THE GOOTCH in Grand Haven!!!

Michigan Berries

Drip castles in the sand

The Grandest of Havens

Kate The Great..."I have sprinkles! I have sprinkles! I have sprinkles!" says Kate (isn't she so pretty?!).

"Eat it Kate, or I am gonna take a lick!" says Darin The Gootch and I

Baby Anna

God bless us all! THE GOOTCH and I were reunited. The Gootch became my first friend when I moved to Chicagoland years ago. We worked together at Hewitt Associates in Lincolnshire. She quit and took a job with Kforce in The City. Then she held my hand (via cell phone) to take the train and interview at Kforce and together we worked there. Eventually, we both left Kforce and we remained friends for life. Its ironic, because I was so bored in this new place (Chicago) with only Darin for social life. I was a person that had friends, so I wasn't about to go around begging for people to hang out with. I HAD Best friends! LOTS of friends!... they just didn't happen to live here and I was lonely without them. And The Gootch was the same. So we bonded over this situation of having friends far away. We got to know each other and each others "real friends", while we were living in the same unfamiliar place sharing our stories and histories with one another. Little did we know at the time, perhaps, is that all along we were becoming each other's life long "real" friends too. Similar, but different, than what our high school and college friends were already to each of us. Equally important at the same time. I guess its a bit enchanted, that on my end the Julie's and Cathie's and Tiffany's of the world got to experience that time of life beside me and vice versa. As the Brenna's and Cindy's and Lauda's of Gootch's world did with her. But what Gootch and I got was new and different and it has bonded us all the same. I think to both of our delightful surpise. Nowadays, The Gootch lives in Boise ID. She just gave birth to her second baby, Anna and was visiting family in her hometown, Grand Haven, MI.

The last time I was in Grand Haven was for The Gootch's wedding months after Lily was born, and I swore I would be back. And I returned. And I left this time promising, once again that I would return. I love it (and consider moving there). The town is beautiful and charming and perfect in every single way.

More importantly, to me, on this trip was to be reminded of the fact that The Gootch is beautiful and charming and perfect in every single way.

Although we stay in contact via phone calls and emails and facebook, there is nothing that subsitutes for The Gootch LIVE! Oh dear heavens if only I had a video clip of her and her warmth and enthusiasm you would understand, but I don't so you will have to take my word for it (and I haven't lied to you yet)!

Gootchie, you INSPIRE me. And I LOVE YOU.

I made a last minute decision to come. With the ENTIRE LOWE FAMILY CIRCUS...and you opened your mom's "The Nanny's" already ultra-filled home with company to us. And I thank you and Nanny for snacks and rest and open arms!

Nanny's home was especially busy, not only for family seeking a peek at new Baby Anna, but also because days later The Stanley Cup was about to arrive. With 2 body guards and a plan. Gootch's brother (I mean one of 4 brothers, you see... The Gootch is the youngest of five and the only girly ice skater, with 4 hockey playing brothers proceeding her). Alas, one of her brothers, Dan Bylsma coached the Pittsburg Penguins to win the National Hockey League Championship this year. YAHOO! And we got to hang with Dan (just as fabulous as The Gootch, by the way) moments before he was about to eat and drink and give the baby a bath in and take pictures with and put his arm around and watch the sun rise with the infamous Stanley Cup (perhaps some of this is a slight exageration, see aforementioned lying).

And so it was a quick trip, but blissful...reuniting with The Gootch... finally meeting Little Kate whom I had only seen in person when she was in The Gootch's belly years ago... and of course being introduced to the angel in the room = newborn gorgeous Baby Anna.

Lily and I also fulfilled a dream of building "drip castles" in the sand. We first decided we were going to do this someday when I was pregnant with Charlotte and her favorite bedtime book was "Welcome to your World Baby" a book written by Brooke Shields about the birth of her second girl and the things the sisters would do together (including building drip castles in the sand) once she arrived.

For us, the beach, the burritos, and the berries only added to the blissful one night vacation.