A Week Away

It seems different around our house today because Cary went back to work.  We'd spent the past 10 days together - taking turns with the kids, hanging out during the kids naps, eating 3 meals a day together, etc.  It was so nice to just have that time as a family, not worrying about work or other things.  And...to make it even better...we spent 7 of those 10 days in Ely.

We've learned that stopping at a park near the Twin Cities is the best way to break up the 7 hour drive to the lake.  The kids (and dog) were happy to be out of the car for awhile, as were the adults!

We pulled into the Lodge around 5:00 on Friday with a car full of luggage, fishing poles, toys and groceries.  Oh...and a new rug for the cabin living room.  By the time we'd unpacked, stocked the fridge and cracked open a beer, our friends the Donnenwerth's had arrived. We were so happy that they drove from La Crosse to join us for the weekend!  Unfortunately, the temperature dropped into the 60's on Saturday, so we spent the morning inside the cabin and the early afternoon in town.

We took a boat ride...

Checked out the town before lunch...

and did a little shopping. (Don't you love Carter's hat?)

Since it was cold and cloudy, we all napped in the afternoon.  By evening, the temp was getting warmer and the clouds were clearing up, so we had dinner on the deck and spent some time outside.

In the sauna.  And no, the kids didn't really stay in there.  It was too HOT! Just a good photo opp.

Amy and me and our babies.  Can't believe Drew is 1 already!

Before bed, we saw a lot of this going on....   Carter and Macy giggling and talking and loving spending time together.  These two were best buds all weekend long.  They never fought or tattled.  They just played and laughed for 2 days straight. 

Once the kids were in bed, the adults had a few drinks and then headed out to the sauna and then up to the boat house.  It was so fun to sit in the dark in such a peaceful place and chat with some old friends.

The next morning, the sun was shining and we knew it was going to be the perfect outside day!  We played at the beach, went on canoe rides, took the boat out for a spin, and roasted hot dogs for lunch.  Once all 4 kids were napping, the adults went out on the boat for some tubing and skiing.  (Did I mention that Cary's aunt and uncles Bobbye and Mike and Larry and Paula were also there??  So no, we didn't leave the kids on the island alone.) :)

Amy had never gotten up skiing before, but she did on her second try!!!! 

And Mike got up on skiis for the first time too!!!  We were all so excited!

The whole crew after a pasta dinner on the deck.

In the evening, we took the kids fishing as the sun was setting.  And once the sun was down, we let off two paper lanterns into the sky.  You could watch them go forever.  It was awesome.

I took way less pictures as the week went on.  The Donnenwerth's left early Monday morning, and Cary's aunts and uncles left on Tuesday morning.  That left just the four of us alone on the island Tuesday through Friday.  It seemed so quiet, which was both eery and nice.  The four of us kept busy by going on boat rides, playing on the beach, reading books, going into town for dinner, visiting the Wolf Museum, going to the Ely Farmer's Market, visiting the toy store's train table (twice!), playing at the park, hiking through the island, relaxing in the cabin, and soaking up some sun.

We decided to leave on Friday morning so we could have a weekend at home.  We made a quick stop at McDonalds and Carter was so excited to sit on Ronald's lap.  Seriously, THIS is the picture he decides to give a real smile in???

We made it home safe and sound on Friday night.  After unpacking and ordering Chinese for dinner, Cary and I caught up on Big Brother and went to bed.

Saturday and Sunday were great too.  First of all, I did a little gift shopping at the mall on Saturday afternoon.  By. My. Self.  It's amazing what you can accomplish without little ones in tow.  We did a family grocery store run in which the cashier said "I take it Dad doesn't usually do the grocery shopping with you?"  Not sure what exactly gave it away, but no, Dad usually does not usually grocery shop with us.  He said that he could tell that I had a system and Cary apparently didn't know it.  Haha.

My parents came on Saturday afternoon and evening and watched the kids which was so appreciated.  Cary and I were ready to just be by ourselves for a few hours.  We hit up the Italian Festival, met up with his friend Bubba and his wife Liana, and then we went to the State Baseball Finals, in which Dowling (including 3 of his cousins) were playing in.  We got home after 11:00 and it was such a fun atmosphere to be a part of.

Yesterday we pulled out the sprinkler and slip-n-slide and spent most of the day in the water.

I can't believe the week is over.  Lessons learned after spending 10 straight days together in Ely...
-Carter talks ALOT.
-Brynn is an attention hog.
-Brynn has learned to pull herself up while hanging on to something.  It's getting back down that she can't do yet.
-Carter is a little hero.  He pulled a checker (from the game Connect Four) out of Brynn's mouth before she choked on it.  Thanks, Buddy!
-Our kids are great car riders.  I never even had to move to the backseat once to entertain or console them.
-Cary's fun to be around.  He makes every little activity more fun.
-It is possible to work on a lap top while riding in the front seat...which also makes a 7 hour drive seem like 3 hours.
-Our dog is WAY more fun at the lake.  No we weren't really considering taking her to the Animal Rescue League, were we?
-Parenting is easier when there's two of you.  I'm not sure how single mothers do it.
-Parenting is easier in your own house.  The cabin and island aren't baby-proofed, so that was a little challenging.
-Both of my kids have their father's skin and are tanner than me, despite both of them wearing SPF 50 all week long.
-Carter is not afraid of leeches.  He had a pet leech most of the week named Slick.  Gross.
-The island was in need of a pontoon boat.  Great new addition!!!
-Not having a routine can get a little old.  By Friday, I was ready to come home.

And Cary's revelation after the week: No matter how much time you spend with your family, you realize that it still wasn't enough.  Awww...

See you next year, Ely!