Tri-riffic weekend

Our big three and their cousins Carter and Lily participated in the Sanford Tri for Health in Jackson, MN, on Friday evening. After that, we spent a fun weekend with their family!

I mentioned to my sister in law Angela that a little road trip to Walnut Grove might be in order. It had been a couple of years since my last visit to Junk with Purpose and I was having withdrawals!  She agreed, and we both ended up finding a few treasures there. Even the girls liked it! You can find Junk with Purpose right along Highway 14. It's worth the drive--I promise!

(Internet photo)

After that, we checked out a covered wagon at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Visitor's Center. If you are familiar with the Little House series, there are all sorts of famous names in the Walnut Grove area, including Plum Creek and the nearby town of Sleepy Eye.

We spent Saturday afternoon at the pool and the evening launching water balloons as far as we could. Everyone tried out their launching skills (and some their catching skills, too).

Ahh . . . the perfect way to end a day is a campfire . . . 

. . . with marshmallows!

Summer off the beaten path

For the Melius summer, this summer is the summer of little trips.

No big vacations are planned, but we do have plenty of mini-fun available to fill our extra days.

One thing we have done already this summer is venture off the beaten path.  The first stop is actually quite embarrassing. Wecota is about 10 miles from where I live. It is a mile off Highway 20, and although I have driven past it hundreds of times, I had never had a reason to drive into the actual town. One day Nathan asked to see it as we drove by, and I figured it was probably about time anyway!  I had heard of their great town sign before, and I took a photo to share with you all as well.

We spent Saturday at David's cousin's wedding and yesterday with his aunt and uncle at their farm. We adults took a Sunday afternoon drive around the Oldham and Carthage area, near Howard, SD. (I can't tell you exactly where we were because I was thoroughly lost by the end!) As we approached Carthage, I mentioned that I had never been to that town.  Dann and Michele gave us the grand tour, and for a tiny town, it offers quite a lot! There is the Straw Bale Built Museum, a beautiful lake and parks, and the Cabaret bar, where parts of the 2006 movie Into the Wild was filmed. We stopped to check out some of the photos and memorabilia from the filming. 

This photo is obviously courtesy of Carthage.

On our way home, we had content passengers, so we took a few gravel roads as we got closer to home. We came upon this unexpected old gas station in Crandall, SD.

One just never knows what they will find in South Dakota when they venture off and explore.

Tall Star

David and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary on June 9.

We had nothing big planned for this year--we spent it watching the big 3 play their baseball games in Brentford and went out for Mexican and tropical drinks (a walking taco and a freeze pop).  It really was a beautiful evening. 

We even came home with a new 4-legged member of the family!

Brentford doesn't have a playground by their ball field, but they had something even better on Tuesday night--kittens.

It just so happens that this little guy needed a home!

It was definitely meant to be when we found out his name is Tall Star--after the Warrior books.

On the way home, the kids asked what their Great-Grandpa Joachim's name was.

So, now is name is Tall Star Walter Melius.

We hope Tall Star will be around for a long time.

If he's not, it won't be from lack of love!

Boys' To-Do List

This is my reward for the years of dirty shoes, fighting with each other, loud noises, destroying furniture . . . and the years to come with smelly football gear.

I have two boys able to protect me from the DREADED garter snake in my landscaping bricks. I came upon a rather large snake skin leading into a hole yesterday NEXT TO OUR HOUSE.  (There is no photo of that because I can't even take a PICTURE of a snake skin.)

However, I did make them a list.

Unexpected blessings

Most of the time our fun is planned, but sometimes we can be a little more spontaneous now that the kids are a little older.

I decided after lunch yesterday that we could go to the pool in Faulkton for the afternoon.

It was a perfect 80 degree partly sunny day for our first day in.

After that, we happened to drive by the Happy Times carousel and see that it was open, too.

We just had to stop for a ride . . . or two!

Free rides and treats given to all of the kids at the end. 

After a little ice cream, we all went home happy. :)

Choices

We all make thousands of choices every day, maybe even more.

For instance, you can make the choice to bend down and untie your shoe to put it on after you are done fishing.

 Or, you can choose not to untie your shoe, get frustrated with the fact that you can't get your shoe on, and then throw it into the creek.

 However, if you make that choice, you will also have to go and get it out again.

A Big Monday

 Monday was a big day for Rachel!  First, she learned how to write an R!  She has been practicing letters, but would always tell me that the R was "too hard." Well, she went downstairs with some markers and books and before long, she was back upstairs telling me, "I made an R!"

 Then, at tonight's baseball practice, she learned how to eat sunflower seeds.  Yes, that's TWO very important skills in just one day!

 I was pretty proud of myself Monday evening, too.  I managed to perch myself on the top bleacher to watch my girls in the park, Nathan at practice, and the Teener baseball game all at the same time!

Sometimes life just works out.

Morrow & Travis' wedding

This past weekend, I was honored to play piano for my friend and classmate of 13 years' wedding.  I was a little nervous, too, as it had been several years since I have played for a wedding, but all went well.  (It was a baby grand, how could it not??)

Two of my favorite people were there with their husbands, who are also pretty great.  (We missed others who could not make it!)  It was so awesomely FUN to catch up and dance together again!  Thanks to my Rachel's obsession with "Sweet Caroline," I was able to lead the crowd in singing at the dance.  I know my mom was so proud. :)  

We're all married off now!