The best of: family is my hobby

I think family can be considered a hobby, don't you think? I consider mine my favorite hobby.

This past Memorial Day weekend Mike and I camped in Hayward with two sets of aunts/uncles, two cousins and my uncle's father. We had four campsites in all and spend the weekend laughing, eating, drinking, fishing, relaxing and shopping. Quite successful if you ask me.

But, I've learned that I need to learn to vacation. I spent ALL day today fighting to keep myself awake at work. I blame getting up too early and going to bed too late at night over the weekend. each morning I was awake by about 6:30. I was showered, dressed and had the dog walked all by about 7:30 and then sat around bored for the next hour until everyone else got up and moved about. I just can't sleep in.

The morning walks I took with the dog were so peaceful. We walked up and down a hilly, maple tree and trillium-filled forest road. Such a gorgeous walk, and such a good workout for me. The road took me up and down long hills and kicked my butt even though I could only walk and not jog them. Loved the mornings!

We took the boys go-carting, shopped in Hayward, dined on the lake in the sun, caught fish and enjoyed each others company.

The best of: perfect Saturdays

Pink petunias, tourists, iron statues, "don't watch the naughty hand!", 50/50, "turn, turn, turn here!", road signs, COUSIN BEN!, "will this fit in the trunk?", Romayne's, shaky docks, "you won't do it." All little inside jokes-of-sorts that wouldn't be funny to anyone but us. :)
On Saturday Mike and I went with Brassy (Brandon & Kassy) to Chateau St. Croix Winery in St. Croix Falls to use another Groupon that we had purchased. They had a festival going on and we were hesitant to go, but this was the last day we could both go before the Groupon expired in the beginning of July.
It turned out to be a great day: good weather and great company! The winery is gorgeous and it's always fun to do wine tastings. I found another favorite wine. It's a 50/50, which means it was made from half WI Marquette grapes and half CA Zinfandel grapes. It's de-lish! It's a very smooth medium-bodied wine and something that's bottled right at Chateau St. Croix.
Our day trip didn't end when we left the winery. We made a few pit stops along the way. My brother and Mike are not a good combination, especially when they've both ingested a wee bit of liquor. It's actually hilarious and all in good fun, but here are a few pics from the day.

The best of: AWESOME autumn days!

I had one of the most productive days I've had in a LONG time today! First of all, I got to sleep in. I slept 'till 8:15. Now, I admit that I didn't set my alarm last night to get up for church this morning. But, this was well worth it, and I don't think I'm going to hell for missing a Sunday. :) He's pretty forgiving!
Anyway, I made a trip into town and ran some errands, stopped by my parents' house for some things and then headed home again. I had one reason for going to Cambridge: buying a turkey for supper. I've been wanting a turkey dinner for a week or two, so I made it happen today. I prepped it when I got home and got it into the oven. I even made a fresh pumpkin pie today. Yum-o! Dinner was fabulous, even though I ate it by myself. Mike has been fishing all afternoon, and missed the stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, turkey and corn from the garden. This is one of my favorite meals ever. It's the best!
I also cleaned the windows in the front of the house. I guess I'm never home in the morning when the sun shines in, so I got to see the gross, dirty windows today. I only managed to wash the front ones, and will have to have Mike help me with the back ones this week sometime. The windows in my house are a pain in the butt to clean, and I dread the job each time. But, they are clean and I'm happy.
The garage also got a good cleaning this afternoon. We can once again fit a car in it. It's amazing the things that accumulate in just a few weeks. We've been parking the Yukon at my parents', so Mike (yes, it's Mike's mess) has slacking at putting things where they belong. I'm very much a neat freak, and everything I take out gets put right back into place. That's one challenge with Mike's and my relationship-- he's NOT tidy. It causes some friction, but nothing changes with him, and I've relaxed a tiny bit over the years. Yes, a tiny bit only.
Oh, I also did a few loads of laundry and cleaned the kitchen while my dinner was cooking. That pretty much ends my list of accomplishments today. I'm very happy with my productive Sunday, just not excited at all to start another work week. It's going to be a bad one. Super busy with two events on Thursday that I'm coordinating. We're soooo behind in planning and sending things to print that it's not even funny. It makes me very anxious.
I know I'll get through it, I just may not be a happy person until Friday morning and it's all over with! I once again got distracted when writing. Imagine that.....

