Big A Bus returned to Virginia August 6 2011

We left Holland on Friday morning August 5th and traveled back to Cambridge Ohio for the night. Saturday morning found us traveling in the rain.   It rained all day on us and the driving for Larry was not good.  He was plenty tired when we got home.
Julie and taylor came to get Madie in Warrenton Va and then we came on home arriving around 6:30 pm.
We unloaded just what we had to have for the night and finished up on Sunday and later.
We have been very busy since we got back but did take time out this past week to go on a weekend trip with our ODC Camping Club. Never had been to New Market Va which also includes Endless Caverns.  We had been to Luray and in the Caverns there but this was a different type of cave or caverns.
We had a good group of 9 rigs and the fellowship and food was great.
Now I am off to New York City with Julie and the girls for a few days.
More later.

Pictures 2011

Sophia sleeping

Sophia at "Big Red"

Madie and Papa at DeZwaan

Kate & Doug at campfire

5 of our 6 grandchildren, kate, noah, sophia, bella and madie

More of the Michigan Trip

Time to get caught up on the Blog again.  Friday July 29th found us being a little lazy in the morning and then meeting Peggy & Doug Fairchild and two of their girls for lunch at Eighth Streey  Grill for lunch. After a time of catching up on everyones lives we went to "The Holland Peanut Store" which is a MUST when you visit or live in Holland. The Fabiano family have been in business for many years and now the people who run it are from Bry and Ally's generation.   Chocolate EVERYTHING.   So good.  I won't tell you how much money we spent.   After this adventure we took a ride out to the Holland State  Park for Madie to walk on the pier and also put her feet in Lake Michigan.  She still says it is an ocean.  We watched with envy the boats going in and out of the channel.  When we lived here we spent many a weekend in our boat out on the lake.  Friday night my friend Marvin came over for a visit. Saturday am found us going to the Farmers Market, now here in Holland it is as much a social event as well as getting good vegetables.   Larry ran into several people who worked with him at Prince. We got sweet corn, green beans, peaches, cherries, etc.  The afternoon was some downtime before Ally and her family were to arrive to join us at White River Campground for a couple of days.
Sunday all of us went out to the Lake Macatawa side of the lake so that we could walk to the Big Red Lighthouse.   The kids also had to get into the "Big Lake" for a whil e. Got some pictures off the grandchildren by the lighthouse which I will post later.
Had lunch back at the motorhome and then headed up to White River.   Larry and I had Ally's oldest 3 along with Madie in the motorhome.  Ally & Doug got to have about and hour and a half of quiet time in the car with just Sophia, the baby.
After arriving at the campground we had an early dinner after the kids swam a while and then heading back to Grand Haven to see the Musical Fountain. Got to visit with Jim and Connie Haakenson, our former Holland neighbors from back in the 70's.
Monday Larry and Doug took the older kids on a canoe trip down the river.   Ally and I stayed at the MH and got to visit a little. They were hoping to go to the beach on Tuesday but the weather was not good so they left around 1 pm and went by Holland and Saugatuck before going home to Indiana.
Larry,Madie and I stayed until Wednesday am when we came back to Holland. We did ride into Whitehaul and Montague and found our way out to the lighthouse there which we had never been to beford.
Now we are back in Holland until tomorrow. Today we are going to Windmill Island for Madie to see the last Windmill that the Netherlands let come out of their country.  As far as I know it is still a working mill grinding grain for flour etc.

Pictures later.