Day 6 - Lots of Museums

I had an early morning zoom call so I got up early and headed to the lobby to get my work done.  Once the Zoom call was finished, I went back to the room but ended up on our balcony to finish my quiet time.  It was a great view. 

We grabbed breakfast from the buffet in the hotel lobby and then headed out for the day.  We have selected three museums to visit.  The first, at Tyler's request, is a railroad museum.  The tour started in the lobby / gift shop, set up to look like an old time train depot with white statues on display wearing clothes from the 20s-30s. Then we headed into a building of train displays and models and watched a documentary on the Freedom Train that toured the US for the bicentennial.  Then it was outdoors to check out the real trains with various cars - sleeper, mail, kitchen, dining, etc.  Tyler was so excited!

 

Next, we headed to the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum.  When we arrived, they were closed for a private event, so we headed to lunch at Chick-Fil-A to kill some time.

When we returned, we toured three levels including the outdoor platform to learn more about the oil industry and drilling itself.  It was very interesting.

A funny note, on the final floor and end of the tour, is a safety zone and one exhibit highlights the different alarms and what they mean on an oil rig.  My sweet girl thought it hilarious to pretend to curse and then use the sirens to BLEEP out the words.  We could hear her all over the exhibit floor (luckily we were alone). She had such a good time at that one simple exhibit - literally made her day!

At this point, we decided to head back to the room for a quick rest.  The next museum is the Galveston Naval Museum, which includes touring a battleship and submarine.  Sammy decided she could sit this one out, so she and I stayed at the hotel while the guys headed out.

Sammy and I relaxed in our room a while.  She worked on a LEGO set while I finished my Bible study.  Then we put on our suits and headed out to by the ocean.  We walked the beach, and sat on the piers watching one particularly skilled bird dive for fish.  We had a great conversation and it was just what we needed to wrap up the day.

The boys thoroughly enjoyed their time at the Naval Museum and appreciated the uncrowded access and lowkey atmosphere.

Speaking of battleships, one of our past times on this trip has been to play board games together on our phones, primarily Battleship.  Ironically, Sammy has honed in her skills and now consistantly spanks all the rest of us every time she plays.  Its equal parts infuriating and laughable to us 80s kids who grew up playing the game thinking we were pretty good.

On their way back to the hotel, they picked up Papa's Pizza, rated best pizza on the island for 8 years straight!  Tyler had to work at 6:00 pm tonight so the kids enjoyed a meal in the hotel while Scott and I headed out on a date night.  We ate at Landry's Steak and Seafood, just 0.3 miles down the road from the hotel.  It was a great meal.  Afterwards we took a drive to check out the southern end of the island and then grabbed a coffee on the way home.  

Sammy was awaiting our return and met us at the door with her swimsuit on!  We quick got changed and headed down to the hottub.  It was a great and relaxing end to the night.

After showers, Sammy joined us in our room to snuggle up and read me more of her latest novel.  By the time we finished, Scott was done in the shower and Tyler wrapped up work and came over as well.

Then we all hung out on our bed and talked, teased and laughed together.  It'll probably last as my best memory of the entire trip.  It was getting late and I was starting to drift off so we made a plan for morning and sent the kids back to their rooms.  Good night Galveston, its been fun!

Day 9 - Elk Rapids

This morning, breakfast was at 9:00a.  We left Bay Harbor to find our spot in Elk Rapids.  It's our first time dropping down into the Grand Traverse Bay.  

We left our slip at 10:15a.  Today we pulled Sammy into the chores and Tyler taught her how to wind up the ropes and where to store them.  It was fun having all of us on mics together.

The weather was beautiful again.  It’s currently 70* cloudy with a 9 mph WSW wind.  There are 1-2 footers on the lake but should decrease even further as we turn the corner into the bay.  There is a thick haze from the Canadian wildfires but otherwise it’s a perfect day.

We are staying at the Edward C Grace Memorial Marina in Elk Rapids.  We stopped quickly at the fuel dock for a pump out and then proceeded to our slip (6).  The guys had us tied off and plugged in by 12:55p.  

