We just got back from a week away with family in northern Michigan, fishing the floodwaters and celebrating Matt and his twin brother Todd's birthday. This place is really special to Matt's family, steeped with lots of tradition, and it's been really wonderful sharing it together and also with Max's dad and 2nd mama (our Jess and Sara)...and this year with Max's nana and papaw (Jesse's parents) in tow as well. One big beautiful mash of a family filling up on chilly mornings and Scrabble afternoons, swaying together in metal boats on calmest water--big family dinners and bunk bed nights and the craziest sky full of stars that you'll ever meet.
By the end of the week, Phoebe girl had made peace with the hot pink life jacket that she hated so much and Max had prided himself in trying and almost catching every species of fish in the water. These kinds of days away from home are the best kind for stirring up and easing down a restless summer soul...a reminder that a shaded hammock and a good climbing tree can trump just about anything.
Your photography is STUNNING. And you make Michigan look WAY different than the image I had in my mind. I'm not quite sure how I imagined it, but I didn't imagine it to look so inviting and refreshing and relaxing. So happy you enjoyed your time and shared such great images with us!
ReplyDeletethe opportunity to bundle up in layers - in july - is refreshing and lovely
ReplyDeletei have the exact same saltwater sandals as phoebe - those are her sweet feet, right?
thanks for the reminder of a gypsy like michigan excursion from my childhood - we ate a lot of saltines topped with cherry pie filling and evaporated (canned) milk... (we were tent camping, 2 adults, 2 kids, 2-door hatchback chevette, so... yeah - kinda cramped, but we loved it)
your photos bring a quiet, restful stillness that give me a dose of peace in the middle of my busy workday. thank you.
this is the best kind of compliment...evoking memories and bringing a little bit of calm. thank you so much layla!
DeleteThese photographs are amazing! I live in the Mitten State and you perfectly captured my home. :)
ReplyDeleteThat picture of phoebe is just too much adorableness. Such a cute girl in such cute clothes is absolutely killing me. I love that y'all had such a beautiful vacation, it is times like those that fill my childhood memories and my hope is to give my kiddos the same.
ReplyDeletegorgeous. sounds like the perfect getaway.
ReplyDeletexo,
andrea
Looks like so much fun! I'm so impressed you got so many different family members together, especially when the combo seems like it could have the potential to be totally awkward. I love seeing love overcome things like that :)
ReplyDeletetara, thank you so much. it's all about love and respect...and max getting to share big experiences with all of his people! it doesn't hurt that we all genuinely like being together either! haha
Deletefreaking gorgeous photos AS usual.
ReplyDeleteLove the photos! They look like the family trips we used to take to my Grandparents in Traverse City when I was a kid :) When you say 'northern Michigan' do you mean northern lower Michigan? Or really northern Michigan in the Upper Peninsula?
ReplyDeletethank you, much! we were in hillman in northeastern lower michigan...
Deletei've never been to the U.P but we spent a day on macinack island this year and it made me want to cross that bridge so bad. haha. a friend of ours has family way north in the upper peninsula and the pictures are always so beautiful.
I just love how you have the ability to stay friends with Max's dad AND be able to call his new wife Max's "2nd mama". Too many women are insecure knowing that someone else will take care of their child. I grew up in a divorced setting and my parents would always talk negatively behind the other's back. It was so confusing and hard to go back to my mom's house to say how much fun I had with my stepmom because I knew she would get jealous. My parents are in their 60s now and friends...I keep telling them how great it makes us feel when they come to the parties and laugh together. I just wished they would have done it sooner!
ReplyDeleteanyway...I just wanted to say you are doing a great job and Max will be so much happier for it!
thank you so much. it's definitely a gift to be able to carry on our with our lives together! it wouldn't be possible though if it weren't for matt and sara...their sense of security with themselves and their love for me and jess and max is everything! max doesn't know any other way than how things are...that was my hope early on and it's still pretty amazing to me that we're able to pull it off. haha
Deletei'm so happy for you and the family dynamic you have now...it's amazing what a little bit of time and healing and love can do!
I mean really, you just do have the best blog. It transports you, the writing and photography are done so well, it's just calming every time I stop by. Glad you all had such a great time, that's so nice that you can all come together like that!
ReplyDeletewww.hollandsreverie.blogspot.com
Just the best children's fashion right now... So much good!
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