Lighthouse Explorations

check out our new logo!!

2013-05-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

How awesome is this? I can't get over how much I LOVE it. A HUGE thank you to Jaclyn Lantis of Lantis Photography & Design!

I officially feel legit now in the blog world! Sorry for all the exclaiming, I'm just a little excited. I love the simplicity of the logo and the super cute explorer is Lucky, our chihuahua.

Jaclyn is super easy to work with. She starts by asking what ideas you have. I am not the most creative person in the world, so I honestly didn't have much. I obviously knew I wanted a lighthouse and I also wanted Lucky. I kind of thought about having some type of lighthouse family, but that ended up looking way too busy. So, basically Jaclyn came up with a few ideas and emailed them to me. I picked what I liked best, then we tweaked it a little. I also thought I wanted more colors, but that ended up looking like school colors. I love how the only thing in color is Lucky's little body.

So, check out Lantis Photography & Design on Facebook for all your design needs. She does custom logos and decals. It doesn't matter where you live, it is all done my phone and email. She is also a photographer and is willing to travel for weddings.

disclaimer-Lantis Photography & Design provided this logo to me in exchange for my review and advertising on my blog. The opinions are mine and I was not told in any way what to say.

Shellcation 2013 hightlight reel

2013-04-15T06:36:00.000-04:00

Well, the Stewart family has safely returned from our fourth successful road trip. Our first one was before we became lighthouse explorers, we went to Chattanooga, TN to ride on Thomas. The second was called Roadtrip Endeavour, we went to the Space Coast in an effort to see the very last space shuttle launch. Sadly, the launch was scrubbed and we had to watch it on TV after we got back to Michigan (we still had an awesome vacation, though). The third was back to Daytona, we loved it so much that we wanted to return! Plus, we won two free nights at the hotel we stayed at the previous year from a photo contest they had.

This one was called, "Shellcation". We stayed in Fort Myers and rented a boat and visited the little intercoastal islands, most of which you can't get to by car. We explored three new (to us) lighthouses, saw dolphins daily and had perfect weather. These are some of the highlights of Shellcation 2013. It took me a full week home to even get to the point where I can start to make some posts. After eleven days of not doing laundry or checking mail, I had a lot to catch up on. Plus, immediately jumping back in to the kids busy schedules. Over the next few weeks I will do day by day full on posts of the entire vacay, just as I have done in the past.

This vacation was monumental for Lighthouse Explorations. It was our first ever partially sponsored trip. We'd really like to thank the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, Castle Golf, Pink Shell and Boca Grande Marina for having us! I will report all the deets in future posts, but they were all amazing!

Whisper - rescued baby owl

Gracie - rescued baby cow

horse back riding

dive-in movie

Easter morning

dinner theatre

intercoastal waterways

shelling

put put

Captain John

Cabbage Key

Sanibel Island Lighthouse

Fort Myers Beach

pool time

Gasparilla Island Lighthouse

Port Boca Grande Lighthouse

getting lighthouse passport stamps

rain go away dance

Sanibel Island

Cheeburger Cheeburger

These are just some highlights. Stay tuned for details of each fun filled day. We got three new stamps in our passports! Some of you that follow us on instagram may have see some of these already. For those of you that haven't you can follow us here.

Happy Easter!

2013-03-31T07:58:00.000-04:00

Jesus Has Risen

Luke 24

¹ On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵ In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ⁷ ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” ⁸ Then they remembered his words.

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White River Light Station

2013-02-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

location-Whitehall, MI

built-1875
deactivated-1960
stamp-yes
players-Jen, Lincoln, Spencer, Jackson, Manya and Grandpa

So, our first exploration was so fun we decided to have our next adventure the very next day. Today we picked White River Light Station in Whitehall, MI. We had our Lake Michigan Circle Tour and Lighthouse Map and we had general directions, but didn't know exactly where the lighthouse was. On our way into Whitehall we happened to drive right by the Whitelake Area Chamber of Commerce Information Center.

That turned out to be a fun adventure in itself. The ladies that worked there were very helpful. They gave us good directions and recommended other things in the area to do after the lighthouse. The building is an old train station, but the tracks have been removed and have been turned into a bike path. There is also and old caboose in the back that has been turned into a museum. The boys LOVE trains, so this was a fun surprise.

pretending to wash in the sink

a baby on a shelf

On to the lighthouse! It turns out that the lighthouse keeper has been working for years on turning it into a museum. She has done a great job of attaining and displaying all kinds of lighthouse and maritime artifacts. The grounds are beautiful and very well maintained. They do have a stamp and a gift shop, but they are all out of passports. Bummer, hopefully we'll find them soon, then we'll have to come back and get stamped.

inside the tower

inside the museum

inside the museum-this library traveled
between lighthouses on the ships

inside the museum-
part of the traveling library

inside the museum

inside the tower

short walk to the beach

After the lighthouse, we headed about a half hour north to Country Dairy in New Era. It's a family owned dairy farm with a restaurant and store. Good sandwiches, delicious cheese and all you can drink milk. Of course, the kids got chocolate. At least for the first two cups, then I had them switch to white. You can also do a tour and they have a playground. We skipped the tour this time, it was too hot out, but we'll definitely go back again.

Spencer milking the cow

Lincoln milking the cow

Mariners' Memorial Light

2012-11-20T06:13:00.000-05:00

location-River Rouge, MI

built-2003

active beacon-yes

stamp-no

players-Jen, Lincoln, Spencer, Jackson and Grandpa

Our 2011 lighthouse season got off to an early start. It turns out that we didn't have to wait until spring to start our explorations this year, we had a 54 degree day in February. It worked out perfectly, because two days later we got hammered with another snow storm and had two snow days at school.

