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Monday, July 21, 2014

Vacation and Move Update

Hi Everyone,

I know I've been away for a while.  We left on July 5 for a vacation.  We got to spend a couple days with our daughter in Indianapolis along the way.  It was so great to see her!  We went to the zoo and then out for dinner.


She also bought her first new car with my husband along to advise.  She really didn't need him too much, though.  I was impressed that she stood her ground on the amount that she wanted to pay!  While they were doing that, I went to a new-to-me quilt shop in the Indy area.  I decided to collect the license plates and row patterns for the Row by Row Experience. 
I also visited several shops in Michigan when we got there.  I was trying really hard not to buy anything else, although I wasn't totally successful!

After we left our daughter, we drove up to my parent's house in SW Michigan.  We had a couple days there before we journeyed up north for a family vacation on the Upper Peninsula
and northern Michigan.  The occasion was my parent's 40th anniversary.  To celebrate, they wanted to have a trip with my sisters, our husbands, and themselves, so we joined in and my younger sister, her husband, and my baby nephew, and my older sister and her husband from California.  It was lots of fun and was reminiscent of our vacations back in the seventies.

The Mackinaw City Lighthouse


The Mackinaw Bridge from Michigan to the Upper Peninsula.  It is a 5 mile-long suspension bridge.


The first few nights we were on the UP and stayed in these cabins.  They were really charming with a vintage feel.  They are designed to look like a wild west town or something.  My parents had the "school house" as it had a kitchenette.  We stayed in the fake "general store" although I would have preferred the "fort" cabin.  It had bunk beds, though.  

This was as close to camping/roughing it as we get!  We had indoor bathrooms and beds, but ate out on a picnic table and grilled hot dogs, etc.

The first full day was Anniversary Day.  The plan was to take the ferry over to Mackinac Island.  First, we had to take pictures, and my Mom requested that we all dress in Red, White, and/or Blue.

The Happy Couple

Our clothes really helped define us as a group on our ferry trip.  More than one person inquired what we were all about!



The ferry took us under the bridge. 


Mackinac Island is home to the famous Grand Hotel.  Have you seen the movie "Somewhere in Time" with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour?  It was filmed there.  Also, there are no motor vehicles other than rescue vehicles allowed on the island.  You walk, bike, or take a horse-drawn carriage.  We took a carriage tour of the island to get an over view.  Later, when some of the others went to tour the Grand Hotel, my Mom, husband, and I stayed with baby Matthew.  

Here he is, by the way.  I probably took more pictures of him than anything else!  Anyway, he was napping away in his stroller when my husband's cell phone rang.


It was the company where he had traveled to for an interview.  They were offering him the job!!!!!!!  
We will be moving to Fort Wayne, Indiana.  It is where my younger sister lives, and is two hours or so from both my parents and daughter!  It is so wonderful to finally have a plan!

There is lots more to share, but for now I need to go.  We are back home and the packers are coming any minute!

I hope you have a wonderful day!
JoAnne


15 comments:

  1. Thanks for the newsy update. Actually , I follow you on Instagram so I knew a lot of what you been up to, but it was good to hear from you on the blog, too. Good luck with the packing and the move. I hope everything goes very smoothly.

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  2. WOW! Sounds like you will be moving closer to family. Moving not so much fun--you realize how much stuff you have

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  3. That's wonderful news that he got the job in the location that allows you to be close to family. My parents spent their first year of marriage in Fort Wayne, while my dad was finishing college.
    Your little nephew is adorable!

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  4. Wonderful news - and being close to family grows richer with each passing day

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  5. YAY for a plan on where you are going! I'm sure it makes the remainder of the summer a better place to be! Keep us updated and feel free to send your addy....ya know, for cards or the like :)

    Your trip looked awesome. I've always wanted to go to the Grand Hotel! I have Somewhere in Time on video....one of my favorite movies since i'm a huge "back in time" type of gal....

    Peggy in NJ

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  6. First of all, congratulations to your hubs for the job! I'm from Battle Creek Michigan and have fond memories of the area. In fact, we took the ferry before the bridge was built!

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  7. Sounds like you had a great holiday - and congratulations to hubby on his job - always nice to know where you will be living and working!!

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  8. I'm so happy for you JoAnne! I'm glad things are lining up for the next chapter and that you'll be near family too! God bless!

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  9. Congratulations on the new job and a move so much closer to family!

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  10. I saw this news on your Instagram posts and am so glad your husband got the job in Indiana so you can be close to family. There is some great quilt fabric shopping in Shipshewana (Amish area), south of Fort Wayne. Also, I understand that home prices are realistic in Indianapolis. I'm originally from Michigan, been to Mackinac Island many times. Lots of fun.

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  11. Congrats on your happy move! Yay!

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  12. What a fun family trip! And what awesome news for you guys - so happy for you both that he got the job and that you are moving closer to family! Congrats!

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  13. WaHoo - a new job and moving closer to family - a win-win!

    I love visiting Mackinac Island. It's a beautiful area.

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  14. How nice to be moving close to family--it was meant to be!

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