have watched the lights .. come ... go.. .bright ...split and disappear

Shortly after leaving my in-laws in the Irish Hills headed west on U.S. 12 going to our home in Girard Michigan just after dusk, all of us ( my husband and three daughters and myself) saw a really bright light high in the sky.  It was as if the light was headed the same direction we were.  The light grew 3 or 4 times it size and then would just blink out.... gone and just as quickly would reappear.  It would split and 3 or 4 smaller lights would would sort of fly away from the original light.  They would fly sort of a zig zag pattern ....zip zip... up down.... gone there ... crazy.... no planes fly and disappear and reappear and change colors.... go big and then like a tiny pinprick in the sky...
I have seen other ufo's in the sky when I have been alone but this time the family saw it.  When we got home to Girard Michigan I ran in the house and called the radio station in Coldwater Michigan.... boy that was a mistake.... they thought I was looney and laughed.... whil I was on the phone my husband and kids stayed outside to observe the light... it was descending on the horizon, grew 6 or 7 times it size.... bright bright... and then just gone...
One time when I was driving very late I saw lights in the sky similar to the above... I was driving cross country on the back roads and there was a car came up behind me and both of us pulled off the road to watch this.... there was a man and woman in the other car.... we didn't speak to one another just watched till the light or craft whatever, was gone... got into our cars and drove away.... I later thought it was really dumb of me to pull off the road at that time of the night alone.. but at the time I just didn't feel any fear....
Have seen them .... don't know what they are.... but have seen too many of them to not believe that there is something .... out there... up there... whatever.. thank you for this site.... by the way I am not a kook... I am an intelligent 59 year old grandma... don't drink or do drugs!!!
Witness indicates that date is approximate.  PD