What a great weekend! It was so much fun to take time off from work, totally relax, and best of all be able to spend time with family. I love my family so much! We are a great bunch of people, if I do say so myself.
I took Thursday through Tuesday off from work. On Thursday we went shopping for camping groceries and did most of the packing for our trip. Friday, we finished up packing and doing everything we needed to do and were ready to go when Meikiina got home from school at about 1:45. We were on the road by 2:00. Yeah! On the way up, we talked about how fast the weekend goes every year. The only bad thing about this weekend is that you barely start it and it's done. We made it up north in enough time that we got to drive up to the camp - Knotty Pines Resort near Park Rapids and unload the van. We got a really cute small cabin (a real cabin built in about 1920). We hardly wanted to leave, but we did and off we went to graduation in Menahga to see Caitlin graduating. I've always enjoyed going to graduation in Menahga to see if I see anyone I have known from the past. This year I really noticed that it has changed so much from since I was there that it's almost a little sad. I don't know any of the teachers any more. Even if I saw someone that I went to school with, I probably wouldn't recognize them. The graduates seem so young!! Anyway - after graduation we went back to Knotty Pines. We saw that Becky and Brian had arrived and were staying in the cabin right next to us. Their cabin was lit up, but we couldn't see anyone there. We found out the next day that they had gone into Park Rapids for groceries. I got the girls to bed and sleep that first night in our cabin. I stayed up for a bit and then off to bed I went too.
I woke up Saturday morning with the most puffy eyes I have ever had. I could hardly open my eyes they were so swollen and puffy. I found out that I had gotten the only down feather pillow in the cabin and I am allergic to down feathers. I didn't realize what a reaction I would have to them. I washed my eyes and put a cold cloth on them and they got better and I switched pillows for the next night and was fine after that.
I let the girls each plan a day of meals. They picked oatmeal/cold cereal, pbj/Ramen noodles, Fettuccine/mac & cheese. So Saturday morning we had oatmeal for breakfast. That's a normal weekend breakfast for us. We all like oatmeal. Then off went the girls outside to explore. The first things they asked were can we go swimming and can we go to Becky and Brian's. They spent a lot of time next door at Becky and Brian's. I had to tell Becky that if they spend too much time there to feel free to send them back over. Brynlee started asking me so much to go there that I asked her what she wanted to do over there. She said she wants to go in their back yard. In their 'back yard' was the volley ball sand pit. She spent hours playing in the sand there or sitting on a rock with her chin in her hands watching the big kids play volley ball. She also asked me several times if she can go in our back yard. I asked her where is our back yard? She said the playground. This playground was very much in our front yard. Maybe cuz we have a swing set in our backyard at home, she figured that the playground has to be our backyard? Who knows - I don't correct her, I just enjoy all the funny and cute things she comes up with.
On Saturday lots of the family came and we got to spend lots of good time with family. Joni and Ami and crew came out, Kaisa and her crew, Janelle and Pete and Meagan came - who else? Gina and Dan arrived Saturday morning and set up their tent site, which was very close to our cabin. So we got to see Sylvi and Michael toddling around alot. What fun. They're both so cute.
We just totally enjoyed the day - so relaxing. We wandered around and spent a lot of time walking back and forth between the beach and our cabin. Gregg and I took Brynlee on a paddle boat ride. The girls both tried swimming. Brynlee didn't last very long and actually didn't get very far into the lake. Meikiina swam quite awhile. Of course Saturday evening there was a bonfire and the required marshmallows and s'mores. Lots of talking and visiting around the bonfire. Saturday evening Gregg did fireworks. He has done fireworks every year and the kids sure do look forward to it and enjoy it so much. He also brought a whole bunch of sparklers and all the kids got to do several each both Saturday and Sunday evening. They had fun with them. Saturday evening, we finally left the bonfire when Brynlee told me she was tired and wanted to go to bed. She's funny, she had been sitting between Carl and Ashley (her kummis) and yawning, but if someone asked her if she's tired she would say no. As soon as the last word was read from the book she was sleeping. She did not fall asleep until the last word tho.
