Presidents' Weekend Northern Adventure

Earlier this week, we had dinner aptly named "Choose Your Own Adventure." Between piano lessons, hockey practice, and the final submission of the school yearbook (yay!), we ate dinner in three different shifts. We've noticed in the last year that this is becoming more and more common. It used to be the exception when we weren't all together for dinner. Now, I'm pretty excited if we are together for five nights in a week. I know it will only get worse - so I'm trying to both enjoy the days we are together ... and learn how to reconfigure my meal planning to accommodate this new reality.

There is a lot of reconfiguration needed right now. Between activities, homework, my new job, generally later bedtimes, and other various factors, we are struggling to slot in Adult Responsibilities. It's possible you've noticed the blog has been neglected. This is one of the current casualties of general life balance. I [mostly] promise it's not dead. Hang in there as I figure out the best way to share all the great stories that are written in my brain - but haven't quite made it to the blog.

With that, we'll travel way back in time to mid-February when we headed north for Presidents' Day weekend. But before we talk about the fun of that, we'll make one more jump backwards to New Year's Eve - when Mike and I closed on the purchase of the hunting shack and accompanying nine acres of woods. The owner of the shack had reached out to Mike right before hunting season to see if we would be interested in buying it as she was planning to sell. She offered us a very fair, below market value price, and we went for it. Both Mike and Gpa V are beyond thrilled.

Since the kids had a four-day weekend, we decided to use Presidents' Day as our inaugural weekend at the shack. We had planned to go up on Friday but because of the aforementioned issues with Adult Responsibilities, we took the day to catch up on some things and headed north first thing Saturday morning. The weather on Friday ended up being pretty crummy, so the plan worked out perfectly!

Saturday morning, we headed out bright and early and were at the shack by lunch time. Gpa was already there and had the fires roaring inside. Facts about the shack: there is no running water. There is a very nice outhouse. There is electric heat, but we supplement it with wood fire stoves in the kitchen and living room. There is a bunk room. It is rustic, but nice - and we love it. 

There was so much snow up there. Holy smokes! It was over waist-deep in spots (for the kids). Our neighbor (Mike's old neighbor when he was a kid) had taken the snowblower to a path between the properties to create a sledding hill for the kids. So we spent most of the afternoon outside - sledding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, digging the snowmobile out from where Mike and Dec got it stuck ... and generally enjoying the sun and the snow. We also headed over for some hot cocoa with Jim and Diane (the neighbors). 

Gpa made steaks for dinner, we discovered that the girls were allergic to the animal pelts on the wall (I was not sad to see them removed), and it was off to bed. Sunday was more of the same - lots of sledding, some snowshoeing, a bit more snowmobiling. And a visit from Gma and Gpa J, who wanted to check out the new place! Gpa made roast for a late lunch and then we packed up and headed back toward the cities. It was a quick, but really fun trip. Just the break from city life that we needed!

We have several ideas to update the shack to better align with how we plan to use it. But are reminding ourselves that it is functional now and we can take our time and do it when it makes sense. We have a lot we want to do here at the new house too, so it's been easy to feel overwhelmed. Instead, one thing at a time is the game plan. It's exciting to have a place in the woods that is ours - and can be used for the family time that is becoming rarer and more important.

Mt. Itasca Day

The day after Christmas, we decided to hit up the ski hill in Rapids. Winter is my favorite season and I love almost everything about it ... sledding, skating, snowshoeing, snowmen, even shoveling. 

But real truth, I do not know how to ski. I can sort of cross-country ski (if Mike ever catches up on the blog, I will know because he will make a comment about my epic wipeout last time we x-country skied together), but I have never downhill skied. And now that I have to pay my own medical bills and don't want a broken leg, I'm not so interested in learning [should have taken advantage of the interest from teenage me many years ago!].

Fiona is grown up me in 11-year-old form and is also not terribly interested in skiing either. But - Mt. Itasca has tubing and she and I were both down to try that. Mike knows how to ski, but wasn't sure about the interest from numbers 2 and 3. Our plan was to do a family day of tubing and if a group was interested in hitting the actual slope, we'd make that happen. 

We bought passes for everyone for the tubing slope. They were two-hour passes, but the hill didn't enforce the time limit - so Bugs and I tubed for three hours! I think everyone's favorite part was the rope tow that pulled us (in tubes) up the hill. I ended up with over 10,000 steps as it was - so I cannot imagine how tired I would have been if we were also climbing that hill! There were single tubes and doubles, which was perfect for our gang. Fiona decided she felt more comfortable in a double, so she and I partnered up for the afternoon and had the best time! 

After an hour or so, we headed to the chalet to warm up. From there, Mike, Quinn, and Dec decided to rent snowboards and try out the slope. Bugs and I were good to stick with the tubing! So we headed back to our happy place - only to find the tubing hills being freshly groomed. Holy fast, Batman! Those first few runs after the grooming are not for the faint of heart!

Meanwhile, Mike was also trying to figure out how to snowboard along with the rookies. He is a very good skier, but has not snowboarded since he was a teenager. He much prefers skis. Fiona and I could not stop laughing as he tried to get up on the snowboard when they were practicing on the bunniest of bunny hills. Both Q and D were doing better, and Mike was not a fan! Eventually they all felt minimally competent enough to get on the chair lift to the top of the "mountain" [what passes for mountains in Minnesota]. Mike would like the record to show that he did much better on actual slopes instead of the bunny hill. 

Bugs and I timed a "check in" pretty well and got to see them finish the first trip down. Quinn really wanted to try again, so she and Mike headed back to the chair lift. Dec decided to join Fiona and me on the tubing hill. While Fiona and I enjoyed sticking together, Dec had no time for us and left us in the dust (or snow powder) many times. It's fine ... totally normal for a 7yo to be independent on a giant ice-covered hill. 

We also ran into one of my sister's best friends and his family on the tube hill. Fiona was super excited to see Jeremy and ask to get a picture with him so she could show Auntie. Jeremy willingly obliged her big smile. I also think he wanted to make her happy because she and I had just survived a major crash at the bottom of the run. We ran straight into the ice/snow wall that is supposed to slow you down at the end of the hill - and when we went straight up, my weight caused her side of the tube to go up and then ricochet back. She basically folded in half and her head landed in my lap before it bounced back up. According to Jeremy, it was pretty epic - and looked really painful. He even texted my sister later that night to make sure Bugs was doing okay. She was - she was sore for a couple days, but no lasting damage.

We had the best day and I would not be surprised if this becomes a normal part of the Christmas break entertainment rotation. We also learned after the fact, that all Minnesota 4th graders (Quinn) can get a discounted pass that gets them in to every ski hill in the state. We were bummed - except here we are, end of January, with no free weekend in sight for Q and Mike to go to a ski hill around here. So maybe it's not such a big loss that we didn't jump on that opportunity.

Annual Moonlight Walk and Auntie Dates

Thursday morning, we loaded up and pointed the car north. The kids happily watched their favorite Christmas movies in the car (the Disney Christmas Sing-a-long lives on! At this point, it doesn't feel like Christmas until three of us have watched it and two of us have listened to it from the front seat!) and we made good time. Always grateful for decent traffic and no one puking (Dec did feel a bit carsick for the ride because he overheated early on. But we managed it). 

We unloaded the car and then I brought Quinn to meet Auntie at her work. Part of Auntie's gift to the kids this year was 1-on-1 dates with each of them. Q's date was first and was a total surprise ... Auntie had arranged for Q to help in the kitchen for a couple hours. Q was delighted! After a kitchen tour and some cooking, they took a break for hot chocolate. When they were done, Mike, Fiona, Dec, and I met them for a little happy hour and apps. 

Then after dinner, we bundled up and headed out for our annual moonlight walk in the woods. We brought the sleds with us for the hill, but for the most part, small humans were self-propelled! The sledding hill was DARK (not a lot of moonlight), so Gpa stood in a strategic spot and shined a flashlight. Nonetheless, we hit a few trees and broke a sled. We figure that means it was good fun! We continued across the swamp and then walked back home on the lake. It was just a beautiful evening and we had so much fun outside! 

Fiona and Dec had their dates after Christmas. On the morning of the 27th, Auntie and Dec decided to eat popcorn, play games, and watch Encanto. Auntie said that they had a blast and remarked on the level of energy D brings to everything he does. Then that evening after dinner, Fiona headed down the road with Auntie for popcorn, girl talk, and a movie. This time, Auntie got to watch Princess Protection Program, which she remembers watching when she was a teenager. They both returned to Gma and Gpa's with smiles on their faces [although they did show up 7 minutes past curfew, for the record!].

They still talk about their dates with Auntie and how much fun they had!

The Last of the Last Summer Weekend

Labor Day morning, the girls and I got ready for the day and then took off on a fun date with Gma. It was really a girls and Gma date, but I was invited to tag along. Meanwhile, Dec talked Mike and Gpa into a few games of darts and some wiffleball in the yard. I suspect he didn't have to work very hard to sell that plan. 

Kinda like the purple sequined sweatshirt that Fiona found. I told her "no way" and before the hanger could even go back on the rack, it was Gma to the rescue. To be fair to Gma, Fiona wears it a ton. To be fair to me, it is a purple sequined sweatshirt that weighs a million pounds ... and someone has to wash it. 

Then after lunch, we headed out to Auntie Tracey's for one more lake day. It was a beautiful, sunny day ... but not overly warm for swimming. Nonetheless, Q and D hopped in the water. And then hopped right back out. And then stared at it longingly because they really wanted to swim more but dang, it was not warm. So they settled on some paddleboarding and kayaking. Dec made the best of lake season this year ... with his first day of swimming on May 1 and his last ( maybe ... will he swim in Lake Michigan on fall break later this month???) day on September 6!

Fiona decided she was not interested in the cold water, but happily chilled out in the sun on the pontoon. Once Quinn and Dec were done in the water, we all hopped on the pontoon (five Vs, Auntie Tracey, Nate, and Gpa V) for a boat ride around the lake. It was the perfect day to be on the lake! I was so glad the kids had a weird school start and we could take advantage of the holiday like that. 

Once our boat ride was over, the kids were done in the lake - so they talked Nate into letting them drive his go kart. Mike rode with them a few times, and then ... we let the girls drive it on their own. It was both exciting and terrifying. Fiona delights in being a daredevil. Quinn is very precise and rule-oriented. Neither Mike nor I can remember if we let Dec drive on his own (this is the drawback of blogging a month after the fact). The responsible side of me wants to say that we didn't. The Vacation Mom side of me thinks it could have happened. The blog world may never know. Unless Auntie Tracey remembers ...

Then the next day, we pointed the car south and headed home. It was a quick trip, but just what we needed to mark the end of summer! Since I didn't go back to work until Thursday, the kids and I were able to get us settled back in, prepped for school, and ready to kick off fall. **And make a ton of marinara sauce and salsa while we were at it!

Last Summer Weekend: Waterfalls

Sunday looked to be a gorgeous, but chilly, day - so Mike and I had decided that we'd make a return trip to Amnicon Falls. You may remember that we headed there as part of our northern Minnesota Spring Break tour. It's just under a two hour drive (each way) from Rapids, but we knew that we could get a lot of exploring in to make the drive worthwhile. We also invited Gma and Gpa J and Auntie to join us. And met Gma and Gpa N at the park! 

We all knew that there's been quite the drought in the upper midwest this year - but wow, the water level compared to when we were there in April was crazy low. Several of the waterfalls were barely dripping, so the falls were much less impressive than in the spring. Conversely, the water was so low that all the big river rocks were up out of the water. I have never crossed a river via rock path so many times in my life. In fact, I joked on instagram that clearly my kids are allergic to the actual trails!

The smoke from the western wildfires was impacting the air, so Gma N was having a hard time breathing. We all had lunch together and then my mama grabbed a picnic table spot with Gma and Gpa N to visit while the rest of us wandered down to the river and then tested our rock jumping balance. My dad was laughing so hard and Emmy and me as we tag-teamed a crossing. We stand by our team effort and our dry feet. We even did a trio crossing with Fiona and everyone was successful thankyouverymuchdad! 

Gma and Gpa N left shortly thereafter, but we are so glad we got to see them for a little bit! Then we brought Gma J with us for the next batch of exploring. Because of the low water levels and exposed rocks everywhere, my family did a lot more "off roading" than we had done in the spring. We definitely should have had Gma wear her hiking shoes! Gma and Gpa claim they need to go back again in the spring so 1) they actually get to walk on the trails and 2) they can see the falls when they have more water running through them!

Overall, we spent about four hours exploring the park. Only one Vanneste got fully wet (cough, Declan, cough) but it was mostly on purpose. He had taken off his socks and was walking around in the river in his crocs with his pants rolled up. He missed a rock and took a bit of a swim. Thankfully I had brought extra clothes - because I know my people! 

[Several other Vannestes may have had wet shoes and socks. Auntie may have had a rolled ankle from a long leap from rock to shore. No family members were permanently maimed in the exploring of the waterfalls.]

It was an easy drive back to GR, where we had a big bowl of Gma's famous potato salad waiting for us! Dinner was easy and delicious. Then we ended the night by watching a couple episodes of The Floor is Lava, which, if nothing else, reaffirmed Em and my tag team approach to obstacles! Oh, and then a bonfire at Auntie's house with s'mores because what better way to end a great day!

Last Summer Weekend: Went North

It is our last year of the crazy weird schedule of the kids starting school on the Thursday after Labor Day. Only elementary schools start on Thursday. Middle and High School start on Tuesday ... and we have a middle schooler next year! So we decided to take advantage of our longer Labor Day weekend one last time - and headed north for a few days of trees, lakes, and family before the craziness of the school year started!

Because of work and sports schedules, we decided to head up on Friday ... even though that meant that traffic would likely be less than ideal. You guys, traffic was less than ideal. So we went some back roads, where in the world are we and is there a gas station anywhere in the next 30 miles route. Other than honestly only vaguely knowing where(ish) we were, it was just fine and much less car-sick-inducing than the stop and go traffic on our regular route. Lunch was a little trickier than expected and we ended up with gas station pizza slices. As one does. We made it to Rapids mid-afternoon and were very happy to be there. 

Gma surprised the kids with a brand new bunk bed in the guest room and they were thrilled! The girls slept on the bunk and Dec decided to make himself a bed on the floor in their room. It was the world's best sleepover! The rest of Friday was pretty low key. We headed to the park to burn off some energy, played a full contact frisbee version of keep away, and tested the path between Auntie's and Gma's a few times. We even tried the [fairly sour] grapes on Auntie's grape vine. 

Saturday was the day we had been looking forward to since the 4th of July ... CABIN DAY with the cousins! We headed up right after lunch and were sooooo happy. It was a lovely sunny day (until it wasn't ... more on that in a bit) but not terribly warm. Quinn and Dec (mostly Dec) went in the water. Fiona was happy to just put her feet in and play in the sand. They were all so excited when the rest of the cousins arrived.

The kids were all happily playing in the water and sand until a bunch of clouds blew over us. It started sprinkling and the whole crew huddled under the canopy of the pontoon. We could see that it was going to blow over pretty quickly and were telling the kids to just wait for a few minutes. Then there was a gigantic crack of thunder and the.kids.were.out. Of course, two minutes after the thunder, the storm was over. But it didn't matter. The safety-first moral compass gang was done. 

So we got everyone dressed, cleaned up the beach, and headed up to go on a woods walk. With a short pit stop in the cabin to wait out another quick rainfall and refuel with fruit snacks. Once the rain was done, we headed out for the loveliest hour-plus long walk on the trails. The kids had so much fun running ahead, hiding, jumping out, exploring, running back to us, and just being together. Fiona delighted in being able to carry Arlo part of the way - and he even fell asleep on her shoulder! She felt so grown up and was such a big help to Anna with Baby A. 

We all headed out around 5:00 to get to our various dinner locations. We were so glad to get one last day at the cabin - and even better, to have such a fun day with our people! The kids live for days with their cousins and always look forward to the time together!

Auntie's grapes

Sweet baby Arlo

Just a Bug and her Gpa

Went North: The Last Part

Thursday was our final day up north. We were sad about it, but unfortunately grown decisions and responsibilities ... and gainful employment ... required our attention. Those grown up things, however, needed to wait at least one more day because we had cabin time and vacation life to enjoy!

The kids and I made a quick drop in at my dad's cousin's house before we headed to the lake, as they were having a mini cousin reunion with the Texas relatives. I knew it would be a lot of adults talking, which is not the kids' favorite thing, so we appeared so Gpa could show off his grandkids, played a couple games of ladder golf, and then headed back to pick up Mike and our picnic lunch. We were eating sandwiches at the lake by 1:00. Perfection.

Then the kids had the best time swimming and playing in the sand, while Mike and I split our time between relaxing with a drink on the pontoon and jumping in the water with the kids. Of course, we got the Maui mat out and spent plenty of time jumping off of that. Mid-afternoon, my sister, Parker, Maggie, and their puppy Marlow also arrived. We had been waiting for them to take a pontoon ride!

We decided to drive over to the "nude beach" and the kids and Mike had the best time on the rope swing. Em and I even tested it out a few times [fact: we all had such sore arms the next day!]. All the kids absolutely loved the rope swing. The only bummer is that the lake is so low right now (such a bad drought this year) that it was hard to do any trick moves. The water was about knee-level for Mike and I honestly covered my eyes a few times at his antics. 

We headed back to the cabin, grilled up some brats and hot dogs for dinner, and then took the pontoon out one more time ... partly so Parker could use his drone to follow us and get some great footage and partly to play on the rope swing one more time! 

While not terribly warm (and in fact, quite chilly on that second pontoon ride), it was the best day at the lake and the perfect way to wrap up our vacation. It was both a lot of fun and extremely relaxing. We are so glad we made the decision to stay through Thursday and fit in a last day at the lake. 

Friday morning, Emmy and I went for a walk around the lake before the long car ride ahead. Then we packed it up, hugged everyone a final time, and pointed the car south. It was an uneventful trip* home (hooray!) and we were back by mid-afternoon. The kids were happy to see their rooms and their friends. And Mike and I were re-energized to tackle the unpacking again. 

*Well, maybe one event. When we stopped for lunch on the drive, I went to grab my purse and realized I had forgotten it in GR. Luckily Parker and Maggie were driving through the cities the next day and kindly brought my purse as a passenger. They not only delivered it right to our house (and got a tour), they also brought a beautiful bouquet of housewarming flowers. Talk about rewarding forgetful behavior!

**The kids missed one friend's birthday party on Thursday night because we stayed the extra day. But they did get to a second friend's party on Saturday. And for 90 minutes, Mike and I had time to ourselves. We used it very wisely and found bedroom furniture - which was delivered a few days later. Most importantly, new dressers were part of that delivery and our days of underwear on bookcases and suitcases lining the our bedroom wall came to an end! 

Went North: Part V

I took exactly zero pictures on Tuesday. It was pouring down rain and cold. And perfect. After four days in the lake, the rain provided a lovely change in the action. We pulled out games, played with the toys at Gma and Gpa’s, watched a movie, and generally chilled out. The girls and I even snuck in haircuts at their favorite salon (they claim they are now GR haircut people).

We were veerrrrry non-committal about a return date home (it's possible Gma was getting worried we'd never leave!), but were tossing around Thursday as the day. I was off all week, but Mike was trying to balance work and vacation (the theatre was quite needy while he was technically out of office). Everyone was really hoping for one more lake day before we went back south. However, Wednesday, while not rainy, was also not a terribly warm day. We decided it probably would not be the most fun lake day. But after all day inside on Tuesday, we wanted to do something.

After a lot of research and flip-flopping, we decided to take the gang to the Safari North zoo in the Brainerd lakes area. It was just under a 2 hour drive (each way … hence the flip-flopping). The kids weren’t particularly excited about the drive, but under 2 hours is also pretty easy in context – so off we went, with a brief stop for lunch on the way.

The zoo was busy – but everything was outside, which made it feel not so crowded. We walked in, Mike said "Dec, look at the cheetah" - and the look on D's face right there was worth the price of admission. It took us around 2.5 hours to walk the whole zoo. Favorites were feeding the giraffe (the nicest man in front of us bought a cup of carrots and then gave each of our kids several sticks so they could feed the giraffe too. We were going to buy a cup as that was the thing D was most excited about, but it was just so kind of a complete stranger), hanging out with the tortoises, and feeding birds in the bird enclosure.

Facts about the highlights. Giraffes' tongues are black. And long. Dec was all in on the giraffe feeding. Quinn was medium in. Fiona took some cajoling, but was happy that she did it once. D would have stood there all day. Tortoises are so cool. And we saw one poop - which makes a 7-year-old boy laugh uncontrollably. I did not go in the bird enclosure, thankyouverymuchbirdsareterrifying, but Mike happily dropped several dollars on birdseed covered sticks. When you held them, you ended up covered in birds. Legit covered. I was terrified from outside. Dec was not into it as the bird's feet scratched his arms. He was, however, happy to stay in the bird house and watch Mike and the girls feed the birds. The girls loved it and repeatedly said it was the highlight of the day. 

We grabbed Wendy's frosties on the drive home and made it back just in time to head to Auntie's for a pizza party with the visiting Texas relatives. Cousin Parker even let the kids control his drone ... and we have a great video of Fiona accidentally running it into Auntie's garage! 

We looked at the weather forecast for the next day, looked at the Texas cousins, and thought "why not stay one more day?" Then we tucked delighted kids into bed while promising them one more trip the cabin. 

Went North: Part IV

Monday morning came with more hot weather and blue skies. Which obviously meant another day in the lake. [Day 4 - if you are counting] This time, however, we headed out to see Auntie Tracey, Uncle Kyle, and Nate. With a bonus visit from Gpa V. 

Monday was also my night to cook dinner. The family voted for brown sugar ribs (I'm turning into quick the one-trick pony. I swear I can make other things), mostly because we figured we could trick Gpa V into coming for dinner if ribs were on the menu. We even sweetened the deal with Grandma's potato salad.

Spoiler alert: it totally worked! So before we headed to Auntie Tracey's house, I got everything prepped and left instructions for my mom so she could toss the ribs in the oven for me. 

I can't decide if it was more fun watching the kids play in the lake - or listening to Nate laugh while he watched the kids play in the lake. Mike and Dec couldn't wait to play on the jet ski and then Q happily got in on the action. In typical tween fashion, it took Fiona a bit to warm up to things ... but once she did, she was all in and had the best time playing with her sister. It's a fine balance these days - between respecting her opinions and feelings. And gently pushing her to do things that we know she will enjoy. It's possible that I forced her to get on the jet ski with her dad. And it's also possible that she loved it. 

[It's also possible that Mike and I went on a wild jet ski ride together, caught some air off the wake, and both said "ow, my hip!" when we landed ... allegedly] 

Auntie Tracey is pure evil and gave Dec a gigantic squirt gun that he tortured everyone with for the afternoon (except for Auntie Tracey. Come to think of it, maybe she's an evil genius). Gpa V was just as entertained as Nate, watching the squirt gun dodging and the dock jumping. So much fun to spend a few hours together. We just wish we could have seen Ben too!

Near dinner time, we headed back to Gma and Gpa's house with Quinn riding with Gpa V to help him navigate. Auntie Emmy joined us for dinner and it's safe to say we all ate way too much. So the only obvious thing to do after that was to go down the hill to Auntie's for s'mores. Gpa came with and we got to visit with him around the fire. We were also joined by my cousin Parker and his wife Maggie - and Parker's dad Brad and his wife Cheryl, who were all up visiting from Texas.

After we put Gpa on the road back to Duluth, we walked back up the hill for bed (and left the party going at Auntie's). Four days in a row in the lake was exhausting!

Went North: Part II

In the first half of 2021, my sister moved north and bought a house, my cousin Anna bought a new house and moved her family of five, our family of five moved to a new house … and not to be outdone, my cousin Liv remodeled her kitchen. Which sounds less intense – but we all know that remodels always take way longer than expected. So Liv was kitchen-less for months with a toddler and a preschooler. I’d rather move than do that!

All that to say, Saturday morning, the kids, Auntie, and I headed out to see Anna’s new house and get some baby Arlo snuggles as a bonus prize. It was interesting to see how the shift from Little to Big plays out in an environment other than the cabin (where everyone is just all in). Declan lived his best life wandering around the yard and the woods with Otto and Milo, jumping in the new trampoline, climbing on the playset, and running around the rink (which is a soccer field in the summer … Yes, they have a permanent full-size rink in their yard. Yes, we will spend most of winter break right there).

Meanwhile, the girls didn’t quite know what to do with themselves. As it turns out, adults just sitting around visiting is still so boring but the little boys don’t need “mothering” anymore (and in fact, also don’t care for mothering. There was a definite spat!). So they kinda flopped about and waited for baby Arlo to be in the mood for snuggles. At least there is one tiny cousin who still wants them to mother him. This tween thing is for real. They simply don’t know what to do with themselves and don’t know where they fit in the ecosystem.

Thankfully, there were Big Girl plans for the afternoon that took out some of the sting from the morning. The girls had a special date with Grandma. It was Quinn’s idea. Gma asked me if she was being hustled. I told her to always assume that Q has some sort of long-game hustle going on – but in this case, I did know that the core of it was just wanted some special time with Gma. The hustle report reflects the procurement of two “grown up” outfits, a swimsuit cover up, and make up for Fiona – but Gma didn’t seem to mind. Sounds like they had a great time together.

Since the girls had a special date, I told Dec that I’d take him on one of his own. And then his daddy showed up too. We were going to go fishing, but ended up just meeting Auntie at the Hale Lake boat landing (about 5 blocks from Gma and Gpa’s house) because no one was there. We fished, we swam, we lounged in the sun, we made 495 trips back to the house for potty breaks and towels and snacks and whatnot. When the girls were done with their date, they joined us. It was the best time!

Day 2 in the lake was in the books!

Went North: Part I

Here we go - buckle up for a series of 4th of July posts. The 4th was on Sunday, which made figuring out low traffic travel days very tricky. We eventually decided to head up Thursday night after work. And didn't come home (well ... most of us) until the following Friday. We made the most of our EIGHT days up north. So the next few posts will be a nice flashback for you to a month ago ...

If we needed additional proof (we didn't) that Mike is the best, we got it up on our trip north. Like I said, we headed up Thursday night. Both Mike and I had to work on Friday and my sister was lined up for a Nanny Auntie day with the troops. However, Mike had to work on location at the theatre. But because he didn't want me to have to deal with the drive and the kids by myself and so as not to have two cars up there, he drove us up Thursday night, got up early Friday morning and drove 4 hours back to the cities ... and then came back up Saturday. It's worth saying again ... Mike Is The Best.

I set up shop in the basement for a few meetings and a lot of work - and Auntie came right around 8:30 to take charge. They spent the morning down at her house (I did take a short break to walk down with some sweatshirts for the kids) and then they went to the cabin for a picnic lunch and the afternoon in the lake. All the cousins were there and according to my sources - and the pictures - they had the best time. Meanwhile, I was on a call with an animator at the vide agency I use. He was telling me that he was going north for the 4th. As we discussed further, we found out that he was going to his sister's house - who lives 4 blocks from my parents. Crazy small world!

I finished up work just before 4:00. Even though I knew the kids and Em were heading in around 5pm, I really wanted to go to the lake. So, out I trotted to the garage to ask my dad if I could borrow his car (teenager flashbacks). He did not appreciate when I told him I would drive fast and recklessly so I could get out to the lake more quickly. The kiddos were excited to see me and I was happy to jump in the water and make a quick swim across the bay.

After six hours in the sun, the kids were tired. Q and Dec had decided they were going to do a sleepover at Auntie's for the night. So I delivered them down the road, gave the kisses, and came back to my parents' a little sad that no one seemed to miss me. About 45 minutes later, Auntie returned both non-sleeping Vannestes and they decided they'd rather stay with me for the night. It was awfully hot in the guest rooms and they may have also simply been over-tired. [And maybe they did miss me just a little bit!]

I was glad Auntie returned them when she did - as I was about to call the experiment anyway and retrieve them. I wanted everyone to get enough sleep that we didn't ruin the rest of our trip. As expected, it took a little bit to settle in once they got back to Gma and Gpa's, but it wasn't bad at all. And we all got a good night's sleep. So I can't complain. And ... honestly, Auntie probably slept better too. Because I suspect she would have been on high alert if her houseguests had stayed!

That Time I "Forgot" the Swimsuits ...

As I mentioned in the last post, we headed north last weekend to avoid the house insanity - and to help my sister move into her new house. She had closed on her new house earlier that week and was in the process of settling in. Her house happens to be right down the hill from my parents' house and we had walked by it with the kids when we were up for Easter. 

Unsurprisingly, Quinn remembered exactly where it was. So when we passed it on the way to Gma and Gpa's, Q noticed everyone's cars were at Auntie's. Therefore, the second we got out of the car, she was begging to head down the hill. We agreed and Quinn legitimately ran the entire way there. Em said she looked out the window, saw a hot pink blur with a blonde ponytail, and announced "Quinn is here." The rest of us arrived about 3 minutes later.

On Saturday morning, we took advantage of the fact that the park is a block from Auntie's and met all the cousins there. Which meant we got to meet Baby Arlo!! All the disappointment of missing him at Easter was soothed. He is just as sweet and delicious as expected and everyone took a turn holding him. When they weren't holding Baby A, the kids were running around wild with their cousins. So many happy happy children. Even sweet Beau warmed up to the V gang and joined in.

After lunch, Quinn continued to live her very best life - getting Auntie unpacked, organized, and on track. The bookends had the best attitudes, but unpacking and organizing is not their best life. It was also incredibly HOT for May 1. By mid-afternoon, we were not much help anymore and the kids were getting squirrely. I had mentioned going down to the boat landing, but Dec and Quinn begged to go up to the cabin. We figured they could put their feet in the water and play in the sand, so said okay. However, we also brought a bag of extra clothes because we have met Vannestes and lakes and pretty much knew where the afternoon would take us.

We did not realize that the cousins were going to be up at the lake too. So we got bonus time! Hux and Beau were already there, in swimsuits, and wading out into the water. Our kids were in shorts, so could easily wade out too. And Dec was in athletic shorts - basically a swimsuit. Nonetheless, Dec was scandalized that I "forgot to pack the swimsuits." I did not forget, Sir. It was April when we packed the bags! I would also like to point out that Otto and Milo were in shorts/underwear thankyouverymuchdeclan!

Mike dared Declan to jump off the end of the dock. He thought about it several times, but wouldn't commit to the jump. Then suddenly, Dude took off running down the dock and leapt in! Far! Then came up shrieking because the water was somewhere between 49-53 degrees (depending on which of my cousins you ask). We wrapped him in a towel, let the sun do its job, and he was back wading around in the water with the cousins in minutes. Then, believe it or not, he jumped off again later. Crazy kid!

We had the best time at the cabin and this is officially the earliest the kids have been IN the lake. But only by a week or so. A few hours in the sun (by the water) was also the relaxing break we all needed after the last two busy weeks. So glad the kids insisted!

Quinn got ready early Sunday morning and had Gpa and Gma drop her off at Auntie's on their way to church so she could continue to be Auntie's right-hand Q. The rest of us loaded up Auntie's dresser and brought that down once we were ready. Then we helped with a bit more unpacking, loaded up our stuff, and headed toward home. We were back by early afternoon, picked up the grocery order I had placed during the drive, and even got Q to hockey practice on time. 

I'd say it was a fully-successful quick trip north. Except Declan has told me two dozen times since we got back to "make sure [I] don't forget the swimsuits next time." 

Abandon Ship!

Have you missed us? Been wondering where we are? Well, it's been a liiiiittle busy around here. Thankfully, things are settling down and it's just your standard work, school, hockey, soccer, horse camp, piano balancing act. Perhaps related: Quinn had her first soccer practice of the season tonight. Mike and I may have been in the small human section of Scheel's earlier today buying the one pair of soccer cleats left in her size ... because when she tried on last season's cleats this morning, she couldn't even get her heel in. Allegedly.

Also perhaps related: Quinn has a soccer game on Saturday. That she will have to leave 15 minutes early in order to get up to Minnetonka on time for her Saturday hockey game. This is the current version of "settled down."

Anyhoo ... we spent last week prepping, repairing, and cleaning the house as showings started on Friday afternoon. Mike and I had to work, so during lunch, we hurriedly cleaned and staged and moved our valuables out of the house. We were quite proud of our project management. Our goal was to leave the house at 2pm - and I mopped us out the door at 1:59pm. We headed over to the school to pick up the kids early and then pointed the car north toward GR. We had told them to go to the bathroom at school because no one (and no one's sticky fingers) were allowed back in our house until we returned on Sunday.

We had 15 showings on Friday night and another 20 between Saturday morning and 10am Sunday. We also canceled an additional 5 showings that were later in the day on Sunday. We received texts from multiple neighbors about how busy our house was and Where Were We? We told them that we had abandoned ship so as to not deal with the insanity. Based on the zoo-like atmosphere they all described, it was the right decision.

Thirty-five showings ended with 14 offers (including one that came in last Monday "sight unseen" that we declined because of some funky terms). 14 offers sounds like a great problem to have. And it honestly was. But it was also extremely overwhelming. By late Saturday night, I simply laid down on the floor of my parents' living room. I was done.

We did not take the highest offer (it just didn't feel right), but we are pleased with the one we accepted. It's a young family with a dog and a little boy, who are very excited about our back yard. The terms were great and the price was right. We had the papers signed Sunday morning and returned home with the house under contract! The next step is for all the closing date dominoes to align so we know what we are working toward. Hopefully by the end of next week, we'll know the close date on our new house and then can work out the close date on this house. 

Since we are in a bit of house transfer limbo now, we've taken that as permission to temporarily pause the packing process. I have packed exactly zero boxes since we returned from GR. I also may have left something in the middle of the kitchen counter when I went to the office on Monday. Because I could.

Again. Allegedly. 

Spring Break: The Grandparents Tour (Chasing Waterfalls)

Tuesday morning, we were up and at 'em because we had big plans. First up, Gpa V showed up with donuts (as he does). Against all odds, I agreed that they could each eat a whole donut. Dec picked one as big as his face ... and ate every single bite of it! Fiona decided it was too much donut and saved half of hers for the next morning. After breakfast, Quinn beat Grandpa a few more times at Go Fish and we explored the woods right outside our villa. 

Then we hopped in the car for the next adventure. Step 1: drive across the big bridge to Wisconsin. As you remember, I hate bridges and the ones from Duluth to Superior are the worst. [When we were dating, Mike used to have to drive over from northern Wisconsin to pick me up in Duluth - or I would cross over in Hinckley where it was a much more manageable bridge.] We took the Bong bridge over and the kids thought it was so cool. Although the High Bridge on the way back was the clear favorite. And by clear favorite, I mean "from what I could tell with my eyes squeezed closed, practicing my deep breathing exercises while I waited for us to plummet to our untimely deaths."

Step 2: we were heading to Amnicon State Park, where Mike and I used to go often when we were dating. It has several beautiful waterfalls and fun trails to explore. But best of all, it is near Gma and Gpa N's house - so they agreed to meet us there. In normal times, this would be great. But you guys, we had not seen them in person or hugged them in eighteen months! Eighteen months. Gma was fully vaccinated and Gpa was just a couple days away from his official "two weeks past second vax" - so we hugged with masks. BUT WE HUGGED! It was the best!

We got to the park before Gma and Gpa, so did a little exploring while we waited. Which basically meant off-roading, ledge perching (Quinn!), portaging across multiple log bridges, accidentally falling in the water while testing a log bridge (Mike!), and declaring "this park was made for us!" (Declan). 

We paused some pretty extreme off-roading to meet Gma and Gpa at the picnic tables for lunch. Then they spent the next two hours staying safely on the path while the rest of us followed Mike's lead when he said ridiculous things like: "I think we can make it to that cave if we pick our way down to the river there, shimmy along that rock ledge, make a leap to that ledge, and then climb up to the cave." [almost direct quote] Gma loved it. It was like watching three little mini Mikes, a big one ... ... ... and me. 

When we were cleaning up our lunch, the park ranger came by the picnic area. The kids told him how much they loved the park and how much fun they were having. He loved their enthusiasm and gave them each a Smokey Bear gaiter. They were both terrifying and hilarious when pulled up over their faces. At one point, Declan lined up the mouth perfectly and it was moving while he talked. So creepy - and yet we could not stop laughing.

After Gma and Gpa headed home, we did a bit more off-road exploring. We also were able to watch the best teamwork on this hike. Log navigation is not easy for Fiona. She lacks some sensation in her feet, so relying solely on them for balance makes her quite nervous. Quinn would skip across the log (for real - she'd skip) and then she'd skip back to take Fiona's hand and would ever so slowly and carefully work the way across with her. She would never rush Fiona and F felt so much more confident holding Q's hand. Great sister moments for the two of them.

We also ended up with a sad Declan, who had wet feet from falling off a log. I was so proud that I had extra shoes for everyone. Except guess what I didn't have extras of ... socks. So Dec's wet shoes and socks went in the back and he got his crocs. Q decided to change into her crocs as well - just for fun. 

Mike decided to stop at Wisconsin Point before we took the bridge back to Duluth, so the kids could check out Lake Superior on the Wisconsin side. It was cold and windy on the lakeshore. And by windy, I mean some waves were unexpectedly large and crashed much further up the beach than expected. And by that, I mean a rogue wave totally knocked Dec's croc off and it went floating out into the lake. Little Dude went running out to save his shoe and had very cold wet feet as a result. Quinn and I also got hit by a wave and had cold, wet feet.

So two out of five Vannestes were crying as we left the lake (I was not) and it sounds ridiculous but was also so funny. Sometimes you just have to embrace the crazy. And now, even Q and D find the humor in it ... "remember when Lake Superior tried to steal my croc?" [Everyone's favorite part of Wisconsin Point (except me) was chasing the seagulls (gross) by running into the flock. In addition to bridges, I'm terrified of birds. Sometimes I think Mike plans things just to torture me.] 

Once we got safely back across the bridge to Duluth, we went down to Canal Park on the shore of Lake Superior (Minnesota side). The kids wanted to see the big Aerial Lift bridge, that goes up and down to let the ore boats in and out of the harbor. They talked Mike into driving across the lift bridge and I feel like I have had my quota of bridges for the decade. We also got out to take a bathroom pit stop, get a treat at Grandma's, and walk along the lakeshore. There were a lot of people out and about, so we didn't stay long. But it was a fun way to wrap up our exploration for the day.

Then we went back to the treehouse so I could make dinner and Gpa V could join us! Everyone used the big bathtub one more time (it's almost a month later and we all still talk about how great it was) and it was off to bed. Everyone got a much better night's sleep and we woke up ready to pack it up and head back home.

It wasn't a fancy Spring Break, but we had so much fun and got to see all the grandparents for the first time in forever (raise your hand if you are singing the song from Frozen). Getting away for a few days and being able to just have fun together was exactly what we needed. And we still had a few days left of break to get organized and settled and test out the new walkie talkies from the Easter Bunny. Fact: you can be over a mile (straight line) from our house and still talk to people in the house. Well played, Bunny. Well played.