Summer weekend

Rich went up to Bowstring last Friday to get the Grand Prix repaired at Grandpa's shop in Effie, and also to spend some time with Maddie, Ella, Grandpa, Grandma and Sarah before heading back home. We spent Sunday in Duluth and had a lot of fun. Here's Sarah on the Duluth breakwater.


Captain Sarah visits the Duluth Maritime Museum on the harbor.












We got to see the James R. Barker come into Duluth Harbor while we were visiting. This happens to be the same ship we saw enter the harbor last summer when we were there.




Grandpa, Sarah and Maddie in front of the Barker as it goes past.












Sarah sitting on an old ship propeller.

Summer weekend, part II

Ella, Maddie and Sarah had fun throwing rocks into Lake Superior while we were visiting Duluth.






Grandma and Grandpa rented us a bicycle built for SIX while we were in Duluth. It was a good thing Maddie and Uncle Rich were in shape!




We rode the big bicycle out onto the breakwater and checked out the lighthouse.










On the way to Park Rapids to pick up Caleb, Sarah and daddy stopped in Akeley to visit the big statue of Paul Bunyan. He even held Sarah in the pslm of his hand!








Caleb spent 12 days visiting Grandma and Grandpa Wynne and Aunt Libby in Jamestown, N.D. They drove over to Park Rapids to drop him off with Sarah and Rich. Thanks, Kathy, Lloyd and Libby! :-)

Nanny's 90th in Minot

All six of us traveled to Minot, N.D., last weekend to celebrate the 90th birthday of Erin's grandmother, Myrtle. Here we are filling up Lloyd and Kathy's hotel room and chatting.




Zane showed us the blue tongue he got from eating some candy.












Erin works at pinning a corsage on her grandma Myrt. We finally got to see her new apartment in Minot after she moved a year or two ago.








Myrtle and her sister, Betty, before we headed downstairs for the big party in the dining room of Mytle's apartment building.

Nanny's birthday party

Zane, Brian, Libby and Peyton snagged a table at the birthday party. Check out the matching blue dresses on Libby and Peyton!








Sarah and her cousin Peyton. They enjoyed eating cake and cookies!










Sarah kept Aunt Betty entertained for quite a while by showing her how Erin's iPhone works.






Myrtle is flanked by her daughters Becky (from New Jersey) and Kathy, as well as two cousins, if I recall correctly.






This is Noah's cat Bella.

Gordon reunion 2010

All six of us attended the Gordon family reunion last weekend at Dick and Mary Ellen's place on Broken Bow Lake in northern Wisconsin. There was even a garter snake in attendance.


Lucas plays "Chubby Bunny," the game where you stick as many marshmallows in your mouth as you can, then try to say "chubby bunny."








Noan and cousin Alex playing "Chubby Bunny." I believe Noah won the kids' competition with 8 marshallows in his mouth.




Rich trying to get an extra marshmallow up his nose while playing the game.






Arthur and Florence's clan from Indiana. They had the longest distance to travel this year, as they do in two out of every three reunions.

Gordon reunion 2010, part II

Roger and Gloria's clan, from Minnesota and Oregon. We had everyone in attendance this year!






Dick and Mary Ellen's clan, from Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas and Illinois.








Roger and Gloria taking advantage of a rare moment of quiet during the reunion.








Ellaina took advance of Gordy and Sonja's offer to baptize Ella.








Sarah fell in love with Brissa's kitten.

Sarah's first soccer game

Sarah's soccer team, the Patriots, played their first game today against the Rays.





The Patriots took a 2-0 lead early on, then gave up four goals in a row and lost 4-2. Of course, it's not all about winning and losing!


Sarah comes off the pitch to have a quick water break with mom and dad.












"Watch out, Rays! We're ready for ya!"

Sarah's first soccer game, Part 2

Mom was able to come see part of the game before she had to go to work! And look at all of those soccer fans behind her!




Sarah looks more concerned about looking at the photographer than chasing after the soccer ball!






The coach says, "OK, use your RIGHT hand to give the other players high-fives! No, your OTHER right hand!"






"Good game!"

Random stuff from July

Lucas, Caleb and Noah hanging out at the pool.










Sarah and Harley have gotten to be such good friends. Harley even lets Sarah baby him and tuck him into a blanket so he can sleep on the couch.










Grandma and Grandpa Gordon paid us a short visit last week. Grandpa read Sarah her favorite book, "Arthur's Teacher Trouble."




Caleb took this picture of Bentley, who's now living with his new family up in North Dakota.
















That girl can sleep almost ANYwhere!

Sarah starts soccer

We signed up Sarah for a month-long pee-wee soccer program to give her something to do this summer, and she started practices today!


Sarah's team is called "The Patriots," and they will play a few informal games at the end of the month-long program. She got a yellow team shirt today!








The team lines up for a dribbling drill with Coach Mitchell.






Putting the balls away after practice. Walking home with Sarah, she told me, "Daddy, the coach gives us too much to do!"

Dinner with Gary and Rosie

On Sunday night we ate dinner at It's Greek to Me with old Gordon family friends Gary and Rosie. Sarah had spent most of last week hanging out with them at Grandma and Grandpa Gordon's cabin while they were visiting there, so she knew them well. Gary and Rosie bought Sarah a piece of artwork entitled "Little Miss Sunshine," and Rosie signed the back of the art for Sarah.


Rosie, Sarah and Gary with "Little Miss Sunshine," which is now hanging on Sarah's bedroom wall. Thanks, Gary and Rosie!


Gary kept Lucas and Noah on their toes with questions like, "So are you guys in a gang?" Here they are flashing their gang signs.

Jaunt with Jim 2010 (Part I)

Rich rode in the 36th annual Jaunt with Jim Klobuchar bike ride last week with 150 other zany characters. The trip started with a visit to family friends Shirley and Elmer in Fountain, Minn.


We spent a good portion of our trip in clouds and rain, but at least it was warm! Here's a neat section of the Root River bicycle trail in SE Minnesota, where we spent a lot of our time riding.


Everything was wet the first few days, including these leaves at one of our rest stops in Lanesboro.










Rich, Steve, Warren and Tim hold up a building in Lanesboro.












The Three Amigas: Julie, Rhonda and Mary.