Marquette, Michigan

For the 4th of July weekend, we drove up to Marquette on the Upper Penninsula of Michigan. It was an 8 hour trip thanks to Chicago traffic, but was nice to get out of the city and really a treat to see stars again. Here are some shots from our trip.

The harbor and drydock in downtown Marquette


We went out for a bike ride around town and made sure to stop by to see Liza's great-grand parents house. Great Grandpa Toivo built the house that sits next to the University. It's now inhabited by a group of college guys.


Lake Superior



A mother deer and her fawn on Presque Isle


The next day we caught a boat tour along the Pictured Rocks. They are these amazing cliffs that tower over the lake. Water that seeps out of the rocks leaves behind mineral deposits and wonderful colors.



To give you a sense of scale, note the tiny kayakers at the bottom of the cliff.




Yannie on the boat.




First shots of Liza with her haircut! More to come later.

Lubec, Maine

We drove up to Lubec, Maine, set up camp and then did a little exploring. It was a chilly afternoon, but it was such a pleasure to smell the salty sea air and wild roses along the beach.




Planning our hike for the next day.


Shine lighting the campfire for marshmallows.


One of my favorite parts of the trip was eating around the camp fire. Beth toasted bread for breakfast before a long day of hiking.


Breakfast of toast, cheese and canned mackeral.


It was a lovely day for a hike and we chose the coastal trail. After walking through the woods, the trees opened to gorgeous rocky cliffs overlooking the ocean.






After the hike we stopped by Quoddy Head Lighthouse, the easternmost point in the USA.


Back at camp for relaxing by the fire and some tasty campfire stew.



And, more hiking later in the week in Round Pond, Maine

Round Pond & Liberty, Maine

After Kristie's wedding, Liza headed north to visit with her family and eat some lobster. While visiting Grammie, Ariel wandered outside for a nap under the apple tree in the field.



In midweek, we drove north for a few days of camping. On the way we stopped in Liberty Maine at the antique tool shop. They had an amazing collection of tools and other antiques in an old three story building. Here are some shots from our visit.

One of many boxes of drill bits.


There were shelves and shelves of jars and jars of gears, nails, screws, and other miscellaneous hardware parts.


Shine picked up a new hatchet for chopping campfire logs.

Kristie's Wedding

In early June, Liza flew out to Maine for her friend Kristie's wedding. It was in the quaint, New England town of York, Maine and a lovely destination for a wedding. Liza was one of the bridesmaids, so she had the chance to get some fun shots of the rehearsal and wedding prep.

Kristie and Rob listen to the minister explain the ceremony at the rehearsal.


Kristie prepares for her first practice walk down the aisle and Rob contemplates the upcoming vows.


After the rehearsal the group took a trolley down to a local lobster wharf for a Maine lobster dinner, complete with bibs. Below is Kristie's good friend Derek waiting for his lobstah.


Latoya, a friend from college and her fiance.


Yum!


And, wedding day!
Kristie getting ready




Kristie, one of the world's most organized people, is ready with plenty of time to relax before the dress goes on.


This was the last shot as it was time to put my dress on and let the official photographer take over.

Despina & Tom's Wedding

In the end of May, we flew out to New Jersey for Despina's (Yannie's cousin) wedding. Here are a few shots from the reception:

Yannie's cousins Sophia and Stergios


Yannie's brother Chris and his wife Holly


Yannie and his cousin's son Apostole.

Liza's Hair

Liza's hair has grown quite long over the years and is well below her waist. The time is nearing for a haircut, but before doing so, she decided to make a photo project of it. Here are a few of the favorites so far. To see others, take a look at her photo blog: www.lizalittlehawk.wordpress.com

Gorilla Hands

We spent a warmish spring saturday at the Brookfield Zoo, just outside of Chicago. It was a nice day to walk around. We were surprised to see that Yannie's hands are not much smaller than the gorilla's: