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A Weekend Away...

I didn't realize how much time we dedicate to Ava until we have some time away from her. This past weekend, Scott and I stayed at a B&B in Osceola, WI, right on the St Croix River. It was great not being woken up by hungry dogs, or a chatty child, but...we both missed her a ton. We know she's in excellent hands with Grandma Deb and Grandpa Whitey, and we also know that it's important to take a break once in a while. But, I have to say, when she walked through the door today, in her cheery yellow shirt, with her sunglasses on, and the sassy ponytail swinging, I was awfully happy to see her, hug her, and squeeze her!

We did have a great time this weekend, and it gave both of us the chance to catch up on much-needed sleep. On Friday night, we went to a local bar, Tippy Canoe's, and enjoyed some live music with our dinner, as well as a few rounds of thumb wars...beer might have influenced the skill level at that point! I made friends with a server while in the bathroom, and she gave me a shot on the house! It featured UV Vodka's Cake vodka (YUM!), pineapple juice, cream, and grenadine...and tasted like, you guessed it, a pinapple-upside down cake! One other thing I realized - 20-something girls are *really* annoying. Especially loud ones.

On Saturday, we took our time getting up, enjoyed breakfast on our deck and attempted to walk along the St Croix River. And then a storm like you wouldn't believe came along, so off to the movies we went! We saw Friends with Benefits, which was pretty funny! After the movie, we made a second attempt at walking by the river, and succeeded...and on our way through town, we decided to go on a boat ride down the St Croix. It was the perfect way to end the afternoon, and completely exhausted us for any future evening excursions. That afternoon sun was HOT!

We stopped at a local pizza joint, had some dinner, and then took it easy back at the hotel. Another incredible storm rolled in that night, so we watched the lightning and listened to the thunder - and were very happy to be inside!

We came home this morning, and of course there are a million things to do - but that's ok! It was nice to have some time to shut down and forget about the everyday things.  It's SO important to take time off to enjoy the little things in life!

The view from our deck



"It's coming...!"  Down by the river when the storm rolled in...


Random art on rocks


Walking down by the river


I was quite intrigued by this bug - not sure if it was two bugs stuck together, or one long one...odd!


Waiting to board the Taylors Falls Queen





Rock climbers!


We passed the Taylors Falls Princess on our way downstream



The view from the bed last night - I could get used to that!

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