We visited our first lighthouse on the east side of the state. Since it's winter we wanted to pick one that is not tourable in the summer and we wanted something else fun to do nearby. We picked Mariners' Memorial Light in River Rouge. It was built in 2003 and is the newest lighthouse in Michigan. It's located in a very industrial part of the city inside Belanger Park. The park itself is very nice and very clean. It has a great playground, although we didn't get to play in it today. Even though it was warm out, it was really windy and pure mud. It was still great to be able to get outside with the kids and not have to deal with snow pants.

checking out the Ambassador Bridge

watching to Coast Guard boat go by

mommy and boys

all the boys

checking out the train driving by next door

we ended with an innocent swing ride

that turned into a teary wipe out

On the way to the next part of our adventure we passed the apartment building Grandpa lived in when he first moved to Michigan in 1970.

The next part of our adventure brought us about 20 minutes away from the lighthouse to the Detroit Children's Museum. It was recently reopened and remodeled. It has some really cool displays and the kids loved it. We picked a great day to go. I think most kids were in school, so it was not crowded at all.

Children's Museum I am at

ROARRRRRRRRRRRR

Wright Brothers airplane

proud to be an American!

the doctor is in

amazed at the planetarium

why don't they ever do this at hom

car ride home at 1:30

When we got back to Manya & Grandpa's house, Manya already left for work. But, her homemade macaroni and cheese and homemade brownies were hot and ready. Ummmmm.

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Huron Lightship

2012-07-19T06:38:00.000-04:00

location-Port Huron, MI

built-1920

active beacon-no

stamp- yes

players-Jen, Lincoln, Spencer, Jackson and Grandpa

"Lightships were like floating lighthouses anchored in areas where it was too deep, expensive or impractical to construct a lighthouse. Lightships displayed a light at the top of a mast and in areas of fog also sounded a fog signal and radio beacon. The fog signals used over the years consisted of bells, whistles, trumpets, sirens, and horns. Fog horns were powered by steam in the early days and later by air compressors. The Huron Lightship sounded her fog horn signal in a 3 second blast every 30 seconds and was known locally as "Old B.O." because of the familiar sound her horn made." This is a direct quote from the Huron Lightship web page. Check out their page for more details.

Thomas Alva Edison memorial boulder

This was actually our first stop of the day, but when we arrived there was a school field trip in progress. So, we then changed plans and went to the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse and the Thomas Edison Depot Museum. It was perfect. By the time we returned, we were the only ones on board and got a personal tour.

passing frieghter

The Huron Lightship was officially retired in 1970, after 50 hard working years. She was the last of the lightships at that time. In 1990, she became a National Historic Landmark. She is the only Great Lakes lightship to have that honor. She is now permanently moored in the sand on the banks of the St. Clair River. It's a fun visit with kids. My kids love lighthouses and boats, so to have a combo was pretty cool!

kitchen

getting our passports stamped

After getting our passports signed, our private tour began. It was really detailed. He explained what all of the artifacts were, how the ship worked, the duties of the sailors and more. He was great with the kids. They got to ask questions, see things up close and even ring the bell.

captain's quarters

captain's office

getting our private tour

the boys got to take turns ringing the bell

on board the Lightship Huron

eating area-the sailors used to place their plates
on wet towels, so they wouldn't slide off the table

Seaman Robert Gullickson memorial

Port Huron Museum

2012-07-16T06:36:00.000-04:00

Our last stop of the day, after visiting the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, the Thomas Edison Depot Museum, and the Huron Lightship, was the Port Huron Museum. The building itself it a really cool historic building, built in 1904. It used to house the Carnegie Library. The museum opened in 1968 and started out with an all volunteer staff. They now have quite a few employees, it's nice to see efforts like this that end up thriving! They have some fine arts, but most displays teach about local history in the Bluewater area and the Great Lakes. They have an entire floor dedicated to maritime history. That is the part the boys loved. Obviously, we didn't delve to deeply into history lessons with two four year olds and a big baby, but they had a lot of fun checking out all the displays. The lady working at the desk said the boys could even ring the bell! Definitely a highlight.

ringing the bell

replica of the Huron Lightship

this is an entire room built to look like the inside of a ship

ringing the bells

peek a boo--I see you behind the wheel

Lincoln loves to pose with
Abraham Lincoln whenever he see him

mock up of the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse compound

Tulip Time

2012-07-13T07:12:00.000-04:00

Ahh, Tulip Time in Holland, MI. A sure sign of spring. The whole family decided our house would be a great place to gather for Mother's Day this year. None of them live all that close, so that means they were coming for the weekend. I think they would all like to live in West Michigan, so they visit often. The weather was beautiful the whole weekend, so we all headed to Holland to enjoy some Tulip Time festivities on Saturday. We did not make it to the lighthouse on this visit, but we did have some lighthouse activity, so stay with me.

Holland has deep roots in Dutch culture and they are very proud of it. Every May, they celebrate it with Tulip Time. Back in 1927, " Miss Lida Rogers, a biology teacher at Holland High School, suggested that Holland adopt the tulip as its official flower and celebrate it with a festival." (That is a direct quote from the "holland michigan page".

If you've never been and you love small town festivals, then Tulip Time is a must. They have a good size art show (with really cool handmade items), Dutch dancing in the streets (the kids were mesmerized), lots of kids activities, parades and more. Of course, you have to make time to peruse all the cool downtown shops while you're there. You won't have a hard time finding a good place to eat, either. We've been to Holland many times and never tire of it.

Ok, so Tulip Time is fun and all that, but let's get back to our priorities. We've visited the Holland Harbor Lighthouse (aka, Big Red) twice so far. Once up close, in the summer and once in the winter, from across the Holland channel in Holland State Park. You can check it out here and here. However, we have never gotten our passport stamped. In fact, we never knew that had one. Which is fine, if lighthouses don't have stamps available you can put in a picture of the lighthouse, according to the United States Lighthouse Society website. But a reader left me a comment in my first Big Red post telling me all the details about the unknown stamp. (Thank you anonymous commenter, whoever you are!) I already had the picture glued in our passports, so there was no removing it, but we were on a mission to get that stamp!

