WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Trying out Wordless Wednesday :)
A prequel to our Bahamas Trip post!

*LRW*

Fireworks, Chicken Poop, and a 75th Birthday...

I read Annie's 4th of July post about the race in Daytona and I decided it was now or never for this post. Truthfully I can't say this is the first time I could have worked on it...I have been sucked (no pun) into the TWILIGHT series and I couldn't fathom putting the book down. I finished the first book yesterday and I am not going to read the next one until I get my to-do list done. In a teachers life her to-do list is never ending so I might have to throw the to-do list out...if I ever want to get to New Moon.

As you know I was up in Michigan and them Yooper's as they call themselves celebrate a bit differently so of course I had to document for all my lovely folk down here! The day started out gorgeous with it being cool but the sun shining bright. I knew it was going to be a great day, even though I was missing my sweet Adam, because I knew good food was in store! (There I am again with the food!) The parade started out at 12 pm and it was fun but different, because the last time I was up there I think I was one of the youngins running out to catch tootsie rolls, and bubble yum. The parade had floats for all the school reunions, the churches, and town companies. At the end there were the horses, but not as many as the Williston parade...you got Munising beat! :)

The Red Hats ( My grandma is in it, but she watched the parade with us.)

This guy has been singing God Bless America in the parade for years...Love the one man band!

After the parade we headed back for some much needed lunch and boy was it wonderful. My Uncle Michael knows how to cook just like my Grandpa, and he WOWed us with his amazing pulled pork. Mom made her famous mac and cheese and we feasted. Check out the grub and how festive everyone tried to be!

I put slaw on my pulled pork sandwich and it was amazing!

Mom, Dad, and Me at the Barge Inn (famous for their bloody mary's)

Mom and Uncle Michael...Most Patriotic!! ( Mom got the hat from the parade)

After lunch we all got excited for the Pier festivities...this is where the chicken poop comes it! They have game booths and craft tables down along the shore of Lake Superior. The star game is called Chicken Poop Bingo (Oh I know you are thinking I am crazy). So the premise of the game is you buy the wooden paint stirrer sticks that have a number on it for a dollar then you hope that one of the two chickens poops on your number. It wasn't as fascinating as it once was but my mom, dad, and I played one round for old times. Once a chicken poops on a number that person gets the money, you don't actually have to get 5 in a row like real BINGO. I even took a video lets see if I can get this puppy uploaded. (no success)

Our BINGO numbers (My dad looks like an irritated Italian in this picture)

Chicken Poop Bingo board

When we maxed out on the Pier festivities we headed up to the water fight. Another bizarre but fun Munising tradition. All the firefighters come in on the fire truck and they form four teams to battle against. Then they proceed to have a massive water fight where all the town children play in the water behind their favorite fireman. I have a video of this too, to bad I can figure out the video upload. It is precious to hear the children squeal with delight as they run through the water.

We ended the day with amazing fireworks!! We had to wait until 11:30 though which is way past my bedtime. It just takes so long to get dark there.

The next day we celebrate my Grandma's 75th birthday with family out at camp. Good food, great company, and cherished memories!

Decorations and the theme is 4th of July

A toast to a special lady, Grandma D

The Birthday girl cutting the cake!

Off to cruise to the Bahamas...

*LRW*

Home from Yooperville

Home Sweet Home

There is truly no place like home. After being away from Adam for 6 nights and 7 days, I decided not to leave him for that long again. My family can vouch for that, because toward the end of the vaca I proceeded to get more and more grumpy (that was a kind word to use). So last Thursday afternoon I headed on down to Tampa to celebrate my Dad's 51st birthday. We were happy to celebrate his birthday, since the 50th year of life wasn't filled with good luck for MJ and Billy Mayes. On Friday morning we woke up bright and early to head off to Munising, Michigan were my mother grew up and where my Grandma D lives. My Mom and her two brothers and their children all got together to through Grandma D a 75th birthday party. More on that later! When we arrived the weather was a bit different than our hot, humid, sticky, muggy weather...I reach for my north face jacket because it was quite chilly. It might have been chilly but oh how glorious is was to have my hair do exactly what I wanted it to do. I do love the cold, dry weather just for that! Heading out to camp we stopped in the happening town of Chatum (I am being facetious), and hit up The Village Pub, oh wow the food was divine, but the cigarette smoke could have been less. My brother, Matthew and I shared the everything fired bowl.

16 Mile Lake Camp

This is where we stayed all week at the camp. My great grandfather and my Uncle Al built this cabin together in the 50's and there are so many wonderful memories that were made out here. I loved hearing about all of my Mom's and her brothers memories they had from their childhood. When I was growing up we would go to Michigan for two weeks but it has been 6 0r 7 years since I have been so it was interesting to see what had changed. You no longer have to walk outside and down tot the basement to shower (my mom and dad added a shower to the main part of the cabin, which was wonderful)! When we arrived, not everybody was there yet so we got settled in to our rooms and relaxed after a long day of traveling. It was great to visit with everyone!

All the girl cousins

All the girl cousins except for me slept in a tent out behind camp. So they blew up there mattresses on the deck and we use it to lounge on and visit. I have to say though that it gets really cold and damp up here at night so I don't know how they did that. It did help with the amount of people in camp because there is 4 twin beds and 2 pull out couches which all were getting used. Once everyone arrived we ate some yummy lasagna and of course had an awesome bonfire. What fun was had by all! The Fourth of July festivities and Grandma's birthday will be in the next post. Happy Weekend!

Mom, Dad, Uncle Jeff, Uncle Michael, Grandma D, and Aunt Pam

Angel Island on 16 Mile Lake

All of the grandchildren

Update:

Remember our A and L's Pumpkin patch, well they are "gettin" some growing on! Here is what they look like now. They have been in the ground for almost two weeks!

*LRW*