A Time Away

Last week, we went on my family’s annual vacation, up in northern lower Michigan. We have gone to this place 5 years in a row now, and it is just perfect. Also, the timing could not have been more perfect.

The day before we left, I received a call that I needed to stop taking the new med that I was put on the week prior, due to the side effects and the belief that it wasn’t working like the doctors had hoped. I was THRILLED, knowing I wouldn’t have to deal with the side effects on vacation, though saddened it didn’t work. But I felt so much better in the realm of fatigue and blood pressure issues. It was the perfect week to relax, rest, and get rejuvenated for the weeks to come! And not to mention, the time spent with family – such a blessing!

Our pad for the week:

We have a REALLY old fishing boat that we gutted several years back (the motor is older than we are), but it was great taking the cousins out on to go fishing!

Every year we take a family picture and it’s always interesting to see what we come up with as a stand for the camera!

A little bit down the lake is a rope swing, that sure gets plenty of use by us! Even Mazy wanted to “try” it this year:

There was a GIANT snapping turtle by the beach one evening…glad it didn’t come by us again though!

There is a culvert that the kiddos LOVE to go through, but the first time is always interesting, since you have to swipe away all of the spider webs!

Dan and Mazy sure are fishing buddies! She sure had some good catches:

And I honestly don’t mind filleting fish, so they catch ’em, I fillet ’em.

She sure is proud of ANY catch she has, big or small!

Oh how I just love this girl…she could fish all day!

Hanging out with the cousins:

Grandpa and Liam sharing smiles:

Tubing is another activity that everyone can’t wait to do. Mazy had a perma-smile the WHOLE time.

Dan’s huge catch of the week! A 5 lb., 19 1/2 in. bass:

Snuggles with my nephew:

Never get sick of this view:

Below the sand is clay, and every year a few of us cover ourselves with this nasty smelling clay…you’d think we’d learn, but we still do it!

Mazy apparently likes to catch fish dead or alive! Here she found a dead fish and was so proud of it:

We are AVID gamers on vacation at night, and we began each night playing TTR (Ticket to Ride). This just shows how much I love games because I’m even sharing a picture about one game! One night, my sister had a score of 192! For all those who have played this game, you know that that is an INSANE score! Definitely the highest score ever recorded on this board!

So hard to come home, yet we know our times with family and cousins will only continue!