Last day in Michigan and the trip home

We spent the last day of our trip driving to the "thumb" of Michigan to bury Grandpa Stringer in the cemetery with his wife and other relatives. The thumb is full of beautiful farms that were homesteaded just a few generations ago. On the way home, we drove by the old Roth farm, where Grandpa Stringer's wife, Marjorie, grew up. Though it's still in the family, the fields are farmed by a company and a family rents the house and outbuildings.



After we got home from the "thumb", NanaB and Granddad watched Charlie Jo for us (feeding her dinner and putting her to bed!) while we met up with Corey's college roommate and his wife for dinner in downtown Detroit. The new riverwalk that was recently built is fun to walk along -- especially after you have just eaten your weight in lasagna and need a little break before getting back into the car. Trust me. Apparently Charlie Jo was a model toddler the whole evening. We're pretty sure NanaB and Granddad may have accidentally confused her with a kid from down the street, because I have never known CJ to eat lettuce or voluntarily lie down to have her diaper changed! Either that, or NanaB has some secrets she's not sharing about toddler-wrangling.

On our way home the next day, we stopped a lot to break up the nine-hour drive. At one rest stop, CJ was delighted to find little pine cones. She would like to share one with you.



We didn't see much of the elusive Sleeping Toddler and instead spent much more time with Whining Toddler (and Whining Pregnant Mommy, to tell you the truth), but here is one shot Corey caught of an elusive glimpse of the former.