AAAAAAnd We're Back

No, this isn't the first time I've left the blog blogless for an extended period of time. Yes, I've said in the past that I wouldn't slack off on the blog. But this is also the first time that no one has bugged me about it...because most of my friends & family realize crazy busy I am with school/work/life right now...or they've just given up and stopped looking. I tell myself the former.

As if I wasn't feeling enough Mommy Guilt from missing out on time with Paige for scholarly reasons, I have also skipped out on blogging her 2nd birthday. I will get to that, as well as our U.P. vacation, our kitchen reno, Josh & Popy's homecoming & American wedding...oh boy. Oh yeah, I guess I had a birthday too (but I'm old now, so it doesn't count!), and let's just add Halloween now that I'm editing for the 5th time.

So let's start where I left off...promising a recap of the U.P. vacation. This happened a mere 3 months ago...

The Parrotts packed up and drove to Houghton. Paige's 2nd annual trip...maybe she'll end up going to Tech? We had such a great visit with our dear friend, and Paige's biggest fan, Mary Ellen, aka GrandMary Ellen.

Then we kept on the next day to the tippy top of the state, the Keewenaw Peninsula, to stay in yurts at the base of Mt. Bohemia, and cheer on our friend Brad in a half Ironman in Lac La Belle...we'll likely be cheering Matt on next year.

Also to get more tasty treats at Jampot, admire the mighty Lake Superior, and be blown away (almost literally) once again by the view on Brockway Mountain.Yes, that's her real hair folks.

The National Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame was the perfect spot for a pit stop on the way back where Paige could run around...and oh the photo ops:

 I do wish we'd had enough time to swing south to Escanaba & Gladstone, where Matt's Uncle Jim & Aunt Lorna live, as well as Kevin, Linnea, & Laurel. We cruised back to Mackinaw City, racing a nasty storm & winds to make it over the bridge, where we leisurely enjoyed the last day of vacation...

Josh & Popy had missed their connection from Chicago the week before, thanks to some not-so-friendly-or-efficient customs officers (who were Russian...how does that work???), so we did not get to see them when they first came home. We met Popy for the first time (PEP met both for the first time) at Mom & Dad B's house, on our return from the U.P. 

  

We didn't talk a lot, since all of us were in travel recovery mode, but felt like family just the same. More on that later. But not TOO later. Really!