Good day to you all! Here is the first post about my trip to Michigan. It was an amazing trip. The main reason for driving the 14 hours was my aunt. She had been sick for over a month and needed help catching up with household necessities. Her husband also desired assistance with many outdoor chores. Before we went, I made the special request that our to-do list would be long and posted prominently! :)
First, here are some photos from the trip there.
Doesn't that look like I have a spoiled rotten little sister with heaven in the back seat? hehe... Nah, it is because we love Kayla and allowed her to have all the blankets and pillows for her tent construction project. I must say, she was very creative!
When we arrived, the list had been written on a marker board halfway from floor to cealing and written in about 24 point font. We set to work after a good night sleep and a nourishing breaking of the fast. :)
It is time to introduce the family and my excellent helpers!
Of course, we have to introduce Kayla my dear younger sister!
The oldest child in the family. His name is Joel and he is 12. Let's see how can I describe Joel? He is very talkative and works very hard when not under the influence of his younger brother Austin. ;)
Then we have the before mentioned Austin. He can be a little rambunctious and is the one that would greet you with a pile of stuffed animals being thrown in your face. ;)
This is Nathan and he is also a very hard worker. Kayla and Nathan were almost inseparable at times during the vacation. The loved working and playing with each other.
Lastly, but not least. We have my adorable cousin Calvin. Calvin is a very unique child. When he is told by an authority to do something he will obey and continue obeying until he is told he may quit. He is one that will not quit until the job is done!
I wish I had time to write in more extensive detail everything we did, but here is my general work schedule.
Wednesday
- Tore out fence from the forest and made tree cages to deprive the deer of their delicious snack
Thursday
- Power washed caulk and rust from pole barn window frames. (I was soaked from head to toe!)
- Joel and I moved several hundred pounds of industrial strength electrical boxes in the barn
- Played capture the flag with my four cousins and Kayla (A favorite tradition among the cousins)
Friday
- Primed the barn window frames with oil based primer and a couple very enthusiastic helpers! :)
- Swam in their mosquito infested pond in the afternoon with the cousins
Saturday
- Painted the final coat of latex paint on the barn window frames
- Caulked the window panes in the barn on the South side of the building (Caulking is an art in which I am not yet proficient!) Yes, there is a story here...
Sunday
- Attended a wonderful Father's Day church service straight from Psalm 127 and 128
One can tell that reformed church was alive and well. One of the more recent characteristics of a church body fully committed to the Lord is the attendance of young people and college students. The statistics are frightening how many people my age leave the church and never return. This is a testament of the families that
make up this segment of the body of Christ.
- Had a family picnic at a local park and played tag and capture the flag with the cousins again!
- Attended the evening service at the same church building
Monday
- Dug a trench around the perimeter of the north side of the barn. This would later be used for adding some steel siding.
- Went to a neat thrift store in town called Hidden Treasures where I found some slacks and shorts
- All the work and activities had finally worn me out, I developed a whopper of a headache and needed rest.
I was asked to make a funny face. :)
Do you trust them to do your banking??
Tuesday
- Cleaned bathrooms really well or until my aunt begged me to stop! (Another story here) :)
- Watched children while my aunt had a doctor's visit
- Played capture the flag and had a water balloon fight
- Went to Nathan's baseball game
- Grandparents arrived from northern MI
Wednesday
- Researched how to send HTML code with Thunderbird
- Attempted setting up a scanner to communicate with the computer properly
- Departed for home after lunch about 1:00 p.m.
Before we departed though, we had a stowaway!
:D
Before I conclude, I must add a few more pictures of my adorable cousin Calvin.
:D
The excursion back was quite an adventure! I will try to include more detail in that post. Stay tuned!
