A Week in Pictures

We spent last week at Breezy Point Resort with my family. My parents have a time share there and we've been going since I was in high school. For one week in July, all 15 - 20 of us pile into a duplex on sunny Pelican Lake with the waves splashing just 30 feet from our back door. The kids lay their sleeping bags out on the floor and the grown-ups take turns enjoying a quiet night's sleep in a bedroom with a closed door. Some of us just come and enjoy the beach for a day and some of us stay all week. We average about 15 people at a time between the two cabins that we have, each with two bedrooms plus a loft. We get too much sun, too much to eat, play too many games, drink too much kool-aid (or beer), eat too many roasted marshmallows, rollerblade too far, kayak too long, ride the jet-skis and innertube too hard, stay up too late, sleep too little, and get up too early... and have a blast doing it! The sunrises over the lake are breathtaking, the call of the loons in the pre-dawn darkness is amazing, the sausage, eggs, and pancakes are a delicious treat after a rough night's sleep, the sand is warm in your toes and the lake water is crystal clear and freezing cold. The excitement in the kids animated voices as they tell you how many fish they caught is inspiring! It's amazing how far three small sunfish can go when everyone has to have a taste! What's not to love?

We kayak, swim, or boat out to Gooseberry Island to pick up Agates and other pretty rocks, chase away the seagulls, and a first this year - see the goats! We walk up to the main resort area to swim in the indoor pool or play games on rainy or too-hot days. We buy little souvenirs from the resort gift shop - Gavin got a "I'm a Keeper" fish-themed Breezy Point Resort t-shirt this year! We sit on the deck by the lake for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We sit around the fire on the beach after the little kids have gone to sleep. We play hours of Scrabble, Mastermind, Skybridge, Uno, War, Set, Wizard... and we take pictures... lots and lots of pictures. Here's a little snapshot (from my point of view) of Me, Cliff, and Gavin at Breezy Point Resort... Gavin's first of many more Breezy Point trips to come.

Gavin sitting on the dock, playing games, and reading bedtime stories with Grandma and Grandpa.













Fun in the sun... Watching the waves with Mom & Dad... Loving the warmth of the sun on the dock.













Gavin discovers the wonder of the water, the fun of the sand, and that place where the two meet, softly splashing, erasing our footprints and cooling our toes.












On a Kayak trip around the peninsula and through the canal, we saw some amazing wildlife... a Loon floating in the early evening calm, a Doe and her Fawn taking a drink from the canal, and an Bittern catching dragonflies in his beak.

Gavin enjoyed spending time with the family and my friend Carrie, who always joins us for a few days of fun in the sun.

Everyone enjoyed trying out the new tube that you can sit on, lay on, or stand on! It was so much fun!

Vacation

We were on vacation last week. Left home on Sunday and returned on Friday. Spent Saturday working on some outside projects at home. Seven days and 362 photos. Yes. Three hundred sixty two photos. I'm uploading them now. I will share a few. Watch for Gavin's 8 month pictures and some fun vacation pictures in the next few days!

Back in the Saddle

It had been almost two years since I felt the rumble of my motorcycle, "the orange crush", as it's been nicknamed by friends. Some people call it the creamsicle, but there is actually a bike in town that has a creamsicle painted on the tank! So, mine became the orange crush. I think I last rode my motorcycle in September of 2007. I'm sure we rode in the Riverdazzle parade the Friday after Thanksgiving in 2007, but I think we were both on Cliff's bike. Then winter came, and when spring arrived I was pregnant. It's now July 2009 and It's been over a year and a half since I've been out on my bike. I missed the old girl!

Our big debut was just a couple of weeks ago. We were heading into town for a little meeting and quick bite to eat at our favorite bar & grill, The Main Streeter. The Main Streeter is like home to us. We used to enjoy dinner there two or three nights a week sometimes and the owners and staff have become friends. We obviously spend less time there now that we have a little one at home, but we still get out and about once in a while!