Holland Museum

The very first place we headed was the Holland Museum with our passports in hand. The museum looked like a fun place to visit. I'm sure we'll be back to check it out, but for today, since it was so beautiful outside, we were just after the stamp. You just walk in the entrance and the stamp is right at the counter. Easy breezy.

we squeezed the stamp next to the picture that was already glued in

So, now that our official lighthouse business is taken care of, we're off the enjoy Tulip Time. The first thing the kids want to do is watch the dancing in the streets. After that, the boys are with the kids and the girls hit the art show. According to what Grandpa taught the boys to say, "women be shoppin'". To them, that saying NEVER gets old, even though, it so rarely actually happens.

watching the dancers

Manya--the Arabian Mystery

the boys and Chloe

the boys with the Dutch dancers

so stinkin' cute

Spencer with the copper man

the girls

water fountain

Spencer

Lincoln

Chloe

our art festival finds

hoo hoo

Now, we're ready to relax, sit down, and eat. We're off to our old favorite, New Holland Brewing. The first time we went there was on August 2, 2010, the official start of "Stewart Family Lighthouse Explorations"! (check it out here) We also enjoyed it during our winter visit to Big Red. (check it out here) John, Kristen, Michael and Joy haven't been yet, so they were excited! (Kristen posted about it here)

New Holland Brewing

hmmm....what do I feel like tonight?

three cheers for Tulip Time

Just when you thought we we're done, the day gets even better. Manya & Grandpa were kind enough to take the kids & Chloe home, and the rest of us got to walk around and enjoy ourselves. We don't get out without the kids very often, so this was a special treat. We found a cute little store called, Model Drug Store Apothecary Gift Shop. Don't let the "drug store" part of the name fool you. It is one cool store. Kristen's eyes immediately went to the Pandora section. She just got a bracelet for her birthday. Joy and I knew we would be getting them soon enough. So, we all bought the super cute tulip charm to commemorate our day. Turns out, I didn't have to wait very long to wear my new charm. John surprised me the next day, Mother's Day, with a bracelet and three birth stone charms (for each of the three kids)! What a guy!!!

Pelee Passage Lighthouse

2012-07-09T06:30:00.000-04:00

location-Windsor, Ontario, Canada

built-1902

active beacon-yes

players-Jen, Lincoln, Spencer, Jackson and Aunt Kristen

So, after our fun adventures at Durand Union Station. We are now on to the main purpose of this road trip. We are teaming up with Burnett Brew Blog and going international! We are talking real passports, not lighthouse passports!! We are crossing the border to Canada. I grew up on the east side of Michigan. We used to go to Canada a lot and never needed passports, but this is a new era. My kids are from the west side and we just don't make it that way that often and have never had a reason to cross the border. Well, thanks to our love of lighthouses they got to experience another country! To them it seemed like a big deal, so it was really fun. Although, when we were at customs trying to reenter the USA, they didn't seem to take it too seriously and were acting like nuts. Fortunately, we had a friendly customs agent. He must be used to kids.

We wanted to let them have two fun experiences. So, on the way there we took the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and on the way back we took the Ambassador Bridge.

inside the tunnel

Jax is skeptical

The Pelee Passage Lighthouse is located in Lakeview Park. It's a marina on the Detroit River. There isn't a whole lot of information out there on this one, but according to the sign on the lighthouse itself -- "Pelee Passage Lighthouse served as the main navigational aid for the Great Lakes mariners using the Lake Erie Pelee Passage from 1902 to 1975. The lighthouse was re-erected by Dean Construction Co. LTD on the present site as a gift to the city of Windsor in honour of it's founder Americo Dean in the year 1980."

After crossing the Ambassador Bridge and getting through the long customs line we were pretty hungry. We headed straight to the Detroit Beer Company. I was a little skeptical taking three kids there, but Aunt Kristen assured me it would be A OK. It turned out to be great, they even had a high chair for big baby. He's not really a baby anymore, but if he's not contained in a high chair it's not a fun experience. The pale ale was excellent and the food was delish! The kids all got pizza and Kristen and I both ordered the same thing -- cheddar ale soup in a bread bowl and a salad. (Kristen will go into more details on Burnett Brew Blog - check it out.)

Our first Canadian exploration was a hit. We will definitley be crossing the border more often, maybe in warmer weather. The kids loved the tunnel and the bridge, next time I think we'll do the car ferry!

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Miller Lite House

2012-07-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

We've been living in the Grand Rapids area for about 5 1/2 years now and we've still never been to a baseball game. We've taken the kids to Tigers games in Detroit and Beach Bums games in Traverse City, but never a Whitecaps game in our own town. Time to fix that!

Lincoln and Spencer actually earned free tickets to a Whitecaps game from their school reading program. So, on the Saturday before Memorial Day we finally took them. Saturdays are fun at the ball park, they always have fireworks following the game.

Lincoln is waving his flag in honor of Memorial Day.

I'm pretty sure it's illegal to go to a baseball game and not get the kids hot dogs. At the very least, it's unAmerican, so we had to get them. The boys fully enjoyed their kids meals. They come with a hot dog, chips, cookies and lemonade. John and I had gyros. So, basically, a free game easily sets you back about 50 bucks. But, it was really fun.

Before we even got to the game, Spencer was examining his Whitecaps schedule and map of the ball park. He said there was a lighthouse on the map and wanted to find it right away. I wasn't really sure what he was talking about, but he was right! Across the field there it was -- the Miller Lite House. It was pretty cool that the Whitecaps recognized their need for a lighthouse. My only complaint is that is didn't actually light up, but it was still a nice touch.

Since the boys started playing t-ball this year, they were really into the game. There are a few more rules in baseball than in t-ball. For one thing, they actually have outs and another is not every player makes all the way around the bases.

