Trails End

Drive down a remote 2-mile "driveway" in Atlanta (ahem, Michigan) and you'll end up at Trails End, the 100-acre property that Jen's parents have owned for decades.

Thanks to Brett and Jen, some very awesome Memorial Day memories were made this year for our families! Back in the day, waaaaaaaaay before any of us had kids, we used to go up to Trails End in the spring for morel mushroom hunting (everything I know about morels I first learned from Jen's Dad) and in the fall to golf at Elk Ridge (one of the most beautiful courses to golf with fall colors). We have some great memories from those days with all our friends! Hiking, lounging, playing, eating at the Elbow Inn, and the sights of a crystal clear night sky and sounds from the woods during a late-night bonfire stay with you forever.

Clear Lake State Park beach

After an eight year absence at Trails End, all those memories came rushing back this Memorial weekend with a return trip - with 5 kids! - to Trails End. The trip was a bit nostalgic for all of us - this being our first time back since Jen's dad's passing (his presence was missed but his spirit was felt) and the Johnson's first time back since the passing of her brother, AJ.

It was a bit like "camping", although there are "shelters" to stay in - there's the main trailer that's the house, then there's a motor home, a camper and a loft space above the garage. Only the home had running water so it felt a bit like "roughing" it, at least by Faust standards. We welcomed the opportunity to immerse our girls in the Great Outdoors since, honestly, these rustic experiences may not come around (ummm, or be sought out) that often. The Johnson girls got the trailer, Jen's mom got the motor home, the boys got the loft (the first night since they were up early the next morning to go golfing), and we got the camper.

The comfortable camper

Kayla and Khloe tell me that the best part of the trip was sleeping in the camper! Together! I know for a fact they loved it because they both slept in until at least 9am each morning! My mom was worried about how Kayla would do; I was worried about how Aaron would hold up. As it turns out, we all survived our Trails End camping experience! Great friends and great memories!

 Smores and bonfires - the epitome of camping.

This picture was taken around 9pm, but look how light it is still!

 Besides being the "Elk Capital of Michigan", Atlanta is known for morel mushrooms. We skillfully learned to hunt for them and love their taste from our weekends years ago at Trails End. We were so excited to go morel mushroom hunting again this time - just look at all we found! 

Actually, that's a lie.

These are store-bought.

Although Jen and I spent an afternoon searching for them we couldn't find one. We told ourselves we wouldn't give up until we found AT LEAST ONE, but we eventually failed at that simple goal. I think we were about a week behind for prime picking.  Fortunately Jen's mom knew this and had purchased a pound of them before we arrived. Ymmmmmm! 

Jen's mom also "saved" a few from right around the house that we had the girls go "search" for.

 Woohoo! Three morels! (Yes, they are tiny! Squint and you can see them!)

 We could not have lucked out with a more perfect weather weekend! Memorial Weekend in Michigan is notoriously cold, rainy and yucky. RARELY is it nice enough to swim or boat. The nice weather spontaneously led us to Clear Lake State Park just a mile down the road. The air was warm, the water WAS NOT, but that didn't stop the kids from swimming!

For reasons no one will ever fully understand, the boys decided to do exercises on the beach.

The 100-acre property has 2 lakes on it - a small one close to the house where the bonfire pit is and another one, probably about a 50 acre lake, down a 1/2 mile path through the woods. We spent time at both. Kayla even went fishing for the FIRST TIME and caught her first fish! She was the only one who caught anything! After the fish she even caught a turtle on her hook too!

The 'big' lake

Yes, we went swimming after we took our shoes, socks and pants off! Hey, there were NO boys around!

 

Ahh! I just LOVE this northern MI scenery

 Two little peanuts "catching fish"

Somehow these 3 year olds seem so much cuter and funnier and sweeter than their siblings were at 3 years old. Jen assures me that their siblings were also this cute at 3; it just seems this way now because they're the "babies".

Thanks for the invitation Johnson's! We wouldn't trade the mouse murder mystery and tick endemic for anything!

Our life

Here's your window

into our crazy, silly, fast-paced, unexpected, over-joyed, love-filled

LIFE!

One is sweet, one is crazy. Can you figure it out?

 Oh humidity. How you make my little girl's hair so curly!

