Week up north: Boats, sun, and everything in between

Today was our last full day at the lake. Back to reality tomorrow. BUT it is fun to look back at all the pictures we took, and pick out some (actually... lots) of favorite moments over the past eight days! Did I mention that there were lots of moments? Because there are lots of pictures. :o)

Group shot

Pancake maker for big family breakfast

Sweet pic of dada and Taylor

Sweet, sweet little blue eyed girl

Hanging out on the boat in the shade - a favorite moment for sure

Lots of time in the rocking chair

And swing

Fun inside on a rainy morning

A visit to Charlevoix (Looking at the bigger fountains from afar...still not so sure about them - maybe next year!)

But a bit more brave when dada goes, too :)

Watching Bapa come down the channel in the boat

Waving hi!

Checking out the bridge going up (L-O-V-E the new double jogger, by the way!!)

Checking out Uncle Jeff's guitar

Showing off their new pillowcase dresses made by a good friend of mine - so cute! (We'll have to keep trying to get a good picture of them together - so hard to get two little ones to cooperate sometimes :))

Taking a little nap in the boat

Swimming, swimming, swimming

Heading out on the boat - calm ride in the early morning sun  - Taylor didn't want the ride to end, and loved looking at the waves (the wake) behind the boat

Camryn gets a "turn" in the boat, too :)

Quite a few 3-mile-loop walks

Fun with balloons during street performers night - pink poodle and blue monkey :o)

Smiles - LOTS and LOTS of smiles this week

Can't wait till our next visit!

Week up north: Raven Hill Discovery Center

We had a rainy day. Well, a couple rainy days actually, and we were looking for a little excursion because the beach really wasn't an option. Raven Hill Discovery Center is a place where they have history, science and some animals all in one.

This isn't the first time I had been to Raven Hill, but it had been a good 20 to 25 years since my last visit...and there was a reason for that. The last time I can remember being there, we were looking in the tanks with the snakes... and it was feeding time. A staff person proceeded to put a furry, little, innocent mouse into one of the tanks. Apparently they thought we would want to watch this little creature get chased and eaten by the snake. Boy were they wrong. I did NOT want to watch something like that happen, was dismayed by the whole experience, and hadn't been back since.  But as we considered options, I knew that there would be a lot that Taylor would love to see, and so despite my last negative experience, we headed out. :)

We did get to see snakes...

and geckos...

and fish...

and turtles...

but there were no live feedings happening that day. :o) The animals were only one part of the center, and there were lots of other things to play with and explore!

Taylor also got to play with mazes...

and mirrors...

and magnets...

and instruments...

and electricity...

And Camryn enjoyed the wonderful rocking chairs they had. :o) (Sleepy girl :))

Ryan also played, too, and won a small prize for getting the magnets on this table to stack high enough to reach the sign hanging from the ceiling. (The magnetic field on this table was so strong he had to remove his watch, wallet, and phone before going within an arm's length of it.)

Taylor thought she would help with the magnets, too, but threw some of them off the table and had to use the magnet "vacuum" to pick them up, which she actually really liked.

It was a fun way to spend a rainy morning!
(More lake pictures coming up!!)