Up to Speed

Time to get caught up on my blog.  Let's see where was I? A lot has happened since my last update.  

 Ben and Amanda came to Michigan and visited with her family for a few days and then came up to Charlevoix for the rest of the week.  We got to see Amanda on her birthday and help her celebrate with gifts and then ice cream at Kilwins at night.  We had fun with them and Jamie and the kids came up too to spend time with them.  We played Rock Band since Ben brought it along and even Jacob played the drums and did quite well.  We went tubing in Lake Charlevoix and went for a couple boat rides too.  

The kids all left on Sat. and then Larry had a couple customers come in to Traverse City on Monday and we picked them up at the airport.  He took them around to see some things on Tues. and they left again on Wed.  We headed home Wed. afternoon and then Thurs. morning had Larry's WPO forum and wives on the boat for a ride down to South Haven.  Some rode with us and some met us in South Haven.  We had lunch on the boat then the forum had their meeting on the boat and the 4 wives who were there and I strolled casually through downtown S. Haven and ended up at the Idler to rest our feet and have something to drink.  When the meeting was done we had some snacks back on board the boat.  A few had to leave before dinner but we had a group of 11 who stayed for a great dinner at Clementines - our favorite in South Haven.

This was all the "kickoff" for a great Labor Day weekend in South Haven.  Our 20th in a row with our "boating friends" from Holland.  Also Chuck & Carol were there on the Lucky Joe and Karl and Linda Lohre came with their boat - Rollwind - all from the Chicago area.  Lohre's daughter Kristy drove up with her new puppy Kamen - SO CUTE!!  It was nice to spend the weekend with them too.  Jamie and the kids came Sat. afternoon and spent the night and Mom Hilldore, Mary, Tim & his kids all visited us too for pizza for lunch and a "big boat" ride out on the big lake.  The kids had fun jumping off the boat and swimming in Lake Michigan.  Jamie and the kids had to leave early Sunday afternoon and then Travis and Allison got there Sunday night in time to have dinner with us.  They spent the night and Allison and I rode back on the boat while Travis drove back.  It was a great weekend.  Sunny, warm and the lake was flat!  We took some dingy rides too up the river and also out on the big lake for a swim on Sunday.

So now we are back in Holland for a few days.  And yes,  it does feel good to be "home" even though we love being in beautiful Charlevoix and on the boat visiting with friends and family.

And...... we are getting ready for an earlier wedding for Travis and Allison - A November 28th wedding now instead of May.  And...... you may have guessed....... Larry and I will be grandparents again sometime the beginning of April!  Not the way we would have hoped they would start their married life but they are excited about both "big days."  They just closed on a nice condo a few miles from us and Allison moved in there this past weekend.

So I guess that "catches me up" for now.  As always I know I should post more often but I do what I can.  :-0