Other Summer Fun Activities

The summer is in high gear now. The kids have been having fun exploring some new sports. Presley signed up for a Girls' Lacrosse Camp and the kids both enjoyed getting some "real" golfing lessons that could get them into the game. Also had a fun "spa" night at home when Mom gave the kids their very first facial. Love Summer!

Fun on Lake Minnetonka

The Pergandes signed up for another year with the Excel Boat Club in 2010. The summer got off to a slow start with a very cold June. But we have been enjoying a lot of time recently on the Excel Boat Club fleet. We took our monthly dinner club out for a "Picnic" themed night. Meredith, Ron, and Trisha enjoyed glasses of wine while floating in the water. We also have enjoyed some nice family nights on the boat. The kids love tubing, fishing, and swimming. And Dad loves when Mom brings her special coleslaw!

Summer Music Highlights

Outdoor summer music is always a highlight for the Pergandes. This July, we had the Basilica Block Party, a traditional festival favorite, where we saw One Eskimo, Grace Potter, and Spoon. The Basilica lets the rock concert take over the church grounds to raise money. It also allows us a chance to "mingle" with our favorite or up and coming bands. Here are some of the pics with Grace Potter.




This July, we also were invited by some pals to see English Beat and the Squeeze at the Zoo, a perennial Pergande favorite hot spot. This year was a spectacular night and the bands were a blast!

Summer Baseball in the Twin Cities

2010 was a big year for baseball in the Twin Cities. Target Field opened in Minneapolis for our first year with the Twins outside. We finally got to go as a family to watch an amazing game against the Chicago White Sox on July 18th. We had "standing room only" but found lots of seats around the stadium. The kids got their inaugural season hats and we had lots of baseball "food" to make the first game official.




Canyon had a really fun baseball season on the NY Yankees. The season came to an end in July and was celebrated at one of the family's houses. We enjoyed a nice BBQ and the kids had an awesome water balloon fight, prizes for picking up the most balloon remnants, and having fun on the slip and slide. A fun team and a fun season!

Devils Rock and the Circus World Museum

It's a long trip back to Minnesota from Chicago. This year, we planned for a two day drive and a visit with our pals, the Pashkes. We camped one night at Devils Lake Park. Unfortunately, the night was filled with rain but it was an adventure to have both families sleep in the camper! On the following day, we visited the Circus World Museum, which originally served as the base for the Ringling Brothers Circus until 1918. We saw the magic show, rode on an elephant, viewed all the old advertising posters, and even tried on some of the costumes. Pretty cool place that is worthy of the top 1,000 things to do in the U.S.

3rd of July in Chicago

The city of Chicago may think they can change the dynamics of the 3rd of July by eliminating the fireworks, but the Pergandes enjoyed a nice reunion with the Days, our family, and friends for a day on the hill. It was a toasty but fun day filled with frisbee playing, tight rope walking, collard green eggrolls, and the Steve Miller Band.

Camping with the Menzies - Starved Rock

We were so excited to meet the Menzies at Starved Rock in Illinois for 2 nights and 3 days of camping. We went on awesome hikes to the canyons (LaSalle was my favorite), played music by the campfire, enjoyed cousin fun, and played in the water falls. We also enjoyed a surprise visit from Jim Fessler, one of Kathy and Ron's favorite U of I pals. Here are some of my favorite pics....