Visit to Michigan

SHHHH!  We are off to Michigan to surprise Jessica's best friend, Jenny Orr for her 18th birthday.  Jenny moved to Michigan over the summer before her senior year.  Jessica, Jenny and Amanda have been best friends since they met back in 2005.

Jessica had to go to basketball practice after school so we had to wait until 5:00 to get her.  We also took a friends of Hannah Orr's...3 teenage girls in my van on a road trip.  What a blast!

Jessica and Amanda made Jenny a book of memories and finished it while on the drive up.  We had many challenges on the ride up.  First, just before getting to Kokomo, IN a semi-tracker trailer tried to push my van off the road.  He came into my lane even with me blowing on the horn.  If it weren't that there was a shoulder to move onto, we would have been in an accident.  Second, the weather started to snow and sleet after passing through Indianapolis.  By the time we got to South Bend, the police had closed down the road to St. Joe.  We drove all over South Bend looking for a way to get back on the road north.  Finally after crossing into Michigan we were able to regain our course and headed for the Orr's house.  Once we got into St. Joe, my GPS gave me wrong directions to their house.  Luckily, we perceived and made it - not by 10:30 pm as planned but by 12:15 am.

To our benefit Jenny was taking a shower.  We were able to sneak into the house and the girls were able to hide in her room to surprise her when she came out of the bathroom.  It was perfect!

They sent the next two days in teenage girl reunion heaven.   On Saturday we drove to Frankenmuth, MI to see the country's largest Christmas store.  We shopped there for a few hours before heading home.  We stopped on the way for a delicious dinner at Cracker Barrel.

 Jessica, Amanda and Jenny

Betsy and Sandra

Best Friends!!!

 Everyone loves Christmas! 

Love that all three girls have adorable black jackets...

T

Sunday we went to the St. Joe ward.  Mark's first job was in St. Joe working for Zenith.  It was the same ward.  We had family dinner with the Orrs before heading home.  Everyone had a terrible time saying good bye.  I felt so bad for them.  Hugs, tears and promises to get together again flooded the driveway as we made our exit.

Funny, the drive home was a challenge too.  We sat in traffic for over an hour 45 minutes north of Louisville.  There was a terrible accident (it looked fatal).  We were all so happy to get home, and get to bed.