Michigan Love

We just returned from Michigan, birthplace of my beloved husband. Over the years it has become a beloved place for the children and me as well, southern-born though we are. For us, Michigan represents rest and beauty and family.

It also represents junk food hedonism. I consume my year's quota of potato chips and soda in one week. Sadly, the junk food detox has begun and I have nursed a headache for 72 hours. I could silence the pounding with more Dr. Pepper and a full-size bag of Doritos but then I wouldn't have next year's hedonism to anticipate.

Before we left, I asked Blondie what she was most looking forward to. She couldn't name just one thing. She said, staying up late with cousins and getting a can of soda out of the cooler on the beach when it's hot and catching turtles...

As her list continued, I realized that for all of us, Michigan vacation is really just a bunch of little things that all add up to one big anticipated summer tradition of fun and memories with those we love.

Somehow a tiny lake and hundred-year-old family homestead pull all of us in like a magnet from Michigan, Minneapolis, Chicago, Indianapolis, South Carolina, and California. For a week we catch up on the past year and marvel at how one another's kids have grown up in such a short time.

Cousin Phil puts on the biggest family fireworks display you've ever seen while the kids wear glow necklaces and eat s'mores and become drowsy by the glow of the campfire and the eventual ebb of the sugar high.

Every year we return to our own house and I am sad for the better part of a week, torn between two locales that both feel like home.

There are certain places that settle firm into your heart and take up residence when you're not aware...soul places. If the Maker has truly set eternity in our hearts, soul places surely must be temporal spots here on earth that point us to a glorious final destination.

The Michigan homestead is a soul place for me.

My hope is that Heaven has a dock and a spring-fed blue lake and most importantly, the presence of those I love so dearly.

Calorie-free potato chips wouldn't hurt either.

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More photos

{because I took 300 and

simply must share a few}:

Our family. Hard to believe I've been part of this gang for nearly 15 years...

Brownie goes kayaking...

And you all know this pictorial buffet would not be complete without the Cupcake. He fell fast in love with Orange Crush, evidenced by the smeared, syrupy neon stain around his mouth.

If you look closely you can still see it. I nearly scrubbed his lips off trying get him clean for pictures.

Until next year...