My intention this summer was to write almost-daily posts about places we’ve been, so I must apologize that my writing has been infrequent.  I had forgotten how much busier life is when all four kids are at home, as well as the amount of time a garden’s bounties take to gather and prepare.  Add in a few family outings, and it’s not a recipe for a lot of blogging.  I hope you’ll understand, and hope your summer is as much fun as ours has been.

I will make note of a few things we’ve done this summer, however.

• North Dakota Vacation:  I’ve written about a few places we visited, but I have a lot left.  I wish we would have had even more time to travel around the state.  Eight days wasn’t enough.  If you’re ever looking for an affordable vacation destination, don’t count out North Dakota.  On July 13, they’re opening a new historical site near Cooperstown, the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile Site.  Missile sites used to dot the landscape all over North Dakota, fenced-in areas in farm fields that were shrouded with mystery because only military personnel could go on-site.  Now the public will get a chance to see what these sites were like, both in the control center and underground where the missiles were kept.
• Camping:  We used Craigslist to buy a well-used travel trailer and have now entered the world of camping, although we’re really not “roughing it.”  We intend this to be a cost-saving measure when traveling (remember how hard it is to find a hotel room that fits us, not to mention the expense?) as well as a vehicle for some last-minute weekends.  We managed one weekend trip at the beautiful Ft. Ridgely State Park campground and are looking forward to another outing soon.  (If you know of any great campgrounds in Minnesota or surrounding states, I’d love to hear about them.)
• Swimming Lessons:  One of our rites of summer, we have two and a half weeks of swimming lessons under our belts.  It’s fun to watch the kids progress in their skills from year to year.  I like doing lessons early in the summer so they can practice when we go to a lake or a pool.
• Day trips and overnights:
  • Early in the summer, we headed to eastern Minnesota to revisit LARK Toys in Kellogg and Historic Forestville near Preston.
  • We had thought about going camping for the 4th of July weekend, but opted for a day trip instead.  We went to the parade in Delano, MN, and then visited the “Farmer’s Fourth of July” at the Oliver Kelley Farm in Elk River.
• Upcoming events include Vacation Bible School, a trip to North Dakota to see my family, a week at a resort with hubby’s family, and possibly another weekend getaway.  We’re doing all we can to enjoy the summer.

I’ll be back to posting more regularly as time allows.  Hopefully you’re having a great summer, too!

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