mackinaw 08

This past weekend we spent some family time in Mackinaw City and the surrounding area.
We left earlier than usual on friday morning. Jay had to rent a vehicle that was 'bigger' than ours. It really wasn't bigger. It was a smaller SUV. Ava almost started crying when she found out we weren't going to take our car.
It started out pretty good. The kids did decently in the car. A little bit of fussing but not too bad. We still got there late afternoon. We walked around did a little bit of shopping and came back to the hotel for a pizza party with the whole family....MIL, FIL, SIL, BIL and nephew.
Jumping on the bed.




We ate very late, about the time Lucas usually goes to bed. The kids were starving.

We had a tough time getting the kids to bed. Every noise Ava made would arouse Lucas. We really need to get a suite everywhere we go. We still got up pretty early, I get up that early but the kids don't. We were up just after 6am.
We went to get breakfast and the sun wasn't even up.
On the beach way too early in the morning.



Our plan was to visit Tahquamenon Falls. We set out before anyone else had gotten up I think. It was such a long drive but the kids did decently again.
Mackinac Bridge.


We got to the lower falls and it was raining. It was very light so we decided to go see the falls anyway.













Then we headed to the upper falls 5 miles away. There is a brewery there that we stopped at for lunch. I had a pastie and wished I had just gotten a sandwich. Lucas was flirting some women that were at another table. Then he was flirting with a waitress. Ava couldn't sit still.
After lunch we moved on to see the upper falls. The sun had come out and we let Lucas walk. He kept trying to jump in the little puddles.





Although it was all very beautiful we just walked out to see them, took pictures and left again. Except for lunch, it didn't take long at all. We decided to go ahead and go over to Sault Ste Marie to see if we could watch some boats go through the locks. By the time we had gotten there one had just finished going through. They had one scheduled to come a little less than an hour after we got there. We decided to wait and some tour boats showed up. While we waited we walked around a bit and Lucas stepped in front of me, I didn't see him and knocked him over. He scraped his forehead.


The first one was a Canadian boat and the second was an American boat. We knew that the JERK's were on their way to the locks that day but I really thought they would be gone by the time we got there. They just happened to be on the Amerian tour boat we were watching go through the lock.

Ava saw them and said they were sinking. Which they were really.

It was so cold standing on the platform that I told Jay we should just forget about seeing the ship and count the tour boats as our lock experience this time. We stepped inside the building and found that they had erased the time of arrival for the ship we were going to wait for. Yeah, good call. We quickly went into a gift shop so I could do one of those smash penny things and Ava wanted a lollipop. A huge lollipop. I told her she couldn't have one that she had to get something that Bubby could have too. That did not go over well with her. I had to pull her out of the store screaming. Daddy went and got her some fudge. I'm not sure what she learned there.
On the way home, Bubby's 'pavement kiss'.

We got back to the hotel and tried to swim in the pool but it felt too cold. The hot tub was nice but the kids can't go in there. We went to dinner with the whole family again, it was my BIL's birthday. We sang happy birthday and had a really good dinner. Jay took care of the kids most of the time-it really was a vacation for me! We left earlier than everybody else, once again dinner was scheduled way later than we are used to and can stand. As we were in the car and leaving Ava says 'that was the best birthday ever!'. lol
We had a late bedtime and an early morning again. But at least they slept in till 630 sunday am.
We had breakfast with the whole family the next morning and went 'shopping'. All we bought were a couple of slushies. Ava, Rain, Jay and Lucas all played on the little playground the have set up in the middle of the shopping center.
At breakfast, the only proof that I was there at all. Ava took it.




We had a good ride home. Almost no fussing/whining. They slept for the first part of the ride until we stopped to eat.
The kids are adjusting back to their bedtimes. I haven't had a chance to with getting up at 530am the past two mornings. Thank goodness I can sleep in tomorrow, I have my alarm set for 615-I'll probably sleep later than that.