We did that a lot, as you will see in the pictures.  It was nice to have a big kitchen, lots of space, and hungry people (other than ourselves!) to feed!  I think Betsy's mom liked having us there...  When we weren't eating, and cleaning up our messes, we were out galavanting around Ann Arbor and Saline.  We took a trip to Cabela's and Betsy got a tent for her Birthday!  It's inauguration is planned for the 4th of July.  I got a new jacket (which I didn't need, but it was on clearance, and a pretty color), and a CamelBak, which I did "need" and have been shopping for for a while.  We also went dress shopping, and both Betsy and I came home with a few new dresses for the summer.  AND they were all on sale.  Perfection.  There was more shopping involved that day, but I can't remember where all we went... lots has happened between now and then.

We spent one day walking around the University of Michigan campus.  Yes, there was a TINY bit more shopping, but mostly we wandered around looking at the buildings and getting lost.  We met one of Betsy's friends from swimmming for coffee, and gave her some sagely advice about Step 1, which she took TODAY!  Congrats! 

On Wednesday, we spent the morning at Betsy's grandparents house, where she (and her mother) spent much of their childhoods.  I got the grand tour of the house and back yard, learned where all the candy bowls were hidden, and had a delicious pumpkin lasagna and strawberry pie lunch (ok, there was more to it than that, but those were the highlights!).  After that, I hit the road and drive to my grandparents house in Ludington.  It was SOOO good to see them!  I saw them last year at my brothers wedding, but it had been years before that.  We used to go every summer and spend a week at Lake Michigan, but since I went to college that hasn't really happened.  We had a great visit and I got to relive a little of my childhood :)  Wednesday night my grandpa and I went to DQ to get ice cream, and then went to watch the sun set over the lake.  I proceeded to drip ice cream all over one of my previously mentioned newly purchased dresses.  It was totally worth it. 

Thursday grandma and I went to get pedicures!  Relaxing and fun!  The timing was a little bad and I was practically done before she got started, but it was still fun :)  Then we went to House of Flavors for lunch, and I got grilled cheese!!!  It's like the best grilled cheese ever.  I was afraid my childhood memory of it's extreme deliciousness was a bit exaggerated, but it wasn't.  Pure heaven.  Topped off, of course, with some hand made House of Flavors ice cream.  Grandma and I took a walk that night out to the lighthouse and watched the car ferry come in.  It's a BIG boat that shuttles people and cars across the lake to Wisconsin.  When we got back, grandpa had cooked us dinner!  I'm telling you, vacation is the life.

Friday grandpa and I watched some soccer and we relaxed a lot.  It was fabulous.  We went out to dinner with some of their friends, and then took a drive through the country and saw a teeny tiny baby fawn!  She was soooo cute and tiny!  After dinner, grandma and I went over to some friends house who we used to see every summer growing up.  Their boys had a fort built in the woods that we used to go play in.  I hadn't seen them in YEARS so it was good to catch us.  We went over because Kris had a picture of my grandpa from the Relay For Life survivors lap.  It's a fantastic picture that I can't wait to frame and put on my desk. 

Saturday I drove back to Betsy's house after my grandparents hooked me up with the Michigan necessities: Maple syrup, sweet cherries, strawberries, and venison.  We went out for dinner, then out to Ann Arbor for some live music and salsa dancing!  We didn't dance... we watched.  It was more fun that way!

On Sunday, we had to pack to drive home :(  We did that first, so breakfast wouldn't be spoiled by packing.  Then Betsy's grandparents came over and we made a father's day carrot cake pancake breakfast.  They were DELICIOUS.  Highlight of the feast was realizing that the shred attachment to a food processor was WAY more efficient than me and a cheese grater and some baby carrots... We also premiered my "congratulations to me on finishing a 9 hour test" present, the Williams Sonoma Breakfast and Brunch cookbook by making blackberry champagne.  The day was spoiled by the fact we had to leave to drive home. 

So, we loaded the car with WAY more than we came with, said our goodbyes, and drove off into the sunset.  The drive home was off to a good start when neither of us was paying attention through Toledo and ended up on a small country road... which we decided to take the whole way through Ohio because it was pretty.  As good a reason as any to take a road as any!  Roadtrip are one of those things that, if you weren't there, don't make sense to people who weren't there.  I'll give you some of the highlights!  Zero G mountain turns, smurfs, Lily's seat-belted in the back seat, iPod battery death, singing Defying Gravity over and over and over again, Cracker Barrel (which apparently doesn't exist until AFTER Charleston, WV), poorly timed pee breaks, and the new Sim Cities of cholelithopolis and nephrolithopolis.  Yes, I know none of that makes sense.  That's the point!  We rolled into town a little before 11 PM, unloaded, unpacked, and cried tears of ended-vacation sadness :(

Overall, we drove over 1700 miles.  Not too shabby.

This post was kind of like a huge novel, and I'm sorry for that.  Tomorrow will bring a post about my new rotation, Neuro-Rehab, and will herrald the return of meaningful thoughts.  I hope you've enjoyed the last month of food and fun!

Until tomorrow,

Kari