Memorial Day Camping - Lac Qui Parle State Park

We continued our annual tradition of camping over Memorial Day weekend with our pals, the Holjes. This year we headed to Lac Qui Parle State Park on the west side of the state. We also upgraded to cabins after last year's non stop rain and tick infestation. It was a great upgrade that we truly appreciated this weekend, which also started off with rain but ended with amazing weather. This weekend was full of adventures and fun firsts.

The Pergandes look a bit like the Beverly Hillbillies with our overloaded truck heading out of town...



Ron and Craig toasting our glorious new digs...



Thank you Matthew to finding our lost car keys! Phew!



Unusual finds along our river hike to the historic Fort Renville site...



A stop by the very first church in Minnesota...



Parents only hike and climbing adventure...



Another year of "fishing" but never catching a single fish...



Glorious sunsets from our campsite...




The family picture...



Finding and touching the state's largest cottonwood tree...



Finding and touching one of the world's oldest rock, this one dated over 3,800,000,000 years old...

End of School Year Highlights

This is a big year for both Canyon and Presley. Presley is finishing up elementary school and heading to middle school next year and Canyon is heading from middle school to high school. Both kids have decided to take a pause from band as they move to the next phase, which made their end of school band concerts that more momentous. Below are photos from each of their last concerts.





Presley has a beautiful new smile after getting her braces off after only a year and a half.



The kids' spring seasons are off to a great start. Presley's soccer team swept the competition at the Eden Prairie Spring Kick-off tournament and Canyon's baseball team upset the defending state champs at the St. Louis Park baseball tournament.




Presley has joined her brother in the working ranks. She has been trained and certified as a youth soccer referee. She and her friend Elle are enjoying their new authority (and new cash)!

Proud Mom Moments

Have always been proud of Canyon but a couple of spotlights this past couple of weeks reinforced this. During April, Canyon was invited to participated in the CCM High Performance Festival in Duluth MN for 14 year olds. This festival brings together the top 2002 hockey players in the state to play against each other. The kids that make it to this stage had to first be recommended by their coach and then participate in 2 separate stages of tryouts to make it to the festival. It was a fun weekend and we also got to spend time hanging out and playing against some of his 2002 Icemen teammates. Below are a couple of pics from the weekend. I am also proud for Canyon for getting up every Tuesday morning for the last two years to arrive at school by 6:45 am to participate in the Jazz Band Ensemble (especially because he is not an early riser). This is his last year in band. To finish off with a bang, he had a solo performance in the final concert of the year in front of his peers and parents. No pictures because I didn't want to embarrass him but I have the memories etched in my brain :). Way to go Canyon!