Where Did It Go?

Are you asking yourself, where the big, red Suburban went? It's gone. It really was the last thing to go and I cried. We are officially assetless. It's not a place that I ever wanted to be. However, we've come to this place of realization that no matter what you have here, if you have an expensive house or an expensive car, if you've got trust funds, IRA funds, stocks and bonds, or even if you have all your ducks in a row, it really all doesn't matter. What really and truly is the bottom line, is the assets you are building for Christ. Yes, I enjoyed having that car. It was a blessing not only to us, but to those who were driven to the store, to Bible study, to pick up medicine, to run a stranger to the gas station and jump his dead battery and to those who simply rode in it going from here to there. But mostly, I cried because of this situation we are in that seems to have no end.

The one thing that I find most frustrating is talking to the customer service representatives, otherwise known as creditors. When you set up payment agreements with one person, you have another one call you from the same company who assures you that what you set up previously is unacceptable. We had talked to a representative who said if we could come up with one payment that perhaps we would be able to split the next payment up. So we followed her instructions and made the payment. The very next day, 'our case manager', who was really quite snippy, would not accept that agreement and was all out bent on sending the 'repo' guy out.

So on Christmas night, when all were in bed, except my husband and my teenage son, they came for it, setting off the alarm and waking the neighborhood. My husband kindly went out there to offer them the keys, shocking the repo man that he was not raving mad. In return for his sincere and kind attitude, he was able to get the carseat out of it and my Altoids.

It could really make you mad that things happen the way they do, but we really prayed about it. We know that for some unknown reason to us, at this point, all of this stuff is happening and we just have to trust God that He is going to work it all out. Having only one car is really going to be inconvenient. It's going to make things more difficult with scheduling but it is, what it is. God knows our needs and we just have to leave it to Him to work out because everything we've tried to do in our humanness is not and has not worked out. God clearly wants to do something here but the waiting is driving me nutty.

In the midst of all this trauma, I've felt God telling me to just trust Him and to continue praising Him. It's a hard thing to do sometimes, especially when you feel much like a failure or that you feel like God is letting you down. Then, I was reminded of Job. He lost everything and the one thing that stood out to me was his wife. She let her anger and bitterness turn her into this woman who was unsupportive and hateful. That is not the person who I believe God wants me to be nor do I want to let the things of this life, like what we are going through, distract me from what God really wants me to learn from all of this.

So instead of shaking my fist, stomping up and down and having myself a good ol' temper tantrum, I praise God for his mercy. I praise Him for the time that we were able to use the vehicle, for the time He allowed us to live in our home, for taking care of us and providing for our needs. We were so blessed this holiday with so many surprise blessings and we know that God directed them. Even in the midst of heartbreaking crises, somewhere in the middle of it, you will see God's hand of blessing. We have felt His tender care through so many wonderful people and for that I am so eternally grateful.

Follow That Red Suburban to Outdoor Adventures

My grandpa and grandma bought a membership at a family resort a few years ago on the idea that it would be something our whole family could enjoy and even vacation together. It was also a place for him and grandma to get away to that wasn't too far away but just enough that it was relaxing.

The resort is Outdoor Adventures. They have several of the resorts around Michigan but our favorite is the Lake Shore Resort. It's the bigger of the resorts and has many more options available to the member. For example, they have a beach on Lake Linda, they also have an indoor and outdoor pool, a cafe, putt putt golfing, kayaking, planned activities and so much more.

Last week was our week to go camping in our travel trailer and grandpa and grandma rented a little cabin. The kids love the time they get to spend with grandpa and grandma along with all the fun things there are to do. I tried to get them to slow down and not do everything on day one but they were determined to wear me out!

Ryan got to be a hero and save the day. Grandpa had locked his keys in his cabin and contacted the maintenance guy to let them in but he didn't have the right keys. So Ryan got to climb in their window and unlock the door thus saving the day! He was pretty proud of himself.

One of the days we were there, I took all of the kids putt putt golfing. Yes, I even took little Kara. She is wicked with the golf club as she swings it around in the air. She loved the game but after awhile she just wanted to carry her ball to the hole and just throw it in. Aaron got tired of the way you are suppose to play and decided it was much more efficient to place the ball near the hole, lay on the ground and shoot the ball into the hole billiard style. It became a little chaotic when Kara was throwing her ball into the water, me trying to get it out then running in the other direction to get Aaron to stay with us since the game goes quite a bit quicker if you play his way. By the time this game was over, I was about comatose and in need of a Venti Frappuccino but much to my disappointment, they didn't have a Starbucks shack on the premises. Maybe I should jot that down on the suggestion card.

We took a trip to the beach. I usually avoid beaches due to the gross water and bathing suit attire issues but I caved in and took the crew. I could so write another post on this particular subject. I had contemplated taking pictures with my camera phone to upload here so you could see what I saw but I changed my mind. I just don't understand why bigger women want to wear bathing suits that are missing material. I will stop there. The kids had a great time running and jumping and splashing and throwing mud at each other. They ALL slept the night through. I guess it did have it's benefits.

They had a Father's Day card making activity for the kids which we went to. They loved having a craft to do. Ryan made his card for grandpa and insisted putting grandma on it too. He carefully drew a picture of himself between grandpa and grandma because he loves them. Then he was itching to go give it to him before anybody else was finished. He is quite a character.

Kara got quite attached to grandma. The first thing she wanted to do as soon as she got up every morning was 'walk, walk' down to grandma's cabin. Everytime Kara would get a glimpse of her, she'd start talking in her sweet high pitched voice....'grandma, grandma, grandma' along with taking tiny little marching steps. I wish I could have gotten that on video! It was priceless.

