Gotta love long weekends

Not a lot of labor got done at our house this weekend, which is the way it should be!

Saturday we took a mini-road trip out to Cokato, the new site for our annual "celbration" with the gang. I got to experience, for the first time (Scott had been for Aaron's bachelor party, although I'm not sure he remembers much), the beautiful setting of the Brodd family compound - or so I think it should be named. Adam's parents found a gem of a property on Cokato Lake, which is only about 60 miles west of Minneapolis. They have a whole bunch of acres, with a stream running through it, and a wonderful beach on the lake. Their lakefront is perfect for kids - sandy and an extremely gradual descent - we could wade out about 100 yards and still not get our suits wet. And did I mention the jet ski??

So needless to say, we had a great time. The kids had a ball, in the water as well as chasing each other around on dry land. Zach loves bigger kids, so Sidney (4), and Evangeline (2), were the perfect entertainment for him. He also got to play with Stuart, his birthday buddy, and little Kasey (6+ months). Little Sylvia (1.5 mos) missed most of the fun, that girl slept the day away! :)

On the way home, Scott and I were picturing this get-together in a few years, when all the kids are running around - I think it may end up being their favorite party of the year! I'd love to show you some pictures of the fun we had, but believe it or not, I forgot my camera. I was so busy thinking about all the stuff we needed for Zach for the day, the food we were contributing, Oasis Island (which now has a new permanent home on Cokato Lake), etc, that I completely forgot my beloved camera. It was a strange day for me; I kept thinking - ooh, I should get a picture of that... oh, I can't. Fortunately, Adam, Jamie, and Jodi took a bunch of pictures, so hopefully they'll share (although I doubt I'll include the pic Jodi took of me in my swimsuit). The Brodd's blog (see "Brodd Family Fun Time" on the blog list on the left) has already been updated with some great shots.

We'd like to say a big thank-you to Jim and Virginia Brodd for hosting us! We are definitely looking forward to returning to Cokato.

Sunday we experienced the great Minnesota tradition of overeating fried foods on a stick - the state fair. We went with Matt, Jenny, and Kasey; it seemed like Kasey loved her first time at the fair, although it's hard to tell since that baby smiles all the time!!! Once again, no pictures, but Matt and Jenny had their camera and captured moments like Zach "riding" on a tractor, petting a goat, etc. Zach's stomach seems to be holding up pretty well, considering he ate a bizarre combination of foods - cheese curds, a frozen banana dipped in chocolate, corn on the cob, and a bite of a deep-fried snickers bar. Yes, fried candy bars do exist, and yes, they come on a stick. If you want a recommendation, choose the snickers over the peanut butter cups.

Today we did do a little work - fun stuff like mowing the lawn and cleaning the house. But we also got out and did a little preview shopping, for things like patio furniture, a lawn mower, and a dining room set for our new house. Yes - we'll finally have room to have more than 2 adults sit down at a table to eat! Yahoo! We're plugging away at packing, but there's still a lot to be done, and fortunately, a few more weeks to do it.

Since I can't blog without including pics - here are a couple recent ones of Zach. The first are of something I didn't think we'd see this summer - him climbing his playset (we don't know what to call this thing!). I found it on Craigslist earlier this summer, and when I went to check it out discovered it was larger than I had expected. But since it was a good deal, I got it anyway and thought Zach would climb all over it next summer. But here he is - already mastered the climb!

This next pic is from this afternoon, a very cute moment. I got some of it on video... but you know that story, so I also took a picture and hoped it would capture the moment. I think it does!


What you are looking at is Zach's wind-up. He and Scott were playing in the backyard; Scott was jokingly doing a full pitcher's windup when he was throwing a tennis ball. Next thing we knew, Zach was trying to imitate him. Major leagues (American, of course) here he comes!!