Summer Vacation 2009 - Wisconsin

Saturday morning we drove to Hilbert, WI to spend a couple days with Grandpa and Grandma Voogt. We got there around lunch time. After lunch Rebecca took a nap. In the afternoon we went to a local park. Rebecca showed Grandpa and Grandma how much she loves to swing and climb and slide. We also spent some time looking around the farm. Rebecca loved seeing the cows and chickens! And she got to bounce on Grandpa's horsey :) Rebecca was also introduced to Uncle Kevin's cat, Chester...who currently lives with Grandpa and Grandma. Rebecca spent the whole weekend walking around looking for "kitty." Since Chester is a pretty tame cat...and declawed ;)...Rebecca could chase him and he would just run away. That's the way she likes her animals :) Once in a while Chester would turn towards her and that was enough to give her a little break from the cat. Although by Monday morning she was brave enough to reach for Chester and try to pet him without anyone helping.

Sunday morning we went to church. Rebecca played in the nursery. Grandma Voogt stayed with her during the sermon (when she wasn't playing piano). It was fun to chat and see a few familiar faces at Covenant Church. After church was lunch and nap. In the afternoon Grandma got to try some of her Kindermusik instruments and music with Rebecca. Rebecca loved dancing, bouncing and tip-toeing around! And she loved playing the shaker and the triangle. Then we went outside and took a ride behind Grandpa's tractor. We rode along while Granpda watered some of the trees they recently planted. We also spent more time exploring the farm. Rebecca finally got brave enough to pet one of the barn cats. And she tried picking some apples...although it was a little tough since they are tiny and have a few months to grow yet. In the evening Uncle Kevin came over. Rebecca calls him "Kai." She was a little shy at first. But soon she was wandering around looking for him..."hi Kai." We grilled for dinner. And then it was time for bed for Rebecca...she was so worn out from all of the traveling and from the time change. After she went to bed we packed most of our stuff so we were ready to head out in the morning. And we enjoyed some yummy dessert that Grandma made (strawberry pie and rhubarb crisp) and talked for a while.

Monday morning we had breakfast and spent a little more time playing. We left around 9 and headed to the Lake Express ferry. When we got close we stopped at a park to stretch our legs and eat lunch. We boarded the ferry around 12 (1 MI time). Shortly after departure Mary strapped Rebecca into the Babyhawk to attempt to get her to nap. It was tough to get her settled with so much noise...people talking, doors slamming...but after an hour of walking and rocking Rebecca finally fell asleep (around 2:45). She slept for about an hour...while Mary continued to walk and rock. She woke up just before it was time to head down to our car. We had just enough time to head up to the top of the ferry and look around for a few minutes. We got off the ferry and drove home, arriving around 5:30.

We had a wonderful vacation! It was fun to see so many different places and to have some time to relax with family. Rebeca did so well on the trip. And we can tell she learned a lot in one week. When we were in WI she was saying 2 word/3 syllable phrases, like "hi kitty," "hi gampa," "i see you," and "hi Kai." We are all glad to be back home now :) There are lots of pictures in the photo albums and one video (of "hi kitty" and Rebecca copying Grandma's laugh..."ah ha."). We hope you enjoy them.

Summer Vacation 2009 - Rapid River

Friday afternoon we headed to Rapid River (a little east of Escanaba) to our cabin at the Vagabond Resort. We weren't sure what to expect after the Balsams, but it was pretty nice (aside from the dirt factor). They had a ton of playground stuff, including plenty of toddler stuff. It was well worn and dirty, but still fun and entertaining. There was even a toy for Justin to try :) We took a little walk to the water. This is a big fishing area, so not really any place to swim. We just walked out on the dock. We ate leftovers for dinner. And we relaxed in the evening. This was intended to be a short, overnight stop to break up the trip. And it was. Saturday morning we were back on the road headed to WI to see Granpda and Grandma Voogt.

Summer Vacation 2009 - St. Ignace

On Thursday afternoon we drove from Traverse City to St. Ignace. When we got into town we stopped at a grocery store to get food for dinner on Thurs. and Fri. Then we checked into our cabin at the Balsams Resort. Not really what we would call a resort :P It definitely was not child-proof/toddler friendly...lots of crazy electrical stuff. And a very small, dirty living area, so not much room for Rebecca to roam. But it was only for 1 night. And it had 2 "bedrooms" so at least we could put Rebecca in a separate room...separated by a thin curtain. We didn't spend any time outside at this cabin. Just Thurs. evening inside and one chilly night.

Friday morning we packed up again and then headed into town. They have a nice boardwalk with little shops and restaurants. We walked for a bit, got some chocolate turtle fudge (Murdick's fudge...mmm) and got Rebecca a small stuffed animal horse. We went to a park to have lunch and play for a while. We left at Rebecca's nap time to head to our next cabin in Rapid River.

We enjoyed some leisure time walking and watching the ferries going to and from Mackinac Island. And stopping in St. Ignace helped break up the drive. But I don't think we'll be returning to the Balsams any time soon :)