south haven

we spent last week on vacation in south haven, michigan. we had a BLAST! we shared a beach house with our friends the nawroths (ella, brent, janet, and paige). we had so much fun....the beach and a great park were in walking distance from the house. we also enjoyed walks to downtown south haven, blueberry picking, toddler dance parties, game night, and other fun events. i was able to find time to go running and joe was able to bike, which was so fantastic! we will have more pictures soon...thanks to the nawroths for being such great friends and vacation buddies.

south haven

we had the best time on our vacation to south haven, michigan. our family and the nawroths headed to the beach for a long, relaxing weekend. the car trip went surprisingly well....our boy otto cooperated by sleeping and only needing to stop to eat once! greta did awesome too....she basically read books, napped, and sang songs and talked the whole way. and she was coming off of being sick!
south haven was so fun. we spent time hanging out at the beach house, playing on the playground, and building sand castles on the beach. what a fun trip!

building sand castles is hard work

our trip to south haven, michigan was so much fun that we're EXHAUSTED! more pictures from the trip to come....

boo boo

and did we forget to mention this "boo boo" between greta's eyes that she got on our very last day in miami? fell into my suitcase as we were packing up to go. but really, between the allergic reaction, the jellyfish sting, falling into mommy's suitcase and the bloody lip at the cincinnati airport (don't ask), it REALLY was a fun and relaxing trip. really truly....

Miami Vacation

For you frequent blog visitors... be sure to go back to the last few days to see posts that were created for those days that already had 'mobile' posts created using my phone.  More pics/details... see you all in Cincinnati soon... not looking forward to the weather! 

Lazy Day ---- Almost - Miami Day 7

Today was our final day in South Florida before hopping on a plane and heading back to the cold weather of Cincinnati... It was set up to be a lazy day on the beach, quick nap at the hotel and then an afternoon at the beach again.  Only one problem with those plans... a mean ol' nasty jellyfish.  

After breakfast at the hotel we made our way to Ft. Lauderdale beach again.  Same routine...swim some, build some sand castles, swim some more, have snack and repeat.  Here are some picks of the nice castle we built, and the 'pool' in the castle that required about 45 buckets of water and a sore back for me to build:

   

We were actually just about ready to clean-up, and head out for lunch and nap... just one final clean-up in the ocean.  Greta was beginning to feel a little tired and grumpy, so when she was standing at the edge of the water with Melanie and begin to hold her arms up and cry to be picked up, we thought it was definitely time to head out.  

It became clear pretty quickly that something else was up as she kept arching her back, and wouldn't stop crying.  We noticed a couple small bumps on her foot and a little redness.  So we called 911 and headed to life guard booth.  They gave us some vinegar to put on it and an ice pack at the lifeguard stand and then the paramedics got there... they took a look, and did the same with vinegar, they told us to keep an eye on it, but that she'd be in pain for about an hour and as long as it didn't swell and she didn't seem to be getting a rash on her body (a sign of an allergic reaction) she'd be fine and we didn't need to go to the hospital.  

So they left and Greta fell asleep in Melanie's arms about 20 seconds later.  And let me tell you that's a real good sign that the crying wore her out.... she never falls asleep anywhere but in bed.  So Melanie held her and let here sleep at the beach, which was good so that we could keep an eye on her and her breathing.  She woke about an hour later and was like nothing had happened... she was laughing and playing immediately... 

So all is well, but moral of the story... when you go to the beach and they have a purple flag up on the lifeguard stand, we recommend staying out of the water... that was a fun fact we learned about this... I didn't even know there were flags, let alone what they meant!   

Here's a picture of Greta and her 'ouch' foot - this is of course post nap!  

Seaquarium and South Beach - Miami Day 6

Our next to last day we spent at the Miami Aquarium (Seaquarium).  This place gets high marks in all the online guides, but I'd have to say it's a bit pricey for what you get.  They have a nice collection of sea mammals and shows, but the place is a bit run down.  We did get to see some cool dolphin and sea lion shows though.  Greta thought the dolphins were just a crack up.  She also thought the Parrots/Parakeets and their loud bird sounds were extremely entertaining.  

Next we headed off to South Beach..... I am not really a huge fan of Florida in general, but I will say that I think South Beach is pretty awesome.  Huge white sandy beach.  Great local restaurants. And some amazing Art Decco architecture.  The only thing that would make it better is a good public transit system that would remove 90% of the cars from the area and make it more pedestrian friendly.  As it is, traffic is crazy and parking is horrible.  We lucked out and found a spot right.  

