Michigan

Ready or not here we come!

The last time we went to Michigan was 2 years ago, Jordan was not quite 18 months old. During that visit, Jordan learned to walk. He got tired of not being able to keep up with Malia's twins. It was a wonderful visit, the kids had so much fun playing together. The drive home ... not so much. Jordan got a 15 minute nap here and there ... and when he wasn't sleeping (which was most of the time) he was screaming. He screamed the entire way home to TN ... about 9 hours. After that we decided we were not going to venture very far from home for a while.

Last October, we made a last minute trip to Idaho ... driving of course. (Succors for punishment!) Dominic had been added to our family and Mike's family still hadn't met Jordan. So on Constance's fall break we headed west, a little scared at how well the kids would do on such a long trip. We were pleasantly surprised.

With the successful trip to Idaho last year ... we decided we wanted to go to Michigan. I really wanted to spend more time with my sister. It was a wonderful trip. We left a little later than we had hoped, Mike had a few lawns he had to finish mowing that morning. Unfortunately I wasn't feeling well either. I wasn't about to postpone though. The kids did great. Constance remembered how much she "loves" going through Ohio ... We arrived late Friday night.

The kids had so much fun playing together. We rarely saw any of them ... they were so busy playing. Once I found Dominic going down the stairs into the basement and decided it was much better for me not to see him going up and down the stairs (thankfully he didn't have any falls -- we don't have stairs at home). The boys played with the twins ... Constance had fun with cousins.

Park
We took the kids to the park one afternoon. Of course we went during the hottest part of the day. I kept reminding myself and Constance that it could be much worse, we could be in Tennessee where the Temps were 100, with the heat index it felt like 115. We took some snacks and Mike and I went and got a couple pizzas and we had a picnic. The kids had so much fun. Dominic went down a pretty big slide for the first time ... he wasn't too sure if he liked it or not. He then decided to climb up as high as he could (which wasn't very high) and slide down and say "weeee". Jordan just ran all over. It was fun trying to keep up with him.
Divide and conquer ... I realized this was exactly why I don't take the boys to the park by myself. Constance and Sam went off with sisters, Whitney and Anna and played.

Holocaust Memorial
My sister had told me about this place before and told me I really needed to go. So we made plans. I gave Constance the option ... it is a lot to take in even for an adult. She decided to stay home with the younger cousins. Kaylin babysat for us and we went. I am so glad I went. I just wish I had had more time. There is so much information I didn't have nearly enough time. We were able to listen to a Holocaust survivor. From the numbers of lives lost to all those who had the courage to stand up and help ... It was ... heartbreaking ... inspiring ... humbling. Definitely a lot can and should be learned from the past.

Detroit Zoo
We planned carefully the day we were going to go to the zoo. It wasn't supposed to be too warm ... 84. When the day came, we got a good start and arrived shortly after the zoo opened. We headed to the back to see if the animals were up and moving about. Dominic got to see a real Tiger (his favorite animal) ... he was so excited. It ended up being the hottest day... in the 90s. We let the kids play in the water (the frogs spit water) for a little while. Jordan tried to climb a fence and Dominic tried to go under a fence once ... They weren't successful. (Thankfully) The poor prairie dogs wouldn't have been the same if they had. Jordan and Dominic were both excited when we rode the train. Jordan kept talking about the train for days after. We ended up spending 5 1/2 hours at the zoo (a record for us). We were all worn out by the end and ready to go home. It was so much fun.

Jordan learned he shouldn't put his head between the posts of the banister. He got it in ok ... getting it out ... a little bit harder. Bless his little heart he can get himself in some interesting situations.

The trip home wasn't too bad. Dominic fussed a bit more ... he was so tired and he couldn't get comfortable and was only able to sleep for 15-20 minutes at a time.

We have been blessed with a wonderful family and are so thankful for the time we have to spend with all of them.