We're not sure how it happened, but we're a little embarrassed to have lived in Minnesota for 5 years (minus one of those in Switzerland) and never taken a trip to a lake cabin in the state. So after a year of more "exotic" travels, we dedicated this summer to more local explorations. First up was a trip to Lower Whitefish Lake north of Brainerd, MN with Papa and Nona, Aaron, Melissa and Jens. Melissa's relatives generously let us stay in their lake house, newly built and beautifully situated on the peninsula. The first day's weather was windy and cool, but that did not stop the kids from donning their swimsuits and jumping off the dock. There was a great variety of floating rafts- alligator, turtle, lounge chair, etc to keep them occupied until the teeth chattering set in. In addition to hours of swimming, we also tried out "Big Mable" an extremely large tube for pulling behind the boat. The girls screamed for us to go faster while Leif shouted slow down. Jens enjoyed watching all the action from the boat, although he also thought that caution was preferable to excessive speed. All three older kids tried water skiing- Leif and Hanna were successful on their first try and skied across the lake on a pair of classic wooden skis. Then uncle Aaron got up on the slalom ski to show them what they can aspire to. Papa brought their kayaks and they were fun for exploring the shoreline and finding a quiet bay for fishing. Travis caught quite a few fish, including a small muskie. Everyone was successful in catching numerous sunfish, rock bass, and a couple large mouth bass. Leif even learned how to remove the hook and get the fish back in the water all by himself.
The entire picture story can be found here.....
.... and for those of you surprised by the change in my appearance, it's a girl. Due in December. Jens is expecting a sibling as well (sex unknown) in September. More adventures and an expanded 'cousie' club to be had in the future!
