Friday

Friday was another fun filled, busy day. We began by taking our third bike ride. We loved riding on our marvelous trails around our house. N o need to even pack up to go somewhere when we've got this! Afterwards we went to our gym to use our 2 passes/month so that Anne could continue her workout and Elaine and I could while away some time poolside. Of course, Elaine just had to go down the slide but not just once but three times. She's a fun girl. That evening we had reservations on board a cruise ship with dinner and the sights of the beautiful St. Croix River that is part of the boundary between Minnesota and Wisconsin based out of Stillwater, Minnestoa. It was just so peaceful and relaxing. We finished up the evening by dropping by the St. Paul Temple. It's a little gem in the city of Oakdale (close to St. Paul). What a way to close out Friday.


I could swear Anne was with us!

Wheee!!!

Cruising the St. Croix River

St. Paul Temple at Night

Wednesday around St. Paul

St. Paul Cathedral

You're a good man, Charlie Brown!

In the park in St. Paul

Thursday's Fun

Thursday started out with lots of hope for a wonderful day. We left the house, with Jordie's approval, for another ride on our trusty (rusty?) bikes. This time we went to Elm Creek Park Reserve. After a welcoming shower, we visited Erin and had a little concert on her new/old saxophone purchase. She was clever in showing us that one doesn't really need a music stand after all.
Later that evening the Galloways and the Sprout families joined us for dinner, ping pong, games, and some family socializing.
Kirk and I feel incredibly blessed to have two of our children living near us; this unexpected event has certainly blessed and enriched our lives to no end.

Jordie on watch

Elaine Armstrong

Team Armstrong

Erin "G" (Kenny G)

Braden

Ashleigh

Anne showing her Kiwi Allergic Reaction

Justin at play

And to all a good night! (Lindsey)

Minneapolis Farmer's Market

On the last day of the Minneapolis Tour, we went to the Minneapolis Farmer's Market. We always think that this is such a fun adventure and a memorable experience. There are so many sights, sounds and of course...smells from the variety of food available. Naturally we feel compelled to sample some traditional fare: brats and corn. The mini donuts were just an extra fun thing. We had such fun hosting Elaine and Anne on their visit and hope that they and you, too, will want to come during the glorious hours of summer (fall is also pretty spectacular!).

Buying mini donuts for dessert.

Corn Feed at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market

Brat eating at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market

Y'all come back..ya hear?

Tomato Madness

This summer we planted about 30 tomato plants. Why you are asking would we do something so nutty? We do enjoy tomatoes and it is a great way to share with friends and neighbors. But, these plants this summer have gotten way, way out of control. They are ginormous and have so much fruit on the vine. Kirk has put in long pieces of wood to help give them some stability. We've used old nylons cut up and some string to lift the plants up. It's just the craziest thing you've ever seen. Oh how we wish you could be here to share in our bounty!

Kirk is tying up our tomato plants.

Sister Act

A Day in Minnesota
Here are some of the fun things that we did together on Wednesday. We rode our bikes from our house and then around Rice Lake. It is amazing to see the houses that border this lake...so beautiful. We then went to St. Paul and got in a tour of the St. Paul Cathedral where we learned that means it is the "chair" of the bishop. It was very interesting and the cathedral is a big, beautiful church that is easily seen as it sits upon one of the seven hills in St. Paul. We drove in the "downtown" area of St. Paul and spotted several of the Charlie Brown characters. Charles Schulz, creator and cartoonist of this comic strip, was born in St. Paul and basically lived his whole life there. They were fun to see and oh my...heat and humidity! Look for more entries this week as we continue to have fun.

Shopping at the Mall of America.

The capitol building of Minnesota in the background.

E & A biking the Tour de Maple Grove, MN.