Family Trip to Ely, MN

Late Saturday night we arrived back home from a week long stay in Ely, MN with Brett's side of the immediate family. After a week with family, taking in the view of God's creation, meeting up with good friends, and everything else in between I wasn't quite ready to pack up and leave on Saturday morning. Josiah was able to spend some good quality time with his twin cousins who are 6 months older and his aunt and uncles along with time with Grandma and Grandpa. There were 13 of us total in a 4 bedroom 1 bathroom cabin on the beautiful Clear Lake in Ely, MN and although that may sound chaotic and maybe might have been for some but I enjoyed every minute of it. I love Ely, MN, I love fishing, I love all the beautiful trees that Minnesota has to offer, and I love my in-laws which to me equals a wonderful week up in the woods.

On our way up to Ely we stayed at my brothers which is close to a half way point for us which really helped to break up the trip a little bit and we also were able to enjoy time with my brother, sister-in-law and their son (4 months older than Josiah). I had found out the week before we left that my Grandmother (on my dad's side, whom I was named after) was not doing well and they didn't think she would have much longer to live. My Grandparents only live about an hour from my brother so we were able to stop in and see her late a night when we arrived. It's hard to see someone in so much pain and not completely all there but I'm so thankful that we had the opportunity to visit with her and see a couple of my uncles that I haven't seen in nearly 10 years. We found out while up in Ely that she passed away. I think I still haven't completely processed that she is gone. We didn't find out that she passed away until a few days later and it was late in the evening the night before the funeral so we were unable to make it which part of me is thankful for. I like my last memories of my Grandma to be ones of her holding my hand at her bedside.

I feel as though I have stopped abruptly but I don't have any other words at the moment. I will end with pictures from our trip. If you haven't even been I would encourage you to take a trip up to Ely and experience the beauty God has given that place.

Brett and Josiah getting ready to swim.

Brett, Josiah, Dan, and Anna swimming in the lake.

Tim & Sonja (my father and mother-in-law)

Brett's "normal" let me take a picture of you face

Spending time in Ely with my good friend Becky

Brett fishing.

Fishing while the sun is setting.

Dan and Brett fishing.

Enjoying the sunset

The love of my life.

Heidi and Anna

Dan and Evelyn

The whole gang

Visitors

We've been blessed the last few days to have our good friends Becky and EJ here visiting. As I write this Becky is taking Josiah for a walk, EJ is taking a nap, and Brett is working. Becky and EJ have spent the last year over in Lithuania and are just back here in the states for a few short months before they head back in August. We feel honored that they would take 5 days out of their time here in the states to spend with us. I have to admit it has been so good for my heart to be able to spend so much time all in one chunk together. I wasn't planning on writing a long blog today so I will stop here, mostly I just wanted to put some pictures up so here you go.

Enjoying time with friends and a beautiful rainbow

Brett and I

Becky and EJ

This is the pose that Becky and I would do often growing up for pictures.

Watching a storm in the distance.

Training Week 2 & Pics of Josiah

Couch to 5K:

I finished my first week of training and I just finished my first day of week two. Surprisingly I'm becoming more and more excited about doing a 5K as time has gone on and hopefully that continues throughout the 9 week training. Today was also my first day of running all by myself and though it was by myself it was far easier than my last two runs went in week 1, that is probably mostly due to it being a lot cooler than it was last week and also the wind seeming to be about 20mph slower. The down fall of running outside my house is the uphill both directions but it gives me a bit of pride each time I finish.

Here is what Josiah looked like when we finished running today...


Here is what I looked like...

Red faces, sweat dripping down my face, crazy hair. I will be the first
to admit that I look far from beautiful after running, thank goodness there are showers!

I also am finally putting to good use my "running" shoes which were actually bought about 3 years ago to be my "inside only" basketball shoes. I've heard that good shoes are essential to running and although I don't know what makes a "good" running shoe I will admit that my feet are enjoying mine.


And of course now onto the real reason anyone checks this blog...

Pictures of Josiah:

A story to tell at his wedding!

The worst has just happened...

Warning. If you have a queasy stomach
you might not want to read on.

Tonight as we were giving Josiah his nightly bath before bedtime I believe the worst thing (meaning the nastiest thing) happened while he was in the tub. Brett was sitting on the counter, I was sitting on the toilet (not going to the bathroom, just sitting) and of course Josiah was in the tub. He was sitting on his knees when we began to hear him peeing in the tub into one of his toy cups. We stop our conversation and look at him, while he finishes he has this weird look on his face and I comment, "I hope he doesn't poop". With no grunting and no red face (which is what normally gives it away that he is pooping) we go back to our conversation and Josiah goes back to playing...or so we thought...

...All of a sudden Brett yells, "NO, STOP!"

What do we see...?

Josiah with a handful of POOP and shoving it in his mouth!!!

Yes, you read that right...our cute little boy ATE HIS OWN POOP!!!

YUCK, YUCK, YUCK

I immediately grabbed the poop out of his hand, Brett grabbed Josiah and started washing his hands in the sink while I finished cleaning out the rest of the poop chunks from the tub. We of course then gave him another bath and brushed his brown stained teeth.

This is completely nasty but I for one still can't wait to tell this story at his wedding!