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Family Vacation, Part 1

August 3, 2010 by Laura 21 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

I have quite a few pictures to share from our trip to Michigan. Here’s something funny:  We went to Michigan for a wedding. I took no pictures of the wedding. Sometimes I amaze myself. 

Matt and I decided that since we were taking the time off to travel so far, we would turn this trip into a vacation. We took our time on our way there and back, stopping along the way to make memories. 

One of the first things we did was stop just inside the state of Michigan to pick blueberries!!!!!

Pardon me for gushing like an idiot…but you have to realize that blueberries don’t really grow well in Nebraska. We’ve picked and eaten our fair share of fresh strawberries and raspberries. But blueberries? We’ve never even seen a blueberry bush before. 

I can NOT even tell you how much fun the six of us had. The weather was perfect. The kids all cooperated. The blueberries tasted fantastic!!

blueberry_picking_1

blueberry_picking_2

After Malachi (age 5) got tired of picking berries, we handed him the camera. He took this picture…

blueberry_picking_3

And this one…

blueberry_picking_5

Matt and I had to tear ourselves away from the field. The whole time we were picking, I could NOT stop smiling. It was one of those family moments that is everything you dream of, you know? 

We finally stopped after we had no less than ten pounds of blueberries. Do you know how much all those berries cost? $17.00.  Are you KIDDING? I’ve paid $3.00 for a tiny half pint of blueberries before and the taste wasn’t even comparable!!! $17.00 for all those berries was the best deal ever!! 

blueberry_picking_4

Cost for one of the most fun family moments ever? Priceless.

After we left the Blueberry Farm, we traveled a few more hours to spend some time with some friends we used to be in the ministry with in Colorado. We hadn’t seen each other for eight years and it was just wonderful to visit and catch up.

Oh, and you might be interested to know that on our drive to their house, we all sat in the van consuming blueberries like there was no tomorrow. We tried to stop eating…really we did. 

And then I dropped a blueberry on my seat. I looked and looked for that blueberry, both because I didn’t want to waste even one delicious blueberry…and because I really did not want to sit on said delicious blueberry. I never did find the silly thing.

Oh, until we pulled up to our friend’s house and I got out of the van. There was the blueberry squished all over the seat of my pants. Grrrr. It was so not cute.

Thankfully, our friends let me in anyway.

Here I am with my lovely friend Jill. Incidentally, she’s the lady who taught me how to make homemade vanilla!

Jill_and_Laura

After a wonderful (but too short) visit, we got ready to leave. Ah, but wait! The boys discovered that our friends had a cool hanging-upside-down contraption and just had to try it out!

And yeah, they insisted that Mom try it too.

There I was all locked up and helpless…and Matt started clicking away on the camera. Stinker.

upside_down_1

Good thing you can’t see my squished blueberry stain.

Stop looking, you really can’t see it in this picture.

Coming up next…we visit a Peach Picking Farm!

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Filed Under: Family News Tagged With: blueberries, family, farm, friends, fun, trip, vacation, visit

Comments

  1. Valerie says

    August 3, 2010 at 3:30 pm

    What a fun family trip you had! My family LOVES blueberries, we’d be hurting if we had to pay $3 for a tiny little container…we picked over 60 pounds of blueberries this year form our bushes and a neighboring farm. Some made it into jam, some eaten, but most of them are in the freezer to enjoy later in the year. I feel so sorry that you don’t have fresh blueberries in Nebraska! What a bummer!! I think if it were us, my husband would pack us up and move…he LOVES blueberries. :) Can’t wait to hear about the peach picking adventure. :)

    Reply
  2. Susie says

    August 3, 2010 at 4:06 pm

    We just moved to Michigan last month, so now I am going to HAVE to find some u-pick blueberry place for us!!! :-)

    Reply
  3. Jamie says

    August 3, 2010 at 4:10 pm

    Hahaha! I’m laughing about the squished blueberry because I can totally relate! That happens to me all too often because I like to eat choco chips and mini marshamallows in leiu of popcorn while watching movies. It’s good that our sofas are brown, but usually my pants and skirts aren’t!

    Reply
  4. DorthyM says

    August 3, 2010 at 5:39 pm

    That sounds like a wonderful time you all had! I’d be so lucky to just get one squished blueberry. I’m notorious for food stains, lol. Cant wait to hear about the rest of your adventure!

    Reply
  5. Darla says

    August 3, 2010 at 5:44 pm

    Sooo glad you got to experience some of the finer things our state has to offer! We definitely enjoy ALL the fruit and veggies that are grown here. Looking forward to hearing the rest of your Michigan adventures!

