When you’re senior citizens (like us), and your children have been off, gone, and busy with their own lives as long as ours have, it’s hard to remember how full your house can seem having teenagers around. Laughter-filled, chatter-filled, always-in-motion-filled, siblings-good-naturedly-fighting-filled . . . . . just FILLED.
And then they leave.
I’m typing this around 6:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. Jordan and Matthew are somewhere in the air between Detroit and Atlanta. From Atlanta they’ll fly into Daytona Beach after dark. The house is quiet. I can once again hear bike tires and lawn mowers and ferry horns.
I miss them already.

It’s a pretty special day when your grandchildren invite you to dinner at the Woods Restaurant . . . . THEIR treat! That’s what happened Sunday. We took the Woods shuttle from downtown. Actually GETTING to the Woods is part of the delight of eating there. The trip up Cadotte . . .

On Monday we rode our bikes around the island, stopping to peek at the progress at Silver Birches.

Late afternoon on Monday we took Maddie on a long walk along the shoreline at Mission Point.

It had been such a beautiful day we didn’t want it to end.

Had to snap a pic of this flower. I think it’s a weed (someone correct me if I’m wrong), but it sure was a beautiful weed!

Jordan, Maddie, and Ted – walking back to the condo.

. . . while Matthew practiced his putting just across the street.

A daylily in a Mission Point garden.

The island grapevine went crazy over the weekend when this yacht, owned by Jimmy Johns, pulled into the bay. The rumor on the streets was that Kid Rock was aboard.

And, sure enough, later that evening he was spotted in the Pink Pony. (Photo: Pink Pony)

Monday night ice cream at the No Name Café. We’d say we’re probably part-owners in Moomers Ice Cream now!

Ted and I were sad when we realized this morning would be the last time we had four bikes in the racks at this condo. We rode them into town . . .

. . . had breakfast at the Chuck Wagon, then turned in Jordan and Matthew’s bikes to Mackinac on Wheels.

Too soon we were on Shepler’s (Matthew and I rode up top) and heading for the airport. We got a close-up look at the American Integrity as we turned out of the harbor.

Last glance going through security (Ted saw them onto the plane with a special pass) . .

And then they were away.
It’s sad when we look back and think Jordan and Matthew are 16 and 14, and this is the first time they’ve spent this long with us without their parents. Many of their “growing-up” years were spent in Arkansas, and we only saw them once or twice a year. One of the big reasons we moved to Florida was to get to know our grandchildren (and have them get to know us) before they were “off and away” – just like our children are now. It was a good move.
Jordan and Matthew, when your mom and dad asked where you’d like to spend a week’s vacation, we thank you for both saying “with BeBe and G-Daddy on Mackinac!”
Our hearts are full tonight. We love you, and we miss you. You are both awesome beyond words, and you make us so, so proud every single day.
Hold things together in Florida until we get back.
God bless.