Heather ... Mom

This picture reminds me so much of pictures I've seen with our mom gazing lovingly at Heather and me when we were babes. Heather is a mother in the strong tradition of Grandma Sue.

Some family history

Turns out Put-in-Bay and the Erie islands are linked to the Beecheler family. My dad's dad, Carl Beecheler, came from a family of 9, growing up in Sandusky. His father left the family for another woman in Indiana. So in about 1909, at age 13, my Grandpa Carl had to quit school and go to work. One of the places he worked was on North Bass Island, which was owned by his aunt (my Great Aunt Mae Fox) and her husband. Carl did odd jobs and maintenance for them. When he turned 18, he was eligible to work on a steamship so he left North Bass to work on the Arrow, which ferried wealthy passengers from Sandusky, Ohio, to South Bass Island and the posh Victory Hotel (which later burned to the ground). Shortly after that, Carl enlisted in the Navy and went off to fight in WWI on Naval ships, such as the Kentucky.

Carl's whole life was centered around Lake Erie. He always had boats -- 16' and 18' Lymans. He was a die hard fisherman who kept his preacher out on the Lake to fish for hours even after the preacher got dreadfully sea-sick. My dad carried on the lake tradition with all his boats and island adventures. Below, you can see a brick that lays in front of the square downtown Put-in-Bay commemorating his dad's tie to the Lake Erie islands.

Dad sharing family history during a dinghy ride in the bay.

Put-in-Bay

Ya know, I've been to various points of the globe, as has my sis, but we both agreed that our vacation together with dad and Linda to Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie was way up on the list of favorites. Why? First because we were all together and enjoyed each other's company from sun-up to sun-down. We stayed at a super sweet B&B with lovely hosts and mouth-watering breakfasts taken under a gazebo in the yard. The weather was picture perfect. Watching the cousins -- Anna, MJ and Charlotte -- made everyone smile. Swimming and boating in Lake Erie; finding smooth, shiny beach glass; riding bikes around the island; eating fried perch and fattening desserts every night; watching the sun set over the bay; learning about island history at the museum, Perry's monument and the underground caves; getting silly drinking at the winery and then biking home ... And we relished thoughts of Grandma Sue and all the good times we spent with her boating and island hopping years ago.

If you're hungry for more, see Heather's sweet blog about our vaca at http://www.themalcomsons.blogspot.com/.

Thanks, Dad and Linda for a memorable end to the summer.

In front of Anchor Inn, our B&B.

Me lookin' like a granny drinking coffee in the gazebo at Anchor Inn.

Cousin love.

In front of Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial.

On TOP of Perry's -- MJ was a brave girl to climb up with Daddy.

View of the Bay from the top of Perry's.

Boat ride home from Cedar Point holding the monkey I won for her. The winning of this monkey was the worst part of the trip. I played a game where one of those teeny boppers guessed my age. They had to come within 2 years to win, and the kid guessed that I was 39!!!! 39!!!! It was pretty devastating but I got over it ... sort of ...

On Middle Bass Island collecting sea glass.

Rowdy group at Heineman's Winery on South Bass Island.

Char's first swing ride!

Beech Buoy anchored off Middle Bass.

MJ's Milestones

In one week, our go-get-um almost-5-year-old managed to check off three things from her list:

1. Ride without training wheels (this took her about 20 minutes to learn, with help from Grandpa)

2. Swim under water (she has refused all summer throughout swim lessons to put her head under water and then proceeded to swim like a fish within one hour of our vacation at Put-in-Bay)

3. Ride first rollercoaster (well, it was the JUNIOR Gemini at Cedar Point, but still!)

Congrats, Pipsqueak!

We Heart Amy

Our summer sitter was a gem. Amy, who not surprisingly is thriving at UW's teacher's college, spent about 15 hrs/wk June-August with the kids. They loved every minute of their time with her and were sad to say goodbye. Amy did things like take them to the zoo and pool and bring her "publishing box" once a week for the kids to write and illustrate stories. She took lots of time to really listen to the kids and to honor their little voices. She was an excellent problem-solver and managed conflict better than I do! I predict that Amy will be an outstanding teacher ... and a wonderful mother. Thank you, Amy! You have truly been a blessing to us.

Smiley faces at the zoo w/ Amy.

Oxford, Wisconsin

Thanks to our generous friends the Maleckis for sharing their cabin with us and the Duffy-Rhodes family on scenic Goose Lake. We had so much fun kayaking, swimming, canoeing, fishing, cooking out, roasting marshmallows and hanging out among the pines and fresh air. A great summer memory for us all.

Summer sports