KAABOO Festival Del Mar

Ron and Trisha were fortunate to attend Kaaboo Festival in California with our UCLA Anderson pals. And we were also fortunate to have Grandma Harriet watch the kids (and pets) while we were gone. It was a once in a lifetime experience. We stayed in the amazing home of Catie and Aaron in Birdrock and we were VIPs at the festival, which means we got to do meet and greets with the bands, go backstage during the concert, enjoy premium viewing access, enjoy free food and drink all day, and enjoy VIP shuttle access from stage to stage. Ron and I love live music and this was definitely a once in a life time experience....

They greeted us upon arrival at the festival with champagne...



Day 1 with the Anderson crew...




One of many amazing backstage opportunities...



Pool time at the concert...



Meet and Greet with Tim Reynolds (of Dave Matthews Band)...



Our "humble" abode with an amazing view in Bird Rock...



"Birding" through La Jolla on our last day in town...



Celebrating Grandma Harriet's Birthday by exploring the Mural Festival in St. Paul and enjoying a great Thai meal....

First Last Day of School for Canyon

This year marks a big year. Canyon's last year at home.... Where does the time go? Here are pics from the first day of school. Presley's outfit is courtesy of the Varsity Soccer Seniors....Also included a picture from Canyon's last minute trip to Houston with friends and a concert.

Grammie Visits MN

Grammie came to MN for a belated birthday celebration. In addition to her time at the state fair, we also got to see some of Presley's soccer with the Varsity Soccer team, enjoy a walk through one of the last standing Victory Gardens in the US, and get some play time with the pets. Thanks for the great visit Grammie!

State Fair 2019

State Fair time is one of our favorite times of year! This year, Mom went 4 times.... once to see Diercks Bentley with Chicks with Wicks (and Ron). Once with Presley and some of her pals/moms. Once with Grammie and the family. Once with Dad. The fair didn't disappoint. Great food, great music, great drinks, great memories. This year, she saw a little baby pig being born too!!

Summer 2019 Highlights

I am learning that as the kids get older and more independent, we have less "family moments" to share on the blog. This makes family time that more precious. Below are some of the kids' highlights, Mom and Dad's highlights, as well as some rare excerpts of our time with the family.

The kids continue to be active in athletics. Canyon played baseball with the Eden Prairie Legion 2 team as a 2nd basement and pitcher this year. I realize that I don't have any pictures of him. He also continues to train in hockey - one on one with his coach from last year as well as developmental hockey with Impact and his high school program. He is also the most disciplined gym goer of the four us. Presley was fortunate to have a great summer of hockey and soccer. She was invited to participate at the National Hockey Camp (1 only 15 defense from Minnesota) and her club soccer team won their league and was promoted to the Premier Level.




The kids also were both invited on some summer trips. Presley was invited to California to spend 5 days with Grandpa and Grammie Liz. She also got to spend time with Kasie, Amanda, Jamie and the cousins. Canyon was invited to a friend's cabin up north for a week and for a long weekend to a friend's home in Texas. I don't have pics from the trip to Texas but hope to include those in a future post.



Mom and Presley continue to be active at National Charity League. One of our favorite volunteer activities this summer was volunteering with Special Olympics Bocce Ball Tournament.



Mom and Dad also had some other fun events. We spent a rainy day at our friend's place on the Big Island in Lake Minnetonka. Dad got to go flying with a friend to Brainerd for the morning. And Mom went to her first Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas (with 110 degrees).

Los Alamos 2019 - Nancy & Rick Wedding

The weekend of July 12-14th, Ron and Trisha escaped to Los Alamos, California to celebrate the marriage of Nancy and Rick. Nancy is a UCLA classmate of Trisha's and the weekend brought together many of her friends for what was an amazing and beautiful celebration. We drove through Santa Barbara and started the weekend with one of our favorite spots (Cold Spring Tavern). In Los Alamos, we stayed at the Skyview Motel, a hip renovated property on a hillside overlooking the charming town, which is now a great wine/food destination. We spent much of the weekend with Trisha's dear friend Ann and her husband Chris. We enjoyed bike riding into town to enjoy wine tasting and amazing meals. We enjoyed a pre-wedding celebration at the Maverick Saloon for some great fun (and new gear thanks to Dennis). We worked out, hung out by the pool, and enjoyed one of the most fun and unique weddings ever -- great band, great "preacher", amazing food & drink, unique venue, beautiful speeches, and special touches that we will remember for a long time. Thanks Nancy and Rick for bringing us together. Cheers and best wishes! Weekend ended with a surprise visit from Auntie Annie at Bob's Well Bread & Bakery!

Ohio Road Trip 2019

For the 4th of July, the Pergandes hit the road to see a National Park and also spend some quality time with Auntie in Ohio. We had a great trip with adventures, Type 2 Fun, and great meals with Auntie and her delightful friend, Tom. We also made a stop at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio and Lake Forest, IL to visit with the Kirchens cousins.

We stayed at the Inn at Brandywine Falls, run by Katie (and her husband George) for 31 years. It is a charming B&B with direct access to Brandywine Falls.



One of our trip highlights was walking the Inn's goat, Disarray, to the falls. A unique and delightful experience.



We enjoyed lovely dinners with Auntie and Tom...



On the 4th of July, we undertook a 30 mile bike ride (was supposed to be about 20 miles) on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. We rode about 11.5 miles north to the Canal Exploration Center and then boarded the Cuyahoga Scenic Railroad train for Akron, where we enjoyed a drink with Auntie before heading back to Peninsula, our starting point. It was adventurous because we got lost in Akron and had to take several detours along the route, which extended our ride and tested us physically and emotionally. But we made it!





On the 5th, we explored the Cuyahoga National Park, with stops by Tinker Creek Gorge and Bridal Veil Falls and a hike at Ledges. We also enjoyed a nice visit at the Stan Hywet Hall Gardens (former home of Goodyear founder) and another lovely dinner with Auntie and Tom.



On the 6th, we departed for Sandusky, OH for a day at the legendary Cedar Point. We enjoyed time at the water park and on many of the crazy roller coasters. Ended our night on the boardwalk to enjoy holiday fireworks.



And our vacation ended with a great stop with the cousins. We enjoyed a nice BBQ on a beautiful afternoon and evening. Great end to a great trip!