Memorial Weekend 2013

Thank goodness we planned an early departure to the cabin on Friday because it took us forever to get there!  It was an hour and 45 minute trip that took us over 4 hours!  Four hours cooped up in an extended cab truck with one man, two boys, and three dogs....the weekend could only get better, right????

We left town packed to the gills, and still didn't bring everything we needed!  I may or may not have forgotten 1 necessity for 3 of our meals.  And we definitely didn't have room for our old patio table and chairs!

Stop 1 was for a snack and a bathroom break for Owen....20 miles out of town.  Grrrr!  Stop 2 was for deer corn about 40 miles out of town.  Stop 3 was for who knows what at a hardware store 60 miles out of town.  Stop 4 was after we managed to finally cross into Michigan and was the only truly planned stop for fishing licenses and an ORV trail pass.  

Stops 5 & 6 were absolutely unexpected and were at an auto parts store.  All I can say is thank God we went through town rather than the usual back roads.  After we got the licenses we saw a lovely warning come on in the truck....BATTERY NOT CHARGING.  Just what you want to see as you're heading into the woods.  Brian said the mechanic at home had told him it was about time for a new battery (no, I didn't ask him why he didn't get one!) so we turned around and got a new battery.  Yeah, that didn't fix the problem.  So, he went back into the store and purchased an alternator.  The old man behind the counter came out to give him brief instructions and let him borrow a few tools.  My favorite part of small towns.  :-)

Then as we headed to the cabin we get a call from the fraud department at the bank, a call that promptly dropped off about 20 seconds into it because we were in the middle of no where.  I had to laugh when Brian called them back from the cabin and asked if they could just talk to me because he was trying to repair something on the truck....and they said it would be quick and they needed to verify some purchases at an auto parts store.  Um, yeah, he did just say he was fixing the truck, right?  

Anyway, I took a few pictures while I was unpacking and was pretty impressed at how quickly he was done.  

Notice the dog's water dish there?  He asked for something to hold small parts...it was the quickest thing I could find in the shed.  :-)

Since we didn't arrive quite as early as expected, my labor intensive dinner plan was out the window.  And since I forgot a few things I needed for three quick meals I had planned, we were off in search of dinner.  After a couple of adult beverages for mom & dad, and quarters for the boys, we left happy.  

The boys made it to bed around 10:00 and finally fell asleep around 10:45....so I was thrilled when they were up at 5:15 the next morning.  Hear the sarcasm, right?  By 6:30 they were outside playing Army.  I thought it would be a reeeaaaalllyyy long day, but they got along and played together without fights for the entire day.  

After breakfast we ran into town to return the tools to the auto parts store and get those things I somehow managed to forget.  My dad came for a visit with my aunt and uncle who were also up for the long weekend.  The highlight of that visit....Aunty Mar riding the 4-wheelers with the boys.  She kept laughing and saying that is NOT what she thought she'd be doing at age 69!  The boys loved it!  She might have too.  :-)

Minnie had her first UTV ride too!  

We went to explore the pond later in the day and discovered a slew of tiny tadpoles living there.  I'm curious to see how many make it.

Brian tried to get the boys to walk across the pond again, but they weren't having it.  So he took matters into his own hands and did it himself.

He said the bottom was a little mucky and we'd have to bring in a load of sand.  Then he asked Greyson for a stick so he could feel the ground ahead of him.  

It was incredibly funny when he put his weight on the stick and this happened! 

And then he looked ridiculous walking across with this tiny stick.  :-)

Someone needed a bath.  

Sunday brought a fishing trip for Brian and Greyson with Uncle Den.  He'd called the evening before and left a message saying he'd found a "honey hole" and wanted to go out fishing and show them.  Hearing Greyson keep asking about Uncle Den's "honey hole" all morning was entirely too funny.

Owen opted to stay back with me.  Five of us in the boat would have been too much and he didn't want to leave me alone all day.  That's my boy!

Here he is asking his daddy why his mommy can't come with.

We ended up taking a long UTV ride, going for lunch, and making s'mores while they were away.

I had a proud little boy when the fishermen returned.  Apparently it's tradition that everyone pays $1 to the person who gets the first fish on opening weekend.  Greyson came back with a bucket of fish and $2 in his pocket.  

P.S. No, we don't make him wear a helmet in the boat.  :-)  He was just busy riding his 4-wheeler when it was time to empty the live well.  

We had a lazy Monday morning then rushed back to town for one last wood tick check, baths for the dogs, and a cookout with friends.  Our next big adventure will be Mother & Son Cub Scout Camp.  I'm not sure who will have it better that weekend...me with two boys in a tent, or Brian with all three of my dogs!!!