Pure Michigan

wednesday i began to crave an adventure. i craved quality time with my children, cooler air, gorgeous scenery along the way, and a night sky so sublime that it steals our breath away.

thursday i scooped up my kids, packed the car and headed North to the top of the world.

but i didnt want to rush or keep track of time. i wanted the kids to experience the journey hands on.

stopping when they felt the need to stop. letting them feel and touch their way instead of trapping them inside the car watching it all go by through the glass. (they can do that at home on the internet).

this would be different. this was our journey. our escape. our vacation.

a time to enjoy our freedom and soak in the fresh air, sink our feet in the sand and gander at a horizon made of sparkly blue shimmers...everywhere.

no limits, no expectations.
just pure michigan.

and why is it that crossing the macinaw bridge...never gets old.

and either does a big fat hot vegetable pastie from my favorite pastie place in St Ignace:)

life is good up here i tell ya.

we pulled off the side of the road about 20 miles North of the bridge and the kids got a taste of what michigan is really about. they played and ran and soaked themselves as if the rest of the world did not exist.

because to them, it dont.

denver looked that of a boy who had never seen water before or felt sand on his toes, he played in complete amazement and it felt good. if we really stop and look and pay attention, there is nothing more rewarding than watching your kids learn and love life.

i could almost imagine a speech bubble above his head that read..

"learning in progress".

i planned on stopping to stay the night in a cabin along the way but the kids wanted to keep going,

and so we did.

its tradition to stop in Manistique at the Big Boy and play in the teepees.

it was chilly here.

i. love. it.

we attended a family reunion on saturday where the kids got to see lots of family they never knew.

denver got a tattoo at the tattoo booth and jumped in a huge inflatable thingy until he was on the brink of heat stroke. he didnt like me very much when i had to make him sit down and take a rest, but such is life. 

the sun was wretched, and we have the sunburn to prove it.

Sunday night me and Nev got the kids to sleep, tucked them in and snuck out to stargaze.

there is nothing that compares to the Michigan sky at night.

it was breathtaking.

its like a natural planetarium of dangling stars that seems almost 4-D.

clusters of contellations as far as you can see.

if we could have got to the top of the roof i bet i could have grabbed the big dipper and climbed up.

i remember being amazed by this as a little girl. i wanted Nev to see it too. it was surreal.

that 10 minutes we spent outside together looking up at those stars made the whole trip worth while in itself.

anywhere under that sky, is home.

up there is Gods country and i need more of it.

during our journey we were able to stop and see many things including The Cross in the Woods which was amazing. i went there when i was a little girl and barely remember it, so it was so awesome taking my kids there and experiencing it together and seeing their expressions.

there are many places to sit and take in the scenery, or ...to pray.

i prayed.

i prayed for my children.

i prayed for a safe journey home...

and i prayed for little Caylee.

i wonder what they're thinking about in this picture above.

but whatever it is its not for me to ask or to know.

the fact that the Lord can hear whatever it is, is good enough for me.

thats Gods business..

not mine.

they were given small handmade wooden crosses *for keeps* as mementos.

we'll write the date on them with sharpies and pitch them in their time capsules, and hopefully they'll remember that long lost stroll through the woods to the cross that was so high, that it touched the sky.

there is a small park near my aunts house i take the kids to play.

my cousin laughs at me for forever watching my back in fear of bears.

maybe their watching us, maybe their waiting for us to turn our backs so they can attack and gobble us up for supper. oh dear!

..or .. maybe i have a bad case of paranoia.

either way, im not taking any chances.

that bear bout to meet its match though if there ever was one.

 id load his hyde full of led in about 1.1 gigawatt seconds while the last thing he sees is the whites of my eyes.

we'd be having bear in my crock pot tonight.

mama aint playin.

denver talked to his dad on the phone and the first thing he said was he wanted to come home because he missed his trains and his train table. he also missed his brand new 4-wheeler we just got him the day before leaving.

 it was killing him slowly.

so we did what we had to do.

daddy met us up in frankenmuth with the dog and denvers new 4-wheeler taking up the whole back of the Aztek. Denver was riding it within minutes of getting to the hotel.

he wasnt so homesick anymore.

denver had a nightmare while we were gone about Chuckie Cheese.

so sissy told tales of Chuckie Cheese being a nice mouse and made up many, many stories to keep him occupied the rest of the trip, and make him feel better.

he couldnt get enough.

on our way home, while going through Toledo, we met up with one of Nevs online homeschooled friends.

they were so excited to meet and had a lovely time together in..McDonalds playland?

these girls are just cool.

but so is this guy..

i am so thankful.

~ my mom always told me how you can remember all the Michigan lakes because it spells HOMES.

Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior.~

i miss it dearly.