So Worth It

We might live eleven hours from our favorite vacation spot, but summer wouldn't be complete without one last hurrah at the cabin. We hadn't planned a trip back to Michigan until October, but the call of Otsego Lake was overpowering and we couldn't resist sneaking away for the long weekend. The beach was calling our names.



And while Labor Day Weekend signifies the official "end of summer", we didn't treat it like the end.

We LIVED. IT. UP.




You know what the best part of Northern Michigan is? You never know WHAT you're going to get. This weekend we got a little taste of everything: temperatures reaching into the nineties and down into the fifties, sunshine, pouring rain, wind, and calm waters.












Really, though, when you get THIS many cousins together, they don't care WHAT the weather is doing.



Seven weeks seemed like an eternity to be without their best friends...







And I must admit, the sand felt pretty darn good between my toes.



The air might have been a little bit cooler than we were ready for, but the water was still quite warm. This, of course, led to skiing, swimming, splashing and all sorts of fun in the water.










And when you're not in the water, there's still plenty to do: snacks in the sand, sprints down the beach, dinner as a family, and fishing in the dark.










Also on the agenda for the weekend: a special Happy Birthday to our cousin, Lizzy.



We even managed to sneak away to a beautiful outdoor family wedding. Congrats to Brooke and Cameron!



On Sunday, the men took the dock down and pulled the boat hoist to shore for the winter....



We bid farewell to a few creatures who stopped by to see us...





And Nanu let the kids search for treats in her pockets...



The trip was a long one, but we'd do just about anything to see these kids smile:










While our footprints may soon fade, the memories we've made will carry us through to NEXT summer.




Right now, we're enjoying the lazy days of September, here in Tennessee...