Battlecreek Waterworks

 Today we met the Smiths and the Yeagers at Battlecreek Waterworks.  It is a little known waterpark in Maplewood/St. Paul area.  It's a great place for kids of all ages.  There's a zero depth entry area with gadgets for wee ones.  That whole area only goes to about 3 ft. deep.  There are several smaller water slides on a climbing structure.

 In another area, there is a pool with tethered floating pads below a rope course with a swim area and a larger waterslide.
 
 One other thing they had there today that's not a part of the regular amenities, was an injured falcon.  The bird was hopping alongside the fence when we arrived.  Somehow, I became the person designated to call the Raptor Center.  For the next 1/2 an hour, I was tied up with emailing them pictures, getting them directions, finding a pool manager, and relaying information from the Raptor Center to the custodial staff of the pool.  Luckily I was with two very trustworthy friends who split my kids up between them and hit the water.

  Mia and Thea paired up with Nina in the shallow area.  Jackie watched the big boys and Wyatt in the swim area.  By the time I finally was able to hand over the falcon care to somebody else, Mia and Thea were already blue in the lips.

Just a few day ago, Owen Y. lost his first tooth!  Since these two have known each other since they had no teeth, I had to get a picture* of their, once again, missing teeth.  Maybe they'll still be friends when their teeth going missing permanently.

Then we had to have a picture with all the boys missing teeth.  Evan, who had not lost any yet, was feeling a little left out so he decided to photo bomb the picture.  None of the other boys realized he had done it.  Of course they immediately asked to see the picture after I took it, and all laughed with surprise when they saw Evan's dramatic addition to the photo.

After a lunch break, we swam some more.  Owen continued on the lily pad course.  Evan joined Mia and Thea on the mini slides.  We warmed in the sun once more and then headed home, worn out from a perfect pool day.

*I did get a picture of Owen Y's "space" but the above picture was just so cute with their sweet smiles and freckle-specked faces.

Uncle Larry's Retirement & 70th Birthday Party

 My Uncle Larry lives in San Deigo.  He's 70 and he decided that maybe he could finally retire.  He kind of liked his job.  My Uncle Larry's wonderful wife, Thelest, decided to plan a 70th birthday party and a retirement party for him.  What a great reason for us to go to California, right?  Wrong.  The party was in Eau Claire.  So it became a great reason to go to WI... again.

 The party was at the Florian Gardens, which is why some of the family decided to stay at the Metropolis, a venue unique beyond words.  Thelest thought of everything.  She even hired a photographer to take photos of the family.  Here are all of the Stewart cousins except, hmm, where's Larry!?  How we ended up without the guest of honor in our photo, I do not know.  It was hard to get everyone to stop chatting and pose for a photo.

 After that photo, we decided to do one with just my first cousins and our kids.  I went in search of my kids and found Mia in deep conversation with Gayle.  Gayle is the mother of two teenage boys so she probably really appreciates a little girl talk.

 We got our photo, but somehow Jody's oldest two kids were not in it.  I guess they left before we got the photo organized.

 In addition to the photographer, Thelest also made a series of poster boards with pictures from Larry's life and some accomplishments from his work.  The photo boards were great and triggered so many wonderful conversations.  Here I am talking to Larry's oldest son, Matt, about my earliest memory of him.  As you can tell from the photo, he has no idea what I'm talking about.  Guess it didn't make as big an impact on his life.  Hmm, well, if you don't remember, maybe Larry will.  Where is he anyway?

 Thelest also hired a DJ!  Most people were too busy playing catch up to dance,

 but Mia found some people to dance with her.  But not Larry.  Where is Larry?

Oh!  There he is!

HAPPY 70th LARRY! 

We hope you enjoy your retirement

and find plenty of time to rest.

Ya-ya & Bumpa's 38th Anniversary Party

Today my parents celebrated 38 years of marriage.  Some may think that 38th is not a year you would celebrate, but I feel that whatever year it works out to celebrate and have a party is the year you should celebrate and have a party.

  This year, it so happened, that my lovely aunt Thelest, from San Diego, had planned a retirement and 70th birthday party for my Uncle Larry (my dad's brother), here - well, in Wisconsin.  With all the siblings in the area, my parents thought it would be fun to host a dinner to celebrate their anniversary.

  My mom made reservation at the High Shores Supper Club in Chippewa Falls.  It has a lovely view of Lake Wissota.  All of my aunts and uncles were there and four of my cousins with two spouses, plus Jim & I and my folks.  I felt the occasion deserved a toast.  After all, it's not often that you get both sides of your family together.  I gave a not too long toast talking about how "love" is found in the regular parts of every day.

 Outside, there is a landscaped slope with a path that leads to the water.  It seemed like a nice place for some photos, that is, until my dad started pointing out the poor design and the landscaping mistakes.  Some of you may not know that he is a horticulturalist and a landscape architect.  After a pause, my cousin Brock's wife, Tracy, said, "Well, it looks pretty though," and we all laughed.

 Jim didn't realize we were trying to take a picture of my folks, but his mix-up led to everyone taking the opportunity to getting a family shot in the mostly lovely gardens.

 A rare couple shot sans kids.

 My mom's sister, Peggy, and her husband, Dave, and their two kids, Kris and Brock.