We spent the evenings roasting marshmallows and sitting around the campfire. This is one of my favorite things about camping. When the day is quieting down, the smokiness of the fire and the warmth of the company sitting around talking and reminiscing, those are memory making moments.

It's Party Time

You ever have one of those days that has made you a little more then stressed? A day in which you needed everything to just go the right way because you've got so much to do in so little time? Let me tell you about my recent experience.....

My Aunt has come in to town. We haven't seen her in four years. We were excited that she had the opportunity to come up for a visit. However, when you go visit your home state, there are a lot of people to see in just a short time. How you handle that is, have several of the relatives over at one place, at one time, throw in some yummy desserts and you've got a party. My house was the chosen party destination......and I found out about it the day before.

I always enjoy entertaining and I love it when my great aunts, uncles, and grandparents get together so it was a wonderful opportunity to have them over. However, if you have children, you homeschool, run a business along with life in between and cleaning seems to always drop down to the bottom of the list, a day's notice is sometimes not enough to get your house in order.

I must admit that there was some yelling involved to get the children motivated. Ok, maybe there was a smitch more than little. They just did not see what I was all up in a stir about. After all, it was just family coming over. Overall, the kids did a great job at helping. The house was presentable...not perfect, but presentable. However, I still had the deserts to put together. For that to happen, I needed to run to the store and I also needed time to take a shower.

With only three hours before party time, I grabbed my purse and headed out the door. When I got to the car, I thought to myself, why is there all this condensation on the driver's side window? Then, I realized it wasn't condensation but that is was shattered. A huge groan escaped my being. I surely didn't have time for this nor was this convenient financially or timely. What could have done this and where was the person who did it. I needed to explain to him/her how this just was not on my agenda for today. Someone needed to pay or at least let me rant and rave while I was jumping up and down in a fit.


Have you ever talked to yourself? Well, I did at that moment. I was already stressed beyond belief and I didn't need a dumb ol' window sending me over the edge. I took a few deep breaths and muttered to myself that it didn't matter how it happened, it just happened. We needed to take care of the situation and continue on with what needed to be done. After my husband and I grumped at each other for a little bit, we took the next step.

A quick call to the police to make a report for our insurance company was made. Of course, it wasn't an emergency so we waited and waited and waited. After he came and went, we had to take it to the repair shop and clean all the glass up off of the ground. What a mess!

Thank goodness I had made the brownies for my trifle earlier that morning. My husband offered to run to the store for me while I took my shower. That worked out splendidly. In the end, my trifle got made, my hair got done and my house was presentable. I could breathe a sigh of relief.

Inspite of all the chaos and crisis we had during the day, the party went smoothly and everything came together like it needed to. It was great seeing everybody and catching up on what's going on with each of them. As to the car.....I am so thankful that the damage to the car fell under the smaller of the two deductibles. What a day!

Follow That Red Suburban to KM Ranch

We took a trip up to KM Ranch for yet another fun field trip with our homeschooling group. After filling out release forms for ALL of the kids, we were greeted with tons of fun to be had.

I really appreciate all the ladies at KM Ranch that make this trip so very awesome. They are so very patient with the kids and with the adults too. They love it when you ask questions and are more than willing to explain everything about horses to you.

They had several stations set up for us to explore. They had an experienced roper there to help us all to learn how to rope a horse. Of course, we only had a wooden horse to work with but that was excellent idea! It sure made it easier to actually get the rope around his neck because he doesn't move!

They had a horse available to groom with all the accessories to do it with. He was so very patient with all the kids lined up to give him a good brushing. I thought this was cool because the kids could get close to the horse without getting on helping them feel a little more at ease around them. Sharlene wasn't scared or jittery at all around them. She just went right up to him and was petting him and combed his hair.

They had horse stick races for candy. You can only imagine how much a hit this was with the kids! Kara even loved this. She just kept running and running. We had to catch up to her before she ran right out of the building.

There was a hay ride with two beautiful horses pulling it. It was a beautiful day for this!

They also had a couple horses available for the kids to ride as the workers led them around a couple times in a circle. The horses were so gentle and perfect for this. Again, Sharlene got right up there and rode like she was a natural. She hasn't stopped talking about the horses since we got there. Aaron, Barbara, Ryan and Grace rode too.

In the midst of all this fun, they served up lunch which consisted of homemade chicken noodle soup and chili, hotdogs, chips and of course, hot chocolate and apple cider.

Oh, and let's not forget to mention the donut eating contest. They hung the donuts from a string and you had to eat it up quick without using your hands! Everybody loved this one....even Kara!

We give this place a nine thumbs up! They are so helpful, accommodating to large groups and really just made our trip up there worth every minute.

Follow That Red Suburban to the Detroit Science Center

Today our park day was at the Detroit Science Center. I don't think I've been there since my dad decided to take a Sunday drive which ended downtown at the Science Center. This place is not what I remembered but oh, so much more!

The first exhibit that we got stuck on was the traveling Grossology exhibit. I guess it's not going to be there for very much longer but my younger ones thought this was awesome! I couldn't get them away from the poo (from what I hear, it was realistically squishy-I'll take their word for it, no need to find out for myself) in the toilet which was very informative including information on the tapeworm. I, myself, was ready to move on after perusing it for about 30 seconds. Between the toilet and the blood-sucking tick, I quickly realized I was not in the right place.

If you have a large family, you may understand what I am about to say. I love the 6 and under play area where the children cannot get out because they have the exit blocked. They had so much available to keep their interests that they weren't even interested in trying to escape and that is HUGE in my book. Aaron and Kara both loved that area. There was water to play with and that was what pretty much kept Aaron's attention the whole time. Kara loved the puzzles and the wooden bananas.

