On the road again...

So we just completed vacation number 2 for August! Now, before you hate us too much for taking 2 vacations in a month, we justified it by not having taken an entire week off for our wedding. Boom: justified! This time we hung with my (Tanya's) family, an entirley different vacation. Not in a bad or good way, just different :) We come from 2 very different families in some ways, so we get the best of both worlds. My parents rented a cottage on Burt Lake for a week, and invited the kids/grandkids up for a few days.

A little Burt Lake background: This is the place my family vacationed EVERY summer from before I was born until about 12 years ago when my grandparents sold their cottage. I hadn't been back since, so I was beyond excited to go! While we stayed at a different part of the lake at a different resort, much was the same and childhood memories came flooding back to my brother and I! I even insisted on buying my 5 year old nephew a minnow net, because thats what we used to do.

Have Swedish Fish will travel

Ahhh we made it! View from the cottage


Kolbee playing on the swings

So, on the first day of swimming, Kolbee and Tim put their suits on, and they matched!

So on the 2nd day of swimming, Kolbee and Tim put their suits on, and they matched again! Same color shirt and all!

Mom and dad rented a pontoon boat for the family

We went to Hoppies!!! Its a restaurant on the other side of the lake that can drive your boat to and walk about 100ft the the restaurant. They have awesome food and it was another "childhood memory"

We had such an awesome time! While it was a little crowded (9 people, including 2 pre-teen girls and a 5 yr. old) it was definatley something we would love to do again next year! Sadly, no fish were caught, including minnows.

Vacation with a Purpose

So, as Tim previously mentioned, we just got back from vacation at Maranatha Bible and Missionary Conference. If you don't know what/where that is, its a Christian conference grounds located in Muskegon right on Lake Michigan. Each week they have a different speaker and a different missionary representative. Both of the above were fantastic, however the speaker we had was originally from Edinburgh, Scottland; so that made his sermons even more fun to listen to :) They call it Vacation with a Purpose, and that it is! Not only is it a very relaxing week, its also rejuvinating in body, mind, and spirit. This was my fourth year going with Tim's family, and Tim's families' 22nd year. All 4 years I've attended I've left the week feeling so much closer to God. You are surrounded by other God-loving families and hearing their stories/testimonies really gives you a bost in your faith. Its an amazing week!

Along with hearing sermons and mission stories, the rest of the time was spent hanging with Tim's family, some friends, playing Scattegories and Apples to Apples, cooking/eating amazing meals, visits to the sweetshop and my all-time favorite: lying on the beach all afternoon. This by far is one of my favorite vacations every year, and I look forward to many more years there, as well as bringing our future children there.

Here are some pictures from the week:

The living room of the house we stayed in

The Kitchen

So, we stayed in a different place than years past, one with 3 bedrooms. This meant Tim and I, now married, would be given our own room. We were excited about this, then we saw our room:Twin beds!!

Our first day to the beach!

This was the lake on the first day... you can't really tell but the waves were huge! The water was also warm...

Tim and I on the tammy train to take us back to the lodge

The girls in the back of the car after lunch at Sam's Joint

Spaghetti night! Delicious!

Linda decided to play in the water... she later went swimming in this same outfit (minus the ipod)

Apples to Apples with the Arends family

Sunset with the one I love

So its about 9:30 when I am starting this blog, its Sunday, and Mrs. Koning is back at work. By back at work I mean, we just got back from vacation. This is Tanya's first day at work since we spent a week at Maranatha, with my immediate family, (this means you too, Erika.) I would also like to add, I have 3 cups of coffee, and some delicious breakfast tacos in my belly, fueling me.
And that's a great place to start. I was awake this morning around 6:30ish this morning, when my wife kissed me goodbye. I laid in bed for an hour or so, and with a few minor setbacks, I eventually got my wits about me enough to head to "The Shoe" for the previously mentioned deliciousness. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and The Wooden Shoe Restaurant is second to none. The real reason I went however, was I wanted to see the blond haired waitress I have had a crush on for the last several years. Last night I had the privilege of taking her out to dinner and then some shopping for an upcoming tropical getaway we have planned. I came around the corner last night to grab a shirt before we left, and spotted her in a little black dress, and her recently tanned skin, and her big blues eyes, and the beginning of a thought started to form in my head. We went to CrazyHorse for dinner and splurged just alittle more than we might, and then hit Kohls and then DQ to split a blizzard. We then took the short drive home playfully arguing over who was eating the greater share of the ice cream. Back at my apartment, we turned on the Tiger game and made short work of what was left. Game, well in hand, my date grabbed a book she had just bought, and not too long after, went to get some sleep since she had her first day back at work in about a week.
My wife in bed, and the Tigers victorious, I put the pieces of my earlier thought together. Vacation was great. We went to the beach almost everyday, the weather was perfect and Lake Michigan was clear and warm enough to swim in when the sun got to hot. I loved sleeping in, and ate a lot (maybe too much) good food. Hanging out in close proximity with my family is always an adventure, and the speakers were great. But it hit me. Coming home isn't something to be sad about. It wasn't just "awl-right" (inside joke, stupid hootie). Its awesome. I love my life, its definitely more than I deserve. I love my apartment. I love the peace and quiet. If it allowed dogs, i'd want to stay a couple more years. I missed our bed, (In Muskegon we had to a room ourselves... with two single beds...)I love the town where I live, I can be at the beach in 5 minutes if I am so inclined and the people around here, are my kind of people. I got great family, the ones I was born with, and the ones I inherited. I feel like they are two halves that balance out the person I am. Then there is Tanya. Last night I got to go on a date with a beautiful, sexy, incredible girl, who can turn my head, just in the hallway of our little place. In a cocktail dress and heels, or blue jeans and a t-shirt. She can amaze me anytime she wants too, and she amazes me even without trying. We have two more vacations this year. One up north, and one to the Dominican. I am excited for both. Just dont ask me if I am more excited than i am about my day-to-day life around here. Becuase to be honest? its a tough call...

The 3rd Koning

Our pup!

He's a half black lab and half who-knows-what. His name is Walter. Because of our apartment not allowing pets, he's not exactly "ours" yet, but hopefully sometime in the next 5 months or so we'll have somewhere he's allowed. Tim's sister Linda's 2 dogs (Gilbert and Annabelle) had puppies together, so she kept one for us to have. Yay! He's about 5 months old right now, so we can imagine just how big he's going to get when full grown! We've only met him a couple times since he lives in Kentucky, and we're amazed how big he is every time we see him! We can't wait to actually have him for real :)