After several long months of hard work and long hours, we finally were rewarded with a break in Brad's schedule and made the road voyage over to Michigan for a week. We were able to miraculously time it with the rest of Brad's family so that his parents, brother, and sister were all there together for a few days and were able to see most of the extended family as well.
We arrived on Thursday and spent a relaxing afternoon with Aunt Marcia 
and Uncle Chuck, whom the kids just fell in love with. Riley made the comment while we were there, "I like Uncle Chuck and Aunt Marica. They are really good best friends." :) They let us stay in their house for the long weekend and moved out into their motor home which worked out great for us and the kids. Brad's sister Sara Jo arrived that afternoon with the newest addition to their family, Breanna. Naomi hit it off with Breanna right away (I think all that hair had something to do with it! haha) and would go around all weekend saying, "Ana, Ana." Jason's flight had been delayed, so we went to bed early, but Brad woke to a late call and picked them up in the middle of the night safe and sound.
and Uncle Chuck, whom the kids just fell in love with. Riley made the comment while we were there, "I like Uncle Chuck and Aunt Marica. They are really good best friends." :) They let us stay in their house for the long weekend and moved out into their motor home which worked out great for us and the kids. Brad's sister Sara Jo arrived that afternoon with the newest addition to their family, Breanna. Naomi hit it off with Breanna right away (I think all that hair had something to do with it! haha) and would go around all weekend saying, "Ana, Ana." Jason's flight had been delayed, so we went to bed early, but Brad woke to a late call and picked them up in the middle of the night safe and sound.
Friday we spent the morning at Grandma and Grandpa Van's farm. The highlight for Riley was the golf cart ride Grandpa gave us around the property and both kids enjoyed sitting on the 
tractors. :) Naomi and Great Grandma had a good snuggle and she even fell asleep in the rocker with her! So precious! It was great to be on the farm and have some special time with them. Friday afternoon we met up with Brad's parents and Jason and Sara. Their new addition, Maggie, was catching up on sleep so the kids and I got to meet her later. We did some shopping (which was great since I am now offically back in my pre-Riley size pants!!!) and took the kids swimming at the hotel which was a blast. Both kids loved the pool and by the end of the evening, Riley was even jumping in!
Saturday we celebrated Grandma Joslin's 80th birthday with a Family Reunion brunch at the park. There were tons of people there and lots of kids! The weather was beautiful so we were able to have it at the park so
the kids could run and play on the playground. I think Riley's favorite ended up being the wooden/metal car he could climb on and pretend to drive. Saturday evening Brad's mom and dad took the kids for us and we went to Holland with Sara Jo, Jason, and Sara (and Maggie tagged along too :)) We ate some good pizza and I had Cold Stone ice cream for the first time since we left Cincinnati over 2 yrs ago! Yum!!!
Sunday following church, we gathered at Brad's cousin's home for a VanHeukleum reunion. The kids spent most of the time playing in the sand, and then Riley decided he wanted to catch a frog so a bunch of the guys went around and helped him get a toad! He was so proud to show it off! :) It was fun catching up with the family and meeting two more new babies, Carson and Rebecca.
Monday we went to brunch with the immediate family one last time, and even had a surprise visit from an old friend, Joel, who was passing through town on business and had thought to call up the Van's who told him we were all there! Then the four of us packed up and headed for Big Star Lake! It was so much fun taking our kids to a place that holds so many special memories from Brad's childhood vacations. We had a great time down at the beach, sleeping in the trailor, reading tons of books, and eating Bozo's ice cream (which is now all fixed up and called Mel's at the Lake, but will always really be Bozo's). Riley even had his first kayak ride! 
On a side note, the last time we were at Big Star Lake was when I was 8 months pregnant with Riley. It was one of the hottest summers on record in Cinci and we had no air conditioning and I was just about dying. So we traveled north to escape the heat for a few days and spend some quality time together before becoming parents. My favorite pregnancy picture is of me and my baby bump at Bozo's with two huge ice cream cones! I had to take a follow up picture so here is the original and the sequel photo almost 3 years later! It's amazing to think how much our life has changed in those 3 years!
On our last full day in Michigan we spent the morning in Ludington where we walked on the beach, played on a cool playground in the sand, and walked the pier to see the lighthouse. It was a cloudy morning since the storms were moving in, but still very beautiful!
If you'd like to see more photos from our trip (There are a ton! We don't get family vacations very often...) click the link to view the albums. http://vanheukelum.site.shutterfly.com/We are SO thankful for this break in our normal routine and the chance to spend some quality time together as a family, as well as see so many loved ones who we only see sparingly. It also makes me very grateful for the family we have living here with us who are closely involved in our lives and wish that more of our family lived closer! We hope to see everyone again soon!
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