There was so much to look at and see that we didn't get to it all this time around. It's a good thing we have a membership because we'll be going back. There are three levels to explore with an IMAX theater that has different movies available on dinosaurs and bones (you know, science stuff). The staff were so helpful and friendly except when the kids were excitedly running about but I hope they got the evil eye....they should have listened to their mother!

We give this place a seven thumbs up including the homeschool friendly discount they wanted to give our group. They were very accommodating to our needs. We even got an official sign telling our group where to meet that will be displayed when we come again. It makes homeschool field trips so much more enjoyable when the staff at our destination is helpful and they were!

Follow that Red Suburban to Port Huron KOA

We recently took a camping trip to the Port Huron KOA. We had a long weekend scheduled to spend with other fellow homeschooling families from our group.

After arriving at our destination, we found our site. It was a beautiful, pull-through site with full hook-up. For those of you who are unfamiliar with those terms, I'll explain. A pull through site is a site that is available for you to just pull your camper through and park. There is no backing in, no shimmying this way and that way to get your 30 foot camper in a 15 foot site. Trust me, it's a beautiful thing. The other term, full hook-up, means you have water, electricity and sewer. In my opinion, this is a must have. We've spent most of the summer camping without it and boy, what a difference it makes when you don't have to fuss about your tanks getting to full or fussing about running out of water while you are in the shower! Again, it's a must have!

The weather was a bit cold but at least the sun was shining making it a beautiful Fall-like weekend. The kids had a blast inspite of the temperature. We spent much of the weekend around the campfire trying to keep warm. We did have one unfortunate incident which could have been very bad but thank goodness it turned out to be minor. Aaron was walking around the campfire and tripped over his scooter, landing on the ground but his fingers touched the grill on the pit with the fire going full force. At first, all we could hear is the screaming and I couldn't tell what exactly was burned so I put ice on all of his fingers. Of course, after the incident was over, I read somewhere you are not suppose to do that but I'm just glad it turned out ok. After sitting with him for quite some time and finally distracting him with chocolate (which worked!), we found that only one finger was affected. From then on, he steered clear of our campfire.

Our homeschool group activity was planned for the Sawmill City that is attached to the KOA. They had the bumper boats still up and running and the kids, despite how cold it was, enjoyed those even in the process of getting soaked. The biggest hit with my kids was the GO-Karts. My boys love cars that go fast!

The Port Huron KOA is a wonderful place to camp. They have a very fun jumping pillow that Ryan absolutely loved and spent most of his time doing. They have unusual bikes you can rent by the hour which were also a hit with the kids. Then there was the game room, the general store and the pizza place. The people who work there were very accommodating and friendly too. It just makes it a great camping experience.

We give the Port Huron KOA a seven thumbs up!

We also give our homeschool group, Macomb Christian Homeschoolers, a seven thumbs up! You guys rock!

Follow That Red Suburban to The Romeo Peach Festival

We decided to pack the kids up in the 'burb' and head for the Romeo Peach Festival. It's an annual event that has been going on for like 76 years. I grew up there and attended them year after year. Now we bring our kids to it and they get to hear me walk down memory lane as we drive into town.

Just as a side note, as we were getting ready to go, Ryan comes running around the corner with paper attached to his feet. He was quite delighted with himself. I had to ask, though, how he got the paper to stick. His answer.....glue, of course! Silly me...why didn't I think of that.

We arrived in town, parked the car in my cousin's driveway, loaded up the stroller and off we went, to find a place to watch the parade. We hooked up with some very dear friends and settled in to see what this years parade would bring. Within two seconds, our oldest found the hot dog stand and had his order placed and half eaten before I could even get my camp chair out of it's bag. Silly me....I should have figured that!

One of my favorites is the school bands. And they have them from all over. Grace loved the cheerleaders. Ryan and Aaron loved the candy that was being thrown. And Brad....he loves the food. It does taste better there, doesn't it??? It's like going to Home Depot on a Saturday just for the Hot Dog's. Whoever heard of that?

We mentioned to the kids that maybe, maybe we would go to the carnival. Why I do this to myself is clearly questionable. I forget from year to year what this means. This is what happens.....

....we got to carnival, fighting big crowds of people. Stand in long line to get tickets for rides. Freak out at cost of rides, elephant ears, pop, games, etc. Lose Aaron. Say to ourselves, "what were we thinking"! Promptly leave with kids whining that they only got to do one thing. Husband reminding wife that she forgets what happens with our carnival adventures. Wife pushing stroller frantically fast to get the heck out of there while husband is reminding her of such mentioned heretofore.

Quick give that man $100 (ok, so it was like $9 but it seemed like a $100) so they can whack the bell with a big hammer so we can say they did something so they can get those 'prizes' (since we don't have enough at home to hit mommy in the head with) at the carnival and let's get the heck out of here before we lose Aaron (again)!

We arrived at my Aunt's house in town where we were to have dinner. Ryan and Aaron met my cousin's boy who happens to be about the same age and they, together, hit the dirt pile. Between guns and sand, they were happily playing. The rest of us were entertained by Kara's fascination with a 13 year old dog whose name is Cinders. Kara loves dogs. She even tries to talk to them in doginese. I think they might just understand each other. She had her (the dog) following her around. Much to my shock, the dog was licking her face and mouth and boy, was she loving that. The dog kissed her! She squealed with delight. She pulled, patted, hugged and tried to pick up that dog. He was probably glad when we left~!

After a wonderful meal and a lovely time together, we headed on home. Bedtime was finally here!

We give the Romeo Peach Festival a seven thumbs up! It's parade and festivities around town make it a great adventure for the whole family.

Follow That Red Suburban to Greenfield Village

Ryan talked about riding the train at Greenfield Village for a month before his birthday arrived. That is what he wanted to do, nothing more...nothing less. Can we go now, Mom? Is it time yet, Mom? When are we going to ride the train, Mom? This is what was being said over and over.