So last Thursday we got the bikes out and we rode into town to the Main Streeter. I was worried that I had forgotten how to ride my motorcycle. I had to think when I first got on it, about what to do to get it started and go. I had to think for a split second about where the choke was, about the order in which to do things... turn the key in the ignition, pull out the choke, check to make sure it's in neutral, open the throttle to prime it, turn the on/off switch to run, squeeze the hand brake just in case it isn't in neutral, hit the start button. Yes! I remembered what to do. I was sure I was going to either kill the engine or wipe out once I got the bike in gear. Do you know what? Within a mile, it was just like... getting on a bicycle! It felt comfortable, familiar. I had no worries. I was, of course, careful as always, but we sure enjoyed the ride. After our little meeting in town, we look the scenic route home, stopping to pick up ice cream from Dairy Queen on the way!

Getting the feel of the bike for the first time in almost two years!

We went out on the bikes again on Friday night, riding into Hudson for Booster Days and the Fourth of July Fireworks show. I wasn't sure I wanted to deal with weaving through the crowds of people on foot and in their cars, finding a place to park, and then riding home again after dark, along with everyone else who was also leaving Lakefront Park after the fireworks. My sister hopped on the back of Cliff's bike and went with us and we had a great time. We parked just a block from the park, under an alley stairway (thank goodness for motorcycles that fit into tiny spaces). We met up with my brother and his family and some of their neighbors. We enjoyed cheese curds, corn dogs, and lemonade before staking our claim on a front-row seat of the fireworks. We sat just a few feet from the river, spread out our blankets, and leaned back against the cement retaining wall to soak in the sight and sounds of those wonderful Independence Day fireworks. We oohed and aahed and enjoyed every minute of it. And afterward, we rode home, with the images of the fireworks still dancing in our heads. When we got home, we were treated to deliciously refreshing Mojitos, courtesy of Liane.

Liane making us Mojitos after the fireworks

The following Monday was our seventh wedding anniversary and we didn't have too much planned. Gavin would be at daycare and Cliff and I took the day off to do something fun together, to reconnect. We took out the bikes and headed south until we came across a spot for breakfast, Angel's Hwy 63 Diner - it was just the greasy spoon we were looking for. I had fried eggs, sausage, & toast and an awesome cup of coffee. The coffee cups were an amusing addition to our yummy breakfast. Cliff's cup had a rooster on it and he asked if mine did too. I looked at mine and realized it was a hen. How cute. Angel (of Angel's Hwy 63 Diner) noticed us looking at our mugs and asked if we were laughing at her mugs! We assured her that we were appreciating them! What an amusing little detail... did all the boys get rooster mugs and all the girls get hen mugs? Seems I should have had a bit more coffee than what I had, because it was only moments after breakfast that did one of the dumber things I've done in a long time. (this is where my Mom should stop reading). I apparently wasn't paying close enough attention to what I was doing (and hadn't had enough coffee) and I dumped my bike over in the gravel. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. My bike suffered minor damage and I had to throw out the shirt I was wearing because it was now only a partial shirt, but all in all, we fared well. Of course, I was wearing long pants, gloves, and my helmet. If I had been wearing my leather jacket too, I probably wouldn't even have suffered a scratch. As it is, the road rash on my arm is almost all healed up already! As Cliff put it, if that was my crash (since everyone dumps their bike eventualy), it was a very graceful one! What is it they say about horses? If you fall off the saddle, get right back on again? After picking up the bike, assessing the damage, and realizing I was just fine aside from some minor road rash, we checked my bike to ensure it was mechanically unharmed. The clutch lever was broken off, but I could still squeeze the stub of it with two fingers, so I got back in the saddle and we continued our journey.

