September 17-19, 2010
Spring Lake RV Resort

Now that all of our summer camping plans are complete, we start to go for fall weekends and had been trying to find a weekend to go camping with Kevin and Lyn. Unfortunately, things weren't working out too well. They have a membership to a campground near Kalamazoo, where they can stay for 2 weeks at a time free of charge. After several attempts to schedule a weekend of camping together, we came to the conclusion that maybe we should just join them down in Kalamazoo. Come to find out, it is a really great rate when you come as their guest. We weren't able to be right next to them because the sites were taken - so we chose a site a little further away but with a great view of the lake.

Saturday morning was wet and cool, so we took a quick trip into Allegan to make a stop at Perrigo. While we were there we stopped at a park where the kids had lots of fun. The hit of the day was going across the bars with these special handles.

After many attempts, of trying to go across on her own Jillian managed to convince her dad to give her a ride.

Sam needed some help.

Little did Kevin know what he started with Jillian, because the next thing we knew the challenge had been made for him to take Lyn across. Needless to say, there were many laughs.

Gabrielle has great talent when it comes to this type of activity. She loves the catwalk at school, and after using the sliding handles a few times she decided to go across using just her hands.

The kids got the bright idea that Uncle Kevin was the strongest man on the face of the earth and decided that he could carry all 3 of them across on his back.

They were very wrong, and only Tyler ended up hitching a ride.

One of the nice things about camping by the water's edge is the ability to do a lot of fishing. Of course, there are only practice fish on the ends of these poles - no hooks, but they had a lot of fun anyway. Casting is half the fun anyway isn't it?

No trip with the Peters is complete without a good old fashioned light saber duel.

It wasn't a very good weekend for my camera, as I kept leaving it behind. Our weekend also included a trip to the ice cream store where the kids decided it was boys against girls. It came down to Micah and I racing to the finish as the last ones with any ice cream left. He won, but he also cheated as Uncle Kevin grabbed a great big bite just as I was chewing up my last bite.

The other missed camera opportunity was a trip to the park at the campground after the rain. The kids discovered the puddles and had a wonderful time jumping, splashing and getting absolutely soaking wet. (Lyn did have her camera, so I may be able to add pictures of this later.)

September 11, 2010
Big Girls with holes in their ears

Last year, I asked Gabrielle if she wanted her ears pierced for her birthday - to which she replied 'no'. However, this summer she started asking about it. So, seeing as how it was a raining, non-camping weekend, I decided to take both of the girls over to the mall to get their ears pierced.

September 10, 2010
An Evening in Grand Haven

After our busy week of everybody's first days of school, and with Saturday and Sunday's weather not looking all that great, we opted to let the trailer take a weekend off. However, Friday night was gorgeous and we couldn't just sit home.
So, we decided it would be a beautiful night to visit Grand Haven. We haven't been there since Allison was a baby.

We headed down to Spring Lake and as we crossed the drawbridge we realized that it was our lucky day. After spending 10 days in Muskegon with no freighters in sight, here one sat just waiting for us.

Upon returning home - we did some research and found out some very interesting information on the St. Mary's Challenger. This veteran of the lakes was launched February 7, 1906 and is one of only two remaining U.S. flagged vessels still active on the Great Lakes to be powered by the classic Skinner Marine Unaflow steam engine. The other vessel is the car ferry Badger. It has undergone many name changes over the years and has quite a history. On July 16, 1916; it's starboard bow struck a concrete dock at Superior, WI. On November 22, 1917; the vessel received “stress of weather” damage in heavy seas while down bound on Lake Huron with iron ore from Duluth, MN for Ashtabula, OH. The vessel struck an underwater obstruction while departing Sandusky, OH with coal on September 5th, 1925. In the fall of 1950, she was involved in a head-on collision with the Enders M. Voorhees during a snowstorm in the Straits of Mackinac. On December 20, 1976; the she was forced aground in Lake St. Clair by winds and shifting ice while at anchor due to heavy fog. She was bound for Detroit at the time of the incident. In 1977, the vessel rescued two people from their capsized boat in Lake Michigan. They had been in the water for over 15 hours; a third person being lost. On October 5, 1997; she was hit by a water spout while passing White Shoal Light on the way to Charlevoix, MI. When the St. Marys Challenger departed her winter lay-up berth in S. Chicago, IL on April 4, 2006, she achieved a major milestone in Great Lakes history by marking her centennial year of continuous operation as a powered carrier.

Eventually, we headed into Grand Haven.
The kids enjoyed checking out the old locomotive near one of the parks.

They then had a great time playing on the playground.

We drove a little further toward the lakeshore and then walked the rest of the way on the boardwalk.
The kids checked out this buoy.

It was a beautiful early fall night and we even caught the glimpse of a sun devil in the sky as the sun started to go down.

Back to School
September 7, 2010

The first day of school has arrived and the kids were very excited to begin a new year. So, as is tradition, the camera was busy with our first day of school photos.

Gabrielle - First Day of First Grade

First Grade Buddies
Luke and Gabrielle

Star Wars Buddies
Luke and Nicholas

Nicholas - First Day of Third Grade

Waiting for the bus

Allison didn't get to ride the bus yet today.
She had Orientation for about an hour in the morning.

September 8, 2010

Allison's First Day of Kindergarten

Ready to walk to the bus stop with the big kids.

Waiting for the bus

One happy girl, about to embark on a great adventure.

As soon as the big kids left on the bus, Sam started asking if it was time for his orientation for preschool yet. Poor kid still had almost 2 hours to wait before he got to go.

Ready for Orientation

His teddy bear locker that says:
S - A - M

Exploring his classroom

Allison comes home from her first full day of school.
Proud as punch

September 9, 2010

Sam's First Day of 3 year old Preschool

I found my name, see it says:
S - A- M
just like my locker

Bye mom - I've got it from here

September 5, 2010
Our Last Day at Channel Park

This is how I found Sam this morning.
How do little kids sleep like this?

There was some type of salmon fishing competition this weekend, and the horrible winds had a terrible effect on it.
However, this morning was beautiful and there were fishermen everywhere. It was quite the sight.

Plus there was some type of sailing regatta on Muskegon Lake

It was a beautiful day, so it seems to be lately on the days we have to leave to go home. We had a great time, and look forward to some more camping this fall - but have to say good-bye until next year to our long weekends of summer fun.

So - have you ever wondered what it's like when we get home from one of our many camping trips? Maybe you haven't, but after 10 days in the trailer - the impact that unpacking had on my house was such that I just had to get the camera out.

When we got home Paul parked the trailer in the driveway. He then went to the backyard to mow the lawn where the trailer has to be parked. I went into the trailer and started loading up bags and baskets with everything that has to come out and the kids carried everything from the trailer into the house. When I was finished in the trailer and came into the house myself - this is what greeted me.

For some reason, the kids don't quite understand that you can't stack the bags up right next to the door. The kitchen table had stuff on it too.

After the upstairs had been put into some type of order, with the food being put away - the hampers were taken downstairs and dumped out on the floor to begin the process of at least one full day of laundry.

This is what 10 days worth of
camping laundry looks like at our house.