It doesn’t take much for our crew to fall in step with a different pace and a change of scenery. We all love venturing out to new places, and to places we’ve been but are hungry to get back to again. In this countdown to baby, I am equal parts a homebody and looking for a few last hurrahs with Jason and the kids before life shifts into a new gear.

Jason spoke at a conference in Detroit yesterday, and we decided last minute to hop in the car all together Thursday night. The kids and I hung out at the hotel yesterday morning, and then we moseyed our way back to town last night. I remember that feeling of just how special it was to sleep in a hotel as a kid, and ours enjoy it just as much as I did growing up. We got to town on the late side Thursday, and H and E were up until midnight laughing and whispering and giggling themselves silly.

Bedtime shenanigans. Hard to resist.

Yesterday morning, we had to take advantage of big cozy beds and extra pillows to stay comfy in pjs with cartoons for a while, before seeking out something resembling breakfast. It delights me that our kids are genuinely friends at this stage–I just love how they love to be together. When we did venture out for food, exploring the hotel with them and settling into breakfast at the coffee shop downstairs made me so glad we’d come. I treasure my coffee dates with the kids so much!

Once J was done with his presentation, we gathered up our things and headed out to find lunch and a few spots to visit for fun. We drove to the Eastern Market just outside of downtown and had a great meal at Milano Bakery–worth a stop for sure, if you’re in town. Everyone was so incredibly friendly, and the food was delish. We couldn’t help but leave with a box of cookies for the road (and they gave us a free loaf of bread to take home, too…just because). I love stumbling into gems like this one! We’ll be back, for sure.

From there, we tried to make an impromptu visit to the Shinola watch factory, but we weren’t lucky enough to catch a tour this time around. It would have been fun to check out their space, but we’ll try again. And then, because we were awfully close and I couldn’t resist, we popped over to Hamtramck and Better Life Bags headquarters. I’ve always wanted to go and never made it until now. They didn’t have retail hours yesterday, but I still got to say hello and browse their beautiful bag wall. If only I were in the market for another…I love their products and their mission.

On the way home, we made a longish stop in Ypsilanti to visit a friend and her amazing coffee and tap house, cultivate. She and her husband, along with some friends, have created the loveliest space, and I’ve been itching to visit since they first opened almost a year ago. Timing worked out just perfectly–our impromptu stop turned into a few hours of catching up and the chance for our kiddos play together again. We enjoyed lattes and Milano Bakery cookies on the back patio, and the kids had a dance party and ran around in cultivate’s beautiful (and sprawling) outdoor space. It was so good to connect with my sweet friend after almost three years (though it doesn’t feel that long), and the charm of Ypsi will undoubtedly call us back on another family adventure soon.

The drive back to town last night was longish for everyone, but the kids are troopers, even when we feed them at odd hours and call it quiet time and lights out after a good, long while of chatter and singing and squabbling from the backseat. No matter how many hiccups an adventure might hold, we just seem to naturally fall into the pace of roaming and exploring together. I love this part of who we are as a family, and I’m hopeful that baby #3 will slot into the mix and enjoy our wanderings as much as the rest of us do. He or she will have some pretty great tour guides and entertainment in the back seat!

Arriving home late last night, with the weekend still stretched out before us, we were all a little worn and ready to fall into bed. This morning’s rain showers were perfect for a sleepy, slow wake up and low key family time at home today–just what we all needed. There’s still baby prep happening this weekend, as well as yard work, outside time, church, and a trip to the beach tonight, which just means that God has been gracious to us in affording us time again leading up to baby. I am so grateful for this, and for silly memories of hotel shenanigans with our high energy kiddos, driving around in circles in the Motor City, and a sweet summer breeze in Ypsi as we shared a slice of time with friends we’ve missed. Measures of grace poured out once again, to be sure.

ever closer…

mm