The Land of 10,000 Lakes

I was home in VA for one week before I flew to Minneapolis, MN to visit my family there on Aug 24. My aunt and her family live on a lake there, and my grandmother is currently living with them as well. Grandma used to take my sister and I to visit my aunt for the whole summer each year when I was in middle and high school, and the last time I was there was the summer before my junior year of high school. I was 16. I've been trying to get back ever since. 11 years later, not much has changed, and yet everything has changed! It was a surreal experience, but it was a great 2 week vacation!

I arrived late on Friday night, and spent some time visiting with everyone before hitting the sack. On Saturday, we all headed to a park in a nearby town for the engagement party of my cousin, Chris and his fiance, Jenny. Then on Sunday afternoon, my aunt, my cousin Lindsay, and I met Jenny and her mom and best friend at David's Bridal to watch her try on wedding dresses. Afterward, we met up with Chris, my uncle, Jenny's dad, and her brother at the Mall of America for a little window shopping before we headed to dinner at Buca's, a family-style Italian restaurant.

Mall of America

The family at Bucas. From L-R: me, Grandma, Aunt Susie, Uncle Carroll, Matt (Jenny's bro), Jenny's mom, Jenny's dad, Jenny, Chris

Monday evening we met Jenny at a different bridal shop for more trying on of wedding dresses. However, she ended up choosing her dress from that shop, so it was neat to be able to see the dress she'll wear on the day she becomes Mrs. Chris Arnett. Very exciting! Afterward, we ladies headed to Dairy Queen for some celebratory ice cream and then home for some rest. Lindsay and I stayed up late playing Zelda on Super NES since that was my favorite game as a teenager, and I hadn't played it since my last summer there. Zelda ended up being our nightly ritual...lots of fun!

The next several days we ran various errands or just hung out at home. Then Friday, we headed to the state fair. My aunt had entered several craft items, so we went to the arts and crafts building first. We were very excited to find that a cross-stitch/hardunger piece she made for my grandmother's 90th birthday won a RED RIBBON (that's second place) for it's class!!! Lindsay and I had a good time looking around that building and then out on the fair grounds. We stopped at a henna stand, and we also saw a group of teenagers who had a drum line to various recorded songs. They were performing as we walked by, and we had a good time watching them!

Over the weekend we all headed to the Arboretum. My grandma was particularly excited about this outing because she loves that sort of thing, and Lindsay asked Chris and Jenny to bring their cameras to take pictures for her senior portraits. We had a good time walking all around the arboretum and taking pics. Lindsay was beautiful of course, and so were all the flowers!

Chris, Jenny, Lindsay, and I also hit the Renaissance Fair, which was a very interesting experience. I got to eat funnel cake and I rode an elephant!

Lin and I are the front two (first me, then Lin)

Here I am after the ride all wet from having been sprayed by our elephant transport!

Those two weeks were definitely jam packed with activity, but there was also a lot of quality time with my family, family I don't get to see very often. Before this trip, I'd only seen my cousin Chris one other time in the last 11 years. Aunt Susie and Lindsay come to VA often, but now that I am in Mexico most of the year, I have fewer opportunities to see them. I was especially excited about meeting and getting to know Jenny. I have never had the opportunity to know Chris's girlfriends in the past, but she is now more than a girlfriend, and it was neat to get to know her BEFORE the wedding! I'm looking forward to having her as a cousin-in-law.

Wait! We're not ready yet!
(Me, Lin, Jenny, and Grandma @ the Arboretum)
I know this shot looks posed, but it SOOO wasn't! So funny!!

Grandma & the grandkids...we're only missing Heather!

The week after I returned home, Chris, Jenny, Lindsay, and Uncle Carroll came to VA for a week before heading to West VA for a wedding. I got to tour DC with them the day they flew in, and my sister and I were able to meet them in Williamsburg for the night one night that week. We were supposed to tour those historic areas with them the next day, but I pinched a nerve in my neck pretty severely upon waking up that morning. So, Heather and I headed back to Richmond and my doctor. However, it was neat to get some more time with them here where Jenny could get to know our favorite family "haunts".

It was a great couple of weeks, and I'm so thankful the Lord made them possible. I don't know when I'll see my grandmother next now that she's living in MN instead of with my parents, and Lindsay will be starting college next year making it less likely to see her as often also. Thank you, Lord, for my family and for time with them!