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, 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

September 23, 2017July 3, 2018

52 Project, Week 21: Simplicity

When I think of the word “simplicity” I think of nature. Nature is an incredibly complex system, but being outside, in the woods, is where I feel peace and quiet. When I am outside, surrounded by God’s creation, life seems simple, and less stressful.

I marvel at the diversity and beauty of all of the things growing and living in the woods. I like to stop and capture some of my favorite finds. Mostly, I photograph flowers. I also really love finding mushrooms and different types of moss.

Trees have always held a special place in my heart. There’s so much to love about them. They are the lungs of the Earth, cleaning our air. Some even look like lungs! They give shade on a hot summer day. Their leaves are beautiful and ever-changing. Watching them grow from buds in the spring, to big leaves in the summer and seeing the brilliance when they lose their green in autumn is a marvel to behold. Pine needles create a soft carpet underfoot when they shed or give a bit of color to a landscape in the winter. Even the bark of trees is a unique style for each tree.

When I came across this leaf in the woods, I was instantly stopped by its brilliance. The green popped out on the dark path. It was decorated with either drops of rain from the recent storm or morning dew.

Editing the image, I could imagine it as a large print on my wall. The image itself didn’t need editing as it was already beautiful, just as it was. However, I do take all of my images RAW, so I had to make a few adjustments before converting it to JPEG, as I do all of my images.

I hope you enjoy my leaf in its simple splendor! If you were to capture something simple this week, what would you choose?

Join us in the photography challenge! We’d love to see your images!
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Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 20: Favorite Color
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 22: Self Portrait
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September 22, 2017July 3, 2018

52 Project, Week 20: Favorite Color

My favorite color is purple. It has been for as long as I can remember. I’ve had rotating secondary favorite colors as well. Pink, black, blue, green, deep turquoise blue, aqua blue. I love jewel-toned colors, bright colors, earthy colors. I love cream and brown in combination with any of my favorite colors.

Funnily enough, I also have a color that I extremely dislike, yellow. I’m not a fan. Yellow is one of those colors that make me grimace. Strange right? You’d think a color that seems sunshiney would be likable.

Now, I’m not going to go crazy and banish all yellow from my life. I just won’t go out of my way to purchase or create something yellow. Plus, yellow isn’t always awful, some flowers look lovely with a touch of yellow in their centers. Sunflowers are incredibly beautiful and they are very yellow. Yellow leaves in combination with reds, greens, and oranges in the fall are also pleasing to the eye.

When I was very young, I loved rainbows. My whole room was done in the Rainbow Bright theme. Color, and lots of it, was wonderful. So although I love purple as my favorite color, truly, I love a wide range of the whole rainbow. My house is filled with color. My wardrobe is organized by rainbow in my closet. Yes, I wear almost every color, except yellow!

Despite my love of a variety of colors, I always seem to pick purple flowers for my garden. When the garden center is having a sale, I can’t be as picky with what I end up with. By the time the sales roll around, most of the flowers have fallen off. This ends up being exciting for me, seeing what colors will bloom when my plants are nursed back to health.

This year I got a fantastic find with a lovely purple datura. I managed to get a large amount of purple alyssum, some more pastel, some a rich, darker purple. I also got pinkish purple petunias and dark purple salvia. Everything else was a surprise color.

It always amazes me how many different shades there are of one color. I love seeing all of the beautiful variations in flowers. I have only seen a small fraction of the flowers in the entire world! I would love to see them all! I can only imagine the joy that God had in making them. I feel so thankful that he created this beauty for us to enjoy.

What is your favorite color? Join us in the photography challenge! We’d love to see your images!
You can post your image on our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/cisforcomfort/posts/1466141406804414
Or tag us on Instagram with #cisforcomfort52

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 19: Jewelry
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 21: Simplicity
Main Page for 52 Project

September 4, 2017July 3, 2018

52 Project, Week 17: Light

I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the light photography project. I have seen beautiful images that others have taken of sparklers and I wanted to create an image of my own.