I had started baked potatoes in the oven on the ride down so we quick sat for lunch.  It was a warm day so we decided to cool off at the Elk Rapids Sandbar, just across the parking lot from our slip and a fun place to swim.  

Not all of us swam though...

After we got back, the kids took some free time while Scott and I sat on the back of the boat enjoying some shade and the breeze. I had a paper due for class so I worked on that pretty much the rest of the afternoon.  Scott made plans for dinner and we walked over to the Riverwalk Grill & Taproom.  The food was what you’d expect but the walk over was really nice.

After dinner and once my homework was done, we decided to celebrate and get some ice cream.  So we headed out again, with Coco this time, and found some treats.

Back on board for a quiet night.  Everyone pretty much headed to bed early!

Day 17 - Sweet Memories

We woke up to lots of pictures from home sharing the first snow fall of the year.  It looks gorgeous with the fresh, clean white coating on all the bushes, lawns, etc.  But I’ll take today’s sun and warmth a few more weeks before heading back.

This morning, I took some time to do my devotions and am absolutely loving this new Bible study app I found.  As you read through a chapter, it scans all of the Bible resources in your library and pulls them up as they pertain to the verse you are on.  Giving you all of those cross-references, commentaries, charts and maps at your fingertips... without having to lug all those books around with you.  Its a game changer for me for travelling I think!

Anyway, after a relaxing morning, we took Coco for a walk on the beach and enjoyed a little sunshine and tunes.

The kids have been waiting for a new version of The Grinch to come out, so to celebrate the snow at home, we decided to go see it this afternoon.  Tied it into lunchtime so we filled those bellies with popcorn and shared in more than a few laughs.

Stopped at WalMart on the way home to grab a few things and bought Sammy a couple pairs of pants since I seemed to have missed that when we were packing.

We took care of a few things at home and spent some time with the dog before playing Dos, a new card game.  We grabbed takeout from Outback and ate dinner around 7:00 pm.  Then it was time for Tyler’s therapy and calls to Dad who was visiting his folks... so the added bonus of all three on the screen at once!

During all that, Sammy came out of her room and announced that the wire of her orthodontic appliance and come out and was poking her.  Shoot!  We have found an orthodontist down here already but they won’t open again til Monday and that’s a long time to wait with a wire poking your mouth.  I’ve seen the gals do this a bunch of times and it shouldn’t be difficult to fix if I could just find the right tool...  Well, I don’t think it was the “right” tool but it did the trick.  Just so you know, the photo was taken after everything was back together so we were hamming it up.  (Don’t worry, Grandma!)

Once the homework was finished, it was after 9:30 pm and Tyler was shot... I mean really done.  It was a challenging lesson and he was fatigued.  So I told him after his shower he could stay up with me to watch some TV in bed.  After an extended hug, he headed into his room to shower and prep for bed time.

I realized that this “extra” mom time might not sit well with Sammy, so I headed into her room to explain.  All I said was that Tyler was going to stay up and watch some TV with me because he was feeling frustrated after his homework.  “I think I’ll write him a letter”.  Uh ok.  No complaints, no “unfairs”, just gonna write him a note.  She jumped up and grabbed a marker and paper and wrote a very sweet letter.

After that, she headed into the kitchen and poured them both a glass of milk.  I followed her in and heard her mumbling; I assumed she was scripting her favorite parts from the Grinch and didn’t pay much attention.  When she finished putting the milk away, I pulled her into a hug and said “you sure are a great sister!”  She looked up at me and asked if I had heard her... “No, why?” I replied.

“I was just praying for Tyler, that He would bless him and help him know that we all love him.  Especially me”. Ugh. I love that kid!

And that was the day.  Tyler came out and thanked Sammy for the letter and then the milk.  He climbed into my bed and we watched a few science documentaries as we forgot about the frustrations of the day.

Day 16 - Day of Fun

Today was a great day!  Tyler got his therapy done right after breakfast and I got some cleaning done.  Then we all sat down for some Switch time.  They set the controls to auto drive to dumb it down for me and I still couldn't keep up.  But even so, we had a lot of fun.

