travel – Smells Like Popsicles

Grandpa Time

We are up north with my dad for a week – boating, paddleboarding, fishing, and euchreing the days away. Carson has become obsessed with making lanyards, and Mallory has decided that baiting a fishing hook and taking off the fish she catches isn’t very gross (but please stay away from me with that stuff!).

The weather has been OUT.STANDING this week. The forecasts warned of rain the middle of the week but the closest we got was a couple rumbles of thunder yesterday afternoon but it never actually rained.

Carson’s hair is getting that late-summer-whiteness, and Mallory seems to still be growing …

Carson, Mallory, stb, travel, vacation

Henry Hall – 26 years later

Earlier this month, the kids and I finally were able to make the reunion weekend in Ludington with a group of my friends from freshman year at Western. We all lived together in Henry Hall and though I haven’t been great about keeping in touch, thank goodness for Facebook and for Susan for continuing to host this fun weekend.
We got there Thursday night and the kids wasted no time getting in freezing Lake Michigan – even though I forgot Mallory’s bathing suit, she just went in in her shorts & shirt (she really does love the water!). I couldn’t dare …

Carson, Mallory, travel

Cago

We took a family trip to Chicago a few weeks ago. Rick & I had Cubs tickets and we had a babysitter (my cousin) lined up to watch the kids for us at the hotel while we went to the game.
As we neared the city Friday afternoon, and could start to see the big buildings, we pointed out to the kids that it was Chicago. When we got into the city and were driving amongst the big buildings, Carson would point out his window at a building right next to us at a stoplight, and would yell “CAGO!!!”. It was …

Carson, cousins, Mallory, travel

More Punta Cana pictures

I dragged the kids out to the beach before breakfast the other day. I got nothing good of the two of them together. ARGH.

Mallory cleaning her feet off…

Then that night we tried to get one of all the grandkids on the beach in jeans and white shirts. I haven’t finished going through all of them yet, but here are some of my favorites.
This picture of Mallory CRACKS.ME.UP.

Carson doing his “sleepy face” for me. CRACKS.ME.UP.

And these are all from my little camera from earlier in the week. I have videos to share too but they will have to wait until I …

Carson, cousins, Mallory, travel

Punta Cana, the beginning

Here’s the diary of our trip (so far).
We had to wake up at the a$$ crack of dawn on Saturday to make our 8.30a flight out of Detroit. The kids did fairly well, and Carson napped on the first leg, and Mallory should have napped on the second leg but the excitement of having a Gigi and a Grandpa and an Aunt Emily & Uncle Mike, and four cousins at her fingertips was too much to allow her to close her eyes.
We arrived in Punta Cana around 4p local time (3p ET) on Saturday. After loading all twelve of us …

Carson, rb, stb, travel

Magical

Our last day in Florida found us at Disney World. I was excited that my Underground Tourist iPhone app predicted that Friday was a good day to hit the Magic Kingdom, crowd-wise.
I was more excited when we got there and found that there was a meet & greet with Ariel at the Magic Kingdom. I mean, Ariel is Mallory and Rick’s FAVORITE PRINCESS, so it could not have been more perfect!
After a quick picture with Pluto right when we walked in the park, and then a minor attitude adjustment for both kids (I was about to turn us around …

Carson, Mallory, rb, stb, travel

Christmas Vacation, 2010, part deux

Our trip to Florida has been rather uneventful. The weather was SUPER yucky the beginning of the week so we hunkered down in the hotel and didn’t do much (like 30s and super windy, which I realize isn’t very cold, but it was cold since I didn’t bring our winter coats…)
Wednesday I was invited to go on the official wives’ trip to St Augustine. We got to have lunch and do a trolley tour of the city, and then we had some time to shop. That night I met a friend for dinner (Hi Amy!); it was awesome to eat …

Mallory, travel

Well, hellllooooooo

Hey there.
It’s been awhile.
I think the longest blogging absence since I started this blog. Maybe it ties the longest absence. But anyway. It’s been a long time, and I feel TERRIBLE about it.
So – I’m going to give you a couple of Mallory gems to get us started, and then I’ll get you caught up on our doings.

At dinner one night, Rick asked Mallory to do something (probably along the lines of “sit on your bottom” or “use your fork” or “stop bothering your brother during dinner”), and Mallory followed direction immediately, which is always a bonus. …

Carson, cousins, Mallory, travel

Part two – Disney May 2010

FINALLY! The rest of the writeup from our trip to Florida in May!
One of the good things about waiting three months to write about a vacation is that I’ve forgotten stuff so I now I don’t have to write so much!
Anywho…
Monday morning was breakfast with the princesses at Epcot. Mallory was giddy as the princesses started coming through the room but was beyond shy when they came to our table. Carson wasn’t shy – he kept shoving food in his mouth the whole time. It was awesome though – because all of the princesses spoke just as you would think …

Carson, cousins, Mallory, travel

Flordida – 2010, Part I { the real recap }

Better late than never, eh?
So – we went to Orlando in May 2010 so Rick could do a triathlon. Seems that most of our vacation are “working” vacations, we never go anywhere just for the heck of it. My dad & Shaners came with us, and Rick’s entire family met up with us down there. Here weego.
Friday – travel day to Flordida. Mallory was concerned that the captain of the airplane wouldn’t know where we were going and told me she’d tell him. She was obsessed with finding our gate (love that she knows her numbers so I could tell …

Smells Like Popsicles

All About Mallory & Carson

Category: travel

Grandpa Time

Henry Hall – 26 years later

Cago

More Punta Cana pictures

Punta Cana, the beginning

Magical

Christmas Vacation, 2010, part deux

Well, hellllooooooo

Part two – Disney May 2010

Flordida – 2010, Part I { the real recap }