One Last Summer Fling

Before school started, my little family took a road trip slash vacation to Michigan's Upper Peninsula for some much needed R&R.

 

 

We spent a day at Mackinac Island, rented bicycles and explored the island, hiked to Arch Rock and other super cool landmarks. We ate mackinaw island fudge ice cream and bought sea salt caramel fudge & salt water taffy to take home.   

 

We took a ship ride to explore the breathtaking Pictured Rocks.

 

 

We took a glass bottom boat ride to see some famous Lake Superior ship wrecks, which Clay and I completely geeked out over. The captains were awesome and knowledgeable and entertaining and answered our children's many questions. 

 

an anchor!!!

 

We climbed down a 500-foot sand dune to find a Lake Superior beach that we had entirely to ourselves.  We hunted rocks, and skipped stones, and left our footprints in the sand.  We spent an hour climbing back up the dune, with the kids pretending to be bear cubs, and felt exhilarated when we finished.

 

 

We hiked through a forest to find a waterfall that we dipped our feet into.

 

 

We walked through quaint small towns. We found a winery and had a wine tasting where we picked up three bottles of wine- blackberry, raspberry, and honey peach. We went antiquing. We found this book store/ice cream shoppe/cafe, which we spent a lot of time in- playing chess, perusing books (I found 20 mint-condition Sweet Valley High books for only a dollar each that I'm still losing my mind over) and drinking double shot mochas. Well Clay and I did, the kids got double scoop ice creams.

 

We stayed in hotel with a water slide, swimming and sliding way past the kids' bedtimes then going to our room for a night of pizza, spotify playlists, and Old Maid. Another night we stayed in a hotel that was as close to a roughin'-it-cabin as one could get without actually staying in a roughin'-it-cabin.  

 

We had blueberry pancakes for breakfast, fresh Lake Superior perch and homemade pasties for lunch, and ice cream for dinner. Clay and I found a brewery with this incredible blueberry beer and a diner with "world famous" blueberry muffins.

 

We took our time driving home, visited a bear park where we got to feed & pet a cub, stopped at a Mystery Spot (Gravity Falls, anyone?), played some putt putt, sang songs and had car dance parties.

 

We came home happy.

♥ ♥ ♥

Eminem & Rihanna : Monster Tour

One of my most favorite concerts yet.

 

from Eminem's facebook

 

Em is truly a rap god, a legend. And seeing him perform live is such an amazing thing.

 

The vibe in Detroit was incredible. The night was gorgeous.

 

 

I was with the love of my life.

2010: Us, seeing Em (with Jay Z) in Detroit

 

Love, love, love.

Welcome, Summer

 

Happy Summer Solstice ♥

Fourteen Years...

 

One day this month will be fourteen years since this man and I had our first date.

 

FOURTEEN YEARS.

 

We don't have a real anniversary because we met so casually. Hung out without any expectations. Before we knew it were together everyday.

 

He makes my life so good and so easy and so happy.

I love you, Clay. More than you'll ever know.

Three Years.

Happy anniversary, husband.

Three fun, crazy, hard, easy, wonderful years.

You are my best friend.

I love you.

Happy Birthday, Clayton!

We just celebrated my husband's birthday.

 

And this year, like last, and the year before, and the year before that, I run into the same problem - finding the perfect gift for him.

Em demanded wearing her headphones tee in honor of her daddy's birthday. My girl!

 

Because what could you possibly get the man who has changed your life so radically and fully, who encompasses every part of your soul, who is so hilarious and beautiful and thought-provoking and satisfying that you simply cannot imagine a world without him?

Well, there are not enough dollars in this world to buy him the perfect gift or enough words in the dictionary to express our love for him. But that doesn't mean we won't stop trying.

Happy birthday, Clay.

We love you more than anything, more than everything, and we couldn't live this happy life we live without you.
♥ ♥ ♥

An Anniversary, in Pictures

Simple snapshots of a happy second wedding anniversary.

My god, there has never been a truer quote.

This man.

Lovely flowers.

Dinner and drinks.

Homemade cards from our babies.

Here's to many, many more.

Two Years Ago Today

Two years ago today... I uncomfortably accepted a gift from my fiance. He reserved a full spa treatment for me - hair, nails, makeup, massage, the works - while I was on vacation in Las Vegas. I say uncomfortably because this was a girls' trip and none of my girlfriends were about to spend all morning and most of the afternoon at the salon. I wanted to be with them. I tried to give away pieces, here I'll take the hair and you take the makeup and you take the nails, but they wouldn't accept. I was uncomfortable, but also giddy, because, who does this? Who gives gifts like this? He does.

Two years ago today... I sat in the hairstylist's chair when a friend handed me a note. From my fiance. He was here, in Las Vegas, and would I meet him this evening at the alter. I started shaking, what was going on? Another friend handed me a dress - in my size! - that reminded me of clouds: silky, feathery, soft. I remembered this dress; I pointed it out to him a long time ago, describing it as my dream wedding dress.  Then shoes were being handed to me, beautiful blush stilettos - in my size! - and now I was crying because what. was. going. on?  It took me a minute to realize the extent of what was happening. He was in Las Vegas, asking me via a love note, to marry him that very night, in this breathtaking dress and wearing these lovely shoes and holding a bouquet of flowers so perfect and fragrant. Who would do something like this? Who knows my tastes and sizes so perfectly? Who knows that this, this exact thing, would be my fairytale? He does.

Two years ago today... I walked down the aisle of a beautiful Las Vegas chapel, high up on the top floor of the Stratosphere, and looked into his smiling face. I still remember that smile. I see it every day. I said I do to him while the sun was setting and his hand was holding mine tightly. I still remember those hands. I hold them every day.

Two years ago today... I married my best friend. 

Clay and I have been together for over a decade now, married for two of those years today, and while it feels like a lifetime, it also seems like the time has gone by in a blink of the eye. That's the wonder of love, I guess; I imagine I'll feel this very same way on our fiftieth wedding anniversary, looking back on a lifetime of love and wondering, where did the time go.

We are different in so many ways, but similar in those that really matter- like family, and love, and where we want to be in one month, ten years, fifty years. Life is good and with him it's even better. And where ever this life may take us, it'll take us together. We are each other's heart, each other's home.

Eat 'Em Up Tigers

Watching the Detroit Tigers play in the World Series? 

Definitely one of the top ten experiences of my life.