6/2/07...At the Walker Art Center sculpture garden in Minneapolis.  We spent the day at the Walker, then the sculpture garden, picnic at Loring Park, biking around the "Chain of Lakes" and exploring downtown on foot.

Another view

A huge steel structure in the sculpture garden.  The kids could swing and the whole device moved!

A fountain in Loring Park.

Lest you think all our adventures are idyllic...we did get caught in a total downpour downtown Minneapolis.  We got soaked (and it was freezing out!).  Chris was nice enough to run the last 4 blocks to get the van while we waited under a shelter.  The kids looked really bummed out, huh?

6/4/07...A cute little bunny in my garden.  He didn't seem quite as cute when I noticed my pansies had been gnawed off!

Nathaniel checking the garden this morning.  Everything is up and growing!

Nathaniel at preschool graduation.  He has done a great job this year and we are so proud of him!  He starts kindergarten at Annabelle's school this fall.

Nathaniel and his awesome teacher, Miss Debbie!

Chris and I also celebrated our 13th anniversary!  If you are wondering about the names on the cake...the kids call me "Doll" and Chris "Bear".  As far as nicknames go - I could have done worse!  Chris bought this lovely cake for us to celebrate this special day and Nathaniel's graduation.

The happy couple!

Annabelle with her last day of school bouquet for her teacher.

Nathaniel putting together his new Lego city set.  He worked on it for 2 straight hours. It had 300 pieces that go together to make 3 objects.   

The finished product.  Nathaniel loves Legos! Visit our video links page to see him playing with the set in motion!

6/9/07...Making Tye-Dye Shirts at the Round Lake Beach Grand Opening.  

Picnic Lunch...

Annabelle and friend Jenna enjoying root beer floats  by Round Lake.  It is just a bike ride from our place, had been closed for years due to high bacteria levels (those darn Canadian Geese!)

In the water!

6/10/07...We visited the Minnesota Zoo after church.  A nice way to cap off Annabelle's "Zoo Unit" at school.  I think the dolphin show was Annabelle's favorite.

In the milking parlor - we watched this Jersey cow produce 2 gallons of milk!

One of Nathaniel's favorite parts - a ride on a John Deere!

And let's not forget the ride on the monorail!  These slow train took us on the loop around the zoo.  You can definitely see the animals better from the ground though!

On board the monorail.

This was my favorite part - the tropical aquarium.  

6/11/07...More home improvement!  We paid somebody else to do it this time though!  We had the hardwood floors refinished over the weekend.  We were booted out most of the time - and no use of the kitchen!  It should be done tomorrow.  

Annabelle and Nathaniel escaped the 90 degree heat in our kiddie pool!

Annabelle's friend Jenna joined us on Friday.

Our first camping trip took us to Jay Cooke State Park Father's Day weekend.  Here are the rapids on the other side of the Thompson Dam.  There was a kayak race in progress - if you look closely in the center of the picture, you can see a kayaker.

Annabelle and I by the rapids of the St. Louis River - while hiking the River Trail.

Climbing the big slabs of slate and gray wacke on the shores of the river.

Nathaniel spotted this pool of still water that contained hundreds of tadpoles.  Very fun to see!

A tadpole we captured and released to get a closer look.

Stopping to cool off by the rapids.

Setting up camp.

We enjoyed many naturalist led programs at Jay Cooke.  Here we learned about ants and saw the giant ant hills at the park.  They are a couple of feet high and the same across!

Reading "How to Eat Fried Worms" at camp.  We read the whole book over the weekend.  

Chris enjoyed a pre-Father's Day snooze on Saturday at camp.

Nathaniel still loves trucks!

Sunday morning was cool and wet - so we stayed close to camp.  We had some excitement overnight as a critter broke into our cooler.  I was too lazy to haul it back to the van (we were at a walk in site).  He (a raccoon?) got in the screen house, opened the cooler and stole our cheese!  He must not like cheddar - he left it nearby.

Annabelle reading by a tree at the campsite.

Hiking near the Thompson Dam on Father's Day.

Nature's balance beam.

Annabelle and Chris by the river.

The Thompson Dam.

Biking to the big log piles in Carleton.

Celebrating summer birthdays with our bible study group.  All 4 of these lovely ladies have birthdays this summer.

6/23/07...Picking strawberries

The kids holding a giant chain at the Carl W. Kroening Interpretive Center in Minneapolis.  The center was built in 2005 and is part of the National Park Service.  It had lots of cool history about the Mississippi river in Minnesota.  We also visited the North Mississippi Regional Park - which was not that great! 

6/24/07...Nathaniel spotted this turtle on the bike path near Bryant Lake.

We finally convinced Nathaniel to try paddleboating.  He loved it!

Captain and First Mate

Annabelle with her Annabelle hydrangea in our yard!

Annabelle next to our veggie patch.  Things are growing - but I've got bugs gobbling my green beans and the tomatoes are pitiful.  The potatoes are flourishing though!  Everything else is coming along nicely.

We saw South Pacific at Starring Lake..."I'm gonna wash that man right out of my hair!"