The day FINALLY arrived and he was just about jumping out of his skin. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday, perfect for a train ride. (sshhhhh....don't tell anyone, we skipped church so we could get an earlier start. I'd hate to think word got out on the street that we weren't there.) We all loaded up in the 'zurban' and headed on down there.

Ryan thought we were going to ride the train right when we got there so it was very hard for him to wait until a little later in the day. Especially since the train was the first thing we came across as we entered. He did get a good look at it though! We were trying to pace ourselves just a bit and not do everything all at once.


We ventured forth and ran into a beautiful horse whose brown fur glistened in the sun. As Grace was petting his nose we asked what his name was and was met with..."Her name is Grace!" So now our Grace has met a fellow Gracian. How cool was that?! I'm not sure she was as amused as I was.

We visited many of the little houses, watched glass blowing, pottery molded into mugs, paid attention as class was being demonstrated at the old schoolhouse, asked questions in the courthouse and saw a bit of a live play. We even took a break and had an ice cream.

And.....Ryan got to take his train ride! He was grinning ear to ear when he got off displaying how pleased he was.

Greenfield Village is one of our favorite places to visit. The people who give their time there are always willing to answer your questions. I love the fact that there is a lot of interactive things to do that draws kids and adults in and only adds to a wonderful experience. We've visited also at Christmas time and it's really beautifully decorated along with an old fashioned holiday feel, it's a must-do. We give this place a seven thumbs up!

Follow That Red Suburban to Interlochen - Day 5

Day five was our day to pack up and head home. I always hate to say good-bye but I guess reality needs your presence at some point. Who would keep tourism flourishing if we didn't have any money to spend??? And who would purchase all those hats that are out there just waiting for some poor soul who doesn't want peeling skin on the top of his head from an awful sunburn that he got from being hatless....

Of course, it happen to be that EVERYONE decided to sleep in TODAY! As Bob jolted from the bed after hearing the rain and thunder beginning, he threw on his clothes and scurried outside to get the awning pulled in, the hitch on and hooked up before it decided to down pour. We managed to get packed up and ready to roll very quickly right before the clouds moved aside and the sunshine came out.....and BEFORE I had my coffee (this is never a good thing).

As we exited Interlochen State Park, we stopped to give this park a seven thumbs up plus four more. With all it's trees and beautiful park setting and being full to the brim with campers from all over, they kept it pretty clean and were pretty friendly.

Apparently, cooking pancakes wasn't going to happen so it was unanimous that we head on over to Grandma's Kitchen for some breakfast before we headed home. After quite a wait being that everyone else had the same idea on a Sunday morning, we sat down to a breakfast buffet that included scrambled eggs with cheese and ham, potatoes hashbrowned or not, sausage gravy and biscuits, french toast sticks and sausage or bacon, your choice. After eating at the Omelette Shoppe, I wasn't quite as impressed but the food was hot and the coffee was plentiful.

Towards the end of our travels, the 'I'm hungry' screams were getting louder. We ended up at Bill's request for some beef at Lucky's Steakhouse in Imlay City. Our waitress was very friendly and the food was delicious! I had a steak salad with a horseradish dressing that was absolutely fantastic. Kara's macaroni and cheese with it's homemade sauce was awesome too (I took a bit or two)! The kids ate all their chicken strips up and the ranch on the side was to their satisfaction. Bob's prime rib and Brad's rib eye were also very delicious. We give this place a seven thumbs up also!

We had a blast traveling about and exploring places we haven't seen before. We look forward to our next adventure.....stay tuned!

Follow That Red Suburban to Interlochen - Day 4

We began day four with a delicious breakfast at one of our favorite breakfast hangouts in Traverse City. The Omelette Shoppe has the best pecan rolls in the North. They also serve up some good ol' fashioned customer service. The coffee is hot and the food is Yum-o. If you should have to wait your turn to be seated, don't be surprised to be given a name like George Clooney or Bette Midler....it makes for a very fun experience when they call your name to be seated. They also have these fun signs on the wall that are worth a look-see. My favorite is: There will be a $5 charge for WHINING! I need this for my own home :-) Being the tourists that we are and so being impressed with this establishment and wanting to promote the community, my darling husband bought paraphernalia which included another HAT to add to his growing collection and a coffee mug! We give this place a definite seven thumbs up!

As we pulled out of the parking lot and came to the stop light, there were a bunch of girls on the side of the road from the swim team promoting their car wash. We decided to let them wash our cars. It was pretty funny watching the giggle gang try to wash a car. Did they notice there was a roof or maybe that was way too high up there, I'm not sure. But overall, they did a pretty good job.

As we were headed back home, we decided to stop at TC-RV to see if they had a good price on a tote hauler which is these cute little blue tote's that you can dump your waste into and take it over manually to the dump station. It beats having a nasty backup and if you should say...be stuck in a certain site between lots and lots of trees and not want to move your camper for nothing, it's well worth the purchase. While we were there, we just happened to check out some fifth wheels that were nicer than my home. Some even came with a fireplace and a garden tub! Now that's what I call home away from home. After Bob starts making his millions, we'll be sure to go back and check them out!

Since it was another gorgeous day, we decided to head back out to the beach in Frankfort. But before we arrived there, we decided to stroll through the quaint little village shops. We grabbed some sandwiches from a cute little deli and headed to the beach. Bob and Bill wanted to visit the smokehouse place that offered smoked salmon. They bought some of that, some crackers, cheese and hunter sausage for a snack on the beach. Again....yum-o. I think I'm not going to be able to eat again for a week! ({{{wink-wink}}} Did I mention that Miss Kara didn't enjoy the water so much....

