Lake Michigan 2012

Ok folks! It's official! We are having our very  

FIRST Mark Jones FAMILY REUNION!!!

It was touch and go there for a little while. Yours truly thought she had closed the deal months ago, only to find out three weeks ago that the rental company was breaking our contract! Quel nightmare! Apparently they are new management over there. The old management failed to mention to them before leaving that our beautiful house had been rented out a year ago for the week we had booked it.

LAME!!

I was broken hearted, and super, super angry. But I did manage to pull it together and handle the situation. In short, I told the management to fix it, immediately! They struggled with the immediate part, but finally got a house for us that I think will be lovely. 

As most of you know I have been obsessed with the idea of this reunion for some time now. In 2008 I had just finished grad school and was chillin with Pants and the rents for the summer. One day Pants and I converged on Dad with this great idea, and he was into it. So mom, dad, G&G Unisicker, Pants and I, decided last minute to rent a house on Lake Michigan over Labor Day. (A, Jonathan and two week overdue Isaac were there for a night too, she was big, poor thing.) Needless to say;

IT WAS MAGICAL!!!

So magical that none of us wanted to leave! We didn't even leave the house while we were there. There was no need. We spent the weekend going to and from the beach to our back porch, which was steps away, eating yummy food, playing card games late into the night, going for night swims, and falling asleep to the sound of the waves lapping against the sand.  

We loved it. The only thing that would have made it better would have been having everyone there! And so, I've been determined to make it happen ever since. We did another partial family gathering for Labor Day the next year. And again it was great, but we missed having everyone.  

The next year everyone was busy, or broke, or both. And then in 2011 Miss M decided she just had to get married. So I decided that in 2012, come hell or high water, Lake Michigan was happening! I would drag everyone there if I had to. 

This is the house we have now! There is an awesome wrap around porch.

 It's got an amazing view, and a path straight out to the beach!

I will be sending out a menu calendar for people to sign up for meals soon. The place has a grill, sweet. I was thinking I'd find a nice blueberry farm close by and we could go pick berries early in the week, and chow down on them all week, or mom and I could stop and pick a bunch on the way up. But I think the kids would really like it. I will be sending out more ideas in the next month, and would love to hear some of yours. Basically we are just going to chill hard, with all of our favorite people.

THIS IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!!!

xoxo, E