After the game, we stayed for the fireworks. What a perfect way to celebrate Memorial Day weekend. Lincoln and Spencer loved it. Jackson started out a little nervous, but he did pretty well. We just had to keep telling him how fun it was and how pretty all the colors were.

As you can see in the fireworks pics above, the boys were fully awake and having fun. They were even being their silly selves on the way to the car. Two minutes after we started driving this happened. Spencer put on his car pillow and then fell over asleep. He folds in half when he falls asleep in the car. Lincoln fell asleep sitting up. Jackson made it home awake.

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Grand Haven Lighthouse - Beaudacious New Player

2012-06-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

location-Grand Haven, MI

originally built -1855, current lights built - 1905

active beacons-the entire catwalk is lit

stamp-yes, at the Grand Haven Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

players-Jen, John, Lincoln, Spencer, Jackson, Aunt Kristen and Uncle Beau

Aunt Kristen and Uncle Beau were celebrating their first anniversary and they came to West Michigan to do it! Naturally, before they had their alone time, they wanted to spend some time with their ring bearers. Here are a couple pics of the monumental event.

Spencer and Lincoln
with their beautiful cousin Kennedy

Jackson in his baby tux

family shot

Uncle Beau had never visited a lighthouse before, in his whole life! He really wanted to see his first one with his favorite little buddies and become an official player. So, we met them in Grand Haven for the day. Oh, such fun!! We love Grand Haven, it is such a cute lake town -- fun shopping, great restaurants, awesome beaches and two lights on one pier! On his first exploration, Uncle Beau got a twofer!

Jackson & Aunt Kristen

Of course, our first stop was lunch, we went to The Kirby. Aunt Kristen and I took the boys there on our first Grand Haven lighthouse exploration. They have good food and are very family friendly.

me & John

Aunt Kristen, Lincoln, Uncle Beau & Spencer

After lunch, Kristen and I hit the town for some shopping.

All the boys hit up the playground.

Then we met up and headed out to see the lights. Uncle Beau was getting really excited.

The south pier that extends out into Lake Michigan marks the entrance to the Grand River. It is the home to two lights. The inner light is a red tower. It's 51 feet tall and made of steel. It was built in 1905 by the American Bridge Company. The outer light was the original fog signal building. In 1905, after the pier was extended several times it was moved to the end. It was originally made of wood, but in 1922 it was encased in corrugated iron.

As for the catwalk, the Coast Guard was concerned about somebody getting injured, since it was deteriorating so badly. They were scheduled to be demolished in 1987. A group called the "Save Our Catwalk Committee" was formed and they raised more than enough money to save it. They removed all the wooden planks that the light keepers used to walk on, reinforced the supports and added lights to the whole length of it. We haven't been there at night to see it all lit up yet, but I'm sure it's beautiful!

The lights are both active and automated. Can you even imagine that the weather would be too dangerous to walk on the pier, so a better solution was to walk on a scary wooden catwalk to maintain the lights? I'm sure everyone was pretty excited when technology allowed them to be automated. They are currently maintained by the Coast Guard.

a little dune climbing

Check out our other Grand Haven visits - May 2009 and September 2010.

today's players

Aunt Kristen and Uncle Beau also have a blog - Burnett Brew Blog. Check out their take on the day's events and explore their site while your at it.

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Grand Haven Lighthouse-day at the beach

2012-06-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

We had a perfect weather May day. The boys had no school and John had the day off work. So, we hit the beach! We picked the beautiful Lake Michigan shores in Grand Haven for our beach day. Before we staked out our spot in the sand we had to investigate the old train. They have a Pere Marquette engine, a box car and two cabooses on display. The boys LOVE trains, so it was a must stop.

It was pretty early in the beach season, so the water was FREEZING! But, you know how kids are. Somehow they are unaffected by the cold and get right in. They had so much fun playing and digging and snacking. I love family beach days!

We didn't walk out to the lighthouses this time. We have done it many many times already. But, we had a lot of fun on the beach with the beautiful lighthouses right in our view!

Grand Haven Lighthouse

Check out our visit to the Grand Haven lighthouses in 2009 and 2010.

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giving away the whole world giveaway

2012-06-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

Each of my boys have a theme in their bedrooms. Jackson's is maps. Before he was born we painted it green, put up the orange curtains, anchored the dresser to the wall, put the shelf above it and put in an extra outlet above the shelf to plug in his night light and baby camera. I don't like to have any cords within reach of children. Safety first. The first two boys put us through the ringer, so I can handle anything this one boy can throw at me.

So, his room started out with several different large maps, like the one pictured below, behind Jackson. Originally, they looked really nice. I hung them with command it strips behind the maps. Over time, they were destroyed. One was thrown away. I still have one up high behind the door and I actually relocated this United States map below it, also behind the door. It's not the prettiest anymore. As you can see, I've resorted to blue painters tape to hang it. I was tired of buying command it strips and regular tape wrecks the drywall. But, we do actually use it a lot. So, until I get a replacement, it will stay.

Anyway, John and I really want the boys to be able to see what's beyond our city limits. So, we have decided to take two family vacations every year. Spring break will always be out of state, location to be determined on a year by year basis. And a summer full family vacation (grandparents, aunts and uncles and dogs) on a northern Michigan lake. This location will also vary from year to year. We hope to see lots and lots of our beautiful state and eventually all 129 Michigan lighthouses!

It's great to be able to look at large maps together. That way we can all get a visual of the place we are talking about. It makes it more relateable and understandable to all of us (not just kids). We can also reference the maps after reading books or talking about where various family members live.

no longer in great condition

When maps.com sent us this giant Wallzilla world map, we were beyond thrilled. Wallzilla Wall Stickers are awesome. They are actually a light adhesive fabric, not paper. They stick right to the wall! And, they are easily removable and restickable in case you ever want to move it.

