Friday, September 27, 2019

TGIF!

Still pregnant.  Still tired.  I had a frustrating week figuring out insurance and a breast pump but luckily I attempted to figure it out ahead of time because I cannot imagine dealing with what I did right after birth.  Very long story short, I got the one I wanted.  I baked twice this week, once to make pumpkin banana muffins and to make brownies for my mom's 60th birthday. No further progress in the labor department, but I do have an induction date set if she doesn't get here by the end of next week.  Come on baby!



My favorite picture from the week:



The high of my week was listening to my kiddos excitement about reading and learning about Michigan history in school.  Also, eating some delicious nachos at book club.

The low of my week was  constant night peeing and huge chunks of time where I couldn't fall asleep.

Meal plan for the week was  
Monday - Egg Sandwiches
Tuesday -  out for book club
Thursday -  Easy Beef Stroganoff
Friday -  leftovers

The best money I spent was on I got the oldest kiddo a Big Sister shirt and a new book for a 'big sister' present.  I also ordered her Halloween costume.  She wants to be a Tootsie Roll.  I found some adorable infant tootsie roll costumes as well,but I'm not paying 20 plus bucks for essentially one photo of them together.

What I’m listening to  podcasts!  I started The Fall Line and The Clearing this week.

What I’m watching we have been watching the Country Music series on PBS by Ken Burns.  We've watched a few episodes so far and really like it.  We also started back up with NCIS and NCIS: New Orleans.

What I’m reading:  The Alice Network by Kate Quinn.  I realized someone put a hold on it at the library, so I needed to read that next because I cannot renew it when I am done.  I'm only about 20 pages in and I got right into it.




My plans for the weekend include celebrating my mom's 60th birthday, maybe having a baby, maybe hanging a few things back up on our wall, watching football, and making potato soup.  My husband and daughter are picking grapes.  And maybe one last round of apples.  They think some of the small apples they left on the tree are now bigger and will be enough for one more pan of apple crisp!

What was on your meal plan? What are you reading?

Friday, September 20, 2019

TGIF!

Last week was rain, this week was beautiful!!! Started the mornings mid 50s with humidity, and ended with 80s and sun.  So nice.  I was very lazy and very productive.  So it was a great mix.  I had an appt with my midwife and I am 2 cm dilated and about 50 %e effaced.  So no baby.  I am 39 weeks tomorrow.  I am farther progressed than with the first kiddo so here's to hoping I actually go into labor on my own this time.  I was able to volunteer twice at the kiddos school.  Once in the library and once in her classroom.  I made these yummy muffins!

My favorite picture from the week:



The high of my week was spending lots of time cuddling with my kiddo.  I love that she loves to snuggle and read with me.  We did that a lot each night.  I also was really excited to find this wall art at Marshalls.  It matches the baby's room perfectly!




I also was glad to find this gray storage bin and then I also got 3 more that were smaller.  The largest container holds our living room blankets.  Two of them contain library books, and the third is in the baby's room waiting to hold on to baby toys.





The low of my week was  just being so gosh darn tired! I keep saying, "why am I so tired??" and then I recall I am 35 years old and 9 months pregnant and waking up every 2 hours to pee. :P

Meal plan for the week was  
Monday - Sloppy Joes
Tuesday -  Swedish Meatballs
Wednesday - Tacos and refried bean dip
Thursday -  Mexican Pizzas and green beans
Friday -  Pizza

The best money I spent was on the storage bins, wall art, my mom's 60th birthday present... I spent a lot this week.

What I’m listening to  podcasts!  This week I enjoyed listening to Over the Edge by Michigan Crime Stories and old episodes of My Favorite Murder.

What I’m watching still catching up on Blindspot and Stephen Colbert.

What I’m reading:  The Simplicity of Cider by Amy Reichert.  It's a book set in Door County, Wisconsin.  I read The Library at the Edge of the Earth earlier this week.  It was set in small-town Ireland and was a bit different than what I had expected but was a nice read.  I'm debating on reading Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams or After I do by Taylor Jenkins Reid as my next read.  Any thoughts?



