Our early-September trip to Minnesota already feels like a distant memory, but I’ve still got the warm family fuzzies from our few days there. The Schnell love is strong! Totally worth the four-plus hours on the plane and the four hours in the car.
Isaac did alright with the travel, though not without plenty of effort from Shane and I to keep him entertained. He was thrilled by the sound and speed of take-off and quickly settled in for an hour-long nap, but at wake-up we were left with at least half the flight to fill.
Bring on the snacks. And more snacks. Sit in Dad’s lap. Sit in Sister’s lap. Play with the ice left over from my ginger ale. Play with the thermometer I tucked into the diaper bag. JUST BE STILL!
Juliette, on the other hand, was an A+ seat buddy.
When the flight attendant asked us to prepare for landing, I thought, “what do you think I’ve been doing for the last two hours?!”.
This year we opted to stay in a cabin at the lakefront resort where Shane’s parents and sister have campers rather than staying at their house in Alexandria. Shane’s dad was at the main road waiting for us to arrive and Juliette was opening her car door to get to him before we’d even rolled to a stop. See what I said about the Schnell love?!
We settled into our cabin that afternoon and spent the evening hanging out on Denny and Pat’s porch drinking hard-earned beer while Isaac pushed trucks around underfoot.
I walked Isaac back to our cabin around sunset, enjoying the warm evening and the pastel sky.
This was going to do just fine.
Isaac was up early and Friday (and also half the night on Thursday, little rascal…), so Shane took him out for a long morning run while Juliette and I grabbed extra Z’s. BUDDY. You can be something of a monster in the night, but in the light of day, you’re so forgivable.
We quickly settled into the week’s routine, convening at Tiff’s porch for hot coffee and home-cooked breakfast.
Isaac did some very sweet lap-sitting, but more often than not, he was diving out of our arms so that he could go play on the stairs or tip over chairs or make other sorts of mischief. Never a dull moment.
Juliette became a Skipbo Queen…
While Pat introduced Isaac to all the sweet old neighbor ladies.
By noon on our second day there, Juliette had taken over the driver’s seat in Grandpa’s golf cart. She wasn’t quite ready for the gas pedal, but her steering game was strong.
Afternoon swimming…
And a pre-dinner Corn Hole tournament.
There was so much room to roam – Isaac covered a lot of ground on this wide-open lawn!
Beverage break.
And back at it. Gosh, this boy loves to climb.
Denny fried several pounds of fresh-caught Walleye for dinner and some neighbors sauntered over to partake. There was a quick trip out on Grandpa’s boat, a moonrise stroll with Buddy, a little time around the campfire, and we were spent. I wish I could say we slept like logs that night, but ISAAAAAC!!!
We were up and at it early again on Saturday. There was a bottle in bed, another father-son morning walk, and a few quiet minutes out on the dock to enjoy the glassy water.
Time for breakfast at Auntie Tiff’s!
Things Juliette is thankful for: 1) Uncles that run to the neighborhood store to buy her a jump rope so that she can show off her new tricks. 2) Cousins that can braid!
After breakfast, Juliette and I joined Denny and some of his buddies for a trail ride. I’d never been in a side-by-side, but when in Minnesota!
We climbed through birch groves and a grouse skittered across the path in front of us. Grandpa reached out the window and picked wild violets for Juliette. We bumped slowly through mud puddles and Juliette thought it was thrilling when we went through a puddle so deep that mud covered the side-by-side’s floor.
We rolled back into the resort and were greeted by the friendliest little welcome wagon. Next year, Isaac, your turn!
You know what’s perfect after a dusty morning in the woods? POOL TIME!
We joined most the neighborhood that night for a potluck at the main shelter. Jello salads of every color in the rainbow! It was sweet, the feeling of community among the crowded rows of picnic tables.
My word, these cousins.
That evening brought more Corn Hole (played one-handed as I struggled to keep Isaac from nose-diving off the stairs…),
More Skipbo…
And some Hayden-Jules shenanigans as they dropped acorns near where Denny sat down at the firepit. He didn’t notice a thing.
S’mores!
And a sunset to boot.
Nighty-night…