We went up north for a few days for a sibling reunion (there were some who did not go, so it wasn't everybody). Jake and Mike rented cabins for us on Poplar Lake near the Boundary Waters. What joy to get away from work for a week and just do stuff I want to do.
Like get up at 6 AM and make a time-intensive breakfast, which I never do at home, unless it's Christmas or Father's day, and then it's the standard eggs, sausage, bacon, cinnamon rolls, and juice. No, this time, I planned ahead. I printed recipes for breakfasts I wanted to try. Our cabins had full kitchens, although they did not come with a cast iron skillet or an instant pot, both of which I based my breakfasts on and both of which I brought up myself for use.
I made Instant Pot apple dumplings, peach oatmeal, skillet hash, and berry biscuit dumplings. And eggs, sausage and bacon, because we like protein.
Two mornings, I took plates of breakfast over to Mom who, for those two days, was staying in her own one bedroom cabin. The other two days, she was in our cabin). I fed Katie and her kids and Jim, me and Matt. The brothers fed their own families. I love a good breakfast, I should make big ones more often.
Dinners were communal affairs, with each sibling taking an evening. Dave cooked burgers and creamed cabbage, which I had never had before, and I LOVED. Mom said she had it when she was a kid and loved it, but she never made it when I was a kid! Why??? So I'm going to have to make creamed cabbage, because dang, I love me some good veg.
I cooked Tuesday, used my instant pot to made pulled pork with BBQ sauce, roasted veg, potato salad (thank you instant pot for cooking the potatoes so nicely the night before), and grapes.
Wednesday, Jake made grilled chicken and shrimp, asparagus and we had patriotic desserts (make by Katie, me, and Stephanie's sister).
Thursday it was Mike's turn and he made taco salad.
Good food.
The best part of the trip was canoeing.
 |
| We took Jackson out every evening/afternoon. He enjoyed it, as you can see. |
 |
| Sometimes Jim would kayak with Jackson |
 |
| While Katie and I had Emma in the canoe with us. |
 |
| We stopped at a tiny island on one canoeing trip |
 |
| Cute grandkids |
 |
| I could spend a lot of time here. |
The best story of our canoeing time was the last afternoon we were there. Jackson, Jim, and I were in the canoe, and Katie was in the kayak with Emma. I wore a hat I had purchased for this trip. Jackson asked me why I was wearing it, and so I gave him a few reasons. He said, "It's your Going on an Adventure hat." And indeed, it was. It was a good name for my hat. My hat must have heard "going on an adventure" and got ideas. It took off with the next big gust of wind and landed in the lake. After some failed attempts, Katie (in the more easily maneuverable vessel) grabbed my hat and saved me from losing it. It was soaked through though (which actually it had already had a dousing thanks to a storm on our hike a couple days before). Jackson was fixated on the hat rescue and thanked his mother many times for saving my Going on an Adventure hat. (One other Jackson and canoeing note: he peed on the tiny island)
That is all I have time for. I might finish my vacation post, then again, I might let time slip by until the next big memory.
Comments