Missed Pictures, The Red Mesa Grill, And More Random Pictures

                                                                August 5, 2016

Because I have an I Phone but a Windows computer they are not compatible. Since I got my phone, I have had to send my pictures from my phone to my email, then download them. When doing my blog, I have to go to my download and select them. When I grab Alisha's pictures from Facebook, I download those too. Sometimes the pictures don't download in the right order and are among a butch of old pictures. So then pictures get missed. Case in point: the above picture was taken on our evening at the "Uptown Saturday Night" in Boyne City. Wanted to post this picture because it was the only picture of all the kids together. (Noah 8, Falan 13, Madalena 5, Cairys 10, and Lennox 7). My sister Nancy didn't make it this year with her grandkids. If they had come, we would have had two more kids, Karrissa 10, and Bently 5.

Lennox and Noah are still young enough to like stuffed animals.

Maddie and Lennox playing with the dogs in the fenced in yard.

Tiffany had to spend much of her time icing her leg with the ice machine she brought with her. I was just glad she still got to come.

                                                           August 6, 2016

Another missed picture on the day we went to Harbor Springs. Cairys, Noah, mom, and my older sister Karen.

Our oldest granddaughter Hayleah (19) didn't make it either.With her being college age, we are lucky to see her, as she spends a lot of time in the summer with her dad, who lives in Minnesota. When she isn't at her dads or traveling with him and his family, she is working to save for college, or going to concerts with her friends. The week we were getting together she and a friend went to Minneapolis for a 3 day concert.

 We bought 3 yard games to keep the very active kids out of our small house.

August 7, 2016

One of the last nights together we went to the Red Mesa Grill in downtown Boyne City.

Because we all couldn't fit into one car, some of us arrived before others.

Joe was in rare form and decided to be the doorman for everyone that came to the restaurant.

He must have opened the door for at least 15 people. I was cracking up, as this just isn't Joe, to be funny. At one point he said he was disappointed because he had not got any tips yet! Ok, now I understood the motive.

Now that sounds more like Joe. I think he must have had a few  drinks before we got there, causing him to be less inhibited.

At last Traci and the rest of our crew arrived and Joe gave up his new job to go and eat.

The gang at the Red Mesa Grill.

Of course you got to have the margaritas.

The Red Mesa Grill is one of the most popular restaurants in Boyne City.

Tiffany and her son Lennox.

Traci and her girls.

Madalena.

Mom and Joe

After dinner at the Red Mesa, most of us played a game of croquet.

Papa shows them the ropes.

Noah is always barefoot.

Note all the beach towels on the deck rails. Next year we hope to get a clothes line of sort.

Maddie was up for her turn.

Of course we have to have some drama when little ones screw up!

Joe and I were really surprised the kids lasted for the whole game, as it took a long time, when everyone kept missing the wickets.

 They were all pros for playing this game for the first time, except Lennox who played the previous summer with us.

Madalena found the color book I had bought a years earlier and had forgot to give her. I put it on the shelve next to her bunk. She loves to color and paint.

We had the best weather while the family was here. No rain and 80 to 90 degree days. The water temperature reached 79 degrees the day they arrive also.

More random pictures I missed the previous blogs.(Selfie by Tiffany).

Tiffany didn't think she would be able to get into the boat, because she still could not bend her knee completely. But when there is a will, there is a way!

Mom and her great granddaughter Madalena.

Someone took this picture of Nana. I posted it because someday I'll think, "I wish I still looked that good", even though today I don't. You know how that goes!

On the last full day we took a few people out for a last boat ride. We crossed the lake to Young State Park Beach,

and jumped in to cool off.

A picture I captured during the week while the kids were going out to ride Big Mable.

Tiffany enjoying the shade on our lakeside yard during the week.

Donut Let Down, Another Lake Home Day, & Harbor Springs,

                                                        August 5, 2016

With my daughters at the lake with us, they took pictures and in put information on them. They showed me how to do this, but I have forgot again. You know, used it or lose it, especially at my age.

