Michigan Trip - Part 1

 After returning home from Disney this summer, we had five full days to recover before repacking for our second vacation-- a trip to Michigan! The kids were especially thrilled to fly in an airplane. This wasn't the first time our kids have flown, but it had been a while since we'd done so. None of them remembered much about the experience, so they couldn't wait! In preparation for the flight, all three kids packed their own bag of activities and picked out a bag of candy.

I also purchased some Yes & No books, similar to what I remember so fondly from my younger years. Jaden and Cody loved solving puzzles with the magic pen, which made for great entertainment at the airport!

Unfortunately, we had a VERY rotten travel experience on our journey out to Michigan. Because tickets to airports in western Michigan are a bit pricey, we planned to fly into Chicago and rent a car to get us to Michigan. An hour before we headed to the airport, we heard that our flight was completely cancelled. Rebooking our flight by phone was a no-go, as the hold time to speak with an agent was 90 minutes!! So, we drove to the aiport anyway where Jason had a looong visit with the airport agents. Thankfully, they eventually booked us a new flight, through Dallas this time, later that same day. Instead of arriving in Chicago by 5:00 that evening, our plane finally landed at 9:45. Our troubles didn't end there... We soon found out that our rental car company had closed down for the evening, even though we had called ahead of time to share our ETA. So frustrating! Jason (our heroic problem solver of the day!) finally was able to get another vehicle from a different company, thankfully, but we didn't climb into our beds at the hotel until nearly 1:00am! Not surprisingly the kids were exhausted. Here is what our drive to Michigan looked like the next day.

Our primary reason for going to Michigan was to celebrate the 150th anniversary of St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Big Rapids, where Jason's family had lived when he was in elementary school. It was a smaller, beautiful church.

The church had asked both Jason and his dad to preach for the weekend. Jason felt honored to have this role. He and his dad both did a wonderful job. They shared duties in the two services-- Jason did liturgy and communion in the first while his dad preached, and then they swapped roles for the second service. 

This was Jason's first time wearing a pastoral robe and stole for a service. Doesn't he look sharp? It was so fun seeing this father/son duo share their ministry gifts together.

Uncle Jon was visiting friends nearby in Michigan on the same weekend, so he attended the early morning service in Big Rapids as well.

We were so pampered by this congregation over the weekend with potluck dinners, a dessert social, hotel goodie bags, and kind words. Jason and his parents especially liked connecting with the long-standing church members they had known for many years. The kids and I even got to meet some of Jason's old elementary school teachers. The time spent visiting with these church members was so enjoyable that I neglected to take any photos of these gatherings! Regardless, we will definitely still treasure our time with this special congregation.

In addition to attending church functions, we spent a little time touring Big Rapids. Jason and his parents drove us by some memorable locations-- the two homes where Jason's family had lived, Jason's old Little League fields, the corner store where he bought goodies after his paper route, some favorite restaurants, and the babyland cemetery where Jason's stillborn brother Andrew was buried. It was so special to get this window into their Big Rapids life.

After our time in Big Rapids, our family of five drove to Ludington, MI, for some sightseeing. We picked up some fast food and ate lunch at a park right on the shores of Lake Michigan. So pretty! From this park, we could see the SS Badger car ferry arrive and depart.

The kids had a great time on the play equipment. Notice that our Texas children all requested their jackets with the cool waterfront air (even though it was June!).

What a beautiful day! Following the park playtime, we met up with friends from our Montana days, the Huls family, who now live in Michigan. My friend Maggie and her three kids, Teddy, Piper, and Benjamin, joined us at the beach. The lake water was soooo chilly (for me, at least) but it didn't stop the kids' enthusiastic play!

The kids spent most of their time building in the sand.

The funniest thing was when the kids asked to be buried in the sand, and we realized we could make them into Egyptian sphinx-like creatures. They all looked hilarious!

After several hours at the beach, we bid adieu to Maggie and her kids for the day. Our family explored some more of Ludington on our own... 

enjoying the soft Michigan grass at a park,

...playing mini-golf,

...swimming in the hotel pool,

...and seeing the popular Ludington Breakwater Lighthouse. Actually, the kids were in a grumpy mood about walking (all the way!!) down the pier to see the lighthouse, so I visited this tourist trap on my own. They sure missed out! Such gorgeous Michigan views!