Michigan Family Vacation Extravaganza...

In case you haven't been reading any previous posts, let me make it very clear that I love family time. Not like, not tolerate, not appreciate...LOVE. As in, I don't think there is anything better on Earth. Moving to the middle of nowhere (ie West Virginia) I have realized that there is nothing more important (especially when G wears his mother's white visor on the boat at family vacation).  I couldn't have better in laws and I loved every day we had together in northern Michigan.

Seeing as I married into a golf family, I participated in the 18 hole family scramble.  I admit my attitude wasn't the best on the last 9.  Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that I spent a lot of time in the trees and far from that frustrating hole. I just haven't caught the golf vision but maybe someday, until then I will support G in his valiant efforts to become the big dog...

Every couple was in charge of a dinner and activity which made for a wide variety of options each evening after we finally put the offspring to sleep. 

A few activities included family four square tournament:

A poker challenge where Kody took it all:

A "protect your egg being dropped from the top of the stairs with only 20 straws and 10 pieces of tape" game (duh, don't act like you haven't played that):

 An 11 pm capture the flag game on the golf green where our house was located:

 

A girls afternoon in Petoskey including shopping, lunch, gelato and talking (please ignore my hideous bangs in this pic, it was windy, I'm not making excuses, it really was windy):

Boating with Kerry showing all of us up with her tube standing trick of impressiveness and Esther turning out to make all the boys look bad with her surfing and wake boarding skills:

 Family Truth or Dare (my contribution and participation was mandatory):

 And plenty of eating, sitting, Olympic watching, game playing, more eating, and just being together:

(No, we do not encourage kissing cousins; although this is a nice change from Jaxon chest bumping Liv whenever no one was watching...)

Savannah is yet to be thrilled with Liv but it doesn't matter because they are forced playmates for the rest of forever so we'll keep working on that bond at future family events...

The grand magnum opus finale was the blessing of Hudson Alexander the Sunday we left...

I always love the classic bro shot. Who inherits 6 quality brother in laws when they get married? 

Oh, I did and I love it :

 (Liv wasn't being blessed, she just really likes attention while Hudson practiced sucking on a straw:)

I'm telling you, if you don't know these people you are missing out.  I love my family like crazy. It was a needed week of what matters most.

 

While we waited to move in...

We had 12 days before we could actually close and Garrett had to start residency and slept over at a residents home meaning Liv and I were homeless.  Luckily we are now a 58 minute plane ride to Zion so Liv and I stayed at the all inclusive petting zoo/homeade bread/family festivus and enjoyed every minute.

There is nothing I love more on Earth than family time. It was so fun to stare at Em's protruding belly, eat mom's best dinners, sit on the porch swing, and enjoy the visitors center of guests, friends, and families that walk right in without every knocking. I'm definitely not the only person who considers this a home.

Liv was an instant celebrity and fell asleep exhausted every night from so many animals, wagon rides, attention, and action.

The week would not have been complete without a class, "Whack a cracker" competition with the Korean foreign exchange students who were home as well as a new edition of "Toss the Tortilla on the Plate" championship:

If you have not played either of these games, you need to.  Not more than once, but at least that before you die.

Goodbye West Virginia...Forever.

I think de ja vu is so weird. There's de ja vu when you have no idea why you are feeling like you have been somewhere or done something before and then there is logical de ja vu where you know EXACTLY why you feel like you have been somewhere or something before...because you have.  The photo above is one year old. The only difference in the Penske truck we rented in June of this year is that Liv is no longer a noodle neck teradactyl shrieker 2 week old baby and G and I have both gained weight.

  After a week long voyage across the country we finally arrived at our new home in Aurora Colorado:

 After we wasted a good 4 trees signing a thillion papers, 2 dirty diapers and dinner at Panera Bread we were on our way:

G was so excited about owning the home that he was looking at the door instead of the camera.  As soon as we got there we just laid in the backyard grass, OUR grass and felt very mature.  The inside of our house still resembles a giant garage sale with boxes everywhere but we are slowly making progress.  We are ridiculously excited to be in Colorado. We have a guest room and no guests so anyone is welcome. We make good french toast.