Fall Camping - Bruin Lake

As the fall came, we decided to squeeze in one last camping trip before winterizing the trailer. 

This time, we headed to Bruin Lake State Park. 

We camped side by side with Mike and Irm and were even joined by cousin Tim and Edan for a night. 

The October weather was chilly and we had rain in the evenings (which gave us a chance to try out our new screen house), but even so, we had a wonderful time. 

The kids made fairy houses at the campsite and all sorts of other creations at the edge of the lake. 
We even had the opportunity to enjoy some of the fall colors by canoe. 
And in the evenings, we ended the day by making popcorn over the fire!

July 4th – Maiden Voyage for the Trailer

After quite a bit of preparation and even some “driveway camping”, we finally took our trailer on its maiden voyage to Ludington State Park, Michigan. 

It was a last minute attempt to get a campsite over the holiday weekend, and we had beginner’s luck – due to a last minute cancellation, we had a last minute reservation in a prime location.
 Our site was the last one in the loop, so we only had a neighbor on one side, woods in front of us, and sand dunes to Lake Michigan behind us. 

The kids spent hours running up and down the dunes, and playing along the water’s edge. 

Even though the camp was full, it was nice and quiet and the kids were able to ride scooters and tricycles to the bathhouse. 

We all decided that next time, we absolutely MUST stay longer!

Summer Fun - Making Ice Cream

What kid doesn’t love ice cream? 

We were blessed with a batch of fresh strawberries from our local Farmer’s Market, which were getting a little less than firm, but had fantastic taste. 

So we got out the old fashioned ice cream maker, gathered up our ingredients, and got the kids working! 

After quite a bit of churning, the mass of liquid started turning into a solid! 

And after letting it cure a little, everyone was treated to some of the best strawberry ice cream we’d ever had!

A Day at the Capital in Lansing, Michigan

Juliana and I were invited to spend a day at the capital with our local State Senator, Rebekkah Warren. 

It was a great introduction to our State Government for Juliana. 

We started in Sen. Warren’s office and then took a tour of the capital building. 

We got to see both chambers of the state legislature in session (they were off to caucus most of the time we were there), as well as were treated to lunch with the Senator and her staff. 

It was great to expose Juliana to another of the many of career paths a woman may take, as well as give her an up close and personal view of how one can interact with one’s elected representative.