Labor Day Weekend 2013

This weekend was awesome!  We ended the summer with friends and family time.  Samantha had a friend sleepover on Friday while Sofia went to a friend's house for a playdate.  Sofia swam at her friend's pool and I took Samantha and Allie swimming.  Then we all went out for ice cream.  When we got home, the older girls vegged in front of the TV for a bit before eventually falling asleep by 11pm.

Saturday began with a big breakfast and a bike ride to a local beach, then to the coffee shop.  Then I took Samantha and Allie portaging and swimming to Lebanon Hills.  The hiking went quickly as I managed to carry the canoe by myself.  I was very proud of myself.

We celebrated my birthday with a trip to the Bad Waitress.  It was a fun restaurant that we haven't been to and went to "that park".  It was a good day for us all.

Camping at Whitewater, just the girls.

Last weekend I took the girls camping... just me and them.  It wasn't supposed to be that way.  First, friends were going to join us.  Then plans changed and it would be just our family (including Daddy and Ely).  Then Ely hurt his paw so Daddy stayed home with him.  I didn't want to cancel it since we had been looking forward to going back to Whitewater (no bugs!), so off we went.  The girls played in the river while I built a fire.  We went to the beach, hiked and played at the campsite.  The girls kept commenting how they didn't want to go back to Kathio because of the bugs.  (I don't want to either.)  We decided that Whitewater should be at least once a year, maybe even twice.  It was also nice to see Grammy with her friend in Rochester to break up the drive.  The girls have been concerned about her (as we all have) and have been cherishing every moment they get with her.

I made fires!

Samantha was awesome at helping set up the tent.  She handled it well when Sofia joined us too.

We didn't use the rain cover so this is the view we had from our "beds" in the tent the next morning.

We hiked up the bluff just like last year.  I made them promise next time we would do another hike.

A found flower is okay.  She didn't pick it herself.

I'm so glad we did this!  It's nice to know we can do it on our own.  We want more people next time though... it is more fun with more people, even though we made friends at the beach and with the campers next door!

Dirty Girl (Mom's fun run)

This is a group of us after completing the Dirty Girl 5K!  Samantha, Sofia and Daddy came to watch and giggle.  Sofia ran by me and was cheering me on... it was incredibly cute.

 

 The picture says it all.

 

 

 

Camping at Kathio

Camping at Kathio

Antie She and I took the girls camping to try out our new tent with the girls.  We headed northwest to Kathio State Park right by Mille Lacs.  We left earlier than planned, didn't encounter too much traffic and made excellent time in getting to the park.  Checking in wasn't a problem and neither was finding our campsite.  As we backed the car into the site though, we noticed a bog and SWARMS of various insects.  

Uh-oh.

Both kids freaked and I fought the urge to panic.  Antie She's legs were covered in horse fly bites from before we got the DEET applied.  Once the repellent was applied, we settled in and got the tent set up.  The girls helped get things organized inside the tent, Antie She worked at the site and I attempted to kill the majority of bugs that had entered our vehicle.  Then it started to rain, which quickly accelerated to a downpour.  Unfortunately I didn't remember that I had opened a tent window right by Antie She's sleeping bag.  Whoops... she got my sleeping bag that night while I slept under towels.  

Due to the rain, we went to a nearby Dairy Queen for dinner and looked around the park.  Thankfully, the rain stopped long enough to get the girls showered and settled in their sleeping bags.  Sofia was the only one who slept through the overnight thunder storm, but it was fine.  

Saturday was our only full day at the park, so we made the most of it.  We went to a nature lecture on the archaeology of the area, climbed the fire tower, went canoeing, made snacks at the playground and beach (where Antie She showed off her fire-making skills) and ended the night with s'mores.  Everyone slept better without the rain and it was a beautiful day!

On Sunday, we headed home fairly early.  Daddy missed us and we needed to prepare for the upcoming week.  The girls told everyone they had a great time and I made notes on what to bring/do differently  next time.

