Michigan Vacation

"A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in."

Michigan Vacation, Part 1: Grand Haven

I am all about internet vacation planning. I love picking a town, finding out what's there, and checking the mileage with Google Maps. I try to stay away from the B&B sites, because it takes hours to get out of that trap. I am positive that I spent more time looking at websites for Grand Haven than the time we actually spent there.

We left on Sunday afternoon, and drove about seven hours north of St. Louis, to Grand Haven. Our hope was to get there in time for the 10:00pm performance at The World's Biggest Musical Fountain. We've been to Las Vegas, and I remember being impressed with the fountain there, so we didn't want to miss this point of interest. We got there early enough to check in at the Best Western which I had cell-phone-booked during our drive (thoroughly researched on the internet). We asked the girl working at the counter what she thought of the fountain. In the most monotone voice you can imagine, she replied, "It's the world's largest musical fountain." Aha, a local. However, turns out that she wasn't so far off... it was kind of lame. Apparently, the Grand Haven crowd is more easily impressed than the Vegas crowd. Though there were plenty of families there, we got the feeling that it was a prime spot for pre-teen dating.

So we headed back to our hotel. It was a decently big hotel, but our room was in a secondary building, around back, with a thin row of parking spots between the hotel and an old set of railroad tracks. The hotel was clearly pretty empty, and we were clearly as far from the lobby as we could get, yet the only room touching ours... yes, booked with people listening to their loud TV. After the not-so-immense excitement of the fountain, we were pretty hungry, so we went out and found an Applebee's. Mmm! When we pulled back into the parking spot in front of our room, it was closing in on midnight. Our headlights shone on our hotel room door, where there was one shiny child's handprint, which disappeared when the headlights turned off. Between that and the deserted old train tracks, I told Joel he better unlock the door super fast, lest I be entirely creeped out. Fortunately, the creepiness was soothed by many television stations.

We woke up on the early side and Joel grabbed us some hotel breakfast before we headed to the beach. According to the internet, Grand Haven has the best beach in Michigan. The picture shows the beach covered with people laying out. We had the place to ourselves on Monday morning, because it was rainy and windy. We braved the unhelpful weather and walked along the beach to the lighthouse. It was COLD!! We loved the waves, and said that if we ever got a few days off together during the summer, we should make the drive and sit by what has to be the closest beach to St. Louis that has waves.

Michigan Vacation, Part 2: Belding

Ever since I heard of the town, I've wanted to go to Belding, Michigan. Joel's aunts and some of their cousins went for the first time last year, after living all their lives just a few hours away. And JB has never been there! We felt like cheesy tourists as we drove around town, taking pictures of everything that said "Belding" on it, but how many people get to go somewhere with their last name? We sent postcards to friends and family, and wrote to the VanDalens, "Good luck finding a town with your last name".

Belding is now a small town, with a friendly atmosphere, and people who are genuinely interested in your last name and willing to tell you more than you care to know about the town. It was once the silk capitol of the world. Two Belding brothers began silk mills. Ladies would come from all around to work there and stay in boarding houses. One of the mills is now loft apartments which rent for $500/month.

When we left Grand Haven that morning, we passed a Jimmy John's, and I wanted us to stop and get sandwiches for a later lunch. Joel refused, saying he wanted to eat at something like "Mr. Belding's Restaurant". I made fun of him, saying there wasn't going to be anything like that. As we were talking to our new friends outside of Belding City Hall, they recommended that we go eat lunch across the street at "The Belding Bros. Cafe". We were so surprised! There wasn't even a sign for it, that's how small of a town it is. When we walked in, the guy working there (who's name was Pete, same as Joel's grandpa), told us it was closest compared to Panera Bread. They served soups and sandwiches and specialty coffees, but the food was amazing and the place was incredible! They have tables and couches and a pool table, and it's all Christian owned, with a verses about fellowshipping and 'doing all things decently and in order' on the menu! It was definitely on par with The Overflowing Cup in Murrieta, CA. We loved it! And Joel loved being right about eating at a restaurant named Belding. Along with the old time pictures of Belding that were on all the walls, they also had some remaining Belding silk thread on display.

