A Beautiful Ride

This has been a sudden week of goodbyes as we visit with friends we will miss and pack up boxes and bags by the dozen. We have our friend Loretta, a returned missionary who served in our branch, visiting. She’ll join us on our road trip out west. Hallie celebrated her birthday over the weekend by pampering herself and sightseeing in and around the city.

Spring flowers have finally bloomed in all their glory, just in time to get knocked down by driving rain later in the week. Mike got some shots in before the rain hit.

To illustrate, here is the house on Tuesday morning, . . .

. . . and here is the rain Tuesday afternoon (before the tornado warning that send Hallie and the kids to the basement).

He also decided a manhole cover on his and Landon’s walk to and from school needed to have its day on camera.

Two houses on our street on the block next to Kercheval were demolished, shoveled up, and hauled away between Tuesday and Saturday. Will more follow? What will become of the land? Parking lots for upcoming developments, we suspect.

Mike has enjoyed spending time at Landon’s school helping out at recess when he can. Hopefully Landon doesn’t always take the flexibility of Dad’s work schedule for granted.

On Friday, Hallie, Dorene, and the kids went down for a picnic lunch at Belle Isle Park.

In the evening, friends from the branch got together to throw a going-away party for us. We felt grateful to see so many of our friends from church, and it makes going away all the more difficult.

Loretta arrived as the party was going on and met us there. We all enjoyed seeing her and getting reacquainted.

Eliza was so comfortable that she snuck into Loretta’s bed in the middle of the night.

Landon had a looong night. 

Hallie got a little pampering with a pedicure in the morning. Afterwards, she came back, picked up Loretta, and took her down to Eastern Market and a couple of downtown landmarks.

Mac & cheese with a cronut on the side, anyone?

After picking up our friend and Landon’s Primary teacher, Gina, they returned home to pick up Mike and the kids for Landon’s gymnastics class.

We then went to the Polish Art Center and got pastries from the New Palace Bakery in Hamtramck. 

Hallie thought it was amusing watching Mike struggle to get the shot below. Grr. 

Afterwards, we parents crashed while the kids vegged in front of the tube. Ah, sweet slumber.

Loretta was able to sneak out to visit with friends in the branch.  

We said, “God be with you ‘til we meet again,” to fellow branch members at church on Sunday, trying to ensure that the laughs outnumbered the tears. Belle Isle has been good to our family.

After church, we had our annual block party. Our neighbor Don suggested we hold it a little early in light of the fact that we’re leaving, and we agreed. We have been blessed with wonderful neighbors.

In less than a week, our home will be packed up and we’ll be on the road. As songwriter Gary Allen said it, “Life ain’t always beautiful, but it’s a beautiful ride.”

(As seen at Little Luxuries of Mackinac Island, a favorite store)