Over the river and through the woods,

To Grandmothers house we go! Brad and I just got back from a lovely little trip north to Oscoda, MI where my Gramma lives. We've been doing this trip annually to celebrate my niece Olivia's birthday, which just happens to be the same as Brad's, July 14th. Generally we do the trip the first weekend after July 14th, but this year it had to wait until the end of July due to some scheduling conflicts.We arrived up north fairly early Friday night, after a side trip to Izod at Birch Run so Brad could get a few new golf shirts and a hat. I think we arrived around 7 o'clock. We were greeted by my Dad, sister, and Gramma, who were eager to fill our bellies with hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner. My dad does grill a mean burger, albeit, enormous. Then after dinner and a few beers, it was time for a quick walk on the beach!

Zawacki's walk the shorelineDad's tell animated storiesGrandma walks too!

Then after the walk, there was some talking, some photo sharing, and some general time-killing waiting for the young kids (and my Brother and his girlfriend, Janeen) to arrive. They finally showed up around 10 o'clock. So there was some quick indoor playtime, then the kids (and us) were off to bed for a good nights sleep in the up-north air. (There's a pretty distinct smell of "up-north" that I've remembered since I was a child. It's not pungent nor bad, just comforting, beachy and clean. I sleep so much better up north!)

Olivia plays with Grandma's deer

Saturday the kids were up early, about 7:30. So much for sleeping in! There was one of Dad's crazy breakfasts (thankfully not 10 lbs of butter this time), then sunscreen was applied and the kids were in the sand and later, in the lake by 9:30! Don't those crazy kids know the water doesn't get warm until later in the afternoon? Either way, it's so nice to be able to walk out the door and play until your heart is content.

Beachtime

Mid-morning playtime turned into late-morning naptime, and while the kids had some quiet time, my brother, Janeen, Brad and I headed out for another walk. In my brother's typical fashion, he was lucky enough to find some beach glass, and some fun stones too. Add those to Gramma's collection of treasure! Which my sister so beautifully captured with Olivia and Chase's hands. This picture makes me tear up with joy.

Treasure

Lunch was sprinkled in with celebrating Olivia's birthday with cake, and while I didn't have the time to bake her one myself, I think this Glen's stand-in did just the trick. Perfect size for our little group, and oh so cute!

Making wishes

The afternoon was then peppered with sunshine and a cool breeze, more beachtime, and a nap on my part before my brother started to cook dinner. We were treated to a feast of salmon, potatoes, veggies, Michigan salad, and a new delicious wine find: Fat Bastard Syrah. Even though we were full from dinner, we rushed right into smores and a campfire, ushered by my niece's desperate need to hear ghost stories before bed. Next year I'll certainly have to brush up on my storytelling skills! After an evening of fun, the kids were off to bed, the adults played a few rounds of Oh Hell, and then it was off to bed with the lot of us just after midnight.
Sunday morning we awoke to a still and sunny morning, where the lake looked "smoother than piss on a platter" as my late Papa used to say (at least according to a story I heard from my Dad)! We didn't have a boat, and none of the Frede's are really waterskiers, but apparently the conditions for that were perfection. Even so, the lazy group of kids still had a bit of sleep in their eyes as they finally woke up around 10 o'clock! They again had some quick beachtime, and Olivia begged me to take her out in the freezing lake to second sandbar FOUR seperate times, but we managed to squeeze it all in before they had to leave just after noon.

Swimming to second sandbarChase splashes on the beach

In the end, it was another lovely weekend visit with Gramma, and I was so happy to see that as she approaches her 80th Birthday this year, that she's the spitting image of health. I had heard from some relatives that she might have a bit of hearing problem these days, but as Brad so gracefully put it, "Gramma doesn't have a hearing problem, she has a listening problem," as you can't get a word in edgewise when she's yammering away. I wouldn't change it for the world.