Blustery

This morning, Laurie, Chip and Dylan went canoeing and Dick went in his kayak from the Garfield Bridge to here.  Dylan and Chip had a great time playing in the river.  Dylan could float quite far with his life jacket on.
After lunch we packed up and went to the State Park to spend the afternoon at the beach.  The temp was around 74 and there was a brisk breeze out of the north.  It was warm in the sheltered area when the sun was out, but otherwise it was a little chilly.  Dylan and Chip played in the water, and we had a nice afternoon even if it wasn't perfect.  

Stormy Weather

  Dick and Chip ran errands in the morning - shipped Tom's bike back to California, etc.  We had planned to install Mom's air conditioner first, and then go to the State Park for swimming.  But after the air conditioner went in, things got very cloudy and we had a real deluge.  So we wound up going to the grocery store for steaks and then home.  After we got home, there was another downpour - even some lightning.  Chip did manage to cook the steaks outside between the raindrops.  It was an OK day, but nothing to write home about!

Mackinaw City

We had a terrific day trip today.  We left at approx 8:45 a.m. for Mackinaw City.  When we arrived, we had an early lunch at Audie's (great fish and chips).  Then on to Fort Michilimackinac.  It was a beautiful day, and the Fort was not too crowded, so we were able to see everything and do everything we wanted.  My highlights were the French wedding, the musket shooting, and the archaeological dig and exhibits.  Dylan loved the diorama in the exhibit building, and the sheep.  Especially the sheep.
  

Then off to Mill Creek State Park and the sawmill demo - always dramatic and exciting. 


 We didn't stay long there, because Dylan decided he would rather go to a beach than walk on a nature trail.  
To make a long, long story very short, we wound up at a very obscure, difficult to find beach on Lake Michigan at Fisherman's Island State Park.  It didn't matter that it wasn't the ideal beach - Dylan loved it anyway.  Dick found a cache,  and Dylan and his Mommy went for a long walk along the shoreline.
We ate dinner at The River in Elk Rapids (very good szechuan cashew chicken), came home and collapsed.  A very long, very enjoyable day.  We covered over 300 miles altogether, and had no melt downs.

Back to Normal

We're back in the swing of things.  Dick went to work at the agency, Chip cleaned up outside, including washing off all of the picnic tablecloths.  Laurie vaccuumed the entire house. 


 I returned 244 cans and bottles at Glen's.   When Dick got home, he and I went to the dump to get rid of all of the party remains!  It's a good feeling to be all cleaned up again.  
In the afternoon, we went to the State Park.  Dylan and Chip played in the water - it was a great day. 
  

 From there we went to the Mongolian Barbecue - everybody's favorite place in TC.  After dinner, we rented Pirates of the Caribbean - cute movie - It was a fun day, as well as being quite constructive!

After Glow

  Well this Sunday went by in a kind of a blur.  We were all in blah mode, and didn't feel like doing anything. 
Dick and I took Tom to the airport at noon and waved good-bye.   Later in the day, we went  in to see Great-Grandma and tell her all about the picnic.  That was really the only constructive thing we did all day.   We dropped Jana at the airport around 6 p.m.  It's hard to say good-bye to Tom and Jana - it seems like they just got here.  I get used to having them around!
 We ate leftovers at random, and never really had an organized meal.  As I said, it was all kind of a blur.  Very relaxing.  We all felt our age!
  

Geo-Genfest 2004

  Dylan says:
We had lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of fun killing the mountain giant also called the Tom Giant if you know what I mean.  I grouped with Fay and Autumn to do it.  Fay and Autumn were a big help, but I haven't seen the mystical dog since.  We went geo-caching.  We had a hard time finding the last one, and when they sent a runner it was me, and I came right over the wire and we were 4th.  The blue team lost the whole thing. 
 The Sunshines came in first,

 
 the Green Grasses came in 2nd, the Clouds came in 3rd
 
  
 
 and the Roses came in 4th,

  but the Blueberries came in last. 
 
The water balloon fight was lots and lots and lots of fun. 
 Uncle Tom threw so hard that it hurt a lot a lot a lot, and I think he meant to do it.


We played volley ball.  
 
We had a campfire built like a log cabin, but it fell over on somebody's marshmallow.

GenFest 2004

To begin with, the weather was perfect.  We couldn't have asked for a better day. 
For starters, Jana and I went up to Chum's Corners to get red white and blue balloons for the party. 
  
 We were just tying the balloons out by the road when Uncle Doug arrived with all of the beverages.
 After several people had arrived, we presented John and Sue with their Michigan Mom and Michigan Dad sweatshirts.  It was a really fun moment for me!  I'm not sure that John will ever touch his new sweatshirt again.
The food was delicious - everybody always brings the best things!  Barb and  Sharon did the total clean-up after both lunch and dinner - I was so appreciative.  
  
After lunch, the geo-caching started, and everybody joined in with enthusiasm.  It seemed to be enjoyable and we got 5 great teams by drawing bandanas out of a box.  The whole geocaching search took only about an hour and a half - I was really impressed with everybody.  We had our   regular volleyball games - it's obvious that the quality of play has improved immensely over the years! 
  
 
 The little guys always enjoy the water balloon fight - and it was fun again this year  John W., Tom,  Kevin, and the kids all participated. There was some tubing and canoeing, and of course Tom's margaritas around the campfire.  Some people had more margaritas than others (not mentioning any names!!)
     
 
 The last peeps left at 4:30 a.m.  Can't wait til next year!

Attendees: Doug, Odette, John & Sue, Roger, Megan, Fay, J.P., Dave, Beth, Lauren, Barb, Jim, Melissa, Peter, Autumn, Brooke, Shelly, Kelvin, Jenna, Adam, Melanie, Lydia, Sharon, John, Kevin, Amy, Derek, Chad & Carla, Dick&Nan, Laurie, Chip, Dylan, Tom, and Jana.   37 in all. 
 
  

Pizza and Set-Up

  Dick worked at the Visitor Center - Tom went for a bike ride - Last minute shopping for the big event tomorrow.  People began arrving around 6 p.m. for the pizza party and GenFest set-up .  It was great having all of the extra help! 
 Tables were moved and washed, the tent was put up,  the volley ball court was installed, and a little dining fly was set up by the campfire.  It was done well, and quickly.  And the pizza was good, too.

First Boat Launch of the Year

  
Yesterday, Jana and Dylan were even more wrapped up in EverQuest.  They have a new Cat character named Mewmer, and they're having a blast.  Jana also swept off the boardwalk, and swept out the garage in case of rain on Saturday - very helpful. 

  Tom has  really been enjoying watching the Tour de France, and we have started to enjoy it right along with hin.  We're learning a lot about bike racing.
 
  
 Chip has hurt his back, and it's quite a problem for him.  He's totally bummed because he loves getting ready for the picnic - washing tables, etc. - and now he really just has to take it easy. 
 
  
Laurie and I took Dylan to Bo Tangles for a haircut.  We stopped in for a minute to say hi to Great Grandma.  Then on to the Outlet mall to shop for clothes for Dylan for school, but we struck out. 
 
   
  
  We got some last minute items for the picnic.   I think we're almost totally ready!  (That's a dangerous thought because something always comes up at the last minute!). 
 Dick has been doing more yard work, and doing last minute checks on all of the geocaches he has hidden around the property for the Saturday event.  We ordered Mancino's subs for lunch (yaay). 
 Laurie and I filled some water balloons (lots more to do), while Tom and Dylan chased each other around the yard. 
 Around 3:30, they all went to Spider Lake with the pontoon boat and had a great time swimming and boating.  First time out for the "Teacher's Lounge"  this year. I found a new name I like even better than Teacher's Lounge.  I think we should rename it The Tinytanic!
I stayed home so I could have dinner ready when they got back.

 

Lake Leelanau

Tuesday morning, the whole crew (Dick, Laurie, Chip, Dylan, Jana, Tom) went out to breakfast while I stayed home with the Merry Maids. They are fast, and maybe not so thorough, but I think what I'm really paying for is peace of mind.