   

Miami MetroZoo - Miami Day 5

We made our way down to the Zoo.  This place is pretty amazing.  I think the Cincinnati Zoo is much better, but Miami does have some cool things going.  The area they have for the zoo is probably 20 times as large as Cincinnati, and the animals have a bit more space to roam around.  They also have tons of room for expansion, and the result is a park with a very long (several miles) path that roams... It made for a nice day of walking, though I can't imagine doing this in the summer in Miami, it'd be so hot.  

Greta's favorite was probably just the water splash area at their new exhibit - The Amazon... lots of 'jumping' water features that she thought were hilarious.  She also seemed to think the meercats were pretty amusing.  

Greta also learned a new stroller trick after she got bored with the long walk... see below for the sequence.  This went on for about 45 minutes :

    
   

After the Zoo, we made our way down to the Keys.  It was about a 90 minute drive and was perfect time for Greta to get her nap in.  We heading to a place called Harry Harris Beach Park.  It was great because there was an area blocked off by rocks, making a nice calm 'pool'.  

Here's a nice little self portrait.... can you guess what Greta is saying?

Here is Greta on her man-made island that we built together.  What you can't see in this picture is the little girl about 3 years old about 10 feet away that had just informed Greta that her similar man-made island was in fact, Barack Obama Island.  Pretty cool to get to spend the afternoon at Barack's new Presidential Retreat! 

Okay... time to get out of here... long drive back!

At the Beach with Chuck - Miami Day 4

We got up and had some breakfast at the hotel and then headed out for Ft. Lauderdale beach again.  Greta was having a tough time figuring out that Chuck's name was Chuck... she kept looking for the trucks on the road.  So we had to rename him to Charlie... by the end of the day she was getting pretty good at saying her version of Charlie, and could at least point him out.  

And, don't be afraid of the beard...it's still the same Chuck under all that hair!  

New Year's Day - Miami Day 3

It's Orange Bowl time... Our friend Chuck came down and we went to the bearcats game and met up with some people... was a blast, even though the bearcats were not victorious.  

Melanie had a rough New Year's day... she claims it was food poisoning from NYE.  I'll leave it up to you to decide if that is true :)  She also broke her phone on NYE, so Greta and I went and got her a new phone and then hung out by the pool.... 

Then we went to TooJay's Deli for lunch.  There we found out that apparently some hot dogs have egg in it, as Greta ate about 5 bites, and started gettting a rash around her mouth.  No worries though... just stopped feeding her the hot dog, finished lunch and got benadryl and all was well.  

so no pictures from this day except for at the game...

Time for the Beach - Miami Day 2

Greta's first time at the beach was tons of fun.  It took her a little while to get acclimated, but eventually she was off and making new friends... just like she does everywhere else.  

What an awesome way to spend New Year's Eve.

Click below for more photos of Greta at the beach!  

Ft. Lauderdale Beach

Going to Miami - Day 1

Greta's first time on an airplane.  Pretty exciting, and amazingly it went very well.  I think 2.5 hours is about her limit for a plane ride, but she did awesome.  A little breakfast, a little reading of magazine's and such... and a little Yo Gabba Gabba kept her in check.  

I'm not sure Greta was fully catching on to the escape routes.  

Day 7 - Milwaukee

We got up early, and drove down the coast of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee.  There is an amazing lakefront park, with a great walking/biking path.  We spent the morning walking along the lake, and then we went to lunch at the Water Street Brewpub... 

  

Next we visited the motherland.... The Planck Road Brewery, where they make America's best light beer - Miller High Life.  Greta was very, very excited about this!  

Then began a LONG ride home.  First there is construction pretty much from Milwaukee all the way to Chicago.  But Chicago also got about a million inches of rain, so the highway from Chicago to Indiana was flooded and closed.  So we had to drive around nowhere Illinois trying to find our way over to I-65, and then many of the hotels were full, so we had to drive an extra hour to find an vacancy... greta didn't think this was all that fun!  But we made it.  

Vacation Day 6 - Marquette to Milwuakee

We hit the road again the next morning. On the way home we headed through Milwuakee and Chicago and then back home... so if you check out a map, we drove ALL the way around Lake Michigan... and I'll tell you that's not a day trip.  

