Grand Marais

We climbed on rocks and threw rocks and made rock houses and tried to eat rocks. And for some reason, Daniel has a need to swim when he goes to the North Shore so he had to do that every day. Uncle John says the temperature is about 40 degrees. I have a video of him coming out of the water on the second day, but I do not feel that it would be an instrument of peace in our marriage if I were to publish it.

We were there just us 4 Monday - Wednesday, then Wednesday - Friday were joined by Paul & Karin, Hanna & Caleb and Paul's brothers James and John. We missed Auntie Pat, but got to spend quality time with her on Saturday at Paul's family reunion, remembering Grace & John who we were going to remember back in April when we had the blizzard. 

We are still learning what it means to travel with small people who have needs and come with strollers. Before children, we used the Superior Hiking Trail for hike-in-camping (once chaperoned by Hanna). This time we forgot the baby hiking backpack. The Thule, though excellent for nearly every condition and my best friend, just could not do the narrow path with roots everywhere. So Daniel found a Juneberry tree 10 feet in and picked until he found ten more and raspberries. Theo was content to follow Papa and be fed until he refused more berries (a first in his life). Lukas and I had a mini hike and managed to even get a little lost until he needed the toilet, when we managed to navigate our way back out of desperation to the porta potty in the parking lot, where 1,000 hungry mosquitos had been trapped since the night before. Mama cried a little, and Lukas got some bites on his bottom. 

See the nice rock house?

(Daniel)

An advertisement for Thule:
it takes us as far as our adventures go

The late night campfire, still bright sunlight
(felt like Norway and Sweden!)

Lukas and Auntie Pat made fantastic coffee in this play kitchen

And Theo's love-hate relationship with swings:
"Put me in! Take me out! Put me back in!"