Ever since I was a little child, I have loved the glittery glow that sparklers give off. I can remember my parents giving me sparklers and the joy I had running around, waving them in trailing arcs, trying to make an M for Melissa or making stars or circles. I can remember being burned by the hot end and learning quickly to be careful, even after the light had gone out.

Cupcake, Mr. Awesome, and Princess joined me outside for this project. I lit sparklers for them as I snapped away at my own. After I was satisfied with my work, I continued to light them for the children and enjoyed watching them run happily around the yard. Even after being warned, poor Princess learned the hard way, just as I had, to be careful of the hot end after the light went out.

After all of the sparklers had been spent, we gathered up our mess and went in for bedtime. Hopefully, the children had smiles on their faces as they drifted off to sleep, imagining glowing sparkles and running through the warm summer air. I sat happily at my computer, editing my images and feeling content. I love that two dollars can easily buy a night of joy for our family.

What do you like to do with your sparklers?

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 16: Multiple
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 18: Spring Trees
Main Page for 52 Project

August 30, 2017August 30, 2017

Hastings Rivertown Days Parade 2017

The Hastings Rivertown Days Parade is a big event every year. It’s fun to see people we know in the community handing goodies out to the kids. We also enjoy the creative and fun floats, vehicles and walkers.

For a severe allergy family, we can’t enjoy the candy, but the kids always have fun collecting it. The big girls usually gather up all of the candy and divide it among themselves. I give the little kids safe, homemade “candy” or safe treats that I’ve found online.

This year, we went to the Kingdom Hall early in the morning, then rushed home as fast as we could (while not speeding, safety first!) for the parade. The kids changed into play clothes and we rushed down to try to find a spot. As usual, the roads were packed with people. Every year, people set out chairs, blankets, and towels to reserve their spots. The curbs, sidewalks, and lawns are always packed with people.

The parade was well under way by the time we got there, but it wasn’t even halfway over. One year, the parade was over two hours long! Thankfully, this year it was only about an hour. Two hours can get kind of long for little ones.

Right away, we found our friend’s Matt and Silvana and their children. They were kind enough to let us join them. While the little kids gathered up goodies, we relaxed in the shade of the tree we were under. Thankfully, this year it was mostly cloudy. Other years have been hot and sunny. I always feel bad for the marching band kids in full sleeved jackets.

There were a few new additions to the parade this year. Sponsors rented a fire truck that had been active in New York during 9/11. Little Log House Pioneer Village had a huge piece of antique farm equipment. As usual, there were mobile bands, marching bands, horses, and local businesses. I really enjoyed the landscaping displays. It was a beautiful and fun day.

Does your family enjoy going to parades?

Check out our video!

August 29, 2017August 29, 2017

Hastings Rivertown Days 2017

Hastings Rivertown Days 2017
Every year we go to Hastings Rivertown Days. One of our favorite things to do as a family is to go to The Dime Carnival. The kids play games to their heart’s content and win tickets to pick out fun prizes.

Every year, it always seems as though it’s on one of the hottest days of summer. Since the carnival is in a parking lot, the heat is reflected up off the asphalt, making it feel even warmer. This year was no exception. Not about to let a little heat ruin our day, we enjoyed the carnival and hid out inside the prize area to cool off when needed.

Princess has always loved picking ducks in the duck pond. Mr. Awesome loves the jumpy house. Cupcake loves all the games. Cat is starting to get to an age where the carnival is too young for her. She loves helping the younger kids play the most.

After cooling off at home, we went to the library to drop off some books and pick up some more. As soon as I walked into the library, my eyes started itching. Cat said “Oh look Mom! A beautiful dog!” I turned to see a huge white dog near us walking across the library. It must have been a therapy dog. Unfortunately, because of my allergies, I left the building while the kids had fun picking out books with Dad. Outside I enjoyed photographing the library’s beautiful garden.