My plans for the weekend include  my husband is taking down the pool tonight and picking grapes this weekend.  My plans involve watching football.  The kiddo is having a sleepover so we will be child free for a good chunk of the weekend.  We do plan on cleaning out a few cupboards that are out of control!

What are you listening to? What are you reading?

Friday, September 13, 2019

TGIF!

This week has been full of rain! Lots of thunderstorms and lightning.  We lost power for a hot second the other day and the kiddos school lost power for about 15 minutes the same day.  Luckily, no water in the house but man, rain rain go away! I got SOAKED earlier today when I thought there was a break in the rain and rain into Target.  I stayed in Target too long and ended up soaked! Whoops.

My favorite picture from the week:


NEW CARPET AND PAINT!!!!!!!!!!!

The high of my week was finally having our house projects come to a close.  We got carpet on Monday and the baby's dresser was finally put together as of last night.  Today I organized the baby's room, ordered a rug for that room, AND packed a bag for the baby for the hospital.  So, now all I have to do is sweep/mop the floor in their this weekend and probably dust around the windows. 



The low of my week was  feeling like pregnancy poop.  Good ole lightning crotch.  Also, the urge to pee, and when you get to the bathroom and then you can't pee.  Or the night I woke up to pee 5 times.  

Meal plan for the week was  
Monday - leftover roast on home faced toasted french bread with mozzarella cheese melted on top and applesauce
Tuesday -  Chili, grilled cheese, and grapes
Wednesday - One Pot Kielbasa Pasta, grapes, and celery
Thursday -  Sweet Potato Hash with chorizo, eggs, and toast
Friday -  Pizza


The best money I spent was on the rug for the baby's room.  Her floor is so ugly and gross and this rug should cover up a lot of it!

What I’m listening to   podcasts! I am behind and was just listening to Pod Save the America's episodes of some of the democratic nominees for president.  I listened to Marianne Williamson's and Amy Klobuchar's.  I think sometimes listening to interviews like that are better to get a feel for people.  

What I’m watching we are catching up on Blindspot and Stephen Colbert.

What I’m reading:  Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen.  It's been a page turner so far! I needed something light after reading LIfe After Life by Kate Atkinson which was over 500 pages!



My plans for the weekend include  the kiddo's bff is coming over for a few hours tonight and we are getting pizza while my husband helps a friend move (hoping the rain stays away ha).  Then this weekend just cleaning and trying to get the house back in order after the paint/carpet.  We have piles of crap in the basement that we need to go through.  May attempt to pack my own bag for the hospital.  Will be watching OSU football.  But we don't have too much planned.

What are you listening to? What are you reading?

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

UP Adventures Day 3


On our last day exploring the UP we had a ‘lazy’ day planned of checking out Palms State Park to see Kitch-iti-Kipi and hanging around Manistique for a bit and my husband had requested we stop at a winery.

We got to Kitch-iti-Kipi about 11 o clock and as had worked out on most of our trip we lucked out with hardly any people around, but as we left there was a bunch.  We did the short little walk to the spring and got there just as the raft was about to go across the spring.  We rode across and it was so cool to check out the spring.  It was so pretty.  This spring is always at 45 degrees and they keep it stocked with fish.  There is no fishing allowed.









We went through the gift shop and got a postcard and then we went to Indian Lake State Park to check out the facilities.  We drove through the park to see what kind of bathrooms/campsites they had to offer.  We liked to drive through to see sites we may want to check out some day.  This park had sites that were right on the water, so it’s nice to check to see if they are shady / full sun and what not before you book.  Of course we have a google doc to share this info. J

After this we went back to Manistique and had lunch at Marley’s Bar & Grill because of some reviews my husband had read.  He wanted to get fish so he had a fish sandwich, I had a delicious Italian sandwich which was made on a homemade bun, and the kiddo had a cheese quesadilla.  She shared our chips and ate my tomatoes from my sandwich.

Afterwards we decided to go to the lakefront and parked by the lakefront walkway and got to see some massive Lake Michigan waves.  They were crashing over the rocks and it would NOT have been safe to walk out to the lighthouse.  It was nice to check out the waves.  I walked a short way down the path and then sat and watched the water, while the other too walked further down to see the lighthouse better.





