It seems funny to return to a sunny summer adventure here at the end of the year, but I couldn’t let our biannual family trip to Northern Michigan pass without a mention on EFM! As always, we loved our time visiting with extended family (there were 35 of us in total!) and exploring the picturesque towns and lakes of the North. In its original form, this post was supposed to include not only photos from our trip but my answers to your questions about organizing extended family vacations and reunions. I’d been plugging away at the draft for weeks (you had such good – and so many! – questions!) and was about 3/4 done… but alas, it’s just a few days before Christmas and time to get this post up. I’ve tabled the longer discussion for the new year and look forward to revisiting it. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy a peek at our time in one of our favorite places in the world! (I’ve written many times before about Northern Michigan with more detail, but don’t hesitate to ask if you have questions about where we are or what we’re doing!) I took almost the exact same photo (on the right) a few years ago – same girls, just reading longer books now :) In the midst of all the kayaking, fishing, dune jumping, ice cream eating, card games, family meals, and s’mores we took a few family photos, and they are a treasure. I’ll use one to wish you all a very merry Christmas, peaceful time with the ones you love, and a few moments to celebrate the birth of a most special tiny baby – Emmanuel, God with us. I’ll be back in a few days with 2024 superlatives and my yearly recap. xo! Past

Though I hadn’t classified this trip in my mind as a family reunion, I’m pretty sure it fits the bill: 30+ extended family members, a scenic lakeside location, a century-old house, and matching tees, to boot :) Our last visit to John’s extended-family cottage in Northern Michigan was in 2017, when June was 1.5. This year’s trip was delayed three times over (in 2019 because both of John’s sisters gave birth, and in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID), so we were beyond thrilled to finally return. I would love to share a few photos, if you’d like to see! I also have a few thoughts to share on why this trip felt so removed from everyday life, and in that way, refreshing – because if I notice something, it’s hard for me to resist digging down into the roots to figure out what’s going on :) The first layer of novelty that set our time in Michigan apart – and made this vacation feel especially refreshing – was physical. The weather, of course, was delightfully different than North Carolina in July: a crisp, sunny, 75 degrees during the day and a hint of chill at dinner, with almost no humidity in sight. I got to wear a sweatshirt! Almost every evening! Because of the mild temperatures, we enjoyed true indoor/outdoor living, something I miss dearly about New England summers. We were in and out of the houses a million times a day and the windows and screen doors were open at all times. When inside, outside sounds floated in: children laughing, the slap of the bags hitting the cornhole board, the buzz of a boat on the lake. And the reverse when outside: pans rattling on the stove, the murmur of adults talking, and the gentle suck of the

Our Michigan vacation was a very welcome respite in the midst of July’s crazy. We spent a week at John’s family’s rustic cottage on a small lake near Traverse City, and it felt like a very classic summer vacation: we cooked big meals, we waterskiied and paddleboarded and kayaked, we drank root beer floats, we watched the cousins dig in the sandbox, we played badminton and cards, and we watched the sun set over the water while roasting marshmallows. This is the kind of stuff I live for, and I wanted to share a few photos, if you’d like to see! Is that not the life?! Much of our time was spent lounging in those Adirondack chairs, reading, chatting, and then walking the few steps to the lake when we got too hot. By far the best part of this trip was the people. We were gathered with about 28 extended family members, including all of John’s siblings, spouses, and their kids. We are spread out around the country, which is sad, because we love spending time together!! It was a treat to all be in the same place. We ate dinner perched on the porch steps, looking out at the lake, almost every night. June was a big fan of the setup. We stuck pretty close to the cottage most of the time, but did make a few trips out for ice cream, lunch at the A&W, and climbing the Sleeping Bear Dunes. I’ll leave you with perhaps my favorite photo from the trip, snapped mid-run through the towels on the line. Are those faces not pure, unadulterated JOY? Happy summer, friends! All photos by me, John, and my talented siblings :)