We spent a large chunk of summer visiting our friends and family back in MN, and while I know it's a long time coming, I've finally gone through the pictures from our 6 week trip :)
Our trip out there was fast and fairly uneventful - we left at bedtime and drove through the night while the kids slept, spent a day at a hotel in Billings (where the grown ups could take turns getting some sleep), and then drove for one more night before arriving at my parent's house in Winsted.
Our first week was a busy one! Matt, Meghan, and I spent a couple of days up north celebrating the wedding of our friends Tom and Steph. When we got back to my parent's house, it was time for Meghan's baptism at the church I grew up in. We were blessed to have her Godparents visiting MN at the same time as we were, and it was wonderful to have friends and family celebrating together!
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| Michael and Andrew enjoying an ice cream cone |
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| Michael loved running around in the field - until he got stuck in the mud! Grandpa Mark to the rescue :) |
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| Michael's new pony. . . ? |
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| Hannah and Andrew having a tea party |
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| The cousins all ganging up on Grandpa |
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| It was a Cobber reunion at Tom and Steph's wedding! |
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| Meghan with her Godparents, Heather and Dustin |
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| Sweet baby Meghan on her baptism |
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| Meghan staring into Grandpa's eyes - so sweet! |
We spent the next week in Champlin visiting with Matt's parents. The weather was heating up and the kids had a blast keeping cool on the slip 'n slide! Matt's parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary surrounded by family, and we had so much fun sharing stories about how different couples met :) Next we headed to Delano for a day of 4th of July fun at the carnival - fried food on a stick and all the rides Hannah and her cousin Andrew could handle (it was a LOT of rides!!). Michael has decided (for now) that he doesn't like rides - he agreed to go on one with Daddy and Hannah, but seemed to prefer just watching from a safe distance for the rest of the afternoon :)
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| Another Grandpa, and another sweet stare |
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| Hannah and Michael on the slip 'n slide |
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| woosh! |
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| Happy 40th Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa Sower! |
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| Hannah and Andrew at the Delano Carnival |
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| Bumper car fun |
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| Michael may not like rides, but he loves Grandma! |
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| Hannah on the BIG slide |
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| Grandpa helps Hannah and Michael make s'mores |
Entirely too soon, it was time for us to say goodbye to Matt and send him back to WA while the kids and I packed up and headed back to Winsted for the rest of the month. By this point, it was SO hot and humid that the weathermen were making references to the Amazon. . . . .a little too tropical for comfort!! We spent several days at a nearby waterpark in an effort to stay cool, picked several indoor playgrounds to explore while visiting with some friends and family, and at the first sign of a break in the humidity, spent the day at the Como Zoo :)
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| Meghan - 3 months old and smiling at everyone! |
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| Meghan and Megan - We all had fun visiting with my friend Alisson and her little girl |
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| Great Grandma Donna meeting Meghan the"princess ballerina" |
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| Michael with Grandpa Gehry - checking out the monkeys at Como |
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| Sparky the Sea Lion |
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| Happy girl, hanging out in her bumbo seat - it took several weeks to convince Michael that it was NOT her potty (thankfully, he never seemed to consider that it might be a potty for him. . . ) |
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| Michael and Hannah watching the Lester Prairie parade with Auntie Manda |
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| Cousin Andrew on the Cub Scout float |
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| First on Hannah's to do list at the waterpark - the big waterslide with Grandma Cindy! |
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| Michael and Grandma, chillin' in the pool |
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| Pool? What pool? Meghan stayed cool by napping in the shade |
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| My cousin Hunter, Grandpa Louis, Andrew, Meghan, Michael, Hannah, and Grandma Delia - the kids had a blast running around while the grown-ups enjoyed visiting |
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| Andrew LOVED holding his baby cousin Meghan! |
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| Meghan with Uncle Luis . . . . |
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| . . . and with Auntie Gavi |
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| Snack time for Hannah, Michael, and cousin Winter |
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| The whole extended family :) Manda, Cassie, Tristan, Cole, me (with Meghan), Winter, Melissa, Gavi, Luis, Hannah, Andrew, and Michael |
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| Meghan wasn't sure what she thought of Uncle Ryan. . . . |
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| "The Boys" - Grandpa Mark and Michael hanging out at the park |
July came to an end and it was time to pack up the van once more and head home. My mom and Andrew joined us for our roadtrip. We drove during the day this time and broke up the four day drive with a day at a waterpark in Idaho. As great as our summer trip was, being home again was a wonderful thing!!
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| Mommy with Meghan and Michael at the waterpark |
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| Hannah discovered the wave pool - and stayed there ALL afternoon! |
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| Back in WA, the kids had fun with squirt guns, the kiddie pool, and Hero |
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| We spent an evening in White Rock, and Andrew and Hannah got a lesson in crabbing from a very nice young lady |
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| Andrew provided the tunes, courtesy of some wii karaoke, and Hannah danced up a storm in her garden hat, tutu, and Fancy Nancy ballet slippers :) |
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