Weekend Away

It's been awhile . . . I have about 3.2 seconds to update this little blog and I'm going to devote it all to our amazing weekend in Michigan:

 We made a pit-stop in Toledo to visit Imagination Station.  During our first year of college, Mate and I spent quite a few afternoons volunteering here.

 It was so fun to watch these three explore.

 And to explore with them . . . we survived 82 mph wind gusts.

As you may have guessed from the beginning of this post, I've got a lot going on right now.  However, all of that got set aside so that we could spend a weekend with our best friends in Michigan.

There were boat rides

How cute is that?

 And swimming

 

And watching from the deck as the guys paddle boarded

 

 And kayaking

      

 There was paddle boarding for Emily and me . . . the girls said we both looked like Moana, which I took as a compliment.  However, I haven't actually watched the movie, so I'm not sure struggling against the wind and hoping with all our might that we wouldn't need to be rescued by the guys resembles the plot.

There were moments like this that prove they've been best friends for 18+ years 

 There were amazing meals thanks to our generous hosts.

 

 Here they are introducing us to Raclette.  This involves grilling vegetables, meats and fruit and melting cheese, which is meant to be scraped onto steamed potatoes . . . delicious! ! ! 

There was fishing on Father's Day

 We are so thankful to Mr. Bert for giving the girls their first fishing experience.

 By the way, I let my kids touch worms . . . WORMS . . . they loved it.  Now, I'm questioning how they can be my children and find enjoyment in something so gross. 

 In the end, watching the joy that came when they each caught a fish was worth it.

 Phil and Olivia

 The amazing bunk bed room . .. so awesome, right?  I really wanted to sleep in here, too. Thanks to nightly thunderstorms and scared kiddos, my wish came true. 

Once we arrived back home, there was a very quick Father's Day celebration for our favorite guy.

The only regret from the weekend is that we didn't get a picture all together. Had there been a group photo, I would have inserted it here and wrote about how much I love and appreciate the people in it.