Jeepers July is Over!

I really did intend for this to be more thoughtful and inspired. Instead it is turning out to be a frenzied racking of my brain to remember what in the world we've been up to since I last wrote.

Well the girls did not "progress" in their swimming lessons to the next level at the end of the two weeks. They learned a lot but were just not comfortable with their faces in the water. So, to keep the momentum rolling we enrolled them in another two weeks of level 1 (this is their 3rd time). Today was the last day and they PASSED!! They are officially on to level 2. This does not mean that they can swim yet, so we will keep going with this. What it does mean is that they can enter and exit the water safely by themselves, bob 5 times to chin level, and MOVE for five yards! YEAH! They even get a Red Cross level 1 card for that!



Lets see, other than swim lessons some of the highlights of the past couple weeks were that on July 19th we had the Duluth Air Show of which Dusty Johnson Contracting and Design was a major sponsor. We got VIP seating in the "chalet" where we got to rub elbows with the pilots, enjoy free food and drinks and a front row seat of all the action. It was a really great show until the highly anticipated Blue Angels had completed their first few passes and the sky opened up into a monsoon. It was then that our VIP status officially meant nothing. Well, maybe something, they were kind enough to give us two plastic table cloths that we fashioned into ponchos for our 1 mile hike back to our car. Of course there are four of us and our plan was to tuck the girls under our ponchos which would have never worked. Fortunately there was an armed forces recruiting booth on the way out that had bags large enough to stuff the girls into poking holes out for their heads and arms. I then made rain caps out of four more bags and we were off like a little family of ducks.




We made it home in relative dryness and good humor, got changed and decided to go to a movie. I am not kidding this was record time we were in and out of our house in 5 minutes flat when we told them we were going to see WAL-E. That NEVER happens. Unfortunately, it was sold out. We went to Coldstone for dinner instead.

The next week the girls did get to go see the American Girl movie with our friend Kathy, picked 8 1/2 lbs of Raspberries, field trip to a sawmill, continued swimming lessons, girls group, a trip out to Solon Springs, WI to see our friend Meg who is moving to Germany, and then on Friday, horse lessons. I wish I would have had my camera with because Naomi came with this time. We didn't intend for her to be involved, but you know how it goes. She was just coming to watch and by the end she was walking Banjo (Freja' pony) and looking soooo comfortable that the ranch owner Wendy went and got a waiver and brought it to me. She said she looks so at ease with Banjo, and him with her "You know some people can communicate with horses." It really did look like that was what was happening so how can you tell a horse whisperer that she can't come back!

Friday night was a big event. Freja was in a fashion show. Our friend Crystal Pelkey has been doing puff paint art for years, even in the face of some scoffers yours truly included. God bless her, she has persevered and really turned her strange craft into a beautiful form of textile art. So, when she asked if Freja could be one of her models for a charity fashion show I had to say yes. It was really funny though when the girls were trying to figure out exactly what Freja would be doing. Naomi said "It's good that Crystal picked Freja because she is a really good waddler!" Yes, she is. She did a really good job working the cat walk in front of a full house.

Saturday we jumped in the car and headed out to Chisolm, MN to Ironworld. I know it sounds really exciting! It was actually very interesting, educational, and we had a great day hanging out with our friends the Johnson's that we caravaned out there with. The highlight was stopping at Valentini's Italian restaurant on the way home. Excellent food, even if we had to eat it in the bar part and watch the beginnings of a drunken wedding reception.

This week was all about the beach (after swim lessons of course) we went down to the sandy beach of Park Point on Monday and had a great time although it was a tad chilly. It was actually windy enough that the girls were "catching waves" on their little raft and surfing in.

Tuesday the girls went to Space Chimps with Kathy while I was at a church meeting. When I came back they were down on her beach looking for agates and sea glass. I walked down their to join them and then we ended up calling Dusty to come on down and join us all for pizza dinner. It was a beautiful evening and such a treat to be down there.

Wednesday the girls and I went back down to Park Point. It was much warmer and we just hung out all day. Today after the girls graduated from their swimming class on UMD campus we went to the Tweed Museum of Art to look around, then Freja wanted to see the library so we walked over there. We were killing time until we were to head down to the beach to see the "tall ships" from Boston come into port. When we tried to get down there the traffic was so bad we decided to go to Dennis and Kathy's and see if it would be OK if we watched it from there. Well, we didn't so much as ask as invade but they graciously let us in. It was cool to see the ships sailing around but we were too far to see the actual cannon firing so after waiting a couple of hours it was pretty anti-climactic.

