Sweethearts on the Hill

People who live there know that there is something indescribably special about summertime in Michigan. I can only guess that it comes from the deep appreciation of sunshine and warm weather that is built up during the long, harsh, grey winters... but that is probably only part of it. There really is something about those summer days... the breeze blowing through your windows at night... the blue skies during the day... the stars in the sky... the wildflowers... the sunshine... the lush green landscape. It's something special to take in. We decided to take our family there this past summer to indulge in the beauty. We went "up north" to Leland, in the Leelanau Peninsula, which allowed us to explore much of what northwest Michigan has to offer... Traverse City, sand dunes, canoeing, and of course Lake Michigan. This is the little cottage where we stayed - it was dreamy... We rarely stay in hotels anymore when we travel. We find these charming places that typically ad...

For Father's Day this year, we decided to take a drive through the Tail of Dragon and go visit Tapoco Lodge for the first time. My aunt and uncle recently bought this restaurant and lodge up in the mountains.   My handsome husband and the very best daddy I know... Luke was hot and cold all day... as you will see...   All good... We joined Linda, Larry, Nicole, Micah, Adley, and Austin for lunch And here we're going downhill again..   Still going.. There we go.... And still some more... Can you hardly stand it?   Charlie and I found the whole scene to be quite comical!

  Over Memorial Day weekend this year, Richie and I had the privilege of taking a mom and dad weekend away to go to Montana and celebrate his friend's wedding.   This is the scene of the little cabin where we stayed...  truly breathtaking We flew into Missoula and stayed in the small town of Sula about an hour south of there - what a treat   This is Michael the night before his wedding We wandered off and went on a few drives... which landed us in Idaho...   We went to the National Bison Range, which gave us the opportunity to see all kinds of beautiful animals and breathtaking scenes...    We snuck away and went on a great hike in the Bitterroot National Forest   The weather changed from warm to cool as we explored...   The views took our breath away everywhere we looked ... in front of us... behind us... What a fantastic little getaway...  I look forward to sharing it with ou...