On our fourth day of summer vacation we headed back west to Munising, Michigan. A town we’ve become fond of the last three years. The lower shoreline of Lake Superior is filled with sandy beaches and gemstones around every corner, as well as plenty of hiking and boating adventures.

Over the weekend Troy & I captured beautiful images at a romantic farm wedding on the banks of the wolf river. This summer has been busy and we were ready for some time to ourselves. We drove along Lake Michigan and the beautiful sand dunes of the Upper Lake Michigan Shore, which could easily be confused with the outback.

We have been wanting to build a playground since we’ve moved in three years ago and this summer we finally did just that. Eight random days, my Dad and I took to building Cole’s Cabin one math problem at a time. Since I can’t commit to actual designs, I like to have a concept in mind and then eye ball it, somehow I’m always more accurate than actual math, lolol.

White walls – having white walls can help in many ways starting with it being a pleasing & clean background in your images. They reflect clean neutral light into the room and onto your skin which is an important element, so we love as much of that as we can get. Let’s be honest not a single person wants puke green walls in their wedding gallery.

Every Winter since the year before I was born, my family has set out to the Tree Farm when the ground is frozen and there’s a chill in the air perfect for being warmed up with some hot cocoa. This family tradition started in Missouri at Pea Ridge Forest, it was over an hour away […]

Who goes on a picnic to the beach during Winter, Am I right?! The answer is us. Yes, we are indeed strange people. No doubt! Point Beach in Two Rivers is one of our favorite spots to visit on the weekends throughout the year. This park is covered in tall pines, boardwalks, sand dunes, beaches, […]

Blake and Kristy have been together for 9 months and got engaged back in October while on a trip to New York City with their families. They love staying in cooking Pinterest recipes together and love making puzzles together. Date night looks like sushi followed by a movie back home with lots of cuddles. Sounds perfect to me!

Halloween with the Helgeson’s. This year we dressed up as Cole’s favorite characters from The Miraculous Ladybug.

Each winter a magical elf named Pinky makes an appearance and causes mischief in our home. This year was the first time we noticed her more than years past. This winter she was up to no good. Swinging from the lights in the dinning room, unrolling toilet paper in our bathrooms, dumping out cotton balls, and starting a snow ball fight with Cole.

All year Cole has had his eye on a Tigey the Adventure Tiger costume for Halloween. I have never heard of a kid this young having his sights so honed in on one costume and not once changed his mind throughout the full year. 

What kind of Mom would I be if I didn’t make his little dreams come true?!

Cole’s Gigi & Poppy came to visit us and we spent some time picking out the best pumpkins and munching on some apples. Hillside Apple Farm has a great assortment of pumpkins and varieties of pumpkins to choose from. We found out Wisconsin pumpkins are much cheaper than Missouri ones. One pumpkin in Missouri cost the same as all 4 pumpkins we bought here. Win!!! After finding the most unique pumpkins we ventured to Point Beach and walked the shore finding gemstones and playing in the sand.

Family Adventures into the North Woods of the Upper Peninsula is how we like to spend our summer vacations. We traded in trips to Florida beaches and staying at Resorts for cozy cabins deep in the woods and strolls along the lake shore searching for Lake Superior Agates. Life in up north is more relaxed. […]