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Our beach, Mount Battie & food!

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Our view to the left.
Our view to the right.

There were LOTS of rocks between us and the beach.

Heading back up to the house to get ready for the day’s adventure!

On top of Mount Battie.

Then it was off to the surprise for the kids—Uncle Willy’s Candy Shoppe. They each got $10 to spend there ($5 from Grauntie Rose and $5 from me) and Katie spent all of it plus some of her own while Owen didn’t spend a penny and saved it instead.

This was one of the things she got—fruit flavored if you were wondering.

And this was what I got—it was interesting.

Then we went to mom’s favorite place for dinner—The Happy Clam. And of course I had to try their infamous Blueberry margarita!

Katie was enthralled with the old school playground so she spent most of her time out there! After dinner we took pictures!

Then Owen got involved!

Maine, I am in you.

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My mom said this was probably going to be their last trip to Maine—so I took both kids out of school for a week and off we went!

And with my mom, the reason for the vacation!

Looking up at the beach cottage from the fire pit.

Two-pound lobsters for dinner? Yes, please! Katie hated it (color me not surprised) and Owen liked it. Tomorrow we’ll have lobster rolls.

Katie wasn’t thrilled with any of it.

Owen tried everything—from cracking to eating.

After dinner they surprised me with a birthday cake—complete with 50 candles!

Friday Fave: rum punch

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I always thought I didn’t like rum…but as it turns out I don’t like SPICED rum or coconut rum. So when we were on our family cruise in 2019 and our snorkeling with the turtles excursion came with unlimited rum punch, I learned that I actually quite liked rum punch. But it wasn’t really a drink we made ourselves.

Fast forward a bit to our friend David saying he made the best Trinidadian rum punch…and by golly he did. Wow. So every now and again he’d make a batch for us and we actually drank it so much we kinda tired of it. (It was even a favorite drink at the 2022 Hudson Summer Bash.)

But every once in awhile now we’ll have it again…but there’s no way the four of us can finish it these days, so that means we get leftovers! So I know what I’m drinking tonight!!

Are you a rum punch fan?

Friday Fave: Rum punch

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I always thought I didn’t like rum…but as it turns out I don’t like SPICED rum or coconut rum. So when we were on our family cruise in 2019 and our snorkeling with the turtles excursion came with unlimited rum punch, I learned that I actually quite liked rum punch. But it wasn’t really a drink we made ourselves.

Fast forward a bit to our friend David saying he made the best Trinidadian rum punch…and by golly he did. Wow. So every now and again he’d make a batch for us and we actually drank it so much we kinda tired of it. (It was even a favorite drink at the 2022 Hudson Summer Bash.)

But every once in awhile now we’ll have it again…but there’s no way the four of us can finish it these days, so that means we get leftovers! So I know what I’m drinking tonight!!

Are you a rum punch fan?

Michigan State game day!

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Owen has mentioned more than once he’d like to attend MSU and today he said he really liked it (but to be fair, it’s the first real campus he’s been on and he didn’t see much of it). I then asked if he wanted a pic on the campus of his future alma mater…and he obliged. Unbelievably it’s just 3.5 years away.

We got free tickets from Vettix and Grannie went with us!

We got some souvenirs—and Tom got a Sparty Party beer!

We had a cool view.

Right in front of the scoreboard!

This cute little one was in front of us!

Unfortunately they didn’t play too well and lost so that was a bummer. But we still had a good time!

And on the way back to the hotel, we took a mini detour and drove by the capitol.

Agate Day 4

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Lunch prep!
They all pottied!
Tom’s project—fixing and refinishing the gliding bench! Which I found out was a wedding present!
Annual mini golf outing while Anna and I shopped!

ESRAY PARK OUTING — The kids love coming here—climbing the rocks, playing in the water, finding creatures…

We didn’t match them up for an exact redo but we’re just happy they’re all in it and smiling!
After our dinner out!

Friday Fave: Thimbleberry margaritas

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This is something I only get one week a year — and ONLY if we pass through Calumet while Carmelita’s is open!

Thimbleberry Margaritas

The thimbleberry is a berry unique to certain areas of the US — and the upper peninsula is one of them. And they’ve gone and turned it into a delicious drink! (They also make jam but give me the margarita!)

If you’re ever in the area, please stop by and try one! We even get two pitchers to go to enjoy throughout the week since it’s an hour round trip to get them!

Seriously, Lansing?

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We decided to stay the night in Lansing on the way home so we wouldn’t have to drive the full 6 hours at night…plus we’d get a chance to stop and visit with Beth and Jim and shop at our favorite Horrocks in the morning.

And then we noticed this when we were heading to dinner. Ughhhh. It wasn’t like that when we left Reese… So in the half hour we were in the hotel room, this happened in the hotel parking lot.

AND THEN! I realized that someone stole my unicorn magnet, too! Like, seriously?!

The Len Christmas in July is over!

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It’s now just a gathering with food (lots of food!) and catching up…and euchre!

Plus we get the chance to get the kids together for comparison pics!! (They were all really good sports about it, too!)

Nick (18) and Owen (14) have been going back-and-forth over the years, but Owen is taller now (he was taller than everyone except Tom!).
2013—Katie (1) • Owen (4) • Aubrey (almost 5) • Grace (almost 7) • Nick (almost 9)
The three close birthdays!