A Visit with The Queen

If you know anything about Audiology, you know Gyl Kasewurm.

Gyl is, quite simply, The Queen of Audiology. More specifically, she is an absolute titan of private practice. It's important to understand that Queen Kasewurm was a kick ass business owner before that sort of thing was even cool.  She does it better than anyone else because she eats, sleeps and breathes business.

Smart? Obviously.
Funny? Absolutely.
Excellent hostess? You'd think you were at Buckingham Palace!
Super cute dog / office mascot? Of Course!

We arrived, on Father's Day morning, at the Kasewurm mansion (as our kids now refer to it) for Mimosas and breakfast overlooking Lake Michigan.  Would you like tiny, handmade egg cups? Coffee cake, perhaps? Fresh fruit medley? Or maybe you're 5 and you'd like to dive in to an endless supply of candy and snacks... starting your day off with Oreos and Circus Peanuts?  That's all fine...because it's Gyl's house.

Queen Kasewurm has impeccable taste, and is one heck of an interior designer. As you're enjoying your champagne on the deck, you may wish to relax on one of the inviting Restoration Hardware chairs and think long and hard about how you will never be able to afford furniture this nice or a view this divine.

The Kasewurms have a lot of really cool stuff in their really cool casa. Game room, golf cart... and Alexa...all big hits with our boys!

Max: "Alexa! Speak Pig Latin!"

And don't forget about the beach down the road! Michigan is downright delightful!

Of course, no visit to St. Joseph, Michigan would be complete without a tour of Professional Hearing Services, Gyl's sprawling 6,200 square foot office. While the kids hit up the hot chocolate bar, April helped Mark pick his jaw up off the floor.  This place is huge. And amazing. And perfect. An Audiology wonderland!

Gyl and company have built a truly incredible business. Every detail has been considered, revised, and polished to optimal presentation and performance. As you look around the office, the perfection is tangible.  You can literally see her process, workflow, SMART Goals and KPIs in action.
There is nothing accidental about the success that the Kasewurms have achieved. The incredible amount of energy and attention to detail is evident from the moment you walk in the door... if you can even get that far...

We had to pause on the way into the building as Gyl remarked that the groundskeeper had missed some weeds near the front door. She didn't just pass them up, she stopped and pulled them herself so that patients arriving the next morning would be greeted by an immaculate entryway. Wow! Now that is a conscientious business owner! That's why she's the Queen!

If you are in the Audiology biz and want to know more about why Dr. Gyl is so darn amazing, it would do you good to attend one of her Kick Ass Weekends, where she shares her secret sauce. We've been to them and they are fantastic! It's a great way to give your practice a swift kick in the pants!

Just across the river from Professional Hearing Services is Downtown St. Joe.  Adorable antique stores and ice cream shoppes line the streets, along with a variety of decorated fish, many of which Max enjoyed climbing into the mouth of and insisting that he was being eaten.

We made our way to the waterfront and the old fashioned Silver Beach Carousel. Next door, a local museum with photos and relics from days gone by.  As we walked the museum, it was amazing to see how involved  Gyl and her husband, David, have been in the history of St. Joe.

David (as we strolled the museum): "Look at that photo! That's my Mom's car, and my Uncle's as well! That's my family's arcade! We're practically royalty!"

Royalty, indeed.  You can't take a step in this town without running into one of their patients or friends.  When Mark had chipped a tooth earlier in the week, Gyl quickly sent a text to her Dentist. When Mark arrived for his appointment and let them know that Dr. Gyl had sent him, he was put at the top of the list, fixed up in minutes, and sent out the door with a smile and a wave as they said: "You're with Gyl! No charge!"

After such a fun day around town, we made our way back to the house.  King Kasewurm grilled up some delicious steaks as the kids tried their hands at launching water balloons into Lake Michigan.  Mark found a hammock and some time to work on his golf swing. Father's Day perfection.

No glamorous evening is complete without a dip in the hot tub and some Kiddie Cocktails.

Lakeside s'mores and doggie cuddling rounded out the most perfect of Michigan days.

Thank you, Kasewurms! You truly are THE BEST! We're off to Traverse City!

Back in Time with the Southworth Clan

Noblesville, Indiana. Small town feel, big town shopping. As we waited for April's long-time bestie Erin (Reen) and her hubby Jerry to get off work, we ran many an errand around their great city.  First stop was, of course, breakfast in the heart of the very quaint downtown.

At Rosie's Place, you can get Eggs Blackstone. That's like Eggs Benedict but on cornbread instead of an English Muffin.. with the delightful addition of avocado.  Bravo, Rosie's. Bravo.

Max enjoyed his time at Rosie's by sipping hot chocolate and acting like a dog that he insisted be called Rufus.

Our errands took us all about town, most notably to Fresh Thyme Farmer's Market.  Like a hybrid of Whole Foods and The Fresh Market, Fresh Thyme offered up a variety of all-natural snacks to fill our camper, including some delectable chocolate ganache cupcakes and a solid create-your-own sandwich counter.

Around 6pm, we headed over to the Southworth house. We brought fidget spinners, wine, and pizza. Just FYI, that trifecta will make you popular with any young family.

Our kids, thrilled to be in a real house with a plethora of toys, abandon us upon arrival. A few hours later, they reappeared and announced they'd like to go swimming.  At the pool, the abandon us again in favor of diving boards and freezie pops.

Poolside, the parents enjoyed cocktails and Euchre until the gnats threatened to carry us away. As we were loading up the truck, Max and Andrew informed us that they were going to walk home with Jake.

Walk? Through the neighborhood? Alone? At 9pm? This is not 1982... these things just aren't done. 

Reen calmed us, reminding us that this is Indiana and not Florida... and that in the Hoosier State they still have neighborhoods where children roam free.

I kid you not. We followed them in the truck all the way home. They looked so grown up, walking along carrying their pool towels and catching fireflies.  Where did the time go? 

Back at the house, Mark and Jake worked on programming a Raspberry Pi while Andrew formulated a plan. A plan, he decided, that would result in his first sleepover.

His first sleepover? What? Would he be able to fall asleep? Would he be able to find the bathroom in the middle of the night? Would he get thirsty? Would he miss us? 

Reen, again, assured us that she could handle a spare 8 year old for the next 10 hours.  It was already almost midnight, after all.

Feeling guilty, we loaded Max into the truck, kissed Andrew goodnight approximately 50 times, resisted him pushing us out the door as he rolled his eyes at us, and headed back to camp.

In the morning, we packed up our belongings and happily left the worst campground ever behind us. We met Reen and the kids at Best Bet, a local poker-themed breakfast spot complete with poker chips and a waitress who, in addition to setting the kids their own table, also offered to cut up their pancakes. She even told them to put their fidget spinners away and focus on eating. We applauded her... from our table, then tipped her well.

Bellies full, we headed to Conner Prairie, an awesome-sauce old-timey 1800s settlement that will rock your kids' world, while simultaneously exhausting them. Here, you'll tell them that they can ride in the "hot air balloon," then see that the balloon ride is an extra $18 a person, and then tell them that they cannot, indeed, ride in that overpriced balloon.

We couldn't help but chuckle at a few historic documents we found along the way...

Sweaty and most certainly stinky, we bid farewell to the Southworth clan, saying our goodbyes as we loaded up the trailer. What a wonderful family and a wonderful end to the week! Next stop, Michigan!