Day 11

Well we are home now, but I'm going to go back and blog about the days we were gone. I think it will be easier if I break it into different days.

We started out Day 11 with the Hoosier bat factory, which we did not document with pictures for some reason. It was a small but interesting little factory and it was fun to see how they made bats.

Next Danny's Aunt Marvella took us blueberry picking. We thought we were going to miss out, but this place opened today in perfect timing for us to get to pick in the same area that Danny did when he was a kid! We got our first taste of Midwest humidity!

Next we went to a great tour of a huge dairy! Every hour there is a live calf born and a viewing room, so we got to see a calf being born. (I went back later and saw another one.) This mom needed a little assistance!

We also got a tour of the place, including the milking room.

We enjoyed a nice dinner with Aunt Marvella and Uncle Bill!!

Day9-10

Yesterday we spent most of the day in the Cleveland Science Center, which was one of the best science museums we have seen. We took a tour of a giant lake boat as a part of the museum. We also got to see some of the interesting buildings in Cleveland, like the Browns stadium and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

We made it to our 49th state!!!!!!!

We spent the night at our college friend's house. It was fun to see Gina after 18 years! (How can that be?!?!)

Today we went to an Amish craft mall and I saw the coolest fabric/quilting store I have ever seen in my life!! (We wondered why the Amish woman was working at Subway-but...whatever!) Then, we toured around University of Notre Dame for a bit.

We also hung out at Indiana Dunes National Lake Shore for an hour. I snuck a little nap to make up for staying up late talking.

Day 7-8

Hello from Niagara Falls. This morning we left Detroit and drove here. We stopped at a chocolate factory along the way (no golden tickets or Willy Wonka). It wasn't very big (think Tillamook Cheese Factory in the earlier years) but we got a sample of chocolate and they had $1 scoops of ice cream so the kids (and Danny) were happy. We also put our feet into Lake Ontario.

We decided to stay on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, which has the better view. It was a gorgeous day, so we decided to take the boat tour this evening rather than waiting for tomorrow. We started out with the Maid of the Mist boat tour which takes you to the bottom of the falls and into the horseshoe part so you are basically surrounded on three sides with falls. Although, the mist is so extensive it is hard to see it. They give everyone on the tour rain ponchos and you soon see why.

At night they shine lights onto the Falls and it was beautiful! We stayed for the 10:00 fireworks show over the falls.

Day 8-

It turned out it was a good thing we took the tour yesterday because it was POURING down rain this morning at Niagara. We were going to explore the falls from the American side a bit, but it was just too miserable. So, we set off for Cleavland. The two highlights of the day were the Kazoo factory (and factory is a bit of an overstatement) and putting out feet in Lake Erie. This completed the goal of putting our feet in all five of the Great Lakes. The Kazoo place was a cute little place that was fun to see. The kids got to build their own Kazoo.

We also made it to state number 48!

Day 6

Today we set off for Detroit. We started out by taking a tour of a Ford truck factory. It was very interesting.

Next we went to the Harry Ford Museum. There were quite a few interesting things at the museum including the bus where Rosa Parks sat in the front, the car where President Kennedy was assassinated and the chair where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.

We got to work on an assembly line.

Here is a picture of me going all "Rosa Parks" at the front of the bus.

We are spending the night in Detroit.

Day 5

This morning we really slept in! (7:30 is REALLY sleeping in in the Danny Buller travel handbook. If I had a dollar for every time he said, "We didn't come on vacation to sleep!") Then we went to the lochs and saw a couple huge boats go through. The engineer in Danny LOVES lochs!! :-) It was actually pretty cool.

We touched our 3rd Great Lake. Here we are putting our toes into Lake Huron.

We climbed to the top of a lighthouse.

And, we did quite a bit of driving in the rain. But, we got to our hotel in Saginaw, MI early enough for a good swim! Not a ton to report today, but we seem to enjoy our days even when we are in the car for a good part of them. Annsley even said, "I like just driving."

Day 4-The U.P.

This morning we drove to Lambeau Field for a quick visit. We (well, really I) wanted to take the tour, but they didn't start until 10:00 and we really needed to get on our way. But, we did go inside the building and walk around a bit. Very cool!! It is right in the middle of a residential neighborhood. (Shhhhhh.....don't tell anyone, but Favre made a mistake leaving this place!!)

Next highlight of the day, was collecting the 48th state!

Today we touched two of the five Great Lakes

Lake Michigan....

and Lake Superior.....

We went to a spring called Big Springs, where you take a little boat and look down and you can see the water coming into the spring. It was pretty cool. Here is a picture of the boat and a picture taken from the boat into the very deep, clear water. The spots you see are where the water is coming into the spring.