 

 After dinner, the Stewart clan headed back to the hotel near where the party will be for Larry.  It is an interesting place, to say the least.  The suites all have themes of metropolitan cities.  My folks got the New York Suite.  Other than the mural and some black & white photos, I couldn't really explain where the decor came from.

 

I mean, what is up with these ostrich feathers?  Or whatever they are.  They must be there for dramatic party stage props.  Why else would you put them in a hotel room?

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM & DAD!

Last Day, Lake Day

While I was cleaning up from breakfast this morning, I looked out the window and saw a small fawn standing at the edge of the woods.  He saw movement in the house and he headed back to the other side of the yard.

He went into the woods a little ways and laid down.  He stayed there for almost an hour before we just couldn't stand staying inside anymore.  Owen went out to play football.  The next thing I knew, he was gone.  Poor little guy.

But, we had some last minute playing to do.  Today the boys invented a jumping water football game.

One person throws the ball and the other jumps off the dock to catch it.  After a couple of hours, Evan took it a step further and started doing trick catches.  He attempted to catch the ball between his legs in mid-air and to spin around in the air and catch it behind his back.  He wasn't successful at any of these tricks, but I have a feeling that another week up north and he will be some sort of Jordan/Phelps hybrid.

 

Hours of sun and water left us all worn out.  We gathered up our toys and said goodbye to the lake.

Until next time!

The 19th Hole

 When my dad got home from work tonight, we loaded the kids and drove down towards Minocqua to meet my mom at The 19th Hole.  It's a nice bar and grill that has a miniature golf course.  My folks and I use to go play mini golf in Lake Geneva fairly often, but I haven't been brave enough to take all three kids yet.  Being responsible for two young boys with metal sticks while also being distracted by a wee one, just seemed more than I was ready to handle.  But now they're a little older and I was excited to give it a try.

 Mia is quite unfamiliar with golf and took on a method that more resembled something like billiards.

 Owen walked up to the green like he was about to hit the ball with a driver.

 Hole #2 started with a steep incline.  It was Evan's turn to go first.  After about 15 minutes, he finally made it up the hill.  The rest adopted a method of using our foot to stop the ball at the peak of the it's incline to prevent it from rolling back down.

 Ya-ya and Bumpa had more patients than I did.  They were amused by Mia's fruitless strokes and didn't seem to mind when she would stand in the middle of their green during your turn and then grab your ball as it rolled towards the hole.

 She made up her own rules.  The boys might have liked to keep score and put a little competition into it, but this first attempt needed to be just about making it through the course.

 About Hole #5, Mia began to tire.

 Soon she was climbing the fence...

 and pretty much all over the course.  She regained interest when we got to a hole where you hit the ball into a stream and it floated over a grate and onto a lower green.  Unfortunately, there after, she thought she was always suppose to hit her ball into the water.  It is a complicated sport.

Last hole.  The boys attempt to help Mia find her ball, which they think is stuck in the middle.  Look again guys.  It's in her hand!

Summer Vaca at Ya-ya & Bumpa's

 

 With camps and lessons finished for awhile, the kids and I decided to go up to Manitowish Waters to spend a week at Ya-ya & Bumpa's.

 

 The weather is unbearable in the city, but here at the lake, it's just perfect.

 Ya-ya had a lot going on this weekend, but we kept ourselves occupied in the boat, in the bouncy house, in the water ...

 and in the kayaks!

 Bumpa, Mia, Evan & I took the kayaks over to a nearby channel.  On the way we saw two families of ducks and a flock of geese walking through the woods.  I have never seen geese walking in the woods before.  It was so strange.

 Even though we have the week off, Ya-ya and Bumpa don't.  While they were at work, we spent hours in the water.  Mia found the perfect spot behind the dock.  It's shallow and sandy.  She's going through her swim lesson songs, pretending she's the mommy to the tree.  Meanwhile, the boys jumped off dock over and over and over again.

 Ya-ya brought home a special project for the kids.  They each got a pizza pie kit and made their own personal pizzas.

 Even though Evan doesn't like to eat very many foods, he loves to help in the kitchen.  He's torn between being disgusted by the cheese he's touching and enjoying the creation he's making.

Not only did they each get to make their own pizza, but the kits also came with a sticker and a tattoo!

Ready, Set, Fish!

 One of the things the kids (and Bumpa) love most about our visits Up North is fishing.

 Owen is more into it again this year and doesn't hesitate to pick up a fish.

 Evan seemed more into it last year, but he can't resist a pink net.  Pink IS his favorite color.  Plus, boats and nets are fun.

 When they returned with a live well full of very small fish, Owen loaded them into nets and let Mia release them.

 There's too much excitement around for naps.  Mia was glad Bumpa came back...

 He makes a good pillow.

After the kids were in bed, we were sitting on the deck.  We heard a strange screeching sound coming from the lake.  It sounded like it was in the water, so I went down to investigate.  When I got near the bushes, I realized there was something in it - well, more like somethings.  Evan happened to have gotten out of bed and soon he and Bumpa had joined me on the lawn.  There was quite the rustle in the bushes.  Soon, 3 raccoons darted out of the bushes and into the woods.  But there still was a lot of commotion in the bushes and the biggest raccoon kept acting like she was going to come back.  Pretty soon, four more raccoons poked their heads out of the bushes and made a dash for the woods.  That is one busy mama.  I'd say she's got me beat for sure.