Our Trip to Michigan , Part 1 Ypsilanti

Part of our stay here was in Michigan so we could see my grandmas and Kate's namesakes.  First we traveled to Ypsilanti to visit Great Grammie Kathryn Howard.  We had lunch in New Buffalo at Redamak's, a yummy burger dive, and Kate road their firetruck.

I think it was the highlight of the afternoon until we finally reached Great Grammies with much joy and enthusiasm! Great Grammie was so thrilled to have Kate (and me) visit that she gave us her room and she slept on the sofa bed.  Mom and Dad stayed at the Marriott across the lake. For those of you who don't know my grandma, she loves collecting antiques and her place is full of them!  I mean full!  With a very curious (understatement) child, I had been losing sleep over this trip and the thought of letting Kate loose in her home.  Grandma has been saying that Kate could touch what she wanted and if it broke oh well (not something that would have been OK if I had done it at her age!)  Anyway, Kate was wonderful and quite fascinated by the old, delicate antiques.  She didn't even break anything although she apparently did unscrew several knobs while we weren't looking and Grammie discovered after we left. :)  She says Kate can come back and unscrew them any time. :)

Kate was so excited whens he saw the apples!  Then we told her that they were pretend apples. She  still liked them but at least she knew that she couldn't eat these!

So fascinated by the old coffee grinder

Showing (sort of) great grammie the pictures we brought. She was too curious to sit for long.

Sitting in her great, great, great (?) grandfather's chair

The first full day we were there, my great Uncle Les and Aunt Marion came down for a visiting from Saginaw.  Unfortunately we were talking so much we didn't get any pictures together. Kate thought Uncle Les' mustache was funny and tickley! :) Oh did she giggle!

The next day Grandma decided that we needed to go to the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum.  She wasn't able to come with us, but Kate seemed to enjoy it.  It was nice to see different experiments than in our science museum, Explora.

This is actually in the lobby of the hotel which we stopped at before heading to the museum.  Kate saw this art piece and ran across the lobby to it and shouted "Look, Oma, a Solar System!" She them proceeded to count the circles and tell us what planets they were. Of course there are a few extras, but maybe those are moons or dwarf planets. :)

Despite getting sick from spinning too much in Opa's office chair the week before, Kate was thrilled to be spun on this seat! Kate really does have a need for speed!

A tornado

Oooo Bubbles!  Kate and Opa slowly pulled the sheet of bubble solution up as high as they could before it popped.  They even tried blowing a bubble!  It caved but then popped.

future pianist?  Doubt it! But it was fun to walk on.

What did Kate like hte best, the magnets!  She was too short to stand on the platform so she climbed unto the display. She and Opa could have played there for hours. :)

Peeking around to see her handprints

Exhausted! Kate feel asleep in my lap while we were visiting with one of Grandma's neighbors. A nap is such a rare occurrence these days! She does look like an angel. :)

After breakfast on Sunday, we tooks a few pictures and then loaded back into the car to our next stop Grand Rapids!