Was it ever a treat spending time with these Minnesota grandkids, our oldest son Mark, and his lovely wife Courtney. An added bonus was the break from the Houston heat.
When we attended Colby's baseball game, we had to wear sweaters and jackets.
It was fun to watch Saige at her gymnastics class.
Luke, not wanting to be out done by the older kids, showed off his gymnastics skills!
We adore this little guy. Just a year and 10 months old, he thinks he is a "big"
Kid, and is so funny trying to be involved in everything.
By the end of the week. The weather warmed up enough to spend a lovely day on Lake Itasca.
After docking the boat, we got to walk across the Mississippi River. This is the place where the mighty river originates as a small stream.
Beauty abounds here, and there's plenty to do and see, even in Mark's small town of Bemidji. Besides attending a local art show, we had fun at a local science museum, after which we took the traditional photo by the Paul Bunyan statue.
Here we are hanging out by Lake Bemidji after seeing the art show.
Hanging out with snakes at the science museum
Paul Bunyan and his blue ox are landmarks on Lake Bemidji.
Mark's neighborhood and his home are lovely and relaxing places to be.
I especially enjoyed eating on Mark's
deck, overlooking their spacious backyard and the lovely field behind the house. The raspberries from Courtney's garden were delicious and plentiful.
The kids enjoy an after dinner bike ride around the neighborhood and back home.
Other fun activities in Mark and Courtney's back yard--
The last day there, we went to Colby's soccer game and visited the clinic where Mark enjoys being a dentist for American Indian Health Services.
This clinic serves members of the Ojibwa, or Chippewa tribe.
Parting is such sweet sorrow. We always come away with so many good memories and our hearts bursting with love for these grandchildren. Grandpa especially cherishes the goodbye hug Luke gave him as he came running into his arms (not pictured).