Steve and Melissa came just after noon to install the vent covers so we got out of their hair and ran some errands.  First we made a quick stop at Wendy's for some lunch.  We had Coco with us so we didn't want to leave her in the truck so it was takeout in the parking lot.  I had to drop off the deposit for our mirrors and glass for the furniture tops.   This brought us south of town to an area I haven't visited much so it was fun to explore a bit.

On the way home we decided to stop at Barefoot Landing.  Its pet-friendly and we haven't visited yet this trip so we spent some time window shopping and wandering around the shops.  They have made some improvements so it was fun to see the changes.  But some things NEVER change... and we just HAD to pose for this photo...  Same board, same smiles, but new dog :)

We came back home and played some more Nintendo Switch while we waited for dinner.  Then we all sat down in the living room and played a new game on our iPads.  It was fun that we were all doing the same activity but at our own pace.  Tyler would help Sammy on levels when she'd be stuck... I would help Tyler... it was all pretty funny.

Bedtime came soon and I got the kids settled and then got to work on some cleaning and computer work.

Today was a great day!

Day 14 - Back At It Again!

Well, I woke up feeling MUCH better!  Thank you Jesus!

After breakfast, the kids played together while I cleaned the master bedroom and bathroom.  Then we took our morning walk on the beach again.  Walking hand in hand with Tyler as we talk about his future... sharing memories from past visits and how much both kids have changed.  Its these simple memories that I’ll always cherish.

After our walk, we headed inside to work on school.  We missed quite a few days last week during construction so I hope we can make up some of those lessons.  The kids did great.  We did Science, History and Bible before lunch and event worked in a phone conference with Tyler’s therapist.  Then we watched the next episode of Little House on the Prairie while eating lunch.  Then decided to take a break from school and watched a movie together.

I spent a little time on the balcony enjoying the view and working on some puzzles.  Then it was back inside to finish Writing, Grammar and Math.  We also took the time to move Sammy over to the North bedroom so she and Tyler could each have their own bathroom.

As soon as we finished, we headed out to run some errands.  It was almost 6:00 pm so we ran into Cracker Barrel for some supper, er I mean breakfast :)

Then a quick stop at Best Buy and then Target before heading home.  It finally quit raining so we changed into our suits and ran down to enjoy just a few moments in the hottub.

When we got back, the kids each took a shower and headed to bed to watch some TV.  I took advantage of the time to sit on the balcony with Coco and drink a cup of chai.

Then it was back inside to clean up the kitchen, pick up all the stuff and piles that accumulate as we do life, and then headed into my room to work on the computer.

As I worked, Coco acted like she needed to go out.  Instead of taking the time to sit outside while she did her business, I cracked the slider door open so she could get out.  After a little while I saw her jump up on the window sill from outside and look in at me.  Awe.  When I was finished and ready to go to bed, I looked everywhere and couldn’t find her.  I walked out on the balcony and found her on the cushion chairs right outside my window, all curled up and enjoying the salty breeze... she really loves it here!

Day 12 - So Long Daddy

With Daylight’s Savings last night, we got an extra hour of sleep. Although I’d love to say that meant we were up bright an early... it just wouldn’t be so.  It was a great opportunity to catch up a little.

Once we did get up, it was devotions at the table and breakfast before Roger and Gretchen headed home to Raleigh.

Once they were on their way, the four of us took Coco on a long walk on the beach.  It was very special as Scott shared some quiet one-on-one time with each of us.  Think laughter, reflection, hand-holding, it was perfect.

After we got back, Scott wrapped up a few projects and put away his tools, etc while I packed his bag for home.  We took the kids to Jimmyz for lunch where we played LCR and did our “church” time together.

We were feeling the time crunch as we got back to the condo so we decided to spend some time watching Fails on TV and enjoyed some laughter and snuggles together.  Then we moved on to LCR and Uno.  After a few rounds, it was time to bring Scott to the airport.

I wish I could say its easier now that the kids are older, or since we’ve done this a number of times... but it really hasn’t.  Good-byes are always rough.