Karin's sister, Katie, brought these adorable little kites to fly on the beach. Karin had so much fun getting her kite to fly, she spent most of the time doing that until Bill and little Jeremy decided she needed to get wet.

I just have to mention Henry in my blog. He is the cutest little two year old (besides my own kids) and quite fascinating to talk to. He is so funny and you should see him do his pirate face for you. It will have you in stitches. He has a few others but that one was my favorite. He, also, had a grand ol' time building sand castles and playing in the water.

Here's Henry!

After soaking in the sun and enjoying the water, we headed back home BUT....not until after we stopped for ICE CREAM! Along the way, there was this little ice cream shop called JoMo's. Bill and Karin got a turtle sundae, I got a Eskimo Kiss (Coconut ice cream with chocolate truffles and a fudge ripple) in a waffle cone, Aaron and Ryan got superman (of course!), and Grace had a soft serve dipped in sprinkles (she's my sprinkle girl) and Kara missed out, she fell fast asleep two seconds after we were in the car. We give this place a seven thumbs up!

Once back at the ranch, Bob and Bill used our newly purchased tote hauler to empty the trailer tanks. It must have just been too much because pretty soon, I get a knock on my camper door from Bill asking how pizza sounded. I think he was too bushed to think about cooking. Pizza it was so we headed off to eat at Cicero's. The service was friendly and the food was delicious. We had along with our pizza, cheese bread, wings and salad too...enough to feed an army (oh, wait! We do have our own tribe). They have a piano there for customer's to use and I suppose you could say that could potentially be fun or perhaps annoying depending on whether your three year old is playing it or a nine year old boy who came to dine from another party and played like an expert pianist. Apparently, he's been studying music since he was three and was up from Texas at a music camp that is being held there in Interlochen. Simply amazing!

Follow That Red Suburban to Interlochen - Day 3

Today was my day to make breakfast. I made cinnamon french toast and Bill cooked the sausages. I had the coffee but he had the syrup. So finally after the last piece of toast was cooked, I meandered over to their camp site to have syrup on my french toast, sausage on my plate and a place to sit to drink my coffee and enjoy the rest of the morning. There is nothing like eating breakfast outside in the morning while the dew is still in the air and the smell of the campfire is still lingering about.

We decided to get our showers and head off to Friske Farms where Bob and I had discovered this wonderful creamed cherry pecan honey on our trip last year. We wanted to share this cute little farm with it's kid maze and playhouse shaped ark with our friends. I cleaned up the breakfast dishes and got the kids ready to go while Bob got his shower. Then it was my turn. There was quite a line for the public showers and I don't generally enjoy using them. That is why I was ecstatic to have a shower in our camper. As I'm looking out the sunroof that happens to be over the shower, I was thanking God for yet another beautiful day that was ahead of us. I was up to my head in lather when all of the sudden, no water was coming out the shower head or the faucet. Apparently, the fresh water tank did NOT get filled with it's full capacity of 40 gallons and being the wonderful wife that I am even if it was unknown at the time, let my husband have a wonderfully cleansing shower before me leaving him rinsed from head to toe. I began to wonder as the itching and stinging began to set in, how many people outside of our camper and along the way to the public restroom (provided there was one free and not a line) would notice a half crazed, lathered up women running down to the showers to get thoroughly rinsed. Then I thought, so far in the three days we've been camping, we have enough material to write a sequel to the movie that Robin Williams was in entitled, RV!

Thank goodness my husband happened to come into the camper and I yelled for him to give me bottles of water. The question of the day was.....just how many bottles of Ice Mountain does it take to rinse the shampoo from your hair and caress soap from your body? That will remain unanswered until the day I die and be sealed in the vault where they hold the answer to how many licks does it take to get to the tootsie pop. As I was squealing from the coldness of the water being poured over my head, I could hear the hysterical laugher coming from my loving husband. I will forever be known as Aqua woman by some.

After the laughter had died down and the jokes came to a slow down, we headed off to Friske Farms. It's a quaint little orchard with many condiments available for your purchase made with cherries. We highly recommend the milk chocolate covered dried cherries and the creamed cherry pecan honey. The kids fed the goats, played in the ark, ran through the maze and sat on a tractor.



On the way back we stopped at the Grand Traverse Bay beach which wasn't as nice as the one in Frankfort. The kids played in the water and some of them even fed the seagulls. On our way, back to our camp site, Bob decided to stop and purchase some hose to run from our camper to the fresh water hook up since we were only about 150-200 feet from it. There was NO WAY we were going to pull the camper around to fill and dump and then try and get that sucker back in there. That would have been an all night event and another thing for the experienced campers sitting around their campfires watching all us newbie campers to get a big ol' hee haw about.

People were laughing and making jokes as we strung one hose to the next to try to stretch it all the way to where it needed to go but we just didn't buy enough hose. Bob was determined. He set off once again to the store to purchase yet some more hose. We finally had enough to reach and began filling up our tank. Then, here comes Mr. Park Ranger in his little jeep and scolding voice. You can't do that, sir. People could trip and that would just be no good. At least, he let us finish up and left with the assurance we would never do that again. However, as we were headed to unhook the hose from the filling station, other campers along the way were asking us to fill their tanks too. Why not? And that's what we did. You got to get your use of the zillion dollar hose purchase....I suppose you can't take it back after you use it???

Follow That Red Suburban to Interlochen - Day 2

Day two of our vacation began.

Of course, after being out late due to our driving adventure, I had hopes that we could sleep in just a smitch. Kara and Aaron decided at 6:30 a.m that they were ready to start their day which means no more sleep for me :-( Thank goodness, Mr. Bill, an early riser himself, had breakfast cooking as quick as you could say, I can't get my eye's open! Scrambled eggs with ham and cheese and a side of sausage was available to all who wanted to partake.

