We are still here!!!

WHAT A SUMMER WE HAVE HAD!  Sure hope yours was as grand as ours!

July was our taking care of business month. You all know what that entails-doctor, dentist, financial appointments, visits with friends. Of course, we spent time with our four MN granddaughters.  The younger ones change so much every time we see them.

The highlight of our whole summer was when Dan & Helena came the end of July which marked the start of their family visit. What a great birthday present for me.  Ana and Julia would follow in two weeks.

We had a chance to have a six granddaughter outing. A bevy of beautiful girls.  From Left to right: Corri (22), Helena (15), Julia (10), Grandma holding Bricelyn (7 months), Aubrey (2 ½) being held by Grandpa and Sophia (4 ½). 

 

We had breakfasts on our deck at our condo and drank coffee while catching up on our lives. We walked the streets of our small town and had giant ice cream cones at Nelson’s.  We visited in Tim’s back yard and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows at the campfire. We ate many delicious meals there.  We enjoyed all the girls running through the sprinkler and jumping in the small pool. We attended the first ever “Linder Celebration” which included all Pete’s cousins, their kids and their kids.  We enjoyed movies at home with fresh, hot popcorn. We had a Linder/Molin family picnic in Pioneer Park with a beautiful view of the St. Croix River and the Historic Stillwater lift bridge.  We visited cabins, the Washington County Fair, Wild Mountain Waterpark, saw harness racing, took a paddleboat ride down the St. Croix River and enjoyed brunch as we went.  We visited with Lill at her pool and saw all her animals (horses, goats, dogs and donkey).  We all stayed on the North Shore and enjoyed Lake Superior. We can’t forget about Rummicube games. What a treat to play with our family and win or lose it is just great to see everyone having a fun time.

 

Dan, Ana, Helena and Julia even enjoyed more: riverside and lakeside bike-riding, downhill long-boarding, picture coloring, small-town fun days, indoor and outdoor swimming, craft beer drinking, jet-skis, scooters, pontoons, kayaks, canoes, hot tubs, swings, four-wheelers, and gators (just to name some of it). Picture from left to right shows Helena, Dan, Ana and Julia.

 

Tim & Laura were super great hosts to Dan’s family and they sure had a houseful.  They shared all they had including their van.  They seemed like they all enjoyed being together. We celebrated Laura's birthday with a Breakfast Party. Left to Right: Bricelyn, Aubrey, Laura, Tim and Sophia.

 

 

Dan summed it up pretty well: “Thanks, Minnesota (and Wisconsin) for having wide, gently flowing rivers and expansive, sky-blue lakes, and for still having aerial lift bridges, classic diners, drive-in theaters and food on a stick, all of which we enjoyed immensely on this trip.”

 

It was a very busy month and we already are missing everyone.

 

We are currently in Arkansas where the weather is very hot.  We will be going back to MN for a couple weeks and hope for relief from the heat.

 

Just in:  On Saturday Ana fell down some steps and broke her ankle in three places. She had surgery on it Sunday and some plates and screws were needed to get it back in shape to heal. She will be off work for three months and then comes therapy.  We are thankful she is going to be OK but it will be a long road. Your prayers will help.  Thanks!!