4th of July

 This past weekend we celebrated the 4th of July at Diamond Lake. We had a really good, busy weekend. We left on Friday after work and got to the lake around 7:30pm. We unpacked, ate some brats and hotdogs for supper, and relaxed. Elliott, Mom and I went on a long bike ride on the bike trail and then we had a fire and called it a night. 

On Saturday, we ate some French toast, fruit, and sausage and then headed out on the boat for some tubing and swimming. The kids each tubed for a couple of turns, and then the four of us swam off the boat for a while. It was a nice, warm, calm morning and the water felt really good. When we had had enough, we headed back in. Rachel and Elena showed up around 2:00pm, and the kids had fun playing together. Eventually, we headed to the beach for some more swimming, and there was a Redneck Party going on at the shelter that mom and dad and the kids went to for a while. The kids had a lot of fun dressing up and playing with the other kids. At 5:30pm, there was a potluck at the shelter, and then we all headed back to the camper. 

The kids went to the playground to play, and John, Mom, and I headed to a bike trail that is a few miles away from Diamond Lake. It was a beautiful bike trail, and we went all the way into Spicer on it. We went about 7 miles total, and finally headed back to the camper. We had a fire again, some visiting, and then put some really tired kids to bed. 

Sunday was the 4th of July. It ended up being really hot (97 degrees) and windy. So, we couldn't do any boating. Mom, Dad, Emma, and I biked to a cabin that belonged to some friends of Mom and Dad. They let us come inside, and Emma was allowed to climb up to the loft area and explore. She thought it was great. She was also given some Swedish Fish, a hostess cupcake, and got to play some games. She was eating it all up. 

We headed back to the camper around 11:30am to make lunch, and then Rachel, Carlos, and Elena arrived and we all headed to the Big Kahuna, which was a place that had mini golf, go karts, and bumper boats. We were heading there to celebrate Emma's birthday with my side of the family. The kids (and adults) had a really good time. We started off with mini golf, which everyone seemed to really enjoy. It was kind of hot, but the breeze and shade really helped a lot. We were all pretty terrible, but it was really fun. 

Next, we moved on to bumper boats, and I think this was the kids' favorite part. They loved the bumper boats. The adults also had a lot of fun with these, and everyone ended up pretty soaked by the end of it. I haven't seen so much laughing and silliness from my family in a long time. 

After a round of bumper boats, Emma and Elliott drove the little go karts, which they really seemed to like. Elliott was very excited to be able to drive for once, and Emma liked the smaller karts and track. They did another round of bumper boats, and then we headed to the regular go kart track. Everyone drove go karts, and everyone had a good time. Emma even drove the big ones, but seemed to prefer the smaller size. 

Everyone was pretty warm afterwards. The Rosas found a splash park in Willmar to go to, and the rest of us went to a bar in Spicer and enjoyed a nice cold beer, and some pop for the kids. It was definitely a nice way to spend an afternoon. 

Ryan made some excellent pizzas for us back at the campsite, and they were amazing. Mom had to head back home because she had to work on Monday. Emma and I went on a bike ride by ourselves, and she loved our time together (so did I). Then Dad, Ryan, John, Emma. Elliott, and I went down to the lake to watch fireworks. It was really fun to sit there and watch fireworks together. The kids enjoyed it, until the bugs got bad. Then I brought them back to the camper for showers and bedtime. We were all so tired after our busy day. 

Monday was a sleep-in, brunch, pack up sort of day. We helped get everything in order, and then we left around 10:00 am. It was a long ride home, but we made it home around 1:30pm and had plenty of time to unpack, do laundry, go to the gym, and then watch a movie, Luca, with the kids. It was a great holiday weekend, and we all had a really good time. But, we are really happy we do not have to pack or travel next weekend. 

Today was back to reality. It was a little rough getting up this morning, but overall it was a good day. I brought the kids to the library after I picked them up, and John brought them to Falls Park to explore and play for a couple hours this evening. Also, it finally rained, which is amazing because it has been so dry this year. Here's to more rain, and to hoping summer doesn't fly by too fast!

Dressed for the Redneck Party

cousins