The Unexpected Thing I Loved Most About Our First Michigan Summer As Homeowners

Our first Michigan summer has come and gone.

When we first bought our house it was at the tail end of winter. Visions of running through sprinklers and our kids playing in the backyard danced in my head as we waited for the weather to warm up. I had a laundry list of house projects I couldn’t wait to tackle, a garden I couldn’t wait to grow, and months of Michigan summer sunshine ahead to welcome it all.

Now? Now I’m typing this on a 60-degree day, listening to the rain fall, noticing the leaves starting to change, and scratching my head at how fast it all went. (Still have that list of things to do around the house, by the way!) School has started, fall has arrived, and I can’t help but reflect on this past season and the many joys that came with it.

There’s a certain magic to all Michigan seasons, but ah, summertime. Sweet summertime – my favorite season – made even sweeter by the fact that we got to experience it settled into our new home. This was one for the books.

Some days were busy, others were slow, but all were filled with lots of time spent outdoors.

That’s the beauty of summertime, after all! Here are some highlights from our first summer in Michigan:

• Celebrating Grace’s 4th birthday. She got a huge, blow up unicorn that sprayed water from its horn that took over our backyard for most of the summer. The girls loved it; Doug and I merely tolerated it. (Note the image below – it was seriously huge – Ha!)
• Family bike rides to local ice cream shops and restaurants. Doug and I on normal bikes and the girls in a kid carrier. It was so much fun riding around the area and continuing to explore our new neighborhood.
• Nearly every day we were home this summer, we went to local parks. They’re the best place to spend those long, lazy days of summer.
• We were also pretty much always at the Detroit Zoo! Kids love that place, and as a result, so do we!
• Heading downtown to the Eastern Market to get our veggies and flowers from local vendors. It’s always been one of my favorite things to do in the city.
• Starting a little garden with Doug. We’ve successfully grown green and red peppers, lavender, basil, and sage. (Next summer we want to get ambitious and grow even more veggies.)
• Exploring all of the local splash pads and pools. The girls have an affinity for swimming and it’s definitely one of their favorite activities.
• In this post I talked about the proximity to lakes while in Michigan, and this summer we really took advantage! I don’t think there was a weekend where we weren’t on the water.
• Blueberry picking at local farms. I was impressed with Josephine’s concentration – she took picking the fruit so seriously.

An Unexpected Element That Turned Out To Be My Favorite Part Of The Season

But regardless of what we did or didn’t do, I’ve got to say, my favorite part of it all was having my girls experience the innocence of being a kid in a Michigan summer. Innocence, you ask? Let me explain.

When people ask how we knew it was the right time to move from Chicago to metro Detroit, it’s hard to pin-point a specific moment in time. There was just a feeling that it was time. That feeling was made up of a thousand little examples and moments that added up to our ultimate decision, but the one that I give as my most frequent example is this.

In the city, we were always afraid of allowing the girls to take off their shoes and run around barefoot. Neighborhood parks during the day were generally safe, but at night the homeless were known as being tenants. The sidewalks were filled with broken glass at random, no matter where you went. Our own yard was shared with other apartment tenants, and so considerations like dog poop or waste was on our minds. So, shoes on, always. It wasn’t even a second thought.

Which seems like the smallest, no-big-deal thing ever, right?! But as someone who grew up riding bikes through the woods, jumping lakes, and yes, running around the neighborhood with my siblings — often without shoes on — “Don’t go barefoot EVER” was a bit of a foreign concept for me to worry about. I grew up surrounded by the natural beauty of Michigan, which isn’t to say that the city isn’t beautiful, but it certainly does require different considerations with kids.

Our first summer back as homeowners in Michigan was filled with barefoot days. Our little yard is such a happy haven for us — I can’t tell you how many hours we’ve spent playing, lounging, eating, and relaxing in it. Our family was often — you guessed it! — barefoot. Again, such a small detail, but there’s just something about the grass of home in-between your toes that makes summertime that much sweeter. Add a popsicle and you’re golden.

Certainly, one of those sweetly innocent summertime moments that makes the season so special.

Gosh, guys, reflecting on our first Michigan summer makes me a little emotional!

I just can’t believe how far we’ve come since last summer when we were packing up boxes and moving from Chicago. It’s really incredible how much a year can bring. From big changes like owning our own home, to smaller ones like being able to plant our very own garden or having our children run around barefoot, I have to say that I truly love all that Michigan has brought us so far.

If you’re on the hunt for your own Michigan home, be sure to check out the MSHDA’s homeownership resources as you begin your journey. They not only provide homes and preserve places for the people of Michigan, but they also offer education classes as well as loans with down payment assistance. Can we get a collective round of applause for such an amazing resource?!

When you look back on your summer, what was your favorite part? I’d love to hear in the comments below!

Be sure to check out the MSHDA if you’re on the hunt for a home in the state. They’re such an amazing resource!

This post was sponsored by the MSHDA, however as always, all opinions and tales of sweet summertime glory are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that partner with Isn’t That Charming!