Michigan Vacation, Part 3: Port Austin

Now it was time to meet up with the Belding/Vandevelde party at Aunt Beth's place. Joel's Aunt Beth and Uncle Gary own The Sun N Sand Motel across the street from Lake Huron. It's really comfortable and relaxing there.

We arrived there the day before Beth's birthday. Months ago, I had mentioned to Joel that we should get her a gift for letting us stay there, and that he should keep his eye open for anything unusual. His Aunt Beth has the best sense of humor, and nothing less than a unique gift would do. I found the perfect gift when I was in Kimmswick on my birthday. I was in an antique store, and the second I saw this, I knew I had to get it for Aunt Beth. It's a bronze paperweight, in the shape of a banana, that says "Top Banana" on it. Does it get more random? After opening it, and laughing lots, Beth said, "It puts a _______ on my face!"

Beth and Gary had us over for dinner a couple times. One night, Beth served us the most delicious blueberry pie imaginable. It was so tasty! However, little Stephanie was interested in her own version of tasty. We were all sitting around chatting one evening, and Melanie and Stephanie were playing nicely around their house, with Melanie showing off all the seashells she had "picked" at the beach, when we noticed that Stephanie was crunching on something. There were plenty of snacks around, so we couldn't be for sure, but the only thing within her reach was the paper bowl of seashells sitting in front of her!!

Melanie adored the beach! She was in her element, finding tiny collectible things. When they had stayed at our house on their way to Michigan, Melanie had shown me her plastic cassette tape case she had brought with her, that was full of roly poly bugs. At first glance, I thought they were dead ones, because just previous to this, she had shown me her plastic baggie full of cicada exoskeletons that she had been collecting off trees. But when I said something about them being dead, she shook the case and showed me that no, they were indeed crawling around. I told her, "Please DO NOT OPEN that in my house." Becky hadn't known she brought them, and they made her dump them out outside. She is the ultimate outdoors girl, certainly inherited from her grandpa. JB and Joel took her out to the beach everyday to look for shells. Aunt Beth walks the beach every morning, looking for treasures, and comes up with some amazing finds!

JB and Joel went out fishing with JB's friend Tom, who he's known since grade school. Melanie was very upset that they were going without her, but we did fun girl things, like shopping and eating out. Becky and I joked that Anne was our tour guide, since she's been to Port Austin so many times with JB, and found things to do while he was out fishing. She knew all the best places to go, but Becky was our source for directions. We looked up our directions on "Beckyquest". Tom took the guys out on his boat a couple days and they also fished at a river. They caught some big fish, but only kept them for photo shoots.

We went to go see Joel's Grandpa Pete most mornings. He lives in a nursing home because his knees are so bad that he can't put weight on them anymore. It was interesting to visit him, because although he has all his mental capacity, he is currently staying in the pysch ward. Apparently, his previous roommate was annoying him so much that he requested to be moved, and that was the only place they had for him. After seeing his current roommate, I was surprised that it was a change for the better, because this one mumbles to himself and motions to no one saying, "I'm going to kill you!" One afternoon, we all went outside to enjoy the beautiful weather in the courtyard. (While St. Louis was having the first heat wave of 90 degrees, we were bringing our jackets with us for the 60 degree weather there.) Melanie enjoyed sneaking a live worm into her pocket, to be found later all nasty and squished. All the nurses there love Joel's grandpa! He jokes around with them, and pretends to shoot them. One nurse is such a great guy, he came and talked to us for awhile, and recounted how he and Pete skipped out on the Christmas party that Pete didn't want to go to, and instead he took him driving around to look for deer. And another nurse was getting married in a few weeks, and wanted Pete to be there, so this same guy was going to come pick him up and take him. When the nurses were getting him settled after coming back inside, one was putting a pillow under his head and asked him to pick his 'head up', to which he replied, "Don't you tell me to shut up!", even though he understood perfectly.

Saturday morning, we got up and went to the Port Austin Farmer's Market. I expected fruits and veggies, which they apparently do have later in the season. I wasn't expecting an awesome flea market! They had everything from baked goods to souvenirs to garage sale items to $1 cinnamon rolls (Joel went back for seconds). One vendor had a tree with sunglasses on it. Little Stephanie went up to these flamingo glasses, kissed them and put them back. The man gave them to her. Moments later, someone tried to buy some, and he told them they were only for sale as part of this decorated tree.

