Being back in the great Northern Michigan. Wow! Some things you just don't forget, some things take a bit getting re-used to. We arrived in Detroit at 8:30 p.m. the night of our flights. It is a good thing it was after 10 by the time we got into the drivers seat of the rental mini van. Could you imagine driving for the first time in over 6 months, and doing it in Detroit during the day! It was bad enough so late at night! Don't get me wrong, Jim didn't obviously forget how to drive, but here we are, a rental, trying to find the locations of the wiper controls ( it was raining there too), HEAT controls, music, lights, etc..., and in Detroit! Let's just say, we missed a couple turns right off the beginning! But we picked up on it right away and didn't get too far off the preferred track- but boy, where's the GPS when you need it?!
We met my good friend Amy at a Meijer near Livonia to say hi and to get Jim some jeans. We borrowed a scale at the Panama City anchorage from our good friends on Dreamweaver to weigh our luggage as best we could to try not to be overweight. We of course, HAD to weigh ourselves as well. Jim lost nearly 25 pounds! We left the jeans he wore down in Nov. on the boat, there was no reason to bring them home, but he had nothing warm to wear in this colder Michigan weather. Meijer was about all that was open and an easy stop! He could have bought some Tommy Hillfiger jeans in the Panama airport for something like $100- no thanks!
Anyway, back on the road, I took over the driving somewhere just a bit S. of Clare, and from that point on over the next hour & � or so, saw 12 dear- and that was just the live ones, plus wondered how many I didn't see. We arrived to my mom's & dad's near Empire just before 4 a.m. Got the kids tucked in and took a brief tour of their beautiful new home and then crashed.
Our renters really like the house and are seriously considering buying it. Which is great!, Except then of course, since Sunshine- our home, is not here, we have no Northern home. We really don't want to return to the house, that's why we had it for sale last summer anyway. So providing that they can get pre-qualified and are able to buy it, then we'll be looking and already have a bit, for another home to buy. So we'll be staying with my folks for the time being. Those of you that want to get in touch with us- our cell phones do not work out here in lil' ole' Empire, so if you want to call us, email me and I'll give you their land line #.
We talked to Chuy Sunday night and Sunshine is doing fine. Didn't expect her to dissapear or something, but it's nice getting that affirmation that all is well.
The weather has been okay here, it's good it hasn't been any cooler. Although today, it's a bit of a struggle keeping warm. It's hard getting used to running water again, we had foot pumps on the boat, and not having to concern ourselves with conserving every possible drop! The kids enjoy the freedom of being able to "run around", unfortunately their forgetting you can't do that IN the house! We're still going to do some school, got a little behind from time to time. But whenever we're here in the morning we'll be having school time still. Also looking in to where Bridget will go next year, Micah will go back to the TCAPS Montessori. Bridget, I am still looking into possibilities for her. I will home school Jen- she will still be a pre-schooler, and this way I can give her more time than I was able to on the boat.
So that's our first week back- in a nutshell. We'll keep you posted on the house situation and how that ends up.