    Reply
  6. Jen B says

    August 3, 2010 at 6:05 pm

    I’ve lived in Michigan all my life, and I still have yet to see a bluebarry bush. And I’m 33!!! :)

    Reply
    • Laura says

      August 3, 2010 at 9:29 pm

      Aaa, you MUST go find a U-Pick place and live it up! It’s so awesome!

      Reply
  7. Serenity says

    August 3, 2010 at 7:55 pm

    My mom was so excited to see you!!! Apparently my aunt made a blueberry pie out of the berries you shared. It must have been awesome because they all raved about and didn’t offer me any :( I’m glad you all had a fun trip!!

    Reply
    • Laura says

      August 3, 2010 at 9:30 pm

      How unfair that you did get any pie!! :) It was nice to meet your aunt and it would have been GREAT to see you and your family too! I loved the chance to visit with your folks. We’re praying for all of you.

      Reply
  8. Gwen says

    August 3, 2010 at 7:57 pm

    I have live in the UP of MI my whole life and love it here. I am dieing to know where you picked all those blueberries, it had to be north of the bridge!? Glad you enjoyed our state. I just found and love your site :)

    Reply
    • Laura says

      August 3, 2010 at 9:31 pm

      I don’t remember the town, but it was exit 12, just inside Michigan from Indiana. Does that help?! :)

      Reply
  9. Lenetta says

    August 3, 2010 at 8:30 pm

    I have a friend that just planted some blueberry bushes out in southwest Nebraska, and I’m really looking forward to hearing how they do. My dad told me he didn’t think they’d grow well here because it’s too hot… but Bethany at Happy To Be Called Mommy lives in Georgia and has some incredible blueberry bushes that produce TONS. So I’m thinking about giving it a run one of these years!

    Reply
    • Laura says

      August 3, 2010 at 9:32 pm

      Apparently it takes very sandy soil? If you try it let me know? We planted one little bush one year and it lasted for two weeks, but we totally didn’t know much about gardening yet at that time!

      Reply
      • Janeen says

        August 4, 2010 at 8:18 am

        As far as I know, blueberries really need acidic soil. Many times, people will add an acid type fertilizer to the base of their bushes. :) I love blueberries. We live in Ohio and we picked over 20 pounds this year. There’s nothing like homemade blueberry jam. :) I posted about our experience blueberry picking this year here: http://christianfrugalmama.blogspot.com/2010/07/fruit-of-her-hands.html So glad you found a place to pick some!!

        Reply
        • Sheila says

          August 6, 2010 at 4:07 am

          We have blueberry bushes here in PA. No sandy soil but they do like acid soil. We seem to get a good crop with hot or cool summers but I don’t know how we compare to your weather.

          Reply
  10. Emily says

    August 4, 2010 at 5:36 am

    I can relate to the excitement of the blueberry picking- I got to go for the first time too last week (and I’m 30). I was thrilled! :)

    Reply
  11. Brittany says

    August 4, 2010 at 11:35 am

    Mmm…the blueberries look so fresh and yummy!

    My in-laws have one of those ‘upside-down’ thingies. My boys (2 & 3) think it’s the coolest thing ever. It’s supposed to do something good for your spine, I think. But personally, it just makes the blood rush to my head. :)

    Reply
  12. Mary says

    August 4, 2010 at 1:20 pm

    MI blueberries are the best!!! So glad I’ve lived here my whole life :) I anxiously wait for the blue crop berries every July and stock up at the farmer’s market. Ever since I was little blueberries have been my favorite fruit. I used to request blueberry pie for my birthday. And I’ll be making a couple to freeze this week. I hope I never have to live without my MI blueberries :)

    Reply
  13. Candice Hudson says

    August 5, 2010 at 1:16 pm

    Sounds like you are having a great vacation, and I can’t believe the deal on those blueberries! I’ve always wanted to try one of those inversion tables lol.

    Reply
  14. Tracy Compaan says

    August 7, 2010 at 7:52 am

    Okay, I loved your whole post, about the blueberries, squished blueberry and all, but the most intriguing part was the “upside down” thingy, known as an invertor, which I just discovered at my parent’s house this summer while we were visiting. It’s funny, because it feels weird, but I am telling you, it works! I really put my back out sleeping in a poor bed, and after 10-15 minutes in that thing, (I was facing outward, with my back against the board) it seemed to really put my back in order. They bought it after they were spending too much money to see the chiropractor, and this helps a lot. Just thought I’d share. I know you’ve mentioned going to a chiropractor before, so thought it might interest you.

    Reply
  15. SnoWhite says

    August 9, 2010 at 7:42 am

    We’ve lived in MI for 5 years, and cherries and blueberries were some of the best reasons for living there!

    Reply

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