August 24th

Where do I start?!? (I think I will regret staying up so late to update but I guess its worth it!) I don't know what it would take to end up having a nervous break down but I can honestly say with the chaos around here these days I am doing pretty well!

:)

This picture kind of sums up our weekend. No animals to show this year, but we worked the food stand for 5 hours on Sunday! What projects shall we take up for next year!?

I can't leave out the Saturday morning that we had... 2nd place in our end-of-summer volleyball tourney!!! It was awesome - why does it have to end?!?! We had another totally talented great wonderful team this year. I can't wait for next season/summer already! A total of $200 in prize money for the year - not too shabby!!! Oh and really the best accomplishment is we were voted by our peers as Most Sportmanlike Team - that is truly an honor in an adult league for any sport!!!

Work - is that something I am supposed to update you all on?!? 1 week down & about 10 to go... 9th grade volleyball that is... we scrimmage Belle Plaine Tuesday - we'll see if this year's freshmen players learned anything in the past week.

We had a huge meeting at church tonight. It is completely amazing how one little idea can turn into a meeting of 100 people. I love God.

And then there is August 24th... our beautiful daughter had a birthday today. We used to refer to her as pumpkin some time ago. Middle school here we come! If I could only share every moment we've ever had with our oldest... she didn't think it was the greatest of ideas either - I love being a mom. (Imagine what it was like giving birthday spankings - holding back 4 younger siblings waiting their turn!) Hahahahaha!

Where does the time go?!?

I can't believe it was August 4th since I posted. Sorry - too much enjoying summer - who has time for computer?! I think I'm finally catching on the options in making this better than just words! :)

LOOK AT THIS PLACE!!!!!!!

The most important thing I can update you on the the enormously pleasant time we had celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary!!! It was great pretending there was nothing to do for 2 days. I didn't realize how nice it is to give my husband all my attention. (I am trying to keep that in mind now that the weekend is long over.) What better place to go than a bed & breakfast in Duluth?! It is a Minnesotans' Hawaii, right?!?! Funny thing is on Saturday it was November-like weather. Sweatshirts, jeans, & fog - not Hawaii-like!

What a great time we had!!! (We really couldn't tell there was 12,000 extra people in town for the legendary annual Duluth Blues Festival every 2nd weekend of August. Our Inn Keeper informed of this as we checked in & asked how many reservations for meals we had. Really we never had to wait for anything & enjoyed music any where we walked!)

MID-MORNING IN DULUTH
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EVENING, AFTER DINNER & A NIGHT ON THE TOWN
I was amazed at how much we did in essentially 29 hours: dinner at elegant restaurant(we now know what "creme bruulA" is), walk miles around Lake Superior & Canal Park, receive a new diamond ring, tour the US Navy Museum of ships in Canal Park, lunch at Green Mill, snacks from a candy factory, elegant dinner on a scenic train ride, hang out at various places in downtown Duluth (listened to a Blues/Jazz band at a club), Sunday Mass, renew our wedding vows/ring blessing, scenic drive up-shore Lake Superior and finally hike around Gooseberry Falls.

It was absolutely perfect, sunny warm weather on Sunday...

...and life goes on...

School here we come... Olivia has 3 different days to be at school before it starts & I know Owen has an Open House we need to go to also. Backpacks are filling up with all the goodies on those dreaded school shopping lists.

Hunting season isn't too far either. Tim was gone all evening yesterday with the new work buddy shooting clay pigeons & having a beer or 6 afterwards. I think there is a few reasons beside the work why he likes his new job! (Scary thing is Ryan, the work buddy, last name is Lemke too!!!!! No relation to our Lemke family! Weird.) Tim & I are trying to figure out how to make it thru another hunting/volleyball season without getting wires crossed & keeping schedules straight for 7 people. Oughtta be interesting!!!

Not enough time

Sorry to make this short... it's like going through a tunnel. Summers coming to an end. Is the air running out in here?!?! Olivia's birthday isn't far & hey wait - mine is on Friday!!!