Vacation "Twelve"

We just returned from Breezy Point, MN, and I have loads of vacation photos (that I've actually uploaded, so step 1 is complete), but I thought I'd ease into it with my Twelve on the 12th images. You'll soon find, if you're so inclined, that there aren't exactly twelve images for August, but I'm sure it's fine.

 

Alla balancing on a wooden log. She later went on to, of course, fall off and bruise herself.

On the (nonmoving) kiddie train in Nisswa.

The condo we stayed in had an open staircase, so Alla promptly found a light to put under there for a perfect storytelling spot.

I was a super reader on our trip, finishing this big read and starting another.

Fisher brought his "war cards" so that although he played with us for hours, he could still get in some side games with his friends, who all made the trip with us.

Oh yes our condo had a hot tub.

The real (well bigger) train in Nisswa.

The beach!

Ten on Tuesday: The Ten-Year Anniversary Edition.

1. Ron and I got to leave town for the weekend, to celebrate our ten year anniversary. We haven't left the kids to go on any sort of trip since, um, well, since having them.

 

2. We picked Duluth, where we could easily get back (two hours) if a Fisher emergency presented itself, but, happily, Nana and Pappi handled everything with grace and we were able to just be Ron and J.J. for 48 hours.

3. We stayed at the A.G. Thomson House, which was the most amazing inn ever. Ron was a big fan of there being homemade chocolate chip cookies in the dining room around the clock.

4.The innkeepers serve a multi-course breakfast every morning, and on the first day there was a raspberry scone, still warm from the oven. Oh, wow.

5. After a breakfast like that you're really not hungry for most of the day, so we spent several hours hiking at Gooseberry.

  

 6. Saw this deer on our way, clearly not afraid of hikers.

7. We hiked down to Agate Beach, where I could have stayed for hours filling my pockets with interesting gems. This is the view from the beach looking out on Lake Superior.

8. Another North Shore recommendation: New Scenic Cafe, which I'm sure someone else recommended to me, and which was darn good food. I had fresh yellowfin tuna melt. Wow.

9. Sunday was my favorite sky. The sky doesn't get more gorgeous. This is the view from Fitger's, looking toward Canal Park/the Aerial Lift Bridge. Amazing!

10. Thank you again, Mom and Bob - what a gift of a weekend it was.