 

 

Weekend with Ely in Hayward

Our weekend away with Ely

Daddy has been visiting Hayward, WI for his job and found a hotel that will take dogs.  We brought Ely to the town's annual MuskyFest.  There was a carnival and street fair we all went to.  We even took Ely for a short paddleboat ride!  The girls got to swim in the pool twice.  Daddy took the girls mini-golfing while I walked Ely around.  Samantha even got 2 holes-in-one!  She was so proud of herself!

It was awesome to realize we can take him with us on a 4+ hour drive.  We love that he's portable and can join us on our adventures!

Mommy and Daddy's 10th Anniversary

Sofia called it our "Renewal Wedding".  Samantha told her Sunday school class that "it was a big party".  For Daddy and I, it was a night we will always remember with gratitude and joy.

Daddy and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary by renewing our vows in the Jewish tradition.  It was wonderful to have our Rabbi officiate the ceremony.  The girls participated in planning and Samantha did her reading beautifully.  We recited our own vows and signed our ketubah (marriage contract) in front of our friends and family.  Our friends Tad, Adam, Nicki and Antie She each held a corner of the chuppah for us.  Everything about the evening was relaxed, but it was so special.  Daddy and I are so fortunate to have each other.  The family we've created and the friends we've gained are an amazing group of people.

Happy Anniversary Nana and Papa!  Thanks for letting us share it with you!

Mommy and Sofia night

I took Sofia out to the Mall of America for a night out on the town.  We found lots of dresses for her, rode rides and ate junk food.  We had a great time and it's always a treat for me to have some special time with just one of my girls!

I had to include her self-portrait!

Momma's weekend away

To celebrate Antie She's birthday, I took her away for a snowy weekend filled with winter activities.  We learned how to cross-country ski, went on some hikes and dog-sledding, and relaxed.  I'd recommend the Gunflint Lodge to anyone.  The food and cabin was great (hot tub and sauna!) and Canada is across the lake!  I can't wait to go back for more adventures!

Antie She has been part of my family since I was 19 years old.  We weren't immediate friends, but we've seen each other through so much it's overwhelming to think about.  I'm incredibly grateful to have her in my life and I cherish our friendship!

Golden Dragon Acrobats with Rene'

We went to see the Golden Dragon Acrobats with Rene' today.  First we got lunch at one of our new favorite restaurants.  All of us enjoyed the show and clapped enthusiastically!  Samantha told me how cool she thought it was and managed to get an autograph after the show.  

Even More from September

We devoted a day to go to the Renaissance Festival with the Murphy's again.  Ely even came and gorged himself in discarded food.  Thankfully there were no ill effects, just a very tired dog at the end of the day.  The girls had a ball on rides and all the adults got plenty of time to catch up.  It was a good day!

Daddy had to leave for work again, though we kept ourselves busy as always.  Thank you to the grandparents for helping out in his absence!

We also had Samantha's school fundraiser which was a Family Fun Run.  Auntie She came and we all completed it!  Then we packed a picnic and walked Ely to get him some exercise since we couldn't bring him.  

As if that wasn't enough for the day, we had one more place to be before meeting Nana and Papa (who took the girls so Daddy and I could attend a wedding)... my co-worker Allan invited us over to his house to watch him harvest honey from his bee hive!  We even got to wear the beekeeper hoods.  The girls asked so many questions!  Allan and his daughter Stephanie did their best to answer them all!  It was an adventure for everyone and we learned so much!  For another bonus, we got honeycombs to take home and keep for ourselves!

Today I brought Samantha to a restaurant for lunch after Sunday school and it was nice to be just us.  Sofia got to spend the whole day with Nana and Papa.  At a playground they went to, Sofia climbed to the top of the jungle gym and said, "I've been dreaming of this day!"... pretty funny according to Nana.  Meanwhile, Daddy, Samantha and I took Ely for a long stroll and all had some downtime to rest before heading to Todd and Shelly's for dinner.  The kids all had fun at the park too!