Lake day [ Monday ]

We started our day off with breakfast...pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon.

The weather was beautiful. Not too hot, but definitely warm enough to enjoy the water (for those little boys that wanted to!)

A picnic lunch, right outside our cabin/house. It was super handy to be the only ones here, and having everything within a 100 yard distance.

While Isaac was taking a nap in the cabin, the other boys kept playing with Ben. Christian and Noah both wanted to be buried. (Ben was in charge of taking those pictures..and somehow only Noah's was taken!)

Christian wanted to swim out to the floating raft/dock thing. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to touch or make it without getting tired, so he put on some water wings!

Daddy and Noah joined him...oooh Daddy, such a big kid jumping in like that!

Jonah didn't want to try it, he just hung out with me and watched.

Such a beautiful view.

Family Trip: The Lake [Sunday]

We left the Birky reunion mid afternoon, and headed to our VRBO cabin/house a couple hours away near Grand Rapids, MN. Along the way, a rather LARGE Paul Bunyan was along side of the road in Akeley (hard to miss this fella)...so we stopped to say hello. 

 We arrived to Grand Rapids, and it was NOT a pretty scene inside our van. We actually stopped at Walmart to get our groceries first (simply because I don't think they would've allowed certain children inside the restaurant the way they sounded). But Walmart cured (haha) the issues, and we were able to stop at a restaurant for food before unpacking our things at the house. I had to include this picture while we were eating, because the irony of the moments surrounding it were too much! 

After eating, the bellies and behaviors were much happier. We made it to the cabin/house in about 10 minutes or less. The boys explored the inside while we unpacked just the essentials for the night. And then we went outside to check out the lake. It stayed light outside much later than in KS, so it was WELL past bedtime before we were all tucked in for the night. 

So beautiful. Ready for some quiet days right here.

Family Trip: Birky Reunion Sunday

Sunday morning after breakfast, we had our own "reunion church".

Maybe not a flattering picture..but I just like it, because I really LOVE him!

These kids found a lot of entertainment in playing around this flower garden...for a long long time.

Tam and Cal did a great job of hosting...and what a great setting to all be able to gather and play outdoors. It was good to be able to catch up with extended family and see all the changes (especially all the littler ones in how much they've grown!). 

fam·i·ly

ˈfam(ə)lē/

noun

1. 1. 

   a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household.
2. 2. 

   all the descendants of a common ancestor.

   
   

   As I think of the definition of family, particularly the #2, I think that many people have "family". But how we DO family or really connect and bond with one another is a completely different type of family. That involves choice. And I'm grateful for this family that chooses to be apart of each other's life and chooses to connect in this way of a reunion. What a blessing it is to be apart of a family like this. 

   Until next time Birky's.

Family Trip: Birky Reunion Saturday

Saturday morning there was a pine car derby competition for all ages. 

It was fun to create a design (Noah and I worked together...Jonah and Grandma worked together, and Christian made one by himself), color it, and then race it!

Dad helped run the jigsaw to cut out everyone's car...then we sanded it down. 

Noah asked how to spell "fast" so that he could write it on the side of his car. Everyone did such a good job with coloring/designing their own cars.

 Jonah so proud of his car!

Weighing in...and putting washers on the bottom to make each one weigh the same. Then trying out the track.

 The spectators lined up for the races!

Quite the production...and excitement!

 Noah won this bracket...and oh my goodness was he happy.

Part of this age group contestants.

 After lunch, we all went for a hayrack ride, with entertainment along the way.

Abriella riding on Uncle Mitch's shoulders...and Jonah, Kyle and I enjoying our scenery on the hayrack ride.

 Tug of war with various age groups.

Margie led us on a bear hunt.

Some played human foosball, then softball for the remaining of the afternoon. After supper, the evening entertainment included a talent show and skits/pictures from past to present (in action) shots.

Below Noah's "talent" that he wanted to preform was...draw a picture of the solar system and then explain the planets and facts about each of them. 

Family Trip: Birky Reunion Friday Night

Friday morning we headed out around 9:30..to Detroit Lakes for the Birky reunion.

The boys did well-ish...we reached a low point where Jonah was beside himself tired of being in the van (or maybe just tired in general)..so I pulled out some bubbles and THAT worked to pass some time.

We arrived mid afternoon..and it wasn't long after that there was a crew of kids (and adults) were outside playing.

After supper (grilled hotdogs and hamburgers), more playing and then entertainment for all of us to join in. We learned things about Grandpa's history and various things about his childhood days.

A group of us played volleyball in the yard (this MN grass is just the softest ever). We played until it got too dark. There were plenty of snacks and after the boys were in bed, some played more games inside. Great way to start off the weekend.

Family Trip: Sioux City [ Thursday ]

We left Thursday morning for the Birky reunion in MN. This time we broke up the trip into two days, stopping about half-way in Sioux City, IA. We stepped out of the car, and I think I said something to the effect of, "it feels like its 105 degrees"....so I looked it up on my phone, and sure enough, it felt like 106! 

We went to the Children's Museum just a couple miles away from our hotel. 

It was an amazing stop..with only a few other families there. They had a crazy climbing caged maze thing that the boys had fun in. Noah was very unsure of it at first, so he wanted me to climb in and show him that it really was safe. "Well I guess if it holds YOU, it IS ok for me to use." Jonah was like a monkey, literally running and jumping. 

 They had a BIG tube/vacuum thing for balls to go through. Lots of laughing and shrills of surprise when it came out a different chute.

 They had a large water area with various things to do within it.

Foam block tower...and Noah's excitement about knocking it down!

Rocks, cranes, trucks....say no more.

This book corner with the large bear was one of Isaac's favorite spots he kept running off to.

There was a pizza spot nearby called 1000 degrees...which Christian said, "well that's quite fitting for today!" It took only a couple minutes at MOST to make our pizza...and it was SO good!

On our way back to the hotel, we saw this very big mural....so cool.

 The boys' favorite part of spending the night in a hotel is definitely the swimming pool. (Which is a bit ironic considering how much we go swimming in the summer!) Noah tried out his brand new prescription goggles!!!