After filling our tummies, we kind of all sat around comatose-like enjoying the beautiful day. During our vegetative state, we decided to venture back to Frankfort where there was a gorgeous beach on Lake Michigan. The sand was clean and the sun was beating down making it a perfect day to get wet. The kids had fun building sand castle's in the sand. There was even a lighthouse to venture out to. We give the beach in Frankfort seven thumbs up!

Meghan, Grace's friend, being buried in the warm sand.

Grace, Ryan and Aaron out at the lighthouse.

Bill trying to scare the seagulls away...(or was it people??)

We drove back to our site for what I call foil dinners (aka steam boats). They are hamburger patties, potatoes and carrots all cooked together over the fire in a foil packet. We also were introduced to a hobo dessert by another couple who happens to be the sister of our friends. They were camping with all of us. You buy this really cool hobo sandwich maker which is made of cast iron. You butter a piece of Styrofoam bread and place it on one side, filling it with cherry pie filling and some Hershey's chocolate. Then you butter another piece of Styrofoam bread and place it on top, closing the two sides together encloses it into a sandwich form. Place in the fire for 5-10 minutes and then remove. When you open it up, what you find is this buttery toasted bread with a cherry-chocolatey dessert that is very yummy! But be careful you don't burn your tongue!

We then, loaded everybody up and headed on over to the Cherry Bowl Drive In Theater. They were showing Ratatouille and the Pirates of the Caribbean latest movie. The snack shack was a big time hit and pocket draining experience for the kids and my husband. They had nachos, chili fries, popcorn, funnel cake, and let's not forget to mention, Mt. Dew! Kara made it through the first movie but was not to be put off by the second. An employee of the Theater even offered to get her a bottle of warm milk and it wasn't because she was being disruptive. They were just trying to be helpful. Aaron fell asleep half way through the movie all curled up in a beach chair. We decided not to stay for the second movie since a fussing baby is not for a pleasurable movie experience. Brad and Grace were going to stay behind with our friends. We loaded up part of our family and went to head home when what do you suppose we found?

A dead, dead battery with no jumper cables.

Thank goodness, the people at the Cherry Bowl Theater are use to this thing. Although, we had to wait in line to use their battery jumping portable pack, they were super nice about it. Apparently, we were number nine.

If you are ever in Interlochen, we highly recommend that you come check this place out. The customer service is extremely friendly and very welcoming to all. We give it seven thumbs up plus four more...

Follow That Red Suburban to Interlochen - DAY 1

We decided to join some friends of ours very spontaneously on their trip to Interlochen over the holiday. We were skeptical that we would even be able to find a camp site available but much to our amazement there was some available but just not all on one camp site. We were going to have to hopscotch it for the time we were there but we thought that would be no problem since Interlochen State Park (which is one of the oldest and biggest in Michigan) has less than modern sites available. This means for us, a family of seven, need to fill the fresh water tank for showers and such and dump the excess if you know what I mean. How long does it take to fill a 40 gallon tank? I will spare you the answer.

The trip up there was pretty smooth until we stopped at a rest stop to give Kara, our one year old, a break from being cooped up and a snack. She was insistently letting us know it was time. While everyone was taking a potty break, I took Kara into the camper to feed her. I turned very quickly to throw away her yogurt container and she somehow scampered over to the door quickly and quietly (which didn't get shut all the way) and fell down the metal stairs onto the pavement. As I rushed to her, blood was running out her nose and a purple goose egg on her head was raising quicker than a volcano reaching it's boiling point. Other than that, she seemed coherent and alert. So after a bit of consoling and kissing on, she was ready to roll.

Upon arrival to the park, we were excited to find out that there were some cancellations which meant we did not have to move our trailer. It could stay in one spot the whole time we were going to be there! Only people who are familiar with backing in a 30 foot trailer between a bunch of trees could really appreciate our excitement. We stopped at the filling station to fill the fresh water tank with water. (Let me just interject here....I've never filled the fresh water tank, we've always used the water hook-up right there next to our camper for an ever available supply of water...end interjection.) As I was filling the tank, I heard the gurgle that reminded me of a full tank (just like filling the gas tank) and water shot back out at me leading to my assumption that it was full.

We then proceeded to our site which with great surprise, we were met with a very narrow and very wooded site to try to maneuver our trailer into. Now keep in mind, it was very crowded so using the site in front of us was a bit difficult. We couldn't see anyway possible to get the trailer in so we drove back up front to see what could be done and were met with...that site, sir, is good for a 35 foot trailer. So off we went back to the site. Only this time we went down the up (one way) listening to many telling us we were going the wrong way. We even went bajaing through the baseball diamond trying to not hit trees and such. Once we got to our site, Bob tried for an hour to back our trailer into the site. We had offers from our friendly neighbors to use their smaller vehicles to back us in but of course, they weren't rated for such a load. Finally, one of our neighbors came by to offer his directional assistance and it came at right moment before frustration started flying. In two shakes, he had us backed in and in just the right spot. Was it poor parenting to offer our first born child to him?

We set up camp, ate some dinner and off we went to Frankfort to watch the fireworks being shot off Lake Michigan. It was spectacular and enjoyed by all except for Aaron. He covered his ears the whole time and quite emphatically announced to me that I needed to go tell them to stop right now.

