Rock Star

Yesterday we spent a beautiful fall day in a quaint little town in Michigan called Saugatuck. Tom and I had been there about seven years ago but I didn't remember much about visiting this little town before our trip yesterday.

Not far from our land where we hope to build our future summer home, Saugatuck boasts great Michigan beaches, cute shops and more restaurants than probably Union Pier and South Haven combined (our favorite spots to visit in Mich.). Anyway, we just enjoyed the great weather walking around this cute little town with our kids and our dog.

When we bought Adler we knew that we would take her with us to as many places as we could. People told us that would change when we had kids. It really hasn't. So we all ventured to Saugatuck on Saturday. Tom and me in the front seat of our SUV, our two kids in the middle and Adler in the way back. It was a perfect day for a drive.

Adler, always the great traveler, surprisingly was up the whole two hour trip just looking out the window. Usually she'll look out the window for awhile but then goes down to sleep until we reach our destination. I think she sensed the perfectness of this day too and wanted to soak in everything she could.

We arrived in Saugatuck and unloaded our brood. We walked by the boats (which Austen loved); had Austen and Peyton drive a toy jeep; stopped in a coffee shop for some cider and hot chocolate; picked up a Saugatuck ornament to add to our collection; let Austen eat ice cream (pistachio?! Whose kid is this?); and played in the park.







Throughout the day we were continuously reminded what a rock star Adler was. Never mind our children, our dog, no kidding got about 30 compliments that day. "Is that a Bernese?" some would ask. Others would ask what breed she was and if she was good with children. Still others would ask if they or their kids could pet her. Some asked if she was a puppy (she's a small Berner we would remark). It truly was amazing how many people stopped us or if one of us was waiting outside a store with her how much attention Adler attracted. It was sometimes overwhelming as we tried to cater to our two kids' needs, answer questions and keep Adler from bumping into others on the narrow sidewalk.

But, she definitely enjoyed all the attention, all the free pets and the fresh air. And, we were reminded again, what a striking breed the Bernese Mountain Dog is and why we fell in love with them and then our Adler in the first place.