"Augusty" and September

A lot has happened since I last posted--which makes sense since it's been about 10 weeks. But I'm going to pretend I actually posted this in mid-September and narrow down the posts to just six weeks.

We had a chance to go to the Jagodzinske century farm with our church family. Always a good time there!

We also had time to check out the new playground equipment installed at nearby Ward Park and head up to the cities for some water fun (and cousins and Gramma).

We also submitted items (ceramics and decorated cupcakes) to the County Fair this year and came away with a plethora of ribbons--including a reserve champion for me. Too cool!

I post a lot of these on Facebook, too, so I'm not sure if I will continue this blog. Hate being redundant...

If Walls Could Talk

I've always liked the idea of walls talking, telling the stories, both happy and sad, of what happened between them. Dan's Grandma just celebrated her 100th birthday--most of them living within the same walls in Minneapolis. Oh, if those walls could speak! The history I would learn about her parents' journey from Sweden, what growing up was like with her brother, how courting with Grandpa Mike went. I'm glad for the time we've had with her. I love this four-generation photo with my girls, my loving husband, and his dad--a great example of husbandhood and fatherhood.

And, if our walls could talk, they would probably tell you we need to spend more time between them! We've had a lot of fun adventures requiring driving. I think I'm ready to stay home for awhile. Dan will be happy; cheaper petrol bill!

This week alone we drove to Sherburn for the Lego Challenge put on by the library and the Science Museum of Minnesota. Here is Emily sharing one of her designs with Peter Hoh, the instructor.

Annika built a cool roller coaster! At the platform, you'll note the coaster is just pulling out of the station.

Lauren is sharing her museum design, complete with ruby, with the rest of the participants.

Then I had a meeting in the Twin Cities so I brought the girls along; the plan was to go to Valley Fair, but a sick cousin changed the plans. So we improvised with some tubing. They had a good time! It was great weather and a fairly empty lake. We went with the cousins--fearless tubers who always want to go fast--or drive the boat!

 

We have so much time and so little to do. Strike that, reverse it.

If you read this and would like to have me continue posting, please leave a comment. In an effort to simplify and prioritize, I'm attempting to spend less time on the computer.

Summer's here--both with weather and school vacation! Fairmont has recently been hit by a ton of rain which is expected to continue today and tomorrow! The poor area farmers have pools of water all over acres of what were once crops. 

So far this summer, we have had so many adventures, I'm finding it hard to clean the house or get my freelancing caught up. It doesn't help that I seem to have earned ADHD in the last few...Squirrel!

So, here are a few pics of what we've done so far--not to mention a puppet show at the library, visiting Minnehaha Falls and community ed classes like tennis lessons for Annika, fishing with two teachers, and Young Athletes (with Special Olympics and intended for students of all abilities) for Emily and Megan.

From our vacation in Detroit Lakes. They had 50 sunfish sculptures sponsored and painted, then auctioned. The proceeds went to funding a sailboat sculpture at the main beach. We took pictures with about a dozen of them while we were vacationing up there. Fun scavenger hunt! While we were there, we also fished for sunfish or blue goos (as Megan calls them--confusing the blue flavored ice cream at a local ice cream shop with blue gills). While there, Emily also wanted to buy some Sherburn, confusing sherbet with the name of a town near Fairmont!

I'm not sure what Megan is doing here other than being silly.

The world's smallest gas station--this was actually in use! It's at the history museum in Detroit Lakes (which was actually called Detroit until 1926 when they decided there was just too much confusion for the post office with a town of the same name in Michigan...) The station is 3x4.5 feet!

Another sunfish--and Megan and Emily try photobombing for the first time! Needs a little work...

Annika, Lauren, Emily

Meg's first time in a kayak. She's looking happy here, but wasn't too sure about the wobbly feel of the boat once we got further from shore and started paddling.

Em's first time in a kayak by herself! She did very well.

The girls at our church's annual women's luncheon in May.

Lauren doing ceramics--it was part of her birthday gift given in September. We finally got around to actually doing it. 

Sundog. You can see the "aura" of the sun.

Lauren at the science museum in Sioux Falls, SD during a school field trip.

Lauren (bottom center) during her spring choir concert.

Annika during her end-of-the-year band concert. She's a flutist.

Meg (yellow jacket) doing tug-o-war during kindergarten field days. 

Emily doing a relay for field days for first grade.

Lauren and Daddy during third grade field days. It was on a Friday so Dan was able to attend.

The fifth grade girls (Annika in the purple jacket) beating the boys at tug-o-war while using only one hand.

The girls doing their Leaps of Faith dance during church on Easter Sunday.

The story behind these dresses: our girls are the third set of four sisters to wear these! We got these from some friends who also have four daughters just a tad older than mine--who got them from another family of four girls!