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vacation rocks.

August 11, 2014

we started our vacation this year in colorado.
we were staying in a hotel but we stopped by the YMCA of the Rockies.
craig & i had been there in high school for a youth conference but hadn’t been back in 24 years.
Estes Park YMCA camp has all kinds of activities for kids and families… but we weren’t staying there or signed up so we missed out on those.
if family camps are your thing… it did look awesome.
it is a HUGE camp with a million options.
we may look into it more for another year.
(this is not an ad for the Y…it was just me telling you that it looked very cool for family activities in the mountains all in one place)

we hiked up to Dream Lake and then even further up to Emerald Lake.
it took some bus rides to get up to the start of the trail and it was still a really long hike.
GORGEOUS!

annie spotted the first wildlife.
we climbed up on a rock and there it was! elk? moose? we weren’t 100% sure.
she was proud to be the first one to spot it.

the trail ends at Emerald Lake.
it was truly amazing.
it was a long way to get there and annie almost didn’t make it without tears.
but she DID it! 🙂
the others were way ahead of us the whole time.

it rained on us on the way down… and quite a bit the rest of that afternoon.
because it does that a lot in colorado.
you’d think we would have brought some rain gear.
but we didn’t.

we stayed in a hotel during this part of the trip.
did you know embassy suites has a huge breakfast buffet included in your room price?
i would hate for you to not know that! 🙂
our kids like to eat a lot of food… maybe yours do too?
we almost always stay there because it has space for all of us to sleep and the buffet.
and there is a pool too.
our kids think its super fancy.

and it is not NOT fancy but craig and i love it for the buffet.
HA!

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Lisa - LOVE that green hutch! What color is that? I have a old dresser, turned TV stand, that would look GREAT in that!
Thank you, Lisa

Kristin - Ohhh…we did that hike on our daughter’s 10th birthday! It was lovely. I’m glad Annie made it, and that you had a good time.

Tiffany - Family road trips are hopefully in our near future. We would love to go to Colorado! I’m hoping 6 and 3 aren’t too young. Maybe we will wait a few years. I love to go exploring and hiking, so it looks perfect! And yes, we only go to hotels with a pool and free breakfast. That’s a must. I’m so glad to hear you had a wonderful time.

Jen Cnristians - Welcome to CO…. We <3 YMCA of the Rockies! We have lived in CO for three years now, and still find amazing hikes and hidden gems. Have fun in CO!

Marilyn M. - We have hiked to Emerald lake multiple times and the view is worth it. The trail is improved a lot over the years, but there is a stretch along the trail that I start getting tired too. So good for Annie that she made it. All the lakes are worth hiking to in that area.

Rebekah G - We were in Estes Park two years ago. Stayed just up the road in some fabulous cabins called Machins. Truly beautiful! Did the same hike too. Our twins were 3 at the time. We carried them most of the way! Emerald Lake was definitely worth the hike! Thanks for the wonderful reminder of a great trip!

Nancy - My first trip to the Y Camp was at age 6 years old, some 52 years ago. The Y Camp has a multitude of activities and many guided hikes of various difficulty. The uprooted tree is our “Grandpa Tree”. We have a photo of my grandpa, my brothers and me standing around it in 1962. Our most recent photo at the “Grandpa Tree” was with his nine great grandchildren peeking out around the roots. Next time you are there you can hike to the top of the glacier above Emerald Lake and slide down! Thanks for a post that took me down memory lane!

Krista Wiehle - We love us some Embassy suites!!! It is the only practical choice with a big family! And we were in Colorado early this summer and my hubby and I swear those pancakes were the best we had ever had! 🙂

Angela Atkins - I have a plan in my head for our family to go to Estes Park next year. I almost talked myself out of it but this post ended that! Thank you for the awesome pictures and lodging suggestions.

Jenny B. - Had to come back and comment again because I read on Ashley Campbell’s blog that THEY just got home from a week at Estes Park! How funny. Did you see each other? 🙂

Jenny B. - You guys are so adventurous and make so many great family memories together! Also, I’ve never noticed before, but in the first picture, Talby looks a lot like Scott (in the face), and Annie looks a lot like Sean. 🙂

BaileyC - Beautiful photos! And…it’s a cow (female) elk.

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windy city.

October 10, 2013

three years ago we promised to go to the Willis Tower (Sears tower).
and then we got there and saw the huuuuuuge line and said “nope… sorry. not going to happen”

three years later we made good on our promise.
the plan was to get up and get to chicago early and go straight there.
it worked!

three
the Sky Deck was CRAAAAZY!!!
i could barely go near it without sweating and my heart racing.
and my kids were doing sit ups and push ups??
terrifying.
one four
i was #3, 514,417th person to go up to the Sky Deck.
interesting.
we had never gone to the Willis (Sears) tower.
We were Hancock Building people up until this visit.
honestly… not much different… but we did it and they will remember forever.

i went one step into the “glass box of nightmares” snapped a pic and got right back out.
two
here is all of us IN the glass box.
holy cows.
it was scary and fun and exciting all at the same time.
i love this photo.

seven
we love the Bean.
i believe it’s actually called the Cloud Sculpture.
but… it’s a bean.

everyone was reeeeeally excited to eat at portillos again.
we loved it when we lived in chicago-land and we don’t have them in kansas.
everyone except for me got a milkshake and everyone had a stomach ache… except for me!
six
i was trying not to think about the germs at Crown Fountain.
i tried to focus on how much fun all those kids were having.
And listening to them all screaming with joy.

but still…. that is a city’s worth of germs. OY!

five
we went out to the Observatory to get this view of Chicago after all of our exploring.
it really is a beautiful city.
i am missing it at christmas time.
i need to do that again.

it looks like they are 3 inches from falling into Lake Michigan in this picture!
there is a huge set of stairs behind them and tons of people were down there.
that’s funny that you can’t see any of that.

We had a hotel way out in the suburbs so this was our only day in the city.
our chicago friends met us at our hotel with pizza & dessert and we shared “our” pool & TV.
It was a fun night catching up!

Have you been to chicago?
what is your favorite place to go when you went?

What city or travel spot do you recommend for a great vacation?
i would LOVE to hear your ideas!

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Renee - looks so so fun! i grew up in a near suburb of chicago, and i just love that city!! we’ve lived in Nebraska and are now in Boston (both places we really like), but Chicago has such a special place in my heart. i love the spot where you took those skyline pictures. another good (farther away) view is from Promontory Point in hyde park, a few miles south of downtown. I love the view from the hancock gal’s bathroom on the 96th-ish floor. Fave pizza – pizanos & giordanos. and Portillos – oh my word, I miss this. People don’t even know what Italian Beef is outside of Chicago. [this was shocking to me! haha] i so so miss it & ALWAYS eat pizza and portillos when we’re back to visit. we like shopping on state street (hello discount stores!)
Next time you’re back, venture to the Pilsen neighborhood for Mexican food and go on a mural tour. It’s my FAVORITE thing to take visitors to there. So different from anything else you’ll experience in that city.