Afterwards, we headed to Germfask to check out End of the Road Winery.  It was definitely at the end of a dirt road! It was a cute set up and they had a large variety for a tasting.  I was a little sad I couldn’t partake but we ended up coming home with a bottle of peach wine that I will be partaking in next month! The tasting came with a neat glass to add to our collection.

Our way back to the cabin took us through Curtis and we stopped at got some yummy ice cream.  We do like to eat ice cream when we are on vacation.  And every other day of the week… J Curtis was a really cool town and they had a lot of cabin rentals that were right in town that were on South Manistique Lake.



When we got back, I was tired again and read my book but the other two hit up the other outdoor pool that we hadn’t checked out and then moved indoors when there was a rain storm that popped up. 40 MPH winds! It was crazy.  It did clear up and there was a beautiful sunset later but that storm was crazy.





This was our last day and the next morning we packed up and headed back down state on our most likely last adventure as a family of 3.

I highly recommend visiting around the UP and there are a few other spots we’d like to check out in the future.  There is a lot of driving involved, which is why we waited to do it until our kiddo was older, but so much fun!

What is your next vacation? What is your ideal vacation?

Monday, September 9, 2019

5 Bookish Things I'm Loving Right Now

Welcome to the 3rd installment of 5 Bookish Things I'm Loving Right now.  My second post can be found here. 

1.  In the past few months I've read about principals or other professionals who have been utilizing social media to read bedtime stories for kids.  I love this.  Some parents do not feel comfortable reading to their kids and sometimes you just need to mix up the bed time routine.  I loved this article about two sisters who have been reading books to kids and I LOVE that the older one is doing book reviews as well.  They have a book coming out and I love that they read books that represent diverse characters!

2. As I mentioned last time, I love A Mighty Girl.  It's a great resource.  Recently, I read this post by them, regarding menstruation .  They shared a few book recommendations, and then I bought one to preview myself that I found after falling down an Amazon search/review reading rabbit hole.  I shared it with some friends who also ordered a few from the list or had experience already with some of the books.


I didn't order this one, but I have my eye on it for the future.

 "Honest, funny, and unafraid of the messy, real-life facts about a girl's changing body, this is definitely not your mother's puberty book. HelloFlo founder Naama Bloom's mission is to create informed, empowered young women who are unafraid to ask questions and make the best choices for themselves and their bodies. A celebration of women's bodies and all the confusing, uncomfortable, silly, transformative, and powerful changes that occur during puberty. This full-color book features bright, diverse, approachable illustrations and infographics (on everything from how to insert a tampon to a timeline of body hair trends throughout history), doctor-vetted information, and personal testimonials from real girls and women."



I went with this one.

"Puberty comes with a lot of changes. Celebrate Your Body (And Its Changes, Too!) will help girls understand (and love) their bodies now and as they continue to grow.
For many girls, puberty can be an uncertain time. Celebrate Your Body (And Its Changes, Too!) includes everything girls need to know about breasts and bras, their period, hair here and there, feelings and friends, and so much more. This book will guide them as they learn about (and celebrate) their amazing, changing, one-of-a-kind bodies―during puberty and beyond!
Among puberty books for girls, Celebrate Your Body offers encouraging support while answering real questions that girls have about puberty. Positive, judgment-free, and medically accurate, this book discusses puberty in a way to which young girls can relate.
Celebrate Your Body offers essential insight such as:
  • An overview of puberty that explains what happens, when it happens, and how she’ll know
  • Explanations of changes in body, mood, and relationships―and how to confidently approach these changes that occur in puberty
  • Practical advice for navigating new situations during puberty―from understanding growth spurts to managing overwhelming emotions to staying safe on social media
Complete with current, accessible medical information, Celebrate Your Bodyoffers a fresh take on this whole “puberty” thing that will leave girls feeling informed, empowered, and ready for the changes that lie ahead. "










3. As an educator, "Reading Wars Choice vs. Canon," resonated with me.  There are some schools of thought that you must read the classics.  The classics being a bunch of dead old white guys whose writing appeals to about .1% of teenagers out there.  This article touched on how teachers are using choice to get students interested in reading and still be able to teach the fundamentals that some think can only be taught while using classics.

