Sleeping Bear Dunes Field Trip

On Friday we took a field trip with some students who sold a certain number of items at school for a fundraiser. It was a two hour trip each way on the bus, but it was pretty fun! This is the Lake Michigan overlook. There is a 400 or 450 foot drop (I can't remember which). We have taken college students and our Sunday school class on an outing here before. Usually, we run down the hill and walk along the shoreline to a different area to be picked up after a bonfire. Well, this time, the kids ran down the hill, and they had to come back up the same hill in order to get back on the bus! The trip down was fun...I'm not so sure about the trip back up.

Meagan thought she wasn't going to make it, but with a few loving encouragements from Daddy along the way, they both made it. Chad said that Meagan would stop along the way and just lie there, so discouraged, saying, "I can't make it, Daddy." Daddy would sidle up next to her, give her a little hug, and tell her she was doing a great job. Then she would be able to go just a little bit further.

When I heard that story, I thought about how often I find myself "lying on the side of the hill," looking at my Heavenly Father and saying, "I can't make it, Daddy." Then He sidles up next to me, gives me a little hug, and tells me I'm doing a great job. Then I can go just a little bit further! What a great Daddy Meagan has to teach her through every day living how her Heavenly Father loves her! Along those same lines, Chad said that he needed Meagan just as much as she needed him. Every time that he encouraged her, he was encouraging himself at the same time. Sometimes I think that I am too discouraged to try to help someone else out of their discouragement, but often, if I will make myself encourage someone else, I am much more encouraged myself!

They're still smiling because they're getting ready to run down the hill!

Derek didn't even run down the hill, but the brisk autum air wore him out!

Meagan trying to figure out if she really wants to run all the way down or not

This is Tyler's first little winter hat. Doesn't he look so cute?

Part of the group - Meagan is in the front row with the blue hat on

Tyler was fussy, so I gave him a plastic spoon to play with. After about 20 minutes, he fell right to sleep with the spoon still in his hand. I didn't dare to try to take it out!

It sure is a long way down there! The people at the bottom look like crumbs.

I took several different pictures of this autumn colored road. I just loved it.