After breakfast, they all stopped in to say hi to great-grandma. Then they came to pick me up and get beach toys to take to John and Sharon's cottage on Lake Leelanau. It turned out to be a beautiful day, and we had a great time sitting by the water and watching the kids play in the water.

Adam's new friend Melanie was there with her daughter Lydia. Adam, Shelly, Autumn, John, Sharon, and the seven of us completed the party. We had our own mini family reunion.

It was a great afternoon, and plans were made to go see Spiderman 2 that evening. Just to make a good thing better, Tuesday is free popcorn day.

Rain Tuesday night - we planned the perfect time to be at the lake.

We're All Here

Tom arrived back from the wedding on Sunday, and we rented a van so all 7 of us could go riding around in the same vehicle. Today Dylan spent almost the whole morning playing Everquest with Auntie Jana. They've created a new character, and they're having a ball figuring it out.
This morning Dick worked at the agency. He was really busy, including 2 walk-ins. Chip spent the morning cleaning the pontoon boat - and it wasn't easy. First clean-up of the season. I just did errands, and helped Tom return his rental car.
This afternoon, Jana slept, Laurie, Chip, and Dick went walking around downtown Traverse City. Laurie wanted to find some decorative items for her new house - maybe with a cherry theme. But they didn't find anything. Laurie thinks that the downtown shops are too similar. Dylan and Tom went to the Tunnel of Doom for more adventures!
This evening we all went out to dinner at The Big Easy and it was most enjoyable!

Cherry Royale

Dylan says:
I went to the parade. My favorite thing was the floats. Especially the school ones. The school ones were bug ones that were really cute. People were walking up and down the streets selling things. I tried to sell mushrooms but it wasn't any use. Great-Grandma let me have a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot of chocolate.

Auntie Jana got to Grandma and Grandpa's house. We went in the river, explored the island, got stuck in the currents, then got tired. Then we went through the Tunnel of Doom - it was very exhausting and the obstacles were tremendous.
Then we had a campfire. I collected wood and got sticks and burned them and made smoke pictures and sent sparks everywhere. We had S'mores.

When you're exploring the island that me and Auntie Jana explored, avoid the Mud of Doom which can also be found in the Tunnel of Doom. Be careful - the Mud of Doom can slip your shoes off and they could get stuck there forever unless you have an extreme puller-out shoe expert like Auntie Jana.
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Up, up, and away early to go guard Mom's front yard before the Cherry Royale Parade.

Mom was nervous because we were a little late, and she thought we would get blocked out of the driveway, but all was well. Jeff Culver came over as soon as we got there and asked for permission to use Mom's yard for his cookout - he already had everything set up. In exchange, he provided beer and hot dogs. The parade was nice this year. The temperature was perfect, we sat in the shade, and we had pleasant people sitting by us. Dylan is old enough now to sit down and really enjoy the proceedings. Mom surived the afternoon OK - although she was very tired. She ate two of Jeff's hotdogs! We were amazed.
Chip had fun going between Jeff's party and the Hardy Party, which was one block south.
Dick stayed home because he was meeting Jana's plane at 2 p.m. Jana arrived safely. After we all got home, Jana and Dylan spent about 2 hours playing in the river. After a great steak dinner, we had a campfire and S'mores. A very pleasant day.
Today was the wedding day of Peter Garfield and Laura Sices, in Cleveland. Their wedding was at 4 p.m. Tom was a groomsman. Peter didn't have a best man - he had 3 groomsmen: his best friend from high school, college, and grad school. Best wishes to them from us.

