Trip to Michigan

We are just back from a trip to Michigan to visit Mike's family and a few friends. We spent most of our time with Mike's parents and 2 of his brothers and their families at a cottage on Strawberry Lake, just outside Reed City. It was great to catch up with family, especially to see nieces and nephews who had changed so much since we last saw them two years ago. The cottage had no phone (or cell phone service), internet, or TV, which was probably very good for us (though somewhat ironic as Mike is taking a class that's supposed to be mostly online). Here are some of the activities that filled our days:

Swimming with our nieces (Mike was very accommodating uncle)




Canoeing and kayaking







Fishing from the rowboat



Fishing from the dock



Hanging out on the dock





Hanging out on the swing



And, naturally, playing Wii (I didn't know exactly what Wii was before--now I am fully educated in this area)



We also played games late into the night every night, but I guess that it was as picturesque as I didn't take any pictures.

Other than seeing family, the highlight for me was the kayaking. I had long suspected I would like kayaking, but had never before had the opportunity to try it out. I discovered my suspicion was right--I absolutely loved it. I especially loved gliding silently across the water to watch (stalk, perhaps?) the crane and the loons that lived on the lake, though I think that they quickly got tired of me as they loudly told me off. I hope that in the future I can find a way to include more kayaking in my life.