Saturday night was the reason for the trip: Joel's cousin Abby's graduation party. Beth and Gary put on a massive party for her, with a taco bar and homemade creme puffs. Abby had wanted a party with a taco bar ever since grade school, and finally got one. The ladies who catered it made every possible Mexican food. There were the basic taco fixings, then sizzling fajitas, a Mexican soup, salsa and guacamole, plus fruit kabobs and SO many desserts. Did I mention the homemade creme puffs? It was amazing! JB was in his family element, catching up with everyone and talking to old friends. Abby the graduate (also referred to by Anne as "Beth's son Teresa") is third from the left in this family picture.

It was a very relaxing vacation! We had a great time hanging out with JB, Anne, Becky, and the nieces. We love Michigan!! Some of Abby's relatives on the other side (who were also staying at The Sun N Sand Motel, of course) said, "See you when she gets married!"

His Mercies Are New Every Morning

"Welcome, child," he said.
"Aslan," said Lucy, "you're bigger."
"That is because you are older, little one," answered he.
"Not because you are?"
"I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger."

It's always nice to round the bend into a new year. We remember the previous year and make plans for the year to come. Joel and I are optimistic about the coming year. Last year wasn't our all-time favorite, which may or may not be because we are getting old. Unlike our three-year-old nephew David, who spent an entire day looking forward to the animal crackers that I promised to bring him in the evening, things just don't seem as exciting to us as they used to be. It doesn't seem like that long ago that there was something to look forward to every week, and there was always a weekend activity or trip to look forward to. Weekends... I only vaguely remember them.

We have some fun things to look forward to this summer. We're going to Michigan to visit Joel's extended family for a week in May or June. Then, in August, we're taking an anniversary trip to Washington D.C., then visiting our friends Jared and Steph in Maryland, and going with them to Ocean City where we will enjoy the beach and I will visit the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. We hope to make a small drive to Delaware for dinner one night, thereby adding another state to our "Been There Done That" list.

Where has the time gone? I was marking birthdays and anniversaries into my new planner (a list that has grown extensively longer over the last few years), and was shocked to mark our siblings' anniversaries. Becky and Mark will be married seven years and Patrick and Tanya will be married five. Eileen and Steve's two years should be where everyone's at. But our anniversary trip celebrates the completion of eight years!

Our anniversary vacations are always the highlight of the year. Last year, on our anniversary, as we floated around the pool, at a Bed and Breakfast, in the 100 degree heat (it will always be the hottest day of the year), we were so peaceful. The best part is just being off work at the same time, which happens so infrequently. Last year, I'd be surprised if there were as many as twenty days that Joel and I were off work on the same day. So far this year, we haven't spent a day together. Next potential day off together: February 27.

Sometimes, when we are eating our dinner in front of a TV show at 11:00pm, we realize that we have just worked our lives away for that 30 minutes. We just washed cars and made files and directed traffic (that one applies to both of us), to pay for our house, where we come only when it's time to sleep.

It has been a rough year. Joel and I have seen each other so little, our jobs have been difficult, but in spite of the busyness and the debt and the everyday struggles that we all encounter, the best part of life is finding contentment by knowing Jesus. Contentment is often misunderstood to be achievement or happiness. True contentment is saying, "It's enough." Regardless of my thoughts or my will or my goals, it's recognizing that Jesus has given me everything I need for life and godliness. Joel and I have a wonderful marriage. We both have good jobs, where we enjoy what we do, we're appreciated, and we are able to be a model of Christianity to those around us. We have a comfortable home that's warm in the winter and cool in the summer. We have families we love and who love us. We have good friends. God speaks to us. We continue to prayfully make plans for the future. And when it doesn't seem like enough, I remember that contentment means praying, "You know best. You've given me so much. You've saved me and You know me. And if you never give me another thing, it's enough."

Beyond all other goals, the ultimate New Years resolution should simply be to grow. So that every year, we will find Him bigger.