Gretchen P - favorite place of all time, Charleston, SC. There is so much history in the city, there is something for everyone to do and see. Love it, it is our second home!!!

Amy M. - The last time we were in Chicago we went to the Money Museum and it was fascinating. Granted, we were with a school tour and the guide for it had super dry humor. He was great and had amazing stories. Our favorite place to vacation is Bald Head Island, NC. You take a ferry over and then there are no cars. I would love to see it through your eyes. Lots of adventures and you feel like life has really slowed down. It is very family oriented, which is one of our favorite things about it!

Sarah W. - I have never been to Chicago, but really want to visit.
Those pictures on the tower made my hands sweat just looking at them… But I’d love to go up and go out on the deck. So cool.

Looks like the kids had such a blast!!

Eugenia - Chicago is definitely on our bucket list. San Francisco is my favorite city. Small enough to walk with a little something for everyone. Cable cars, sour dough, Golden Gate, Alcatraz, Chinatown. Also, love Vancouver, BC super clean and there is Victoria island. I’m a huge fan of public transit, Vancouver has everything including a ferry.

xxooo

Christy - Oh my goodness! I’m with you on the “box of nightmares.” My palms are sweaty just looking at your photos! Your pictures make me want to take another trip to Chicago. My husband and I went yeeeears ago. It was a long-weekend type of trip to sing in my friend’s wedding and visit with his cousin. We only had one morning downtown before our flight home. We did get to eat some of THE best deep dish pizza EVER! It was heavenly for this pizza lover. YUM! Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my mouth. 😉

Jenn - The Mr. and I got engaged in Chicago (on Lakeshore Drive in a horse-drawn carriage). It is our FAVORITE city to visit (we used to live close, now we don’t). But, we still go back to visit annually. Our family tradition is to take the kids (4 of them) to Chicago sometime during the Christmas holiday season. We eat at the Walnut Room and visit with Santa. It is the best weekend of the year for the Mr. & I (and for the kids)!

Heather S. - We went to Chicago for the first time two years ago and I LOVED it. Honestly, I have found that I really love visiting big cities. I don’t have any desire to live in one, but visiting them is fascinating. Of course, when I visit we can afford to stay right in the center of it all, and if I lived there it’d be a different story! HA! I really enjoyed all the architecture in Chicago, and I also liked that it was big city, but the people we encountered were still Midwest-friendly.
One of my other fave cities we visited that year was San Francisco. Again, thought I would hate it and it ended up being my favorite place on a three week tour of the Western U.S. Who knew? I loved the natural beauty that is the bay as well as the architecture. Plus, so much great history there!

eric andrews - I used to live near Chicago. Loved Pizzeria Uno! Yummm!

Jenna - I LOVE Chicago and am so happy you shared this!!

Angie P - I’m from Chicago (my dad lived on the southside near Midway until I was 12) and my family still lives there! We visit my dad every year and try to do something fun with the kids – this year it was Navy Pier (ugh. the ferris wheel kills me.) and lunch at Ed Debevics. I miss living there – my husband actually ordered Portillos for my birthday a few years ago and had it shipped to us in Georgia! (It was expensive…but delicious…and so thoughtful!)

Melanie - I live in the northwest Chicago ‘burbs and have been here most of my life. So, of course, been there, done that with the Sears Tower (can’t bring myself to call it the Willis Tower), but can you believe I have never been to the Bean?! We rarely go into downtown Chicago…maybe one of those things where you live kind of close to something, but just don’t visit because you know it will always be there? I dunno. Anyway, if you’re looking for another great city to visit, I’d recommend San Francisco. We were there 4 years ago and loved it. So much to see and do, love all those hills…beautiful views, beautiful architecture (the Victorian houses), great restaurants, the bridges are really cool, and the Bay is beautiful.

Maria - How fun! We did a weekend escape to New York minus the boys for my 40th earlier this year and it was so much fun! We also love going into New Orleans whenever possible for the day (we are really close). Any big city is on my to do list…would especially love to go back to San Francisco.

Jennifer E - We went to Chicago for a family vacay last spring. It was fun to see all the hustle and bustle of a big city, but we parked our car and took the el everywhere and that was my least favorite part!

Things we liked:
Art Institute (mostly me), Museum of Nature, the big fountain, skyscrapers, Sears Tower, SPRINKLES cupcakes!!, Molly’s cupcakes, Magnolia bakery (we fell into a cupcake thing, every single day we had a gourmet cupcake!), and Wrigley Field. Oh, and the marquee at the Chicago Theater, very cool.

colleen from Alabama - My hubby and I went there for our 15th anniversary last year. They had a “broadway in the park” preview at the amphitheater by the bean. It was hands down our favorite thing. It was free and they had probably 20 acts from the Broadway Shows that were touring and stopping in Chicago during the next season. FABULOUS! It was beautiful weather (august) and the performances were so good. We also loved garret’s popcorn. My kids want to go back with us just to get that!

Kathy T - We have lived in NJ for seven years, but Chicago is still our home. I miss it every day, and especially PORTILLOS!! Thanks for the beautiful images. I hope you had a great time there.

Jen - Chicago is MY FAVORITE!! We lived in western Michigan for ten years and visited often and I just love Chicago. I tell my husband that I want to retire in a loft apartment in Chicago! (I love the cold and snow too though, so I’m weird! :-))

And the Portillos chopped salad is TO. DIE. FOR! I’m not a huge milkshake fan so I don’t get those either but oh the chopped salad!

Glad you enjoyed it! I know you’re far away but Philadelphia is also a cool city–rich with history and LOTS of fun things to do in the surrounding area (Valley Forge, Amish Country, DC, etc!)

Kristen K. - LOVED CHICAGO! We live in Philadelphia, but took a road trip to Chicago (two days in the car with four kids – WHA?!) this summer…we were there just a few days before you! I’m SO with you…that Sky Deck was tooo scary for me. I backed up onto it, got a pic, ran! Our kiddos loved the Bean, too, and the fountains…we loved the Art Institute, an architectural boat tour that we took, and Navy Pier. Three days there was NOT enough! Definitely going back!!! With more Purell! 🙂

Barbara - We just moved from Chicago to San Diego— I miss my city! Cloudgate is indeed awesome, I like to refer to it as the Monument to Selfies lol
Looks like a fun visit! Willis Tower just sounds stupid, it will always be Sears Tower to me hahaha
I definitely miss chicago, but I will not miss the cold weather that’s headed that way soon 😉

Jenn - I love Chicago! My husband and I visited there before we had kids. I wanted to move there. I’m from Texas and was transfixed by the cool temps in September and the city life. Definitely plan to take our kids there one day. I loved Old Town and going to a game at Wrigley.

