Little Buddy Gets Glasses

The not so good news is that my little buddy now looks older and I can't see his beautiful brown eyes quite as well.  The good news is that Sethie can now see much better (8-9 step change in both eyes!)
Now we just wait for Lydia to take her turn...

He loves the soccer balls on the frames!

Big Sand 2012

Here are some of our favorite pictures from Big Sand.  I didn't take any pictures of skiing, wake boarding, or tubing--I'll have to rely on Aunt Shantelle and Aunt Becca for those!

Some of the first catches of the week.

Nothing like a cup of tea the morning after the stomach flu!

This washer game isn't just Cade vs. Nicolas, it's ISU vs Nebraska.

As long as he was catching fish, this boy loved to have the pole in his hand!

A little bocce ball...

Love those eyes!

Logging camp

Amazing to watch this end of the table eat!

Morning playtime

A hard 2 inches of rain is hard on the beach!

Celebrating birthdays at Big Sand

Birthday treats

The annual pontoon fishing trip

Big Sand is beautiful in the morning...

...and in the evening.

Once again we had a wonderful week at Big Sand.  But I can't help wondering, if we had such a great time enjoying the blessing of family, why is my heart singing the Big Sand Blues?...

Ashland, WI

This year we decided to take the northern route to Park Rapids, MN, going through the upper peninsula of Michigan.   We broke the trip up by staying in Ashland, WI for a couple nights.  One of the highlights included crossing the Mackinac Bridge which connects the upper and lower peninsulas.

Bridge from a distance

From the right side (Lake Huron side) of the bridge

From the left side (Lake Michigan side) of the bridge

 Shortly after crossing the bridge we stopped for lunch at a picnic spot on Lake Superior.

Ashland, WI is right on the Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior.  As you look along the shoreline you can see many old logging piers.  I am assuming what the kids enjoyed climbing on in the following pictures is the remains of one of them.

We stayed at the AmericInn right on Lake Superior.  We all enjoyed the amenities at the hotel including outdoor games, paddle boats, swimming area, smores, and the indoor splashland. 

We enjoyed our time in Ashland but were eager to arrive at our ultimate destination...Big Sand!