Labor Day Weekend 2023

Hello! How was your long weekend? I hope you were able to enjoy some fun and relaxation! Our weekend was a good one! We opted to stay home to enjoy the last unofficial weekend of summer at the lake. The temperatures were warm, so we held onto summer tight these past few days!

Keep on scrolling to read more about our weekend in detail and have a great rest of your day!

Saturday

Ryan never wakes up early but woke up at 7am with me; I guessed he was just all geared up for college football! We enjoyed some quiet coffee time before the boys woke up. Ryan made us all some yummy breakfast sandwiches.

Most of Saturday was spent hanging out at home, watching football, getting some chores/organizing done. We emptied our Toledo storage unit this summer, so I am slowly going through boxes, one at a time.

After the Ohio State game, we decided to take a family bike ride. We rode along the Leelanau Trail to the Leo Creek Preserve and back.

The way there was fairly easy. We cruised along, enjoying the countryside views and setting sun.

The way back was a different story with the ride being completely uphill. Owen and the bike trailer weigh quite a bit, so I was dragging. But I made it. Barely.

We stopped at a cute little farm stand and left with peaches, nectarines, and sunflowers. The boys devoured that fruit!

Sunday

On Sunday, we had plans for some adventure! We packed everything we needed to make breakfast and to enjoy an afternoon of kayaking. It was quite a bit! After loading up the truck we were on our way to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Last March, we stumbled upon a seasonal road we weren’t sure the truck could handle. We decided to walk it and discovered a beautiful, secluded lake. What is awesome about Shell Lake is that it’s one of the only lakes in the area enclosed by wilderness. It was frozen at the time so we walked out and took in the surroundings. Ryan and I dreamed of picnicking and kayaking in the summer and on Sunday we made that dream come true!

Winter vs. Summer!

This time around, we were confident enough to drive the truck down Elliot Road. The boys enjoyed the off roading, especially the giant mud puddle we drove through! When we arrived, it was 11:00am and none of us had eaten yet. We started cooking up some breakfast right away since the boys were “starving”. They LOVE breakfast sandwiches, so that’s what we had!

After we filled our bellies, we made our way down to the lake and small beach area. Lucas and Owen immediately went to frog hunting, Ryan worked on a bon fire, and I hung out with Drew on the beach.

Lucas and Owen LOVE catching frogs, it’s like their second favorite thing after catching fish. The frogs were bigger than the ones they are used catching so that made them extra ecstatic. They even named one “Hopper” (made me think of Stranger Things haha).

We spent some time relaxing on the beach before we decided to take the kayaks out. The sun became warmer by the minute, and we were ready to get in that water!

Ryan, Owen, and Lucas wanted to fish so they went together as a trio. Lucas towed behind on his little kid kayak. Drew rode along with mama. We spent about two hours out on the water, cruising along, casting, taking in the science views around us.

Ryan and Owen did catch a fish! According to Lucas it “wasn’t that big”. Gotta love the brother competition!

This was the longest we have taken the kayaks out and the boys did great. It’s always refreshing and peaceful to get smack dab in the middle of nature, especially on the water.

biking

We finally made our back to shore and packed everything up. We’ll be back to Shell Lake for sure!

Since we were right there, we checked out Lake Michigan for a quick minute. I attempted a picture with the boys, but they were being a little uncooperative haha. Owen and the balloon, Drew wouldn’t look at the camera, and the sun was in Lucas’s face…major fail!

I did snap this one earlier in the day so all good:)

When we arrived back home, everyone was pretty hungry, so Ryan grilled up some hot dogs. I made a pasta salad, and dinner came together quick and easy. We lounged around a bit, then Ryan decided to take the boys for an evening fishing trip at Veronica Valley.

This allowed me some peace and quiet at home which was lovely. I poured a glass of Pinot Grigio and enjoyed the sunset.

Monday

We fully enjoyed our last slow morning of summer with coffee, pancakes, and the lake breeze. Before long, the boys were begging to fish, so Ryan took them back to Veronica Valley. Drew and I stayed back for a bit then met up with them later. I casted a few lines myself, but no luck!

Our only plan for Monday was to get out on the boat. We packed a snack lunch, fishing gear, and swimming essentials for an afternoon of fun on the water. The boys wasted no time getting into the snacks and juice boxes!

After cruising around for a bit, we stopped to let Lucas and Owen fish a little. All was well until Lucas let his fishing rod slip in the lake! It immediately sunk to the bottom. We looked and looked but no luck. It was Ryan’s rod as child so we were bummed but assured Lucas that accidents happen, and things can always be replaced:)

We decided to call it a day for fishing after that fiasco. We cruised around a bit more and headed to the “shallows” where we can drop our anchor and swim in (somewhat) warm water.

We all jumped in the lake except for Owen. Ryan tried very hard to coerce him, but it was not happening. Maybe next time!

The rest of us had fun splashing, swimming, and hanging out in Lake Leelanau. Like I said, we are holding onto summer as long as we can!!

The rest of the day was spent getting ready for the first day of school. I made sure all was in order, we took showers, and tried to hit that 8pm bedtime. It was more like 8:15 but not too shabby!

I sent Drew and Lucas off to school this morning for their first day. It’s always so bittersweet, excitement for new beginnings but also sadness that each year seems to pass quicker and quicker. I watched a piece of my heart go with them as they walked through the doors. They were excited and ready though! I can’t wait to hear all about their first day:)