This is a very exciting post.

Alright.  

So, maybe you've noticed the link at the bottom for the Families On The Road website.  Well, today I got to meet another Family on the Road for the very first time!  And it was awesome.

So, it began last week when someone asked on the FOTR facebook page what they do about emergency preparedness, and I commented about leaving my food storage behind with other people and mentioned I was LDS so I'm geeky about my food storage, and la-dee-da I got a message from another Mom on there stating they were LDS on the road, too, and asking where we were, and as it turns out, we were both in Michigan and not far apart.  We decided there was no better place to meet than church, so we decided on a ward and met there.  

The kids and I forgot the baby bottles and had to run back home, causing us to be about 10 minutes late for Sacrament Meeting, which meant there were no seats left in the chapel at all.  We sat in the foyer and listened to the testimonies, and I heard Shelley get up and bare hers and I knew they were there.  After Sacrament I asked someone where Gospel Doctrine met, and was directed to a room.  After class began, and I introduced myself as a visitor, I realized I was actually in Gospel Essentials, which was great, but of course my other FOTR family wasn't in there.

Off to Relief Society.  I was looking around wondering if they had stuck around for the third hour, when someone a few seats down from me says, "Trish?"  I said, "Shelley?"  She said, "I recognized your baby from the pictures!"  And a new friendship was formed.

Now, I feel like I've known Rob and Shelley and their 5 darling girls for  forever!  I just adore them so much!  I am so grateful for the not-by-chance meeting we had and the new friendship that feels so old.  They are wonderful!  You can get to know them a little better, too, by reading their adventures at 7as1.com and on facebook, too.  (Speaking of which, I'm there, too, and leave LOTS more on facebook than I do here on the blog.  Check me out at www.facebook.com/roadbots !)

The photo below was taken that Sunday evening on the back porch of the family that invited both of our families to join them for dinner.  They were so good to us, feeding our extra 12 mouths and teaching us so much.  We had a great time and are so grateful for the kindness of strangers that become fast friends.

Swimming at Clearwater.

After a less-than exciting day at the Renaissance Festival, it is nice to return to camp and get cooled down in the lake.

 Meeka found all sorts of snail shells on the beach.

 We enjoyed the paddle boats, which were FREE.  

Oh, we love free.

 The girls jumped overboard and swam back, and left Nevan to paddle the two person paddle boat alone.  He didn't seem to mind.

 Poor, poor Archer.

 Afterward, everybody went home to quick showers and a warm dinner, complete with bottled-in-Michigan special pop.  It was really good, and I don't even like soda!

Ice Cream at Grandma's Parlour at Oak Haven Farms.

Going to the Renaissance Festival wasn't a total loss, because we found Oak Haven Farms on our way home!

We thought it was just an ice cream parlour, but when we were inside, they told us to go on back and meet the animals.  Apparently, with the purchase of ice cream, visiting the petting zoo and mazes is free!

 Meeka, very serious below, suddenly developed an allergy to having her photo taken and was having a reaction in the form of grumpiness bordering on hysteria, but I managed to get this shot to show Dad how big she's growing.

Michigan Renaissance Festival

We attend the Renaissance Festival in Arizona every year.  When we discovered that we were near the one here in Michigan, and knowing we would miss the AZ one this year, we decided to go.

The first highlight was the spider building a home on Nevan's finger.

 The second higlight was the live mermaid, which they don't have back home.

 And the rest was... not so incredible.  Certainly the environment felt much more appropriate for a Ren Faire, but they had far less to do, and far less family-friendly entertainment than what we are accustomed to.  Bleh. We were done after about 30 minutes, and wandered around for another hour or so before giving up and going home.

 Even the bungee trampoline was half the size of the one at home.  But still fun, no doubt.

 Mayzie got a little archery in.  Her favorite.

Then, just when we'd given up on there being any entertainment that was clean enough for families, we found Zoltan the Adequate, whose show was moderately clean, and just adequate.

Meeka's breakfast surprise.

In our family, breakfast is out favorite meal.  

Meeka. always thoughtful, had a bright idea yesterday to plan a surprise breakfast for all. 

She and I got up early to make pancakes, bacon, and fruit salad. We also packed along cheerios for Archer and orange juice and chocolate milk to serve as drinks.

We woke up the kids and took them down the road to picnic at a table we found in a nice spot at the park.

We all enjoyed Meeka's breakfast surprise!  

Life at Clearwater.

These are just a few photos depicting our lives here at Clearwater Campground in Ortonville, MI.

Morning walk with Mayzie.

I promised the kids a night hike last yesterday.  Kalkaska RV Park and Campground has oodles of nature trails.  Mayzie felt she had discovered one that we had not yet seen and wanted to take us there to view the moon from a beautiful opening in the foliage.  Of course, we had the stroller with us, and it was up a sandy hill. The stroller was not making it, and we were all feeling a bit creeped out, so we turned back, promising that I would got with Mayzie for a first thing in the morning walk in the woods.

This morning I made good on that promise and Mayzie lead me all through the forest.  We had a wonderful time, saw a deer (we think-- it ran off pretty fast), and found bobcat prints crossing the trail in the sand.  It was marvelous.

 This is what Mayzie might look like if she had one long antler.

 We found some castoffs while out on our morning sojourn.

 Looking out onto Mayzie's special spot.  It really wasn't that much further from where we had given up the night before, but none of us were prepared to go as far as we had in the dark.  So glad we went back.  Sure wish we'd made it the extra little ways to see the moon the night before!

 Look at the size of those kitty paws next to Blossom's petite little Schnauzer feet!

I sure did enjoy my walk with my girl.  Love her so much!

The Kalkaska Trout Monument.

All week long while staying in Kalkaska, we saw this trout statue.

It was just awesome.

And I really wanted a photo of it with the kids.

They... were reluctant.

We'd pass it and I'd say, "Let's get a picture with the trout!"

Triple nay.

"Okay, but I want to get one before we leave town!"

After passing it at least 10 times, I told them when we left for Sleeping Bear Dunes, that if it was light out when we got back, they were getting their photo and that's that.  Now, my policy is that if the kids really don't  want their photo put on facebook, I won't put it on facebook.  But there is no such agreement about the blog!