Summer trips and Family!

July marked the month of lots and lots of family! My parents were in town for their usual summer living in MN and my brother came to MN with his whole family early July. We had a great few days in the Twin Cities and then my ENTIRE family went up to the cabin! It was my parent's first time getting to see Northern MN and they loved Superior! They got to hike to the sea caves, boat on the biggest lake in the world, hike to waterfalls and watch all their grandbabies. Once they left we shot off some fireworks, went to the beach and had too many kids running around like nutties! It was such a great trip and I'm so grateful they came all the way to MN.

Between that trip to the cabin and the next extravaganza with all the Aronsons, we had fun in Northfield looking at trains, in the cities at Lebanon Hills, splash pads with buddies, Cascade Bay (our first time at a water park! Dean loved the slide), a day date biking the cities and GF friend Chicken, outdoor meals and then the Aronsons arrived.

THEN, the Aronsons arrived. And the craziness of summer began! First lots of fun in Afton with cousins sleeping over, playing bball, loving on the "cute" Benny. Then we went to the cabin. Normal cabin festivities: Hamburger Ninjas (Dean was the star of our family film this year), Bags tournaments, bonfires, marshmallows, teenagers staying up too late, beach, boats, Little Nikki's, waterfalls and this year Paddleboards! Mark and I also explored a new state park in WI that had a ton of beautiful cascades. And of course, Dean and Benny did their favorite summer game of throwing rocks.

Unfortunately, the trip was so fun, so exciting and so insane with my almost 2 and 4 year old I got a bit stressed, and got hives. BAD hives. I've never had more than one hive at a time in my entire life, but this was bad! Every morning I'd wake up with a ton of hives all over my sides and stomach, then they'd go away. Then they'd come back at night then be Horrible the next morning. This lasted 2 weeks! Dr. said this can happen, but boy was it miserable. Luckily, I still was able to enjoy the last of the Johnston's trip here, we went to Vikings training camp, got to watch them practice and take part in all sorts of fun football activities.

Early August looked a lot like late June. Mark did a lot of working and we did a lot of exploring and enjoying summer things: Splash pads, play dates, breweries, St. Croix river trips, gymnastics, OULA, treating yo self, Greenleaf Book studies and a new water type table as an early birthday present for Benny.

Sewage fun at the Brewery, St. Paul

 We ended August before going back to school by a last minute trip to the cabin. We enjoyed getting to stay at the Hideaway by ourselves, and got it prepared for the upcoming painting and flooring happening in September! The boys had a great time even though their cousins weren't there, and we explored Bayfield and a few playgrounds around the area.

Cabin is Exhausting!

Now summer starts with a birthday, and it ends with a birthday. We didn't do anything big, just cousins and Julie, but we celebrated Benny turning 2. One day inside the next day with cousins sleeping over and water fun!

Now school is starting and Dean has 1 more year in daycare, ONE MORE! He will be a Kindergartner in a year. And Benny is almost 2. They love each other so much. They usually play well together now, even though most play ends in Benny screaming "No Dean!" or them wrestling and laughing until someone gets hurts. They hug all the time and when they are apart they miss each other. Benny is still such a mama's boy and it melts my heart especially because he could be my last baby. I love the snuggles with him and will hold him all he wants! Dean is a snuggler too, but makes it very clear he is a "big boy". He loves special "mommy Dean time" and has gotten so expressive in his language. He's still struggling with letters, but numbers are easy for him. (Can tell his mom and dad love Math). Benny is a reader through and through and is OBSESSED with trucks. He is talking all the time now, and while still a parrot, will create his own phrases and sentences. My favorite thing he says is "tickle mommy!" when i tickle him and when Mark sings he says "No daddy, I do not like that!". 

But like always Dean is my mini-me, and Benny is his dad. They are such cuties.