Art Prize

The night after we took our family photos last week, we headed up to Grand Rapids, Michigan where my parents and a few brothers live. Chris had a work meeting with an organization there, and of course I wasn't about to let him go without the kids and I when I could see my family while he worked! 

The first night there my one brother (in town from Florida), and Chris and I treated the folks to a nice dinner downtown as a belated Birthday gift (my parents' Birthdays are within three days of each other). It was a lot of fun getting to go out and spend some adult time with my parents and brother without the children around to distract us. 

And then I invited my friend who is a former art teacher to come up from Ohio to go to Grand Rapids' Art Prize with me that same weekend. Art Prize is a three week long event in downtown Grand Rapids. Artists from all over the country enter their artwork and display it at any venue they wish in the downtown area of the city. The city then votes on the best art and there is a grand prize for the winner. My Mom acted as our tour guide and took us all around to the best spots for art. We even got to stop for lunch at the 616, a fabulous restaurant on the river. We rounded out the day with a trip to the mall after Art Prize and loaded up on some great deals. 

I love taking any chance I get to go home to Grand Rapids - such a good time with friends and family - and of course, another great Art Prize experience!