We also saw the Tahquamenon Falls, which look polluted, but are just colored by the tannins from the trees in the water.

Day 1-3

Day 1-We flew into Chicago on a fairly uneventful flight, rented a car and drove out to our great friends, John and Betsey!!! It was so great to be at their home and see their life in Chicago. We just hung out with them all evening and caught up.

Day 2- We went to the church where John preaches and really, really LOVED their church! (Danny snuck this picture from our front row seats.)

We drove to the Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, which was a wonderful museum with aquarium tanks and great displays about the steamboats and some of the history of life on the Mississippi River.

Next, we went to the Effigy Burial Mounds National Park, which were literally just mounds of grass. The mounds were unimpressive, but the hike took us to some gorgeous look-out spots at dusk.

We got to the hotel late, but not too late for a little swim in the hotel pool! :-)

Day 3

Most of today was driving, and stopping at little places along the way. Our first loop was an Amish loop, which we enjoyed. We tried to do it without gawking, but it is pretty fascinating!

Next we hit the famous Midwest highlight, The Cranberry Discovery Center, where we learned about how cranberries are grown and harvested. It was actually interesting. We decided we would start eating a lot more cranberries in the future. Tonight we got to the hotel in Green Bay early enough for a swim and some catching up with our journals.

Of course the biggest highlight for me was the fulfillment of one of my trip goals. I ate squeaky cheese (in Wisconsin, nonetheless) for the first time!!! Yummy!!!!!

And, we have added four more states to the collection, bringing us to 46 total.

No Illinois picture yet since we flew in, but we'll pick it up on the way back in! As always, when we take these vacations, I am amazed at the vast and beautiful country we live in. So many different types of beauty!

Annsley's CYT performance

Well, actually it is the practice before the performance because I can get closer with my Flip camera that way. It doesn't zoom too well. :-) I actually got choked up during the actual performance because she looked so old and graceful and her face just shone. I wish I could have captured that on camera. My baby is growing up!!

Choir Concert

Last night was Annsley's girls choir concert. They did such a great job!! The first clip was during warm-ups so I could get close enough to see Annsley. She was a little embarrassed that I was up on stage videoing her.

The next clip is the song that Annsley said was her favorite.

Here is one more just because!

Sneak Preview

Tonight is the final dress rehearsal for Annsley's CYT show of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and last night I recorded Annsley last night on her first dance with the older kids. She is in the children's chorus, but got pulled up with the women's chorus to do this number.

Thanks, Coach!!

We got the news today that Seth made the select soccer team, which means that Danny is done coaching (at least in an official capacity.) I find myself feeling very sentimental over the fact that the team that we have been working with over the past five years will be splitting up. Some of the boys have been playing since Kindergarten!

Danny has done such a great job coaching these boys. He is a coach who really knows how to maximize the potential of the players. I know that I am biased, but I feel like he has done an amazing job!! Out of eleven players on our team, nine tried out for select and all of them made it to the next level. I just wish we could have all stayed together on the same team!!

I'm not sure what Danny will do with the time no longer spent in scouting the teams we will be playing (yes, we scouted ten-year old's soccer games!) drawing up complicated line-ups, and debriefing the game all day Saturday.

We have had very supportive families and I'm pretty sure that we had the most parents/grandparents/friends on the sidelines of any team. I remember thinking when my kids were little that I was dreading the whole sports thing and giving up Saturdays to go to sporting events, but no one told me how FUN it is. We have looked forward to these games for five years, and we are looking forward to seeing what next season holds!!

Have a Heart

The kids are taking a great science class at TEC (our co-op)! They are studying about the human body and this past month they have been doing the circulatory system. They ended the unit by dissecting pig hearts (no swine flu, I hope!!) I love that they have opportunities like this AND that I don't have to provide it!!!! Both kids thought it was pretty cool, despite Annsley's face! Her comment was, "It was cool. Totally disgusting, but cool."

Annsley turns 12!!

How can it be that it has already been twelve years since my life was so drastically and totally changed? How did that chubby little girl turn into the lovely pre-teen? The funny thing is that when I reflect back on her life, even when she was a baby, she is still so much the same. Her favorite toys were books...and they still are. She loved singing and being sung to....and she still does. She was content and easy-going then....and she still is. She was kind and thoughtful as a very young girl and still is.

I am thrilled with the young lady that she is becoming. Her heart is sensitive to God and His leading. She has a great sense of humor and has kept her love of learning. She is a joy to teach because she is so self-motivated.

My only hope is that the next six years don't go quite as fast as the first twelve!!

Happy Birthday, Annsley! I love you very much!!!

Pictures of Dan's Trip

It was fun to see Dan and his dad!!