It has been a while since we crammed so much activity into so few days. Those who follow this blog know that for us, that means something crazy happened. And it did. It was crazy good.
Rachel's whole family was able to come up and spend the week at our place. Sixteen people under one roof. The preparations had all been laid ahead of time, we had tons of ideas lined up because of where we live, and as a result the reunion went off without a hitch. It was even better than I expected.
The activities we did provided a picturesque backdrop to the conversations we had and the memories we made. Old relationships were strengthened, and new ones were formed. We went to bed each night completely worn out from the day's activities, and woke each morning ready for new ones. There was time for both adventure and for relaxation, with lots of good food in between.
What a week!
Get ready for pictures!
(Note: I think that if you click on any of the pictures then a larger, higher resolution version of that same picture will come up.)
We eased into the reunion with some simple activities. Huckleberries are in full season right now and we thought it would be nice to collect some for easy snacks. Unfortunately, other people had the same idea in the spot where we decided to go and there were none left. What we did find though, were lots and lots of wild raspberries- in my opinion, even better!
There are tons of beautiful trails that wind along the lake and into the forest. This particular one ends at a park with a huge splash pad and playground. All together, these are perfect activities for working up an appetite for Gooeys!
On Thursday night we got a babysitter for the kids so all of the adults could get out together. We went to the marina and ate good food while listening to live music and taking turns on the dance floor. As the night wore on we moved to the beach area where we sat and talked while watching the dwindling light of sunset dance across the water. It was a beautiful evening.
Since our cellphone pictures turned out so good during the adult night, we thought we'd try again the next evening with all the kids. It turned out pretty good (mostly).
On Saturday we were feeling nice and rested so we packed up our mountain bikes and set out for the hills. "The Route of the Hiawatha" is an extremely scenic path built over what used to be an old railroad. As such, the grade is gentle, the features (tunnels and bridges) are interesting, and the landscapes are striking.
One thing about the bike ride- it was a beautiful day, which meant that we all got a little bit warm. The next three days would be spent pretty much entirely in the water.
First of all, a little swimming. We had to get used to the water.
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| Fish! |
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| On your marks.....get set.... |
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| ...GO! |
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| I kinda have a hot wife :) |
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| I have never met anybody as passionate about boating as Brandon. He looks like a sailor. |
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| Addy just chillin' on the deck |
Lunch time!
After our first day on the lake we all decided to go to Paul Bunyan for dinner. As far as I am concerned, this place should be famous. Best burgers and shakes ever.
More lake time. I'd say that on this day more time was spent in the water than on the boat.
In short, we had a fantastic week that was full of good things. I feel like I got to know people better than I did before, and that I have new memories with them to keep these relationships fresh. It's good to be a direct part of each other's lives, if only for a week, to remind us how important our family is. These are our people- our tribe.
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| "The Originals" |
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