Cabin trip

We are home from our big trip to Minnesota and we had a blast.  We stayed at my sister-in-law's parent's cabin on a lake 3 hours north of Minneapolis.  We got off the plane in Minneapolis and realized we were underdressed - 57 degrees!  It was unseasonably chilly, but it warmed up throughout the week and we couldn't have asked for better weather.   The days were sunny and 70's.  The cabin was so cozy and we made a fire every night.  Smores were also involved. It was so nice not to have a TV or any other distractions for the week.  Except Eric's phone worked, unfortunately, so civilization wasn't quite as far as we would have liked.

I haven't seen my brothers, nieces, and nephews in 10 months, and that is a lifetime in kid-time.  They change so much! Brady loved his cousins and although having so many kids was a little chaotic, multiple playmates really makes parenting easier.

 My mom was a trooper after her knee surgery.  She went from laid up for 2 months at home by herself to full out grandma mode.  She also turned 48 (or so) during the week so she got to spend her birthday with all her grandkids.

The lake was chilly, but it didn't bother the kids.  We had lots of fun kayaking, boating, jet skiing, and swimming. 

And a Howe family get-together is not complete without games.  We're usually board game kind of people, but sister-in-law Amy introduced us to the Bag Game.  Basically, you have to pick up a paper bag using only your mouth.  Then the bag gets cut down an inch, everyone picks it up again, and repeat.

The highlight came when Eric (who stayed in the game far longer than anyone anticipated) was bending over and pushing his body's limits.  The fire behind him cracked loudly which caused my mom to yelp.  His concerned mother-in-law thought Eric's bones/joints snapped.  Fortunately, that was not the case although he (along with everyone else) was sore the next day.

No surprise, the 3 girls were the last standing and we all successfully picked up a penny from the floor with our mouths, making it a 3-way tie.

You can't pay for this kind of entertainment.

 

Brady and Jackson proved to be great travelers.  I would take a 2 month old and a 2 year old over traveling with just one 1 year old any day.  1 is the worst age to travel with - old enough to not want to sit in a seat and not want to sleep but not old enough to be distracted by books, iPads, singing songs, etc.  And since you're not paying for them, they don't get their own seat.  So while the number of kids doubled, traveling was much easier this summer.

 

 

Next family gathering...Christmas!