South Haven, Michigan

Oh vacation, how I have missed you.  Lazy days, no responsibilities, unlimited family time and yummy food…what more could you ask for?!!  Although we had to improvise at times, split up the troops on occasion, and put on our patient caps in almost every place where Meredith was not able to move freely, we wouldn’t have changed this week for anything.  The memories made and time we all got to spend together will be forever cherished. 

Perhaps it was because the wifi was almost nonexistent and the television was from the early 1990….but we barely used technology and really just spent time playing games, laughing and being silly.  I hope to take this mentality home with us because it honestly was so freeing to leave all of that behind!

The day we arrived, we of course went straight to the beach.  Our first impression of South Haven was positive and Meredith even seemed to enjoy the beach and water.  Our house was a cute two bedroom with a nice patio for hanging out and grilling.  We were situated two blocks from downtown and about three blocks from the beach, which was just perfect.  We spent the first night hanging out with the landlords and their grandchildren.  Live music was playing downtown and we could hear it clearly from our patio.  They made a bonfire and the boys wrote a cute message in chalk inviting Whit to roast marshmallows with them that evening.

The next morning we got all packed up and went to the beach again.  Whitney loved it again but Meredith wasn’t a fan.  She didn’t seem to like getting sand all over her and got frustrated when she would rub her face only to have the sand stick to everything!  That was the end of our family trips to the beach haha.  For the rest of the week we took Mere in short spurts and one of us would stay and play with Whitney while Mere would nap or enjoy the park.  Whitney could stay at the beach forever and got into finding ladybugs in the sand which captivated her attention like you wouldn’t believe!

We got into a routine of going out exploring while one of us stayed home with Meredith during her afternoon naps.  (which mind you, were sooo much longer here on vaca then at home!!!)  

Ryan and Whitney went to the Curious Kids Museum on Monday, due to the rain and they had a great time.  She seems to keep talking about being a DJ in their play music station, she also enjoyed being a news anchor and working with the simple machines they had for kids to explore and learn.  After dinner that evening Whitney and I went for a walk after the rain stopped for the day.  When we got to the end of our street I was surprised to hear the sound of crashing waves.  It doesn’t sound like that on a normal day on a lake so I knew we had to go check it out.  Due to the storms and the impending severe weather to come that night, the waves were HUGE!!!  People were surfing on Lake Michigan!  Haha, that is something you don’t see every day right?  Funny that this walk was such a small part of our vacation but I will remember it fondly because it was such a cool experience to have with her.  We walked out on the pier as the waves crashed around us, talking about the surfers, cheering them on and watching as the waves moved the big boats up and down in their spots in the marina.  I left my cell phone at home which was a good idea because it was uninterrupted time but I didn’t get to document the cool moment and Ryan was also getting worried because we were gone so long!!

On Tuesday the two of them went on a sand dune ride.  I haven’t heard Ryan so amped up in a long time….he really enjoyed that ride, maybe more so then Whit!!  It was a 40 minute ride in a large buggy that went really fast down hills and gave them amazing views of the lake.  They had a funny tour guide and learned some about the lost city of Singapore.

On Wednesday I got my turn to venture out with Whitney and took her to Stokes Homestead Farm.  This farm had a nature trail that included a tree scavenger hunt; Whit loved racing ahead to call out the numbers, mostly because if we found all of the trees she could get a free ice cream!  A silo filled with corn, tractor pulled cow ride, corn maze, and duck racing made this farm one of her favorite adventures.  I didn’t think I would get her to leave the place.  After our ice cream treat we left the farm and went to Simporosa Stables so that Whitney could have her very first horse ride.  She didn’t hesitate when this large horse came over to her and the lady helped hoist her up onto the saddle.  She looked so comfortable up there are she made her way around the circle, guiding her horse and chatting with the guy leading the way. 

Thursday was another rainy day but we couldn’t just sit inside so we took our chance during a break in the rain to go out and explore the downtown area.  We went into some shops where Whitney’s charm and politeness earned her a few treats and then ended up at the library to read some books and play on their computer.  Its fun to have those leisurely times when you have no agenda or time limit.  After lunch Ryan and Whit made the 30 minute drive up to Holland Aquatic Center to swim at their indoor pool.  It reminded them of the Mason Community Center as it had fun slides and play equipment in the water.  Totally worth the drive for a fun afternoon of swimming in a warm indoor pool on a rainy day!

Friday was our last day and we decided to take advantage of the nice weather and spend our time at the beach.  No shells, like in Florida but it is still fun building castles and splashing in the water!

This vacation was a little different for Mere.  She is in that stage where she wants to move and doesn't like to be confined.  So as I mentioned, we ended up splitting up the troops to ensure that Whit didn't miss out because Mere needed other accommodations.  She still enjoyed taking walks, playing in the house and the occasional trip to the beach.  

Our first vacation as a family of four was awesome!