One of our friends had stopped on the way up to our destination at a fresh cherry stand to buy some cherries and had been eating those all afternoon. What happens when you eat a lot of fresh fruit....do I dare mention this??? I hope she will forgive me as I continue. You get a rumbly in the tumbly and I'm not talking hunger pains. During the fireworks, she was searching for a restroom but none was to be found. As it was getting more and more urgent her daughter mentioned she needed to go potty and what a perfect decoy she was. What would you do in this situation? Would you find some bushes or would you put on your most beautiful smile with your adorable daughter right in front of you and plead at someone's front door? Well, she choose to ask at one of the houses to have pity and the husband of the home did. The wife, wasn't so sure but at least, she got in before he changed his mind!

On our way home, we were directed by another person in our party (not mentioning any names to protect the innocent) to turn right when we should have turned left. After 35 miles or so and not seeing anything familiar (of course, what looks familiar in a strange place, in the middle of complete darkness, in the middle of the night???), it came to our realization that we had indeed gone the wrong way. A U-Turn was made and off we were again. After two and a half hours, we arrived back at our camp site ready for B-E-D.

Follow That Red Suburban...To Somewhere Up North

The time has finally arrived.....

It's Camper Time!

We have some friends that needed some help doing some improvements around their family campground up North. My husband volunteered himself and our oldest son for the event which included the whole family attending making it a 'work weekend' for some and a 'have fun and play weekend' for others. We were scheduled to leave late Thursday afternoon.

It all began this way:

Disclaimer: This is our first year having to dewinterize and pull the camper out of storage after the winter. So we are still learning about much!

The camper has been stuck in mud for much of the Spring and Fall and I guess that would make it frozen mud during the winter. My husband has been waiting for the mud to dry up enough to go get it but everytime we make the arrangements, it's either raining again or something comes up to interfere with that. He finally made it up to my Mother-in-law's property where it's being stored on Wednesday evening.

At 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday night, my husband and a friend are trying to dewinterize it in our driveway in the dark of night so that it's already to go for Thursday. It was not even a consideration that we needed to check to make sure everything was working properly. Upon opening the front compartment of the camper up and running bleach water through the system to sanitize it, they noticed a leak. It appeared like it was coming from the hot water tank. After inspecting it more, it was apparent that, that was definitely the issue. I say this to say, we NEED hot water! It's very important to have that! I don't do cold showers!

Note to self: Don't wait until the evening before you are going to leave to get the camper, dewinterize and inspect all the parts for working condition. It's not good for marital bliss nor is it good for a great camping experience.

Thank goodness our destination had a community shower and toilets and a kitchen to prepare food! However, we were scheduled to come back on Sunday and leave again on Wednesday which is now postponed. But before I get ahead of myself....

We loaded up the camper and were ready to go. We only needed to hitch up the camper to the Suburban. My husband gets in the car to back it up to the hitch and low and behold....it won't start! Who ever heard of a less than a year old vehicle with battery problems....

If you've read my previous blogs, you are familiar with a certain three year old that likes to get into mischief. Well, he's struck again! In the process of loading up the camper, our little mischief maker got into the car and was pushing buttons, turning knobs and somehow got the lights to come on for nobody know's how long.....obviously enough to drain the battery. Thank goodness our friends were there so that we could all go together and therefore, were able to give us a jump. We won't mention that in the process of pushing all the buttons and such that all the readings were off like tire pressure and etc which I'm sure were all related to a dead battery too! Did you know that in some vehicles, it has to relearn some things? Thank goodness for the manual and a smart car who doesn't take to long too get it's head straightened out!

After the jump, the hitching up and a scolding to anybody who would listen to keep their eyes on the roaming three year old, we were off for our adventurous weekend. After we had been on the road for a bit, the nagging to watch a movie was off on a run. I put the DVD in the player and pulled down the screen only to find yet another 'oh, no'! Apparently, in the process of playing with the car knobs and such, Mr. Mischief Maker got into the gum we keep in the car for minty fresh breath. Guess where he decided to put his gum after chewing it??? Yep, on the screen! What better place to hide it then in there. Uggghhh! Is there a broken baby store along the way, I asked myself. This one is just too squirrelly. Perhaps a minor adjustment here and there might be needed??? Or maybe it's just this....God's got a very special plan in mind for him and he needed a special home to grow up in so that he could make it to that place where God wants him. God must know that I'm the one for the job. Somehow that thought gives me a bit of comfort.

We arrived around 10:30 Thursday evening, managed to set up camp in the dark and got settled for the day to follow.

Friday brought a new adventure for our five year old. He discovered the world of bugs that he'd never seen before. You may be thinking to yourself that that is right up a boy's alley. But I am here to inform you...that's a BIG negatory! He wanted us to pack up camp and leave for a different camping place. One that doesn't have bugs. His mother was thinking the same thing. When you are trying to use the restroom and there are these flying bugs which I heard were male mosquitoes and they happen to be about as big as your five year old's fist, I strongly object! I was also thinking that there was no way I was revealing anymore skin then was necessary for them to have access to. Not to mention.....spiders! Which I don't want to talk about! See where he get's it from???

Due to the bug factor, Ryan refused to use the restroom and therefore, we went through just about his whole wardrobe on the first day. I finally got him to understand that he could use the camper toilet where I spent quite a bit a time on bug duty making sure if one was to enter the camper, his bug relatives were attending a funeral.

All in all, the ones who were there to play, played hard and the ones who were there to work, worked till they felt the burn and I'm not talking about sunburn. We did take a break and headed off to the beach for some fun in the sun and then for ice cream which is always a welcome for us.

Kara got her sea legs and is walking all over the place and fell in love with a beach chair that was just her size. She was quite adamant that nobody touch it but her. Ryan was such a hard worker even after he got his fingers smashed between a couple of two by fours, learned how to use a saw (not a power one but a hand saw), and put us all to shame with his work ethics. Aaron explored and conquered the dirt pile. His most favorite thing was the 'Mule'. He didn't want to leave that behind! Grace learned how to play poker and hunt for frogs.

