Scenes from our Midwest trip:
















Rebekah and I celebrated our 11th Anniversary while we were in Indianapolis. As is our usual tradition, we signed up for another year!



Tori loved Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids.


















Lucas built his first sand castle on a Lake Michigan beach in Grand Haven.































We saw lots of fireworks in Michigan and in Indiana. Lest anyone question my patriotism, here's me in my full Independence Day festive spirit.

The Trip

My family tour through the midwest was a whirlwind. I arrived in Michigan on a Sunday morning, having flown all night. We did a lot, but for the most part it was all about Tori & Lucas playing with grandma & grandpa, and playing with their long lost cousins Misty and Aiden. Lots of water involved.

Then on Wednesday we drove the 330 miles from Grand Rapids to Indianapolis to visit the Hubbards. Once again, it was all about Tori & Lucas playing with grandma & grandpa, and playing with their other long lost cousins Bryce & Brendan. Bryce broke his arm a few hours before we arrived (a nice compound fracture) which slowed him down a little while we were there.

Overall, I was surprised by how much the grandkids are changing the family dynamics. There is hardly time for adult interaction since the kids dominate everything (as they should).

Rebekah and I did sneak away from the chaos on Saturday evening for a night out celebrating our 11th Anniversary. We went to the Melting Pot fondue restaurant in Indy, which was great because we got to sit and talk for over two hours while experiencing all that is fondue. We did our traditional review of how we have spent every anniversary so far. It is getting harder to remember them all, but we did it!

I jetted back here late Sunday night so that I could get back to reality on Monday morning. Rebekah and the kids get back late tonight.

One strange thing: "going to church," two Sundays in a row to be there with each of the families. It is so hard to go to church, sit there, see the somewhat good in it, but feel so unable to communicate about the whole universe of "being church" instead of just going. Not that they don't ever "be the church" -- of course they do. But it is so impossible to put words to the journey we've been on. I guess that's the nature of journeys -- if you have been on one, you see things that can't be seen when you have not. That's either a profound sentence or utter nonesense.

And that's all I have to say about the trip, at least for now.