Family Photo

This afternoon we went to have pictures done. My original thought was to get some updated ones of the kids, since I think the last ones are from about 4 years ago. Then, I thought, while we were there, we would try some family pictures - considering we haven't had one done since Sydney was born. I don't think anyone enjoyed the photo session, but here is what we came up with!

Trick or Treat

Loved this idea (courtesy of Martha Stewart)!

Sydney decided on being a cheerleader this year - she figured this costume wouldn't be itchy!

Nate decided it would be more fun passing out candy than to dress up - indeed him and dad had lots of fun!

Sydney and her cousin Andy.

Is there a ghost in the house???

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

County Line Orchard

This weekend I drug the family to the apple orchard. Ernie was going along with the idea, even though he questioned my better judgment when we arrived and the parking lot was FULL. Apparently I wasn't the only one trying to collect some last minute apples.

Sydney was so excited she was running down the aisles! She had come to the orchard earlier this year on a school field trip, but was happy to bring mom and dad and teach us how to pick apples!

Ernie apparently was confused at this moment!

Sydney to the rescue to show him the proper way of picking apples!

Strolling through the orchard...

Busted!

Is that a second apple???

And now gracefully getting rid of the evidence!

Walking away with our loot!

Who knew we would end up with so many apples?! Now, off to the cookbooks to find some good recipes to put these apples to use!

Pillow Cases

So, I just wanted to show off the fact that I really can be domestic! I recently got some new bedding and wanted to add some pillowcases. So, I decided to dust off the sewing machine and get to work. This is what I ended up with.

So, we stayed another night in Mackinaw City so that we could go to the island today.

We took Shepler's boat ferry across to the island.

You get a perfect view of the bridge from the island and get a true appreciation for how big it really is!

Unfortunately, we were unable to swim due to the dangerous currents!

While on the island, we did some looking for our next vacation home. What do you think?!

Believe it or not, behind all this greenery, there is a house - covered on 3 sides by greenery with access to the beach on the other side. Talk about seclusion!

We walked down to Mission Point Resort (where my family stayed many years ago).

Along the way, we stopped for a photo - I finally learned how to use the self timer.

We also got to see our family's own B&B (just kidding!).

Unfortunately, tours had ended at Fort Mackinaw so we only got this view of it.

Overall, we had a great time, despite the cold temperatures!

The Upper Peninsula

Today, we crossed the Mackinaw Bridge into the Upper Peninsula.
Just over the bridge in St. Ignace is Castle Rock where visitors can see a giant statue of Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox.

We then headed to Saute Saint Marie to the Soo Locks.
Inside the visitors center I got a lesson on how a lock works. I also found this display interesting about the depths of the Great Lakes. A vessel was coming into the lock just as we arrived.

Here's the vessel just before it left the lock.

After leaving the locks, we went on a very scenic route headed to Whitefish. On the way, we stop at the Lighthouse at Point Iroquois in the Hiawatha Nathional Forest. The area is native Indian ground.

We did indeed climb the 72 steps to the top of the lighthouse. I was concerned about how to know if there were already 5 people in the lighthouse!

The view from the top was amazing!

Leave it to my husband to have to dip his foot in the water because according to him, he had never been in Lake Superior!

Our scenic route continued - at one point the trees almost formed a tunnel.

We finally made it to Whitefish Point (a.k.a. The Graveyard of ships) Lighthouse and planned to see the Shipwreck Museum. However, we weren't interested enough to pay $21 each to get into a museum that is about the size of our house. So, instead, we stopped in the gift shop, grabbed a drink, and were on our way!

Our next stop was the Tahquamenon Falls State Park to see the Lower Falls.

We did also stop at the Upper Falls, located further down the road. However, we didn't actually make it the falls. We were tempted by the microbrewery at the entrance and attempted to have something to eat (since there's hardly anywhere to stop and eat in this area of the UP) - unfortunately, it was packed. Instead we ate a brat and nachos from the outside eatery and decided to leave afterwards, as we were both tired and ready to get back to the hotel! Maybe next time I will be smart enough to pack a cooler and some snacks.

On the Road Again

This morning we left for Mackinaw City, MI and on the way stopped at a rest area with a scenic turnout. This is what we saw. Not much different view than what we were seeing in the car!