Grand Rapids Nesties
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Fourth of July Weekend
If you haven't already done so in randoms (or even if you have), post the highlights of your Fourth of July weekend here!
What kind of fun things did everyone do?
I love the Fourth of July. 
Re: Fourth of July Weekend
We went to Ohio (L's college roommate lives there and has an annual July 4 get together). The highlights were great conversation with some brilliant people, lots of great food (including s'mores made over a fire!), and lots of drinking.
I hosted my family this weekend from Sunday through this morning.
On Sunday, we had a get-together at our house and had more family and friends over. There were yard games and grilled food. What more can you ask for? Actually, I would have liked if more people could have attended, but everyone was out of town, it seemed. Ah, well, we still had a fun time with our smallish group. (Although, there is still enough potato salad in my fridge to feed a small platoon.)
Yesterday, we spent a good portion of the day beaching it in Grand Haven. I haven't gone to the beach with my parents since I was about 16. It was fun though. The weather was gorgeous. There were roughly eleventy billion people there, but we got there early (at about 10:30), so we were able to stake out a spot in the parking lot and on the beach.
Last night we went to the Grand Rapids fireworks. We got a spot in the middle of the Pearl Street Bridge and did some serious people watching and the fireworks viewing. It was a lot of fun. I enjoy fireworks.
(Special thanks to Diana and Chymes for their tips on celebrating the Fourth in Grand Haven and Grand Rapids, respectively. My first Fourth of July in west Michigan was great!)
I'm really glad things went well! Hope your parents enjoyed the West Michigan holiday, too.
Our weekend was quite busy as well. Hung out with friends, went to some parades, ate good food... I had to work the morning of the Fourth, but XN secured us a good fireworks spot and we went down there after grilling some pizzas. I thought the fireworks were amazing this year - better than the past few years!
What? What? I am short of breath. This sounds awesome and I am so sad I haven't tried this before. I need a bonfire right now!!
Another awesome s'mores variation is using Samoas Girl Scout cookies.
We didn't do a lot but we were able to make our party. this year it was a lot smaller and a bit easier. Our friends bought the worlds best Sweet Corn in the world. It came from Indiana fresh picked that AM and with some olive oil, salt and pepper we let it grill and it was so sweet and tender. It was the best corn I've had in ages. I made pizza crescent rolls with pepperoni and Mozzarella and they were gone in a blink of an eye.
In the mean time I think for the next party I'm going to set up something like this a build your on slider/coney bar.
We just got back very late last night. 5 days at Higgens Lake. We had a great time! We went to the Roscommon parade (all 18 minutes of it) and the fireworks that night. We played in the (perfect for swimming with little kids) lake a lot. Henry fell asleep on the blow up boat every day. Campfires, crafting, and board games with my parents. Dad and I worked for a few hours cutting up some branches. It was really nice.
I'm glad to read the highpoints of others too. Yay for some relaxation and family time!
On Sat, we dropped the girls off at my parents. We went to Great Lakes Crossing and stocked up on clothes for Allison for next year. Gotta love clearance, additional 30% off clearance price, and addition 20% off coupon.
We stayed at Drury Inn in Troy. Gotta love free food AND drinks at a hotel. I've become a frugal lush and purposely stayed at Drury Inn for the drinks. We went to Sommerset to window shop and people watch. Don't gotta love getting to the mall at 6:55 and finding out that they close at 7 pm. So we went to PF Changs for dinner.
On Sunday, we went down to Grosse Isle, however the road we were taking to go to the bridge was closed right by the bridge. So we just looked around Wyanedotte and headed to Greektown for lunch. We had some time to waste before the play so we had a drink at Hockey Town Cafe and watched the Tigers game.
On Monday, there was a parade near where my family lives. Then the Brady Brunch gang (aka my family) went to my sisters for lunch, swiming and sack races and relay games.
We got back around 5:30 and promptly put the girls to bed at 8 pm. They were in complete meltdown mode at that point.
On Sat, we dropped the girls off at my parents. We went to Great Lakes Crossing and stocked up on clothes for Allison for next year. Gotta love clearance, additional 30% off clearance price, and addition 20% off coupon.
We stayed at Drury Inn in Troy. Gotta love free food AND drinks at a hotel. I've become a frugal lush and purposely stayed at Drury Inn for the drinks. We went to Sommerset to window shop and people watch. Don't gotta love getting to the mall at 6:55 and finding out that they close at 7 pm. So we went to PF Changs for dinner.
On Sunday, we went down to Grosse Isle, however the road we were taking to go to the bridge was closed right by the bridge. So we just looked around Wyanedotte and headed to Greektown for lunch. We had some time to waste before the play so we had a drink at Hockey Town Cafe and watched the Tigers game.
On Monday, there was a parade near where my family lives. Then the Brady Brunch gang (aka my family) went to my sisters for lunch, swiming and sack races and relay games.
We got back around 5:30 and promptly put the girls to bed at 8 pm. They were in complete meltdown mode at that point.
Do you mean Belle Isle? Or is there something on Grosse Isle that I don't know about?
It sounds like a lot of logistical challenges, gvsu. Good thing you were intentional about your hotel.
It was Grosse Ile...I'm not sure why the TH picked there, but he mapped quested it out, so I was going along for the ride. We were going to grab some lunch, go to the park, and walk around the trails, Bascially we needed a few hours to waste in a way that didn't involve shopping.
We looked at Belle Isle, but it sounded like from online reviews that the area isn't being kept up anymore.
I was at Great Lakes on Saturday! Boo, to not seeing you.
Basically my 4th consisted of a whole lot of nothing. My parents came to town. They cooked us a great dinner (they brought all the food and everything!) Then, we planned to go to some fireworks at night, but both of my parents fell asleep. LOL. So that was that.
I thought of you when we pulled in the lot. I was half expecting to see you.