There are few words to describe the feeling of passing on the love of nature, Lake Michigan, the beach--and, most important, family and old cottages along the big lake. To introduce the same traditions that we had growing up during summers in Grand Haven, MI means so much. The children adore the open spaces, & that no matter what they do--or spill, or track in--it is welcome and normal when you're at the lake in Aunt Annie's cottage, and visiting at Mary's. Beach life is relaxed--the opposite of life in Georgetown and DC/the East Coast in general...of course I get nostalgic and devise my plans to return to Michigan -- and try to find ways to extend the sweet days of summer while the children are still young enough to enjoy such a life!
Unfortunately, this is the only photo I have of G&J at Gracie's little cottage, where I spent my summers...I'll shake down my sister Mary to get some more ;) -- I recall her sneaking away, over to Gracie's cottage, with the children while I was packing the car up...Mary takes great photos, so hopefully more will be posted by me later.
Julia's sand art.
Julia and I shopped for a first day of 1st grade dress, and she yelped when she opened the door to
Graham found this ultra cool hat...Annie and I brought Julia and Graham to the hat store, where Graham proceeded to run away every time we tried to place a hat on his head...lo and behold, as I was about to leave, he had a HUGE hat on his head and asked the store's owner if it 'fit' ... she found the smaller version, above...and G did not take this hat off until he went to bed. Aunt Annie had bought him the snakes before he got the hat...and the two together perfected his Crocodile Dundee/Indiana Jones look.
Cousins! Annelise (16) & Trey (13) came to the party.
"This hat was meant for me."
Barbie and Rick Johnson...we had a party the first Friday we were there, and Kirk, Barbie, Ric, and Kirk's two lovely daughters and one grand daughter came...a great time was had by all!
Amazing, Graham discovered that they sell Legos at the toy store in Michigan just like in DC!
What Julia packed in her pink suitcase to put on her bedside table. Behind the little animals is "Kitty's Bed"...it's a Groovy Girl bed, now Kitty's. (Kitty goes everywhere Julia goes.)
Drostes and Johnsons, cousins!
Graham created a snake habitat...it was quite detailed, as all of G's projects tend to be...there was even a fountain--the pitcher with the red flower on it has a spigot...G figured out how to get the spigot to flow water into the bowl, which then overflowed onto the rocks. The snakes loved it!
"Walkin' down a country road."
Graham created a town out of construction paper. The following evening, he was perplexed that the 'town' had 'melted' ... I had to explain the concept of humidity. Humidity in Michigan is so different than it is here in DC--in DC, it is thick, like stepping into a sauna. In Michigan it is more subtle...like all things
Michigan.
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