Happy Fourth!

I couldn't think of any better sentiment to share on Independence Day than this verse above -- a repeat from last year but paired with a recent photo taken at the Air Force museum in Dayton. Wishing you a long sunny weekend, wherever you are! And to those of you in the States, a holiday filled with fun and gratefulness for this sweet country we call home.

Home for the Holidays

These are kind of all over the place, but just a small (and belated - jeez) glimpse of our holidays, pulled from a sea of snowy landscape pictures, group photos, and blurry shots of little nephews running around. Although not shown or shared below, there are reasons this Christmas will always be extra special to us.

The celebrating started at my parents' on Christmas Eve, moved to Q's family later in the week, and ended back at our house for New Year's with some friends. Unlike the photo of me glued to a camera suggests (along with our friends' two year-old mastering my iphone!), the majority of our break was spent away from that stuff... just hanging out, reading books, and eating too much food. Hey, can we do it all over again?

Tree Hunting

Q and I have a fake Christmas tree, but still continue the tradition of all going to the farm to cut one down for my parents' house. Nothing compares to a real pine tree!

I always hope for snow when we go... it seems like when we were kids we'd end up sledding and playing around in some kind of amazing winter wonderland while my parents searched for the perfect tree. This year there was no sign of snow but we did freeze like crazy, so there was that...

Along The Huron

We took a scenic drive along the Huron River a few weeks ago and brought the camera along, only to have the battery die just after parking the car to take this photo (I always forget to check the battery). I'd love to make that drive one more time (with functioning camera) before all the trees turn bare!

If you're looking for anything to read or check out this weekend, here are just a few links I wanted to share:

Mary's honest, awesome series about their first deployment.

"One More Try" on The Voice blew me away.

Simple photography setup.

What we're seeing tonight.

A wonderful, cozy apple treat.

For A Monday.

Hope your November is off to a good start! It has been quite chilly (yet beautiful) here in Michigan these past few weeks of autumn.  Above are recent pics from my instagram: Minnie in a purring trance, and day & night shots exploring around town.

I'm still struck by how different life is right now for those affected by the hurricane, so this report of things from the other side is worth a read.

All Around Us

October is probably my favorite. I have so many good memories of it as a kid, partly because my birthday was four days before Halloween (ahem), but also because it was predictable: you knew there'd be pumpkins, leaves covering the lawn (and a lot of darn raking on our tree-lined street), visits to the apple orchard, and the short-lived excitement of pulling out coats and boots again.

We're visiting my parents this weekend, so I'm looking forward to some of that childhood familiarity. In the meantime, these are a few scenes around us lately...fall is in full swing. Have a great weekend.

October Weekend

It seems like every year, fall has this way of stealing your heart all over again. Have a wonderful weekend!

(photo from an evening walk this week.)

A Look Back at Summer

Before summer is too far gone, here's a look back at ours. We felt blessed to have done so many things with my family, being that is was the first summer of my dad's retirement, and the last that my brother will be nearby. Though it had its highs and lows, some of the highlights included our annual trip to Black Lake, a few date nights, visiting our oldest brother's family in Florida, reading good books, and trying to eat healthier. And now, fall is most welcome.

(photos from my phone and instagram feed)

Women's Retreat

A glimpse of my weekend spent at the Camp Arcadia Women's Retreat (every year Q's mom and sisters take a trip somewhere together). The camp is on the shore of Lake Michigan, has an inn and cottages, trading post (as any camp should), outdoor chapel on the beach, and the most wonderful food. That sunset was waiting for us the night we arrived...

Evening at Box Bar

We ended up downtown on Monday night and had a dinner date at Box Bar. It's one of the main restaurants surrounding the park, yet we've never eaten there before (we treated ourselves to a Reuben sandwich and black bean burger - neither of which made it on camera). It was that pretty time of evening when all of the lights come on and glow with what's left of the sun.

Labor Day (at Black Lake)

Back we went to Black Lake for the long weekend, with my best friend, our families, one dog, two tents, and a pop-up camper. Last year we had cold, cold fall weather over Labor Day, but this time it was hot and sunny all weekend long. Hope you enjoyed yours!

Plymouth Park

Sunday afternoon at Plymouth park looked a bit like this. Sunny, blue skies, and full of greenery. (A lot different than in the winter, but both are good in different ways.) Enjoy the long weekend!

Black Lake (Part 2)

The rest of our trip photos (see part one here) are mostly of water: the indoor pool at Black Lake and the marina in nearby Mackinaw City.

The pool captures the feel of this entire place - I love every detail, from the black pendants and wood arched ceiling to the blue & white tiles and aqua painted staircase. And visiting Mackinaw on a gloomy day seems to be tradition for us, but the views from the marina looking out on the water are oh so good.

Black Lake (Part 1)

This is Black Lake.

My parents used to come up here back in the day (about 30 years ago) and our family has now gone for the past 11 summers. It sits on acres upon acres of wooded land in northern Michigan, as a private UAW education center built in the late 60s. Nature enthusiast Walter Reuther designed all of the buildings to run harmoniously throughout the woods and blend in with their surroundings, and they do.

There are classrooms, the main lodge, hotel rooms, a gymnasium, pool, and dining hall all with floor to ceiling windows and incredible wooded views. Each building is connected by above-ground tunnels lined with windows, too. There is also a campground (where we stay), cabins, beach, and golf course. Crazy, right? You can easily find yourself lost here, indoors or out. It's also a haven to beautiful deer, hungry raccoons, and cute chipmunks.