Pure Michigan

Ventured into Michigan this past weekend.

Let's have a little gander at how the three day trip went. Shall we?

Get in the car at 10:30am Friday.

Drive.

Drop Nolan at the Orchid for his auntie to watch him until daddy was done at work.

Drive.

Pick up my mom at Gram's in Columbia City.

Drive to Kendallville.

Stop for lunch.

Converse with Mom while we drive.

Mom and Nev fall asleep.

Listen to some good old country on the radio as my eyes search for the next exit.

Almost run out of gas.

Wake mom up by saying we might be walking.

Stop somewhere off Old 27.

Get Gas...... barely. The Honda was coasting people!

Get a graduation card for cousin and bug spray at a Walmart.

Drive again.

Feed Nev's constant desire to have food or a drink, or her baby, or her blanket in the back seat. {she actually did wonderfully considering the amount of time we were in the car}

Stop for Dinner.

On the road again!

Drive.

Keep Driving.

Cross Mackinac Bridge.

Creep across I-2 at a measily 55MPH. {the longest part of the trip!!}

Find the Campground at 9:30pm... barely. {it was getting dark}

Get to the Cabin.

Unload the baggage.

Happen upon a situation about nephew's poop and a missing diaper.

Find the poop. Pick it up with a tissue and discard without making it a big deal.

Try to persuade sister to stay tomorrow after her catastrophic beginning.

Talk with cousins and aunts until around 11pm.

Climb in our bed up in the open loft.

Nevaly decides to stay up LATE after getting a short 25 minute revitalization nap in the car.

Finally fall asleep after some constant "goodnight's honey", "lay down please", "yes it's dark", and "mommy's right here".

Get woke up by a sleep talking Brother about bears in the pitch dark of the loft. And yes I answered him because I was unaware he had his eyes closed and was talking in his sleep! 

Get horsekicked by my mule Nev all night.

Hear the pouring rain at 5am. It was coming down hard, but I managed to fall back asleep.

Wake up at 8am to the requests of little children for some breakfast.

Nev wakes up too.

Feed Nev.

Get myself and Nev dressed.

Go to the grad party... with wet hair. 

Enjoy a BBQ style shindig.

Outside.

In the constant mist of rain.

Poor Gabi. But congrats on your recent graduation!! You will be a fantastic Nursing student.

Eat some food.

Try to hold my niece Piper, who only loves her momma these days. {I had one of those. I can sympathize.}

She isn't having it unless I am giving her something to eat.

So I give her cookies. She is happy... for a while.

The sun comes out briefly.

Put Nev in the swing.

She doesn't want to get out.

I'm freezing by this point. Like purple lips and shaking knees cold.

So we go back to the cabin.

I change into my comfy sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt.

I get lucky and get to nap with Nev.

Get woke up by a horrendous misquito bump on my nephew's arm with request to have a look.

Give motherly medical advice of applying ice to reduce the swelling.

Try to make Piper happy again by playing on the floor while Sister runs next door for Benadryl.

Hang around for several hours indoors. No desire to even see the outdoors at this point. I was just getting warm.

Talk about precious metals, UFO's and the government with cousin. {some very interesting outlooks}

Get into a very big fight with Sister. Not worth mentioning. It could blow it up again since she reads my blog. {Hi Em} 

Eat a bowl of Cheerios and a turkey sandwich for dinner.

Sit around said dinner table talking with Gram, Auntie and my mom.

Hollar simultaneously with mom and Auntie to shut the door at every person who was coming in or out because of the swarm of misquitos that emerged as soon as dusk hit.

Pretty sure I was going to wake up with monsterous misquito bites... but somehow that never happened. Probably because I am just not sweet anymore. Right?

Allow Nev to go down to the bonfire to have a S'more sans her mom.

Watch insistently through the window as various strangers hold her.

Call for her to come in after ten minutes. {Probably less.}

Give her a bath with her cousins.

Watch nephews turn into werewolves because of sheer sleepiness and wanting to be home again.

Watch as Piper finally lets herself fall asleep in my mom's arms.

Begin craving sleep myself.

Head to bed by midnight.

Continuously tell Nev to lay down.

Explain that Nolan is not here for the 40th time and that we will see him tomorrow.

Finally fall asleep.

Wake up every two hours because I am being kicked again and because I think it is later than what I wanted to sleep and that I will miss my scheduled 9am departure. {As if I would turn into a mouse if I wasn't in the car driving by that time...}

Wake up at 7:38am.

Lay in bed until 8:15am to hear Gram washing dishes downstairs.

Get up.

Nev awakes.

Feed her a breakfast of hot oatmeal and a banana. She barely eats either.

Shower.

Strip the bed of sheets.

Pack my bags.

Put them in the car.

Say goodbye to everyone.

Start the drive home at 9:34am.

Later than I wanted.

So I speed.

Nev falls asleep.

Stop to take a picture at a gorgeous lookout by squeeling the tires and making a sharp right turn into the rest area.

Almost didn't stop because I was making good time, but couldn't resist the landscape.

 Continue my drive.

Cross the Bridge again.

Get gas before the yellow light comes on this time.

Speed drive.

Stop for lunch by waiting in line at a McDonalds in a "God only knows where" little town for more than 20 minutes to get a Fish Filet {dripping in tartar} and Chicken nugget happy meal... then decide to just eat it in the car. Because I am beyond annoyed.

Drive like mad.

Keep driving. But I am not mad anymore. Now I just feel sick from eating McDonald's. 

See signs for Coldwater, MI and really feel like I am on the homestretch.

Get into Fort Wayne at 4:10pm.

Stop by my office.

Print an addendum for a real estate deal.

Drive home.

Get welcomed by my sweet boys with a shower of kisses and a big bear hug!

So glad to be back.

Safe and sound.

Thank God everyone else who drove also made it home safe.

All in all, the trip was quick.

A short weekend retreat into the woodlands of the Upper Peninsula.

And that my friends is a little slice of Pure Michigan.

Until next time...