And so it begins...

I arrived safely home yesterday.  My friend and neighbor, Susan, greeted me at baggage claim with a big smile and a hug!!  She brought me home, and then she and her hubby invited me to dinner with them at Cracker Barrel.  I am blessed with such wonderful people in my life!  Dee sent Princess over to greet me, too.  She has missed my treats!  

I want to craft a journal of sorts, documenting all the fun I had over these last two weeks, visiting loved ones and experiencing parts of the country I've never visited before.  It will take a few days...

I left Lakeland on our new Avelo Airlines!!  Non-stop to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where I was met by blogging friend, Mari, and her sister, Cheri!! It was great to meet Mari after being connected through our blogs for many years.  She is genuine and sweet, and it felt like we've known each other for years.  Blogging does that, doesn't it?  Cheri and I have been Facebook friends for a while now, and it was fun meeting her, too!

It started at the Lakeland Linder International Airport.  

We finally have a passenger service!  Avelo!

Not a great picture, but we were approaching Grand Rapids...

On the way to her house, Mari took me by her daughter's home, and I got to meet Alaina and Ruby!!  If you are connected to Mari, you know how sweet these two are!!

When we arrived at Mari's, I settled my luggage in the lovely guest room, and then we went outside to explore their beautiful yard.  Oh-my-goodness!  It is colorful and so well planned!

Bob recently completed a deck on the back of their home.  Well done!!

Mari and I posed on the bench that Bob made...

I had never seen celery fields.  Mari worked planting and picking 

celery when she was in high school, and pointed them out to me.

Later, she took me to see Lake Michigan and that big red lighthouse she posts about now and then!  It IS BIG, and it IS RED!!  The beach there was crowded on a hot day...

We stopped at a Farmer's Market on the way home from there and got some green beans to have for our dinner.  She took my picture and then laughed about me putting it in my blog about how hard she made me work!  I made a face, and she took that one too!  LOL

This is a good place to stop (with a chuckle).  I will start the next day tomorrow!!

Peace and Hugs!!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10:

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"