We have been waffling back and forth on going to Mackinac this year. We weren't going to go because of some big vacation plans that came up for this coming winter. Then we were all sad we weren't going. But we didn't want to go if the weather was cold. So we stalked the weather and finally decided on Friday to leave on Sunday and come home on Tuesday. We didn't tell the kids. We wanted to surprise them because they were so sad about not going. We packed up Saturday night with plans to leave when Lincoln woke up Sunday morning. Big surprise:he slept late. In the morning, Adelyn was all ticked off because she couldn't find her tooth brush. Yes, I said her tooth brush. We got in the truck and Joelle wanted to know why we had so much stuff with us. We get on the highway and Brecken said "Why are we going this way?" We told him we were trying a new way. We get close to Grand Rapids and Adelyn said "I'm missing Kid's Zone. We aren't going to church, are we?" So we asked them what vacation they were sad about missing and right away everyone said "Mackinac Island!" We said "Surprise! We are going!!" There was lots of choruses of "This is the best surprise ever!" "I can't wait to see the horsies!!" "I can't wait to ride the boat!" So much fun:)
We got up there and, much to my dismay, there were Mayflies. Lots of Mayflies. Shepler's assured me, this was nothing. They said "See that white building? When it's bad, it's black." So, so gross. You can't shoo them away. They smear. There are swarms everywhere. If they are bad, when you come back across and are loading your luggage in, you are literally picking them out of your car the whole way home. Thankfully, it was super windy on the way back and they were not out.
Sunday night it rained. Monday morning was beautiful. We grabbed our bikes and headed off down Main Street. Why come in May, you say? Because of the picture below. What's missing from it? The people. No people. Yay. We actually got a talking to from one of the carriage drivers on the way back through town. They banned training wheels this year from Main Street and Front Street. You can have them anywhere but there. They had some incidents last year with horses scaring and people getting hurt. He said it wasn't a big deal since it wasn't busy now, but we could get ticketed for it. Maybe they should start telling the ferry service that so we don't pay to bring our BIKES WITH TRAINING WHEELS across. :)
Stone skipping lesson
They try so hard. Good thing they are cute:)
They re-did the stairs to Arch Rock! They have been dismantled for the past 3 years. A mudslide/trees falling ruined the last one. This set of stairs is MUCH nicer.
Pretty view
Looking up towards the top.
Adelyn was enamored with taking pictures. She thought it was so cool that I let her use the big camera. One of her pictures.
There were a lot of carriage tours going on. The kids really wanted to go. We explained that we took them one time, when Brecken and Joelle were 1, and it was the carriage ride from hell. Sorry, but it's true. {We didn't use "that word" with them.} We told them that Lincoln wouldn't like it and we would love to fork over $200 for a carriage ride when Lincoln was older. We were, however, permitted to pet these horses. That was an acceptable solution:)
View from Arch Rock.
Stopped someone so we could get a family picture
These next few are the results of {mostly} Adelyn's handiwork. Brecken and Joelle had to take some too.
One of the pretty churches. I would love to attend some year. Again, when my children are older. ;)
It was so warm out when we got back we decided to pack a lunch and eat on the lawn in front of the fort. Can't say we do that every year in May.
The boys eating.
The girls eating
Also can't say we have had to go to Doud's to pick up popsicles and sunscreen in May either. Lincoln was burning so I decided I better buy sun screen instead of looking like Mother of the Year.
After lunch we went shopping. The kids had brought there money from Papa so they all wanted to pick something out. We had to go in sooooo many stores and nothing has wanted to make me shoot myself more. We had a good conversation about not picking out something that we thought looked cute just because but to make sure it was something we REALLY wanted. It was a fine line we tried to walk between letting them pick what they wanted and having to suggest that maybe that wasn't such a good idea. We went through a few and I saw a jewelry/bead store. Adelyn was in heaven. So she got a necklace made.
Picking out some jewels with Daddy.
Brecken really wanted a fishing pole. We have fishing poles. But he did end up finding a fishing pole GAME. He thought that was pretty sweet. Joelle ended up with a stuffed animal. They love calling them by their given names. This one was called Tasha. She couldn't remember it for the life of her. Every.single.time. "I got a stuffed animal!! .......what's her name again?" Eric suggested thinking of a new name. She said "But I LIKE Tasha!" I suggested a new name. Same thing. Finally, after we got home and I had told her the name for the 123rd time, I said "How about something we can remember easier? Maybe Pinky or Stripes or Sparkle?" She said "Yeah! Let's call her Sparkle!" Sparkle it is.
After all the bike riding, lunching and shopping we were EXHAUSTED. We put a movie on for the kids so Lincoln could get a nap. He wasn't the only one who ended up sleeping. Brecken was smart and laid in bed with us, so he could snack ;)
Tuesday morning we went swimming and did some more shopping before hitching a ride on the {rocky} ferry back home.
Me and the little mister. He LOVED swimming. We went three times and he just adored it. The pool was really warm. The first time I tried to just plunk him in his ring. Oh he was ticked. The next few times, I held him initially and then plunked him in. He stayed in the entire time the kids did, all three times.
We bought all the kids kid sized goggles this year. Adelyn and Brecken were in love. They thought they were so cool jumping in the pool:)
They loved holding hands and jumping in.
Lincoln floating.
Joelle does NOT like to get her face wet. She will happily swim and play in the water but is not such a fan of getting her head wet. The first night I told her she had to jump in the pool before she could get in the hot tub. She wouldn't do it. So I told her I would do it with her and hold her hand. She actually did it and I didn't have to drag her in! I was impressed.
Family shot with the self-timer. Pretty impressive for only taking one ;)
Ferry ride back! It was soooo choppy. While we were picking out fudge, we grabbed these for the kids. Chocolate/sprinkle covered marshmallows. Yum. It was a rocky ride back.
Lincoln trying not to fall asleep..
So glad we went. Such a fun time. It was sunny and warm and beautiful Sunday and Monday. It was COLD on Tuesday. It actually snowed on the way home. I pretended it wasn't happening.
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