take only pictures

There's a saying out there that goes something like "Take only pictures, leave only footprints". Having spent my growing-up years canvassing many state and national parks, it's a very familiar one. We went with my family to Door County this past weekend and had a great time - we definitely took more away from the trip than pictures, but they do the best job of telling the story.

We began our trip with a morning at the Moss Avenue Sale in Peoria. It was so fun to look at everything, but the only person that actually bought something was Grant, who invested 50 cents in a water jug. 

We did some shopping on our way north and spent Saturday night in a hotel near Chicago and Sunday assembling with the Chicago church. It was such a blessing to be there. We traveled in the afternoon, arriving in Ephraim in the evening.

We stayed in this cute little VRBO just a block from the water on the bay side. It worked great for our family!

We played lots of games...

... and celebrated Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Ivory's birthday. 

We took a five-mile bike ride at Newport State Park - it felt so good to stretch my legs and get some exercise! The trail was not too strenuous - quite perfect for an 8-months-pregnant me. 

We also played our fair share of mini-golf at The Red Putter, a quaint and relatively cheap course there in Ephraim. It's unique, it's fun, and they give free games to those who get hole-in-ones on certain holes - so Seth, Grant, and Addie got to play even more than the rest of us. 

Ivory spent a lot of time checking out the selection of golf balls. 

We did a little hiking before nearly being eaten alive by mosquitoes. 

The hike started nice and peaceful...

... but got a little more exciting when the boys (and Addie) decided it would be fun to ride some saplings.

We went out to Cana Island lighthouse - the shoreline there is absolutely beautiful, but our time was cut short because it was cold and windy - not good conditions for a 15 month old, or the rest of us for that matter. 

We ended our day one evening with ice cream from Wilson's. 

Ivory was a big fan of Grandma's ice cream - in fact, she preferred it over pretty much everyone else's. 

Thanks for your comments, prayers, and encouragement in regards to my last blog post. We continue to transition and learn and enjoy this time that we have here.