A Michigan Run...

We had one more piece of furniture to get to Michigan. The little desk Claude refinished for Katelyn. We blocked out three days for a quick trip to accomplish this task. 

We left Friday morning, March 2nd. Claude drove us to Dry Ridge, Kentucky where we usually stop at the McDonald's for my biscuit and soda breakfast. It seems they have enlarged the parking lot and added a second drive thru lane. Claude drove into the parking lot the way we usually do and we found ourselves going the wrong way in a one-way traffic pattern. Fortunately it was only a parking lot and we were able to right ourselves without doing serious damage to anyone or anything. Claude placed our order only to find they do not carry Mello Yello anymore or Mountain Dew. I ended up with an orange soda which was okay. 

Away we drove and made good time. Stopped once for gas and then in Ann Arbor, Michigan for a quick lunch at a Jimmy John's. Lots of snow on the ground there. Then we sped on across Michigan to the Roper home. We did stop in Grand Rapids for Krispy Kreme donuts.

It took us a couple of U-turns to actually get to the Roper apartment. We stopped at Meijer's first to get something. Can't even remember what it was but we needed it. Picked that up and then Claude drove out of the parking lot using a different exit from where we entered the parking lot. I was reading on my Kindle and he said, "Is this the right way to turn?" I looked up and assumed it was the same one we entered and he was turning right and that was right so I said, "Yes". We drove for a bit and realized things were not right. Claude made his U-turn and we went back and found the right road to be on. By this time I had Google maps open on my phone and we were using it to be sure we took the correct entrance into the kids apartment. We followed the directions but there was no entrance into the apartments from this street. Hmmmm... We drove back to the entrance we knew from the first apartment they had in the apartment community. We followed the roads to the back where their new apartment was only the number on the outside of the building was not their address. Okay... Claude did a U-turn and we went back to the building with the right address but it truly did not feel like the apartment we had been to before. I went to the door to be sure we were right. Yep. We were right this time. It seems Google maps had the apartment in a wrong spot for that apartment community. 

I could hear Raelyn inside. Katelyn was at work. Raelyn knew someone was at the door and she was sure it was her mother. She was telling Drew, "Mama, Mama!" When he opened the door and it was not Mama she was not happy at all. Then Claude came in with this desk and she was really not happy. We tried to let Drew calm the little nugget down. She eventually started to play with us watching. Then Katelyn got home and such a hug every mother would love.

Raelyn got her rocking horse and showed us what she does with it. She rocked on it a bit. Then she turned it upside down and proceeded to try and take these two big green plastic screws out of the bottom. You can do that and then the blue base comes off and you flip it over and the rocking horse now works with wheels. It seems Miss Raelyn watched her mother change it the other day and has been really working at flipping it many times by herself. 

We were treated to her pretending to rear up on the back legs of her rocking horse in a most expert fashion. 

Then we all went to Burger King for dinner. Such fun with Raelyn between us. All was okay now. Both parents were home and she now had room for others in her life. We tried a cherry Icee for her. She really took a swig and did not like it at all. Wouldn't try it again for anything.  

After dinner, we left to find Nissa and Todd's home. That was another adventure. Google maps showed me three possibilities off M120 to get to their home. Claude drove past the first one. We took the second one, Brickyard Road. It was the most awful dirt road ever. Don't ever take this road!! Claude and I had been to the Tyler home before but this time it was dark and the landmarks we were looking for we could not find. We made it and learned what we should have done. It was an adventure.

Saturday the kids came to visit. Nissa made a big spaghetti lunch that was delicious. We met Tony, Aubrey's significant other. 

We made friends with Nelson. He is a very happy baby. Getting ready to cut a few teeth. 

This picture is Raelyn getting ready to put her pants on all by herself. She can get them on her legs and pull them up but they catch on the back of her diaper. She practically lifted herself off the ground trying to pull up the pants. So cute and very independent. 

Paul has been letting his hair grow out. Not sure why that was important to him but it has been for a long time. Nissa and Katelyn kept trying to talk him into getting it cut. He was sure he would have someone do it in Muskegon. Claude listened to all this banter and then he talked to Paul. He told Paul he would give him $1 for each year of his age if he would let me cut his hair that day. Paul immediately said he would do that. Nissa got the scissors and we proceeded to give Paul a haircut. 

He was happy with the finished product. He is a handsome young man.

The kids all headed to their various homes. Nissa and Todd and Claude and me enjoyed a quiet evening at home. How nice that was. We ordered pizza and enjoyed that for dinner. Wish we all lived closer so we could do that more often. But very grateful for that time together.

Sunday morning we got ready and went to breakfast with Nissa and Todd before hitting the road. Lunch was had in Chelsea with Jake. We finally were home in the evening. Good trip.