I took who ever was interested to our local donuts shop, promising I would buy the donuts. Unfortunately the local Johan's Donut shop went out of business, and had been reopened as a local coop bakery shop. There are Johan's in Petoskey, Charlevoix, Walloon Lake Village, and Harbor Springs, but no more in Boyne City.

I didn't realize this until we got inside to order donuts. No donuts! Just bake goods. The bakery doesn't have a license for a fryer. My little Sweetpea was so looking forward to a donuts. This just wasn't going to do! Even Lennox was not happy with is chocolate eclair. You know picky eating kids!

Sweetpea pouting. If I had known, we could have drove the 10 miles to Walloon Lake Village for the donuts. They both were looking so forward for donuts. Latter that day we went to Whiting Park Beach that I previously blogged about. With getting so far behind I forgot the orders of the schedule of this summers guest visit.

                                                         August 6, 2016

Alisha was up for a sunrise shot the next morning.

Joe took the up early adults out for a nice slow boat ride. (Traci my niece pictured here).

We put out orange cones that we bought this year to slow the traffic down for our company crossing.

With our little one's I always worried they would run across the road without looking or thinking to check for cars.

We had put in the new fence for Mallery, but also for the kids. The rule was, no leaving the gated yard, unless holding hands with an adult. I am proud to say the kids did real good at following the rules.

Alisha enjoying a quiet moment on the dock. (Selfie by Alisha).

The kids just could not get enough of Big Mable.

They constantly begged to go out for more rides.

Another picture from Alisha.

Joe gave the kids really wide rides, which I wasn't happy about.

I told him, "This is their first year. What will they want to do next year". Joe did constant circles swinging them back and forth in and out of the wake, as Cairys and Noah would scream faster, faster! Nobody wanted to ride with Lennox. They knew the ride would be slower (per Nana) because he was a little more afraid. I knew if he fell out, he would never go again. The two were told that if they didn't go with him, the rides were over for the day. But then of course after the slow ride, they had to go again because they didn't get to go as fast!

Madalena was happy just riding in the boat. Below is a video of why I didn't want Joe going fast.

I was glad Maddie didn't want to go. I felt she was too young the first time she went. I wasn't in the boat when she went, but if I had been, I probably would have objected.

The 3 musketeers!

A picture to show you how brown our grass was when the family arrived. Such a disappointment, because the kids are from the south and the southern states have such course grass. I wanted them to experience soft green northern grass.

Mom and Karen enjoyed the deck most the time as we had really hot weather.

A sunset from the dock per Alisha.

                                                    August 6, 2016

The next day we drove to Harbor Springs (45 minutes away), and  walked the marina docks first. Noah showing off the biggest yacht on the docks.

Because Tiffany's knee was bothering her, she didn't walk the dock, so she asks us to watch Lannox. When I wanted to get some pictures, I asked Joe to hold on to his hand and watch him for me. Next thing I know Lennox is walking by himself,  and Joe is further up the dock, doing his own thing. Good job grandpa!

I let Joe know he forgot his job, and this is what I saw next.

I have to keep an eye out for my husband as well as my grand kids!

The docks in Harbor Springs are always fun to visit and dream of getting to own or just get a ride in one of those big yachts.

Next we drove over to Harbor Springs Public Beach.

Harbor Springs Beach has the most beautiful waters to swim in, in all the lakes in our area.

Lennox and Madalena.

Lennox said he saw a fish while swimming next to our dock on the second day of his visit. He had been obsessed with fish, and a bit freaked to swim in the waters ever since.

The clarity is so good in Little Traverse Bay in Harbor Springs, it makes it even more easily to see fish, if there are any!

Little Traverse Bay is in Lake Michigan.

I finally got a picture of Madalena and Lennox with him not looking down at the water!

Me and my girls, Alisha and Tiffany.

Some of the gang. Mallery was with us in her stroller that day. My sister Karen was sitting next to her and watching her for me. (Traci and Falon in the front, Mom, Alisha and Joe in the middle row, and Karen and myself in the back).

Everyone thought the water was colder than back at our place at Lake Charlevoix. I swam out to the platform with Alisha and  though it was the same as at home.

My daughters, Tiffany and Alisha.

Noah sleeps on the way home.