Arizona?

The details aren't complete yet, but it looks like B will be attending a conference in AZ for work in February.  We were going to take a long weekend getaway the next weekend for his birthday and had talked about NYC or Boston (Hi MCW and kHm!!), but now I'm wondering about flying out to meet him in AZ for the rest of the week (Thurs-Sun).  Neither of us has been before, so we don't know if it would be a great trip or a bust. 

Sooooo, tell me....
1.  Is AZ only old people?
2.  The conference is in Pheonix- do we stay there?  Go to Scottsdale?  Sedona?
3.  Besides playing golf in above cities, what is there to do?  Shopping?  Good Food?  I'm assuming, I'd be able to lay by a pool somewhere which would be nice!
4.  Take the babe?  Don't take the babe?  We're leaning towards no, but then B wouldn't see him for a week and that seems like a REALLY long time!
5.  I'll be 29ish weeks preggers- do I want to be in that hot of weather?  Or do I make B fly twice in one month and go out east instead?  I'm used to the cold, but would we appreciate all that Boston and NYC are in the dead of February?

Thoughts?  Ideas?  Help us out, please!!

Harbor Springs Vacay 2011

The first week of August (yep, I'm waaaaayyyyyy behind) we went up north for our second week of summer vacation.  B's family from FL and OH was all there, so we spent most of our time with them (though we got to spend a little bit of time with my fam too!).  The weather was amazing, the fam was great, and it was nothing short of awesome to spend 10 days in a row with B and SYT!!

What my buddy looks like on our morning walks.  He is always great in the stroller in the morning (after dinner?  not so much!!)

 

We stayed over in Harbor at a house that B's brother and his wife rented (his parents and his other brother's family stayed about 10 min from this house), and it was super close to a fabulous playground.  Spence loved it and it kept him occupied for a LONG time.  He loved climbing underneath things and peeking his head out to do peek-a-boo.  Too cute!

(Okay, seriously, when did he grow up?  He looks like he's 3 in this pic!!)

B and I went away for 24 hours down to the Leelenau Penninsula to taste wine, have a fabulous anniversary dinner, spend the night in a hotel, and, best of all, sleep in!!  N&K watched Spencer for  us, which was wonderful.  He did so well (we were nervous!).

The weather was great, the wine was fabulous (our favorite two wineries were 45 North (their pinot gris is the perfect summer wine) and L.Mawby (all sparkling wines)).

Drinking wine in Lilly and Seersucker on a gorgeous summer day?  Don't mind if I do!

We spent lots and lots and lots of time on the beach and at the pool.  Spencer loves the water! 

Playing on the tire swing up at Pond Hill Farm.  It's a petting zoo, working farm, pick your own fruit, type of place that is just wonderful.  The kids all love it!  Spencer just loved the swing and sitting on one of the tractors pretending to drive. 

This is N&K's daughter (our niece) and Spencer just loved staying with her.  She's a really sweet baby and tolerated constant kisses from him!  It was nice having another baby around as LGT and SYT often napped at the same time, so K and I were able to hang out together while they were napping.  Thank goodness for sister-in-laws.  Mine are fabulous! 

Thanks for tolerating my picture heavy posts of late!!

 

 

Harbor Springs on Dwellable

Lobster Party 2011

Boy, oh boy, it was H-O-T when we arrived at the party.  We got down to the beach around 6 p.m., and most of us filled up a cocktail glass and headed down to the lake to put our feet in and chat while cooling ourselves off.  After about 20 minutes of feet cooling, we went up to take pictures on the dunes, refill our cocktails, have some appetizers, and chat it up with the fam.

Spencer, 15 months

Harbor Springs, MI

All the cousins together.  The three older ones were so delightful with the two babies.  It was lovely to see!  You can see the darling lobster bows in this picture.  The girls all loved them.

PGT and LGT

(different middle names though)

All smiles from my two amazing boys.  God in Heaven, thank you for these two blessings.  There isn't anything better than their happy smiles!!!!

A and his girlfriend, A came in from the East Coast for the party.

Family pic

About 8 p.m., my mom came up to get SYT and LGT to take them home for the night.  It was definitely night night time for the little ones.  We were then able to eat our lobster dinners and dance with the band.  Around 9:30 the other little ones left to go home as did B's parents and one of my SIL's.  The rest of us stayed to dance some more and then........the rain started!!!  Not the best thing to happen at an outside party :(

Sister-in-laws make life SO much better!!!!!!

It started pouring around 10 p.m.  The band had to stop playing early which was a bummer.  It did cool the weather off for the rest of the week, which was nice!!  We all had a wonderful, wonderful time as always!

Vacation, part two

So.......Tues through Sunday.  What did we do?  Enjoyed beautiful blue skies like the one above every day!!  Blair golfed Tues, Wed, and Thurs (aren't I just the nicest wife?), so Spencer and I spent time going on walks, going to the beach, and playing with balls. 

On Wednesday night, Mom and Ralph watched SYT so that B and I could go to dinner.  We went to the Veranda at The Perry Hotel to have a "proper cocktail" prior to going to dinner.  We thought we would end up at Chandlers or Little Traverse Bay Golf Club, but the weather was perfect on the Veranda, the drinks were stiff (Arnold Palmer martinis!!), and the view was so beautiful, we decided we couldn't leave.

