As it is an annual tradition with my family, last Thursday through Sunday Jackie and I headed up to Pentwater, Michigan for my family's camping excursion. Neither of us are particularly "fond" of camping (an understatement) (specifically, sleeping in a tent, and, at times, questionable washroom facilities - I mean, who doesn't like showering with moths and spiders, right?), but it is and always has been an excellent opportunity to spend with family. For us, as we live a couple of hours away, it is important to take advantage of these opportunities. The campground we stay at has pretty decent facilities, and Pentwater, being such a neat little town and so close to the lake, has its advantages. This year was a little different than the last few for several reasons - there was practically no rain; we went in July as opposed to June, and it was much, much warmer; and my sister and her whole family was able to make the trip this year, being unable to the past two years. All that meant that there was a lot good, true quality time with family.
Jackie and I cut back on what we typically do...as we continue to try and save money as we work towards our adoption, we did not do any shopping in Pentwater like we have in the past, and we chose to forego dining at our favorite stop, The Village Cafe, in town. We were able to take advantage of a beautiful Saturday night to head into town, enjoy some excellent Sherman's hand dipped ice cream, and then wander along the pier jutting from Lake Pentwater into Lake Michigan at sunset. I think the ice cream and sunset is a new tradition for us.
The trip itself consisted of many of the things we have done in the past. One day, we all went to a beach on Lake Michigan just north of Pentwater (and all includes Ellie, as the beach allows dogs). We sat on the sand, enjoyed the sun, played in the water (some more than others), and simply relaxed. We got to see my nephew (Gavin) and niece (Bree) play with their grandparents, as well as their parents. We got to see Ellie be scared by the waves (again). Another day, much time was spent at the campground's pool, again, just soaking up the sun and enjoying time well spent with family. The days began with pancakes and bacon cooked by my sister and brother-in-law, and evenings ended with a shared meal cooked by my folks (even Porterhouse steak on the last night). We also shared campfires, and probably ate too many s'mores.
But, the purpose of these trips has always been about spending time with family, to create memories with one another, and to continue to get to know each other even more than we already do. To that end, here are several things we learned over the weekend...
My sister is an extreme lightweight when it comes to alcohol (seriously, you have no idea)...
My brother-in-law dislikes fish, and believes that they will take over the world some day...
My nephew has a stuffed bear named Station Master...
My niece loves to scowl at me (the one time she was smiling at me and I told her, she quickly corrected her scowl and turned away)...
Ellie is not an outside dog, and is not of the hardy variety (at all); she was very glad to be back home on Sunday night...
Jackie, in her never-ending quest to get sun and color despite being a redhead, once again got sunburnt...
My dad is a bit of an elitist (or snob if you prefer) when it comes to ice cream...
My mom provided a s'more goldmine by having chocolate graham crackers (delightful, but part of the cause for eating to many)...
Despite my aversion to camping, the trip was once again a worthwhile experience, and I truly enjoyed seeing my entire family together, particularly getting to spend 3 days with my nephew and niece, and see them interact with Jackie and my parents, in addition to their own Mom and Dad. Its a nice reminder of why we choose to do this annual trip as a family.
So, as I leave another year of camping behind, I am thankful for the memories of this year's trip. And thanks to my sister, it also includes knowledge of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog.
Some pics from the trip...
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| Ellie enjoying the beach |
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| Gavin and Bree |
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| Cold drinks at the beach |
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| The pier |
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| Sunset over Lake Michigan |
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| 3 days of camping & we still love each other |
Great, pictures. Love reading about the trip every year. Glad you didn't get rained out or have to sleep in the car at any point this year.
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