Bear Head Lake State Park

Camping, Day 1

Around 1 pm on Sunday, we drove up to Bear Head Lake State Park in our RV. The van was packed to the brim, and we were set for a fun week of camping partly because we managed to get the best glamping tents for less. Never having been to this part of Minnesota, I looked forward to a fun new adventure of exploring. The RV was in its best shape since it had just come from the mechanics and was just installed with the new rearview camera we found on this buying guide.

The final week before camping, I was dreading camping. Going somewhere new is always scary for me. Adding in anxiety, severe food allergy prep, packing for a family of six for a week and prepping a home for our absence is a recipe for panic attacks. At one point, I said that I never wanted to go camping again. I visited www.campingconsole.com to make sure I had everything for enjoying a perfect outdoors.

Also, I was worried about my Grandpa. I didn’t want to leave him. My parents insisted I go. I so rarely get a break and camping is something our family looks forward to every year. Grandpa’s health has really improved and I’m hoping he might be well enough to take him off of hospice care!

Once on the road, a large weight was lifted. All of the hard work was done. This was our third time camping, so I had a bit of experience for what to expect in the setup department. At this point, I was only mildly apprehensive about exploring someplace new.

The forecast predicted a 40% chance of rain for part of the day on Wednesday. It started raining as we left our driveway and continued to do so on and off for most of the way up north. Thankfully, it stopped shortly after we passed Cloquet.

I had this image in my mind of what I expected the area to look like. Deep woods, occasional small towns filled with romantic charm, stretches of roads with nothing but thick trees. I was right about the woods and thick trees and long stretches of nothing but wilderness, but I did not expect the size of the towns or the amount of normalcy.

The city of Virginia was about as large as my town. Along the tops of their hills were many large wind mills for power. They had all of the same amenities that we have. If I had been dropped there and not been told where I was prior, I would have guessed I was in a town close to the cities.

As we neared Bear Head State Park, we encountered a large amount of road construction going on. I’m assuming they are in the process of making a single two-lane, one each way road into two roads with two lanes. We almost missed our turn because of this.

The stretch of road into the park was beautiful and peaceful. Tall pines bordered the road with glimpses of lakes along each side. The cabins and homes along the way had personal name signs and cute mailboxes. The sign for Bear Head Lake was impressive, with gold lettering and an image of a bear head.

Our campsite was in a grove of tall white pine tree. It had a nice big space for our tent. Getting unpacked and setup was quick and efficient. We were located right across from the bathrooms, which was nice for our little ones.

Nate and I took a short walk to the lake to check it out while Cat watched the kids. Once we got back, we made our dinner of hamburgers for the three big kids and Nate and gluten-free grilled cheese for Princess and me.

One of my favorite things is to sit around a campfire with my family. We enjoyed the silence of the woods and relaxing next to a toasty campfire in the cool night air. I let one of the kids have the camera so they could take a picture of me. After giving them a smile, they joked about making a silly angry face. I tried my best, but it looks like I’m blinking. 🙂

That night, it stormed and rained heavily. Thankfully we stayed dry and warm in our beds. It was a great first day of camping.

Have you been to Bear Head State Park? How well do you handle the stress of packing for camping?

Check out our video!

Continue on to day 2 of our camping trip!
https://cisforcomfort.com/locked-keys-van/

September 25, 2017

Rocky The Squirrel Visits Grandpa

My Grandfather is an incredible man. For as long as I can remember, my grandparent’s house was a place of sunshine and happiness. It was a safe place in a hard world.

My grandparents were kind, patient people. They loved creating things, growing things and exploring. They would take me on walks or show me their garden. My memories of my Grandparents are among some of the happiest in my life.

My Grandmother passed away in July 2012. She had Alzheimer’s, so we lost her mind before we lost all of her. It was really hard to watch her lose most of who she was.

My Grandfather also developed Alzheimer’s, but he was not as bad as my Grandma. He still had his personality and could remember a lot of things. He would mainly get confused and sometimes seem almost like a child. Thankfully, we could still talk to him about his memories and joke around with him like always.

Recently, my grandfather got sick and ended up bedridden. My Dad told me that he was extremely dehydrated. A few days later, my parents told me that Grandpa had been put on Hospice care. They expected him to only last a few days.

