Hockey Hall of Fame

night skating....every night.

Our Carlson tradition is starting to get a little crowded.

We spent the weekend with my family in Frankenmuth.

It's a tradition we started years ago for my dad's birthday.
(2008...2009...2010...2011)

We were all unable to spend the night last year and just came up for the day.

This year we purposed to do it right.

It was a lot different this year....

8 adults and 9 kids (6 of them 2 yrs or younger).

I wasn't able to get many pictures, and since my sister Keri is our designated family photographer, I'm hoping to get some good ones from her.

Family Fun Day: Blakes Apple Orchard and Cider Mill

We LOVE fall around here.

Actually, if you live in Michigan, fall is probably your favorite time of year.

Last night we had a rare Friday night free, so we headed up to the cider mill.

It couldn't have been more perfect!

Family Fun Day: Thunder Over Michigan

Today we headed to Willow Run for the Thunder Over Michigan Air Show. We got front row seats on the other side of airport in a hanger where Uncle Justin works. It was so much fun to see! I told the kids that they were experiencing something new, the same time I was experiencing something new: being inside an airplane hanger! (I knew they would think that was pretty neat.) Thank you Uncle Justin!

Family Fun Day: Maker Faire Detroit

I am SO bummed.

We had a whole day of incredible memories captured on our camera today...and I somehow managed to delete them all before they were uploaded. I am holding back tears.

The kids got to meet life-size Star Wars characters (Storm Troopers, R2D2, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, etc)... all deleted.

The kids got to play with robots, make projects, even play in a pretend mechanics garage putting a car back together and changing the tires... all deleted.

They got to play with thousands of legos... including ones that made rubber band shooters, cars and helicopters... all deleted.

We got to watch a life size mouse trap game smash a real car at the end and got to interact with a life-size movable pacman... all deleted.

It's too painful to even go on.

All I can say is that even though they aren't recorded, we still have the memories and it was an amazing day. If you have the chance to hit up the Maker Faire at anytime in your life...do it... you will love it (and so will your kids!)

Here are the few pics I got at the very end of the day: