It was a very busy month, a sign that the summer season in Michigan has kicked off!

We started out by celebrating a belated birthday – my mom had a birthday this winter but we waited until everyone was vaccinated so we could have a “normal” party with maskless hugs and an indoor meal. It was great!

A few days after that, we left for Chattanooga. We had a great time there, and I shared a ton of photos in the post about our vacation! It was the perfect mix of urban and wild exploration: we hiked, we enjoyed breweries, we saw so many gorgeous cliff-top views!

As soon as we unpacked after our trip, we immediately packed up for a busy weekend. Part of that prep included a bus chore that we’ve been putting off for over a year, and since it’s a safety issue we REALLY shouldn’t have waited so long. We put new cushions/covers in the front seats, but never installed the headrests because it involves cutting holes in our brand new seat covers. It was finally time to bite the bullet. Kyle even called the company we bought them from, and their only advice was “Be brave!”

Then we drove the bus up north for a wedding! We didn’t want to drive all the way home in the dark, so instead we crashed at my parent’s house. Mom’s peppers and tomatoes were ready to go into the garden, so we had a gardening party too!

The bus, after making a long drive with no issues, decided not to start the next morning. Could it really be a dead battery? It hasn’t been sluggish to start, so there’s been no indication of battery issues. And then suddenly it fired up just fine! Kyle started chasing connections and found our starter cable had corroded beyond repair. Luckily he had everything on hand to rig up a new connection and we were back in business!

We stopped at home just long enough to swap vehicles, then drove to Indiana for a cookoff / birthday party with Kyle’s family! Kyle has been perfecting his technique for smoking a breakfast fatty, which doesn’t sound like a smoked meat treat but it is! And what’s better than one smoked meat? A competition where everyone makes some!

The food was so, so good, but I couldn’t determine a winner. I think we’ll need to have a tie-breaker competition to settle the score! And it was great to catch up with his family. Life feels like it’s almost back to normal!

The following weekend we were invited a to join a campout / birthday party (our third birthday party this month!), and eager to get back in the bus we happily accepted! One thing I love about our bus travels is that we’re making a habit of finding a park or some green space on the map and stopping for lunch. On our way north we stopped along the Muskegon River for sandwiches, food with a view!

It was a quiet little kayak launch area, and I decided to pop the drone in the air for a few minutes to get a better view of the river. Wide and shallow!

We continued on to our campsite and got the bus set up. Our site was nice and secluded, right on a small lake. Solitude and views, just like camping should be!

This is the first time we’ve used the awning while camping, and it is excellent for some homemade shade!

Kyle and Bob took the birthday girl out for an evening canoe, and had fun exploring the wildlife around the lake.

I must have had so much fun at the birthday party that I forgot to take any photos, so instead I’ll share another drone pic. This is the lake we camped on!

It was a perfect camping weekend, although I was very excited for a shower when we got home! Our trip home was a little delayed when we ran into a crazy downpour. It probably wouldn’t have lasted too long if we’d driven through it, but I was ready to stop for lunch anyway so we pulled over at a park and watched the parking lot flood. After we ate, bright sky wasn’t far on the horizon so we continued south.

Everyone around me is gardening! Our tiny apartment has an even tinier yard, so I don’t have too many options this year. Then Amy gave me a planter, and Mom pulled some herbs out of her own garden, and suddenly I have a very cute little herb garden going!

After such a huge month, we were ready to spend Memorial Weekend at home doing absolutely nothing! But by the time Sunday rolled around we had some energy back and invited Caleb and Amy over for Sunday brunch. Amy made a Nordic Kringle to share, which is a delightful pastry/cake filled with marzipan and fruit filling. I had a lot of good food this month but the Kringle miiiiiiiight be the best thing I ate in May!

It’s great months like this that make up for the hard months of winter. Now that COVID cases are down around the nation and vaccinations are up – everyone we see on a regular basis is fully vaccinated! – I have high hopes for a social summer!