Pretty flowers in the garden

One of the views from our table

The other view from our table

 

We stayed to watch the sunset over a bottle of bubbly.  Great decision on our part!!

Thursday evening we were able to head down to the beach to get a few pics of SYT in his sweet Kissy Kissy outfit that B's aunt bought him last summer when he was just a wee little lad.  He had a horribly runny nose (getting teeth) and it was, perhaps, just a little too close to bedtime, but, for the most part, he was cooperative :)

Friday morning, one of the besties and I forced allowed our husbands to watch our lovely angels, and we went into town to shop for awhile.  I got a few new books for Spence at the bookstore, almost bought a pair of Lilly shorts (am hoping they'll be on sale in a few weeks at sidewalk sales), and mostly enjoyed hanging out with NCS.  Friday night we had dinner with my family and B's aunt out at her house.  It was lovely.  Pesto (for our third time that week- no worries, we never tire of it!) with shrimp and chicken, salad, a gorgeous berry crumble, and great wine all served on the deck.

(please excuse the obviously puffy hair/no makeup/I had to really hurry home from the beach look!)

Saturday B and I did a little antique shopping after his 10 mile run, spent time organizing all our stuff so that we could pack, played more ball with SYT, made dinner for mom and Ralph, and then joined friends at one of our favorite watering holes to toast to an amazing week together. 

All in all it was a WONDERFUL week filled with sunshine (have I mentioned that yet??), babies, friends, fun, family, and lots and lots of love.  I couldn't be happier than I am in my little tiny version of heaven.  Amazing, extravagent, worldly vacations have nothing on being "up north".  Blessed, I tell you!! 

Harbor Springs on Dwellable

Vacation!!

Ahhhhhh......there is NOTHING like a good vacation to get your heart, body, and mind where they need to be.  While rest wasn't on the top of my priority list, not having an absolute set schedule for 10 days straight was a form of rest for me.  You want to know what is also restful?  Full loads of laundry with all stains gone, completely folded, and placed on our bed all of which was done by my wonderful mother!!  She is an amazing person and SO great with "baby Spencert" (yes with a T)(that's what our neighbor's little boy calls him!!).  She just kept trying to force B and I out of the house with just each other so that she could steal our little guy for a few hours.  She is never impatient with him (even when he is being naughty) and she couldn't love him more!

Warning, the next two days of posts are going to be picture overload, so feel free to ignore them if you could care less about our little family vacay!!

The first day we were there, it was warm but slightly overcast.  Not really what we would consider a "beach day".  My aunt and uncle bought a new boat this spring, so we were able to go out on it Sat afternoon.  It was SYT's first boat ride and he seemed to love it!  I was a little nervous as I can get a little queasy on boats at times and I wondered if he would have the same issue.  He didn't seem to have one bit of trouble, thank goodness.  The last thing I wanted was baby puke all over the nice white leather seats!!

(The sun finally came out!)

Spencer and my mom- "Mimi"

Gorgeous boats on the bay

Saturday night my mom and Ralph watched SYT so that we were able to go to dinner with friends.  It was a great first night as we were able to catch up with everyone.

After dinner we were all able to stay out a little longer and have drinks at a new place downtown.  They have a great outdoor roof deck, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. 

After Saturday afternoon, we didn't have one even remotely bad day of weather while we were there.  It was simply gorgeous!  Sunday, and most days thereafter, we spent part of the afternoon (either before or after SYT's nap) at the beach with our friends and their children.  Spence loved the baby pool, the lake, and the sand.  He occasionally got a little testy when another child was playing with a toy he wanted, so I would have to intervene a bit.  Sharing will take awhile, I think!!

Sunday night we went to Vespers with my Grandmother.  The theme was patriotic music (being on July 3rd and all), and it was perfect.  I feel so lucky that B is willing to attend things like this with me.  Most of the members that go to Vespers are, on average, between 50 and 70 years old, but I adore the weekly Sunday night concerts and went almost every Sunday with my Gram even when I was 17, 18, 19, etc.  After the concert we went to a party at SSK's parents cottage.  It was so much fun!!  A few cocktails later, B and I called it a night and headed home to prepare for my favorite day of the year!!

 A few shots of the kiddos at the Harbor Springs Parade.  Spence loved the parade.  He was clapping every time a band or a float with music went by, and he would wave and wave at all the cars.

 

A friend of mine monogrammed his outfit and it turned out to be cuter than I could have hoped for.  He had on little blue sandles with stars on them too. 

B and I did the Paul Revere Run the morning of the 4th (B pushed SYT in the stroller so that he would have a slow enough pace for me to run with him!) and spent the time before the parade exploring the art show.  We had a family dinner at my Gram's that night and watched a few fireworks but were so exhausted, we didn't end up seeing most of them.  The first big fireworks didn't start going off until after 10:30.  With a little one who gets up between 6 and 6:30, numerous late nights in a row make for a tired mommy and daddy!! 

More pics (and the rest of the week) to come.....