Valerie @ chateau a la mode - Hi Megan, aren’t trips auch great family memories. Chicago looks like it was super fun, it’s still on my lit of places to get to. Our best trips have included my husband’s sister and her family (they have 6 kids). We are in LA and they are in San Francisco. We have done New York city, Washington DC and motorhomes to Yellowstone with them. I recommend all of those as my kids have such great memories associated with those trips. Maybe only because kids waaay outnumbered adult supervision 😉 but great memories none the less.

meredith - The Bean (on vacation in Chicago) is where I told my husband we were pregnant! Also The Purple Pig was a favorite spot to eat. 🙂

Jaimie - Great pics!! Love Portillo’s!!

Lucky enough to have had one sibling live in San Francisco and another in New York City…and prior to that, Boston. Made for very inexpensive trips as was able to crash at their places and had built-in tour guides from a local’s perspective. Would recommend all three of those fabulous cities.

We’re in suburban Chicago, so in addition to what the city and suburbs have to offer, we really enjoy driving up to Lake Geneva, WI for a quick little get away.

One of the times I was visiting my sister in NYC, she mentioned that she hadn’t really enjoyed the city as much as when my Mom and I were there to share in all of the wonderful things the city had to offer. Another confirmation that it’s not necessarily where you’re at but who you’re with. Based on your blog posts and amazing pictures, it looks like your family could have a blast where ever you’re at as long as you’re together.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and photos…they’re a constant inspiration!

andrea - Meg….your face in the picture of you all in the nightmare glass box was priceless….I haven’t been in there either….I got anxious just looking at your pictures! What a great trip! Thanks for sharing!

Stacy P. - We loved Boston with our 3 kids (13, 10, 6). We toured around, then rented a car to drive to Newport, RI to see the amazing houses on the coast (The Breakers, Marble house, etc) then we drove up to Maine. Beauitful. We did the RI/Maine thing in a day–visited the beach at Ogunquit, Maine. Very different from the beaches we are used to in Florida! Really great, though. It was mid-July and the temps there were in the 70s…waaay too cold for us Southerners, but the “natives” loved it! We played in the sand with our jeans and sweatshirts on while the locals jumped in the waves. The whole New England coast is a must see.

Laura - I’ve loved all my trips to Chicago. Shopping is always fun on a girls trip and the American Girl store is so wonderful to go to with a daughter. I’ve always loved the Shedd Aquarium!
This summer our family went to San Antonio and we had a great time! We went to Sea World, the Alamo and did the Riverwalk boat tour.

Jen Sully - I love Chicago! I’d have to say my favorite thing there is Garrett’s popcorn!!! The best.popcorn. EVER!! 😉

Alicia - Oh, we just recently moved from Chicago to out in the boonies of Michigan. Man I love that city and enjoyed so much seeing those photos. We’re at about 2 months in our new place and there is some “missing” going on. Thanks for the nostalgia:)

Marla - I moved from southern Wisconsin to Montana but my parents are still an hour and a half away from Chicago. For a while I would meet my college friend there each Christmas. I loved the big city for a day. I met a lady in a coffee shop who couldn’t imagine living in Montana. She thought I climbed mountains to get to the store.

Karen Gerstenberger - I’m not much of a big-city girl, so I love to visit Victoria, B.C. on Vancouver Island (Canada). We take a ferry without our car, and arrive in that charming city on the sea. You can also take a car on the ferry, but it’s such a fun city for walking – and they have double-decker buses, horse-drawn carriages and pedi-cabs if you prefer not to walk everywhere. Great restaurants, shops, history, Chinatown, coastline, parks, and friendly people make it really welcoming.
If you are feeling really adventurous, you can go up-island to Sooke Harbour, and fish and hike. If you really want to get into the country, Tofino is on the wild west coast (I’ve written about it alot on my blog) – it’s my idea of heaven on earth, this side of Hawaii!

Christy - OK, I never comment but I just had to say that I have been reading your blog for years and it just dawned on me that we were at that fountain thing on the same exact day. We were in Chicago for my brothers wedding — if you remember seeing a very harried woman with a 4 year old, 2 year old and 6 week old baby.. that was me!! Ha! Ha! What a small world we live in. I have to wonder what I would have done if I had seen you. That would have been surreal.

Alicia @ La Famille - oh girl, I get you on the germ thing. germs can steal my joy faster than you can say “e. coli.” good for you for closing your eyes to it and letting the fun prevail!!

I want to go to Chicago badly. its high on my list…I want to see the great museums!

Tanya - I looooove Boston…and Cape Cod. We did that trip numerous times as teenagers with my fam. It was one of the first trips I took when I was newly married and I’ve done it as a grown up with just my sister’s as well. Great sights, great food, great history and great shopping 🙂

Rachel S - My husband and I went to Chicago last year for our 20th anniversary. We loved it! My favorites were probably the Bean, going to a baseball game at Wrigley field, (and surviving the ride on the El!) and also seeing the Blue Man Group. We had so much fun and can’t wait to go back. We didn’t even make it to any of the museums that week so I want to check them out next time. Your trip looks great!

KirstenP - Our family lived in Chicago for several years. We all love to go back for a visit. I’ll admit the Sky Deck scares me and I haven’t even been there, but I will go on it some day soon. BTW, the Bean was actually named Cloud Gate, but I don’t think many call it that. I love the energy of Chicago and it’s people and visitors and that it’s right next to Lake Michigan. Thanks for sharing your photos and memories!

Courtney M - I work in the Prudential building and walk up & down Michigan Ave (right past where you were) to the train every day. I am usually in a hurry and curse having to walk that each & every day. Sometimes I need a reminder of the beauty in this amazing city – thanks for that! 🙂

Kassondra Taylor - i went to chicago twice. the first time was with my 8th grade class and we went to a 50’s style diner that had one of the first photobooth! Then I went back for a girls weekend with my mom,grandma and aunt. It was really fun but we could not find that diner! would love to know the name of it or even if it’s still there!

Shannon - When in Chicago I always have to go to the Art Institute and the Aquarium. Both are wonderful!

Jen - I love Chicago! I’ve only been there a few times, though, and not in over 15 years. Need to take my kids there. So far my favorite city to visit is Savannah, GA. We’ve only been there once, but we go to Hilton Head, SC every summer and Savannah is only 45 minutes from there. I hope to make more trips there in the near future – it is so beautiful!

Breenah - I’ve only been to Chicago once, spring break in 2009. We got to see the river dyed green for St. Patrick’s day and visit the tower when it was still the Sears Tower. I loved it and would love to visit again!

