Pretty Lake 2005~Friday

I left work early thinking about the head start we were going to get on the other north bound travelers. Not so much. I was going with my brother-in-law, sister, nephew and niece. I guess its hard to pack for a family of four. Not a big deal. We finally got on the road around three…with two other stops. First, Jersey Giant. Second, an hour long shopping spree at the Mt. Pleasant Meijer. I think we finally arrived at Pretty Lake around 5 or 5:30.

I love it up there. It’s about 40 minutes west of Mt. Pleasant, just outside of Mecosta. My grandparents used to live in Remus so I’m familiar with the area besides having my aunt and uncle up there. All of it brings back so many memories. We set up the tent and made tacos for dinner. Lyndsay was disappointed that we weren’t going tubing until tomorrow but we promised her a smore. We cooked them on the grill because everyone was too tired to build a fire. I sat and visited with my aunt Helen. We talked about Grandma and how the one year anniversary of her death was almost here and how she started going downhill a year ago. We both got a little teary. She told me that Don, Grandma’s boyfriend, had died sometime earlier this year. I think they were keeping each other alive. I still get a small flicker of anger when I think about all of it.

I slept in the tent with Jeff, Lyndsay, and Bradley. Did I say I slept? No, I didn’t sleep well. It got pretty cool outside. At one point, around 2:30 a.m., I forced myself to go inside to use the restroom and grab an extra blanket. When I stepped back outside, I gasped. The stars…there were thousands of them. They were so bright and beautiful. I stood in awe of it all…in awe of God. I felt small underneath the immensity. I thought of a line from the song “More”: “I love you more than the stars that are taught how to shine and you shine for me, too.” I smiled. God loves me. Then, I got freaked out by all the nature and crept back into the tent.