R & R

Last weekend Matt and I experienced some much needed R & R (rest and relaxation). We traveled 4 hours north to visit my grandparents.

1st stop: the Richards (my mom's parents) Lake George, MI

We arrived Friday afternoon after a vet appointment in the morning for Ellie Mae. *She did so great at the new vet!

My grandparents are in their 60's (I know...ahhh! They are young!) and they are so active. They're now retired and enjoying every day with each other. I love it. My grandma is super competitive and games are very popular in my family.

First game: rings. Also known as washers. It's basically a hole in the ground or like the picture below (part of a PVC pipe in the ground) and you try to get the metal rings in or near the hole in the ground. It's kind of like horseshoes. The gals won! Oh yeah, my grandma likes to play gals vs. guys. :)

Second game: ladder ball. Also known as tailgate toss or "hillbilly golf." LOL. I believe the gals won this game as well (we let the guys win one of the rounds).

We finally ate some dinner after many rounds of both games. Matt and my grandma were hilarious to watch - they are both extremely competitive. There were a lot of laughs and dancing on mine and my grandma's part. I love her.

After dinner, it's tradition to play cards. My personal favorite game: hand and foot. Here are the rules and instructions on how to play: hand and foot card game. The gals won . . . again.

The next morning, Matt wanted a hand and foot rematch before we left. The guys won.

Next stop: the Graham's (my dad's parents) Harrison, MI

Norm and Sandy are in their 70's, so they are a little more laidback and enjoy relaxing a bit more. They live right on the lake. After brats and burgers, Ellie Mae and I went for a swim. We had so much fun. I love spending time with my dog.

We also celebrated my dad's big 5-0 birthday! Ellie Mae even got to enjoy some ice cream (she licked everyone's plates).

It's tradition at the Graham's to go for a boat ride on the Pontoon after dinner. I love these. I remember going on them when I was a little girl, snacking away on Teddy Grahams and sipping on juice boxes.

We built a fire and ate my favorite summer campfire snack: S'mores. I have been waiting all summer to have these. I ate 2. :)

Overall, it was a fantastic weekend! I didn't think about work (for once) and truly enjoyed some much needed R & R.