Okay, I am the worst blogger!! I've had this post in draft form for many days and another post for well over a month that I probably will never finish. Having said that, here are some pics of our trip to the great Midwest. These are in no particular order and it was quite an ordeal to actually get there.
Saturday, June 30, we all woke up, finished packing, and put the house in order. This was a very leisurely morning. For those of you who know Jeff and his travel habits...well, this was no small feit. More than once I have been running to the gate to catch our plane or worked up a major sweat hurrying so fast to get on the road. Not this morning though. I should have known something was up. We arrived at the airport in a very timely manner. That COULD be attributed to Jeff's habit of speeding. Anyway, after unloading 11 pieces of luggage (clothes for seven for 10 days and a couple of carseats), we were politely informed by a sky cap that our flight had been canceled. WHAT??!! From now on, I am always calling from home to check on the status of any flight I will be taking. Most probably do that and I am completely sold on that now. I'll skip all of the boring details, but after many tears, fits, and trying alternate routes, the seven of us were on a plane headed for MSP Sunday, July 1 at
6am. Did I mention that we had to load all of our luggage back into our car, drive home and then get up at 3:00 in the morning to get to our destination? Despite all of that our kids were so good!! They were great travelers.
The fun hadn't stopped yet. We landed aroud 9:30am and were trying to make a baby blessing at 1pm. One would think this would be enough time...but NOT when the airline losses your 11 year old girls luggage and has sent it on a flight just behind your flight. Not to mention troubles with our car rental reservation. We made it to the blessing just as sacrament meeting was beginning. Thank you to all those who threw clothes off and on my kids to make this possible.
Minnesota was fun!! We had so much fun with the family and visiting extented family!! We drove 2 1/2 hours to Brainerd to enjoy a lake that I don't remember the name of and all of the other activities on the resort. The first picture is Mils enjoying the beach. It really bugs me to see that picture placed right there, but I don't know how to move it and I'm just trying to get this self-imposed monkey off my back.
Kate, Hunter, Tucker and Abe enjoying a game of King of the Platform? These kids got along so well. No one ever got sick of each other. They just had a great time spending loads of time together.
Monson liked the beach. He may have tried some sand, but didn't have much of an appetite for it. Maybe he didn't like the tecture.
Hunter, Abe and Kate slowly make their way into the ever so slightly chilly water.
Our newest MN cousin Caleb. Isn't he cute? Apparently, my dad has started calling him Sumo Nick. I don't know what that's about.
All the Lamoreaux granddaughters. In 2006, we were balanced with 4 girls and 4 boys. Just one year later that ratio is not so equal--4 girls and 8 boys. Kate is great to play with the smaller girls or with the boys. I'm not sure how that'll be in the coming years.
Picture for Jeff--he requested a photo of a loon (the MN state bird) that filled the entire frame. How'd I do?
Some of the guys fishing. I think Jeff may have had the best time on this trip. He loves to be able to walk out the door and have fishing right at his feet. This was the case. Luckily, our kids enjoy it too.
Ella, our MN cousin, helping her dad craft. I love her look of concentration. I loved getting to know her better. She says the funniest things. She also loved feeding Amelia. Amelia didn't love it so much...what 3 year old would? During a couple of meals, I looked at Mils and she had this pained look on her face. In addition, her mouth was stuffed full of food. Then I observed Ella feed her some more. FUNNY!! Why Amelia kept opening up for more food is beyond me!!
Taft is showing off his big fish. He wouldn't hold it though. That was just asking too much of him. He won first and second it the "Biggest Fish Award" and landed himself $15.00.
Hunter took a moment to show of Taft's big mouth bass, too.
What a great time!! Let's do it again in another five years!!
Many nights, after dinner, we enjoy a game of backyard wiffle ball. It's our version of baseball with a plastic bat and ball. Jeff is the pitcher to be feared and the only one playing in the field. The rest of us hit and run the bases. Above--Kate is hitting--and yes, she hits and throws like a girl. We are trying to rid her of it. It is a good thing she is fast or she would never make it on base.
Hunter running the bases. He is "rounding third." 
Ghost runner on third. A part of the game that we adopted from my brothers own game of wiffle ball.
What Millie does while we are playing wiffle ball. Turns over bricks looking for potatoe bugs.
What Monson does while we are playing wiffle ball. Crawls around playing with other balls.
Taft taking his turn at bat.
