I’ll make this short and sweet. It was another good week… well, except that Bill sprained his ankle. That wasn’t so good. But maybe it was our sign to slow down a bit. Life moves at a frantic pace. Sometimes you need to just take a breath and appreciate what’s around you. And so, I’m looking forward to another good week.
Bill’s out flying. I just finished poking around on Pinterest. The house is quiet except for songs from the 50’s and 60’s humming out of my TV. I love this feeling. For the moment, life is simple.
We had another great week. I made a mid-week trip to Virginia to complete some errands, and that allowed me to be free of the running around on the weekend to tie up grocery shopping and school lists that seem to pile up each week. It also broke the week up nicely. As did a visit before school with my former colleague and good friend, Jenny. Time fills up so quickly; I’m so glad to have a friend who’s willing to get out the door a half hour early on school mornings to meet up when our visits have been too few and far between. I had another visit Saturday morning with my high school friend and college roommate, Laura. We met up with my sisters at April’s house. There were SIX kids to fill the house. Times have changed, but only in a lovely way. It was nice to have the chance to catch up.
Bill and I finished up the final season of 24 this weekend. I am pleased to say I was happy with the way they ended the show. And now that we’ve completed the series, I’m really thinking about canceling our Netflix subscription. With Redbox as handy as it is, I feel like we’d do just as well (and possibly better) to rent movies more regularly that way. So, yes, big decisions. 😉
This morning I got to spend a couple hours with my sweet niece, Laurin. It’s not often that I’ve had the chance to hang out with her one-on-one. That’s a difference with the second round of babies in our family. So, it was fun to play with her – and I might even say “visit”. She is such a good talker for such a young little girl! We looked at pictures, read a couple books, and danced around a bit. She was far more cuddly that she’s ever been with me. So much fun!
The Vikings were on today, so I happily invested my time in a nap. This is turning into a fantastic Sunday tradition. After I woke up, I finished a couple of work items I needed to give a bit of attention to, and then Bill and I hopped in the boat again. My goodness it’s gorgeous on the lake. We took a nice long ride and tried to explore a couple of parts of the lake we’re less familiar with. Having grown up on this lake, you’d think I’d be able to navigated it like the back of my hand. But it’s so BIG, and I’m used to just going to the same spots. It’ll be fun for us to learn our way around a bit better together.
Next weekend I think I need to spend some time de-cluttering. It must be the change of the seasons, but I am antsy to simplify life. I want less stuff around. I want organization! I actually heard a story about how President Obama eliminated everything from his wardrobe except blue, black, and gray suits so that he never has to waste time or energy thinking about what to wear. I want that. (Of course, I would more likely go with flannel pants and long-sleeve t-shirts.)
On our first weekend after the official back-to-work week, Bill and I decided to head out for a walk in the woods. We checked out one of the ski trails to see what kind of clearing it’s going to need before the snow falls. Last year the trails weren’t able to be groomed as a result of time spent clearing and lack of snow. Hopefully this year will be a little better (though, truthfully, I plan to stick to skiing on the lake).
The fall colors are starting to really show. It seems early this year, but I’m pretty sure I say that every year. It was a gorgeous day to be back in the woods. And upon our return home, my dad joined us to watch the Vikings win their first game of the season. (I napped.) And then Bill and I headed out for a boat ride – because really, when the weather is this nice, you just HAVE to get out and enjoy it.
A combination of adjusting to a work schedule again combined with life in general has left me exhausted this week. We decided that heading to the Landing instead of cooking dinner sounded like the perfect remedy. So off we went, and it was a lovely end to a lovely weekend.
Oh my, what a summer. It was fantastic and lovely and oh so very fast! I know this must just be a part of getting older, but goodness I feel like time needs to just slow down.
Tomorrow I meet 28 fifth graders that I will spend the next nine months with. The first week is always exciting and overwhelming all the same. Of course each year holds new experiences as no class is ever quite the same.
So as I get ready for the nine months ahead, I can’t help but to think about what fun we’ve had the past three months. We tried to take advantage of the gorgeous weather, but somehow we always feel like we didn’t do quite enough boating, swimming, or relaxing on the lake. We were lucky, though, to spend time with lots of friends we haven’t seen regularly over the past years. We also got to spend time with family and enjoyed our favorite little monkeys when they made their way to our house. Bill explored the air while I worked to keep my feet planted firmly on the ground. We saw my favorite country singer in concert and enjoyed a couple of weeks up North. So, yes, I’d say we did our best to fill our summer months with fun. And we’ll look forward to the next summer, but not without first enjoying the seasons in between.
I’ll try to sum up the past two months mostly in pictures.
Projects
 