We stopped at Walmart for a few necessities and I got a contact case and solution so I could take out my contacts ASAP. My eyes were burning so much I could barely see. After I removed them, in the middle of the aisle at Walmart, I felt such relief. Although I was now blind. I had to hold Nate’s hand through the rest of our Walmart trip.

My vision is -8.50 for contacts. I’m not legally blind with my contacts (legally blind is a legal term used to sort out those who can apply for medical benefits. Anyone who can not see with corrective lenses after a certain point is considered legally blind. I am very thankful that corrective lenses work for me. I will never be able to have perfect vision even with them, but it’s still a blessing I am thankful for.). Without them, I am blind. I can’t see definition, I can only see basic blurry shapes. I can see colors, dark and light.

As you can tell from the image above, I can not see very well. We stopped to get the kids ice cream at our local dairy co op, then checked out the craft fair at the LeDuc mansion across the street. Since I couldn’t see, Nate took my hand and led me around. He described what was around us and what was in each booth we passed.

I heard a familiar voice call out to me. My friend’s Katie and Dusty from our Kingdom Hall were there! I got a chance to check out an amazing card booth with them. The cards opened up into intricate pop-up scenes all made of colorful paper. One was a ship, another a camera, others were scenes of various places around the world.

Although I am blind from a distance, I can see up close. I mean extremely up close. Whatever I’m looking at must be a couple of inches from my eye. What I do see from that close is detailed almost microscopically. I can see the tiny details that the normal eye can’t see.

With the cards, I could see the fiber of the paper, the tiny cuts and details. It was like stepping into a new world where fantasy and reality collide. I intended to go back and purchase some cards after I got my contacts in, but sadly that was the last day. Perhaps I’ll get the chance to see them again next year.

We purchased some sheets from a vendor and then went home to enjoy pizza and family night. Thankfully I was able to put in a fresh set of contacts to see. After that, we walked down to the river to enjoy the Hastings Rivertown Days fireworks. It was a busy and fun day.

Check out the video of our day!

August 29, 2017August 29, 2017

The Great American Farm Tour Minnesota Meetup

Twas the day of the farm tour and all through the house,
Every creature was stirring, yes, even the mouse.
The children were loaded in the van with great care,
In the hopes that the Rhodes Family soon would be there;
The children practiced what they would say in their seats,
While they snacked on organic, non-GMO treats…

We had a lot of fun at the Great American Farm Tour Minnesota Meetup. The park was packed with kids and the lawns were packed with like minded small farmers. It was a lot of fun meeting new friends and sharing our farm stories.

If you haven’t heard of The Great American Farm Tour, you should check it out! It’s about small farmers using permaculture methods to grow food and raise animals. My Dad recommended the Rhodes family to me last year and I’ve been hooked, watching almost all of their YouTube episodes.

All of us were excited to meet and talk to Justin and Rebekah. Rebekah was even sweeter and more beautiful in person. They were kind enough to take the time to talk to each and every person. I can only imagine how tired they must be after traveling across the country, but they were kind, patient and respectful to everyone.

My Dad and Cat were the most excited to meet the Rhodes. I think it might be the highlight of the year for both of them. Cat was especially thrilled that Justin asked her to play her ukelele.

Waiting for the Rhodes to release their video of the day, all of my family had the farm tour youtube tab open and kept hitting refresh all day. lol You’ll have to check us out in the video below. If you don’t have time to watch the whole thing, you can skip to 7:42 to see us!

What farmers are you fans of? Do you have a favorite YouTube channel or a channel of your own? I’d love to hear about it!

Happy Farm Tour to all, and to all a good-night!

Check out our video of the meetup!

Check out the video from The Great American Farm Tour to see what everyone was growing at the Minnesota meet up:

August 28, 2017August 28, 2017

Oops, We Mixed Up the Date!

It was a hot Saturday as we drove a little over an hour to Community Park in St Francis, Minnesota. We drove up to meet my parents and sisters at the Great American Farm Tour Minnesota Meetup.

There was a lot of major road construction along the way, and thankfully Nate was driving. I get anxiety driving in unknown places with a lot of traffic. Add detours to the mix and I might have gotten us lost.