We came home Sunday evening with an extra ton of dirt that coated my kids. Perhaps, they should have left some in the dirt pile that was there for the playing pleasure. I'm sure they will probably have to go purchase some more to replace the ton I found in a certain pull-up that was attached to a three year old...it could have been because he was laying in it!

After successfully backing up the camper, I happened to look down at our neighbors grass and realized that there was a pretty big spot of burnt grass. Then I heard my husband say...."oh, no!!"

Another note to self: When sanitizing the camper system, don't do it in the driveway....bleach can kill grass and does!

I'm so thankful that the neighbors on that side of the house are kind and forgiving....

Stay tuned for more adventures in "Follow that Red Suburban"!

Follow That Red Suburban to Traverse City!

Our first trip with our camper and suburban was planned. We were going to spend five days and four nights in Traverse City, Michigan. We loaded up the camper and the suburban and off we went only one hour and 35 minutes past our estimated time of departure. A record for us! As we were traveling north, gas fumes were permeating the vehicle. We thought perhaps we should stop and check it out at a gas station in Sanford. As Bob was pulling in, a lady was also pulling in on the other side of us. In the process of avoiding hitting her, we hit the pretty red guard rail with our camper. It was just sickening. Nice red paint was now a decorative addition to the side of the camper. A good friend of mine told me that the first dent is always the hardest. Ughhh! Bob checked over the vehicle but couldn't find anything leaking or anything unusual so after the shock of the newly acquired dent had passed somewhat, we decided to continue north. We arrived at the KOA in Traverse City, registered for our stay and found out what site we were to enjoy the rest of the week. As we were going around the corner, our beautiful camper became lodged next to a bunch of trees. As I looked out the window and saw many fellow campers sitting around talking, I thought to myself as I sunk deeper in my seat with hands over my face, they are probably laughing their heads off at these newbie camper-want-to-be's. But despite my complete embarrassment, two gentlemen came to our rescue and saved us yet another dent to our new camper. We had reserved a full hook up, pull through site which was just a blessing for us as our initial set up was quite easy. The hosts here were so helpful and very nice. The campground itself was very clean and kid friendly. We give the Traverse City KOA seven thumbs up!


The next day, we decided to eat at the Omelette Shoppe on Front Street in Traverse City for breakfast. What a great place to eat! The kids enjoyed their smiley faced pancakes and Bob and I enjoyed their wonderful omelettes and scrumptious pecan rolls. We give them seven thumbs up.



We then decided to take on the Sleeping Bear Dunes to burn off our over-full stomachs. Gas fumes were still permeating the vehicle so we called Onstar. They did a diagnostic check on the car but couldn't find anything. We needed to take it in to get it looked at. Since it was Sunday and nobody was open, we decided to go ahead with our plans and take it in the next day. The Dunes were beautiful and we all enjoyed our time there. I thought for sure Aaron was going to become a rolling ball of sand all the way down but much to my amazement, none of us had to go fetch him at the bottom. Yeah!



That evening we stopped at the Freshwater Lodge for some yummy fried fish and chicken strips. My kids loved the duck tenderloins....hmmmmm, not sure how that happened! The following day was spent at the camper playing on the swings and enjoying Uno. The dealership called and told us they couldn't find a thing wrong with our car. I guess it will remain a mystery. Later that night, Bob opened a cupboard door and forgot to shut it. On his way to standing up, he whacked his head silly. All I could see was blood gushing all over. I thought to myself, I don't know where the heck there is a hospital and I got a car that could ignite into a fire ball. But what the hey, life's an adventure. After cleaning up the wound, I found that it was only a small gash and that he was going to be alright. Although, I made him stay up till two o'clock in the morning to make sure he didn't have a concussion.



We decided to go up to Charlevoix the next day and visit a place called Castle Farms. It is a beautiful castle that was once owned by the gentlemen who owned Sears and Roebuck. The owners that now own it, have updated it as it was originally. Many weddings and special events are held there. We give it seven thumbs up.













On our drive to Castle Farms, we came across the world's largest cherry pie and how it was made.





















The next day we decided to try a place called Flap Jack Shack for breakfast. The service was good but the food stunk. We gave this place one thumb up.....and that was from our oldest son who loved the buffet. He gives anyone that has a buffet a thumbs up.





We let the kids swim in the Grand Traverse Bay. They enjoyed the water and the sandy beach. A certain duck decided to come up to us asking for food. We kindly sent him away!



We tried a place called The Big Eazy Rhythm and Blues Grill for dinner. We got a sampler plate for an appetizer which was quite pricey. However, much to my astonishment, my kids gobbled and I mean gobbled up the calamari and the alligator. Who are these children and where did they come from? They won't try a new casserole that I make at home but they now have tried, buffalo burgers, alligator, calamari and duck tenderloin....and liked it! We enjoyed ribs and chicken strips. Brad loved his half bleeping burger and Aaron loved his super sized kids pizza! We gave this place seven thumbs up!



It was time to pack up and go home. Our fun had been had. We all had a great time and many new memories to bring home with us. We love camping...why didn't we do this sooner?

On our way home, we stopped in Birch Run for dinner at Tony's Restaurant. It has a reputation of generous portions for the right price. What a surprise we got when we ordered the banana split for us to share! Aaron was standing on his chair when the waitress brought it out. His eyes got so big and he yelled out for the whole restaurant to hear..."holy cow"! The food was wonderful and the price was right. You can share with someone. Whether you order Italian, Mexican or chicken strips, it's always good. We give this restaurant seven thumbs up!

Even though we have a dent in our camper, an overfill of gas fumes, and a head injury, we had a blast on our trip. Look for the next episode of "Follow that Red Suburban"! See you soon!