Jaros Family News: September 2010

I cannot believe summer is over! I know some would argue that summer has been over for over a month and others would say that it's still summer... I have to admit I think it is over. The leaves have started to change colors, some have fallen off of trees, and the temperature has taken a nose dive. The desire to stay in the cozy, warm bed instead of venturing out into the cold, dark room in the mornings has settled in. I am suddenly finding the desire and need to cook or bake. If anyone has a great recipe they'd like to share, please do! I am forever searching for that new 'must make' recipe. :-)

But in talking about summer being over, I must talk about what a great summer we had! The highlights of our summer including two vacations. The girls and I were able to make a trip to North Dakota in June. It was a great time visiting with friends and family! Vacations to ND are never relaxing as we are always on the go, but they are always fun! It is hard to believe that my nephew Ryne is now 14 and my niece Kailen is now 10!! They have grown up so much and are turning into great young adults. I am SO proud of them both. I can only hope the girls turn out as well... :)

The four of us also traveled to Michigan in August to meet up with John, Annette, Ryne, and Kailen. Annette found this Great cabin resort (Balsams Resort, St. Ignace, MI) that provided a cozy, home-like place to be when we weren't doing the tourist thing! St. Ignace is located on the southern end of the Upper Peninsula with ferry access to Mackinaw Island. We had such a nice time there that we are talking about trying to make it a semi-regular trip. Although Ryne didn't love the drive to get there... WAY too many trees he said... The drive from NY thru Canada to MI wasn't bad. It went fairly quick and the girls were awesome travelers. We were busy for the days that we were there checking out some of the tourist traps and enjoying the beautiful scenery, but most of all exploring this new place with family! One of the best parts of the trip, in my opinion, was the incredible private beach access the resort had. It was small, but private. We usually only shared the beach with another family for a short time... and the rest of the time, it was as if we owned it! Lake Michigan, near the beach, was very shallow for over a mile from shore which was incredible for the kids as we were able to enjoy the water and the sand. The resort provides a kayak and floats along with with a sand volleyball court, free firewood for beachside fires or cabinside fires. We really couldn't have had a better experience there!