I’m so woefully behind in editing and posting photos. I still haven’t finished the girls’ dance recital pics from May.
But before the time gets away and I forget altogether, I wanted to post a few North Woods family vacation photos.
We love going to Minnesota every summer. It’s so relaxing and was a much needed break this year from the building project.
The cousins are all growing up and having babies. We could have stayed all summer and been the designated babysitters. Emme especially. She always had a little one on her hip.
We got to try the paddle board. It’s like a very stable surf board that you paddle around on for a great workout. Stevie may need to get me one of those!
The guys always catch enough fish for us to have a fish fry. This year they kept going out on the boat for hours (with full coolers) and returning with very few fish (and empty coolers).
We did finally get enough for a few appetizers, including a huge northern pike. I’m sure Stevie and brother Jeff had plenty of topics to discuss while out on the boat but I don’t think fishing was one of them!
And then there was the yearly attempt to flip the raft. Every year the boys get on the raft and try to tip it over. I don’t know why really except that it seems like such a guy thing to do.
Finally, this year they tipped it over. (Perhaps this is like the Minnesota version of cow tipping?)
We were all stunned. Now what?
So they figured out a way to muscle it back over.
The whole thing was quite entertaining!
The week flew by and despite the fact that Stevie and I were sleeping in bunk beds, we were sad to not be staying longer.
Added Bonus–the adult kids came to visit for a few days! It was so good to spend time with family. I could so live in MN in the summer.
Too quickly we were back to the grind of paint colors and decking and concrete finishing and tile ordering.
Anyone wanna wager on when this house is gonna be done? I’m praying for the middle of September but that may or may not involve a small miracle.
**************
BTW, thanks so much for all your encouraging comments and emails about the last two posts.
I hope to answer your questions this weekend.
Homeschooling and faith are both difficult to write about in the public forum. I appreciate your grace.
And I agonize that sometimes the words can be misunderstood.
I write about those things from a place of joy and humility and I can only pray that they are received in that spirit.
I beg you to forgive my shortcomings which are many.
xoxo,
edie
Sweet Edie~I look forward to your posts each morning. I love sitting here with my coffee and drinking in your words. This trip seems wonderful. So much family fun. I love it all!! I would love a paddle board but then I would need somewhere to use it. The local beaches here are not very clean. It is so sad to see them being ruined. There are some nicer beaches but they are usually very busy because they are in tourist areas. Some local beaches have also been closed because of sharks. I guess that paddle board would collect some dust here but it seems like fun.
So Minnesota doesn’t sound like fun in the winter? It looks like tons of fun in the summer.
Thank you for the links to the wonderful gospel messages in your previous post. I have listened to them all and I want to listen to them again. My soul was fed. I am reading Evangelical is not Enough. It is truly an amazing read. I am drinking in every word and many times I go back and reread them because they are filled with truth. Truth that my soul has longed for but not heard/read. Thank you for sharing your heart, wisdom, and life with us.
Sweet blessings to you and your family.
Hugs,
Ruth
Sweet Edie~I look forward to your posts each morning. I love sitting here with my coffee and drinking in your words. This trip seems wonderful. So much family fun. I love it all!! I would love a paddle board but then I would need somewhere to use it. The local beaches here are not very clean. It is so sad to see them being ruined. There are some nicer beaches but they are usually very busy because they are in tourist areas. Some local beaches have also been closed because of sharks. I guess that paddle board would collect some dust here but it seems like fun.
So Minnesota doesn’t sound like fun in the winter? It looks like tons of fun in the summer.
Thank you for the links to the wonderful gospel messages in your previous post. I have listened to them all and I want to listen to them again. My soul was fed. I am reading Evangelical is not Enough. It is truly an amazing read. I am drinking in every word and many times I go back and reread them because they are filled with truth. Truth that my soul has longed for but not heard/read. Thank you for sharing your heart, wisdom, and life with us.
Sweet blessings to you and your family.
Hugs,
Ruth
Looks like you had a sweet and memorable time……..and as always, thank you for your honesty reguarding your faith and homeschool convictions. It doesn’t matter what we anyways, we will still read your blob. *hugs*
My guess on the house is October 5th, not to be discouraging but realistic, we built ours 2 years ago and something always came up when we thought it would be done. On a happier note, you will be in before the holidays!
