Weekend Fun - Mother/Daughter Bonding while Dad Travels to U of I

Dad was out of town this past weekend, celebrating an all class reunion at Lamda Chi Alpha at U of I. While he was out of town, Canyon spent sometime with friends playing paint ball and having a sleep over. This left Mom and Presley for some mother/daughter bonding time.

We had a blast at our first shopping excursion to Mall of America. This place will be dangerous as Presley gets older.



We then headed out to our CSA farm, Turnip Rock. We enjoyed exploring the farm, chasing the chickens, climbing on hay barrels, and enjoying some farm fresh vegetables.





Ron had a blast at U of I. This was the last weekend before they tear down his beloved fraternity to rebuild it for the future.

Auntie Comes to Town

Auntie came to town while Ron was out of town for work. It was a nice relaxing visit because this was the first time she came during the week and Mom was not working. We did the usual activities like taking Presley to Soccer and Canyon to hockey.




But we also did some new activities, like exploring the Minneapolis Institute for Arts, seeing and learning about the Central Identity Project Mural, enjoying lunch on Lake Minnetonka, and having coffee at the historic house that now houses Dunn Brothers.



I also took a very resistant Auntie on a 20 minute "hike" on the Minneapolis regional trail system to help her get her steps in. She did great!

Fall Fun

Kids are now back in school and the fall activities are beginning. First weekend of school, we headed to Burnsville to support our friends and some great high school kids that were killed and injured in a car accident at the Burnsville Firemuster. Presley brought her friend Taylor for some fun jumping times. The second weekend of school was homecoming. Both Presley and Canyon went with friends to the homecoming game. Presley brought an entire crew of "Pergande" fans. They are growing up so fast!

First Day of School - 7th Grade and 5th Grade

This was a momentous year in the Pergande household. Canyon started middle school with the new very early bus time of 7:05 am. Presley continues to be able to sleep in with a bus time of 8:16. We continued our tradition of a special "first day of school breakfast". This year we had overnight french toast bake, sausage, and fruit. We also continued our tradition to take pictures by our front tree and pictures at the bus stop (even though it was clear that Canyon no longer wanted to take pictures or have us at the bus stop). These kids are growing up too fast! Today we also said goodbye to Grammy. Trisha and Grammy enjoyed a nice day of yoga and coffee before we took her back to the Amtrak station for her ride back to ND. Thanks Grammy for a fun visit!

Grammy Visits MN for Labor Day Weekend

We were super excited to get the call from Grammy that she was coming to MN on the redeye Amtrak train. We were excited for her extended weekend visit, which was filled with lots of fun activities.

Our weekend started at Mall of America to thank Presley's friend Paige for taking care of Presley's hamster and fish for 3 weeks while we were traveling to NY and WA. Our crew was super adventurous crew with crazy roller coaster rides and climbing in the super tall ropes course. We ended the night with a fun dinner at the new Hard Rock Cafe.









Saturday we adventured to the MN State Fair. Little did we know when we left that this would be the single busiest day in the State Fair's history. We still had a blast with rides on the giant slide, go-carts, and rides at the Midway. We also enjoyed our favorite foods like cheese curds, fries, and beer from the Men's club as well as new foods like jello salad ice cream and blue cheese and corn fritters from the Blue Barn. We capped off the night with great music from 4 on the Floor at the new West End Market.







On Sunday, we enjoyed a beautiful drive down to Red Wing, MN to see the Kadow cousins and Great Granny. It was a beautiful day. We enjoyed a nice lunch and the kids had fun playing baggo, frisbee golf, and jumping on the trampoline. A fun day and a fun reunion. Mom then stayed home with the kids while Ron and Trisha went to their pals, the Simons' paella party.



For Labor Day, we explored a bit of the twin cities. We started the day in Rice Park in St. Paul to see the tribute to Charles Shultz and the bronze Peanuts sculptures. We then headed to Richfield to enjoy some malts and miniature golf on a really tough course.

Celebrating Auntie Annie's Birthday at Beach Camp

Mom and Dad were excited to see the kids after our escape to the San Juan Islands. According to Presley, Beach Camp was "probably the most amazing week of my life". What a special experience with Auntie Annie, the cousins, and the ocean. On Saturday, August 23rd, Mom and Dad got to experience Beach Camp as well and celebrate Auntie Annie's birthday. It was an absolutely gorgeous day! We started the day with Grandma Harriet's blueberry pancakes, cooked for all the counselors and Annie. And then the party began. We went ziplining, paddle boarding, trapezing (is that a word?), cliff diving, raft jumping, just like the kids did all week. We were also fortunate that some of our friends were able to experience it with us, including the Kellerans, the Frossards, and the Owens (coincidentally also visiting from MN). What an amazing day and amazing experience! Thank you Auntie Annie!

Beach camp week excerpts (without Mom and Dad)




Mom and Dad arrive back to beach camp and enjoy a bonfire on the beach



Annie's Birthday Breakfast on the Deck



Presley shows Mom around the camp



Canyon holds a crab that the divers caught that we will grill for dinner later that day



Cousin Laila and Hadley become fast friends to explore beach camp



And MN pals Taylor and Presley enjoy the adventures of beach camp



Mom's amazing flip off the trapeze! Canyon's comment, "Mom, that was really good!" makes Mom's day!



Mom enjoys reconnecting with the Kelleran clan after 7 years since our last visit to WA



Amazing sunset over the Puget Sound



Our last day in Seattle, we enjoyed an amazing day on the dock, spending time as a family, cliff diving, playing cards, and enjoying one last sunset before heading back home to MN. Great trip!

Mom and Dad's Escape to Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands

Mom and Dad were excited to celebrate our 15 year wedding anniversary on Orcas Islands for 3 days alone! We caught a morning ferry where we drove our car on to the boat and enjoyed a relaxing trip to the island.




We started our adventure with lunch in the East Sound and then a visit to Island Hoppin' Brewery, where we enjoyed a tasting and picked up a growler to bring with us to Doe Bay Resort.



After our stop in town, we continued to Moran State Park and drove to the top to enjoy the view of the Islands from Mt. Constitution, the highest point on the island.




While on the islands, we stayed at Doe Bay Resort in a yurt overlooking one of the bays. Doe Bay is a rustic resort with amazing food that is grown mostly on site in their local garden. We enjoyed great meals every morning and evening at the onsite restaurant. They also have some great hot tubs to soak in and wind down each day.




Our second day on the islands, we enjoyed a 3-hour kayaking tour around the island. We saw seals, bald eagles, sea stars, and a huge jelly fish. In the afternoon, we enjoyed a great hike in Moran State Park that included huge trees, moss-filled valleys, a crazy bike trail on the way down.






On our last day, we headed out on a whale watching trip. We were fortunate to see one of the resident Orca pods. So cool to learn about how they track and monitor the local whale families. Overall, a fun and romantic trip for Ron and Trisha.