 Trying on and playing in mommy's shoes is a favorite activity, and usually I end up having to search the entire house to find my shoes.

 Aaaaaaaaahhhhh. Soaking up this rocking cuddle time with my sweet baby girl

School lunch with my almost-graduated-first-grader

Apparently it helps to stick out your tongue when flying a kite

What every second of every day of our life is truly all about:

Love my life!

15 years

Where did 15 years go? How did that happen? When did that happen? It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating our 7 year wedding anniversary.

Family selfie 

Here's what 15 year of wedded bliss looks like!

I wasn't looking to celebrate this anniversary in any formal or fancy way, and honestly was okay with not celebrating it at all, but Aaron really wanted to do something. It was his idea to celebrate it together as a family, and I really liked the idea. Why not bring the girls along to let them celebrate our marriage with us?! I commended Aaron on this being one of his Top Five ideas ever; he said Top Fifty.

Aaron took care of all of the arrangements. He booked the hotel about 40 miles from home but near to the place we wanted to eat dinner - Dave and Busters. (I was so excited to take the girls there for their first time! All they knew was that it was bigger and better than Chuck E Cheese and that had them excited!) Our plan was to leave in early afternoon on Saturday, go straight to Dave and Busters for dinner and games, and then head to the hotel for a night of swimming. We had a blast.

The girls were ecstatic. They talked about the "vacation" all week long. How sweet and innocent that traveling an hour from home for one night was such an exciting vacation for them. They loved getting packed up, traveling in the car (if only for such a short distance) and sleeping in the hotel. Their excitement was contagious and so we were ALL READY for quality family time!

 Winning tickets, playing games

 Khloe's favorite game by far is skee ball (she is a mini me!) but she is HORRIBLE at it (not a mini me); balls fly everywhere. Aaron's favorite game is Galaga/Ms. Pacman (which we couldn't pull him away from) and Kayla's is all of them.

Fruit Ninja supersized

 This game - which was not a game at all, it was more like a ride - was a riot.... as you can tell. A sign on the ride read "Hold on tight at all times". It was a riot to watch them laugh uncontrollably gripping on for dear life, and a riot for them to ride it. They loved it, especially Khloe. I think she's going to like roller coasters. What do you think? 

What a memorable 15 year celebration! 

Kayla asked if we can celebrate our 16 year wedding anniversary next year doing the same thing. :)

A new graduate

 Way to go Kayla! You worked hard for this Level 4 graduation! The last few weeks you had JUST ONE MORE skill to master, but the back handspring alluded you. Today was your LAST gymnastics class for the summer and we encouraged you all week to really focus on accomplishing this skill and try EXTRA hard and YOU DID IT! You did a back handspring, got your sticker and graduated to Level 5! We were so happy and you worked so hard that we celebrated with your choice of a treat! I asked you where you wanted to go and before you could open your mouth Khloe yelled with her fists pumped in the air "Yay! Tim Horton's! We get donuts!" Well, you decided on Dairy Queen instead!

My masterpiece

"A mother's greatest masterpiece are her children" which is why I was so excited to spend Mother's Day with my girls! It was a wonderful day that made me feel so blessed to have Aaron and my girls in my life!

 My angels that gave me the MOST important job I will ever have -  MOM!

Mother's Day was one of the first warmest days we've had so far this year. It was refreshing to feel 80 degree sun on our skin! So of course my choice of what I wanted to do as a family was to simply enjoy the outdoors together. We went out to lunch and sat outdoors (my request) and then went to a new park to play (the girls request). It was a PERFECT day! Thank you for making me feel so special and so loved!

Future water scientists

 One of my favorite days at Michigamme each year - Career Day! It's like grown-up show-n-tell, and I love show-n-tell. It never gets old letting kids try on my waders and letting kids experiment with my water pollution model. Kayla was in awe and so proud to have me there and that made me feel good to be there for her.

 It was so fun to spend the morning with the entire 1st grade. (Probably because I get to have fun for a few hours and then leave them with Mrs. Raymo. Ha!). First graders are great because they hang on every word you say, they have cute stories of their own to share, and they all want to be JUST LIKE YOU. 

 Mrs. Raymo's class

 My future water caretakers - influencing young minds is powerful!

 And then the class presented me with this special certificate and treat bag. Thank you Michigamme first graders!