This spring was filled with projects around the house. We were in need of a new roof and a new dock. Lucky for me, Bill is always up for the challenge. Lucky for us, we can count on lots of help from our family. We couldn’t have done these projects without the help of Jesse as he was in charge of the designing and calculating of both projects. Then the crew spent several hours constructing. Things are looking great!
Celebrations
 
  
There have been lots of birthdays to celebrate these past months. I won a canoe this spring – so crazy! Bill’s sister, Katie, got married at their family’s cabin at the end of June. And Bill began flight instruction and completed his first solo flight under the instruction of his dad.
Summertime Life
We took a good trip into the BWCA. There’s been lots of time hanging out with the little ones. We’ve had great visits with friends. We’ve enjoyed drop-by guests both by car and boat. A few fish were caught. We’ve spent time with lots of relatives. And when we find a little down time, Bill and I have no problem soaking in wonder of this crazy, busy, beautiful life.
A very happy birthday to my dear, sweet husband.
The guy who can always make me laugh…
whose patience melts my heart…
who fills my life with adventure…
who makes my life complete.
Thursday after school, with a 4-day weekend ahead of us, Bill and I jumped in the car loaded down with our packs, paddles, and topped with the canoe. We made our way to Ely and hit South Hegman just after 5:00. Three short paddles, and a few portages later we were settling into camp.
The weather was gorgeous during the day, though the temperatures dipped into the teens at night. Luckily, we were prepared with long johns, hats, and down slippers. One noticeable difference on this trip was the absence of early morning sunlight. It kept the tent cool and made sleeping in easy! When we finally did brave the cool air, Bill cooked us up a tasty batch of muffins and I poured a hot cup of Starbucks instant coffee. I could easily get used to those laid-back mornings.
This is my new favorite picture of my hubby.
The remainder of the day was just as relaxed. We set up our hammocks, read, napped, and enjoyed the sites and sounds of the Boundary Waters. I was so excited to read anything that didn’t have to do with school or class work!
 
With rain in the forecast, we decided to pack up camp after making some delicious cal zones for dinner Friday night. The lakes were like glass, and the reflections were incredible.
Summer is around the corner. This trip has me ready for it!
Life continues to speed on by. We have been blessed with gorgeous weather these past weeks, and we’re taking advantage of it. So, where to begin? Well…
The kiddos fill a lot of our time up with singing, dancing, giggles, nature walks, and fun.
We’ve been taking lots of saunas.
We watched the ice leave our bay. And we had a morning of listening to the swans swim in the same spot Bill is standing in the first picture.
I bought myself this pretty Azalea to bring a little spring into our house. Good thing, because the snow came back yesterday.
I continue to play in my kitchen. I brought out the Key Lime Pie ice cream recipe to celebrate spring, and today I made the easiest (and quite tasty) loaf of bread from this site.
And earlier this week I won a cookbook from NorthernCheapskate.com!
And tonight I went for a “nature walk” with my two favorite toddlers and my dear, sweet husband.
Oh, life is good.
We had another full weekend. Friday night Sawyer and Kate came over for some play time with their aunt. We colored, danced, played with rice, and had a tasty dinner before it was time for everyone to make their way home for bedtime.
I was up by 6:45 on Saturday morning which gave me some time to spend in the kitchen. Baking is one of my favorite hobbies, and it just feels right to try a new recipe on a Saturday morning. So, this weekend we enjoyed some tasty donuts compliments of my early wake time.
Later that morning we met at April’s for a visit with my mom. It’s strange that we live so close and don’t see each other near often enough. The 4 little ones tend to attract all of our attention, but that’s what makes it fun!
After breakfast it was off to help Laura close out of her apartment. Then Bill and I headed down to Virginia for dinner and a trip to Target. Today it was time to do a little work. This week promises to be just as full. Here we go…
Well, I didn’t make my goal of posting every day in January. I did blog more regularly, though, and I’m glad for that. It reminded me to look for the good in each day.
It doesn’t feel like February around here. It was sunny and 40 today, and I loved it. The weather has pushed me out to try cross-country skiing. I’m enjoying it very much.
There’s just been a lot going on both at work and at home these past weeks. It’s time to buckle down and plow through it all… while hopefully remembering to have a little fun.
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