Cherry Festival

Dylan says:
We went to the Cherry Festival. I got cherries and an ice cream sandwich. We went on a ride called the Paratrooper. It was very fun. Then we went on the bumper cars. It was fun and I knew how to drive it. Then we went to a ride called 1001 Nights. Then we went on the Tilt-a-Whirl. And then we ran out of tickets. And Daddy wouldn't let us get any more. Then we went to a different section of the Cherry Festival where you had to use money instead of tickets. I went on a big bouncy ride with bungee cords. Then I went on a jungle filled with air and slid down a volcano slide, somersaulted through trees, and avoided the big air-filled birds that Daddy was pushing at me from the outside. Then we ran out of money and we couldn't go on any more rides.
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Dick worked at the Visitor Center this morning, and we all met him at noon when he was finished. We went across to the Festival tents, and had lunch. We shared our table with Barb, Melissa, Autumn, and Brooke - what are the odds?!? Also saw Shelly and Kelvin.
As Dylan said, the rides were very much fun, and by 3:30 we had all had enough of the Festival Festivities.
Mancino's Pizza for dinner - and I'm too full!
Happy Cherry Festival

Daddy Came

Dylan says:
Daddy came today. It was very exciting.

We planned to attack and tickle Uncle Tom. I had a Lincoln Log Challenge against Uncle Tom, and I won.
We made a farm. Uncle Tom made a frogleg factory. I don't know what the heck a frogleg factory is.

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Chip arrived at 1:15 p.m. We're all really glad to have him here. Tom went bike riding at the Vasa Trail. Tom and I went to town to pick up his suit at the cleaner's and to pick up his rental car for the weekend. He got a black Neon. He says it's OK.
Ted and Birdie Grignon stopped by with their friends Jerry and Joyce. They're all travelling in a big motor home. The ten of us went out to dinner at Hofbrau in Interlochen. It was really crowded and busy, but we had great service anyway!

Dylan Days 2 and 3

Dylan says:
Yesterday we went to the library and got a lot of books.

I got to eat chocolate at Great-Grandma's, and Mommy let me eat more than usual.

We found a baby alligator snapping turtle at the river. Uncle Tom is a scientist, and he thought it was just a regular snapping turtle.
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On Monday, Grandpa made M&M pancakes for Dylan, and they were yummy. They are Dylan's favorites. We played more computer games (are you surprised?).
In the afternoon, Dick put the mower deck on the big tractor, and mowed the entire lawn. While he was doing that,we went to visit Great Grandma, and she really enjoyed seeing Tom without his pony tail! And she kept Dylan well supplied with chocolate.
When we got home, Laurie and Dylan went exploring down by the pond. Back here at the riverside deck, they found a baby alligator snapping turtle - we were amazed - they're not supposed to live in our area.
Tom went biking at the Sand Lakes Quiet Area, and he liked those trails much better than the Vasa trails.
Laurie, Tom and I watched "Firetrap" starring Dean Cain. It was one of those gross out towering inferno type movies.
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Today, Tuesday July 6, Dick made breakfast again - scrambled eggs with sausage and bacon. Very yummy indeed. It was pouring down rain - very heavy at times - so we had to stay indoors and play on the computer and in the play room. In the afternoon, we went to the movies - Laurie, Dick and I went to see Fahrenheit 9/11, and Tom and Dylan saw Around the World in 80 Days. After the movies, Uncle Tom let Dylan get a temporary tattoo (!) and a ride on the Carousel.

Dylan is Here

Dylan says:
I played with Uncle Tom today. And played with Grandma and Grandpa.
P.S. The airplane ride was very boring.

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Dick and I spent most of the morning changing bed linens and moving Dick to my room.

Laurie and Dylan arrived at 3 p.m. Their flight was delayed because of the Blue Angels. But then the Air Show was cancelled anyway because of bad weather. After waiting such a long time, they were glad to get here, and we were very glad to see them.
Dylan wanted to play both Harry Potter and Everquest, so we've had a grand old time.

Tom is Here

Tom arrived this morning, all in one piece. We dropped his suit off at the dry cleaners so it will be ready for Peter's wedding next week. We took a swing through town and saw the crowds of people heading to the Bay for the Blue Angels Show.
We went home, Tom freshened up, and then put his bike together. He and Dick went over to the Vasa Trail - Tom went biking, and Dick re-checked one of his caches.

We had a great steak dinner,

watched a little TV,

and went to bed early.
Laurie and Dylan arrive tomorrow at 12:30.