"But while the student choice reading movement is growing, it is by no means universally accepted or supported in all classrooms. Other educators have warily pushed back on the approach, worrying that too much student choice is putting young adult (YA) and graphic novels—not highly regarded and vetted literature—at the center of the English literature curriculum. While not all books are enjoyable (or easy) to read, challenging books help boost students’ comprehension and reading proficiency, they argue, and force them to grapple with difficult, timeless questions about love, life and death, and societal dynamics.
Choice reading and academic rigor are not mutually exclusive, though. To find balance, some teachers are trying methods like allowing students to choose from more diverse, preapproved lists of challenging literature; alternating between chosen books and assigned books; or using choice to pique students’ interest in reading more stimulating texts."
I personally think that you cannot force a reader.  They have to come into on there own.  What is our goal? To make reading enjoyable and a way for people to find information and think? Or to drill a skill? I'm definitely on the choice side of the argument.  Now, I'm also all for being exposed to classics, because there is some good stuff there and perhaps that may be someones jam.  But, making learning relevant will help retention.  
4.  How true is this meme???
5. And this meme also.  So so true! :)


What 'bookish' things are you loving right now?

Friday, September 6, 2019

What I Read in August


I had another strong reading month in August with 11 books read.  I am fully expecting this number to drop a bit in the next few months, but then again I also read a ton in the early months of newborn Isla.  However, I will now have 2 children and some more responsibilities, but the hours of breastfeeding lend to great reading time!



Young Adult/Middle Grade Books

Front Desk by Kelly Yang was so so so good! It is about a young girl who has come to America with her family from China.  It’s really hard for her parents to find good jobs and they find a listing to manage a motel that sounds too good to be true, which it is.  Mia struggles with fitting into a new school and country.  She wants to be a writer but her mother tries to discourage her language arts abilities and push her towards mathematics.  This is just a great story about racism, discrimination, perseverance, and people helping people.
 
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen was a quick read about Maci, whose boyfriend is gone for the summer and she is slated to take over his duties as a reference librarian at a local library.  Her dad passed away in the recent past and it’s been hard for her to figure out herself and her interests since then.   She jumped into Jason’s (her boyfriend) interest and now that he is gone, she has a wide open summer to explore some new interests on her own.  She also experiences a parental conflict because of the paths she wants to follow vs what her mom wants of her.



On the Come Up by Angie Thomas is a must read! She is the author of The Hate U Give, which I shockingly haven’t read yet, but keep looking out for at my library! I talked about this book in another post last month, so I will just leave the description from goodreads here..

Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.

On the Come Up is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip-hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities of poor and working-class black families.

Ban This Book by Alan Gratz was also a really great middle grade read! It is about a young girl  b y Alan Gratz was also a really great middle grade read! It is about a young girl whose favorite book is banned from her library.  She finds out that a mom who dressed nice and talked well showed up and bypassed the system to ban books in the libraries and got her favorite book banned and then many others.  She has a hard time speaking up for herself, but does decide to start a banned book library in her locker.  She learns a lot of her classmates are interested in all of these books now that they are banned!

Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake is also a must read! Ivy Aberdeen’s life is turned upside down one night when a tornado completey takes out her family’s house.  She is able to save her pillow and her notebook, that has pictures she’s spent hours drawing.  Pictures that include two girls holding hands among other pictures of two girls.  However, at the shelter she is in after the storm her notebook goes missing.  Then someone starts leaving her pictures in her locker to find.  Who knows her secret??? This is a great book about finding yourself and taking risks.

Adult Fiction/Romance

The Queen of the Big Time by Adriana Trigiani follows a young Italian girl who busts through stereotypes and lives a more feminist life than what her parents plan and predict for her.  It follows through her life from 8th grade until death.  It was a quick read and got you involved in the whole family/town history.




The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman is about a midwife who is actually running from the law and practicing/living under an assumed name.  She invites a young black girl to live with her, which in 1930s West Virginia is not a safe thing to do.  The book follows a year in her life as she serves the community and worries about her identity being found out.  I liked how it included real history into the fictionalized story.

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate was really good as well.  It is based on Georgia Tann’s despicable practice of stealing poor riverboat children from their parents and selling them to rich parents who want kids. 

