The 4th Part II

Sorry for the delay ... things have been a little busy around here lately, I'll try to keep up with my posting.

On Sunday, the actual 4th, we went to church, and were surprised to find that 1/2 of the electricity wasn't working-- which included the AC! It was weird to walk into the building with no lights in the hallway and only half of the lights working in the chapel. All the doors were open but Sacrament meeting was still HOT. We survived, though, and had a great time teaching our 9 year olds in the heat :)

After church we had a bbq- Hunt Family Style. I found tri-tip steaks (which are unheard of to find outside of central CA). I made my momma's famous potato salad and her famous baked beans and then my favorite mid-west sweet corn. YUM. I guess I was too excited about the steaks to take a picture of the whole spread :)


After dinner we headed to Excelsior for the MN Orchestra concert and fireworks show. We brought dessert along for a little picnic. I was quite proud of my patriotic trifle! The concert was amazing I loved hearing all the patriotic music--- and I think Tom and Jeralyn really enjoyed it as well. The fireworks display was one of the best I've seen ... but I decided to snuggle up next to my hubby & leave my camera in my bag :)












On Monday we made a big breakfast and then headed to to explore. We went to Minnehaha Falls which were so beautiful, and then were lead by Jeralyn on a hike. We had no idea where we were going, and it was so much fun to explore! Where we ended up was well worth the journey.





















After our little adventure we hit up an ice cream truck for a treat. It was so hot and humid that day that we needed an immediate sweet cold treat to hit our lips. We then took Tom and Jeralyn to St Paul. The gorgeous Victorian homes on Summit Ave never get old, nor does the beautiful St. Paul Cathedral. After a walk across the bridge over the Mississippi we decided to check out the Science Museum. Boy, was that fun! I was kind of surprised how much I enjoyed getting in touch with my science side :) We were surprised to find a good 'ol midwestern rain storm when we went to leave. Ryan and I volunteered to run and get the car-- and we literally RAN! 5 blocks later and we were soaked head to toe. It was so much fun.












Tom and Jeralyn wanted one more Minnesota treat--- and that was Lions Tap burgers. A round of 1919's and a few burgers and our stomachs were happy.



We had a such a great 4th of July weekend with Tom & Jeralyn-- we can't wait for your next visit!

4th of July Weekend- Part I

I love the 4th of July Holiday. Everyone is happy, friendly, and most importantly, grateful. It always means family, bbq's, fireworks and of course, wearing RED WHITE & BLUE.

This year the 4th was especially fun because we got to share it with Ryan's parents who came to visit us in Minnesota! We enjoyed lots of bbq's, humid weather, concerts in the park, canoeing the St. Croix river, hiking along the Mississippi river, and so many other wonderful things. Thank you for a fantastic holiday weekend, Tom & Jeralyn!!

At the Minnesota Arboretum


Their Dalias are just SO amazing!!


On our way to canoe, we got stuck in some heavy traffic (a one-way road and a holiday weekend will do that to you!) At one point we ended up Main Street, USA! It looked so quaint I had to take a photo.


My father-in-law, Tom, and I were pretty excited about this teapot-water-tower!! It is so cool. Why can't Hopkins have a cool water tower?


Out on the St. Croix








Saturday morning I got to go antique shopping with Jeralyn, where we scored this gem:

THANKS Jeralyn!!

Then we took Tom and Jeralyn with us to a 4th of July bbq with our friends from the Minnetonka Ward. Tom liked taking action shots of us:

(I'll spare you some of the other action shots, like me diving into my chicken leg).

Then we headed over to the Mill City Museum-- this awesome old mill that had been destroyed in an explosion has been converted into a museum so you can learn about the old Mills. It was pretty sweet.


We had dinner at PUNCH, my favorite pizza place in the twin cities and then went to the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra concert at the Lake Harriett Bandshell with Rob and Allyse!

Leaving my heart in Minnesota

One of our favorite things to do in Minnesota is be on the water! So naturally when Ryan's cousin, Rob, and his wife, Allyse moved to Minnesota for the summer we wanted to show them the ropes on canoeing in the Chain of Lakes. Unfortunately we made a minor mistake and put ME in the steering spot (the back of the canoe) so... needless to say it was a little more of going in circles than it was showing them a thing or two. A friend of mine from school also just moved to Minneapolis for his job, and so he and his wife joined us out on the water as well. What a fantastic group date night. I love loved it.

The chain of lakes are a popular spot for working out --- but mostly just running, biking, rollerblading, etc. This was a first for us:


Another first was eating at the Tin Fish- a little fish shack right next to the lake. It was so yummy!






Once we got on the lake we realized how peaceful and serene it was that night.


Rob and Allyse






Our friends Pete and Courtney


My handsome paddler. And my best view of the night :)










Thanks for a great night everyone!!

A Post for Tarin

I recently talked about my sister & her amazing Cake-Making-Skills. Well, I decided I wanted to show her off. So here's a few things she has done recently ...

The only thing her 5-year old asked for was a Castle Cake. Cute, right?





Ashley's Bridal Shower


And of course when it was Caidences Birthday, she had a princess cake. Isn't she the cutest princess EVER?






Amazing, right? She has made tons of other great things, I just haven't been around to admire (or indulge) in her creations!! Let's hope I can learn a thing or two from her.