Beautiful Days of Summer

I think the summer of 2015 goes down as one of the most beautiful summers on record that we have experienced over the 16 years that we have been in Minnesota. Days are warm but not sticky and rain has been mild and at night. We are trying to make the most of summer as we move through the month of August.

Biking the Grand Rounds Scennic Byway - This week around Lake Calhoun with Holje pals...



More Summer Music -- This week GoFest at Target Field...



Footgolf (at a Frisbee Golf Course)...



Beachtime with Friends...

Grammie Comes to Town

It has been a long time since the kids saw Grammie. She came to town for a long weekend and we had a great weekend exploring the city and visiting with family. We also got to see Aunt Kimmy who was visiting Great Granny in Red Wing.

Wednesday Day 1 - Recovery Day. Grammie took the overnight train from North Dakota. After picking her up from a delayed train, we grabbed her some coffee and walked through the historic Milwaukee neighborhood with cute small houses built on a walk street. We then relaxed and played games at home and took the kids to their daily activities.



Thursday Day 2 - We had a fun day in the city. We went to Como Park Zoo, Conservatory, and Japanese Gardens. We also enjoyed a nice picnic lunch at Gold Medal Park, overlooking the Mississippi River. We ended our day/evening with live music and outdoor movies at Mears Park in St. Paul.






Friday Day 3 - We picked up Aunt Kimmy at the airport and headed to Red Wing to see Granny and the cousins. We started our adventure in WI with a trip to the firework store. Presley had been itching to pick up "real fireworks" since before the fourth of July. We also explored Red Wing with a stop at the Red Wing Shoe Store & Museum and ice cream. We then headed to Aunt Carol and Uncle Bob's for an afternoon barbecue and visiting with the family. We stopped to catch some live music on our way out of town as we headed back home.






Saturday Day 5 - Canyon and Presley both had some hockey on Saturday. We watched hockey and enjoyed time playing games and doing puzzles. On route back to the train, we made a stop at the Burning Brothers Brewery, where Grammie got to sample gluten free beers and play Boggle. Bye-bye Grammie. We will miss you!

Kids Growing Up

Kids are growing up quickly. This summer, Canyon joined Presley as the newest member of the family with braces. The kids are also starting to share the responsibility for meal preparation. Here are excerpts from Canyon's trip to the store and his first meal preparation (Wildfire Chopped Salad) of the season.

Summer Concert Series

The Pergandes have been enjoying the summer with a great line up of outdoor concerts. So far we have been blessed with beautiful summer night weather for each of the concerts. We still have a couple of more before the end of the season. The season started with Roger Clyne and Los Lonely Boys at the Minnesota Zoo. Ron and Trisha continued our annual tradition of going to Basilica Block Party. This year, we saw Rachel Platten, Echosmith, and Fitz and the Tantrums...



Trisha was invited with her friend Keely to see Kenny Chesney at Target Field for a fun girls night out...



Mom and Dad went to Cabooze Plaza to see Need to Breathe. It was a great line up that also included Switchfoot and Drew Holcombe.



And Mom and Presley and Presley's friend Elle enjoyed a great One Direction concert at TCF stadium. The girls made signs for the band and we enjoyed a nice dinner before hand with some other pals!