Laura - I went to Chicago for my anniversary for, like, three minutes…had to get a flight back home to avoid hurricane Sandy…BUT…I loved the bean, and all the cute bakeries, but mostly just enjoyed WALKING and people watching and beautiful shops. I am a city girl at heart…which is why, the ONLY city you need to vacation at is NYC…but with ME…I will give you the non tourist version of NYC and you will love it xo

Karol - Love Chicago. Headed there next month with my family. Can’t wait to eat at Giordano’s, take my girls to the American Girl Place, and see the Navy Pier.

Some great vacation spots my family loves are Charleston, SC; Virginia Beach, VA; Washington, DC; New York City; Atlanta, GA; Asheville, NC; Hilton Head, SC…so many great spots on the east coast.

Nanette - Your photos have inspired me! We live in Highland Park and I have never done the tower…my 3 boys would love it! It is now on the list! There is a German restaurant near the bean that my father in law used to go to as a boy…Berghoff’s. Everything in the bar is still the same – he used to get a sandwich for a quarter. Very good if you like German food and the kids love their root beer!
You might like the Museum of Science and Industry…lots of neat, historic things for kids.
Awesome summer!

Jessica - I live 30 minutes outside the city of Chicago in the SW Suburbs. We love taking the train in and just walking around. My girls love the Art Institute, we have spend many a day there. However, my favorite place to vacation is at my cottage in Northern Michigan.

Heather - I grew up in Chicago, but moved to Atlanta in high school. I used to miss being there, but it has since worn off. Now I dont mind visiting…in the summer.

My cousin is getting married next year on the top level of the Sears Tower. I have been up there three times and each time it made me so nervous.

Another vacation city you should check out is Charleston, SC. It is so wonderful! I would live there if I could.

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way back when… in july

October 9, 2013

i have lots of pictures still that i never shared from our family vacation.
as time goes by i just forget about them.
as we have started bundling up in jeans & sweatshirts & i was longing for summer already.

scott played in a basketball tournament in st. louis with a travel team.
we joined him there and he left with us as we continued on our trip.
we spent two nights in st. louis…if i remember correctly.
the first day we went to the City Museum which i posted about a month ago.

we also did some exploring, shopping and went to the St. Louis Zoo.
it is FREE to get in and it was BEAUTIFUL!!!
Seriously… it was an awesome place to spend a few hours.
if you are going to st. louis you should put this on your list.

zoo
these flowers were ginormous!

my kids went in the building to see the animals and i stayed outside dying over the gorgeous flowers!

it was extremely hot that day so the misting fans were appreciated… and FUN!
mist sun

Annie tried her first burrito of her life at chipotle in st. louis. 🙂
she must have been feeling brave that day.
floats
we went to Fitz’s afterwards for root beer floats.
umm…. this was more than they could’ve even imagined?!
we let them each get their own!
AND THEY ATE THEM ALL!

after they finished we sat at our table for a long time drawing in our art journals.
me included.
they didn’t want to stop… and i am not going to argue about art time.
so we drew and drew and drew.
it was dreamy.
fitz
annie claims she was fake sleeping but i haven’t seen her sit that still for…. never.
she was out.

we picked up scott and stopped at the arch on our way out of town.
arch st.lou sky
we drove to Indiana to meet up with our friends.
we spent four days doing this…
water

we almost always go bowling when we are with the Hills.
it’s tradition.
and we are quite a scene in any bowling alley.
no one has ever accused our group of being quiet. 🙂

scott was taking a hundred close up pictures of people so i moved in for a few….

bowl
bowl2
jenny beat everyone.
that girl has got skills!!!

there was no place to set my camera for a timer pic so we did this to get us all in one shot.
it might be my favorite from the trip!
gun
jake and abby had their own bb guns that they shared with us.
the kids set up a tower of solo cups to use for target practice.
sean took his birthday money and bough his own bb gun that week too.
i think i hit something once.
i didn’t have my glasses on….

bday
sean had his 13th birthday during this trip.
he got to pick where we ate dinner and since he only wanted money this year it was pretty low key.
we picked up a few goodies for him too… joke book, x-men dvd & candy.
i used a few hours of our driving time to make him a card.

coffee
there was also a water balloon fight… wiffle ball…Despicable Me 2… dave’s birthday… kayaking with lola…

sunkissed and a camera flash… crazy combo.

Duerksen tribe – 2013
lauren chose to stay home this year to work at her job.
we missed being a family of seven.

fireworks… duerksen kids love language.

every year when our vacation is over & we are driving away we say, “Those Hills are good people”

true story.
we love spending time together no matter where we are.

hey…. maybe i am on a roll and i will post our chicago leg of the trip tomorrow?!
🙂

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Tiffany - It is rainy and seriously Fall here in PA today. The leaves are changing and ppl are stoked for it. I am already longing for sweet sweet Summer again. No thank you Pumpkin anything. Can you post sun-kissed pics all Fall/Winter, I think that will help keep the Winter Blues away. Great photos, Great memories, I am sure.

Kimberly Dial - Awww, how much fun was that?! Loads! Thanks for sharing your summer fun 🙂

Martha - Hi Meg, I love your blog, it’s my favorite! Your vacation pictures are amazing! Did you happen to come to Plymouth , indiana on your vacation? That’s my town, and I can’t believe it, you were here and didn’t come to see me! It’s such a small world, right?

Martha - This is so funny Meg, your blog is absolutely one of my favorites! This morning I was reading your blog about how fun your vacation was, I kept reading along and notice you went to indiana, I thought to myself I live in indiana, I want to meet meg! kept reading! saw that you went bowling, and saw the name of the bowling alley! Quicks we have a bowling alley named that in Plymouth. Did you come to my town and not stop in to see me. How fun! It’s such a small world after all.

Kori - Annie chose an awesome place to brave her first burrito….I hope she loved it!!

tara - love seeing these pictures….
I remember seeing several of them on IG back when you guys travelled.

great memories!

Lori - Nothing like time with family and good friends.
And I want to know how long it took you to fill and tie all of those water balloons?! Oy!

Jennifer - what do you keep in the pencil boxes for art journaling? my kids want vibrant colors to create with and i want to keep the mess to a minimum 😉

Craig - Jenny, I let you win!

danielle - That looks like so much fun!

Taryn - Seeing your face and then seeing Jenny’s face makes me sigh…how lovely would it be to be able to run out and grab a coffee together for the afternoon?!? Loved my time with both of you!!!

kimberly oyler - pictures of you and your kids make me want to cry a little. i love how you always have an arm wrapped around them. such a good mama.

Julie - What a wonderful holiday – you all look so happy, relaxed and pleased to be together. I love seeing your family photos – thank you for sharing them.

Amanda - It looks like you guys had an amazing time! A nice balance between activities and relaxation.
I have to say that there is something very kind and gentle shining through in Sean. He looks like a real beautiful, sweet soul. =)

Lora - Looks like fun. I wish I had done art journals with my girls. They’re in college now so they probably (for sure) don’t have time for them now.

