ROADTRIP WEST - Part 1

Right before we drove away from the AVE, our fun apartment complex this summer in Somerset, NJ.

We left the around 2 pm on Friday 8/9 and drove to Chicago, arrived around 2 am, slept in a hotel, then drove the remaining 4 hours Saturday morning to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin to see Grandma and Grandpa Baker on their mission! It was only about a 7 hour detour north to see them so we couldn't pass it up and we'd never visited that part of the country so we were excited to have an excuse to go. They live really close to Lake Michigan and it was just really beautiful and REALLY great to see them in action as missionaries! They are doing wonderful things there and seem happier than ever. 

Grandma greeted Eliza with a new doll and hat, two of her favorite things!

Butter burgers, fried cheese custards, and custard for lunch! Sam stole Grandpa's pop.

We played by the lake for a while which was really fun. It feels like the shore because you can't see across the lake, it's breezy, and there are waves and everything.

 

Sam went around lifting up rocks (or trying) looking for crabs. I've told him stores about crab fishing at L'Ile de Re with Mathilde! We didn't find any crabs by the lake so I may just have to take him to L'Ile de Re some day!

 

 

We climbed to the top of this tower to see a beautiful view of the lake.

Quality isn't good but I love this picture. :)

For dinner G&G treated us to a fish boil! It's a really popular thing in Door County as they call it. At this point it was just potatoes, onions, and carrots in the boiling water. You just hang out outside and watch/wait.

Eliza of course wanted to get close to the fire the whole time!

Samuel was in charge of holding the timer that told the man when to add the fish.

They add the fish, then they throw gas or something on the fire.

Notice Sam's shadow...

...And he's gone! When the fire got big he turned around and took off running. :) We all had a good laugh.

Saturday evening I wanted to go on a run so Grandpa was nice enough to ride his bike alongside me.  Sunday morning we went to the Sturgeon Bay branch  Caleb and I spoke in sacrament meeting on missionary work. The branch size reminded me so much of branches I served in in Romania and it made me miss those people SO much! Everyone loves Elder and Sister Baker as they work so hard serving and loving and bringing people back.

They didn't have a nursery so Sam got to go to primary! He LOVED it. Wish he didn't have to all the way til January to go to primary in our ward.

We ate a yummy lunch after church then got back on the road! Oh, and this was my birthday! It's coincidentally become tradition to be on the road on my birthday and we definitely didn't want to ruin that. :) We're so glad we got to stop and see Grandma and Grandpa and are so proud of what they're doing.