Summer fun in Minnesota

June - October

Besides the immeasurable joy of being surrounded by close family and friends again, the two summer highlights were getting to spend time with our beautiful, pregnant daughter and being there when James proposed to Alma! Best. News. Ever.

Happily almost married!

Happily almost parents!

As he always does, James opened his home in West Saint Paul to us, and in return, I cook and clean and Dan helps with James' latest home improvement project.  We consider ourselves very fortunate as we hear from a lot of fellow cruisers that they either would not or could not stay with their kids. And it is always a highlight of our time in Minnesota to hang again as a family with James.

And there is also the rest of our extended family that we move among.  Dan and Renee Devereaux have a spare room with our dressers in it, and they are usually hosting a BBQ or party with friends. Jim Garfunkel keeps our water bed intact in his extra bedroom, and he has a pool!. Robert Ewing is the one to keep our social calendar busy with movies, bocce, sailing on Lake Pepin, Twins baseball games. We visited family in Rochester and attended a family wedding in Duluth.

Nothing beats Minnesota in the summer!

Twins vs Kansas City Royals. 

In Kansas City, so a good time to see Craig and Michelle's new home.

We ended the summer with a week in Lake of the Ozarks. It provided a nice segue between our time in MN and our time as grandparents in Fort Leavenworth Kansas.

Our condo (middle) over looking the lake.

Vineyards in Missouri.  Who would have thought?

Our trip ended a day early a call from Michelle saying she was in labor.  We were just 3 hours away so we gladly said goodbye to the Ozarks and headed to Kansas. Two days later, Maxwell Daniel Nelson blessed us with a healthy birth.

This was another time when it was such a perk to be retired!  We stayed with Michelle, Craig and Max until Christmas. Cooking, cleaning, and racing each other for a chance to hold Max!

Ahh, life is good.