We recently made our very last trip to North Dakota, and we’re not sad about it one bit. Of course, we may certainly have other trips in the future, but this was our last to visit my sister, Becky, and her family. The drive from Duluth to Dickinson is about nine hours, and we’ve made the trip many times in the last two-and-a-half years. But no more! And it’s not just because we’re leaving soon for Kenya. Nope! They are now back in Minnesota!! I’m really close to my sister, and our kids love being together, so having them so far away was tough. I know I shouldn’t complain since we’ll soon be on the other side of the globe, but it just feels different. We’ll be able to visit them in Pequot Lakes (where we all grew up) one or two times before we head off, but when we come back in two years, they’ll be close enough to visit regularly. That makes me very, very happy!
My parents still live in Pequot, so we drive the two-and-a-half hours frequently. We always start a trip to North Dakota by visiting them. One, it cuts down on the drive. And two, my mom hops on board and makes the trip with us! It’s a far better journey with another adult along. I usually make the trip when Pete is scheduled to work, so I’m very thankful to have my mom with us.
Sam is a fan of the big dog crate at Nana and Papa’s. Play away, my boy!
During our visit, Ella got to have a day of homeschool with my dad as her teacher. I’m pretty sure both were thrilled. This was a little project they did for fun. Ella is a huge fan of maps, especially when they include our future home.
We were also able to visit my grandma while we were in the middle of Minnesota. It’s always such a treat to see her. Also, she puts together the best afternoon snacks!
This is how we all feel about Great Grandma. The kids adore both of their great grandmas. I’m incredibly thankful they’ve been able to spend time with them.
Back at my parents’ house, Ella was introduced to Snow White. Clearly, she agreed that the Evil Queen is pretty awful. Being such big Disney fans, it was really fun to watch this one together.
After a day at in Pequot, we headed toward North Dakota. The magic of homeschool? It can be done in the car! Not one complaint from this girl. She LOVES math. (Not from me, mind you.)
We made the trip to North Dakota primarily to celebrate my niece’s sixth birthday. (Miss Maira is in the middle below.) We celebrated at Texas Roadhouse so Maira could sit on the saddle while everyone cheered. Pretty cute.
Sammy, do you love Texas Roadhouse??
We spent a lot of time at the pool back at the hotel. Sam is hit or miss when it comes to the pool these days. He doesn’t want to be splashed, which means we don’t really play in the water. But he doesn’t mind kicking his feet or letting me hold him while we float a bit.
Best part of the hotel? The water slide!! The kids were in heaven. Also, it saved us from finding other random ways to keep them entertained. Winning all around.
Oh, but we did find one other crazy piece of fun. I’ve seen Pie Face on the feeds of so many Instagram friends and decided we needed it. Have you played this game? It’s hilarious! We put a dollop of whipped cream on the hand and then each player takes turns twisting the crank until – splat! – someone gets it right in the face!
We only ran into two problems.
One: The girls got crazy loud with excitement, which was probably not the neighbors’ favorite.
And two: We ran out of whipped cream too fast!! But seriously, it was amazing fun.
The girls eventually played with a wet sponge when the cream was gone. It equaled about the same amount of excitement.
These two adore babies, so spending time with their cousin Liana was delightful. Sammy either wanted to give her kisses…or wrestle. He tends to switch in lightning speed from the first to the second, so we have to keep a very close eye on him. Liana may have two playful big sisters, but she’s not quite ready for wrestling. Sorry, Sam.
After making the drive back to Pequot, we were able to celebrate my dad’s 60th birthday! Yay, Papa! It was a really fun way to end the weekend.
Today my nieces went off on their first day of school in Pequot Lakes. I’m so happy they get to go to the same school we all did. Lots of the same teachers are there! They’ve since built a gorgeous new elementary school, so they’re not in the same building, but they will be eventually. They now live only ten minutes from our parents and twenty minutes from my little sister and her kids. Going ‘home’ is going to be such fun!
Are you curious about our progress toward Kenya? I know I haven’t been keeping up on the updates very well. I’ll tell you now that we’re sorting the house for what we’ll pack and what we’ll give away, which is keeping us very busy on top of our new adventure of homeschooling. I’m working on an update today and will have it posted in the next couple days. So be sure to check back! And thank you for continuing on this journey with us!
After spending the entire middle of the day at the aquarium, we headed back to Auntie Kathryn’s condo, which is in a pretty cool part of the city. While the boys took naps on the sofa, the girls walked to Trader Joe’s and a local pizza place to bring dinner back. That’s one thing I love about bigger cities. You can walk all over! And so many cities have a Trader Joe’s. Someday, Duluth. Someday.
