Summer End and Fall Begins

Recently, I had decided I would quit blogging. I thought it was "too much work", not enough people cared, and that I had other ways to remember things. However, today sitting in the tub I realized I love how these blogs memorialize my life, the way I see the change of the seasons and the way each season has special traditions for my family.



Beautiful View at Rehearsal

That being said I'm going to have to wrap up summer quickly. I thought we'd do so much more than we did (with both of us having all summer off!) but days just fly by!

We had so much fun on our first couples getaway in Asheville NC! We stayed one extra night in a hotel downtown and were able to walk around downtown enjoying breweries and Southern food! Everything we ate all weekend was delicious and super rich! We definitely got our taste of the South. Anna and Warren seemed so happy that day, and we found out one of our Suities is expecting a suite baby so it was a SWEET weekend all around.

Cousin Photos!

Shortly after that we got to spend time up North for the BIG Aronson cabin extravaganza. It was a crazy, chaotic fun time. We created a special video to remember this week forever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rznLFD66ipA



Dean wanted cousin Love

Early Morning hikes were my favorite

Grandbabies



Living room =Lake Side

Luckily for us it wasn't quite as crowded as normal, because we made an investment on a new cabin with the Staums! it's a work in progress, but we love our "Hideaway". We've gotten to stay there one time since and do a lot of work on it, and it still has work to be done, but it's such a neat little retreat to call vacation!


Living Room

Kitchen

Kitchen Lake Side

Guest Bedroom

 



I promise most of them got bigger :)

The rest of the summer we spent doing normal "summer things" We enjoyed LOTS of State Parks, time with friends, BBQ, camping, gardening and OULA of course.



Zucchinis were not super normal...



Jay Cooke State Park

Buddies for Life

Interstate State Park

 

1st day

The end of Summer marked the beginning of SCHOOL! I've loved working at my new school! The staff has been very welcoming, my class is great at the routines we've been working, and I feel like it will be a really positive year! Mark and I are loving having the same schedule and are feeling great about our new childcare. Dean of course is still picky with food, (the pickiest she's seen!) But otherwise he seems super happy. We love having the weekends to spend with him, but aren't ashamed to say that we are better able to appreciate time with him because we have time apart!

Berry Pcking

Now that fall is here, I am ready! We went to Trader Joes and bought all good things pumpkin; went Apple Picking and got lots of Honey Crisp :) ; planted Tulips (that will hopefully bloom next spring!); bought Dean's Halloween Costume, and am getting ready for my NC trip over Fall Break to see my new niece Heidi!!!! Excited for my favorite season of the year!

Visitors from Everywhere!

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for Mark and I! Amazing, but a whirlwind!

It all started when our friends Leah and Brian came into town to stay with us for a night (on their way to a wedding) and our friend Ashley came into town for the  weekend. It was a real TFA reunion :)

We had a fun little BBQ caught up and just had fun with each other. It's great to be a teacher and to have summers off!

After Leah and Brian left Ashley, Julie and I continued our busy fun weekend! We danced OULA, we got yogurt and went for walks! Saturday evening was fun because we had more guests, Max and Marcella spent the night! They loved staying with us and the "babysitters" (Ashley and Julie).

Sunday was fun. We all went to the Mall of America to dance OULA at Athleta (MOA on a Sunday at 9 am is the way to go to avoid crowds!) Then we all went to Food Truck Festival in Uptown. It was delicious and fun! I got to have GF cheese curds, Mark and Greg tried amazing Nachos with brisket, Julie a burrito bowl and Ashley other Nachos. Then we got rained on.... big time, huge storm. But we stayed it out and then got dessert, delicious GF donuts :) We will definitely be back when the Festival is in Burnsville in September! Anyone else in?

The week of visitors continued as Paul, Susan and Henry arrived Wednesday. It was a fun week! We played outside (weather was beautiful, 70's almost all week!) went into the cities, had yogurt at Sebastian Joes (If you've never been I recommend it! Right by Lake Harriet), walked around the lakes, swam at the beach at Nokomis, visited Northfield, went on Canoe rides, played in the kiddie pool, used the NICERIDE bike system in minneapolis (also a fun new experience!), had a few cookouts, ate amazing Mexican at Pineda Tacos (very authentic) and just watched the cousins play and fight together :) We definitely miss Paul and Susan being in MN but we loved having them visit!

More visitors arrive tonight (my mom and dad!) Because Mark and I are heading out of town to go to Asheville for Anna's Wedding! It will also be our first weekend away from Dean! We are excited, sad and nervous but more than anything excited! We have planned to go a night early so we will stay downtown and have a little mini-romantic getaway in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains. then wedding festivities begin! I can't wait to see Anna and Warren hitched and to be reunited with all my suitie gals and their men. And also Good luck Mom, Dad , Steve and Nancy with our little monster :)