I want that pink car!

meredith - Loved it all! Thanks for sharing. Excited to know about the Zoo. Might be in St L next year. 🙂 I’ve only experienced the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago (for Free) and it was amazing.

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the city museum

September 5, 2013

when we were on vacation this summer the one place i was the most excited about (that we’d never gone to) was The City Museum in St. Louis, MO.

it did not disappoint.
it felt like i was crawling into the mind of an artist!
to me… it was dreamy!

art come to life in crazy ways that for almost all situations would not be allowed…it’s not “practical” to have a fish stairway. it’s weird.

Yes! that is why it’s awesome!
it was CLEARLY made by artists who like to have fun.

i adored this place.

cm2 color was EVERYWHERE!
cm9 cm13
it was the craziest place! climbing through wire tunnels to get to an airplane on the roof?!
cm11 a ferris wheel on the roof at sunset? perfection.
and sean asked to ride with me.
🙂

i was a little nervous until he asked to go with me… then i was too happy to be nervous.

cm10
scott was at a basketball tournament in st. louis so he missed the museum.
we tried to tell him about it but you have to see it to believe it.

if you ever have the chance to go to the City Museum.… DO IT.

be sure to wear comfy clothes you can climb around in.
and let your kids go crazy!

ours were dripping with sweat by the time we left.

it was several hours of entertainment and well worth the price.

i can’t wait to go back!

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Heather R. - Love City Museum, Pappy’s BBQ, & Crown Candy Kitchen. All St.Louis. If you like City Museum on Facebook you’ll see their next project. A castle!!!

rae - awesome! we have been twice and it was so freaking amazing! you are right,it is really hard to describe it to people,I always just bring up photos. we are going back next week and this post has made me even more excited!

Sharon w - We live about 2 hours from STL and the City Museum is our families FAVORITE place to visit…that and a Cardinal game 🙂

Tracy - The City Museum is beyond amazing! We spent 2 whole days there one summer! We thought it was so great the first day that we cancelled our plans and went the next day. Definitely worth the $

Chris - Awesome pictures. I live in St. Louis and haven’t even seen all these places in the museum. Can’t wait to schedule a trip with our brownie troop!

Linda - that looks AMAZING!!! I want to go now! Maybe I’ll add it to my ever increasing bucket list!

Denise - It IS absolutely one of the most amazing places to visit in Missouri PERIOD! We took a group of AFS kids (foreign exchange students) and it was so fun to just watch them and their reaction to this place! We have also taken our own kids (now 20 & 23) and we had a ball! So glad you all could experience this place and I agree, well worth the price! Enjoyed your photos!!

Beth - I can see my office building in the background of some of your pictures! I took my daughter for the first time this summer, she’s 4. We love it, she asks to go back every week! I wish I had known you were here. I work at the newspaper, I could have given you a tour of our building! Next time!

Melissa - Oh my that place looks crazy cool!

Tiffany - It’s like a museum and amusement park/carnival all in one. Enjoyed the pics.

Terrie - Definitely looks like fun! On the bucket list!!
Grand-one needs to get a little bigger!
Wonder if the hubs will help me redecorate?

colleen - I’ve just put this on my list for our cross country trip in an RV… thx so much for sharing the particulars… I saw the pictures on your vaca post and remember wondering “I wonder why they went there!”. Clearly I am a vacation snob….. now I know why… looks like the coolest place on the planet… too bad we have to travel from ct to missouri to get there, oh well!
I agree w/ the nerves about the ferris wheel.. so glad your second son “asked you out!”!
Don’t you love that?

kimberly oyler - ahhh! i loved this place when i went in high school!

kaye - I took my fourth grade class a few years ago when I lived in Missouri. The outside stuff was not yet completed,wish I could go back now and take in the outside!! Super special place!

Julie - What a fabulous place – my kids would thoroughly enjoy this, actually I think the whole family would. Thanks for sharing your time their with us.

Jessica - That looks AMAZING! I want to go!!

Tanya - My kids would LOVE that adventure!
Places like that are what make life great 😀

Lisa - That place looks crazy awesome! My kids would love it. Too bad we live in Oregon and probably won’t be in St. Louis anytime soon… 😉

Crystalyn - I’ve been wanting to check that place out for months now! We just moved to Missouri and some coworkers told me about it. Your pictures help more than their descriptions though, it’s kind of a hard place to describe, hah!

amber - My husband & I went there several years ago (before we had kids) & I’ve always wanted to go back when my kids were old enough. It was fun for us big kids too;). But now my sister doesn’t live in MO anymore…so I guess we’ll just have to visit there on our own now! Such a crazy place!!

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close-ups

August 13, 2011

i know i already shared this one….but it's so awesome….it had to be on again.

i ordered a canvas of it.
my last kid to be a toothless goofball…..wahhhh.

there is still one more michigan post to do.
best for last…..

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Cathy~As the World Flops - I have checked out several pages of your blog and I love it… your pics are so bright and fun. These kids seem to have a great time doing whatever it is they are doing that day.

Lynn - What size canvas did you order? Do you mind telling me where you ordered it from? Is it somewhere anyone can go to for canvases?

Debbie Hargadon - I came here especially to comment on Talby — ha!!! so did SO many others! She is striking and so interesting looking. You are in real trouble with her as she gets older. Lauren’s photos were beautiful too. It is amazing how different all your children look from each other. . . one of God’s many gifts to us that each kid is meant to be so different from the others in the family, even when raised under the same roof and from the same parents. I love the uniqueness of Jenny’s kids too — those photos make me laugh, just wanting to know more of their little personalities. So fun to watch them all grow.
The Costco canvases are pretty good — depends on the quality of the original photo, but it is hard to beat the price. I believe you can do it all online at costco.com
Enjoy your first quiet days of back to school. At least you don’t have a kinder this year!

Jenna - I cannot get over how beautiful Talby is! And the pictures of her always capture her internal beauty too 🙂

Jemm - These are so great Meg. I wish I could figure out how to take good pics of my kids. They don’t like me taking pictures and they don’t make good faces. They always look way too posed. What kind of lens did you use for these?

happygirl - Still adorable. 🙂

julia - It’s so neat to see you evolving as a photographer – you keep getting better and better!

jennie - talby looks so grown up!

Megan - I have an annoying habit of comparing relatives to eachother and I’m going to inflict it upon you! Talby has a huge resemblence to Lauren, and out of all of the kids Annie and your eldest son (Scott is it? I’m terrible with names…) look most like you and your husband. And they’re all adorable!
Your blog never fails to make me smile, btw 🙂
With love, from a fellow Meg

Kat - Your kids are gorgeous.
I think Talby is going to be a stunner.
Love, love the gappy teeth. Beautiful idea to get a canvas of the last one…waaa I will cry along with you.