As we neared the park, we saw a bus heading toward us. Nate asked me, “Is that them?” as he pulled the van over to the side of the road. The bus had slowed and turned onto a dirt road. The kids were hopping in their seats in excitement as we saw the Great American Farm Tour logo on the side.

We debated if that was the turn to the park, since we were so close, but decided it was a private farm. We thought they were perhaps running behind and had just gotten to their host’s house and they might be a bit late to the meetup.

The park was mostly empty when we got there. There were only 3 other cars in the parking lot. My parents greeted us and let us know that only two of the people were also waiting for the farm tour. I let them know that we had just seen the bus and perhaps they would be a little late. The children played at the park and I caught up with my parents.

As time wore on, I began to worry, was this the right park? Was this the right day? The other car waiting for the Rhodes left without saying anything. I began to look for the meetup information on my phone. My Dad was the one who let me know, but since I was behind in watching the farm tour, I personally hadn’t seen it yet.

It took awhile to find the info because I couldn’t figure out how to pull it up on my phone. I watched the youtube video to find out the date and I laughed when I realized we were indeed a day early. I could tell my Dad felt awful about it, but it honestly didn’t bother me. I called it our planning prep trip. Now we knew about the road construction and detours and we also knew exactly where the park was. Sunday, Nate would be a work and I would have to drive up instead. Plus, I got the joy of seeing my family two days in a row, a rare treat!

We hung out awhile longer, playing with the kids and enjoying our family time. Cat ended up going with my parents to spend a night at their farm.On the drive home, we stopped at Aldi’s for some snacks before dinner. It had been a fun day and we looked forward to returning to the park again on Sunday.

Have you ever gotten a date wrong that ended up being a blessing instead of a disappointment?

Check out our video!

August 22, 2017May 16, 2018

A Park With Beautiful Rolling Hills and River Views | Afton State Park

A Park With Beautiful Rolling Hills and River Views
5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 4, Day 4 Afton State Park

It was early on Saturday morning when Nate playfully tried to wake me up. He told me he’d already gotten the kids out of bed and they were getting breakfast. We were going for a walk! He had picked the spot and did all of the work to get everyone ready. He even made my morning tea. What a wonderful way to start the day!

It was a beautiful day for hiking. The high was 81 with a cool breeze. When we started out, it was still in the lower 70’s. The drive there was scenic and peaceful. The park was packed with people.

This was my first time to the park, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was a little worried seeing how packed all of the parking lots were. I didn’t realize it was such a popular destination. Thankfully, we were able to find a spot to park.

Heading down the trail, we encountered some beautiful views of the hills surrounding the river valley. I was easily able to see why this was such a popular park.

Unfortunately, I had forgotten our bug spray. The mosquitos were huge and the lower we descended into the valley, the more gnats and mosquitoes there were. We tried to walk fast and mostly kept to the center of the trail to avoid them.

Once we got down to the beach, the breeze kept the insects away and we were able to relax. The kids enjoyed checking out the dock and then searching for agates and rocks to skip. We watched the boats zoom past and we thought about how fun it must be to tour the river from the water.

Heading back, the bugs weren’t as bad. Maybe it was because it was a little later in the day and a bit warmer. Heading up the trail was a bit more difficult for me, but the rest of the family wasn’t fazed. They jumped up the steps like mountain goats. I lagged behind, tired and struggling to keep up.

Later that night, I ended up in bed sick. Perhaps Princess’ fever wasn’t allergy related after all, and she had passed a virus to me. I spent the next week bedridden.

For some reason, I always get the sickest in our family. Over the years, I’ve learned holistic remedies to heal faster and keep from getting as ill as I used to. I also don’t get sick as often as I used to, thankfully.

Have you been to Afton State Park? What is your favorite area?

All Trails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/minnesota/afton-state-park-area-trails
Basic Park Info: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/afton/index.html

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Week 4, Day 3: Night Walk Date
Next Week: Week 5, Day 1: Schaar’s Bluff