Which brings us to right now. I am going to bed because in the morning we will be furiously packing for our camping trip and then scooting off to a party at the horse ranch before we go. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes!

Jumpin July!

Wow, I just sat down to catch up on my blogging and realized July is half over! I really can't think about that too much or I start to panic. There is so much fun to be had and so little time before the long cold winter returns, both literally and figuratively.

So let's get down to business...

After much anticipation by all July was nearly here and on June 28th Dusty the girls and I headed down to the Melby (that's Great Grandma Adeline's family) Family Reunion in Chanhassen. We stayed with my Mom and Dad and had a nice time. The reunion picnic was very nice. Judy and Joy did a fabulous job preparing everything. The best thing for me was just seeing Grandma glowing having so much of her family together. It was great for the girls to get to see a sampling of how many people are in their "big family".

After the reunion Mom, Dad, and our family went to a great little park in Shakopee to let the girls play some more before we all went our separate ways. I was heading to the airport to go see Amber, George, and Ronan. The girls were heading down to Grandma and Grandpa Johnsons for the week, and Dusty was hitting it hard at work trying to catch up while we were gone.

The girls had a great time while at Grandma and Grandpa's they made several trips to the story time at the library, the pool, the nursing home to see Great Grandma and much more. I had a wonderful time in Texas just holding the baby and hanging out with Amber. Highlights included a manicure/pedicure at a little spa, a trip to Galveston to play in the ocean, and taking Ronan for his first professional photographs (quite an adventure).

Once my family was all safely reassembeled in Duluth on Sunday
July 6th, our week didn't slow down much.
Monday morning the girls started swimming lessons at UMD, every day for two weeks!! Wednesday we had Freja's homeschool girls group that meets at our house every other week. This week our topic was "Making Friends". My format for the day, "How to wing it and convince all the Mom's you have everything under control". Then, on Friday Freja had horseback riding lessons up by Two Harbor until noon after which we scooted home to meet up with Shila, Kevin, and the kids, picked up a pizza for lunch, and were on the road for a camping trip by 2:00. Whew!

Camping was an adventure by itself. We decided brilliantly that it would be OK to head up the shore looking for two adjacent campsites without reservations! It took 4 state parks and two hours, but we did find them. We got everything set up and ate dinner just in time to pack it all away so that it didn't blow away in the impending severe thunderstorm. Oh well, we were all tired anyway. Dusty and Naomi fell fast asleep, but even after giving Freja a little Benedryl to help with her "bug bites" she kept me awake through the whole thing absolutely freaking out.

We did all survive the night and had a great breakfast courtesy of Kevin before we set out on our day hike to Lookout Mountain. It was a gorgeous view and I think Freja and Naomi were quite impressed both with the vista and the fact that they had climbed that high. It was old hat for Ellie and Max after their adventuring in Montana but they still had a good time hanging with their cousins.

Sunday AM the Tobosa's headed out early while we stayed and took our time loading up and had some last minute "s'moring" with the remains of the campfire. That is kind of a joke as Shila and Kevin were not keen on our camping tradition of eating smores for desert after breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So, we abstained until they were gone and s'mored our little hearts out. Oink Oink.

On the way home we stopped at the coolest agate shop in Beaver Bay. The girls could have stayed there all day looking at the rocks and geodes. We will definitely be doing a big unit on rock and minerals soon!

Whew! That brings us to this week. Yesterday we had swimming lessons and then went to afriends house to slip and slide. Today, swimming lessons, lunch at Bixby's, a meeting for the upcoming Art-In-Me festival I am helping to plan, then the girls came home and painted their birdhouses that they made while I caught up on a little office work.

Right before dinner Freja and I went on a little bike ride. I don't think I have been on a bike in 5 years. Ouch! You really don't use those muscles for much else. Freja was so happy to be able to
be able to do a big girl thing like go for a bike ride with Mommy while Nomi stayed home. She hasn't been liking growing up too much. More responsibilities, higher expectations. I have to be purposeful in pointing out the perks like horseback riding, staying up later to read, rides with Mom. I think she's coming to terms with it though because she really stepped it up tonight at dinner and helped with the cooking and setting the table all without being told what to do. I feel like we are turning a corner and she is starting to work through this transitional stage. Thank you, Jesus!

However, Nomi, my little carefree ray of sunshine was very concerned tonight about "sinking" at swimming lessons. She decided she doesn't really want to go back and doesn't care if she can't swim. Oh bother, just when you think you have it all worked out....