Visit With Friends, Deb and Max

Deb and Rachel


Deb and her husband Max came up for a vacation and some fellowship. I have been friends with Deb since high school and she played an important role in bringing me back to Jesus.
We hiked, talked and ate. It was a good time. And I am very grateful that we did not run out of gas!! :)

Wind Storm

This way cool picture was taken on Monday the 28th. There was a wind storm here and our friend Jake took this picture with our camera. (That's a pontoon boat in front of the left dock)

Visit With Friends Alfie, Maria, and Brenda

Joel and Brenda (Alfie's Mom)
(Brenda was like another mom to Joel)

Rachel and Brenda


Joshua finds his way in and around the way cool playground in Duluth.

And under...


Hey Alfie!

Brenda and Madelynn

I love this picture...

Papa, Neena, Ryan and Emily Visit!

Neena and Papa (Renee's parents) with Joshua and Rachel

Joshua with Baby Evelyn

Rachel with baby Evelyn (Ryan on the far left)


Renee with her first neice, Evelyn!

Neena having a tea party with Rachel

Papa and Joshua setting up a train and road system

Neena and Baby Madelynn

Paddling (and Hiking) the Stairway Portage and Rose Lake

This weekend, Joel, James (Renee's Dad), and Ryan (Renee's brother) paddled West Bearskin, Duncan and Rose Lakes and did a little hiking on the surrounding bluffs.

The yonder shore is Canada.

Ryan really wanted to do the Stairway Portage (over 120 stairs plus lots of rocks and roots), just because. So Joel carried the canoe up the stairs, and Ryan carried the canoe down the stairs. Amazingly, both of them aren't all that sore today.

Ryan still "portaging". Can't quite hear what they are saying? here:

R: Take a picture yet?
J: no.
R: here, I'll pose. ready?
J: It's a video.
R: oh. great.


So the Gunflint Trail is under construction. (This is the road they took to get to Duncan Lake). It is complete with 5 miles of severe washboard.

This is the vehicle they took to transport them to and from their adventure, a 14 year old 50+miles/gallon Geo Metro:

With 10 miles of washboard, the front left axle of the Geo was broken loose and the transmission deposited it's fluid, 10 miles before our house.

This is the vehicle God amazingly supplied James and Debbie to purchase the day after that incident:

A 2006 Toyota Prius

So, Rest In Peace little geo. You were a great little car. Guess the wash board was too much, but we praise God that it all happened going 20 miles an hour rather than on the highway.

Mommy and Madelynn

A Little (Too Much?) Fun With the Camera

Feet!

Isn't Madelynn cute?

Oh Madelynn, you're a hoot.

She was trying to suck on my arm...hmm maybe she's hungry? maybe I should put the camera away...

Rachel and Her Many Facial Expressions

Joshua's First Day of Preschool

Here he is! Four and a half years old and ready to go to Preschool!

This morning felt very nostalgic, exciting but that nervous fluttery feeling. I (Renee) felt as though I was on the brink of something entirely new. School. My kid is in school. That means we go to Open Houses, conferences, sign papers and make sure they get to the teacher on time, school pictures is next week, hang up artwork, spend lots of time in the van dropping off and picking up. Oh and kleenex boxes, did I mention those? I noticed also that as I walked into the Elementary School, it smelled the same as my school(s). Hmm. Same echo-ey, shiney feel, almost intimidating yet slightly exciting.

Ah well. As I type this, Joshua is done with his first day and I believe he had a great time. Can't wait for Friday!

Let's sing the ABC's!

Picking Tah-patoes

Our family went up to Okontoe to help with the potato picking/digging. Or as Joshua says, "picking tah-patoes". A little early this year due to a horse clinic coming up and needing to use the field. The potatoes were quite small but they reckon the field produced about 500 pounds of potatoes (Yukon Gold, Russet, and Baby Red).

Joshua helping gather the potatos to put in the wheelbarrows.


A wheelbarrow

Yukon Gold

1 year old Trinity has some fun.

Joshua and Boston

Bayou Boogie!

The Bayou Boogie is a yearly Northwoods Mardi Gras. But we've found it's way more family oriented. It's more about the music and the food (which is absolutely delicious!) versus the beer and "other things". Amanda Shaw has played here several times, which was a treat. But this year it was some other young gal, a blues singer. I guess Amanda is getting too "old" to be special anymore. A shame, for she was a great fiddle player.



Our family went with a few friends: John and Brook and their two kids (Boston and Trinity); and Danielle who was babysitting two year old Emma. We started out the late afternoon hiking up at High Falls (the Highest Waterfall in MN). Then down onto the Bayou Boogie at the Grand Portage Casino. Sunday is the best day to go we've discovered this year. Not as many people.

Here's a few videos to demonstrate some great dancing!

Joshua and His Hair

Before:

After:

He wanted a mohawk, It's kind of cute on him...