Summer Fun--Week 6

So begins the first of two weeks' worth of posts--two super fun, yet super crazy and tiring weeks. Let's see how many more times I can use the word 'super'. Here we go.

This first picture is notable, because we just so happened to run into Jillian's very best school friend, Noah, and his brother and dad at Target. This was the first sighting since school was out. Big excitement. I snapped this pic to send to Noah's mom at work. When we got in the car after our shopping, I was quickly put in my place--J: "Mom you look like a crazy person taking pictures all the time. People are going to think you are nuts". Awesome. Luckily, Adrienne quickly came to my rescue: "I think it makes us look like a very nice family".

Matt was off the first part of the week for comp days. He took advantage of this time to start packing for RAGBRAI. Only a man would pack by laying out his clothes in a garage.

On Wednesday, Matt took the girls on a little adventure. They went to a beach in Lake City and frolicked in Lake Pepin (aka largest part of the Mississippi River)

They ended this adventure with a trip to Dairy Queen. It was the first time the girls had ever been to a Dairy Queen. Gasp! This is what happens when you live in the same town as Flapdoodles. 

Speaking of Flapdoodles, I took the girls there on Thursday after a trip to the pool.

On Friday afternoon, we loaded up the car and the bikes and headed down to Des Moines in preparation for the RAGBRAI adventure. I brought snacks in the car to tide us over until a late pizza dinner at G and G's, but Adrienne kept politely declining my offerings saying, "I'll just get a snack when we stop to get gas". This is code for, "please stop at a Casey's and get me some Cheetos!" The addiction is strong. Sigh.

We arrived at Grammy and Grandad's, and Uncle Tim and Julia arrived just a few minutes after us. Brothers reunited, ready for a biking adventure.

I was not going to have a biking adventure. I was going to have an adventure in eating as much of my mom's turtle ice cream pie as possible. Because I have goals, too.

On Saturday morning, the girls stayed at G and G's while Julia and I drove the boys over to Glenwood to drop them off at RAGBRAI. It was HOTTTT outside. We were ready to get back in the air conditioned car about 5 minutes after we dropped them off, but we did our best to be supportive and stay until their tents were set up and they were settled.

Uncle Tim sporting my white bike helmet.

Julia and I did a little shopping on our way back to Des Moines and then relaxed that night. We got up and loaded up for the trip back to Rochester (with Julia in tow!), and made it back just in time to enjoy our favorite Chester's brunch outdoors. It was a great kick off to our girls week!