Lynn - You are so inspiring! You make me want to be a better photographer. 🙂

Lee Anne - Hi Meg
I have a few photo questions. Were do you order your photo canvas pics from…can I order them all the way from Canada? Do you shoot in RAW format? I have a Canon Rebel XTi and have never tried RAW, mostly because Walmart photo lab can’t handle that size of file. I always take a portrait of my kids in yard the morning of the first and last day of school. I think if I started to shoot in RAW, I could probably get a better quality picture that would produce a better print, but I just not sure how to handle these files.
By the way, I love your pictures! I’ve been visiting your site religiously for about 2 years, and love seeing the happy pictures of your family and how fast they’re growing up.

Valerie @ Chateau A la Mode - AmaZing!

www.coconutsandlimes.blogspot.com - …I’m ready for my close up Mr. DeMille.
You have a gift, Girl!

Annika - These kids are so beautiful!

Shauna - By the way, I love those close-ups! Beautiful….

Shauna - Just curious…where do you order prints and canvases from? Im so sick of getting poor quality prints from cvs…I need a better place to get them done. I do my photobooks with my publisher, but they dont do prints or canvases. Id love to know! Thanks 🙂

Kerry - These are awesome Meg! Too precious 🙂 xx

Michelle - That photo of Talby is absolutely gorgeous!

Katie - So cute! What’s better than missing teeth?!

meg schmidt - I’m so glad you’re putting that one on canvas- it SO deserving! Love your blog, Meg (and your name;)) and i finally commented because there were only 3 ahead of me and usually when i want to comment there are about 50 ahead and i always think, “She definitely has waaaay better things to do than read what commenter #51 has to say.” Haha 🙂 Anyway, i love your realness and appreciate you sharing your life with all of us.
Meg

Terrie - Still love that toothless grin! I’m going to play with my camera on a newborn next week. What lens do you like to use for portraits …esp. babies?

Jack - Love the wrinkled nose shot and the gappy tooth – Bet it will look fab on canvas! Thanks for introducing me to ‘Paint Me a Picture’ by the way. I now have one of Lindsay’s wee canvases on my mantlepiece.

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - Great, closeups!

keri ~ forever folding laundry - I love them all!
Every one of them has twinkles in their eyes.
The sign of happy kids, in my opinion.
🙂

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last of the beach….

August 9, 2011

i have more michigan pics but no more beach ones.
these are the end.
kind of sad…..i miss the sand….. but not the stairs.

that's not our boat.
but it made a pretty picture.

rainbow toenails….

books on the beach…..diary of a wimpy kid is too hard to put down.

and books in the water…..

these two boys were explorers….searching the waters for lost & founds.

they found a dead fish floating…..brought it to shore and then buried it.

we brought home this whole bucket of rocks to make a stepping stone.

man i love that swimsuit.

and that is ALL of the beach pictures i have left.

such a beautiful place.

michigan….i love your beaches.

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Penny Smith - What beach are you at in Michigan? I looks wonderful there! I am on the Illinois border (in Iowa) and we use to go past Lake Michigan to go to Indian Lake. 🙂 I have been wanting to rent a house and go to Lake Michigan-so do share! Please email me, cuz I might not get back to these comments! Thanks!

Tracey Husted - Meg,
Your pictures ALWAYS make me smile. Simply beautiful!!!

Maya - These are my favorite pictures. The beach, family, books… love! I love the dreamlike quality of some of the images too. Amazing and very well done!! Treasures!

Kirsten P - I have loved seeing all your photos of your vacation. Your candid photos of the kids are wonderful. The 17th photo – closeup of pebbles on the shore – is now the wallpaper on my computer. And did you notice the bubble at the water’s edge (in the middle of the photo)?

Doris - so many wonderful pics!
I can smell the air 🙂

Tonya - I want to go there…now…. and loose myself looking at all the beautiful pebbles. Thank you for sharing and taking me there for just a moment.

Lori - LOVE your hat!

Victoria Clements - Haa haa did you carry the table and chairs down everyday?? No wonder you don’t miss the steps!! Bet your calves were cut by the end of your holiday though!

Pat - Can you let us know where in Michigan you like to go? Thinking of a Michigan trip- where do I start?

nicki - Thanks for all the Michigan love!!!

emily anderson - your toenails could not be any more perfect.
love it…love all these pictures.

Emily - this place looks amazing… heaven sent!

kasey - Cool photos girl…i’m so glad you got away!

Sandy - Great pictures; thanks for sharing with us. Don’t I remember Talby in that same swimsuit (that you love)?! Your kids are growing up too fast! I want them to stay small. 🙂

Tiffany - I felt like I could feel touch the water on the screen in the picture with your son running the water over his head! One word for your photography – clarity. Great job, Momma.

alicia @ la famille - MEG! your photos! my word, you’re good! 🙂

Michelle from Australia - Loving the rainbow umbrella. We Aussies are BLESSED with beautiful beaches. They are long and white and sandy. No rocks. Maybe you should come out here for a ‘craft weekend’ and we could show you 🙂

Sarah - i LOVE the rainbow pedicure!

Simone - LOVE your photos 🙂

Amy Slavik@ Little For A Little While - Love all the rocks! Every year we bring a boat load full of shells home from North Captiva Island, FL. We have them all over our house. Maybe this year i’ll make something creative with them, like a stepping stone 😉 Would that crush them though? And your hat is uber adorable! Do you mind sharing where it’s from?

Melissa - i was wondering if you stayed at a place you rent or if it was someone’s private home? we have never been there and i was wondering if you could give me some details on the place you stayed? thanks so much!
Melissa @ 1pureheart.blogspot.com

elisa - Your photography is getting better and better! Love these shots!

Melissa - I’m trying to be better about “saying” compliments out loud instead of just thinking it, so here you go:
Meg, you’re gorgeous!
Those beach shots of you are beautiful!

Seriously Sassy Mama - I love your pics. What is your favorite everyday lens you like to use?

betsy - You got some GREAT summer vaca pics. But of all of them, my favorite is the close-up of all the colorful pebbles along the shore line. Stunning!

Leah - Such great photos! We did a beach afternoon at our local shore in San Diego recently. Posted some photos here — http://leahsthoughts.com/2011/08/09/sand-splash-and-sunset/ — although yours are more colorful. I need to incorporate rainbow into our beach outings.

Anne - L-o-v-e these pictures! Thanks for sharing them (and the previous ones)!

julia - Best Beach Pics Ever.
oh..and there were stairs at the beach {she says with a smirk}

Molly - i want to go there. great pictures!

becky@oursweetpeas - LOVE THAT HAT, must know!!!!
I am a Michigander…Did I miss where exactly this is? Or are you keeping it on the DL? I understand if you don’t want a crazy chick from Michigan who may or may not steal your hat knowing your whereabouts. 🙂 Just curious.

Mindy Harris - you are so pretty in your suit and sun hat. so BROWN. love all of these.

