Wanderlight Beauty

The patient has recovered, and we've been busy, enjoying the summer, trying not to sweat through all of our clothes. It has been SO hot and humid lately. G got really lucky with his waterpark camp - hot days, little rain! The next week he went on his field trip camp, which he loves. One of his good friends was in the same camp, so he always knew he had someone to hang out with. He's been spending a lot of time with a group of guys from school...in fact, he's at a birthday sleepover right now. Fun!

Arya's been spreading her wings a bit and hanging out with different groups. I think living in a dorm will be really good for her; she's finally at the point where she wants to be with people. The introvert has successfully recharged her batteries!

G and I had a really fun Mom G day yesterday. We went out for breakfast, ran a ton of errands, got a quick car wash, and then headed to the MOA. This is the 4th year that we've spent a day together over the summer, and we both really enjoy it. One of the stops we made was at a local LEGO store celebrating its 2nd anniversary. We entered a drawing and ended up winning $100 in store credit! G was SO excited about that!

IHOP

Success at the LEGO Store at the MOA

We topped off the night at the Minnesota Zoo's new Wanderlight exhibit. We go through the Jack O'Lantern Spectacular every year in the fall, but this was a much different vibe. It was calming music, beautiful lights, and much warmer weather. He told me that he likes this exhibit even better than the pumpkins! I'm just glad he still wants to hang out with his mom!

Scott and I enjoyed a nice dinner out with my parents tonight. It was so nice to get out for some adult conversation and try a new place to eat. Yum!

Cuddled up on the only blanket on the couch

Supergirl!

Loving lying in the sun...

Scott found a skink in our yard!

This chin rest doesn't look comfy, Pria

Right now, three of us are at home, taking it easy. Arya bought a huge puzzle at the mall today and is very focused on it. Scott and I are both relaxing, letting the food digest from our great dinner out. I can't believe how quickly this summer is going...just seven more weeks until Arya moves into college, so we need to soak up as much time with her now as we can!

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Exploring Local Places

Last Sunday was the perfect day to explore an area that neither Arya nor I had been to before. We headed east to walk around the Vermillion Falls/River and Greenway area. The path was nicely paved, with lots of overhead shade from trees; there were so many families out on bikes and walking, and we had a nice view of the Vermillion River. Arya got some great pics, and I enjoyed spending time outdoors with my sweet girl. This weekend, G and I will be heading out to explore a creek area in a few towns just south of us. And I've already got an idea for another creek I want to walk by next month (it's a bit further away, and I'd rather put that aside until Arya is off at college) The tree leans to find the sun On the way home, we stopped at the DQ in another town (we have a love/hate relationship with the DQ in our town, so I wanted to avoid it.) The warm weather felt great, and we enjoyed some sweet treats while watching the world drive by. We're counting down the days unti...

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The weather has been unseasonably warm this fall, so we've been able to extend our outdoor projects just a bit. This past week Scott's been working in the garden, cleaning everything out, and repairing the back wall of our garage. Ava was such a good little helper, scooping up dirt, but still trying to keep her hands clean while doing it! I swear, a box is all she needs to make her happy. Princess Darla. Princess Darla has had enough. I personally like how she and Ava have the same expressions in this picture. Apparently Spanky was bored - check out that yawn in the background! We went down to Grand Meadow this weekend, and as always, it was so fun to see Ava and Isabel play together. They actually had several little conversations with each other - and they were so polite while doing so! We even had them share a room last night...boy, that was a challenge. I think they finally fell asleep around 10:00pm. And of course, Ava wa...

Apples & Pumpkins 2026

Fall is such a fun and busy time for us. There's always something to look forward to with our annual fall fun activities! Last Saturday, we headed to Fireside Orchard, chatted with Darren and Tiff for a bit, and took home some goodies...apples, jellies, cider, and fudge. It was a perfect day to spend some time outside! On Tuesday night, we headed back to the Minnesota Zoo for the Jack O'Lantern Spectacular. This year's theme was trivia...and they changed up the layout and added some new activities. It's such a fun event, and we look forward to it each year! He was jumping in this pic, hence the awkward arm placement Waiting for our dinner to be made The wall of pumpkins Roblox Aliens MN Frost! "Where the Wild Things Are" Twilight Bob Ross Dolly Parton Big ol' spider! G was busy at school, Scott and I were busy at work, and Arya was busy at college and also trying to land a job this week. She had a 2nd interview this afternoon, so fingers crossed it went we...

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