With Scott on his way, the kids and I went home and made supper.  After which they finished a game and then FaceTimed with Bev and Ray.  Then we headed down to the hot tub only to be stopped by Kay that a big storm was heading in and she was shutting down the pool area.  Ugh... Sammy was so disappointed.

Back to the condo for showers and a movie in bed.  It worked well for me as I had some paperwork to wrap up and then headed to bed myself with a headache.

Scott had pretty good flights on the way home with a layover in Atlanta.  He landed in Grand Rapids around 11:30 pm and got home a bit after midnight.

It was a great day again... I’m sure the next few will be an adjustment... going from 100 mph to now being alone... but I’m sure it’ll be great!

Day 11 - Starting To Feel Like Vacation

It was a busy day today!  I think Scott’s feeling the pressure to get a few last things done before he heads back to Michigan.  After devotions and breakfast, he got right to work on the patio furniture.  We decided to use fish line to sew the cushions on to the wicker frame so that we wouldn’t have to worry about the wind blowing them around.  It was a project that took several hours but will save us lots of time removing and returning cushions later.

Uncle Roger brought the kids down to the ocean for a cool dip and then ended up in the pool for a while.  Aunt Gretchen cleaned the floors again and read some of her book on the balcony.  I tried a wassail recipe and then made pizza crusts for our lunch.

The afternoon went by so quickly!  Sammy and I spent some time on the patio coloring while Tyler did some chess puzzles in a book Aunt Gretchen brought down from Dean.  Uncle Roger and Aunt Gretchen went for a quick visit with Michael at the Pizza Chef.

After the cushions were finished, Scott turned his attention to mounting the bathroom towel rods and toilet paper holders. He worked right up until supper time.  They finished they brought Scott and I to a restaurant called Fire & Smoke.  The food was EXCELLENT!  I had a filet with blue cheese sauce and Scott had the special: black grouper with grits.  We shared a few small plates as well - truffle fries and crispy pork belly.  All was delicious!

The kids stayed home alone and enjoyed some Mac N Cheese.  I chuckle to think that they honestly think they got the better end of the stick tonight!

We had some cookies for dessert and I ran down to the lobby to get the groceries that were delivered. Otherwise we just watched a few shows that Tyler had been hoping to catch up on.

Then we all grabbed blankets and sat on the balcony for a little bit.  It was a great day!

Day 10 - The End in Sight

Scott was up last night with sinus pressure... thankfully the first time since we’ve arrived.  So I tried to do one last clean up this morning and hit the floors one more time.  Its amazing home much dust and debris moves around with the cardboard and drywall dust from construction.

We did a quick breakfast before Uncle Roger and Aunt Gretchen arrived about 10:00 am.  We spent some time getting caught up and showing Uncle Roger the spaces and then relented to Sammy’s requests to get outside.  We took a long walk on the beach, heading south and made it all the way to the inlet.

When we got back to the condo, Steve and Melissa announced they were finished.  I cannot believe it!  Scott sat down to discuss the final numbers with them so the Ademas, kids and I headed out to give them some privacy and grabbed some lunch at the hotel.

Thankfully the conversation didn’t last long and Scott was able to join us for the meal.

After we made it back, we all took a little rest time.  Its the first time I’ve seen Scott sit down in a comfortable chair since we arrived. Even Coco found a spot to relax.

We made cookies and Cabbage and Sausage for dinner and after eating decided to play at the pool (Uncle Roger and kids) and rest in the hot tub (Aunt Gretchen, Scott and I).  We were home again just after 9:00 pm so after showers, called it a day!

Steve and Melissa are mostly wrapped up now.  Its been fun getting to know them better this last week and we’re going to miss them.  But I am so thankful that the work is done!  Scott willl have a few projects that he’ll finish during his next visit but the condo is ready!

It was a fabulous day!  The first day that Scott had some down time and the first inklings that we are on vacation.  I’m so thankful for Scott and his skill set and perseverance.  What an incredible job he’s done finishing this condo!  I cannot wait to make even more memories here.  <3