which I thought was supposed to be RELAXING! Not so much for me at this point. But fun all the same! Whenever my students ask at the end of the year, "Mrs. Rogers, what will you do this summer?" my answer is the same. "As little as possible."
But so far not so much this summer. The first week was all about getting a new van. Let me explain my love/hate relationship with a van. When Jenna was about a year old our friends got transferred to the Netherlands for work. They had a BRAND NEW pick-up truck, fully loaded, and an older RED mini van to get rid of. Now I at the time had this sweet little Eddie Bauer Ford Explorer, loaded, but hated getting Jenna in and out of her carseat. So we struck a deal and bought (and sold) two vehicles. Bill got the sweet truck, and I got the RED mini van. And have I mentioned I HATE RED? No? Well I do. So I always blamed having a minivan on not having a choice. And to be honest, "Big Red" was a fine minivan for a number of years! It's just a little difficult to sit at the cool table, if you will, when driving a minivan.
Recently Big Red started having a few problems. Minor ones, really, like no power windows or locks, no radio, no air conditioning or heat, the basics. ;) So it was time to take the big plunge. So for at least a week we were doing internet searches and driving to neighboring towns looking for a used Toyota Sienna. In the meantime, I think we drove every minivan know to mankind. Day 5 of the big search, driving from town to town in Big Red without AC, Bill had a bit of a breakdown. He said, and I am paraphrasing here to keep it PG, "That's it, we're buying a new one." And we did. Meet my new baby, my minivan (so I can no longer blame anyone for forcing it upon me) my 2010 Toyota Sienna XLE.
Then I was 2nd shooter at a wedding. I have always said I would NEVER shoot a wedding. The stress just scares me to death. But a good friend needed a had and I stepped in. And you know what? I loved it. Probably because I was only 2nd shooter, and much of the stress was off my shoulders. But I felt a part of the wedding, and the family, and the sweet couple. It was quite rewarding! Don't get me wrong, I'm not quitting my day job, but I had fun. And I am quite proud of my pictures. And that's a kick, KWIM?
Then off we went camping. Hmm . . . what do I know about camping? Torrential downpours in a tent, leading to heavy drinking to forget the memory. Dirt, spiders . . . the usual. Let's just say I'm not a camper. So when Bill bought a camper late summer last year I was worried. And when I found out my maiden voyage in said camper involved no electricity, I think terrified describes my emotional state best. However, comma, off I went, putting on my game face. And wouldn't you know I had fun? Three days at the beach, a trip to the casino where I won $463, good people, fairly good weather (a little hot), good food, good fun. I stayed for the entire 5 days! It was a shooting match, and Bill did extremely well. We did get a flat tire on the trailer on the way home, but we got it fixed quickly. I leave you with some pictures of our beach trips and walks in Manistee.
The girl has moves, no?
Playing in the water on a hot, hazy day.
Playing rock, paper, scissors with Lizzy, a friend from camp.
One of the lighthouses.
Are these gang signs? LOL!
A view from the main street. These were some seriously cool bikes!
OK, that's it for now. I'm tired just talking about my summer vaca. I think I need a nap.
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