Monday, July 14, 2025

I’m linking up with Sarah and Holly to share my weekend and it was a special one! I’m so tired, it’s late, and we just lost power and internet for a few minutes during a summer storm, so I will just give you some highlights for now.

On Friday, I showed you my full dining room table and my baking that I had done – it was for a trip to Michigan for Tom and I to hang with my cousins on my mom’s side of the family!

We had been there before because we rented cabins on a little lake called Stony Lake that feeds into Lake Michigan. Well, my cousin Neal bought a place a several years ago and this year he invited the whole bunch of us at once.

His youngest created a family tree so we could keep people straight!

My mom (Carole) was the oldest of three. She has a brother (Jim) who is three years younger, and a sister who is seven years younger (Judy). There are nine cousins and I am the first oldest girl and the second oldest.

The original cousins minus one – we still had Curt that hadn’t been born. I’m trying to look like a model in a Snoopy swimsuit – not easy.

Not everyone could make it, but we had the majority. Some kids were in and out due to commitments. My kids stayed home to watch Eddie Otis and work. It was a 7 hour drive for us.

Tom and I left at 9:00 am Thursday morning and arrived at this little paradise:

Everyone arrived between 4 and 6 Thursday night except one family who didn’t come until Friday afternoon.

I loved the outdoor shower:

There is a little market you can walk to and on night one we ordered pizza from them. Tom got ice cream all three nights, too!

The walk to the beach:

Friday morning we started the water activities bright and early! One group did a kayak, paddle board trip and got rained on for two hours but still had fun.

More tomorrow! My heart is full. It was so wonderful to be with everyone!

Amy

23 thoughts on “Hello Monday”

  1. What a great getaway! How nice to reconnect with cousins and really spend time together (I’m assuming you don’t see many of them often- it seems like cousins usually drift if just due to physically not being close to one another). The lake is beautiful! Have a great Monday!

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  2. Amy, this is awesome! My heart is full for you as I would love to do something like this with my cousins. The place looks beautiful too. So glad you had this time. Happy Monday!

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  5. What a wonderful weekend!! We completely understand the heart is full remark. We do this one weekend every summer down at Lake Cumberland with my mom’s side of our family. With babies now, we’re at 24!! It’s the BEST! We even have annual shirts going back 15 years! So happy for you!

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  7. You know I love a family filled lake weekend and yours looks fab! What a cute spot…I’ve never been to Michigan but I know the lakes are a highlight in the state. One of my daughter’s college roommates was from East Lansing and had a lake house up north that my daughter visited and loved. How nice to be with your cousins! Mine are so spread out geographically mostly out west, so we really only stay connected via Facebook. Which is nice, but not like an in person reunion you were able to have. My hubs would get ice cream every night too : ) I’m so glad you had this time with family.

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    1. You would really love the Lake Michigan towns from what I know of you! The weather in July and August is just perfection. You are never hot! The air feels so good. When we stepped out of the car I thought to myself – why have I not been back in so long. Zero humidity!
      If you can do it, I would try to plan something and whoever comes comes. It’s such a gift to have a cousin relationship!

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  9. What a magical place! I would love to visit somewhere like that in the summer; it seems so strange to be able to wear sweatshirts in the summer, but it intrigues me greatly! I’m so glad you did this; I’m sure your heart is full to overflowing. It feels like it was healing!

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  11. How fun to spend the weekend at the lake with family! It looks like a dreamy space on the lake. The snoopy suit…I remember those! Those sunset pictures are so gorgeous!!

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  12. What a great getaway! The lake just looks beautiful, and it still amazes me that the beach there looks like the ocean. And it looks like sweatshirt weather – not quite as hot!

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  13. What a wonderful way to spend the weekend! It must have been fantastic to spend the time with your cousins. My dad’s oldest sister had a cottage on a lake in Michigan. I loved going there when I was a kid. Sometimes, my little brother and I got to stay for a week or two (my mom probably begged Aunt June to keep us for just a couple weeks)! This just made me smile the whole time!

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  14. Pingback: Michigan Cousins Weekend Part 2 – Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa

  16. So fun! Love the throwback photo – the snoopy swimsuit is precious. Love the pic of you and Tom.
    Trav got ice cream every night – even when he was full – and then he would complain. Haha

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  17. I love this! I was just talking to a friend and telling her how much I want to vacation on a lake in Michigan – this seems like the perfect summer vacay. As close as the ocean is to us, it’s so hot and humid. I love the idea of the lake and the hot but cooler weather and the scenery is so different too!

    I hope this is a tradition your family continues!

    xo,

    Kellyann

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  18. Hi! I found you through the Link Party Talk About it Tuesdays.
    Congratulations on your feature! Such beautiful pictures! Lake Life is the best! We live by a lake all summer and we love it! It looks like you had a wonderful time with family and friends!
    Happy Tuesday! Stay cool!

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