Project #1: Enlarge the patio

We love our house, but wanted to make some improvements. We started with the patio, which was too small for a gazebo, table, and chairs. The solution was adding 3 feet on each side with paver stones.

We got started by digging out the grass around the existing patio

then laying down the paver base

The next steps were adding a layer of sand and putting the paver stones in place.

The pavers were level with each other, but not level with the existing patio, so we started again.

After putting down about 9 pavers (in 3 hours), we realized that the pavers were not 12"x12". Since the pattern would result in terrible misalignment between the pavers and the patio, we started again.

We dove right back into the project knowing we have a good design and construction technique (notice the level).

We ran out of time and had to put a tarp over the project to protect it from the incoming storm (and tornado warning). After two days, we hoped to pick up where we left off, but found we needed to start again. The pavers had shifted out of place.

In the final start, we used the design that we knew would work. Christie had mastered the technique of adjusting the amount and position of the sand to get pavers in the perfect orientation.

It was a long workday, but we the patio is now larger and we think it looks great. I got pretty dirty lifting and shifting pavers all day. Christie's work resulted in a patio to be proud of.

With a larger patio, the gazebo was put up and chairs were set out for relaxation.

With a fully functional patio, the grill was put to use for the first time.

Proud New Homeowners!

We moved into our first home on cinco de mayo! We are thrilled to be homeowners and thrilled with the house that we own.

Santa LOVES having a yard:

You may notice the long grass - we have since been able to buy a mower and cut the grass.

Anyway, here are some pictures of the house as it was when we moved in.

View of the front

View of the back

Family Room

Kitchen

A great feature:

a rack in the microwave, making it easy to warm up two plates of food!

Camping in Michigan's Upper Peninsula/Mackinac Island

Last August, we set out for a camping weekend in Michigan's Upper Peninsula with our friends the Hoopers (congratulations Tyler and Andrea - you made the blog again). We saw three of the five Great Lakes on the trip - Lake Michigan and Lake Huron as we crossed the Mackinac (pronounced Macki-naw) Bridge here:

We camped right on Lake Superior:

As a side note, we saw Lake Ontario on our trip to Niagara Falls. We got within a few miles of Lake Erie on a trip to Ohio, but we never actually saw it. Maybe we'll put that on the Bucket List.

Now, back the UP (Upper Peninsula) trip. A common food there is a pastie (rhymes with hasty). We heard good reviews, but were not impressed. I (Bruce) think it was like a dry pot pie with some odd spices. They apparently became common in the region when many Cornish people came over and took lumberjack jobs. For someone who just needs food to provide fuel to the body for a long work day, this was a great dish. For someone looking for good food, this is not a great dish.

Unfortunately, our trip was cut short. We went sight seeing for a day, but were hampered by wind and rain. We did see a waterfall during a short hike:

The wind was forecast to continue at 20mph through the night and into the next day. We decided to pack up our camp, which had already been rearranged by the wind. We spent the night in hotel and the next day at Mackinac Island.

While waiting for the boat, Hayden Hooper had a great time scaring birds away from the dock! He had so much fun that he has even mentioned the incident 7 months after it happened.

The weather on the island was beautiful! There are no cars allowed, so we rented bikes and rode around, starting here in the most commercialized part of the island...

continued on...

and on to more remote parts of the island.

We biked around the entire 8 mile perimeter, then got some ice cream before leaving. Most of us put it in our mouths, but Hayden wanted to save some for later.

In case you are wondering what the island was used for in the past, the Army stationed a few hundred troops there. You may be tempted to think that the Canadians were a big threat, but it was really the Indians (Native Americans) that were the concern. For many years, Mackinac Island was also the place for wealthy midwesterners to vacation. It is now accessible to all income levels.

Going back even further, the island had a Catholic missionary presence. Father Marquette established this chapel (yes, it was a chapel) in the 1600s.

Niagara Falls

With only a few weeks left in Michigan, we finally made it to Niagara Falls. We drove out on Wednesday night (April 21) as soon as Christie finished her finals and had to be back by Thursday night because Bruce had a final on Friday. We thought the trip was the perfect length - the falls are amazing, but they really don't change so we didn't see a point to staying longer than an hour.

Here is a picture as we drove by the first time.

We quickly parked and found out how to get closer.

Since pictures don't do justice to Niagara Falls, we captured some video. The first video helps put the size in perspective.

Here is a panoramic view:

...and here is my (Bruce's) favorite video showing both the speed the water is travelling and how close you can actually get to the falls.

My First Half Marathon

This last summer I decided to run the Mackinaw Island Great Turtle Half Marathon with a couple of my girl friends. The only other race I had run was a 5k, so it was an ambitious goal. I started a training routine that consisted of 2 short runs and 1 long run a week for about 10 weeks. I trained at a nice steady pace of about 10min miles so that was my goal pace for the race.

On October 23rd we headed over to Mackinaw City and stayed in a hotel for the night. The next morning be got up bright and early and caught the ferry over to the island. It was near 40 degrees and cloudy for the day of the race, kind of chilly until we all started running.

The race started around 11am and consisted of about 2-3 miles of road running, a long stretch of trail running, and then ended with another couple miles of road. I seemed to be slower than most people on the road but faster on the hills and trails.

I finished the race in about 2hr 10min which is exactly on my 10 min per mile pace!!

The only bummer was that I didn't eat nearly enough calories before the race and so I got really low blood sugar after the race. After forcing down some food and Powerade things seemed to get better. Overall is was a great race!

I would definitely consider doing another!

This was me just after finishing. Somehow I managed to sprint the last quarter mile or so to the finish. I even got a participation metal.