Drive Time

Over the past 48 hours, I have driven 18+ hours. From Tennessee to Michigan and back down. That's a new record for me. Before this weekend the most I had driven in one go was 5 hours. Now I've done 9!

The Indiana skies were beautiful. Michigan stars were twinkling, sometimes even in the faintest colors of red and green. Kentucky's deciduous trees met the water at the river's edge. All four states were kissed with the touch of autumn.

For the past four years, I've traveled up to Michigan with my little Fuji family. It has always been within the first couple weeks of me living in Tennessee. By the time we're on our way back to Tennessee, I am super excited to be home. And that's when this place feels like home again.

Michigan Travels

Today is a travel day. A whirl wind trip from Tennessee to Michigan for a wedding. Over the course 3 days we will spend around 20 hours in the car. Just Lisa, me and two little ones. We may or may not be a little crazy.

Today is also the first day of fall. The weather in Tennessee, however? Yesterday was 90 degrees with 70% humidity. We're not entering fall in the way I'm used to with boots, sweaters and scarves on crisp cold days. But autumn has a way of showing itself, even in the heat. The some of the leaves are changing color, they are starting to fall with little gusts of wind. I am stoked to be driving up through four states and seeing the beginnings of fall all around different states.

Back to Balkemania

Thursday morning, Samuel, Lisa, Elsa and I boarded a rented pickup and made the eight hour drive up to Michigan for Balkema wedding. I was a little concerned about the long drive with Elsa, but she was fantastic and didn't get car sick, which was AWESOME!

Lisa read Cruel as the Grave by Mrs. Southworth on the way up and back and that helped the time past quickly. We made really good time going up and made it to the rehearsal dinner. After the rehearsal, we went to the reception venue and went to work on some of the decorations.

The wedding was sweet. Everything went well and the reception venue made a stunning transformation from a gym to a reception venue. It was gorgeous and Lisa's Aunt Julie did an amazing job!

It was quite awkward for me because I didn't know hardly anyone there (besides bridesmaids), although tons of people seemed to know me and it was weird, cause I hardly know who they are. I'm pretty sure it's cause they see all the pictures I post of Elsa and it makes them think they know me....

Due to a culinary conversation during the wedding reception, Bob and Julie (Mrs. Balkema's sister) brought sushi the next day including raw scallops and raw tuna. It was delicious and super sweet of them. I had a fantastic time getting to know them this weekend!

Besides the horrible allergies I had the entire time I was there, it was a fantastic weekend. I love the Balkema family!

I made several realizations over the weekend:

-I have now been to three outta four Balkema kids' weddings. :-)

-I've never been to a wedding where I haven't worked in some way. This time, I was asked to run through the kitchen to look for necessary equipment, walk the cooks through the kitchen instead of the bride, moved chairs from the church, to the rec. center, helped slice and serve cake and all sorts of cleanup stuff...

-Even though I was busy almost the entire weekend, I missed my family even more than ever.

-My home away from home felt like home when I was away from it and came back. If that makes sense. ;-)

The sunset on the way back was gorgeous! We got back in decent time and unloaded the back of the pick up. It felt good to be home.

Back to Balkemania

My inlaws-ish. I wish you could meet them. You'd love them as much as I do.

The couple on the left weren't there this time. 

Saturday morning, Samuel, Lisa and I made steak crepes for breakfast with the help of Sarah, Bonnie and Ellie. They turned out amazingly, although the crepes weren't perfect. We spent the rest of the early afternoon prepping for dinner, playing Carcassonne and hanging out.

Later in the day we went to the YMCA to workout. Ellie, Susan and I walk a mile on their indoor track and Ellie and I ran quite a few laps. Can you believe that I can bench press 150 lbs? Anyway, we sure know how to take over a gym. There were 11 of us there... 

Elsa loved being around so many of her favorite people. :-)

I had never seen the whole frosted windows like this. It was so amazingly beautiful!

 Then we had a birthday celebration and then more Carcassonne with Susan, Mathias and Ellie. It was a great day. While the visit was short. It was still loads of fun. When I first fell in love with this family during the week before Samuel and Lisa's wedding, I doubted we would ever see each other again. So I made it happen. I suggested the roadtrip. After that trip, I doubted I'd see them any time soon, but now, I've seen them three times in six months! I love this wonderful family!

Adventures of Roadtripping

A long weekend coinciding with a birthday in Lisa's family meant an 545 mile including four states. I had high hopes that the drive would be as fast as the previous one had been. Elsa had been wonderful and content last time.

