Our latest family adventure!

Hello, blog reader friends. It’s been a while since I’ve written on here, yeah? I’ve often thought of this space in the last few months, many times truly hoping for a chance to sit down and write a little bit. Other times, I’ve had to remind myself the “lack” of time spent here is not a loss. I’m grateful for the mental strength to know how to prioritize my time right now.

The views are stunning, and the beauty is abundant.

The kid’s final day of school! We pressed on and finished toward the end of June: Maxwell (3rd), Natalie (2nd), Marigold (Kinder), and Landon (Preschool).

And for the past year, this has meant graduate school has received most of my spare time. (Though I’ve been borrowing a lot of spare time from bedtime.) Right now, I’m on a short 6-week break from school. I’ve recently completed my sixth class (Church History), and since the start of grad school, my weekly routine has been to paint my nails at the beginning of a new school week. Instead of studying or writing a term paper, I’m writing a blog post as my nails dry. I enjoy rewards ;)

I want to tell you about our latest family adventure! Something big has happened since I last sat down to publish a post. Did you know we moved in February, about four hours north? We certainly did! :) We moved from the Detroit area to Petoskey, MI — see the map below. It’s been wonderful and restful (for all six of us, even Bauer the dog). And since Petoskey is such a great place to vacation, we’ve had many family & friends visit and/or spend the night. This brings me so much joy!

We are thriving in our new home, which now includes a staircase to a second floor (snort) along with many large picture windows, a sunroom, and a few acres for playing outside. We moved north under the light of the moon during a winter snowstorm, and if it weren’t for the familiarity of the town and many family members living nearby, I would have been quite uncertain of this new location. Almost everywhere we drive now includes a view of Walloon Lake or Little Traverse Bay. This is a very peaceful chapter for my family and me, and I’m thankful for it. Zack continues to work from home on his post-production business.

Beach day with friends! Isn’t my friend Wendy’s hand gesture perfect? (Look for the yellow tube.)

I took the kids to the beach to swim four times in May and even more often in June. Zack and I visited Traverse City to celebrate 14 years of marriage. We then drove as a family to Detroit so he could catch a flight to Los Angeles for a few days (the kids and I stayed in the area and visited with friends and family). Then we drove back to Petoskey as a family, celebrated Landon’s 4th birthday, and the next day I left for a women’s conference in Indianapolis.

Our anniversary trip this year was unlike any other trip we’ve had! We spent three days in Traverse City, and Zack kickstarted our time away with a new wedding ring. WHAT IN THE WORLD!

The beginning of July held my birthday and a family trip to Mackinac Island, MI and from there we drove to Wisconsin to visit dear friends we met while living in Los Angeles. We returned home and prepared for a 4-day camping trip, only to return home and host two more house guests. I’m telling you, it’s been a fun, fun summer!

Joanna had one baby when we met, and I was pregnant with Maxwell. We became instant friends. She now has three kiddos, and I have four! I truly could write a book on how Joanna has challenged me ;) 

I told you it’s been an adventurous summer! The sunsets are warm with God’s love, and the birds that fill the surrounding fields are delicate and confident. I’m paying attention to life around me: taking notes, making healthy changes, and spending a lot of time with God.

More to come soon! I want to read a few pages of this book before I fall asleep :)