My Grandpa hates the pain medication. He firmly tells the staff he doesn’t want it and for them to GO AWAY when they try to give it to him. Other than that, my Grandfather is a sweet and gentle man. I only mention this, because you can hear him in the video below when we’re singing to him.

My grandfather is in his early 80’s. I always knew that someday, we would lose him, as we lost my grandma. Still, I never expected the day to come. The kids and I started visiting him almost every day. He truly did not look well. I prepared myself mentally for the worst.

My children did what they could to show him he was loved. They colored him pictures, sang him songs, Cat played her ukulele and Cupcake played her flute. We wanted him to know he wasn’t alone.

There is a woman who works at the home that has a pet kitten. She often brings her kitty for Grandpa to hold and love up. My Grandpa loves cats and used to rescue strays from the neighborhood.

I’ve seen pictures of a pet squirrel they used to have as well. My sister Liz brought her pet squirrel Rocky to visit and snuggle with Grandpa. Rocky took turns cuddling with all of us. Princess LOVES Rocky and is always so excited when Liz lets her hold him.

When I was sitting down, Liz put Rocky on me and he climbed into my shirt to take a nap. Thankfully I had an undershirt on too, his little claws are sharp! He is such a cute squirrel though.

After we left Grandpa, we stopped by the grocery store for a few things. I got 2 new pots that were on sale. It was hard to pass on the beautiful succulents, but I’d have nowhere to put them! I’m trying to only buy plants that are helpful in some way in the future since I have accumulated so many plants. Anything that is medicinal or edible is preferred.

Once home, I set about putting away the groceries, cleaning the kitchen, feeding the family snacks and making dinner. I have been dehydrating fruit to make fruit strips and chips for camping.

We have reservations to go camping soon. I’m worried about my Grandfather while we’re gone. We won’t be in cell range. I’m hoping my Grandpa will be well enough to hang on for longer than expected. I can’t delay the trip because school will be starting soon and it will also be fall and too cold for camping. I can only hope and pray and see what happens.

September 25, 2017October 26, 2017

If At First, You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again

5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 5, Day 1
Schaar’s Bluff

After getting sick, we missed week 5 of our workout challenge. Rather than give up, I thought it would be best to try again. I’m using the old proverb, “If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again.” I don’t like to give up. I’m the type of person who will tackle a goal over and over until it’s accomplished.

We set up a playdate with some friends at Schaar’s Bluff. It was a beautiful day. The weather was perfect, there were a few fluffy clouds in the sky and a mild breeze to cool us off. We enjoyed exploring the trails and seeing the wildlife.

We walked to the park to let the kids play for a little while. I think my favorite part about play dates is having another adult to talk to, for a little while. Being surrounded by children 24/7, it can get lonely. Usually, when Nate gets home he’s too tired to do much else except sleep.

I know that someday the time when my children are little and dependent on me will pass. Someday, I’ll miss these days terribly. Having a teenager, I already know how fast little ones can grow. So I’m soaking up as much time with my children as I can. Someday, I’ll have the rest of my life for adult talk.

Lately, Nate has been watching The Great British Baking Show. While I was on my walk, he was inspired to bake. He decided to make me a gift of a gluten free, corn free, chocolate cake.

While the cake was cooling, we made a trip to visit my Grandfather. He was doing amazingly well! Talking, wide awake and joking around. It made me so happy to see him so well!

After visiting Grandpa, we made a trip to Gander Mountain. They’re all closing and having sales as a result. We got some lures for fishing and a few new work shirts for Nate. Princess was especially fond of all of the lures. She picked out so many we had to put two-thirds back! She is really excited to try fishing!

After dinner, we gave our cake a try. It was so beautiful, I couldn’t wait to eat it. Before I even sat down, I took a bite and immediately turned around to hide my puckered lips. Nate asked me how it was. I think I gave him an “Mmmmm!” as I gulped down some water.

I waited for Nate to take a bite of his own before commenting. I laughed as he grimaced. He told me he thought he forgot the sugar. It wasn’t horrible, but the cocoa powder was really bitter without any sweetener. I can’t help but laugh at the memory. It was so sweet of him to make a cake.

Has a goal ever gotten away from you? Did you pick back up and continue?

Check out our video!

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Week 4, Day 4: Afton State Park
Next Week: Week 5, Day 2: Kawishiwi Falls