Jackson was very excited to receive his package and wanted to get right in and help. But, since he's only two, I enlisted Grandpa to help me. It's definitely a two person job, because of the size. We marked our lines with a laser level and started gradually peeling off the back and smoothing as we went. It actually went on really easily. I was a little nervous about the bubbles, but they smoothed right out. Now that it's up I don't see a single bubble or wrinkle.

On the shelf above the dresser he has his baby camera, his gnome and his light up globe.
We use the globe for his night light. It has a little switch on the shelf that only adults can reach.
There is a bad glare on the artwork, but it is a United States license plate map printed on wood.

This is a close up of Jackson's name above his closet. I crafted this myself.

This is a close up of the
globe knobs on the closet.

John grew up in Indiana and made this clock in wood shop.
Looks like an A+ to me!

These are above his crib, very strongly secured to the walls.

Michigan lighthouse map. We bought this at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse.
The map is on a foam board, then I framed it without glass.

This is a very cool and made in Michigan. It's actual license plates.
Jackson points to it and says, "that's my Michigan", so cute.

This giant map is an awesome learning tool and so colorful and fun to look at. I can't even believe how perfectly it goes with his room! The green on the walls, the orange curtains, it even picks up the colors on the toy baskets hanging below it. It couldn't have been more perfect!

we got the whole world in our hands

Full disclosure--Maps.com sent us this map for free to review and give our honest opinion of. I have to be completely honest--I love it!!! I seriously can't get enough of it. Every time I start to walk by Jackson's room I go in and just stare at it. The kids love it, too! I think every kids home needs a map on the wall that they can look at without getting anything out. We love the Wallzilla Wall Stickers, it's much more durable than the paper maps we already went through. It's been up for about two weeks so far and still looks brand spankin' new. They have a lot more products, too -- globes, map markers, every kind of map you could ever think of, they even make custom maps! Check them out, they would make awesome gifts!!

picking out our next destination

Here's the news you've all been waiting for Maps.com has offered to give away a large size World Deluxe Wallzilla map to one lucky reader!!! The dimensions are 63" x 43"!!! Retail value is $155!!!!! Holy cow! I can hardly believe it myself!!! Good luck!

PRIZE: Large (63" x 43") World Deluxe Wallzilla Map $155 value

TO ENTER: Fill out the form below. Bonus entry for posting a lighthouse pic on our FB page.

GIVEAWAY CLOSES: June 28, 2012 midnight

NUMBER OF WINNERS: one

RULES: Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary to enter. Winner will be selected using random.org and announced as an update to this post on Friday. I will also notify the winner by email. You also must agree to have FUN explorations of your own with your family. U.S. shipping addresses only.

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Lincoln's first tooth fairy visit

2012-06-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

So, Lincoln has had a pretty wiggly tooth for about a week. He wouldn't let me pull it out. Since he's never lost one yet he was pretty scared it would hurt. It was getting to the point where I was worried about him choking on it in his sleep. I had to get it out of there. While I was giving him his bath that night I told him I needed to wash his chin really good and I needed him to open his mouth really wide. I don't know why he fell for that. I've never had him open his mouth in the tub before, but anyway I grabbed it out really quick. He didn't even know it happened. Sometimes a mommy has to do what she has to do. After he realized what happened (and that there was no pain) he was super excited!

After Lincoln got his jams on, I told him I wanted to take his picture. He got all excited and ran downstairs. I couldn't figure out where he was going or why. I found him posing under the only piece of lighthouse art we have in our entire house. He said he wanted to be on the blog! He's so cute!!!!

the tooth fairy came!

Apparently, the tooth fairy thought this was blog worthy, too! She brought Lincoln a gold Statue of Liberty dollar. The mother of all lighthouses!!!

missing tooth

full set

lots of missing teeth in this kid's mouth

When Spencer lost his first tooth last year, we had a special day for him. Since Lincoln lost his at bed time we made the next day his special day. After school, we headed downtown for a picnic. We got some dogs to go and ate them by the water. Then we went for a hike on the trail and did a turtle search in the river. There were a lot of them that day.

looking for turtles

found some!

When we got home, the fun still wasn't over. We had a movie night. The boys are playing t-ball this year, so they really wanted to watch "The Sandlot".

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Spring Break 2012 - Day 9 - Happy Easter

2012-06-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

We arrived at the final leg of our vacation pretty late the night before Easter. It was about a twelve hour ride from Aunt Dutch's to my parents house. We wanted to be there for Easter. Spending Easter driving in the car all day didn't sound very fun. The kids actually slept in until the sun came up on Easter morning. Then, the hunt was on!

Lucky found his basket.

The hunt in ON!
Gracie found one!

Daddy found his basket

Gracie's first Easter

After the Easter basket excitement, most of us went to church. Then we had a huge Easter brunch made by my mom. We had ham, egg casseroles, a couple different kinds of homemade breads, shrimp, deviled eggs, hash browns, a huge desert spread and an egg shaped birthday cake.

new space plates

pre-brunch wrestling

homemade breads

mimosas

desert station

new flyers

Manya and Grandpa

Burnett family -

Aunt Kristen, Uncle Beau, Rolo and Gracie

This year Aunt Kristen's birthday was actually on Easter. So, in addition to the Easter celebration, it was also a birthday party!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Kristen!

Easter egg bumpy cake

We visited and partied and relaxed for most of the day. Then it was time to get back in the car and head home. The next day was back to reality - school, work, unpacking, laundry, laundry, laundry, kids activities, cooking, cleaning. It was definitely a fun vacation. It's amazing how fast they fly by. We can't wait for our summer vacation up north with the extended family!

Spring Break 2012 - Day 8 - Great Great Aunt Dutch

2012-06-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

cutest little town in the south

We love visiting our Aunt Dutch. (Check out last year's visit - here.) She is my Grandma's sister, so that makes her Great, Great Aunt Dutch to the boys. She has always been a very reliable, very involved and very loving aunt. She would do anything to help her family. She doesn't make it up to Michigan much anymore, so we think it's really important to take the kids to see her every year.

