The Adventure(?) Begins

My lunchbox sized bag is packed to the brim with ALL my clothes for our trip. My backpack is full and weighs 12 lbs. My hiking shoes are broken in. My coffee singles are buried in a plastic baggie somewhere. I have several cute new little things from the travel-size section at Wal-Mart. I had a friend tell me that she walked 8 miles one day and felt like she had a stress fracture (We're hiking 12 miles Saturday and another 12 on Sunday). The Forecast is for RAIN EACH DAY of our trip. Do you think Corey will notice if I stay in Britt with the boys?

In the Spotlight

My shy guy, Carter, got a few seconds of "fame" at Vacation Bible School. They shot a video last weekend as part of the VBS skit, and he was on the big screen last night. In it, one of the main characters (who happens to be one of our family's favorite people) was daydreaming about a line of possible suitors coming to her with gifts and flowers. Carter was the last in line after a bunch of teenagers with a big bouquet (SO CUTE!!), and I think he kind of liked the attention. I hope he doesn't start thinking "girls" for a long time, but when he does, Mara is just the type I want my boy giving flowers to.

The BIG CREEK Adventure

I decided early this morning that we must leave the house, lest something or someone get broken. Big Creek ended up being our destination. My thought was to play at the gigantic park there, but of course, we ended up in the water. It shouldn't have surprised me. Who needs thousands of dollars of play equipment when you have sand and water? This trip reminded me of the time a couple years ago, my friend Marti and I took our boys to play at the same park. We ended up letting them swim in their skivvies. Can you say redneck??

Carter in mid-flight, jumping off the playground equipment.

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Owen found a treasure.

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Lewis needed a change of clothes!!

Big Creek - the Before and After

Such a clean little man!

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"Here mom, try it! It's a little gritty, but oh it's so yummy."

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Oh, what a sandy bum we get when we sit in the lake with our clothes on!

The Levee

Oh, what a summer of weather we have had. Thankfully, we are in good shape as far as water is concerned where we live, but tonight the boys were down the street building a levee. Funny!!!

Selling Soon

When we built our home, our intent was to live in it for a couple years and then put it on the market. Well, that couple years is quickly coming to an end, and we plan to try to sell soon. In preparation for the day that the sign goes up in the yard, I have started a home info blog and have a link to it on our family blog. I will add more info in the next few weeks. I just thought I'd put the word out there in case anyone knows of anyone who may be looking for a lovely green house with white trim!!

The Harms of Hazard

Is there anything on earth more fun than this? The wrestling starts young at our house!!

The Superior Hike

If you know Corey, you are familiar with his desire to be "one" with nature. If you know me, you are familiar with my desire to be "one" with a comfortable hotel room.

A couple years ago, we reached a compromise and bought a pop-up camper. I really enjoy camping with my family, knowing that I have the comfort of a bed and electricity.

This summer, Corey has convinced me to give up all modern conveniences to hike 22 miles in 2 days with all of our belongings on our backs and sleep in a tent in the middle of nowhere (at least that is what it is going to feel like to me) with no electricity an no running water. This is a "test" hike to see if I am "man" enough for another hike that we are thinking about taking as part of a 10th anniversary vacation this winter.

Though I am fairly certain I have lost my mind, I am looking forward to seeing Lake Superior and experiencing something that Corey enjoys. I'm pretty sure I will survive, but I don't think the trip is going to convert me from a resorter to a backpacker.

Lip gloss? What lip gloss?

I keep lip gloss on my nightstand. Lewis found it. It's not the first time. He usually carries it somewhere and then drops it. I've found it in the bathtub, on my bedroom floor, under my bed...

But last night, he figured out how to open it, and he had it emptied by the time I realized what he was doing. It was all over his face, arms and onesie. It was a mess, but he sure smelled pretty - kiwi-strawberry.

Britt Visit

We spent a couple days at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Britt. Lewis was not very excited about this picture.

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Hangin' out with Grandpa.

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Grandpa built the boys a tree house and swingset that they love to play on when they visit.

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We made smores over a fire outside of Grandpa's workshop. Carter would have eaten ten if I would have let him. Owen just eats the roasted marshmallows. He is not into mixing his foods, unless it is peanut butter and jelly, of course. (Notice the long pants and long-sleeved shirts. It was actually cold enough that sitting by the fire felt nice.)

Talking on the Phone

Carter's Joke