Going Home

Tuesday, August 7, 2012 |

It doesn't matter how old you are, going home is a peaceful and comforting trip.

My entire family is in Michigan. Well, with the exception of one cousin. He didn't get very far though, he and his family live in Illinois. I'm the adventurer of our family ... moved all the way to the east coast! :)


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Is it wrong that one of the highlights of my trip were the gas prices? I snapped this with my phone and sent it to my friends in Connecticut. I can't tell you the last time {if ever} we paid such low gas prices. Not only were they all jealous of my bargain, they asked me to bring some home to them :) 


I probably haven't shared this before but I am gifted. Not necessarily in a good way, but gifted nonetheless. We call it L****(insert last name) Law. If there is a way for something odd or extreme to go wrong, it will happen to me. Nope, I've never ever prospered from this gift. 


Upon arrival to my brother's home he informed me that the compressor in his central air had just bit the dust. No problem, it's only 98 and humid! Michigan was in the middle of a heat wave and it wasn't due to break in the near future. 


Are you catching on to my so called "gift?" UGH! 


I had a continuous "glow" my entire visit ... it wasn't pretty.


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Like the fan? :) It was a cool 95!

My brother Henry, with his two girls Mia and Molly, my son Nicholas, and me.  Kelly was taking the photo and Will was off spending the night with a friend {who had air conditioning ... I almost invited myself to join the fun}



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Fresh seafood isn't readily available in Michigan so I brought a New England feast home. We had lobsters, mussels, and oysters. I really, really, really don't like oysters.  However, my brother roasted them on the grill, drained them, and then put a little sauteed garlic and butter on them and served them in the half shell. They were amazing!

PicMonkey Collage
These sweet little ladies are my cousin's children. I spend a delightful day in Belleville with my Aunt and a few cousins. This is the worst part of living so far away ... I miss out on all the little things in life that add up to so much! Little Francesca {being held by her big sister Sophia) was born two weeks before I came to town. She is a total sweetheart at a whopping 6lbs at 16 days old ~ I was afraid she would break in my arms :)  

The last photo cracks me up! Out of nowhere came this adorable little firefighter. My cousin Michael, her daddy, is a fireman so she comes by the costume naturally.  I felt very safe knowing she was there to rescue us at a moments notice!



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Nicholas was on his way out of town but made the time to stop in for a brief visit. This was completely his idea. No pressure or prompting from his mom!  I love that family is important to him and makes the time to connect even when he's on a tight schedule. 

Please take note pf my stellar photography skills ... put the subjects in direct sunlight so they have to squint!  


Nonetheless, I still like the photo of Nicholas and my Aunt Rose. After my mom passed away she quietly stepped into my life offering support even when I didn't know I need it ~ bless her!

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My cousin Jackie and I {love the squinting!} Can you believe she just had a baby?! It was great to catch up with her. We are working on a girls trip out here next summer. I'm already giddy with excitement! My husband may need to find a place to stay with all the estrogen! Ha.

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One afternoon we went to the farmer's market for some fresh dinner items. I love the faces on my brother and Mia!  Clearly she is begging and he is giving the infamous NO :)  I'm not sure where the rest of the family wandered off to. 

Our dinner was amazing with fresh veggies, meat, cheeses, and fruit! I miss having the market in my backyard.


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I will miss these girlies SO much. During my visit we did crafts, hung out at the MAC and University Club, cooked, shopped and lunched! My favorite time together was late at night when we all climbed into my bed and just talked! 

Mia, the oldest, is not only bright but an amazing soccer player. She has such grace and beauty both inside and out. What I love most about her is that she is completely unaware of her gifts.  Miss Molly makes the most out of each and every day. She has a natural talent of spinning the negative into a positive. We could all learn a lesson from her. Will wanted no part of photos. He ducked and dived and in the end rode off with his friends. No worries, we'll get him in photos next time when he isn't expecting it! :)



Leave A Comment

10 comments:

Preppy Pink Crocodile said...

It looks like a fantastic trip with your family with lots of great food and fun! And the little itty bitty baby is just precious!

KK

Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina said...

oops, i just left a comment and it disappeared i think. i'll try again!

Draffin Bears said...

Hi Jo,

Going home, looks like a wonderful holiday spent with your lovely family.
Certainly happy days, to be altogether.

Happy week
Hugs
Carolyn

elliotts said...

Looks like a great trip! :)

Hugs,
Diane

JMW said...

Despite the heat, it sounds like it was a wonderful reunion with family. Your nieces are adorable. I hope the AC was fixed ASAP, though! :)

Lori said...

Wow, what a great trip home Jo! I loved hearing about your family and the time there.
ps you look so pretty!

Magnolia Blues said...

You have a beautiful family. I'm happy to hear that you had a nice visit. I hope your brother got his compressor fixed on his central air. We had our AC go out in the middle of the night last summer. I thought I was going to die while waiting for it to be serviced. How on earth did our great, great, great, grandparents live without AC?

Hugs,
Gigi

Kathy said...

Loved seeing the photos of your trip. You look quite lovely considering that you had no AC! I've been thinking of you and your trip as we're having crazy high temps and our AC can hardly keep up!

Let's try to catch up one more time before school starts! (Though I confess I can't remember when that is for you!)

NanaDiana said...

You know what? I can tell just by looking at him that he is a good person. How wonderful that he is part of your life- Blessings to you both- xo Diana ps.You make a beautiful couple!

Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina said...

Congratulations and what a beautiful and special way in which to celebrate your love for each other!
Many blessings,
Roz

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