Why do we bake cookies and cook bacon?: vacation

Pepper and I had a few hikes planned for our latest vacation. Dori stayed home to work and take care of things at home, but the other three kids joined us and were pretty willing to try all the activities we had planned with very little argument.

The first hike was not too long (about 2 miles) and included a great walking path, a couple scenic overlooks, over 220 steps down to the waters edge, a rustic campground and a very nice covered picnic area. The weather was perfect and we ended with a picnic lunch that everyone was looking forward to. (It is amazing how great a PB&J sandwich tastes at a picnic table after a walk). It was a great day.

The second hike was a little longer (about 5 miles) and did not include so many amenities. (The path was more difficult with roots and prickers very common along the way.) To make that trip a bit more fun, we had a contest for the best picture found along the way. Everyone got 3 votes to choose the order of winners. We decided the prizes together:

1^st prize- any ‘reasonable wish’

2^nd prize- choose where everyone sleeps that night

3^rd prize- Had to do no dishes that night

4^th prize- pick the movie/game that night

5^th prize- a hug from everyone else

(here are the pictures in place order)

Friday, August 3, 2012

Tents

I scared Pepper the other day by hauling up the tents from the basement and seeing if they were still in good condition. They were. Pepper fears that we will soon be heading out with them since we no longer have the RV.

The boys were all for taking a trip with the tents and practically pulled out a map and their sleeping bags! We already have quite a few things planned this summer so I am not sure we will actually get out and use them.... but I am glad they are still in good shape. I might slip in a trip with them sometime this summer (but I won't tell Pepper about the idea yet!) :)

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Pink Eye

We were traveling and the kids were all in the backseat with assorted technology pillows and blankets. There were many interesting conversations but this one made me laugh out loud.

Macy: Stay away from my pillow if you have gas! Farts can cause pink eye, ya know!!

Dill: Really? That’s how people get pink eye? By people that farted on their pillow?

Pete: No, that’s not true. I farted on Macy’s pillow last week when she told me that and she never got pink eye.

Macy: WHAT!?!?!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Window Shopping on Put in Bay

While we were on Put in Bay last weekend Pepper and I both saw shirts we liked...

Here is the one I liked:

Here is the one Pepper liked.

We didn't buy them but they were amusing to both of us!

Monday, July 9, 2012

Staycation- Part 2

Following Friday's Mystery dinner everyone headed to Dad B's Dad and Step Mom's lake house on Saturday. It has been a tradition for years. We go over for an afternoon at the lake.... swimming, jumping off the dock, riding in the pontoon boat, and playing games with the kids. Dad B was in trouble before we even arrived because his step Mom thought we'd be there for lunch but we thought we weren't supposed to get there until 2 or 3 PM! But after that, the day went very well and the evening included some great fireworks.... even with temps for most of the day in the low 100's!

Sunday, we went to the Art Museum after church. We made the mistake of leaving the fun kids at home again and bringing the cranky ones! I thought it was a good idea to introduce a little culture, a little refinement into the staycation. The children did not appreciate my efforts. We saw Piccaso's, Rembrandt's, American Art, European Artifacts, fancy porcelain, amazing silversmithing and famous photography... Pete said, "All these paintings look the same.... all that I see is fancy dressed dead people and old plates"

All the kids whined and asked if they could just go home and play X-box and look up the "art stuff" on Google. Dill spent the day searching and counting the number of naked people he saw. He was fascinated with children's penises and kept asking why they were needed. Pepper explained that without them they were girls!

The guys were not really a big help either. Dad B spent the longest time gazing amazingly at a blank wall from a display that had been removed... apparently appreciating the light grayness of it. We saw a chapel that was painstakingly brought over from France. The information indicated that each brick was numbered and taken apart. Shipped over the USA then re-assembled. It was beautiful.... Dad D saw it and pointing at the mounted holy water receptacle on the wall asked if that was an ancient urinal! So much for introducing any kind of culture at all to this family!

We ended the evening with a trip to Greek Town in Detroit. We had to battle the traffic because a Tiger's Game had just ended but found our way into a great Pizza restaurant and then a bakery. It was a great week overall..... time to head back to work. :)

Friday, July 6, 2012

The Family Mystery Dinner (in pictures)

The whole family participated in our Mystery Dinner. It was an idea Dad B read about on the internet. Each kid was paired up with a parent and had a part of the meal to make.

Everyone loved it all.... and we agree we should do this again. (Next time we want to go with themes.... but a great idea!)

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Staycation- Part 1

Our plan at Christmas had been to head out east and spend time on the coast this July. We had discussed Maine, and Boston and New York. But, due to finances and schedules, by June we decided to change it into a “staycation”. We planned quick day trips and things to do from home.

The staycation got off to a bit of a rocky start.... The kids had differing schedules and places they had to be, the guys were waiting for a fence to be installed and I had to work 2 mornings that no one else did.

