Sadie Update

It's been a few weeks since our last post so I thought I'd give an update on Sadie lol. Well last week Sadie didn't know what hit her. She went into the vet with a uterus and came home without one. Poor baby. She was so drugged she couldn't even make it up our stairs so she slept standing up, leaning against the wall for the evening until she staggered her way onto the couch where she laid for the next 24 hours. 

This literally only lasted 24 hours, the next day she wanted to run, jump and play. But how do you tell a dog to take it easy because she still has stitches in her belly? Ya, you can't. So we've been dealing with a hyper-active dog that can't burn energy at the park. It's been a nightmare. Two more days and the stitches come out and we can start taking her to the park every night!

On another note, I've been stepping on these little choking hazards. Our baby is loosing all her baby teeth! Baby teeth out...big, strong, crush your arm teeth are in! Careful...

Anyway, that's the low-down on Sadie! She'll be a 65 lb man eater before we know it :)

Mackinac Island, MI

This past weekend we loaded up the Honda and drove to northern Michigan to visit the famous Mackinac Island on Lake Huron. And as you can see, we roughed it! Dan's been itching to get the camping gear out at least once before it gets too cold so here was our humble abode for the weekend!

We planned out our meals they were YUMMY! Friday night we had marinaded chicken drumsticks with corn. Saturday morning we made omelets and turkey sausage. and Saturday night we had blue cheese turkey burgers and potato salad! I think if I ever want Dan to make dinner I just need to build a fire, break out the cast iron and away he'll go!

Camping would not be complete without smore's! We picked up a little tip from some friends last time we went camping... instead of graham crackers and hersey's chocolate, use fudge strips cookies! Below I have demonstrated how to make and eat the perfect smore :)

Saturday morning (after our hardy omelet) we took the ferry to Mackinac Island to spend the day. What's so cool about the Island is that motorized vehicles have been prohibited on the island, with the exception of snowmobiles during the winter. Travel on the Island is either by foot, bicycle, or horse-drawn carriage... Cool  Huh!? Here are some pics of the coast from the ferry and also the downtown area.

All of the houses on the Island are period homes (even brand new ones under construction we saw). Each home is so elaborate and different. Most have been renovated into Bed & Breakfast's but there are still many private residences that serve as summer cottages. We took a peak at some reality and basic cottages were going for $2mil. INSANE!

Since the only way to get around the Island is foot, bicycle or carriage the quickest way round is a bike. So you can imagine how many bicycles there were. Bikers were everywhere! And when it came time to park your bike, good luck finding an open spot lol

The Island is about 8 miles in circumference and more than 80 percent of the island is preserved as Mackinac Island State Park. Instead of taking a carriage tour we decided to rent a bike and bike the entire island's coast. And it was beautiful! The water on Lake Huron is crystal clear, the forest is so lush and green!

Here we are at the Arch Rock. It's a small hike up to it but the view is worth it. This gives you an idea how beautiful the coastline is.

Here we are on our tandem bike! We had such a good time riding along the coast, stopping to see the sites, "ooo-ing and ahh-ing" the gorgeous homes and walking the downtown cutsie shops. Our trip wouldn't be complete without some famous Mackinac Island Fudge either... So we got 3 lbs of it! Good thing we biked off all those calories :)

Conclusion: Mackinac Island is a must see! We can't wait to go back next summer!

Beach Lover?

Now living in Grand Rapids, we live close to Lake Michigan...which Michigander's refer to as "the beach." Bless their little hearts, Lake Michigan is NOT the beach. But, it has sandy shores and water that goes beyond the eye can see so I can see how they get confused...

Today was our first trip this summer so we looked up a dog beach so we could bring Sadie along. I think she liked the car ride there more than the actual beach itself. See for yourself...

I was certain that she would just LOVE the beach! Turns out we have a little bit of a wussy dog on our hands. She wouldn't go near the water! There were dogs jumping and splashing around and she just sat there! She just kept walking around on the sand like she didn't know what to do lol. So with a little encouragement Dan gave her a beginner's swim lesson.

And again...

We were only there a little over an hour before she was ready to go. I felt so sorry for her, she kept sniffing the sand and therefore would get sand all over her nose and face! Ok, so we didn't get a beach bum doggie to add the family but we'll keep her anyway.