The Calm Before the Storm

Last weekend, we got to enjoy a nice long weekend up in Michigan. The first in awhile and the last for a really long time once spring sports season truly begins. 

Sadie on the Riverwalk

The kids were off on Friday from all three of their schools (two districts) which never happens or doesn't happen very often. So we left Thursday night after high school conferences (Tom attended this time and spoke with Austen's Physics, Geometry and World Cultures teachers) then it was off to Michigan. We got to sleep in on Friday morning and then we hit the slopes at our favorite nearby Michigan ski resort, Bittersweet. All the Michigan kids were in school so we basically had the slopes all to ourselves. Austen did see two of his good friends there while we were waiting in the lift lines (one of them also has a house not far from ours up there) so he was really happy he got to ski all day with his friends (and not his sisters). 

We got in a lot of runs, however, it wasn't without a lot of complaining. Life used to be so much simpler (and quieter) when it was just Tom and me on the chairlift. Hailey still hasn't forgiven me for the chairlift debacle in Breckenridge last year (where she forgot to get off and blamed me) so she will only ride with Tom on the chairlift or very, very begrudgingly with me. Peyton, on the other hand, freaks out over the smallest creak in the lift and thinks we are going to fall every time we ride up. Then she didn't want to go on the one high speed lift because she said it went too fast. But she did this in Breckenridge all the time and wants to go on more posh ski adventures (where they have all high speed lifts) so I don't get this girl. Finally, I convince her to give it a try and she realizes the lift actually is slower when it picks you up and then speeds up going to the top. 

Only after Tom sends Hailey off a steep drop where she falls on her butt and then takes off back toward the lodge do we decide to end our day and find Austen (who just had ended his fabulous day with his friends and not his whiny sisters). He did do some jumps in the terrain park much to my dismay but he said he kept it conservative (too many sports to play!). 

After we headed home and showered, we went to a new brewery in Allegan County and started to play the new NY Times game Wordle. 

Saturday was another day of sleeping in, watching soccer (me and Austen) and then just exploring a new town in Michigan - historic Marshall. They had a great riverwalk system and it was a gorgeously warm day so we took Sadie and got some steps in soaking in the great weather. That night we went to one of our favorite restaurants in Fennville  - Salt of the Earth - where we met the chef and chatted up our usual waitress, Christy (who we found was married to the chef!). Our waiter was attending the seminary there too so it was an exciting evening of getting to know the staff. We ended the day with a quick few games of Quiplash on Nintendo.

Sunday was another day of sleeping in and doing laundry before leaving around noon to get home for Austen's last make up drivers ed class (which he says was almost as boring as religious ed). 

All in all, it was a great weekend of sleeping in and getting in some exercise before the spring storm does us in! 

The Falls/Dam Area

Taking a Peek