The Fort

Kai has been working with his best buddy, Walter, on a fort down by the Mississippi River.  We are lucky to live just blocks away from one of our favorite spots in Minneapolis- an oak tree grove, surrounded by plenty of green space, where you feel like you are far away from the city life.  This is our super-secret place for our super-cool fort.  It's especially fun since someone else is working on it too, so when we visit it, there is always something new.  The boys have designed a library, a garden, sleeping rooms, and of course bathrooms too.

This isn't the actual fort, but it's the tall tree next to it where the boys probably should NOT be climbing! (Notice, Joe's legs off to the side- he promises he was making sure they weren't going to fall)

The Grand Ol' Mississippi

Most of the time, after we work on the fort, we head down to the river in the winter to explore the water.  Here are some sweet photos of the two boys (and Ruby June) who are such sweet friends and wonderful matches for each other. Kai and Walter both are smart, kind, respectful, and thoughtful boys.  We are so glad that Walter and his whole family (yes, you, Tricia, Jeremy, Owen, and Griffin too) came into our lives when we chose Sunny Hollow Montessori School.

Ely or Bust

Sometimes, you just gotta take a break..and that's just what we did when we all hopped in the car and headed North to the cabin for the week.

Pops and Nana Kit made our week a treat- they spoiled us with love and attention (plus, an amazing sledding run) and we actually had a little snow to play in.  We went skiing, sledding, hiking, ice fishing, snowmobiling (a first at the cabin, thanks to our neighbor), read books, watched movies, and bathed in the sauna.  We had so much fun!

Ruby June and Lena, the wonder dog

Ely's Winter Festival included snow sculptures in the park

Snowmobiling out to the ice house

Doing dishes - or wait, that's Ruby in there!

Osa (my brother's dog) and Lena (my dad and Kit's dog)

P.S.  One night, we almost lost Osa!  Osa woke me up to go the bathroom around 1:30 am.  When, I opened up the door to go outside, I instantly heard timberwolves howling.  They sounded like they were next door to the cabin!  Osa, who is completely deaf and old, took off running through the woods like she was a young pup.  It was at least -10 degrees out and I had no choice but to run through the woods in only my pajamas and smartwool socks.  I tackled Osa finally and hauled her back into the cabin.  Just minutes later, the wolves started howling again.  There is nothing more cool than listening to wolves howl, in the middle of the night, under a full moon.  I'm just glad they didn't eat Osa!

Aunt Janet, the great

If I was granted a wish tonight, I would wish for everyone to have an "Aunt Janet."  My Aunt Janet wins the prize for being one of the funniest, kindest, and genuine women I know.  We are all lucky when she comes to town.  We only wish Anacortes, WA wasn't so darn far away.