Camping Weekend

This past weekend we loaded up the troops and headed south to the Fairmont area for a family camping trip. We found a gem of a tent site (near the showers/restrooms) at a super nice campground known as the Flying Goose Campground. It was beautiful and very family friendly complete with biking trails, playground, mini golf, hay rides, tractor-pulled train rides and a gorgeous sandy beach with water toys. The campground is nestled amongst a bunch of mature trees on lovely Lake Imogene which is super warm. We took our canoe as well and Dylan and Dave got in some fishing and caught a whopper of a catfish. We swam on Friday afternoon into the evening and all day Saturday and had a blast.

The best part is that we met so many nice people from southern MN, Iowa and South Dakota. In fact, we met another triplet family who camped just a few sites away with 3-1/2 yr old triplets who were absolutely adorable (their mama is Tina too). They also had a cousin who was the same age as LTD and they all had a blast playing together. We had the bikes with and LTD were cruising around the campground non-stop. They were in high heaven! At night, the fireflies, campfires and S'Mores were a big hit and Dave's campfire stories were a riot. Dylan had a little 4 yr old admirer (Haley) who kept biking over on her bike with training wheels asking, "is Dylan here?" They were buds and on the last morning she came over with a photo she drew and colored for him and sang, "Dylan, look what I made for you" with the bigget grin on her face. Priceless!

It was a bit sad for the kiddos to say goodbye to their new friends on Sunday, but we exchanged email addresses and hope to stay in touch. It was a perfect mini getaway and one campground we will definitely be back to next season. Feel free to click on the Kodak Gallery link on this blog page (right hand column) for lots more photos.

Birthday Week

Last week Mama Bear turned 47! I have decided to walk in my mother's footsteps and take an entire week to celebrate life versus wallow in my sorrow of aging yet another year :) SO, our week was jam packed full of fun activities and great memories.

Dave treated me to sushi dinner and a play at the Guthrie for my birthday which was an absolute treat. We seriously don't take enough time out for each other to enjoy each other's company without varmints in tow. On Thursday, my Ya Ya Sisters invited us out for a boat cruise on Lake Minnetonka. We had a BLAST! Lots of music from the past, dancing, laughing and catching up with dear friends who have been a part of my life for SO long. Dave was supposed to be my designated driver but he had a little "too" much fun so Mama Bear took over that role. On Friday, I grabbed the kiddos and joined some other school moms and children for pizza and the play "Annie" at the Stages Children's Theatre. We all loved it! On Saturday morning after breakfast, Dave and I gave in and watched the new Justin Bieber movie "Never Say Never" with LTD. It was a GREAT movie and very inspirational and Dave and I both have a newfound respect for JB (the girls want to marry him). That afternoon I grabbed the kiddos and enjoyed an entire afternoon at the Shakopee Sand Bottom Pool which is a favorite of ours. It is a chlorinated sand bottom pool complete with a sand beach, lots of slides, and our favorite, a diving board. Other than the one 15 minute safety break, we went non-stop for 4 hours! I miss spending so much time with our little ones now that I work full-time so I savor those days we can share all day together. On Sunday, we treated LTD to a day at Valleyfair which they have never been to. It was a gorgeous day and we were there from 10am until 7:30pm and had a great time. The only thing that was a bummer was how incredibly ridiculous they are about "rules". If one child was 1/8" off the minimum height requirement, "sorry, no go". Taylor got robbed from a few rides because of it. Pretty pathetic considering how tame some of these rides were. I guess we have frivalous lawsuits to thank for that. However, we treated them to milkshakes at Culver's after we left the park which made up for a few of those sad moments.

I have a wonderful husband, healthy, loving children, our family, and genuine friends. I am truly grateful and blessed and look forward to another year to make memories and cherish life.

Ya Ya Sisters on Lake Minnetonka

The captain and co-captain
Vicki, Annie, Terrie and Sarah - I adore them!

Rhonda had a birthday too - duo celebration

Lovebirds

WooHoo!

Party boy

Look out! Man overboard!

Vallefair!

Snoopy statue getting love

I am big enough for this ride

L & D taking up the rear

Taking a break with Icees

Excited to get on "Thunder Canyon" (T got soaked)

Imax Break (AC was cranked so towels came in handy)

Calling it a day

Bismarck Memories

Over the 4th, Camp Clark traveled back to Bismarck, ND, to share time with family and friends and it was absolutely fantastic! In fact, I had a really hard time selecting a few photos for the blog since we captured so many. Please check out our KodakGallery Link for LOTS more!

Our trip was very memorable because we not only got to share time with grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends, but we got to celebrate a milestone birthday for my mother. She's a Yankee Doodle Dandy indeed (birthday on July 4) and she turned 70 this year and even made the front page of the Celebrations Section of the newspaper!

We had a fun picnic with our relatives and Dave's parents and Ken's children and it was a blast! My brother, Bruce, and I even pulled out the belt and spoons and sang "Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie" for the gang. We sure do love to shine, just like our mama.

What was especially enjoyable was having Bruce and his two daughters, nieces Larissa and Ariana, and Larissa's two children back in Bismarck to share in the festivities (4 generations). It was great watching all the children play together and have fun. They all got along so wonderfully with my cousins' children. We also sincerely enjoyed sharing time with Papa and Grandma Kemmet, my sister Jill and my childhood friends, Lori and Kim.

We did so much and LTD are still talking about Grandma's birthday, fireworks, the slumber parties in the tent, swimming at the pools, biking all over at each of the grandparents' homes and to the park with Aunt Jill, the amusement park, the river and flooding, Uncle Bruce and his stories (especially the crab eating one), playing with cousins, Papa Egg's cooking, newfound friends, and the list goes on. SO many memories!

We even bought a new mini van on the trip thanks to our "Griswold" van breaking down on the highway on our way back to Bismarck in 99 degree temps in stop and go traffic coming out of the Cities. Lovely! Thanks Papa Kemmet for helping us find a new hot rod van.

We love our family and friends and look forward to getting back to Bismarck again for a quick trip before school starts in September. We love you!

Nieces Ariana and Larissa with my favorite brother My dear friend, Lori - friends since grade school
Dave, Papa and Grandma Clark and niece Sarah at the picnic
The Lovebirds, Papa and Grandma Good
Having fun at the picnic
COUSINS!
Taylor and Cousin Jordan

Yankee Doodle Dandy

Bruce and his lovely daughters

Love my Bro!

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

3 peas in a pod

Camp Clark

Birthday cake on the deck Just a swingin' at the amusement park