up). We spent a few hours strolling along and shopping, stopping for lunch at the Corner Bar, which is famous for their hot dogs. Along downtown is the Rogue River and a dam. That area was really nicely landscaped, and the downtown was very cute. Each of us also found a good bargain to bring home--I got some pretty earrings and a bulky beaded necklace. Here are some pics:

The Corner Bar

The Rogue River

The dam

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.