Monday, Dill had a stomach flu and the local news said the temps would be in the high 90’s- low 100’s all week.

Tuesday started with me getting whacked in the face with a block by a student at work and then dropping a bocce ball on my foot. Had a great dinner cooked by Dad B&D tho.... things started looking up.

Wednesday was better with a trip to a water park (although it was hot and we accidentally brought our whiny kids… rather than the fun ones!) followed by a picnic and movies. (Amazing Spiderman…. Pretty good, biggest complaint was everyone had slight sunburns).

Thursday we went to Put in Bay. No one but me had been there before. The last time I was there was 1984. I was a little stressed that it would not be the way I remembered it…. Or would just be really lame! No worries though, everyone had fun. There was something for all of us. Caves to explore, wineries, golf carts to drive, free fishing, ice cream, cute shops, flush toilets, a boat ride and a fantastic breeze off the lake that made it feel cooler than it really was.

Today is Friday, the plan today is hanging around the house watching cartoons and movies, playing games and enjoying the A/C (temp was 92 by 10 AM… high expected to reach 102 degrees). For dinner we are doing a mystery meal. Each of the kids has teamed up with a parent to make a portion of tonight's family meal. Pete and I- appetizer, Dill and Dad D- Main dish, Macy and Dad B- side dishes, Dori and Pepper- Dessert/beverage. The rules- no one can tell any other team what they are making and it has to be something no one on the team has made before. The biggest feat will be sharing the kitchen!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Mrs. Wilke's Boarding House

We had many great conversations with lots of people from "Slow-vannah" (their word, not mine!) But one of my favorites was with a cook from Mrs. Wilke's restaurant. He came out while we were standing in line. (It was quite a line!) me: It sure smells good. Cook: It is good! Another woman in line: I've never waited in a line so long for lunch. Cook: Then you never ate here. A man in line: What if we don't get in by 2 PM? (the time they close) Cook: If you're here in line then you're in. If you call us at 2- we closed! It was definitely worth the wait!! :)

Monday, February 27, 2012

Signage

Some signs I saw on our vacation in Savannah that I liked....

At the Paula Deen Store:

At a kitchen gadget store:

At a wine store:

At a political rally:

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Savannah Hand washy stuff

In Savannah, a lot of bathrooms had this sandy hand cleaner stuff instead of regular soap. In the mid-west I have found that anti-bacterial soap seems to be the norm. But while in Savannah, it was this stuff with a little scoop that you just flop into your hand then rub all together and rinse off with water. I do not like sand at all. I think it is gritty and gross. A lot of people like sand... although I don't know why. The advertisement says it has a secret ingredient that removes dead skin and makes hands feel smooth. I'm thinking the secret ingredient is... SAND! So, while the weather down there is much better.... I'm sticking with the good old anti-bacterial stuff that we have here that does not feel gritty and I definitely did NOT purchase any of this awful stuff while I was down there!!

The Night Hike/Ghost Walk

Pepper and I spent some time in Savannah, GA this past week. One of the things we did was go on a night time/ghost walk that was led by a tour guide. Whenever I have done this kind of tour there is always one person in the group that I've wished wasn't there. For this tour it was a young girl (probably college aged) who came with her Mother because she said her Dad chickened out. She had gone on a similar tour a few years before so whenever the tour guide started a story she'd yell out things like.... "Oh yeah, I have heard this one! Its some kind of ghost cat or something-right?" The rest of us were less than amused!

At one point we are walking past a house that had been purchased by mail order piece by piece. Apparently, it was a story the college girl had never heard. The guide said that there was something done incorrectly on the house (the kit included directions, but the installers felt they didn't need them) The guide said, "Back then anything could be purchased from the Sears and Roebuck Catalog." The girl said, "What's Sears and Roebuck?"

Without missing a beat we told her, "The 19th Century's EBay." :)

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Family Vacation: Orlando #3

We are on vacation this week. Dad B, Dad D (B&D) Pepper and I have had it planned for quite some time. We started talking about this trip last summer with Jay and her family. We kept it a secret from the kids until Christmas and put Disney shirts in with Santa’s gifts and explained the details of the trip Christmas morning: Orlando. We try to take a trip like this every couple of years. All 8 of us. Our last trip was to Mall of America with Kiwi… which had been a great success. Macy, Pete and Dill had never flown before so we decided to fly down all together. Sal drove us all to the airport (and I hope she remembers to pick us up!!) and other than a flight delay things went just great at the airport.

