Summer Recap - Part 4

2nd to last stop....Brainerd, MN.

Saturday we said goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa Froyd and tried to leave. I said tried, because their dog Boots, has this insane desire to get in front of the car and isn't afraid of being hit. She also can run up to about 30 mph. Eventually, I got out at the end of the drive way, caught her and marched her back to the house.

We arrived at Paul and Nicole's house with the crew waiting in the driveway. Matt and Val were right behind us. It was time to get on the pontoon and head out for an afternoon of fun. We quickly changed into our suits and were off.

It was beautiful. I forgot how much I love boat rides. We went across the lake and stopped in a little cove to grab some pizza we ordered. After lunch, we found a sand bar and jumped in. I knew if there was any chance of Miller getting in, I had to go first. It. Was. Freezing. I lied through my chattering teeth but he knew better. Ryan tossed him in. Miller's recap probably would include his tears nearly freezing to his face as he tried to get back in the boat. Honestly, after you numbed up, it wasn't too bad. I won't need a lake swim for a few more years though. I am good. :) Mason thought it was great. In fact, he jumped back in before we docked for one last swim.

Matt fried us up a wonderful walleye dinner. Always a great feast. He and Val hosted us. We joke but it was like staying at a bed and breakfast. Thanks guys! The Manecke's spent the night so we could partake in some adult beverages around the campfire while the children slept. The kids also got along well and played hard. The next morning, we had a great breakfast. We spent some time picking up and then headed back to the Manecke's for an afternoon of kids playing.

I didn't get any pictures as my phone was usually stuck in my purse somewhere other than with me. We said our goodbyes and went back to the Bahl's to settle in for the night. Monday morning we got up, cleaned up our mess, and headed to Minneapolis for our last day of vacation.

We stopped at Adagio's for lunch. Good food. If in the New Brighton area, swing in. Michele gave the kids a tour of the kitchen and showed them how a pizza is made. We met Emily at our hotel and headed to Choo Choo Bob's Train Store. Mason was in heaven.

We had some ice cream and decided to take a trolley ride near Em's old house on Lake Harriet. Epic fail. Neither she nor I read the website correctly and we arrived during the 2 hour window they had no rides. We tried to kill some time but meltdowns were starting. We decided it was best to head back to the hotel and let them swim.

While they got showered and pj's on, Em and I ran to get food. We chowed down in the hotel room and said goodbye. We didn't sleep well (we ended up in a smoking room!) and were anxious about getting up and to the airport on time. We had a much better flight home.

A giant thank you goes out to Jon Polich, who took the time to bring us to the West Palm airport and pick us up in Ft. Lauderdale upon our return. A shout-out to Matt Rumpfeldt who was brave enough to care for Jazzy even after he set off the house alarm and the police arrived. To my parents who drove half way to pick up Annie, take care of her, and return her. To our many hosts (Sheryl and Ryan Daniels, Grandma and Grandpa Froyd, Great Grandma Donna, Paul and Nicole Manecke, Matt and Val Bahl). And of course to our friends and family who were able to take time to join us for food, drinks, chit chat, and adventure.

It was a great vacation that hopefully the kids will remember (or at least they think they will due to pictures).