Summer is in full swing for our family and it has been jam packed with fun. We've had trips, visits, and all kinds of excitement. Take a look:
I took the Kid and Lovey to see my Grandparents. It was a lovely day in Monticello!
No trip to Monticello would be complete without a walk down to the Dairy Queen 😃
Grandpa was thrilled as always to have visitors. He adores his great grandchildren.
The Kid and his namesake!
Grandma was excited as well. We shared pictures, and talked about genealogy while we were there.
Lovey Lou just gets cuter by the day. She has moved forward from a side pony tail, to "Piggy Tails". Double trouble! We even had to make a crown for our little princess.
Baby J is growing like a weed. He's almost walking now that he has passed that 11 months. Only needs one hand to hold on to.
Thank you to Grandma for her gift of her old piano. This has been in the family for around 50 years, and was a gift from Grandpa Edward to Grandma Letty. We've had it tuned and the Kid has begun practicing.
(Sorry for the blurry picture) Grandma Polly came to visit, bringing a really cool world-atlas puzzle. Neice Ava came along too!
Chinch and I have had fun ourselves, with a few summer-time dates and a visit to the Penguin Palace (Theo's)!
The Kid has had an interest in archery. I got him his very own bow - he fancies himself akin to Robin Hood.
We also had our annual 4th of July Fireworks trip! This year we watched from Dozer Park. That was a good time, with nice seats, plenty to eat and drink, and nice bathrooms available. He says he likes the river-side better.
Here we are on the road to the Cabin, our first stop was Osaka Buffet. Yum! Don't be fooled, the later part of this drive was a nightmare. Lesson learned, no more night drives!
All worth it though, look at that morning view!
Not to mention an all-you-can-eat cake-cake (pancake) breakfast at Grandma Letty's.
Our weather was perfect. Clear skies, south wind, and 80's for the temperature. The lake was gorgeous.
Baber loved his first trip to the lake too!
Grandma Letty is like the energizer bunny. In ehr 80's, she still has as much energy as we do thats for sure.
Though she did get a nice rest with Lovey in the hammock.
Lovey wasn't one to stay resting for long.
Baby J absolutely loved the beach. He could crawl around and eat sticks and sand to his heart's content. If he could be said to have one regret it was that he couldn't join his siblings in deeper water.
I got some lounge time in on Grandma's new boat. It sure is nice.
The Kid was a jumpin' genius this trip. He loved running off the dock and practicing his new swimming skills!
For Chinch and I this trip was a revelation, here we are with our whole family, having fun in the sun. It just looks better and better from here on out!
Grandma's new boat and beach are fun - but Whitefish is the best lake, and Ol' Red (what we call our pontoon boat, Grandma's old boat) takes me back to simpler times. It is so fun to see these kiddos enjoying this boat just as I did.
This picture cracks me up - don't be fooled. The Kid was having a good time, we just caught him in the middle of saying something with the letter "F" in it 😆
Possibly my favorite picture this round. Baby J, our only blue-eyed boy bears the closest resemblance to my Grandfather Edward of all of our kids. Grandpa Greg even calls him "Little Ed". So watching him drive Ol' Red and love it was especially fun.
No trip up North is complete without a stop at Tremblay's!
The same can be said for Duluth! Canal Park was beautiful - we got to hike around, snap this fantastic family picture, and watch the rain to the south while staying dry ourselves. Highly recommend it!
The Kid became fast friends with his second cousins!
Fun in the sun was often followed by rest and relaxation. Chinch and I tried to make time every evening for the two of us to chill on our new chairs on the deck.
We found a great little spot on Whitefish where we could float around and enjoy some clear water. The donut inflatable was a favorite.
Our trip to Amnicon Falls was a ton of fun. We had a great hike until Lovey was stung by a bee (boo) 😡 Still we snapped some awesome pictures. Lovey's little dance was cracking me up!
The two weeks FLEW past! And before we knew it we were saying bye-bye to Grandma with our annual bench photo - Baby J's first time!
On the way home we stopped off in Orion for Mandi's 15 year reunion. Reunions are fun, but dang we feel old! 15 years since graduation?!
But wait, there's more! Before we knew it the Kid and I were back at it again for our Man-Trip. We left at 3:30am from Peoria. I snapped a pic in the sunrise as we were about to leave Iowa. Breakfast was at Blue Boy Donuts in Lancaster WI. Talk about delicious!
The Man-Trip was amazing - we got to spend some time with my brother Jack and sister JJ. The Kid enjoyed some sword fights with JJ
Jack is 21 now! Nothing beats bonding over beers with your brother.
We took another trip northward from the Cabin even, and while there went to Wisconsin Point Beach on Lake Superior.
Sandcastle building was a favorite activity at Grandmas for Daddy and the Kid.
We were thrilled when Poppi could join us for the last half of the Man-Trip. He seemed pretty impressed by the set-up, and had a good time I believe.
Poppi has the coolest toys - we ran his RC boats right out of their batteries a few times.
The Kid wanted to go see the big fish again - and it was a great opportunity for some Grandfather-Grandson bonding.
Thank goodness for Poppi. I don't have the first clue about fishing - but Poppi was happy to teach the basics to the Kid.
They had a great time canoeing on Bond. The Kid showed Poppi how to get through the channel.
The Kid was a swimming fiend for the Man-Trip. He couldn't get enough time on the lake, and finally found the joy in jumping off the side of the boat. He jumped off the top of Grandma's boat on the previous trip, but didn't care for that leap.
Pure joy in this picture. Fun that Poppi got to bear witness.
Our family is so blessed - and these past 6 weeks or so have been wonderful. I am certainly a child of summer, and it seems my children are following suit with me. While the cabin is fun - it is the family that brings the true joy to the sunny days.
Stay Healthy!
"The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace."
Numbers 6:24-26
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