Terrie G - Love your beach pics….your water seems bluer than mine. I’m getting ready to do a post about our last day at the beach too. Makes me want to go back…soon!! We had the rainbow umbrella…and I thought of doing pink & green toes! Didn’t have rainbow colors! Loved the reading in the water…only way to go! 🙂

tiffany m gardner - BEAUTIFUL!

Katie - Love the shot of the umbrella, and your rainbow toes! xo

dani - Amazing pictutres! Looks soooo fun! Love the rainbow toes!

Pamela Gordon - Beautiful Beautiful Pictures!! I saw the rock duck too! 🙂

Stephanie - Love the pictures!!! I was going to comment on the rock looking like a duck too but Jolene beat me to it!!! We actually do live in the U.P. (Upper Penninsula) of MI!!! It is very much nature in abundance!!! We live on the Lake Mi end- are will be traveling up to Grand Marais on the Lake Superior shore next week for our yearly camping trip! CANNOT WAITTTTT!!!!!!! It is so peaceful!

shannon - Lovely beach pics!
Your photography is always so fun and colorful 🙂
We just got back from a week at the beach and I’ve slowly been posting ours as well. It is making me sad everytime I go through them. Life was so easy and lazy there, I miss it!

Jolene (Homespun Heritage) - I love living in Michigan…we adore the U.P. though and if we could move up there…we so would!
By the way, there is a stone in the bucket that resembles a duck. Go check it out!

BriBedell - Love love love your pictures!!!! @Anna Marie I have lived in Michigan my whole life! (very close to where these pictures are taken), our summers usually start in June (maybe late may) and last through early September. This year as been one of the hottest with temps coming in the 90’s – 100’s! Usually we are high 70’s to low 90’s. We do have the humidity too which can make it seem even hotter! We can have big waves anything from 2ft to 8ft and above. We have what the weather man calls lake effect weather, which can result in some crazy thunderstorms and snow storms! For the most part the beaches are calm but we also have rip currents that are very strong, the water can get into the 70’s but for the most part we can deal with it being cooler! Were use to it 🙂

Holly - I love Annies little tan! Wow! Great pictures!

Toni :0) - Thanks and we do too, a little bit of heaven on earth is what I like to say! Great pics Meg!

Valerie @ Chateau A la Mode - I’m sad that’s the end of your Michigan pictures. Looks so fun. I feel like I’ve been there too. P.S. I love the picture of you in your son’s glasses

Sally - Aw…looks like great family & friend memories were made. Thanks for sharing!

Anna Marie - So are there not as many waves as an “ocean beach”? The water looks so calm and peaceful! What about temps up there? Is there only a small window of time when it is warm enough to be in the water? I am thinking I would prefer one of the great lakes versus the ocean for a vacation. I am not a fan of salt water. Thanks for your input 😉

Lisa - If only all of life felt like these vacations. 🙂

Courtney Walsh - I want to go back there so bad. It’s been too long… these are such fun pictures and I love the one with the dumping water on the head…my son does the same thing!!
Looks like a GREAT time! 🙂

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sunsets and bonfires

August 4, 2011

most evenings….the sunsets into the water right in front of our bluff/cliff.
quite an amazing site.
wiffle ball games and big pushes on the tire swing while we soaked up that yellow light.

IMG_0970-1
photo by talby. :) i think this is my i-love-being-in-this-place-so-much-and-i-don't-ever-want-to-leave face.

suddenly the dads proclaim "bonfire on the beach" and all the kids run to the stairs.
i think to myself "really? do we have to go down those stairs again?"
but i go because there is no place in kansas to have a beautiful bonfire on the beach that will trick your mind in to thinking you are on a tropical island or living in a LOST episode.

this is not even the halfway point….

goofy boys. jake telling me "don't put this on your blog!" and me saying "you didn't sign the waiver jake!"

sean discovered monarch caterpillars at the bottom of the stairs. my favorite!

depending on which way you faced the pictures turned out quite differently.

making smores on a windy beach is challenging….but they find a way when there is chocolate involved.

and the fireworks came out…..

and then it was dark.
i used my flash….the first time in years.

the smoke from the fire made it look groovy man.
i think they were jedis? or harry potter fighting? who knows.
they are using the cardboard the glow necklaces came in….not sticks.

it was beautiful.
and fun.
and worth the 223 steps back up…..i think.

………………………………………..

school enrollment today.
yippee.
$$$$ writing checks and filling out forms……my favey……..not.

………………………………………..

you can enter to win a $100 visa gift card from Degree motionSENSE
deoderant over here…have you done it yet?
why not?
it's $100!!!

………………………………………..

how is your summer list coming along???

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deb - I am a native of Northern Michigan,and still live in the same town I was born in. After seeing your pics, and reading the comments, I am reminded of how very BLESSED i am to live in “God’s Country” Mario B., Michael Moore, and a few other well knowns have now made this area into home…you should come for a visit!

Kim Barlow - Our summer list is about half way done. Only a few things left on it and some of those just aren’t going to happen! HA!

shasta - love your pictures…the “golden hour of photography” makes everything look so perfect and dreamy!

Jenny B. - Oh, it all looks so dreamy… And the weather… Sigh… 🙂 Thanks for the reminder about the summer list. Ours has been sorely neglected. Maybe we need to do a fall list. 😉

Heather Bachman - Long time lurker, first time commenter… I feel like I know you even if you don’t know me. 🙂
Talby looks like a mini-Lauren in those pictures. So beautiful!
Your vacation looks like so much fun.

Trisha - Just wanted to say that I love your Michigan posts – I am from a suburb of Detroit, and I so love my state (despite all the bad stuff), ESPECIALLY Western Michigan. Heaven.

tara - talby is beautiful.
pictures are awesome.
what a wonderful trip with loved ones.
makes me think I’m gonna really miss being 40 minutes away from the beach when we move from Orlando in 2 weeks….

amber - I love monarch caterpillars too. That picture of Talby smiling on the beach looked so much like Lauren. And…the beach is our favorite. Texas lakes do not have beaches like that. Crazy, awesome, huge lakes…God is so cool.

happygirl - Such wonderful pics. WHAT A LOT of STAIRS. You got to do cardio every day. Awesome. 🙂

elisa - You are making me want to go to Michigan so bad!!!
Love the pics!

jen - Those stairs remind me of a lot of things. Most of all, they remind me that God has so many blessings and good things planned for our lives. Sometimes we look at the things that He asks of us and are like, “Are you kidding me?” and the work to get there seems tremendous. But the blessing at the end of it is SOOOOOOO great! Enjoy the rest of your summer. BTW…this is my official delurk post:)

Ayca - where is waffle?

Kristin Cronk - Ahhh Michigan. We like to savor our summers here too… because come winter we’re itchin to get back outside and see some sun!
I adopted your Treat Tuesday tradition in my house a few months ago, and I have to say… it makes me soooo happy! 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration!

