Hartwick Pines 2017

We changed our camper's tires, lubricated them the morning before we left.  It was a beautiful day to drive and set up camp.  While I was asking our neighbor for a favor to bring the trash/recycle containers back in, neighbor told me " You guys are getting out of town before the rain? ".  It never occurred to me that a big storm that would result to so much property damage due to flooding was on its way.

While getting the awning up a butterfly landed on the hubby.  The kids went bike riding along the trail while Bandit and I walked behind them.

That night it rained until about 0900 in the morning.  

Made tie-dyed butterflies at the visitor's center.

Our second night at Hartwick Pines was raining as well till mid morning.  We went to Houghton Lake and bought a fuse I burst and a strand of awning that needed to be replaced since the hubby pulled it off when he was setting up camp.  We also went to get supplies in Grayling town,  they were having free hotdogs at the parking lot.

We decided to walk the Glory and Bright Lake trail that afternoon and it was a challenged.  It started out to be fun.  We met another family on their way back, the kids told us it was a dud since there was no bears.  

Then Bandit decided to walked through the muddy trail.  He came out the other side of this swamp all black on his underside.

We made it to the Glory Lake.

It was peaceful and beautiful, made the muddy walk well worth it.

Of course on our way back, we still have to go through the same trail.  I decided to walk the other side of the trail which was not so wet but still muddy.  Our feet and slippers got stuck a few times.  While Bandit just watched us struggle out everytime.

Had to do a lot of cleaning up on Bandit and kids feet once we were back.

That night, we listened to a mini lecture about the Loons.

Enjoyed our first campfire.

We woke up to a beautiful morning the next day.  Took advantage of the beautiful day and walked the dog while the kids went bike riding.

While riding their bikes down this hill, Lyn fell off her bike.  Scariest time of this trip for me while I helplessly watched her fall off her bike while coming down the hill.  

We were supposed to learn about Black Bears that night but it rained late in the afternoon.  So we just read and played some indoor games including UNO and CLR.

The next day we went to the logging house and learned about the good olden toys kids played with while their parents were working.

Played a game with another family where we made a huge circle and each had two sticks.  One player would tossed a small hoop using the two sticks while the other player tries to catch it with a stick.

Bandit's favorite spot at the site.

The ladder ball was the favorite game while just hanging around the campsite.

It rained almost every night but we always woke up and enjoyed dry beautiful days.  Not knowing until we went to town and was able to checked on our phones that the rain was so bad back home and friends were posting about flooding and properties destroyed.  Our thoughts were mostly, do we still have dry things when we get home?  Will our things be floating around? 

Fortunately, the drive back was a good day and it stopped raining even at home and our property was not affected by the flood.

2017 Ludington Lakestride Half Marathon

The hubby decided on joining the half marathon in Ludington since it is very close (45 minute drive) from our lake house.

Click on this website half marathons to check on the event and the route.

       It was organized so runners were not crowded.  They have runners for half marathon, 10K and 5K.  Cars were parked a few blocks from the park and spectators near the finish line were not crowded as well. With the beach on one side, it was a great place to wait for the runners on their way back to the finish.

The hubby did great, almost break his own personal best.  Although he expected sandy route he was not prepped for the hills.

People break the Guinness Book  simultaneous sand angels on Saturday, June 10, 2017 in Ludinton.(Photo: Jeff Photo: Jeff Kiessel / AP The Detroit News June 10, 2017 / AP

That afternoon, Ludington break a Guinness Book of record on Sand Angels.  Check out the sand angel event here.

Girls On The Run

Lyn was ecstatic to learn that she can finally join and that her schedule allowed her to join in Girls On The Run program.

Saturday, May 20 was Lyn's first 5K race.

Vyn and the dad also joined to support the program and start the running races for the year.  They all did great.

We got three of the medals and of all the goodies that came with the registration.

Thanks to the volunteer coaches, without them, the program will not be made possible to the girls.

2017

Parents:  We need to book an appointment for the kids to see an eye doctor.
Vyn:  Why?
Parents: To make sure there is no problem with your eyes.  You guys have never had your eyes check.
Vyn:  But I can see fine...
Parents:  Just to  check.  So we can be sure you have perfect eye health.
Vyn:  It will just make me sad if they end up seeing something wrong.



After the memorial parade when Vyn did the drums with the fife and drum corp for the first time.  He had joined a parade a few months ago carrying the flag.
Vyn:  I hurt, sooooo painful....
Me:  Do you want some doze (we call medicines doze)
Vyn:  No!  I don't want you to put chemicals in my body, I just want pity.

