Summer Michigan Trip 2015, Day 1

We just got back from a trip to Michigan to see Matt's side of the family. We had a fun little vacation packed with tons of activities. We left with a list of things we had hoped to do while in Michigan; some of them we accomplished, and for some we had to alter our plans a bit because the weather was not what we hoped it would be! Regardless, we had a wonderful time.

We left on Thursday morning around 9:30 a.m. We headed out of town with two excited little girls and our little family car packed to the brim! The day before leaving we had purchased a new car DVD player. For past trips we had used a little portable DVD player that my parents had bought when my brothers and I were younger. It was about 20 years old and finally bit the dust! Our new DVD player has two screens, one for each girl, that attach to the back of our headrests. I was really glad we had it because we are in the "I'm bored!" and "Are we there yet?" stage with our girls, so being able to watch movies helps them cut down on the whining!!

Our road trip up to Michigan was one of the longest trips we've ever had. We encountered tons of traffic and construction. I dealt with a bit of car sickness (although we thankfully never had to make a stop for me!), we took a looooong lunch break (Panera left us sitting at our table waiting for our food for way too long. It turns out they forgot us. The one good thing was that we got our meal for free.), we had to make more potty stops than normal due to a newly potty trained two-year-old, and we got pulled over! That last one was a first for us. A Michigan trooper pulled us over during the last leg of our trip. It was the first time Matt's ever been pulled over (I never have, for the record!) and we were surprised because he wasn't really driving fast. It turned out that Matt was driving in the left lane, and apparently in Michigan you are only supposed to use the left lane for passing. The trooper told us they are trying to make more people aware of this through a new initiative, and sure enough, we saw about five more cars pulled over during the next several miles. Thankfully Matt didn't get a ticket or even a warning. The trooper just made a note that he had made us aware of the initiative and sent us on our way. He also complimented how well our children were secured in the backseat. He applauded us for having them safely restrained in harnesses and told us that we would be surprised at how many parents aren't aware of the importance of harnessing children as long as possible. He told Savannah, "Your mommy and daddy are doing a good job of keeping you safe." This made me happy because car seat safety is very important to me! :)

She was telling me "Don't take a picture of me!"

Such a beautiful sight....a quiet, sleeping toddler! ;)

Our original idea was to meet Matt's Dad and siblings at one of the state beaches when we arrived in the area. We had to come up with a new plan, though, because it was raining. We decided to go bowling. The girls have never been before, and they really enjoyed it! They loved pushing the ball down the little ramp and seeing how many pins they could knock over!

This is the bowling alley. Doesn't it look like something from the 1960s?

After bowling it was dinner time. We went over to Matt's Grandma and Grandpa Kooienga's house, where we stay when we visit. We had a big dinner of roast chicken and lots of different side dishes. My girls, who normally are not big eaters, must have been hungry from bowling because they ate a TON! After eating we visited a bit, but it was already getting pretty late. We got our girls ready for bed and tried to head back upstairs to visit with the family, but I was summoned back downstairs to the sound of Hailey crying and saying she was scared. This was the first trip where she wasn't in a Pack'n'Play and I was pretty nervous about how she would do on an air mattress.

It took several hours to get her to sleep. At first she was scared of the unfamiliar surroundings and the sounds that she heard from people walking around upstairs and talking. Then she was just pushing the limit, seeing how many times she could get off of her little bed and come and find me. Finally Matt had to come downstairs and "lay down the law" with a stern talk. The girls didn't fall asleep until around 10 p.m., which is really late for them! Matt and I didn't get to sleep until about an hour later. This wasn't the best situation, since we had a full day planned for the next day, but that's what tends to happen when little ones are taken out of their normal surroundings!!!

Don't they look so angelic? Hailey was about to cause hours of mischief!!