Live, Laugh, Love

I am sitting in a house I have been coming to since I was a little girl. There is a certain comfort in being able to come back to something familiar. My entire life has been full of moves to different places through my childhood and still as an adult. I have often wondered if I have some gypsy heritage somewhere in my famil line.;) This place in Michigan has been the one constant place I have always returned to year after year. Almost all of my extended family live in Michigan; both of my grandmothers lived and died here, aunts, uncles, and many cousins are still here.

I used to come and spend part of the summer here with my grandmother, and when I sit and eat at the table here or sleep upstairs in bed, I can still remember all the good times we had here together. She taught me to play poker on the front porch and hours and hours of Yahtzee.:) We used to have long talks in the morning when we would eat breakfast, and it’s funny, but I can still feel her warmth here. I can’t explain it, but each year when I come back here, I feel almost like she is welcoming me back.:)

The house where Guy, the kids and myself are staying has been a home from my dad’s side of the family since the 1920’s. My dad also came here as a child. Lake Michigan is just down the street, and you can smell the fresh air coming through the windows (very unlike Nigeria!!!) Just like me, my children love to get ready and head down to the beach and spend hours digging in the sand and building sandcastles.:) They love to take walks by the marina and look at all the sailboats and the sea gulls. They love to go to the local ice cream shop and eat Blue Moon ice cream…

The house is old, and does need repair, but the memories are still fresh in my mind from when I was little, and I am so happy that we can continue to make new memories with our children. I love the expression Jeremy gives me when I tell him that I went to the same beach when I was little….he looks at me and just laughs.:) And that is how the new memories are made…through laughter , love and the joy of living...

Blue Moon Ice cream





catching fire flies





 

popsicles on the South Haven Beach



making sand castles





Great Grandpa and Great Grand daughter







cousins




jumping into Aunt Mary and Uncle Dave's pool