2016

January

While the kids were bickering:
Me: ayyyy sooo alingogngog
Lyn: what is alimogmog? What is Filipino for mouth?
Me: "bibig" in tagalog or "baba" in bisaya
Lyn: like b u t t - b u t t ? Spelling it out...
Me: can't say anything else but laugh


June

Vyn:  ma I need an ....
Lyn:  why
Vyn: Because I need to fit in
Lyn: no you don't, you are unique


September

Me:  wow! you might be really tired if you still want to rest until now.  What time did you sleep at your friends.
Lyn: ma, nobody sleeps at sleepovers.


October

While scanning through birthday cards in the store.  One caught Lyn's eye then she reads:
"Dream A Little Bigger"
Lyn: mom that's kind of rude...

November 8, 2016

November 8, 2016 was my third presidential election in the United States of America.    In my 14 years in the country, the USA has become divisive as ever every second.  We hear from both the Democratic and Republican party about unifying the country, love, peace and prosperity for everyone.

Both candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump promised to make the country rich again, both will balance the books and pay our national debts.  Both said they will go high when the other go low, yet both can not stop shouting insults at each other since the beginning of this campaign cycle.

Facebook was loaded with feeds full of petitions to let Hillary step down or Donald to step down depending on whose dirty laundry was being aired.  So sad that the "Best" country in the world have two candidates with the most majority out of the four yet nobody is really proud of supporting either one.

The divide is surely brought about by having only two major parties.  They know one of them will win so campaign was more on rhetorics targeting character instead of platforms.

If the winner really do what he/she said, we will soon earn more interests in our bank money and other investments.  Those with loans will pay less interest.  Students will get better education then start their adulthood without or just some student loans.  Businesses will thrive and multiply instead of closing.  Policemen will go to work without being harassed or assaulted.  We will all be more safe. Homelessness will start declining, etc.  All of us want the same thing.  Yet, we are so divided.

Yellow Hammer News posted an article Trump or Clinton will be President:  Here's how to decide who to vote for.  It is a good read enumerating what decisions the next president will do that will directly influence every citizen.

A few friends and family members would rather vote for a third party candidate than any of these two but with no federal funding available for a third party, their voices were not heard.  The little that we hear about the third and fourth candidate were not even able to get more than 5 percent of the voters.  Both these were not able to really appeal to much of the citizens.  There was once when all four candidates were discussed.  One of them (Johnson) can't answer the journalists when asked about Aleppo in an interview, one (Klein) was facing a possible arrest for vandalism, and of course there was never a stop in the FBI investigations about the email scandals, her trustworthiness and her health for Hillary and taxes, women and wealth scandal for Donald.

A few days after the election:

The President-elect announced was Donald Trump.  Media and polls had not predicted this result.  The map shows most states going red.  Yet the popular vote states that Hillary gets more votes than Trump.

The electoral college our founding fathers formed is the base for calling the winner in the presidential election.  The candidate who gets at least 270 electoral votes wins the presidency.  If we don't have this system, then we can all just wait for the results from states with the most population like California and Florida.

Facebook - days after the election day is filled with hatred from people on both sides.  Now we have democrats rallying because they can't accept the result.  They are afraid that Trump presidency will destroy their families and their kids will be raised immorally.  All I can say is, how the kids grow up to be is really the kids' decision.  We as parents are responsible for putting down the foundation of how we think we want them to grow up being.  Whoever the president is, they are not the ones who tell our kids to respect and love each other.  It is our example as parents and our immediate surrounding that shows them how to act and behave toward each other.

Some people think that because Trump's public image during the campaign includes a video of him not being respectful to women, others think of him as racist, bigot, etc. that they can now go around town harassing people with darker skin or just different from the typical American they wanted.

Hopefully once President-elect Trump is sworn in, the unifying talks will start working and that people on both sides will start acting civil and respectful toward each other so we can all move on peacefully.

I believe truly that whatever circumstances and situations we are in is because of our own individual decisions.  Of course health care, education, safety, taxes, unemployment and others can get better and we can all retire rich and peacefully earlier if the president help make that possible.  Or we will see increasing number of homeless people, veterans suffering somewhere, taxes and healthcare nobody can afford and businesses closing everywhere if leadership moves us to the wrong direction.

I'd like to think that Americans are mostly patriotic and once all these dust settles, we can all move on and work for a better life for ourselves, our communities and our children's lives.

Great Turtle Race 2016

View from the overlook

By the light house Mackinaw City

Cabins of Mackinaw

Mackinac Island before the race "Mission Point"

On our way home

Stein from our favorite dinner place O'Reilly's

Disney World 2016