Blueberries and Quality Time

Remember the blueberries we picked in Michigan? As you would guess, they were delicious and you could really tell they were right off the bush. I wish we had picked more because I'm sure I could have come up with a hundred uses for them. I made some blueberry baby food out of some of them but Conrad was not a fan! It actually takes a lot of them to yield just a few servings so I only made a little (good thing). I wish I took a picture of it because the color was so deep and rich, it looked really yummy.  I used the rest of the blueberries to make a delicious pie. I don't want to pat my own back but this pie was really delicious. I think it's okay to brag since I credit the blueberries, not myself! We topped it with vanilla ice cream and ate it all week- YUM!

I recently had a nice week with a long stretch (4 days) off with just me and Conrad home during the week.  It was so nice to get to spend some extended quality time with him. I love my days home with this sweet boy! We also took the opportunity to plan some playdates and fun activities. One day we visited with a good friend from middle school, Laura, who has a 2 year old and 5 month old. It was so nice to meet these sweet kids and catch up on old times. Conrad and I also had a trial class at Gymboree. It was nice to see him play on the equipment and really explore. I'll be honest, we like the activities at the library's story time better but it was still a fun experience. We also (finally) got to spend some good time with my dear friend Angel and her 2 cuties! We've been trying to plan a visit for a while and I'm so glad we finally made it happen. I just love this family and am so glad we got to see them. It's even more fun now that Conrad can really play. Ari is such an entertainer and was great at bringing us new toys to play with. Evangeline is a sweet happy girl who gives great hugs! Hopefully we can visit again soon!

The weekend following this wonderful stretch of Mommy/Conrad time, we were able to go to the State Fair. It was the perfect day with mild weather in the morning. It takes longer to get through everything with the baby and we did less walking through the barns but it was a great time. We of course got some good fair food and did some good people watching as well. We look forward to this every summer and hopefully it will be something Conrad loves as well.

Michigan Vacation

I cannot say enough about how much I LOVED our first family vacation. Everything about it was perfect. We started vacation by travelling to Merillville, IN for the wedding of one of my college friends. It was nice to see everyone and it also helped to break up the drive. Conrad was awesome and slept in the car ride. He was great through the entire wedding and partied a little too hard till he crashed!

You can't tell in the picture but he is dancing in the high chair and thought the band was great! I wouldn't recommend staying in a one room hotel with a baby his age because he likes to move around and there was just no way for him to do that. It worked out just fine anyway. The next day we stopped at Portillo's to get hotdogs because everyone told us we just had to while we were in the area. It was good and gave us the fuel we needed for the next leg of the trip. 

Again, Conrad slept for most of the drive and was the perfect travel companion. Our final destination was Grand Haven, MI. I think I'm in love with this little town! The condo we rented is actually in Silver Lake and the area is just beautiful. The condo turned out to be just what we were looking for and worked out perfectly for the 3 of us. It gave Conrad space to move around and was clean so we felt more at home. There were a few restaurants right next door and just a short walk down the boardwalk so we were able to eat outside a lot and the weather was just right for doing this.

We spent a lot of our time in the pool at the hotel next door. The condo is just 2 second walk down the boardwalk from a nice hotel with both an indoor and outdoor pool which is open to the condo owners/guests. Conrad is becoming quite the little fish and loved being at the pool which I love too.  We visited the beach at the state park which was really nice. The sand was nice and powdery (but very hot, like burn your feet hot). This was definitely not Conrad's favorite part of the trip but Shawn and I liked it. The sound of the waves crashing was just a little too loud for the baby and he wasn't too sure about the sand either. It was a nice visit anyway and he didn't mind too much if he was being held and not touching the water!

We were able to take a walk out to the old lighthouse which is a landmark there was so neat to see.

We actually did a lot of walking because that is one of the best parts of vacation. Grand Haven had so many nice places for walking. Right outside the back of our condo was a nice boardwalk which went for a long way right along the water. It was perfect for taking a long stroller walk in the evening. There was also a beautiful wetlands area with long walking trails right across from our condo.

One day we took a trip out to the dunes and did some hiking. It was so neat to see how big some of the dunes can get and how they all form naturally. Conrad liked riding in the backpack. After a while he used his hat to cover his eyes and take a little nap. 

Many mornings we would start out the day at a cute little cafe called the "Morning Star Cafe". It had bright decor, fresh ingredients and unique breakfast choices you wouldn't find other places, plus delicious coffee to start the morning right! After breakfast one day, we took a short little drive to go blueberry picking at a farm. The farm was family owned, huge, and had plenty of plants ready to be picked.

One evening we went to downtown Grand Haven to walk around and then stayed up late to see the musical fountain show that they are famous for. The show was just okay but the best part was sitting out on the water and watching everyone walking by and the boats passing while the sun was setting. Conrad was a trooper and stayed up the whole time (11pm?).

We loved it all so much that we decided to stay for one extra day. We cannot wait to go back! This was by far my all-time favorite vacation and I could not have asked for two better people to spend it with. The weather was perfect, Grand Haven was perfect and as always the baby was perfect! 

July

We have had a very busy month and, therefore, I am very behind on posting. It may take me more than one post to catch up but I'll work on it! July was a really great (but hot) month. We felt trapped inside a lot due to the weather but we got out every chance we could. I had to work on the 4th of July and that weekend (the life of a nurse). But, luckily one of the lovely ladies I work with was willing to come in early for me on the weekend before so we were able to go to the town's festival. 

 We ate fair food (one of our favorite summer activities) and after walking around to look at everything, we sat out on the lawn to listen to a band playing. Conrad loved it. He also rode in the baby swing at the park for the first time and thought it was great. He loved flirting with the baby girl in the swing next to him and was laughing the whole time. The festival was also the day of our actual anniversary so it was nice to spend some time together. I love our little family and getting to spend these wonderful days together.

We did some swimming in the big pool in Nana's neighborhood and in the tiny baby pool which is the perfect size for Conrad. He loves the water and also loves that he can reach Chloe in the baby pool. He is quite the beach stud and has been showing off some of his sailor clothing (the DG in me just can't resist).  

 We also celebrated my birthday by enjoying a low key day together. We strolled around at the outdoor mall and ate dinner outside (another one of our favorite summer activities). Then came back to enjoy cheesecake and presents. We rounded out the end of July with our first family vacation but that is another post for another time! I love summer!!