On the way out of Marquette we stopped along the way and ate a UP tradition called a pastie.  It's kind of like a pot pie in a pocket. 

   

On the way to Milwuakee we stopped in Green Bay and we did the only thing there is to do in Green Bay... we went to Lambeau Field.  What a great place.  Not only is it historic and gritty, but they also server Miller High Life... seriously, how could a football stadium be any better?  

Vacation Day 5 - Last Day in Marquette

Last day was a bit of a lazy day.  We did make it out to grab some dinner at the brew pub, which was awesome - it's another one of Greta's favorite things to search out on her trips - but I wasn't feeling the greatest, so dinner and beer didn't sound too great.

I lounged around and watched some football, while Melanie and Katie went in to town and Greta napped.  After nap, Greta did get her first music lesson... I mean, she likes Grandma and Grandpa's piano, but it's not quite as cool as this big one.  

Vacation Day 4 - Bagel Shop and Presque Pointe

No matter how far away Greta gets from home, she's always on the lookout for a trip to her local bagel shop.  Marquette did not disappoint.  The Third Street Bagel Co. was calling her name, and we made not one, but two trips to check it out.  She said it was close, but Steamboat is still her favorite.  

After the Bagel shop, we walked around a bit downtown, and then went to the harbor for a quick walk.  In the picture you can see one of two Iron Ore Docks.  This one is no longer in commission, the other is one of the only gravity fed Ore Docks still in operation.  You'll have to go to wikipedia if you wan to know anymore about it though, because Greta says it's too boring for her blog.  

We rounded out the day with a drive over to Presque Point, and a hike around the pointe.  It was another great hike, and this one is stoller friendly to boot.  A few great lookout spots and more of the beautiful Lake Superior.

And then Greta had to get home to watch USC whip up on OSU.  

Vacation Day 3 - Marquette Sugarloaf and the Beach

This was our first full day in Marquette.  We got Greta going and let her nap, and then headed out for a hike and a trip to the beach.  

Sugarloaf Mountain was the first stop, which is a great 15-20 minute hike with an amazing few of the lake and the town.  Was a great suggestion from Katie, as the hike was very easy to do with Greta in a bjorn.  

  

After the hike, we drove over to the beach for a quick stop and then went and grabed some lunch.  

Vacation Day 2 - Mackinac and Arrival in Marquette

We got an earlier start on day 2.  We drove up to Mackinac and took the ferry over to Macinac Island to go for a bike ride and eat lunch.  Greta had fun on the 5 mile ride around the island.  Only problem was the 5 mile ride was almost 9  miles, so she didn't have as much fun on the last mile or so :)  But it was her first time in a bike trailer, and while I don't think she loved it, I think she had some fun... It was also her first time on a boat, in this case a passenger ferry.    

Mackinac is a great spot.  The entire island is car-free, but there are lots of roads, so it's amazingly bike friendly.  Well worth a trip if you ever get the chance... even with the $25/person roundtrip ferry ride.  

The drive across the bridge and up into the UP was amazing as well.  It's just hard to believe just how big those Great Lakes are.  

Vacation Day 1 - Ann Arbor and Frankenmuth

So we took a trip to the UP to visit Mark and Katie.  Seeing as it's a bit of a drive (not as bad or as long as I thought), and we have our little lady with us, we made a couple stops along the way.  

Our first day we didn't leave until after Greta's first nap, so we took a pit stop in Ann Arbor and went to the Arboretum on the campus of Michigan for a little hike and lunch.

  

Then made our way to Frankenmuth and some Fried Chicken at Zehnder's (quite possibly the best fried chicken I've ever had)... We missed out on the world's largest christmas store unfortunately.  

geek week 2008

pictured above: Greta (9 months), Conner (13 months), Robert (9 months)

to celebrate 10 years since graduating from Xavier, several of my friends from college (plus spouses and children) and i decided to take a trip together to commemorate. we headed to Deep Creek Lake in Maryland from August 3-10, where we rented one big ol' house that we all shared. the week was perfect....the house fantastic and there was plenty to do (or not do) around town. it was so great to see everyone and catch up. you can see more pictures at the link below. greta enjoyed playing with robert and conner (and addison), as they chased each other all around the house. she also enjoyed hiking and her first time on the beach. thanks everyone for a fantastic "geek week".

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