Dear Saugatuck, we love you!!!

Packed up and very sad about heading home!
The puppeteer's in the park! The boys were enthralled by this bird!
Eli cranking the chain Ferry boat across the Kalamazoo river! Such a strong boy!
My boys waiting for the ferry!
Nate and Daddy in Lake Michigan!
Construction guy Eli burying his digger in the sand!
Nate splashing in the high-tide runoff! He called it Seagull River!
Eli in mid-run! So fast!
Nate lounging in Seagull river!
Nate swimming in Seagull river! The boy did not love the big lake but loved the runoff!
My guys!
Welcome to Lake Michigan!

We just got back from an amazing vacation to Saugatuck, MI. It is a darling little town right on the Eastern shore of Lake Michigan (about 4 hours from here). We stayed in a 2 bedroom suite in a very interesting (1960's motel). But it was awesome with a full kitchen, living room, dining room, and 2 bedrooms. The first day we got to our hotel at 4, at snack and hit the beach. The boys were amazed and enthralled! The water was so warm (70 degrees and it was 85 outside... perfect) that we all loved being in the water! Nate preferred the runoff lake water that made a little stream. Not Eli, he was all about the big water and going deep!

The first night at the motel made us want to pack up and head home as the boys were insane! Sharing a room, opening and closing closet doors, locking brothers in closets, trying to sleep in each others bedrooms, driving mommy and daddy insane and finally falling asleep at 11 pm did not make for a great night (there was more drama but I blocked it out). Luckily, after a rough start the next day at the motel, once we started exploring down-town Saugatuck we had the perfect day. We spent the morning checking out the town, riding the chain-ferry across the river, eating snack, buying lfloaties for the lake and playing a down-town park! The boys took an amazing 2 hour nap (there is a god after all) and we went back for 2.5 hours to the beach.

We were all very sad to leave the next day. Being disconnected from the world for 60 hours or so was amazing. Michigan is so beautiful and we are already planning our trip back to Saugatuck next summer. Next year we are renting a cabin for 5 days... is it next summer yet?

P.S. All the pictures are from the first day as Nate chucked my camera into the sand when we had to leave the beach the first day... if you shake it, sand still falls out!