Bless you Edie!
That beer looks interesting! You and Steve need to come over soon and sample Derek’s Junker George IPA. We, too, could spend summers in Minnesota…just not winters. 🙂
My in-laws live in MN and we also go there every summer and I agree we too could live there in the summer. Love your pictures.
Ohhhh….I love MN in the summer-time. I am originally from MN and now live in TN. When I come back to Tn in the summertime, I cry & miss all things MN. When I come home in the winter time, I am so glad I live in TN. I am such a fair-weather friend to my home state! I would love to have a summer home at the lake in MN when we retire :+). Your photos are so MN in the summertime–I”m so glad that you love it, too. :+)))
Thank you for your bravery in writing about homeschooling and faith in a public forum — it is hard but I have been encouraged by your words, especially preaching Christ crucified. After reading that post, I wanted to spend more time in the gospels and then I have since found out that we are studying the gospel of John in Bible study this year. I am so thankful.
Since you have NOTHING to do, haha, could I make a request? Would you post about your homeschooling curriculum choices for this school year? Always LOVE hearing what you are doing.
for you renee? i’d do anything!
i hope to do that by monday or so 🙂
xoxo,
edie
there will be fudge in that house by Christmas-Amen
I’m curious how you came to vacation in MN when you have Southern roots. Maybe I missed it somewhere. I’m from Arkansas but married a MN man so we spend a week in the summers in Minneapolis. We celebrated 22 years of marriage yesterday and other than going to Deluth on a day trip, I have never vacationed on a MN lake … SO wrong, huh?!? He keeps telling me we will someday. We always enjoy the cooler weather there but this year went in the middle of July for a wedding and the weekend we were there it was hotter there than in Houston. SO many kinds of wrong!
Love your blog!
sigh. summer is such a sweet gift. slow times with family, and laughter outside. how I love it.
Water, children and food! Looks like the perfect getaway combination!
I like the vacation experience shared in the post. Captures are really adorable and beautiful.
Hope you had a great vacations. Captures shows the joy you all had together…..!!!!!!
Cheers
cheap flight deals
The author in this post shared his amazing experience. I really like all the pictures in this post. All the pictures are so fascinating. After reading this post i also want to go on vacation very soon. The pictures shows that people are enjoying very much.
Great goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff previous to
and you are just extremely wonderful. I actually like what you’ve
acquired here, really like what you’re saying and the
way in which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you still care for to keep it sensible.
I can not wait to read far more from you. This is actually a tremendous web
site.
Affords free shipping on Gun Safes Equipment from main Gun Safes Equipment manufacturers.
Call (855) 248-6723 for any question related to Gun Safes
Particulars & Specs Stack – On® forty eight – gun Secure with
Electronic Lock, versatile and rigorously tested for superior hearth and water – secure protection!
All you have to do is to grab a handful of popular classics that are likely to be on the karaoke playlist and get singing.
Most parks have lovely playgrounds for your kids to explore and enjoy.
Yes it is true, Karaoke is not dead in Philadelphia PA, far from
it.
No matter if some one searches for his required thing, therefore he/she desires to be available that in detail,
therefore that thing is maintained over here.
I have provided a “Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” summary,
not because I don’t think you can understand it, but I’m guessing you
have 323 essays to grade, 1,674 progress reports to fill
out, and 265,374 items of paperwork to complete to make sure you’re in compliance
with the latest government regulations and don’t have the time.
On that note, there was a lot more guitar bands when you first started ‘ do you ever get
tired of being heralded as the saviors of guitar music, only to be then criticized for not being good enough, or interesting enough or too much like Arcade Fire or whatever the criticisms that have been leveled against you.
And that’s why we’re all interested in movies- those ones that make you feel, you
still think about.
Recently I flew to Miami for my friend’s birthday. The second day after the party she offered to show me the city, so we rented a car here https://miaairportmiami.com/car-rental/full-size and made a small trip around the city, I really liked Miami