Sunday we did pretty much the same thing. Oh, on Sunday afternoon I took the girls and went to a graduation open house in Menahga for Caitlin and Ashley. Joni rode with us. I got to see our cousin from China, Brian and Joyce's Trena. Oh, is she a cutie. I could have taken her home with me in a heartbeat. Joyce brought her picture book that she had put together and printed off. That was fun to see pictures of their China trip. I saw a lot of familiar places. I got to visit with a bunch of people that I don't get to see very often, so it was fun to go. I kinda hated missing out on the beautiful afternoon weather at the camp, but wouldn't have missed going to the open house.
Sunday, Brynlee was begging me to play with Meikiina and her friends and I said that she should play with the girls her age. She told me, "But Mom, I want to play with the big-agers." We found Kaisa and invited her to our cabin for a little bit. When we got to the cabin, we found Meikiina entertaining, and doing a good job of it. She had 3 of her cousins at the table and was feeding them snack. She had filled up a bucket (her sand bucket!) with water and was scooping with a dipper glasses of water for her friends. I started saying you're not giving this water and she told me that it's good water, she heard someone say it's good. I said, "But this bucket..." and then, "...but Mom it's clean, see look, I made sure it was clean" She had rinsed it out real well and it did look real clean. Oh well, I'm sure we all ate dirtier things in our life than that. So, sorry moms!
Sunday evening at the bonfire, Brynlee again told me at about 11:0 that she was tired and wanted to go to bed. I didn't want to leave the group yet, so I asked her if she could sit on my lap and fall asleep. She said, "But then I would miss my book." I said, "How about I read you 2 tomorrow." She was ok with that and crawled up and cuddled into my jacket with her head on my heart and fell asleep. So I sat down there for another hour and a half and finally decided that I better get up to the cabin. So I carried her up there (is she getting big and heavy). I got to the cabin and couldn't get the door open! And you know how when you are holding a sleeping child and you try do something like that how the child flops this way and that, so I thought I would lay her on the picnic table and she didn't like that so I thought I would put her down on the chair but her head was flopping forward and back so violently I thought she would fall. Then I heard someone so I called and it was Dawn and Tonya. Dawn went and got Gregg and Tonya kept me company. Gregg came up and it was locked. He had to go and wake up the owners at 12:30 at night. He said there was a sign that said 24 hour availability. They were so good about it. They said that with how the lock is, it happens with that cabin. It scared them tho, they thought someone had gotten hurt or something.
Monday morning came way too soon! We all slept quite late - 9:30, which never happens in our house. Well, I was awake a lot and dozing off and on after 7:00, but thought I would let everyone else sleep in. I spent most of the morning cleaning and packing. I had the girls do their own packing and Gregg was hauling stuff into the van. We sat and relaxed a bit and visited a bit more and then were off. Monday afternoon there was a graduation party for Deanna, who graduated this year from college. What an accomplishment for her. I am so proud of her. We stopped there and got to visit more with relatives and friends. We got to see Trena again. She was very curious about my girls. Because I've been very excited about it, I've talked about her a lot with the girls and told them that they have a cousin from China but it must not have really totally sunk in. Meikiina watched her and watched her and finally asked Joyce, "Is she from China?" Brynlee was also very curious. She followed her around and was watching her too. I finally asked her if she knew where she was from. She said, "Is she from China?" I hope that we can spend time with them and the girls can get to know each other.
Finally we had to leave and head back to reality. We did not hit too bad traffic and made it back home about 7:30. It was hard for the girls to fall asleep as they had been staying up so late, but they finally did fall asleep and Tuesday morning it was off to school again for Meikiina. I had Tuesday off from work. I unpacked and washed clothes all day so that Gregg wouldn't have to deal with all the dirty laundry.
Now for the next tree quarters of a year we can live the memories of camping this year. They already have so many wonderful memories of Memorial day weekends and camping. Both of them talk and talk about it. And then the girls and all of us will start looking forward to next year camping.
Seven years ago today I became a mother. I received, that day, the most precious gift a woman can receive...a child. Seven years ago today my first precious daughter was placed into my arms. It seems a lifetime ago and still seems like only yesterday when I was holding her the very first time. Now Meikiina is almost to the end of 2nd grade in school and has grown in so many ways. She's still my baby, but she sure is growing up. 
