Traverse City getaway

   

We headed up to  Traverse City, MI for a long weekend.  Ed plays in a ball tournament there every year.  Long ago it was quite a leisurely weekend with no kids and hanging out on the beach with friends.  When Braeden entered the picture, it was still fun, a different kind of fun though.  I remember the year he was almost two calling my mom on the way home asking her to come with us the following year, it was a hard year, he cried every time we were in the hotel room and ran away from me anytime we weren’t in the hotel room.  Things went uphill from that year, every year a bit more fun. 

We started staying at the Great Wolf Lodge the year they opened and Braeden enjoyed it.  Last year we had the babies up there, it was a bit of work, but not too hard. They were only 6 months old.  This year……the weekend from, well you know.  I won’t spare you with all the details but here are a few highlights/lowlights.

LOWLIGHTS:

• The day before we left Liam and Brenna both have snot pouring from their noses.
• The morning we left Braeden woke up and vomited all over the floor.
• I re-injured my pulled ligament somehow and the dr refused to give me any more steroids to make them better. (I am supposed to run a 10 mile race in 11 days)
• Babies decided to boycott sleep…naps and bedtime.  I was stolling them in the halls until after midnight the first night.
• Babies didn’t like being in the room, just like Braeden at a similar age.
• I developed a blister on my heel from so much walking….the dr ordered me to keep it elevated and rested….yeah right!
• Liam cut his toe pretty bad.
• Brenna knocked over a full pitcher of beer on herself at dinner….and the emergency clothes that have been in my diaper bag all summer long were used the night before.  She did sleep better that night.
• Liam knocked a picture off the wall at the same restaurant….you would think we don’t get out much.
• It was rainy and chilly most of the weekend.

 

HIGHLIGHTS:

• They slept most of the 3.5 hour drive there.
• Braeden, Liam, and Brenna LOVED the Children’s Museum, and it was doable by myself since Ed was playing in his ball game.
• After we discovered if we left Baby Einstein or Signing Time on when we were in the room they were TONS happier.
• We did get them to sleep by 9:00 on Sat and 10:00 on Sunday.
• They would nap in the van….at $3.89 a gallon….money well spent!
• Liam got a free Great Wolf lodge stuffed animal that Brenna loves for cutting his toe open.  She had been eyeing the wolves at the store earlier that day (see pictures)…what a brother will go through to get his sister a wolf.
• An hour before we left the babies decided they did like the lazy river ride after all.
• Liam was happy if I let him climb up and down the steps in the lobby.
• The water was sooo blue and pretty, I love how pretty it is up there.
• Since we needed to drive to get the babies to sleep, we were able to go on some nice drives, one to the Mission Point Lighthouse where we had never been before.
• We had a nice time downtown on Friday night, lots of fun activities for the family and a Cold Stone Creamery Ice Cream for dessert…..even Liam and Brenna liked that!
• Braeden was having a great time playing Magicquest at the hotel, they had a Pirate Party on Saturday, and we had waterslide races. 
• And the best news of all was that we made it there and back in one piece…well other than Liam’s toe.

AND THE VERY BEST NEWS OF ALL……….

It will be easier next year!

Here are a few dozen pics….narrowed down from about 600!