Remember the phrase, “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream?”

Ice cream and summer at the family cottage goes hand and hand. There is nothing more relaxing than sitting with a generous scoop of your favorite ice cream at the family cottage on the lake. There are many flavors of this delicious dessert. I believe House of Flavors known to many as Baskin & Robbins has 64 kinds of flavored ice cream.

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The family cottage sets in motion vacations to remember. At the family cottage you relax, unwind and nurture yourself. It is a wonderment and an oasis of peace on the water’s edge. It doesn’t matter how you spend your day off from work or household chores. Enjoy nature whether you bike, boat, hike, or simply take a swim. My teens and my husband Dan enjoy swinging a club or two at the golf course. Even if you enjoy watching the world go by, it is just fine.

The best memories at the family cottage are the incredible family stories, whether you believe them or not. We vacationed at the “big lake” as my kids used to call Lake Michigan. My husband and I had a wonderful bonfire with our boys and family friends who stayed with us at the cottage on Good Harbor Bay. We all went to bed after saying our goodnight’s, but Dan decided to stay at the water’s edge with our yellow labs Bailey and Callie.

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Our summertime friends helped us celebrate Casey.

Conor and The Rose Lizard Club sign

Casey named this club the “Rose Lizards.” We made special friends at the family cottage. These friends are people you don’t see on a daily basis and sometimes they may be just summertime friends. I love these friendships, because you pick up where you left off and never skip a beat in conversation or in sharing a story or two.

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Summer began as usual at the family cottage. The dogs, our chocolate labs Jake and Ginger, and our two cats Max and Joey and the three teen boys plus a friend were all settled in for a glorious summer at the cottage.

A few days later we discovered that our pets were not the only critters at the summer cottage. We had a family of skunks living under the shed in the back of the family cottage. There were 5 skunks to be exact. A mother skunk who was not happy we had invaded her space and her 4 babies. I did not want her spraying the dogs. We had that happen before to our very first dog Baily, a yellow lab. It was awful -the smell smarts your eyes. I believe we used tomato juice and hydrogen peroxide to get rid of the smell. I absolutely did not want her spraying the boys.

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With every opportunity comes success and hard work when you pursue your God-given dream. With the purchase of the general law practice at The Depot in Suttons Bay, Michigan, came unique character and charm and an old barn cat named Spike.

Please understand that this barn cat is really not a cat you own, because having two cats myself, they really do own you. This barn cat weighs about 20 pounds, even though he is on diet food. Spike lives in The Depot. He hangs out in the rafters upstairs, but loves to greet people who come in for meetings and appointments. He greets everyone with a loud meow. Spike enjoys muffin bites (even though he should not) from my husband. When no one is around, Spike sprawls on my husband’s work space. Sometimes clients ask about him and bring him treats. Spike is very furry, so that he does sometimes mat up and need a good shave from the vet every now and then. He is happy when you talk to him.

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Did you know that just watching and listening to a water sprinkler on your lawn provides solace and serenity. Our chocolate Labradors back from their vacation at the lake and family cottage seem eager to chase squirrels and lay in the sun on the moist grass in their own yard. What a beautiful day in July. We finally got a break from the humidity for a few days.

The labs enjoying air conditioning tire from sunning outside and decide to siesta in the family room. Jake, our chocolate lab, probably dreaming about the lake vacation romp at the family cottage, promptly starts snoring. Ahh – the life of a dog. Our backyard has a pond with four fish. The water rushes over rocks giving that soothing sound. The scenery changes at home. There is no big lake or cottage to sit by, but there is peace in the backyard with the birds chirping and butterflies flying on the bushes. Returning from a cottage always amazes me at how much you miss the beauty of the water.

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To watch a Labrador Retriever swim in the lake is like watching a sea otter. Their heads are above water and they meander with such ease in the water. Our chocolate labs have grown up swimming at our family cottage in Suttons Bay, Michigan. This year, a family friend took them for a weekend vacation to their lakeside family cottage near Elkhart, Indiana. Now if you have never owned a lab, they love the water. These beautiful creatures believe this is paradise at its best. Labs have webbed feet. If you spread their paws, there is a built-in paddle – each webbed paw is in the in-between parts like a duck. They can spend more time swimming after a stick or a ball, until you have to declare the game is over.

Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring – it was peace.
– Milan Kundera

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Drinking a cup of joe, on a beautiful 4th of July weekend, I experienced solace as I watched swans swimming and boats heading out of the marina in Suttons Bay, Michigan. The sun was beautiful on the water. The boats were heading out for adventure at the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. What a different world from our other home in Farmington, Michigan. The air is crystal clear. Ahh – the joys of summer – relaxation and peace.

My teens are happier. We always have a friend in tow. Our eldest, now 18, has college in the fall, but with a summer job and other activities, his summer has changed. The twins, now fifteen, are not working yet and can enjoy the summers of yesterday romping on the beach, biking, and staying up way past midnight. Adventure is always looming for our family at the cottage. New friendships, new experiences filled with laughter, and the stress of the daily grind seems to disappear. These experiences make owning a family cottage absolutely the best moments in life.

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Catching the LOL Momentum (LOL stands for Laugh Out Loud) while at the family cottage.

Laughter produces the natural feel good endorphins which help lower stress, benefits relaxation and sleep. It gives you a natural high. These laughing endorphins boost the immune system in the body. Laughter also helps lower blood pressure and may alleviate pain. Laughter is a great form of medicine. Everyone benefits from laughter. Families become stronger, friendships are better and marriages are deeper when laughter is put in the midst of daily life. Siblings can become best friends through laughter. The average child laughs 200 times in a day. The average adult laughs only 4 times a day. Laughter can boost your mood and help relieve anxiety and depression. A good belly laugh is highly recommended at least 3 times a day. It is good for your body and soul.

We have a friend named Tommy, who is an adult. He laughs every time you see him. He has more fun than any person I know. He probably will live to be 100 years old. Doctors prescribe for their patients to watch a humorous cartoon or sitcom daily.

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Penning Receives Prestigious “Five Star” Wealth Manager Award

Attorney Dan A. Penning was named a “FIVE STAR Wealth Manager” for 2010 by Hour Detroit and D Business magazines. Both magazines contracted an independent market research company to administer a research process to identify a select group of wealth managers who were exceptional in both their ability and commitment to overall client satisfaction.

More than 102,500 high net worth individuals and 4.200 financial services professionals were asked to evaluate wealth managers including financial planners, investment advisors, estate attorneys and accountants in the Detroit community. The final list was reviewed by a blue ribbon panel of financial services industry professionals. Fewer than 7% of those nominated were selected.

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