It was the Best of Times, It was the Worst of Times...

A few things I learned or was reminded of on our journey:

1. God is a God of tremendous beauty.

2. God is big enough to make lakes so big you can't see across them, but he still cares about little things like lost cameras (ask Corey about the extra 6 miles he hiked for me).

3. God provides. - Thank you to Kristin and Amos, who allowed two stranded hikers to set up camp on their site.

4. God, not the weatherman, is in control of the weather. Rain was forecasted for our whole trip, and we had sunny upper 60s and 70s all day Saturday and Sunday.

5. I am capable of more than I thought. I hiked 16 miles in one day!!

6. Flush toilets are a beautiful thing. I almost cried when I sat down on an indoor toilet with FOUR rolls of dry toilet paper just waiting there to be used!!

7. The $50 you save by getting a cheap motel at the end of the hiking trip is NOT WORTH IT!

8. My husband is my VERY BEST FRIEND.

Rain was forecasted for the entire weekend. Friday night did not disappoint. The rain started in Duluth, where we had an incredible last meal at Grandma's Grill, and it didn't end until long after we were snug in our little tent. Needless to say, we got a little wet. I'm so glad Corey made me get gortex shoes.

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Our first campsite was about 50 feet from a rushing river and about 50 yards from the above pictured potty.

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We hiked through muddy valleys so thick with trees that you almost couldn't see the sky, up steep rocky inclines that led to beautiful overlooks of Lake Superior, along rocky cliffs with beautiful, untouched lakes and forests below, over fallen trees, across streams and rivers...It was a physically exhausting yet incredible journey.

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Here I am pushing the boulders out of the way so Corey could get through. Oh, what I have to do for that man!!

Lake Superior

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!!!