We left mid-morning, and upon arriving, picked up a park map and ate our packed lunches at a picnic table. The park's main attraction (for us) is its canyons. Several hiking trails and boardwalk staircases wind in and around them, all along the river. We chose a route, and started hiking...

It's been some time since my last "life lately" post, so, to catch up, here are some things I may have forgotten to mention over the last several weeks:Still sipping on bulletproof coffee every morning. Snacking on kalamata olives, nuts, organic cheese, fruit, and homemade baked goodies.Video chats with my mom. She reads a few books to Cooper (usually bear-themed, since those are always a favorite!) and we get a chance to catch up while he plays...

We pack snacks and water, the stroller, and what we fondly refer to as Cooper's "adventure pack," but what is in reality a mini fanny pack he can use to hold/collect little treasures. The drive north a pleasant one, winding and green, with the tiniest hints of cooler days ahead. I knit in the car while Nicholas drove, Cooper played with stickers and his etch-a-sketch, and we all listened to a podcast and some Anberlin, since we've been on a throwback music kick lately). ...

We celebrated with a date night, courtesy of my SIL, Katelyn watching Cooper at home. I wore a skirt and top, my hair freshly curled while Cooper rummaged through the bathroom cabinet at my feet, and lots of discussion about how this was a special date for just mama and daddy, but we'd take him on another date soon. In the car, we listened to music we loved when we started dating (circa 2010ish), all those years ago. Our reservations were at a new-to-us restaurant, not far from the lake...

On that note, here are little tidbits of our life lately: More beach days. On our most recent one, Cooper really enjoyed swimming in the lake with us. We're at the point in the season where the water is so much warmer than it was. Still chilly, because it's Lake Michigan, of course, but less of a shocking and more of a refreshing chilly...