End of summer 2020

 Our last couple of weeks of summer consisted of a trip down to Iowa to drop Norah off for "Camp Carlson" with my aunt Miriam.  We had lunch with my aunts, cousin and her daughter, and my grandma at DQ, Abby enjoyed some cat time and we had some good laughs hanging out at Miriam's, and we stopped in to see my other grandma before heading back to MN.  Norah had a great few days staying with Miriam, Scott, and Gavin!

We were also able to squeeze in some swimming with good friends at the Sticha's pool.  Great times as always!

North Shore getaway

 Dave and I had planned to spend two nights at our favorite bed and breakfast in Hinckley, but the couple who runs it closed it due to Covid.  Instead, we booked two nights at the Grand Superior Lodge north of Two Harbors.  We enjoyed seeing the sights, hiking, and some great curbside pickup (including Betty's Pies!).  

Glacial Lake State Park

 Our summer adventure with Clarks took us a couple of hours away to Glacial Lake State Park.  We ran out of midwest Little House on the Prairie sites, so Tiffany and I thought it would be fun to check out some state parks that neither of our families had been to before.  We really liked this quiet state park--we had a nice hike, and the kids had a blast playing around at our campsite and trying to catch fish at the swimming beach.  We had a bit of an adventure filling up the sleeping pads using the electrical outlet on the side of a camper cabin that was closed for this summer.  Dinner (and ice cream!) was at a nearby A&W, and we enjoyed some card games before bed.  We had perfect weather, and it was a great time!

Braces

Abby and Norah had a big day at the orthodontist on Tuesday...Abby got braces (just top for now, bottoms coming in a few months) and Norah got an expander (also just top for now...she'll have it on for 5 months and then have a bottom one for 5 months).  Abby should have her braces on for about 18 months.  They both did great, and have adjusted just fine so far!

Abby's "before" picture

Norah wore just one sock to the appointment, because she had a blister...

After picture

Outdoor dance recital

Due to Covid, Norah's dance recital was held outdoors in July this year.  Dance classes were online starting in mid-March and ended mid-May, but the group did get together to practice once the week before the recital.  Norah was so excited to be able to perform, even though their group didn't remember all of their routines.  It was still fun to enjoy the beautiful night at the winery and see her excitement!