Quick Trip to Holland

Since it was Texas' turn to host Katie and JP for Christmas, they decided to come out to Michigan for a weekend at the end of January.   Aren and Leah were able to make it too, since the snow-pocalypse waited for the week to come.

Joel, Ky, and I left Detroit around 7pm and were able to pick Katie and JP up from the airport.  Aren and Leah were already at Joel's parents.  We all stayed up too late talking.

Saturday, we had family pictures taken by Awakened Images.  David and Cara are good friends of ours.  Cara grew up in the same church as Joel and graduated with both of us from high school.  The pictures aren't up yet, but when they are I will let you know.  It was so fun.  Joel, Aren, and JP say that it has been over ten years since they had family photos done.  It was a good family activity.  After the pictures, we headed to JP's to warm up.  (We had pictures done outside downtown Holland.)  Saturday afternoon, the guys (well, not Ky) went to explore frozen Lake Macatawa.  They had way too much fun trying to put holes in the ice.  The girls stayed home while Kyper napped and had some good catch up time.  Joel's cousin Sam and his fiance and little girl stopped by too.  It was fun to see them.  Little Sophie grew a lot since we saw her in Oct. Saturday evening we played a rousing game of Wise and Otherwise. Overall, it was a very relaxing day.

Katie and I matched.  We didn't match this well in the pictures, but got a kick out of our similar clothing choices.

JP fishing with the rope they took along just in case.  Rog is doing something with his phone.

Rog was the moving target for snowballs thrown by Aren and JP

"Let's get this piece of ice here and see if we can make the hole bigger."

A cousins picture: Aren, Joel, Ky, Heidi, Sophie, Sam, JP, Me, Leah and Katie.

Sunday morning, Joel and I headed to my parents' house to have brunch with them and my brother's family.  It was good to see them.  Kyper loves my dad and while we are there as nothing to do with us.  We headed back to the Phillips house to have some Sunday dinner with them.  After dinner the guys explored the icebergs on Lake Michigan, while the girls had more catch up time and time to pack.  Once the guys came back my in-laws took JP and Katie to the airport.  Joel, Ky and I had one stop left--Subway for dinner and another chance to see our niece Mariah, who works there.  She is one awesome sandwich artist. :)

On the icebergs

The icebergs with Big Red in the background

There you have it.  Our quick trip to Holland.