"Round, round, get around, I get around"

Another week of summer fun! We made an excellent Craigslist purchase this week- our very own bouncy! It has a bit of wear to it, but for the price it could not be beat. We've busted it out several times already. Just wait for the pictures of it dominating our living room this winter.

Sam dives out!

The girls love the fun!

The Bethel roomies got together (minus Margie) last week to enjoy a sweet time together at Becca's. McKenna and Lily discovered a puzzle on the table, and while this pictures LOOKS like they are hard at work, they actually managed to destroy all the work that had been done while all the adults gabbed. So much for supervision, and so sorry Manuel.

This past weekend we celebrated Bjorn's aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary~ congratulations Carolyn & Gil!! I managed to take no pictures, so we are hoping Karla will send out some of hers. The second cousins got to play around and in the lake and Lily loved it! They were all so sweet to her.

The biggest treat of the weekend though was a visit from Bjorn's sister Kaarin and her love, Patrick! We had a wonderful time together- visiting the lake and surprising everyone, BBQing at the Mitchell's, biking around downtown and lunching with Bjorn. Lily's phrase of the weekend was "Auntie Kaarin sit by you!", much to Kaarin's delight! We loved having them and are excited to meet their new little person arriving in December- yeah, another cousin!!

I see you!

Before the summer runs out and "Africa" leaves the zoo, Lily and I brought Papa to visit the giraffes, zebras and ostriches. I was a little bummed that the biscuit lady was MIA, so Lily was not able to feed the giraffes. She did think they were pretty cool though, claiming them to be her favorite animal we saw, along with the sharks.

Check that out!
A FABULOUS new addition to the zoo is a tree house adventure for the kiddies- very cool!

We also made our final trip to the Cobblestone pool with Mara & the girls, as well as Becs and AnnieGrace! Lily enjoyed lunch with the twins and some quality swim time as well. The sun was out and the water was warm- perfection!

Flippin' around!

A rare family shoot with all smiles!

So happy together!

"Because you're mine, I walk the line."

Every Friday this summer Lily has been participating in gymnastics. She and I go each Friday with Ms. Amy and other 2 to 3 year olds at the gymnastics gym near our house. It has been a blast. Lily enjoys all things park-like, so it is right up her ally. At this age they set up stations for the kids to move around to. There are usually bars, beams, trampoline and a bit of tumbling. The kids work on "high, low, over you go" (somersault), balance, listening to directions and confidence. We also received a $50 off coupon in the mail, so that sealed the deal for us. I don't see Lily having Olympic potential, but she sure did have fun!

Bend and stretch, turn around, we're gym kids doing gymnastics.

Squat down low, it's time to go- BLAST OFF! Until next class!

Lily loves hangin' around! The bars seem to be her strong-suit.

Jump, jump, jump, sit.


Lily "walks the line" of the balance beam.


Ta-da!

This past week Lily and I have been taking care of Sam and Alli while Mara is in Cuba. Lily loves the girls and having Sam sit by her in the car. Alli really doesn't need to be "watched" though, and she is fantastic at playing with the younger girls. We've done some swimming, some parks, some ice cream and a whole lot of fun!

Playing at castle park with Sam and Alli.

Even before we knew about our Lily, Bjorn planted several types of lilies in our front garden. It is actually the 1st area Bjorn tackled in our yard, and it looks more fabulous every year. Bjorn takes care of the perennials, while I fill in with the annuals. The Stargazer lilies are my favorite, with their bright pink blossom and colossal size. Last week the final lilies bloomed and we picked our last Stargazer for our beautiful Lily to have. It happened to match quite nicely with her outfit.

Where flowers bloom, so does hope. -Lady Bird Johnson

Last Stargazer of the season.


Lily with a lily!


"I can put it in my hair myself!"



Looking back, it's been a great summer!

"The Big Lake they call Gitcha Gumee"

Each summer for the last 19 years my family ventures up north to Tofte on Lake Superior. Affectionately known to us as "the Fin", Bluefin Bay is a fabulous resort right on the rocks. It is nice to get away from it all, even cellphone coverage areas. We hike, bike, swim and eat the days away. This was Lily's 2nd trip and she had a blast. Throwing rocks in the lake was the cool new thing, and to her great delight, Bjorn would toss in mini boulders that gave off the big splashes. This year the weather was the coolest we had experienced in August, but still beautiful. We visited the Fisherman's picnic in Grand Marais to watch the logrolling competition and eat Sven & Ole's pizza, grabbed a few of the World's Best Doughnuts (Congratulations- you did it!!) and then headed to Lutsen to hike and visit the new lodge at the top of the gondola.

For the 1st time Papa passed a spatula to me and I was able to help with the grilling. He took care of the steaks, while I worked the chicken. Eating is a big part of the trip too- we make all our meals and a whole lot of snacking goes down as well. While there I read a great Jodi Picoult book called "Second Glance". I spent several hours in a reading trance, reminding me why I don't read very much during the school year. My sister Erin and I biked along the fabulous Superior path they have been working on for the last several years. Each year we are able to go a little bit farther. It's incredible to hike trails that we have done for so many years and see the familiar landmarks- waterfalls, views of the lake, wood table and certain rocks, as well as the new sights and people to see them with. Tradition is wonderful thing.

Throwing rocks at the nightly bonfire.

Running around in her auntie's shirt-turned-dress.

The whole group up at Lutsen.

Sistas!

Lily did an incredible job on her first hike! She loves to be the leader and have everyone following. Next year I plan to outfit her with some boots and a walking stick! She completed the 2 mile loop almost entirely on her own. Our outdoorsie girl!

At the top, overlooking the lake.

Riding in the gondola was another highlight.

Bjorn and Lily throwing rocks.

My 2 little squatters!

Swimming with Dada-

so this is love.