Labor Day Weekend and The First Day of School

What could be more appropriate on Labor Day Weekend than the Birthing Center at the Minnesota State Fair?  Warning:  graphic pictures are coming.

My youngest and I stayed back, while the other two headed to the fair.  We've had such a dry August, and wouldn't you know it- they encountered pouring rain while they were there.

The highlight was watching a cow give birth.  It was pretty amazing.  I am telling the story as my daughter told it to me:

The poor mother cow had been in labor for hours and nothing was happening.  So they reached into her body and attached a chain to the baby and pulled it out!

That is what this picture is.  You have to really study it.  Look for the legs and head coming out of the mother cow:

The baby was covered in something gooey.  

I love this picture.  A lot of action going on with the vets and the cameras and they started feeding her pretty quickly.  And not to gross anyone out, because it really it is the most natural thing in the world…. the umbilical cord hanging from the mother still.  That means the placenta hadn't come out yet.

We dedided to spend the last day of summer with a bike ride around Lake Calhoon in Minneapolis.  It was kind of quiet there because everyone was at the fair and it was a little chilly.  But we had fun renting bikes and then stopping at the greatest ice cream ever at Sebastian Joe's.


Planking- the girls said this is not "in" anymore.

I sure was thinking back on our entire summer on Labor Day as we were getting ready for school to start.  I had that gut wrenching "You love your kids so much it hurts" feeling all night.  Motherhood brings so many emotions:

--I am so ready for them to go back to school and get on a routine.

--I am really going to miss them.

--We have been so blessed with wonderful teachers and friends and education.

--I have to share them with others, why can't I have them to myself?

--We reached all of our summer goals!  Everything from hiking in the mountains to trips Up North and summer camp, etc.

--Everytime I learn something new in motherhood, there is something new I realize I need to learn.  Somethings get easier, some things get harder.

--I am not alone-- a lot of my friends are going through the same emotions.

--Allow yourself to feel the sadness of having them grow up, because you will discover that everyting has it's opposite, and you will realize that behind the sadness there is joy.

--My oldest is a senior, it is going to be an emotional year!

Here they are…. can you tell which one is excited and which one feels a little overwhelmed?

Excited!  Seniors rule!

I am a freshman…. ug!

Being with my friends makes it all better!

Here is to a great year for both of my girls.  We are so thankful for a wonderful summer and the joy you bring to our home.  We love you and are excited for the growth and experiences and learning to come this year!

Hike #3- Table Rock in Grand Teton National Forest (our great BIG hike)

This was the great BIG hike of the 3 hikes.  The one that took us all summer to condition for.  It is on the border of Idaho and Wyoming.  It is kind of high, but not really as high as some mountains- it is 11,100 feet.  But the thing about Table Rock, is it can be diffucult because it has some challenge spots on the trail.  And it feels pretty long because every vantage point that you look at it from, it looks SO FAR away.  The shale, which is a long field of sharp jagged rocks that you have to cross, is right before you get to the top and is very challenging.

The view at the top is spectacular of course.  The Teton Range is so close it feels like you could just reach out and touch it.  Not the case, as it is sheer cliffs between Table Rock and those other mountains.

It was great fun for the family, as well as for my husband, who has great scouting memories climbing these mountains.  I think he said this was his 4th time for Table Rock, but it had been over 20 years since he had done it.  He got the ball rolling with this and picked a day that would work for us, then reached out to his siblings and invited them…. and the next thing you know, 4 out of 6 siblings were able to be there, along with Mom and Dad.  It was great family bonding to do it together!

Mom had the idea for making t-shirts, and she let my girls design them.  And here is the special part about our shirts- TEAM LIZ!  For our cousin who is fighting- and WINNING- the battle against breast cancer.  We can now join her other pictures of cool poeple and places who have taken this banner with them.  We are fighting and praying with and for her!  You can read about that here: http://www.profoundingfather.com/ and here Worldwide Logos

GO LIZ!!!!!

Now for the spectacular pictures…..

Here they are hiking....

 

The field of shard....

On top of the world at the 11,100 feet!



Here they are as they walked in the door.  Please note the dirt on everyone, especially my children!

 



Yes, Grandpa did it!  He is over 70 years old.  Look at him, young and spry and chipper.  I don't even think he has a hair out of place!  Remember, this is the "after" picture!  Can you believe it????

This is my nephew... he was the first one to the top- congrats!!!

Brother and Sister-in-law.

My little niece, such a trooper.  She did it with a broken arm!

My other brother and sister-in-law.  He is so funny when it comes to picture taking.

And another brother-in-law.

In the meantime, some of us stayed back to care for the little grandkids who couldn't go.  We took a little hike around the cabin, played games, watched movies, did a alphabet-nature scavenger hunt.

I am in love with these kids.  They are soooo soooo cute!

The next day each family did a skit.  Very fun.


And we had a family craft.... Grandpa taught us all how to do leather stamping.  He dusted those stamps off that he used many, many years ago when he was a teen.  Pretty cool stuff.

It was a wonderful trip that we will never forget.  Not just the hike, but being together and enjoying eachother and the beautiful cabin and scenery.  (And I think it is pretty safe to say all those little cousins sure seem to adore their teen cousins, and visa-verse).