Big Star Bliss

Caleb and Tim fished by kayak and even caught a couple bass.

We loved the quiet moments out on the water and are thankful to our friends from church for letting us borrow their kayaks for the week. I think we've added kayaks to our family "wish list."

Chicken nacho snack time...I'm pretty sure we all gained a few pounds this week!

The ladies at Chateau Chantel in Traverse City while on our wine tasting excursion.

The cousins bonded.

Great weather and lots of beach time = tired kids = good sleeping = happy parents. :)

Uncle Jack designed his very own lakeside mini golf course.

Will and Cal take the plunge.


On Saturday we returned from a trip with the VanderLugt family to Big Star Lake. It was good to be together, to sit in lawn chairs with our feet in the water, eat s'mores around the campfire, build sandcastles with the kids, play some competitive tennis with the tallest men around (I worked on my lob), and do some wine tasting in Traverse City with the ladies.

Today, I have a big of "vacation hangover" and am trying to get motivated to put the house back together, finish the laundry, look at my school calendar (ahh! This week begins August!), and work on some things for my search committee meeting tonight. But I think I'd rather just go sit on the porch while Caleb takes a nap and read a book in the sun.

We spend too much time pushing on to the next moment and not enough enjoying the present -- always thinking about what's next and how we're going to get there. Not that I'm advocating throwing all responsibility to the wind...that's just not going to happen or work in my life. But, vacation is a good reminder how fast the weeks pass by and how good and necessary it is to sit back, look around at the view, and just gratefully take it all in.