After saying goodbye to Daddy, Mommy and the kids met up with Auntie Mel and Great Grandma Donna for lunch before heading to Winsted. It was our job to keep Grandma entertained for the evening and then get her to her surprise birthday party the next afternoon, all dolled up, without suspecting anything. We were up to the challenge, and she was properly surprised the next day!! :) The party was fun, but I expected nothing less with the whole bunch of us together again :) The next day was Father's day, and since Matt had to be in WA, and my own stepdad was moving Grandma Donna up to her summer retreat in Two Harbors, my sister and I took our 3 kids to have dinner with Aunties Gavi, Melissa, and Cassie, who were also without a dad that day. The rest of the week passed by in a restful blur of relaxing days playing outside with the new baby kitties and working in the garden at my parent's house. Our good friends Alisson and Jeff came by one afternoon, and we spent one afternoon visiting Cokato (including the park and, of course, Mommy's HS/college workplace - DQ). The week ended with Auntie Manda babysitting for a morning while Mommy and Grandma Cindy went back in time at the Betsy and Tacy houses in Mankato (I have been in love with those books since I was little, and can't wait to introduce my own kids to them!!!). That evening, Auntie Manda and Mommy took all 3 kids to Cambridge to celebrate with our little sister Gavriella - she's now a HS graduate and making big plans for her future!! :) And so ends our first week in Winsted. Tune in later for week 2 :)
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| Great Grandma Donna and Hannah reading stories together |
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| Hannah charming Princess and Smokey with some catnip, hoping for a chance to pet the new babies! |
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| Michael so loves to pet kitties. . . . . if only they felt the same way about him!! |
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| Hannah with Grandpa Mark at the surprise party - precious!! |
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| Cousins Michael, Andrew, and Hannah taking a break from the party. . . at least for a minute :) |
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| Grandpa trying to work. . . the kids trying to help :) |
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| Hannah and Grandpa Mark picking peas. . . I'm pretty sure I was promised a bag full, but I think Hannah ate them all! |
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| My mom and I touring Betsy's house - - the houses have been restored to what they would have looked like when Maud Hart Lovelace and her friend Bick lived in them in 1900. |
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| The bench!! Betsy and Tacy ate a lot of "picnic" suppers on this bench :) |
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| Tib's chocolate colored house is still in amazing condition and is lived in, with no current plans to add it to the Betsy-Tacy Society holdings. We also drove around to a few other Maud Hart Lovelace sites in Mankato. |
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| At Gavi's party - Cole's wife Rose playing with Michael |
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| Cassie with Cole and Rose's daughter Winter - Michael was very curious about this new baby! |
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| . . . and so was Hannah :) She insisted on "petting" Winter |
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| We're not often all together, but here is Amanda, Gavriella, Luis, Michael, me, and Andrew and Hannah in front. |
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| Michael trying to get Gavi's attention |
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| Cassie, Cole, and Melissa :) We had fun visiting and catching up!!!! |
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