When I was growing up Aunt Dutch lived in Chicago and we saw her a lot, but her family was in Gainesboro. We used to visit Tennessee quite often or stop through on the way to Florida, too. One time Aunt Dutch met my cousin and I in Michigan and flew us to Tennessee for a week without our parents. We still talk about that. After she retired, she moved from Chicago to Gainesboro, to take care of her mom. I think she had some culture shock for a while. (I think sometimes she still does.) Then she decided she needed something to do. She studied all the law books for a couple years, then ran for mayor. She served for three terms. She is also heavily involved in several charities.

coffee and stories

Yes, that is chocolate chip cookie cereal.
There are no rules at Aunt Dutch's house.

busted trying to sneak in to wake up Spencer

reading Jackson a book

When I was little and we would visit Aunt Dutch in Chicago, she would pull out these tiny little coffee cups and let us (my sister, brother and I) drink coffee. We always thought that was so fun, like we were getting away with something. Now I know, it consists of 90% milk, a spoonful of sugar and a tiny bit of coffee. She still has the same coffee cups and now when my kids visit her, they get to do the same thing. It's so fun watching them. Jackson is two this year, so this is his first time. She pulled out an even smaller cup for him. He was really excited and a little unsure. He kept watching his brothers to see how to do it. They are professionals, this is their third year.

Jackson getting his first ever cup of coffee

looking to his brothers for guidance

they are pros-this is their third year drinking coffee at Aunt Dutch's

After coffee and breakfast, we headed outside. The boys (including John) love to look at Aunt Dutch's old car. It's small and red, so they think it's a sports car. Then we walked around the yard and talked to the neighbors (the sheep next door) and played a little. Then it was time to get back in the car for the next leg of our journey. We had about a 12 hour drive to my parents. We were going to be there for Easter, then head home. Unfortunately, it was a short visit at Aunt Dutch's this year, but we are glad we got to see her.

the boys love to check out her old sports car

lion head in the brick wall

meeting the neighbors

baaaaa

Aunt Dutch had these signs put in during her first term as Mayor

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Spring Break 2012 - Day 8 - heading home

2012-06-18T06:00:00.001-04:00

Our last morning was bittersweet. We were getting excited to get back to our own house and our own beds, but it was sad to say goodbye to the ocean and our care free living. I LOVE family vacations! Our plan was to eat, load the car and head on out. We were going to drive to Gainesboro, TN and spend the night at the boys Great, Great Aunt Dutch's house (my grandma's sister). This is our third year in a row taking the boys to visit her.

our last Florida sunrise :'(

just finished our last outdoor beach view breakfast :'(

this is the view from across the hall on our floor

Spence is taking it in one last time

welcome to Georgia sign

Yay, we made it to Georgia! The traffic on the way back home was so much better. I think we may have beat most of the traffic by a day, since we were planning on spending the night at Aunt Dutch's.

At this point of the vacay, we could honestly use a little break from restaurants. So, the night before we left, John ran to Publix and got us some subs. yummy. When it got to be around lunch time we found a Georgia rest area and had a picnic. This was a welcome break for all of us. It was actually a really wooded place with tons of picnic tables. It was really peaceful and the kids got to run and play for a little while.

We got to Aunt Dutch's pretty late and the kids were really tired. We unpacked and got the kids settled in right away. Unpacking was actually really quick. The majority of our clothes were dirty, so I just packed enough stuff for two days in one bag for all three kids. They were out within minutes.

Cherry Moon Farms GIVEAWAY!!!

2012-06-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

I was first introduced to Cherry Moon Farms last January when I won this "One Sweet Mix" basket from Skedaddle America for a photo contest. Man, oh man, was that a delicious treat!

Now Cherry Moon Farms has given me the opportunity to review another product and give one away to a lucky reader!! This time I chose the Deluxe Starbucks Renew and Recharge gift basket. It was so fun getting such a yummy treat in the mail!

They have so many gift basket choices that it was seriously hard to choose. Since I already had the chance to enjoy the fruit basket I wanted to try something totally different. John and I really love our morning coffee, so this was the obvious choice. It did not disappoint!

what a great way to start the day!

We let the kids have the short bread fingers and biscotti. They were very excited to have dessert after breakfast. Check out Cherry Moon Farms for yourself, tons of gift ideas for those hard to buy for people or if you just want to surprise somebody with a special treat.

PRIZE: Cherry Moon Farms $50 gift code

TO ENTER: Fill out the form below. Bonus entry for posting a lighthouse pic on our FB page.

GIVEAWAY CLOSES: June 21, 2012 midnight

NUMBER OF WINNERS: one

RULES: Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary to enter. One entry per person. Winner will be selected using random.org and announced as an update to this post on Friday. I will also notify the winner by email. You also must agree to have FUN explorations of your own with your family.

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Spring Break 2012 - Day 7 - Ron Jon's and Sandbar

2012-06-13T21:25:00.000-04:00

Spending the morning at Patrick Air Force Base was definitely a highlight of our trip (and of our lighthouse explorations), but now it's time to head to one of my favorite Florida beach towns - Cocoa Beach. It's actually on the way back to our hotel from Cape Canaveral and I was still on a mission to get Jackson a Ron Jon hat, like the rest of the boys. Since the Orlando Ron Jon didn't pan out, we must hit the mac daddy location.

even the elephants wear shades in Cocoa Beach

The boys remembered going there last year and they wanted to go back anyway. It's such a fun store, I used to love going there when I was a kid, too. Not only did we find the hat for Jax, but we also got 3 body boards for the kids. We may not live near the ocean, but can definitely put them to good use in the Great Lakes State!

