Touring with Bonnie...

Friday, May 12th, we pointed the red Buick north to take Claude's mom, Bonnie, to see her grandkids and great-grandkids that live in Michigan. We made great time and the ride went very smoothly.

We met Jake at his apartment in Chelsea in the afternoon and headed west to Muskegon. We only had one stop and that was a deliberate one in Grand Rapids. There is a Krispy Kreme there and a purchase was in order. We arrived when the light was on. That meant hot doughnuts right off the cooking and icing line. The neat thing about this timing is they give out free samples. Now you just can't beat that for a nice treat during a long drive. Doughnuts purchased we headed on the last half hour to Muskegon.

We checked into our hotel. Katelyn came over with Paul and Aubrey with swimsuits in hand. A quick change and we were at the pool for some swim time. This began with some silly antics in the hot tub with Grampa. Aubrey is 'hear no evil', Claude is 'see no evil', Katelyn is 'speak no evil' and Paul is 'just pure evil'.

Sunday was to be Mother's Day. It seemed like a good idea to let the kids have some fun with their mom for Mother's Day. Nissa was sure she did not want to celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday. Her family was going to honor that request and surprise her with Mother's Day today (Monday). But I suggested to Claude that we take the kids over to the Dollar Tree, let them each buy five items they thought might be funny or nice for their mom, then we would buy a basket and put all the items in it.

So Saturday morning, after a swim in the hotel pool, we headed to Dollar Tree. While the kids roamed the store, I picked up a package of tissue paper for wrapping, a checkers game, two 500 piece puzzles, and two decks of cards. The kids had great fun picking out interesting things. They each picked out a snack for themselves as well.

We went to Katelyn's work, Office Max. She had a copy project she wanted done for school this summer. I picked out a Solitaire CD for Papa's computer. The last crashing of his computer lost his Solitaire game. I found some for him on the AARP website but this CD will have others that might amuse him.

Then it was back to the hotel to wrap the gifts. We set the kids on corners of one of the beds in the hotel room and I handed out the color of tissue paper they wanted for each of their gifts. Quick as a wink the gifts were wrapped and in the basket. Bonnie purchased a Happy Mother's Day balloon and a card (which everyone signed) and our surprise was ready.

Nissa and Todd were supposed to have worked Saturday. They ended up both having the day off. Yippee!! They could join us for lunch at the Pita Place. We carried our Mother's Day gift basket and surprised Nissa at the restaurant. She chose to open the gifts at their home after we had lunch.

It was fun to hear the kids tell her, "I picked out that one."

We spent some time that afternoon enjoying the musical abilities of our family. Katelyn accompanied Aubrey while Aubrey sang. Jake accompanied the girls while they sang. Jake sang and played the piano. Jake accompanied Nissa while she sang. I got it all on lots of video way too big for this Blog. But these will be treasured memories for many years to come. Jake cracked us all up when Katelyn & Aubrey got behind him to sing something from Phantom of the Opera. They were all primed and ready and Jake started play 'The Stripper'. This is one of my favorites but not one which you would sing along.

Claude amused us by singing the theme from the television show 'The Big Bang Theory'. Katelyn also sang with him on the theme from the television show 'Monk'.

Okay, Todd has two deer heads mounted and hanging on their living room wall. This was a must picture of two deers or two dears...you decide. 

We had a little more time back at the hotel for swimming. Katelyn and I managed to get most of one of the puzzles finished. Then we all piled in cars and made a run to Golden Corral for dinner Saturday night. I believe that made Saturday night a three Tums night for me.

I went back to our hotel after dinner and retrieved the puzzle from Bonnie and Jake's room where Katelyn and I worked on it. As we moved it on the poster board (I had the presence of mind to purchase in case we had to move it), Bonnie commented that she thought we dropped one piece. We didn't see it so we continued to move the puzzle from her room to Claude and my room.

After a bit there was a quiet knock on our door. I went to open it and found one sheepish looking Jake at the door. He was holding out one puzzle piece and he said, "Honestly, I didn't keep this. It was dropped on the floor." Poor Jake. When he was a little boy and the girls and I were making a puzzle, he took a piece and kept it until the puzzle was all finished except that one piece. He really wanted to put the last puzzle piece in. Even after all these years, whenever we pull out a puzzle and Jake is around, he is immediately told not to hold on to any pieces so he can put the last piece in. He has not done that since he was a little boy but he still gets teased about it. I assured my son that Bonnie thought we dropped a piece when moving the puzzle and I was sure he didn't keep it.

Sunday we spent Mother's Day at the Tyler home. The guys grilled burgers and brats for us. Yum!!!  Katelyn and Aubrey taught me to play Garbage. The first hand for me was a great one. Here are my teachers, Katelyn and Aubrey Anne, and here is me winning the first hand. I did lose the game but it was fun for the first few beginner's luck hands.

Sadie, the Tyler family pet, found this house full of new people interesting. She especially found Jake a good friend as he gave her water.

After a wonderful Mother's Day, it was time to take Jake back to Chelsea. But before we left we wanted to get a few family pictures. The first is Bonnie with her Michigan family (Jake, Bonnie, Aubrey Anne, Paul, Katelyn, Nissa and Todd).

The second is Bonnie with Claude and me.

When we got to Chelsea our first item of business was to stop for ice cream. Then we took Jake to his apartment. Then we checked into the Holiday Inn Express. Then Jake joined us at the hotel where we watched Men In Black II.

This morning we slept in and headed south toward Kentucky. We made a pit stop at Cabela's in Michigan and Chipotle in Kentucky. Then we parked that Buick and came inside our home to rest. Whew!!! It was a great trip and a nice ending to Bonnie's visit. She will fly home tomorrow afternoon.