Those hopes were dashed about two hours into what was supposed to be an 8 hour drive when Elsa got really motion sick and threw up all over herself and the car seat. Poor girl. The car smelled horrible. We scrounged around for bags, went through an entire NEW package of wipes, wishing we had garbage bags and paper towels. Let's just say Elsa and I now have an even more special bond. I have not only cleaned up multiple vomits off of her and her car seat, I have caught her vomit in a bag. Anyway, long story short, four outfits for Elsa, we finally arrived, exhausted and so ready for the drive to be over.

Jane and Ev thought sending this would be funny. -_-

She was so happy to see her grandparents and all her aunts and uncles.  

We left Michigan more prepared. Elsa ate simple foods that day and we had a good stock of wipes, name-brand paper towels, tons of garbage bags, car Frebreeze and clean clothes. But she was the least of our problems on the way back. 

There was snow all the way from Balkemania Michigan through all four states back home. Most of the trip home was low visibility with either snow spray from other vehicles, snow or rain. There was snow and ice on the highways. Instead of getting to drive 70-80 mph, Samuel was forced to 45 mph or under for the majority of the drive.

We watched the car lose control and spin around facing the wrong direction on the highway and slamming into the barrier. It was kinda scary to realize that could have been us.

I was able to get a few cool pictures from the moving car... Not super clear, but I loved getting to see part of the states in snow. I saw these same fields a bright green in September!

We stopped for dinner at Cracker Barrel, A first for me. It was fun.

I am so thankful we got home safely and after 12 hours of traveling. This morning I looked up traffic/weather articles for Indiana and found out this happened in a span of eight hours, all while we were driving on road around us.

68 personal injury crashes
199 property damage crashes
102 assist motorist calls

There was a forty car pile up, jack-knifed semi trucks, tons of slow plows, emergency vehicles, police cars.

Anyway, I was so tired when I got back that I didn't take out all my hair pins, brush my teeth or even take of my makeup...

So another traveling adventure. Not my favorite, but one full of memories. 

Balkemania

The Balkema family is special to me. I have spent almost a week with them in New York for Samuel and Lisa's graduation from college, then 10 days in Michigan at their wonderful old brick home preparing for Samuel and Lisa's wedding. The next summer we spent with them as part of our summer road trip. I've seen them twice more since, for another wedding and then this last weekend for Thanksgiving. I didn't think I could love a family as much as I do them in the short time we've actually spent together.

We played so many games of Carcassonne together. I lost miserably so many times, but it was always fun. Susan, Ellie and I went shopping. We got chocolate, Hobby Lobby sales and some clothes. We know how to shop I think. :-)

Decorating a Christmas tree was more fun then I thought, It was a first for me, since my family has never done a tree. It was cool to experience that with such a great family. It was interesting to see their family dynamics and what similarities our families shared. I also figured out where Ev got some weird phrases or dance moves from... Ahem, Bonnie. Seems they spent a whole month together.

The drive back was gorgeous, even though the GPS took us the most absurd route back. Elsa slept for a good deal of it and Lisa read aloud a fun murder mystery called The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. I slept through parts of it, so I'm rereading it now.

Although it wasn't the same as Thanksgiving at home, it was a wonderful weekend. Besides my family, I really missed turkey sandwiches, perogies and dough gogs. I guess next year isn't too far off.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving in Michigan was good, but different from home. If I had to spend it with any family besides my own, then it would be with the Balkema family. Each one of them is special, they are an awesome combination of crazy, loving, fun and awesome. We ate, played games, ate again, walked, took pictures, hung out, ate some more. It was a wonderful day.

When the table can't fit everyone... Before the food because I loved how the table looked once set. 

By the way, I have the cutest niece ever

Skype and Traveling

Skype has been my best friend since I left home and traveled 3000 miles away. I've Skyped home pretty near every day. Some days we can't think of things to say, so we talk to Elsa. Or just make animal noises. Today, we got to talk to my grandma, Elsa's Great Grandma Z. It was fun to show her off and got Grandma some movement from the picture we post.

We left at 1:30 to Michigan to visit Lisa's family for Thanksgiving. It was a smooth trip up, we made fantastic time and Elsa was a doll, making animal noises, singing her version of the alphabet, eating... 

The moonrise was wonderful and that also helped pass time. That and Samuel let me use his phone as hotspot, so for a few minutes I was able to catch up and forget how long I had been seated in the same position. 

We got to the Balkema's and were welcomed so warmly. They are so special and great fun to hang out with, it feels natural, like second family. They live in a beautiful old brick house and I got the room they call 'the summet room' 

Besides that, checking Facebook this evening reminded me how wonderful the life God has given me is. I live with wonderful people and get to spend time watching and training my niece. 

 Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I will catch you up with my Michigan adventures soon!