The Little Things: It's a long way to Beaver Island...

Monday, July 8, 2013

It's a long way to Beaver Island...

My sister, Kristin, and her husband, Travis, invited our whole family up to Beaver Island for the Fourth of July. Trav's family has a long history on the Island – his mom (one of 15 kids) was born there and it seems there were McDonoughs welcoming us and making sure we were having fun wherever we went. (We come from what I've always considered a large family, but joked to my sister that we need a diagram to keep track of this extended family).

It's a two-hour ferry ride from Charlevoix to the Island, and my kids were beyond excited to board the boat for our journey. Once on the Island, it's hard not to relax. The landscape is beautiful, the pace is slower, the atmosphere is very laid-back, and cell phone coverage is spotty. When Caleb asked for my cell phone on the ferry ride over (to check baseball scores, of course), I told him he would be having a phone-free few days. What I didn't realize was that the same rule would apply for me.

And I'm so thankful.

Sometimes, I get so tangled in my own web, I don't realize I'm caught. On our drive home, but Tim and I commented how refreshing it was to be out of reach and fully present.

Side note: Since I'm just beginning the Media chapter of the book, Seven, (Have you read it? You should!) I think I have more pondering to come on this subject and maybe some commitments to be made regarding how I'm spending my time and where I'm putting my focus.

We've been singing the song, "It's a long way to Beaver Island," ever since we got home (the fact that Google searches can't locate the lyrics to this song give you a clue as to how unplugged this island remains) and I've been enjoying playing with my many pictures taken during our fun, holiday weekend.