This is what goodreads says about it.. “Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty.

Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption.

Toxic Toffee by Amanda Flower is the latest Amish Candy Shop mystery.  It was quick fun read and this is a series I think I will go back to when I want a quick fun read.




Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston was a bit disappointing.  There was some pronoun mishaps, time zone mistakes and just other things that annoyed me and took me away from the plot.  It’s a cute romance between the First Son and the Prince of Wales, but it was a bit too long and I rolled my eyes a bit much at it.

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman was also a letdown.  It is the follow up to Beartown which I loved.  It tried to cover far too many topics.  It had good intentions, but just fell flat.





I am now at 68 books read for 2019, which is over my goal of 52.  I think I may finish at around 90 books for the year, which is pretty impressive for me.




What books did you read in August? What book are you recommending to everyone? How is your goal for 2019 going?

Thursday, September 5, 2019

UP Adventures Day 2


The weather report for this day was a bit iffy.  The temp was cooler and rain was a possibility for most of the day.  The morning seemed to be our best bet, so we were out the door by 9:30 to drive to Grand Marais.  This was about an hour away from our cabin in Curtis.  The drive was nice and we went through a few small towns.

When we got there it was really chilly, but no rain.  We went in a few different gift shops and walked around the main street for about 20 minutes.  Since we didn’t really have a plan for Grand Marais and the weather was pretty iffy we decided we better hit up the Lakeshore drive through to Munising for Pictured Rocks.  I also had a few contractions at this point and was like oooooh poop.  I really kind of over did it the day before at Tahquamenon Falls and Whitefish Point.

The drive is through the national park and the speed limit is a bit slower.  It has places to pull out and do short hikes throughout.  Our first stop was at Sable Falls. It had a nice sign that let you know there was 167 steps to the falls and 167 back.  I decided I could handle that.  And then we got to stairs.  There was just no way I could do stairs at that point so I walked back to the car and waited while the other two walked down the stairs and saw the very pretty waterfalls.


We got back in the car and drove to a visitor center which was kind of a bust unless you wanted to use the bathroom.

Then our next stop was Log Slide Lookout.  I had no idea how far this was and I needed to go to the bathroom so I let the other two go and they saw some dunes and cloudy skies over Lake Superior.


Then we drove the curvy road to Miner’s Castle.T his was my favorite spot of the day.  It had a great view of the Pictured Rocks and the Miner’s Castle formation.  We had packed PBJ sandwiches and we ate them while we were there.  Then, our weather luck ran out.  Two minutes after we got in the car the rain started! So off to Munising we went.









We decided that the Lakeshore drive was nice and we were glad we explored it, but when we go back to that area we will get a tour boat out to the Pictured Rocks and see it from water.  I think both ways would give you the full experience.

We drove through Munising to see what our game plan would be and we started at Eh! Burger and split the chili cheese tater tots.  They were yummy!

Then we went across the street to the Falling Rock Café andBookshop.  We spent about 30 minutes browsing their selection of new/used books and local art.  We didn’t get anything from the Café but it looked really yummy.  We saw lots of cool local books but once again we refrained from purchasing.

Our last stop in Munising was the Frozen Flamingo! Basically because of the name, we knew it would appeal to the 8 year old.  We each got a scoop of ice cream and picked up a post card.
Then we headed back to our cabin which was around an hour back.  It rained the whole way back.  

When we got back I went and laid down for a while but the other two went swimming in the indoor pool and spa.  The rain lasted the rest of the night, so we made dinner and I taught the kiddo how to play solitaire with playing cards.  We read our books and my husband plotted out our trip for the next day (Kitch-Iti-kipi and Manistique).

What card games do you remember playing as a kid? What are your favorites now? Have you been to Pictured Rocks?

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Currently

Yesterday was the first day of school at our house! The big 3rd grade year.  I hope my kiddo has a great adventure this year.  She also started another round of swim yesterday and we hit up Big Boy for dinner to use up a coupon she earned during the summer reading program.  SHE WAS EXHAUSTED at the end of the day.  We got home and she took care of her bag, put on pjs, brushed teeth and went to bed and read for 35 minutes ha!


