Wow! Summer goes by so fast….. So since the last post we have busy, we spent the fourth here at home with lots of great friends on the beach, watching fireworks from a friend’s home that thankfully kept us from too much of the crowds. We then started getting ready for our summer boat trip. This year we went with our dear friends Ben and Sue and their two kids. We love boating with them; they have been our boat buddies for years. We had stops in Harbor Springs, South Manitou Island and Charlevoix before heading to the North Channel. On our way home we stopped on Mackinaw Island and Frankfort. Ben and Sara both have summer jobs so they didn’t make the entire trip this year but Mariada had a blast she loved almost all of it with exception of the bugs and snakes, I don’t think she will be a camper! This works out fine with me since I have never really been one myself.

We left the boat and drove straight to East Lansing to drop Mariada off at soccer camp. Then I came home unpacked did laundry and drove Ben to Ann Arbor for orientation, the next day I drove back to East Lansing to pick up Mariada, and then the next day, yup back to Ann Arbor to pick Ben up from orientation. Last week I put some miles on the car! Mariada loved camp and Ben is looking forward to collage, even thinking of double majoring.

Mariada is now busy with soccer practice, she is playing for two teams, and Ben is working two jobs as well as Sara. Life is full around here. And this week is coast guard festival in our little town, basically our town of twenty thousand, is turned in to two hundred and fifty in one week! Last night was opening night for the carnival we meant with some friends that have a home right in the middle of it and before I knew it Mariada was asking for money and out of there with tons of teens to hit the scary carnie rides! On the way home she told me it was the best night of her life.

After this week, summer starts coming to an end and by the end of the month we will have celebrated two birthdays Ben and Mariada’s. Ben will be gone to U of M and we will be shopping for school supplies for Mariada! Wow...

Mariada jumping from her first rock!
Benjamin Island's
If you look really close you can see me reading on the front of the boat! I was not in the mood to hike this day.
Lewis did a great job on his first boat trip!
Hiking the Benjamin's
We decided to jump off the boat under the Mackinaw bridge.