(Mom can start reading again) We rode southwest along one of our favorite country roads, winding along the discreetly flowing river flanked by old farm buildings and small fields tucked down in the valley. The winding rustic road brought us out to highway 35 at the mighty Mississippi River. We hugged the Mississippi for the last leg of our journey to Stockholm, one of our favorite tiny little river towns. While in Stockholm, we meandered through a couple of antique stores, the Abode art gallery, a pottery place, another art & jewelry place, the amish furniture store, had a beer at Gelly's pub, and pie & ice cream at the Stockholm Pie Shop. It's amazing how much time you can spend in a town that takes up only a single intersection. What a perfect afternoon... although I was disappointed to see that two of my favorite shops there were no longer in business and had been replaced by new shops and the pottery store where I normally buy a souvenir was only open on the weekends. Another fun shop that I always enjoy visiting is also closing soon. I guess that's a sign of the toll this economy is taking! After visiting quite literally every business in Stockholm, we headed back up along the Mississippi toward home, stopping for a couple of pictures at one of the wayside rests overlooking the mighty Mississippi. We ended our anniversary celebration with dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, reflecting back on our 7 years of marriage and our total of 15 years together! What a fun ride down memory lane!

What an enjoyable time back in the saddle! I missed that bike and I'm sure glad the 'old girl' and I have reconnected! : )

Friends

We have been blessed with the best friends a family could ask for. We have friends who send a "hello" card for no reason just when you need it the most, who show up with their tools when something needs to be fixed or built, cleaned-up or cleaned out... who come to celebrate with champagne and cake, and who come with meatloaf and hotdish when we're down and out... who sit up all night with us around a toasty fire, and offer to babysit when we've already been up all night and just need some rest... friends who take our minds off the stress of every day and who let us talk things through when we need to... friends who have been with us each step in our journey for almost 20 years and friends who we've met just a few years ago. Our friends are like family. We are so lucky, so blessed. Gavin is growing up in a loving family, with some of the most supportive friends. He has little buddies already, that will hopefully be his friends for years and years to come. Here are just a few of our friends who we have recent (past month) photos of...

Gavin and his 2nd cousin Hanna on the Fourth of July:

Carrie R with Gavin in late June: Auntie Joanne and Gavin at the Landsteiner Family Reunion:

Gavin and his... "2nd cousins once removed"... Samone, Courtney, and Millie:

Gavin and his Uncle Herman. Uncle Hermy is another funny one - He gives Gavin the giggles too!

Gavin with his cousins Nathan and Luke at a June bonfire at our house:

Some of "The boys" from River Falls... Cole, Brett, and Vinnie Delwiche, Stuart Murphy, and little Gavin:

Gavin and Cole enjoy a late night bonfire at Missy & Colin's:

The little boys AND the big boys:

Rita and Slone in the River Falls Days Parade - Gavin's 1st parade!!

Gavin with Me and Missy.

Just a few recent photos I thought I'd share!

Beautiful Night

If you ask someone in my family, or in my "neigborhood" what they did "last weekend" chances are, they had a bonfire. I'm not sure if people in all parts of the world have as many bonfires as we do, but it's sort of our thing. As soon as it's late enough in the spring that it isn't raining or snowing, we're having bonfires. And we have them right up through Halloween! I would say there is a bonfire either in our 'neighborhood', at a friend's house, or at a family member's house every weekend. We love bonfires. We roast hot dogs and marshmallows. We make s'mores, sometimes we light off fireworks or play with sparklers. Sometimes we shoot potato guns or throw water balloons. A few weeks ago, my brother, my sister, and my niece came over for a bonfire. It was a beautiful evening.

Cliff, Carrie, and Chuck (and Drake) sat around the fire...Dana and Gavin sat on the blanket in the grass...

Nathan and Luke played with Gavin... The sun was shining so beautifully through the trees and on the fields of corn... through the rain!

The rain that chased us out of our seats around the fire and into the house... it was still beautiful, but it was wet. It was raining quite heavily as I snapped this photo of our empty chairs around the fire pit. The sun was shining through the rain so beautifully!

The rain brought more than wet seats. We were blessed with the most beautiful rainbow that stretched as far to the North as my camera would reach and as far to the South as my camera could reach. The camer couldn't capture it's extreme beauty. A double rainbow as wide as our view!

After the rainbow faded and clouds began to move out, we saw this...

and finally, this...

What a beautiful night. This is why we live where we do, why we gather outside with family and friends as often as we can. This is why we roast marshmallows over an open fire - so that we might capture the beauty and grace that God offers us and that is so easy to miss if we don't have our eyes open. Here's to many beautiful summer nights.