St. Joseph, MI

The annual Vander Tuin family vacation was yet again, good times for all. This year we traveled to St. Joseph, Michigan, to play at the big lake and various beaches. While the heavy rains on Saturday put a mild damper on our beach time, the hotel pool and an afternoon visit to a movie theater easily took up the slack. Simply, anywhere everyone can gather together for a little fun turns out to be THE place to be. What a blessing it is to have a family that actually likes one another and enjoys spending time together!

For reference, my two older brothers (Elton & Brett) and their families, and my little sister (Emily, who flew in from Oakland, CA), along with my dad and mom make us a brood numbering 17.

My dad and brothers Elton & Brett hanging in the pool.
You can see I come from a family that puts a high priority on maintaining a tan at all times.

My oldest brother's wife, Lauri - chilaxin'

Emma, of course, attacking the pool and having a blast!

Friday, the weather was nice enough to head to the beach. We went to Warren Dunes State Park, a beach that sports 2.5 miles of beach and of course, gorgeous dunes.

Part of the gang - the other part was cruising on the
St. Joseph River on my dad's pontoon boat.

My brother Elton trying out my brother Brett's
handmade strip kayak, a beautiful labor of love.

On a side note, Brett is in the middle of making
a second strip kayak for a 2 week trip, next summer, where he
and my little sister will paddle a portion of the Michigan coastline.

Success!