One day it's in the 90s, the next in the 50s. Good ol' Minnesota! It keeps things interesting.We had our first Minnesota playdate yesterday. My husband had to run to a town to get some plumbing parts because he was replacing my parents' water pressure tank, so we quickly called up the local cousins Jennie, Chrissy, and Beth (Aric's wife) and everyone showed up atthe playground with their kids: baby Riley, the youngest, only one-month old. My son and his older cousin Hailey have become quite fond of each other. I think it's because they have the same attitude. Just look at their faces. So far, the playgrounds we've visited have been quite impressive with very fast slides, tall tree forts, and other interesting gadgets. Even though the boy climbed the rock wall a few times, he mostly stuck here with the three excavators. Little boys.
His little brother on the other hand was quite fond of the steep ladders, tunnels, and swift slides. Moose Lake, the name of the town, is in the background. It has a Dairy Queen, which we all, kids and adults, thoroughly enjoyed afterward even though it was a cool day.
Going back in time a week or so, here's Grandpa Greg and his right-hand-man digging up some rose bushes that had been growing in the field for five years. They brought them to my cousin Jennie's because she has a new place with lots of space in need of vertical vegetation. You can't tell by how they're dressed, but this day was very, very hot. This is just one example of many, many outdoor projects that have been completed already.
The next day was cool again, but that didn't stop the kids from playing in the pool for as long as we allowed them. My son assumed the role of water monster, which the other kids happily played into. My dad also took everyone on a hay ride and all who didn't have little kids stayed late for a bonfire. The kids (almost half of whom are pictured) enjoyed chasing the chickens and playing other yard games. The blueberries, in the background have massive amounts of blossoms; it's going to be a big year. We only invited a couple of families to this party for my graduation/my husband's birthday/our anniversary, but with all of the marriages and kids that have sprung from my generation on my maternal side, it was quite a large group.
