For their 40th anniversary, my parents booked a gorgeous vacation house for the weekend. Deep in the woods of northern Michigan, we gathered together at Au Sable View Lodge for food, fun and games.
To get to the lodge, it was a long and winding drive along the snow covered roads in the evergreen forest – it was truly a winter wonderland.
As you can see, our rag tag bunch of misfits is ready to PARTY!
I couldn’t wait to get inside and start exploring. One of the first things I found was a guest book that records the names and stories of everyone who has stayed at the house. I had a great time looking through it and reading the adventures other people had shared.
The house had lots of unique decorating elements, from the snow shoe light fixtures to the historical picture books.
Some of the animals mounted on the walls had a story to tell. We learned that Dolly the buffalo lived a long and happy life on a ranch in northern Michigan. She had a very sweet temperament and was her owner’s favorite buffalo. When she died, they had her stuffed and gave her to the owners of the lodge. Now she greets all the guests who stay at the house.
This weekend was all about having fun, so we brought several games to keep us entertained. My sister, Sarah, was so pleased (insert sarcasm here) that Justin and I taught Kaden how to play Zombie Dice. For the record, Kaden was really good!
After relaxing for a while, we decided to bundle up and explore outside. The incredible views from the balcony of the lodge made it feel like we were in a treehouse!
We took Gracie for a walk along the snowy paths through the woods.
As evening set in, Justin and I got to work on a surprise for my parents. Four hours and two bottles of wine later, we called them over and presented their anniversary cake.
Here’s to 40 happy years and many, many more!
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