Amy Slavik@ Little For A Little While - We are rockin’ our summer list! Thanks for such a fun idea! We’ve checked off about 2/3 of it, and with a few more weeks of summer we just might do it all! Love the monarch caterpillars, all butterflies are just gorgeous!

jennibell - WOW!!! The tourism dept for the state of MI should contact you and GET those release forms signed and pay you top dollar for these photos. . .who doesn’t want to visit the beaches of northern MI after this post???? I would post these *everywhere* in my house to remind me of happy, happy days on even the crummiest and cold winter ones. You are a blessed momma, Megan.

Tina I - We only have 2 things left on our summer list! It’s a catch 22….I’m so sick of my kids that I can’t wait for school to start, but know I will miss them terribly when it happens. Glad you enjoyed your vacation! I really love reading your blog. Wish I could be as calm and laid back as you seem with my 5 kids. Also wishing for a Lake Michigan vaca, now, too:-)

karen - very nice. i love your ‘i-love-being-in-this-place-so-much-and-i-don’t-ever-want-to-leave face’!! go black meg..would be stunner with your eyes!!

Tracey - We have one week left and have gotten through about 1/2 of our summer list. As much as my kiddos can make me crazy, I LOVE summer with them, and I am not ready for school to start back up.

Lisa - Every time you share your pictures of Michigan it makes me want to vacation there. Even with all those stairs! 😉 Really beautiful pictures.

julia - I love those stairs…in theory.

alicia @ la famille - that is quite the set of stairs…bet you’ve got some toned up legs after that vacation! our summer is list coming…just not ready for school yet. 🙁 we homeschool, but i have TONS of planning to do…TONS!

Gretchen - These pictures make me want to abandon my declaration of being done with summer.
LOVE the bonfire on the beach idea. NC usually bans them. Oh, and waves without the fear of sharks? Divine.
I CANNOT believe the picture of the stairs. I sure hope no one had to make a potty run back to the house 🙂

Kimberly Dial - I’d go down (& back up) 223 steps for some s’mores & that sunset! 🙂 I’ve never been to Michigan but you sure make it look like an awesome vacation spot … you should contact their Board of Tourism, show ’em your blog, say “You’re welcome”! LOL 🙂

Ali - Wow, that all looked like so much fun! Wish I was one of your kids! Although I think you are a year or two younger than me! 🙂
Do your kids go to a private school? Is that why you put $$$$ in your posts about back to school? Or do you just talking about school supplies and back to school clothes?
~ Ali

Tiffany - amazing photo of ur talby on the beach. ah.mayyyy.zing!

michelle - Hi Meg!
Just wondering if you can tell me the name of this place you rented on Lake Michigan? It looks like a super fun vacation and fun to do with another family….if you are able to send me the name of this place, I would be interested in looking into it. We live in MN and when we head to Duluth we always enjoy time on the beach on Lake Superior. THANK YOU!!! Michelle

Heather - I totally get the “I love this place and I never want to leave” thing. It’s how I feel on the gulf coast of Florida. It’s why we’re going back May 2012. It’s why I have a hard time when we plan a trip elsewhere. The fireworks shots are great!

Valerie@Chateaualamode.typepad.com - Love that you’re sharing your trip with us. Looks like such a fun time.

Pamela Gordon - That is a lot of steps but so worth it. What great pictures!

Secret Mom Thoughts - Those are some stairs. These photos really show that you had a great vacation.

Karen Gerstenberger - Those photos and memories are treasures that you & your family will dip into for years to come – so beautiful! And the steps? I can see that one would have to eat a lot of s’mores to have enough energy to go back up. On the plus side, all of you probably slept so well after the glorious fresh air and exercise!

Aimee - What a divine trip. I would love to create a family tradition trip like this.
We never got around to making a summer list this year! I can’t believe it. After a long, busy school year, we’ve just been having the laziest, most relaxing summer EVER.

Katie - Wow looks so amazing, a bonfire on the beach sounds like heaven! 🙂

Cindy - We’ve had tons of fun with our summer list! But sadly two of my favorites won’t get checked off this year…we sort of missed the window for them: catching fireflies (why, oh why are there none around our home? next year we will SEEK them out!) and picking blueberries at the berry patch (apparently the robins beat us to them this year!) But we still have a few fun activities to carry us through the end of the summer…and then we start our Fall List!! Totally think it’s my fav season…pumpkin patch, carving pumpkins, apple orchards, football games, hot apple cider…ahhhh!

elma - WOW All those steps!!! School is comming way to fast.

colette - gorgeous. a campfire on the beach sounds wonderful.
i’ve been following your blog for a while but have never commented. just wanted to tell you that i love it and am always so inspired by your words and pictures. thank you!

Jill - The vacay looks so peaceful. The stairs are lovely, I think I’d get a bad case of vertigo on them!

Diana D - I have been reading your blog for a few months now and have never commented. I really enjoy your wit and outlook!
It looks as though you guys thoroughly enjoyed Michigan. We still have 3 weeks of summer break left (although the heat will stick around much longer here in Texas), but we have accomplished most of what we had on our Summer List. The extreme heat has sidelined us a few times, but we have traveled quite a bit to escape!

Seriously Sassy Mama - We have almost completed our entire Summer List. It was so much fun to be able to do all the fun activities with my girls. Only three weeks left till school starts.

Jen Brandt - What great pics, Meg. Love the one Talby took of you. 🙂 Summer list is almost done = 🙂 and 🙁

Jenna - Summer List: have a baby
Check! Now just trying to find time to sleep 🙂
Jenna
momofmanyhats.blogspot.com

Sarah @ Handbags*N*Pigtails - Since we start school in two weeks I was just thinking last night of making a FALL List. We never actually made a formal summer list. It seemed everyone else but us made them. But we seized the opportunities that came at us each day and made the most of our summer. Its been amazing and I cant believe its almost over{sniff sniff}. But we’ll be moving on to new things, the changing seasons and cooler weather. Lots to look forward to:)

Darcie L. - Almost done with our Summer List, but we only had a few items on ours… just a 3-year old and me, plus newborn, so we don’t get too far! Still have to have a Poker Nite for daddy and his friends. Love your blog… next year’s list will include finding time to come meet you!

staci amy - What a gorgeous place =) our enrollment is next week!!!!!! We are sooo ready!!

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - Can you believe school starts to soon?! Forms, forms, forms… that has been my week! Ugh!

Jessi - I’m loving these Michigan posts. Gah… I need a vacation. Is that possible with a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old? Do people even do that?

Gemma @ Musings of a gem - I’d love to go there someday..it looks like such a get-a-way!
Gemma xXx

Kerry - Meg you look sooooo relaxed! And I love the last pic of Lauren, so cool. Looks like you had such a chillaxing time, Kerry x

Holly - our summer break ended last week but we got a ton done! Do you make your older kids help fill out paper work for school? I totally do! ha!

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