Mackinac Moment

We've been having some lovely evenings up here...

This is SO How My Husband Feels...

Well, except for the singing. Allen rarely breaks out in song.

But to his credit, he bought the soundtrack for the kids. He even got the CD with the bonus karaoke version of Let it Go. He must really love us...

Mackinac Must Have: Rain Gear

photo via

Summer in Northern Michigan means occasional rain. It's just a fact of life. Some days it might be a quick passing thunderstorm, but other days we have all day soaking rains; either way being prepared is important. In fact, this time of year, we pretty much never leave the house without stuffing our rain gear into a backpack first.

With no cars on Mackinac, we're often  out in the elements. Umbrellas are nice when you're walking,  but not very practical while riding a bike. For the kids I love LL Bean rain gear. Both kids wear it in the spring and well into the fall with a fleece underneath. (I took that picture just a day or two ago - yes, it was so chilly that we needed mittens in June!)

photo via

So, if you happen to be coming to Mackinac Island this summer, take my advice and throw your raincoat  (or an umbrella) into your bag. It's true, you may not need it, but if you hit the island on one of the wetter days, you'll be glad you have it. Especially if you happen to be riding a rental bike around the island and are three miles from town...

Hope

Has it ever hit you that you never blogged about something important to you? Believe it or not, I never seemed to post about the quilt I made for Craft Hope. (If you've never checked out Craft Hope, you should.) My friend, Maggie, and I participated  in Project Five - we each made a quilt for Margaret's Hope Chest. The photos I took of the quilt I made for the project didn't turn out, so I never posted about it.

Photo via

Thankfully M.H.C. took photos of all the quilts they received! (The complete set of photos can be found here.) M.H.C. specifically asked for boy quilts so when I saw that football fabric I just had to get it. So anyway, Maggie bought the Craft Hope book for herself and emailed me telling me that I had to get myself a copy. Now I know why! My quilt is in two photographs in the book. I know I just contributed a teeny tiny part to the project, but it was really exciting to see my quilt in the book. It has me wondering if the little boy pictured with it is the one who actually got it...

This photo was taken by Lynne Harty and is owned by Lark Crafts,
A Division of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

Camp Pet-o-se-ga

My mom and dad discovered this little gem not too far

from home and suggested we check it out...

Except for the mosquitoes, it was lovely.

We hiked along the river and check out the cabins,

and, of course, my son made new friends;

lots of new friends.

Their campsites looked nice, so I'm sure we'll end up back

there for the weekend or two later this summer...

Mackinac Moment

Hello June.

It's so nice to see you. 

May is always so rough for me; the craziness of the end of the year, field trips, report cards, packing up my classroom - it's a whirlwind. But once my dear friend, June, arrives things calm down. Hopefully I'll have time to post here more often...