The best of: having cousins

I love my cousins! Here's a tribute to my girls cousins:

There's a special kind of closeness
that only families know,
That begins with childhood trust
and deepens as you grow.

There's a special kind of happiness
in sharing little things,
The laughter, smiles, and quiet talks
that daily living brings.


There's a special kind of comfort
in knowing your family's there,
To back you up, to cheer you up
to understand and care.


Of all the treasures life may bring,
your family means the most,
And whether near or far apart,
That love will hold you close.

the best of: little surprises

I texted Mike today and told him that I wanted to take a nap. (It's such a dreary day, who doesn't, right??!)  I also mentioned how the day was just dragging on, and all I wanted to do was come home. I never got a reply, so I guessed he was busy at work. I didn't talk to him on my way home like we usually do, so I still thought he was busy working.
I walked in the door when I got home (and after being ambushed by a hyper, barking, super-excited dog) Mike hugged me and took everything from my hands and took my jacket off for me and grabbed my hand and told me that I had to hurry. "Hurry for what!?" I asked. He stopped me outside the laundry room door and grabbed some of my clothes from the dryer. Now, let me step back some-- when I get home at night, I'm pretty much beat, so I throw on a t-shirt, a sweatshirt when it's cold, and some yoga-type pants. The last thing I think about when I get home is impressing someone with my clothing. All I want to be is comfortable! So, Mike put my favorite clothes in the dryer and turned it on to warm them! Ahhhhhhh! He still manages to surprise me! :) He also made supper, which always tastes better when someone else makes it. Oh-- I didn't mention that he also bought me flowers. That deserves another :)!

The best part of winter

My parents' house turns into my sanctuary at times. I love being there.
A few weeks ago there was a full moon on a Friday night. The temperature was about 3 degrees, but it was calm and completely clear. How could I resist a romp in the woods in the dark with the dog? So, Mike suggested that we head over to my parents' house and have a campfire in the woods. We have a spot in the woods, back on a hill where we have campfires in the winter. We can't have fires there in the summer because there's too much grass and too many trees that risk catching fire. But, it's the best place in the winter because it's on a hill and there's no trees right above our fire place.
That night was so bright that I could have read a book sitting out there. It was great! Mike and I gathered some twigs and branches and built a fire. My dad and brother came out with the dogs and we just sat around chatting and marveling at the stars and the bright moon. You can't beat that. We didn't even notice how cold it was.
What I love about this kind of night is that I can lay in the snow on the hill under the stars and stare at them for hours. No joke. I love it! I'm a country girl who belongs outdoors. I take every chance I get to get outside, especially at night when the stars are out. That's one thing I will never take for granted. The night sky is amazing!

Sunday Fun Day

Sundays have been designated as "Sunday Fun Day" with my family at my parents' house. We've always had dinner together Sunday evening, but this summer we made it all all-day event. My brother and his girlfriend, Kassy, were there, Mike and I were there, and then my sister, and most recently her boyfriend, Chad. We had such gorgeous summer Sundays this year that we mostly just sat outside in the yard talking and taking in the sun or playing yard games. Some days were the most lazy ever, and on others we took "field trips" or had Sunday projects. We built a horseshoe pit, cut new floor boards for the boat and re-carpeted it, Mike built a washer game, and the one we really pushed my dad for was a sand volleyball court. But, we haven't succeeded with that one.... yet. He doesn't want to give up any of his yard for loads of sand! I welcome the time to hang out with my family and get away from town. I'm very much a country girl and love being away from my neighbors and cars and barking dogs.

This is the first in a series of "best ofs."