Final cabin shots

Then there's my friend Sheila, what a great shot!

The second is the traditional shot at our resort - Sleeping Fawn - which we all highly recommend, tell Joe & Ellen we sent ya!

Then the Red Snapper of the trip. Jeff spent a long time just floating in the lily pads watching the divers/jumpers.

This tree shot is at the visitors center of Itasca and it has Karissa, Beth and I.

The Headwaters of the Mississippi

OK, so Jeff did not kayak the Miss, but the rest are the standard poses at the River's Headwaters. The lady taking the pictures for us was yelling stuff like, "Give it up for the River!" hmmmm.

Gotta love the hammock

The Mallow

Jeff is the main pyro of the group so he was always in charge of the fire. While the fires were always a grand time (there are few smells grander than that of an open campfire), there was one incident. During a marshmellow battle, I did indeed, fall backwards off of my very large and high log. Whilst all that could be seen of me was my feet straight up in the air, the only thing I could say, while raising my air high into the air, "It's OK, I still have the mallow!" My camera fell out of my pocket and was quickly grabbed, but I had the flash off previously and Jeff didn't know how to work my camera so he gave it back and we compensated by me taking a picture of him while laying flat on my back. There was dirt everywhere on my body! I was sore for three days, but no serious injury was incurred, after all, I did still have the mallow.

More cabin fun . . .

The guitarist is Marty and the other two are views from the fire watch tower at Itasca State Park.

swimming

Everyone had fun on the lake whether they were swimming or taking pictures. I love these!

These are all of the big things we saw this past weekend. Aren't you jealous?! The Serpent is at appropriately named Serpent Lake in Crosby, MN (I think). The giant (most anatomically correct giant fish, I might add) walleye is in Garrison, MN on Lake Mil Lacs (that's the water behind, largest lake in the state). The deer is clearly labeled and was a surprise treat! That's Andrew, me, Karissa and Jeff with the stag.

Cabin photos

Remember that you encouarged this. I still am only sort of aware of how to use my camera and came home with 504 photos. I did narrow it down to around 380 I think. Enjoy the show!

The first is a bicycle dance at the Headwaters of the Mississippi. A bit odd. Then there's my friend, Beth, who is moving back to KS this weekend. The next two are of MN's largest red pine tree.

RELAXATION!

I'm heading north to a cabin for a long weekend and I am so excited I could spit! There are 12 of us, including a number of very dear, dear friends. It's one of the final hurrahs for one of my friends, as she is moving back to Kansas. It will be an amazing weekend filled with joy, laughter, tears and bittersweet sorrow.

The trip is for the singles group at church which Beth and I lead and it's not only her final thing with the group while living here, it's the final event for us as leaders. We are passing the torch of leadership on to two great men who will do an awesome job. It's a casual weekend with few structures, but Beth will be speaking on Saturday night and I will speak on Sunday night. It's good.

I love these people and how God has used them in my life. Amazing, really. They have kept me together and sane over the last three years and I thank God for them everyday.

I pray that each of you has a group of friends that you feel similarly about. An Inner Circle if you will. That's what I call about 5-6 of us. People I cherish, who have loved me, laughed with me, cried with me, redone my furniture (really!), just about everything. We've shared our lives and it's been a huge blessing.

Gotta go before I cry at work! See ya next week . . . with pictures!

How cute!

Come on, now you really wish you'd been here, right!

Whilst I was hosting a baby shower, Rubes and Kara Rosie got caught in a rain storm and got soaked. When they came to pick me up, Jules got them towels - baby Wyatt's towels!

Sister Trip 5

My sisters and I try to get together every year for some sort of vacation. I started this tradition so that before we all got married and started having children, it would indeed be a tradition and keep this a priority. However, it doesn't always work that we can all go so twice now our cousin, Kara, has stepped in a a sister.

Last Wednesday I received a call from Ruby saying that she and Kara wanted to do a road trip to the Mall of America. I told them my summer was fairly open and I'd love to have them. Thirty minutes later, about 6:30pm I received another call saying that the dad's agreed and mom's approved - they were leaving Thursday morning for an extended weekend at my place.