we didn't notice the "do not stand on the
surfboard" sign until after we took the pic-oops

posing with their space monkeys in front of the waterfall

After making our purchases at Ron Jon, it was time to head to a late lunch. We hit up our favorite Cocoa Beach lunch spot - Sandbar Sports Grill. It's just a short walk from Ron Jon's, so no getting back in the car. We went there last year, too! They have the best grilled Mahi Mahi tacos, yummmm. The kids love it there, because their food comes on frisbees.

look what Spencer spotted next to our table

By the time we got back to the car the kids were pretty tuckered, so were John and I. It was a hot one, too. Extreme heat always wears us out even faster. Time to head back to the hotel and call it a day. Actually, it was our last day. We had to get the kids all showered and get all packed up. The next day we started our journey back to Michigan. Hard to believe how fast a vacation can fly by.

pretty walk back to Ron Jon's

they LOVE their new space monkeys

Spring Break 2012 - Day 7 - Cape Canaveral - part 2

2012-06-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

location-Cape Canaveral, FL

built-1868

active beacon-yes

stamp-yes

players-Jen, John, Lincoln, Spencer and Jackson

Now on to part 2 of our Patrick Air Force Base tour. (see part 1 here) After exploring the bunk house, where the launches were controlled from, we loaded back on the bus. Time to head to the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse! On the way there, we passed the original lamp room. It was too old and weak and was refabricated and replaced in 2006.

original top of the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse

Ray Osborne, author, speaking about the lighthouse

Here is the info on the sign. "On May 21, 1838, Florida territorial delegate Charles Downing requested a lighthouse be built on Cape Canaveral. The first lighthouse completed in Jan. 1838 stood 65-feet tall, had a 55-foot tower and a 10-foot lantern room equipped with 15 lamps on on 21-inch reflectors. The brick tower and keeper's home cost under $13,300. Nathaniel Scobie oversaw construction and appointed the first keeper. With the advent of the Civil War, S. Mallory, Confederate Navy Secretary, ordered Florida east coast lighthouses "extinguished." Keeper Mills Burnham removed the lamp and buried it in his orange grove. A state-of-the-art, 151-foot iron tower was erected in 1868 and topped with a 1st Order Fresnel lens. The tower's living quarters were used for storage and a weather station. In 1871 a storm surge washed over the lighthouse area spoiling lamp oil and drinking water. This and shoreline erosion caused the lighthouse to be moved. From Oct. 1893 to Jul. 1894 the tower was dismantled, moved by tram on mile inland and re-erected, along with a 1st and 2nd assistant's and keeper's homes, to its present location. In 1939 the Coast Guard took ownership. In 2000 stewardship was transferred to the 45th Space Wind, Patrick Air Force Base."

We were able to explore the lighthouse for about a half an hour. The light is still active, so we couldn't climb all the way to the top. But, we were allowed to climb up to the 5th floor from the inside and go back down through an outside stair case. It was a pretty smart set up. Plus, it kept the traffic flowing and we didn't have to wait for people to come down before we went up. That worked out well for us, because John and I have to take turns watching Jackson and climbing up with the big boys.

bedroom

When this lighthouse was originally erected, the keepers actually lived in the tower. The staircase is right in the middle and the round rooms surround it. It has three floors of living areas - a living room, bedrooms and a kitchen. It was pretty neat set up, but I can imagine that it was pretty cramped. The reason for the additional staircase on the outside was to allow access to the lamp without going through the living quarters.

kitchen

Daddy & Spencer

After the lighthouse, we had one more stop to make. We had the opportunity to walk around the actual launching area. Along the way, we drove by the Mercury 7 monument. It was dedicated to the original seven American astronauts of 1959. The Mercury 7 are - Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, John Glenn, Scott Carpenter, Wally Schirra, Gordon Cooper and Deke Slayton.

John Glenn's parking spot

all this exploring is
catching up with Spencer

Jax sees his opportunity

"I can't let him miss the launchpad!"

"I will smother him in kisses."

Getting to see and walk around an actual launch pad was a pretty amazing experience. The kids thought it was cool, but obviously they didn't fully grasp the enormity of what they were seeing. It's definitely still worth while to do this kind of stuff with them. After they go, they want to learn more and actually having the visual in their minds goes a long way.

under the launch pad

These cement benches are a memorial to the crew of Apollo I. Each bench has a name engraved commander on it - U.S.A.F. Lt. Colonel Virgil I Grissom, U.S.A.F. Lt. Colonel Edward H. White II and U.S.N. Lt. Commander Roger B. Chaffee.

the launchpad

We walked around the launch pad for about 20 minutes, then boarded the bus one last time to take us back to the Air Force Space and Missile Museum. I would definitely recommend this tour. There is no other place on earth that you can learn about the history of US space exploration and explore a lighthouse all in one tour! As I said earlier, the tour is completely free. Although, the gift shop might get you. They did say that all the proceeds go to preserving the grounds, so that justifies any and all purchases in my mind!

one last view from the bus

Patrick AFB is also the home of Space X

Jackson never tires of his own cute face!

Spring Break 2012 - Day 7 - Cape Canaveral - part 1

2012-06-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

This is it. The day we've all been waiting for. Every lighthouse explorers dream. We made it inside of Patrick Air Force Base and toured the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse. It's actually not as impossible as it sounds. Since, it is on a military base, there are a lot more rules and regulations that are set in place. You can't just show up. They have available tour dates on their website. Last year the dates didn't coincide with our vacation, so it didn't work out. But, this year everything was in perfect alignment. So, we emailed Patrick AFB about a month ahead of time and gave them all of our information. We got a response quickly. (Kind of what you'd expect from military personnel.) We were approved! Yay!!!

This was an awesome tour. It combined our love of lighthouses and our love of space. It definitely kept everyones interest the entire time. The tours start at 9AM and takes about three hours. Although, the latest you can arrive is 8:30AM for security checks. While you're waiting for the tour to begin you can tour the Air Force Space and Missile History Center. That building alone was worth the trip. It was loaded with space capsules, rockets, engines, command centers and tons of artifacts. Plus, it had a space gift shop, where I more than made up for it being a free tour.

