South Manitou Island

Back in August Ben went up north with his friends for a big camping trip on South Manitou Island.  South Manitou is part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in the northwest corner of the lower peninsula.  He and his friends went with a group from the Chippewa Nature Center and they camped on the island for a week.  Here are some of the amazing photos from that week.

Coldplay 2016

For Jenny's valentine's day present I bought us 4 tickets to go see Coldplay in Dallas.  Then we had to wait until August to finally see the show.  The concert was great.  Great music and a great atmosphere.  We had a great time.  Well...all of us except for Megan.  Somehow she fell asleep during most of it.

Switzerland - Day 12

On day 12 we flew back home.  Overall it was a great trip, and one of the highlights of the year for all of us.  In the end I was surprised at how easily and comfortably we slipped back into "being Swiss."  My limited German came back to me pretty quickly, and we remembered all the local customs and way of life that makes Switzerland so unique.  All in all I guess I was surprised how much Switzerland had remained with us.  I've always seen ourselves as a family of Texans living in Michigan.  I guess this trip made me realize we've got a little Swiss in us as well.

Switzerland - Day 11

On our last full day of the trip we spent most of the day driving from Italy back up north into Switzerland.  We arrived in Zurich in the afternoon, and had enough time to do some last minute shopping and grab some souvenirs and chocolate.

Switzerland - Day 10

On our last day in Italy we spent the day relaxing by the pool and soaking in the sun.  Then in the afternoon we walked around Sirmione some more, had some dinner, and did some shopping.

Switzerland - Day 9

When you're traveling in Europe with kids sometimes you have to take a break from all the old city centers, old cathedrals, and old castles and instead take a break and do something just for the kids.  That day was day 9.  We spent the day at "Gardaland," which is the Italian version of Disneyland.  We've been to several amusement parks around Europe, and most of them are not anything special.  Gardaland however was a surprise.  We all liked it, and we all thought it was worth the trip.  Then later in the evening, after a long day at the park we relaxed and enjoyed some great italian food and gelato.