This dress is from Stitch Fix Kids and we had such a great experience with her box! It was so fun for her and the prices were great and so were the selections! We have hardly any kid places in our town to buy clothes so it was nice! I will probably do it again when she moves up into a 10.

Reading:  I am plugging away at The Runaway Midwife by Patricia Harman.  I'm enjoying it, I am just having a hard time focusing on reading right now with so much crap to be done around the house!

Loving:  how helpful my kiddo has been all summer.  She is such a 'kid' even though I want her to be baby for always. :)  I love that she cares about others and wants to help people feel better when they don't feel good.



Feeling: like I have a ticking clock to get everything done and ready for the baby.  I also feel like I'm just as unprepared as I was 8 years ago.  I mean wtf do I do with a newborn????

Anticipating: the arrival of the new kiddo and what she will look like and what kind of personality she will have.

Grateful: that I had such a wonderful summer with my girl



Working: on cleaning the house and getting things in new spots!

Listening: to lots of podcasts! I'm so far behind.  I have enjoyed the third season of Crimetown which is set in Detroit.  And I like the Michigan Crime Stories!

Watching: I'm kind of in a holding pattern where I'm waiting to watch shows as I'm stuck on the couch with a baby.  But we have been trying to catch up with Blindspot.

Wishing: for a great third grade year for my 8 year old who started school yesterday!!!

What are you reading and listening to currently?

Monday, September 2, 2019

UP Adventures: Day 1


Sunday morning we all slept in until after 8.  The adults enjoyed some coffee and we all ate some donuts while we discussed our itinerary for the day.  We were out the door by 10 and headed about an hour away to Tahquamenon Falls.

It’s so fun to me that the simplest things are ‘cool’ to kids when they aren’t what they do daily.  We passed a train station in Newberry and my daughter thought THAT was cool.  And remembered her trip on the train to Chicago. 

We got to the state park where the Upper Falls are located and before we hiked out to see them we hit up the gift shop and bathroom.  There were so many good looking books about local history, but I refrained from purchasing any.  We did get the kiddo a shirt and she spent her own money doing a penny stamp thing.



We hiked out to the falls and I felt surprisingly good for 35 weeks pregnant.  I did not go down the stairs and get the closer look at the Falls, but I have done it before as a kid.  We then went back to the Brewery where we split some nachos and my husband tried their Blueberry Ale.  I tried a sip and it was okay.



Then we got back in the car and went to the Lower Falls.  My body protested a bit here and I offered to go back to the car and read but the 8 year old didn’t want to hike around the river to get a closer look so we decided to drive through the campground and see if the bathrooms had been updated since my last visit to the park which was sometime in the late 90s! It did appear that they had been updated and the rest of my family found a little trail that they hiked down and saw some mini waterfalls while I waited in the car.



After that we headed up to Whitefish Point for the Shipwreck Museum.  I had been in the early 90s but neither my husband nor kiddo had been there before.  It was a really fascinating museum.  I really enjoyed it and think that if you haven’t been there it is a good investment.  Not some place you’d have to go to yearly, but it has some really interesting information about shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.  We did not pay the extra money to go up in the light house, but after we toured the different buildings we did plant ourselves on the beach for about an hour.  I did not put my feet in Lake Superior this trip because the air temp was pretty cool and it was a rocky beach, so I didn’t really want to have any pregnant lady injuries.  I read my book, while my husband enjoyed a beer on the beach, Edmund Fitzgerald, in honor of the museum, and the kiddo played in the rocks/sand.







We decided we should head back to our resort because it was getting close to dinner.  We enjoyed that we got to drive through lots of different places/roads because of how we plotted our trips.  We kept telling the kid ‘THIS is the middle of nowhere’ over and over again.  Beautiful views though.

When we got back our steak was not thawed so we hit up the heated pool and swam for about an hour and then we enjoyed a lovely feast.  We walked down to the beach to catch another amazing sunset.  When we got back we decided to have a fire.  The sky was so clear and we saw a lot of stars! Then I read my book while my husband plotted out a plan for the next day’s adventures…. Grand Maraias to Munising to see the Pictured Rocks.






Have you ever visited one of the Great Lakes? Which is your favorite? Do you have any family favorite vacations from your childhood?