It was so much fun, really. It was great to have them here. This was the third time that Rubes has been able to visit and she knows my friends now so that was fun. It was Kara's first visit and she's 15 and born to shop.

We hit the Como Zoo & Conservatory , road the Carousel and went to the see The Breakup (not really worth it) and then shopped, shopped and shopped some more. Mostly the MOA, but also IKEA (created monster devotees out of both of them) and a fun local place called Patina.

Here are some shots of all the fun. Don't you wish you'd been here, too?!

School chums

We had a baby shower for little Wyatt last week. How cute is he! These are most of the gals from my grad class, it was so good to see everyone again. The best part of grad school was the friends. Julie is the one seated on the far right behind me is the proud mama.

Good friends

Remember how I mentioned that I just bought a new digital camera? Well, I'm learning how to use it, so here ya go! These are some of my dearest friends here in the Frozen Tundra. Beth, Marty and Jeffrey K! Not all of the inner circle but most.

SICKO!

What a sick world we live in.

Yuck!

zzzzzzzzzzzzz

I love a good sleep but don't get it near as often as I would like.

Maybe I should.

Too fun

I borrowed this from the Friar's myspace.

Your Linguistic Profile::

50% General American English

15% Yankee

10% Dixie

10% Midwestern

10% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Whatever, so I never can cut and paste correctly. That's irrelevant. This is my linguistic profile and it was a fun quiz. A bit more Yankeen and Upper Mid. than I thought I'd be though. I've got to get out of the Frozen Tundra maybe.

New Camera

I have gone digital. scarey.

I bought it Sat and haven't even taken it out of the box yet. My old reliable died, I thought, two Saturdays ago, just before my sister's wedding. That didn't go over well. Anyway, it's not broken, but I bought the new camera anyway. Don't know if I really want to keep it though. I just don't know. I can't decide.

It's a Panasonic Lumix LZ3 or something like that. It's 6 pixel with a 6x zoom. hmmm, decisions decisions. I don't quite have buyers remorse, and I have 1 1/2 weeks left to return it. If I open it's a 15% restock fee. again, hmmm

Also, if I go digital, I might drive you all crazy with my photos. Not as cool as SanNakji, but remember, that I love the freaky side shows, so who knows what you might get!

Thoughts or suggestions?

Randomness Galore!

It's been awhile since I've posted, even though I've been enjoying my few regular blogstops.

It's been a crazy ride here and I just am not sure what to say. I see some blogs that seem fairly personal and while some might say mine are - they aren't really. True, yes. (I really am this much fun, what can I say.)

Enough.

What to say this morning. hmmmm

This floral arrangement is at work on my desk. They aren't mine, really, but the patients can't have flowers in their rooms, so I get to enjoy them all. This appears to be from someone's garden and those are indeed real oranges. Whilst my camera phone is not near as good as some I know, it will have to do. Entertaining and unusual I'd say. (the arrangement, not the phone)


Well, I'm trying to finish off my first bottle of water for the day so that I can more justify drinking this Dr. that's on my desk. Original, no wierd flavors today. I'm about water logged.

Galore - that reminds me of The Princess Bride. What a great movie! I need to see that again soon. I miss movies. "humiliations galore"

Since I've started and supspended this and started again (such is blogging whilst at work - can you tell I like 'whist'?) I've finished the water and started in on the good Dr. Ahhh, beverage of champions.

I've really appreciated many things lately. I struggle with anger and several things lately have come up to me about anger. God is working through people who do not even know I needed them.

I'm an angry, bitter, ugly person and I hate that. hmmm.

I'm wearing jeans today because my boss is gone. Jeans and my work t-shirt that I can't really wear because it's a t-shirt and too casual for me usually, but not today!

Argh, my nails are awful! Had a manicure last week, which is nada, really, but the paint looks horrible now. If I remembered to put my polish in my purse, I'll paint at lunch maybe. Going out to a fun new-to-me restaurant tonight with friends and would like to have nice nails. I think we're watching some friends play softball prior, then eating and them maybe hitting putt-putt. Oh, such is the life.

Job prospects are not going anywhere right now. Nothing new since last I posted.

Well, this is a bust, but wanted to post something, so there ya go.