Titan 1 Engine
(click on pic to read)

Heat Sink Nosecone

Commander Jackson

While we were in the gift shop, we met Ray Osborne, author of "Images of America, Cape Canaveral". We bought his book, three patches for the kids, three magnetic space monkeys and a kids book called, "Ham the Astrochimp". It's the true story about the first chimp in space. We don't usually go that crazy in gift shops, but we do always get patches and a children's book. The space monkeys were so darn cute, I had to give in. Plus, they went with the book, which we read a lot.

inside the gift shop with author, Ray Osborne

tour bus

Promptly at 9:00, it was time to load up on the bus for the tour. It was amazing. We toured the buildings that they actually controlled the launches from. They had entire walls full of pull out computer data that they ran things from. The tour guide said that smart phones actually hold more data than those entire walls.

full body scan

the lights look like UFO's

entire wall of data

The boys with their space monkeys in front

of the actual capsule that Ham travelled in.

The Gemini 2 capsule - it was the only capsule ever used twice.

This train was used to transport space equipment around the base.

With the crazy amount of pictures I took, this is going to have to be broken up into two posts. Stay tuned for tomorrow's exciting conclusion, which includes the Cape Canaveral Lighhouse! ;')

Spring Break 2012 - Day 6 - another perfect evening

2012-06-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

After we got all cleaned up from our beach day, it was time to head back to the Ocean Walk Shoppes. This time we hit up Bubba Gump's. We went there last year and it was a hit with the kids. The food is pretty good, so we went for it again. While we were waiting for our table, I ran into a store with Spence and Linc. They immediately found dolphin frisbees and wanted individual pics taken. Thanks to the Georgia Aquarium, they are dolphin obsessed. ;')

lots of hot sauce

Yep, that full slab is mine! I shared.

lots of shrimp for these two

"And that's all I have to say about that." Forrest Gump

Oceanfront Park

And we're off to the races! Time to head back down the beach for some go carting. Obviously, big baby couldn't actually participate in this activity. So, we had to stand in line twice, so John could take turns with the big boys. It was Lincoln and Spencer's idea. They remembered it from last year and wanted to do it again. But, I think John was into more than anyone else there. Daddy likes to drive fast!

vrooom vroooom

John lapped the other cars a few times

Spring Break 2012 - Day 6 - another perfect day at the beach

2012-06-08T06:00:00.000-04:00

What can I say, except another perfect beach day? Perfect temps, low tide, walk out the door and we are on the beach, no crowds. There is just no beating it.

Jax was NOT into posing, only playing

we hit this after dinner

our hotel

our set up

John has a friend that used to live in Florida and gave him an awesome tip -- Publix subs. Who would have ever guessed? Made to order grocery store subs. They are super fresh, awesome home made buns, Boars Head lunch meat and you can pick your toppings. We get them every time we want a picnic lunch in Florida. When he tells people about them and they try them they are immediately hooked. We all love them except Spencer, AKA Mr. Peanut Butter & Jelly.

lunch time

back to digging

Spring Break 2012 - Day 5 - Easter Bunny

2012-06-07T06:00:00.001-04:00

fabulous faux - I took this picture while we were driving.
We spotted it on the way to Gatorland, so I
was ready with the camera on the way back.

Last year, while on Road Trip Endeavour, Lincoln, Spencer and John all bought hats at the Ron Jon in Cocoa Beach. At the time, Jackson didn't need one. He was only a one year old and had plenty of hand me down hats from his two brothers. But, now that he's two most of them don't fit and he needs the same size his brothers are currently in. For some, reason I didn't plan ahead and get him one anyway. So, that put me on a mission to hunt one down for him. I checked online and found out that there is also a Ron Jon in Orlando and we were very close to it.

It didn't pan out. It was a much smaller location and didn't carry all of the hat styles. However, stopping there did pay off tremendously. Ron Jon was in a mall that also has Bass Pro Shop. And guess who was visiting that day--the Easter Bunny! We didn't have a chance to visit him before we left for vacay, so this was perfect!

Since we just saw the awesome dolphin show at the Georgia Aquarium, the boys are obsessed with dolphins. Spencer spotted this dolphin beach towel displayed on a wall. They didn't ask for it, but they really wanted their picture taken in front of it. No point in turning down a request like that!

Spring Break 2012 - Day 5 - Ginormous McDonalds in the World

2012-06-06T06:00:00.001-04:00

Hanging out with all those gators at Gatorland made us hungry. Since we already drove all the way to Orlando, we wanted to find a fun and super casual place to take the kids for dinner. They were still in their swimsuits, after all. So, we took them to McDonald's. But, not just any McDonald's, it was the world's largest entertainment McDonald's and play place. The place was GINORMOUS! It was two floors of fun!

The menu was insane. In addition to the regular McDonald's fare they have a bistro gourmet menu. John got a grilled chicken burrito (sorry, I forgot to take a pic before we cut it) and I had the alfredo tortellini. The kids, of course, were not willing to risk trying something new. They all had chicken nugget happy meals. When we were done, we had some NY style cheesecake. I have to admit, I was a little skepdidadasical that McDonald's could pull it off. I mean, I know they mastered the Big Mac and fries, but Mexican and Italian? But, I have to admit, they did it. It really was good.

The eating area is on the main level and it's huge. It's broken up into several different sections. There are some regular looking areas and some retro areas. We sat near Mac Tonight and got to see him perform live for us! In case, you don't remember Mac Tonight, check out the commercial below.

Mac Tonight

aquarium seating

After we were done eating, we headed upstairs to get our game on. The kids thought this was coolest McDonald's ever! Now, every time we pass a normal McDonald's they say, "bye bye, small fry!".

I'm luvin it!