I’m not sure what this says about me and my current state of nesting, but one thing that’s immediately different about being in Michigan (with our growing family of little people) is the convenience of laundry! In Los Angeles, we have a compact/portable washing machine that allows us to wash a small load in our bathroom. I then hang dry our clothes, and depending on the current season, they’re dry in 6-12 hours. But in Michigan, while at our parents homes, our clothes are washed & dried in about 90 minutes. Ha! Definitely enjoying this small perk :)
Here are some other things we’re enjoying while we’re visiting our families…
Maxwell is enjoying being about to walk out the back door and immediately be “in the wilderness”. Right now we’re at Zack’s parents, and their property is vast and full of barns and tractors and hills. Max is totally in his element, I don’t think he misses riding in the stroller just to get to a local park. I should have packed our child safety door locks, because whoooooooo, he is a pro at putting on his shoes and trying to slip outside while we’re in the other room.
Even though Natalie has been sick most of our time here (sad!), she’s still so generous with her smiles and hugs. All of her cousins and aunts are soaking her up, and she loves the extra attention. I’m really glad we have a good amount of time left in Michigan, because her love for climbing the staircase is growing daily, and I want her to feel better so she can climb them with even more passion ;)
Zack, bless him, is really happy to be able to open the back door and have Bauer run freely outside. He and Max are like two peas in a pod with all the nearby adventure and freedom. Yesterday morning we let Bauer outside to play and after a little bit I went to call him back home. Finally, after a few minutes of calling, I started to see the faintest glimpse of Bauer running across the field. We’re not really sure how far he had gotten, but he was running with all his might to come back home :) It was a happy moment for Zack, for sure.
And then for myself, I think what I’m enjoying the most is having so much family around. Living in Los Angeles, our time with family is very concentrated. Months go by without seeing them, and in between we miss them so much. Staying with our families gives us space to spread out (more than we’re used to, that’s for sure), help with the kids, shared meals, and many holiday festivities. Last night a few of us gathered in the living room to watch Home Alone and eat cheese pizza. Even though the kids got out of bed a dozen times, it was a really wonderful evening.
And the best part of writing this post and reliving our Christmas in Petoskey, MI is knowing there are even more “wonderful evenings” to come.
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your families and friends!
Dear Maggie, Thanks for sharing how you are spening your holidays! Sending you blessing for your daughter to get better! I was wondering does it make you want to move back (having more space, a garden and more nature near by)? We also live in the city and have been so torn where to move to. We finally decided to buy a country home where we can spend the weekends and the holidays – for now. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay very much. Love, Wiebke
Looks fun. I love the Petoskey area. As much as I always wish I was closer to ‘good’ stores and civilization. I do love my out in the country Michigan living! And I’m really not that far into the country but definitely not in town!
Maggie, love your family photos and I feel so happy you can spend this holidays with your family. Bauer looks so happy too!
Merry Chistmas and a happy new year!