Ugh

I didn't get very far this morning when Reese woke up and no more blog.  We are flying to CA very early tomorrow morning and of course, I am stuffed up with a sore throat and ear.  This could be interesting.  I'm hoping for a miracle recovery at 3am when I start this vacation.

Conner Prairie Member Appreciation Day

The Saturday after Minnetrista was the Member Appreciation Day at Conner Prairie.  One cultural event after the other.

We had a filling and delicious lunch and played some of their activities.

But really we had to check out their newly renovated indoor play space. Reese and I liked building this ball track but we concurred that we liked the activities in the old space better.

Minnetrista Faerie Sprites Lights

Sheryl, a coworker, told me last year about the faerie event at Minnetrista but we were busy that weekend so this year I planned ahead and left work a little early so that I could take Reese.

It was sprinkling a little but the forest was so dense that we barely felt the rain.

You have to choose which size door you would like to enter through and then magic awaits.

Bubbles and crafts

Music and snacks

Most importantly, faerie houses everywhere.

Minnetrista has a theatre company that has been to the Library a couple times and they did a play that night that we had to watch twice because Reese loved it so much.  I really think she just didn't want to leave.  

Everything was a bit magical and with summer reading, I had been overwhelmed and preoccupied with work. It was nice to have an evening with just the two of us and our imaginations.

Minnetrista is a non-profit at the Ball residence.  The family that made the jars and that the university is named after had this beautiful home and land.  They hold this event every year because of the Ball's daughter (of course I cannot remember her name) who would walk the gardens and dream of the faeries who lived there.  It was a great experience.  I cannot wait to go back next year.

Bay City Fourth of July

Amy and her girls always head to her parent's house for a month during the summer.  We are lucky enough to only be 5 hours from them so I took a couple extra days off and we headed their way to celebrate the Fourth of July.

We could not have been happier to be with our good friends. 

We played outside and in the basement, swam in their pool and enjoyed each other's company.

We went antiquing in Bay City and walked around downtown one afternoon.

We were going to try to get ice cream here but no such luck.

Then to celebrate our nations birthday the right way, we headed to Frankenmuth.  This little German village was adorable.  We had to stop at the largest Christmas store ever called Bronner's.  It just kept going on and on.

This is totally appropriate, right?

The Cheese Shop

Lunch at the brewery.  

The girls were so excited to get root in bottles.

Saturday we packed up and headed to watch the Bay City fireworks.  

It was an event.

I love fireworks and I have never seen a display so grand.  It was amazing.  

The sky was filled with fireworks. I was really impressed.

It was very hard to leave our friends.  We miss them so much.

5 hours later, when we arrived home, we were still sad.

slacker

I cannot believe I have been such a slacker.  I can say that once you get out of the habit of blogging, it is easy to forget about it.  So here we are, mid-October and I am going to go back and blog about the Fourth of July and everything that has happened since.  I know I will not remember the details but it is worth a shot.