One of the topics that we had been tossing around was the age that the kids would do best at the Disney parks. Pepper and I took Dori when she was 3. We went with Jay and her son and a couple of her nieces. Everyone had fun on that trip but it was hard with such young kids. There was whining and complaining. They got tired feet and wanted to be carried. There were strollers and asking for food that they then didn't want to eat. When my Mom passed away she left us some money which my sisters and I wanted to use on a trip to Disney with our kids. The trip was going to be a gift from "Grandma" and we had discussed what age the kids should all be when we go. We knew that all the kids needed to be at least 5.... but I have to say my new Magic Kingdom number is 8. I'm going to have to talk to my sisters soon about that trip. Our kids did FANTASTIC at Magic Kingdom. It was a joy to spend the day with them!! They tried things that they may not have chosen to do without complaint. They carried their own stuff. Walked on their own feet. Made reasonable requests and did not cry when they were told no. Our kids noticed lots of younger kids NOT having fun while we were there. Dill stared with wide eyes as a Dad spanked his toddler for whining and complaining that it was hot... Dori made a comment that that family did not look like they were enjoying the Kingdom's Magic! I noticed a young family with a two year old and a newborn trying to locate diapers in the bottom of a huge diaper bag. As we were leaving, all 4 of our kids were tired but they walked out without needing to be carried like many of the kids on the ferry needed to be. In the picture above was a very cool stroller for triplets... but watching the parents steering through the crowds did not make me envy them at all!! Yep, at least 8. We probably did this trip at just the right time....before Dori heads off to college and after Dill was too young not to remember. We are havin' a very good time! :)

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

family Vacation: Orlando #2

We all went to Coco Beach. This is Dill… also known as a sugar-coated donut!!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Family Vacation: Orlando #1

Here is our place in Orlando. Got a great deal. It is a 4 bedroom house with 3 bathrooms a screened-in underground pool, A/C, washer and dryer, very beautifully decorated. Macy asked if we could just stay here. It also has maid service, lawn care and a pool boy named Trevor. Hmmm…… Macy may be on to something!!! ;)

We spent the day at the Magic Kingdom. It was very hot. With the heat index it was 105 degrees. Even in the shade it was in the extremely high 90’s! Not something us midwesterner’s were used to! We drank lots of water and used lots of sunscreen… we all had a great time. Went to shows, rode the rides, ate lots of great food. Also took monorail, train and ferry rides. There was a fantastic light parade and fireworks.

Monday, May 31, 2010

The Open Road

Yesterday, Pepper and I were driving the 8 passenger SUV down the expressway and we passed a motorcycle with a backpack and a blanket rolled up behind the seat. I looked over at him as we passed by. He looked very relaxed and at ease as he traveled toward his destination. I imagined that he was on a cross-country tour... just him and his motorcycle. Sleeping under the stars, taking in the sights, moving in whatever direction the wind and the road took him. I doubted that the motorcyclist was worried about his house payment or the brakes on his quickly aging SUV. He probably had no deadlines looming over him at work or anyone he needed to answer to either.

I decided I’d like to do that. Heck, I used to have a motorcycle…. Years ago. Just this month the lady at the DMV asked if I wanted to keep my cycle endorsement on my driver’s license. When she told me it cost $5.00 for 4 years, I decided to let it ride. Who knows… maybe I’d get another motorcycle sometime in the next 4 years. I thought about where I could travel. Maybe drive West all the way to California. Dip my toes in the Pacific. Then maybe I’d head north and then all the way back towards the East coast.

The more I thought about it the more it sounded like a great idea. Of course, I would want to bring Pepper along. What fun is seeing and doing cool things if no one is there to share it with. Knowing how Pepper packs, I would need saddlebags and one of those big trunks on the back of the motorcycle too. I tease Pepper all the time about how much she packs even for a quick weekend trip… but I am always appreciative when she is the one that remembered to bring things like the bottle opener or a nail file. The two of us could ride along some back winding road like we did many, many years ago. Stop when we saw something interesting or just keep riding with the breeze on our face and the sun on our back.

Of course, now that we have the kids we couldn’t just leave them behind. This could be a great learning experience and Pepper and I would miss them if they weren’t with us. I’d have to get a sidecar. A big one. It would have to seat 4 kids and give them all enough space so they wouldn’t be touching each other. Plus room for all their stuff. Like cell phones, Nintendo DS’s and clothes for when they complained it was either too hot or too cold. Maybe some kind of sound proof barrier between the bike and the sidecar would be beneficial….

We are now quite a bit ahead of the motorcycle. I glance back at him in the rear view mirror and smile. Pepper notices and asks what I am thinking about. I say, “Nothing really. Camping and motorcycles and the kids.”

Ok, suddenly I realize this motorcycle adventure is not a good idea. Now I am thinking about a trip in the truck with our fifth wheel. The kids have leg room, there is even a spot to take Kirby. I glance back in the rear view morror again because now Pete and Dill start an argument over a DS game. I think that maybe that sound proof barrier is not a bad idea tho… :)

Friday, August 9, 2013

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Friday, September 14, 2012

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Monday, August 6, 2012

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Friday, August 3, 2012

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Monday, July 9, 2012

Friday, July 6, 2012

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Monday, February 27, 2012

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Monday, May 31, 2010

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