Where Have We Been?

Yes, i've been neglecting this blog,

for some time... and for good reason.

Everything I have to say that is blog-worthy,

is not quite blog-ready

yet.

What I can say is...

this place is HOT in the summer.

I have never wished away summer

like I've wished it away here.

Matt & I are both ready for fall.

Matt has been busy in the garage.

He insulated our garage doors.

He installed shelving and cabinets for storage.

He also found great ways to mount our kayaks!

He is so smart

and handy.

SugarBrew 2012

This past weekend,

Matt & I packed the car with camping gear

and the fluff dog,

and we headed for the mountains.

When we moved to NC,

Matt decided to join the ski patrol

at Sugar Mountain.

 (Located only two hours away from our home.)

In order to put in volunteer hours,

see the place, and meet his fellow patrollers,

Matt volunteered at SugarBrew 2012.

It was a fun and relaxing event.

Multiple beer and wine vendors

setup stands and gave out samples to try.

There were also some good bands.

Matt's job was to take sample pitchers

from the stands to the judge's table.

He did a very good job.

Lucy and I got to watch.

I took an opportunity to see the mountain

by taking one of their chairlifts to the top.

It was a little cloudy,

but I got a nice view of the area.

I think we're going to like Sugar Mountain.

(Especially in the winter!)

Brothers of the Sun

Before we left MN, we had one last event to attend.

The Tim McGraw / Kenny Chesney tour!!

We had purchased the concert tickets

before we knew we'd be moving to NC.

The timing worked out perfectly to come back

for the houseboat and concert,

all in one trip.

We had wonderful company for the concert.

The Hannan's!

Kate is more like a sister to me than a cousin-in-law.

I was so incredibly happy they could join us.

We even got to see our good friend Jambo Joe

live in concert prior to the show!

Before we left for the concert,

Tasha & company stopped at our same bar

to enjoy a beer or two.

Look closer...

We were down on the field for the show.

We only spent about 10 minutes in our actual seats.

The rest of the time, we wandered around the field

and got as close to the stage as we could
before we settled for a spot in the back.
We were able to see, breathe, and dance much more easily!

We were able to buy beer from the dugout.

The pitcher's mound.

It's Megan, taking a picture of us taking a picture of her!

A blade of grass from Target Field.

It was a fun show and great company.

We're already counting down the days

until our next visit in November.

See you then!



Lake Minnebelle

On the second leg of our MN tour,

we stopped at Lake Minnebelle for some relaxation.

Thursday, Matt & I stopped in Lester Prairie

to visit with my Grandma Rose.

Later that night, we drove to Waconia

to visit with the newly-engaged couple

Brooke & Eric!

On Friday, I had some lovely ladies

come splash with me in the lake.

Lucky for me,

I was able to witness Ella's first time in a lake.

I think she had a good time splashing away.



Kate, Sadie, and Leo stopped over in the afternoon.

We hopped aboard Boll's pontoon

and went to the middle of the lake to swim.

I was there to witness Leo's first time swimming in a lake too!

Unfortunately, my camera battery was dead.

No pictures.

The next day, Jeanne stopped out for a visit.

We ate brunch together and had a good chat.

Later that same day, Brad & Logan stopped over.

We were able to get Logan's autograph

on the latest issue of People Magazine

that Logan was in with his cousin Addie!

We had a nice dinner with my dad and brother

the last night we were there.

The time flew by WAY too fast!

The Houseboat

Our trip back to MN was great.

The first leg of our tour was spent aboard

a houseboat in Voyager's National Park.

Two firsts for me: houseboating and Voyager's.

I loved them both.

I can best describe the houseboats

as luxury campers that float.



We cruised during the day

and tied onto sandbars later in the afternoon/evening

for dinner, relaxing, and sleeping.

Here's a picture tour.

Time was spent relaxing.

and floating.

Driving the boat.

Kayak paddles

and....

...Cooler paddles?

I hear it's harder than it looks.

Matt had fun on the slide.

Erin and the guys jumped off the upper deck.

Well... maybe just the guys.

Erin decided to wait for us girls to join her.

 

The ultimate cannon ball

Even Lucy enjoyed herself.

Sometimes you just need to get your paws wet.



We had such a great time!

Mosquito bites & all

Thanks again, Bob & Cindy!