MI, Part 1

Well, our adventure to Michigan began last Friday and we have had a great time so far. As you can see from above, Audrey was a model air traveler (minus the last 5 minutes of our final flight) to Grand Rapids. She played on my lap during the first flight and actually fell asleep during the second flight. I was very surprised that she actually fell asleep but I guess she just got tired enough. Towards the end, the pilot came on with the announcement that we were about to land which awakened her and she started to feel the popping ear sounds, so she got a little upset, but other than that, she was great!

David's seminar is going well which he attends every morning and then we have family play time when he gets home. We have a nice little apartment, but it is sparsely furnished (only a camping chair and two desk chairs in the den), so we spend most of our time outdoors.


On the plane, getting sleepy
My good friend, Carly, was in MI at her family's cabin during our first weekend here, so we were so happy to get to spend some time with her. She lives in TX, so Audrey was able to meet her for the first time. We ate at a great restaurant called the Green Well in Grand Rapids. Check it out if you ever come here!
Camping out in our one official chair
There are several cute villages in town. This particular one is called Gaslight Village with cute shops and restaurants. We've also noticed lots of fountains in town, which Audrey loves. She's a big fan of water.

(That's a happy face, by the way.)


Getting out of the tub - our spa girl
Helping Daddy read articles for his class
Our first trip to the "beach"! She loved the water of Lake Michigan. It's pretty much like the ocean water, minus the salt, so it was a perfect introduction to the beach.
It was a challenge to stand in the sand as the water moved out. There is lots of sand at the beach that never really gets packed down like it does at the Atlantic and Gulf beaches which makes it more difficult to walk in.
Happy girl
Wanting to grab the water

trying to pull off Daddy's hat and glasses
She also enjoyed the sand. Of course, it was hard to keep her from eating it. She did get a couple of bites in, but didn't enjoy it as much when it got in her eyes. Poor baby. Note to self, I will take a couple of wet baby washcloths when we go back to the beach for that sort of occurrence.
The beach town is named Grand Haven. It's a lovely little town with shops and restaurants all the way to the water. They have a huge water and lights show in the evenings, but it didn't start until 10 PM (it gets darker much later here), so we didn't stick around for that.
Family shot
Lots of pretty churches

Our Sunday adventure was a trip to the zoo! As my mom says, "Audrey must know you really love her if you're willing to go to a zoo." This is true - in general, I'm not a zoo fan, but this was a small one and it was a little overcast and not 95 degrees today, so we tried it out. It's so fun to see Audrey actually see the animals and try to wave to them or give them hugs. I was not brave enough, however, to try any sort of petting zoo. The girl just can't keep her hands out of her mouth and I'm a bit of a germ-o-phobe, so maybe once she learns to wash her hands, I can deal with that...or, maybe not...
At the park entrance

Touching the gorilla's hand
She and the lizard really bonded.
These lions were very up close and personal.
Audrey was trying to say hello.
She loved the bongos.
Clapping for fun times
The camels reminded David of his ride on one in Egypt. However, his camel didn't include padding under the seat. This one might have been more comfortable.
Our girl loves the water.
Saying hello to the tamir - cross between a horse and a rhino
You know what a wet bear smells like? Very similar to wet dog.

Those are our adventures so far. Stay tuned for more!