oh write!: October in Michigan: part 1

We were fortunate to spend some early October time in Michigan. It's been a while since we'd been back in the fall, and it was a treat to experience the beautiful colors and crisp autumn Michigan weather. As always, we loved our time with family.

Growing up, I remember our trips to Robinette's for apples, donuts, and cider. I loved sharing this tradition with my kids. That huge apple has been there as long as I can remember. My mom used to participate in craft shows that Robinette's hosted in the fall, and I have fond memories of spending cool Saturday mornings amidst the bustle of vendors selling their wooden bears and various baby's breath and heart crafts. Remember the handiwork of the 80's?

Truett loves balls, and anything semi-spherical is a 'ball' to him. Imagine his delight at this enormous, red ball!

Brett took the kids through part of this corn maze. They didn't make it all the way to the end, but it was certainly fun while it lasted! Have you seen the Curious George episode with the corn maze? Maren was sure she was stepping right into the race with Curious George.

Grand Rapids has a great little children's museum. It's the perfect size and has the best exhibits for young kids. We easily could've spent the entire day exploring and playing.

Brett made an excellent grocery clerk.

Our resident actress obligingly performed a show for us. And, I decided that I should make Maren a wooden microphone for Christmas.

Making giant bubbles...

Maren's favorite spot of the day was the vet clinic. She was able to perform ultrasounds on the pregnant puppies (pretend, of course!), and she gave each animal a bath before tucking them into their cages for the night.

Another fun thing about Michigan is that we get to visit cousins! Maren loves her cousins so much and it was a treat to spend some time with them. The kids asked Brett to draw them giraffes and this is what he came up with...he's quite the artist, right? It was a flurry of activity when all the cousins were together...so much excitement!

Brett took advantage of the high ceilings at my brother's house and gave Truett quite the thrill...he is such a brave little boy and loves getting thrown in the air. This picture cracks me up...he looks so tiny!