Tag: summer

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Checking Out Ely, Minnesota

Checking Out Ely, Minnesota
3rd Day of Camping

I woke up to the sun making glowing shadows on the roof of our tent as it passed through the leaves on the trees.  Already I could feel the sun warming the chilly air.

Since it was so lovely, we thought it would be a perfect day to explore Grand Marais.  We had a fun day checking out all of the little shops.   I would have loved to have stopped at every shop, but there just wasn’t enough time!

I got an amethyst bracelet at a rock store, Loony’s Northwoods Emporium.  Each child got to pick out a rock of their choice.   We also visited Ely’s Old Fashioned Candy where we got a bunch of rare (for us) treats.  I was thrilled to be able to visit Jim Brandenberg’s Art gallery.  At the local Goodwill, Cupcake and I got a few books, Princess got a few sweaters and a cute pair of sandals.  Nate found 4 packs of kinetic sand for 99 cents.  Mr. Awesome found a toy airplane.

In between two cute shops (Mealey’s Gift & Sauna Shops), there was a well-maintained flower garden with a waterfall and fish pond hiding in the corner.  It reminded me of the fish pond my Grandpa used to have in his backyard.

On the recommendation of the receptionist at the Brandenburg gallery, we decided to visit Kawishiwi Falls.  Since we still had some 5 Week Workout Challenge days left, I thought it was a great idea!  Plus, getting to explore another waterfall sounded like a lot of fun.

The hike was quite beautiful.  It was a short 1.5-mile hike.  There were large boulders everywhere.  Birch trees grew on and around the large rocks, their roots hugging them like cozy pillows.  Planks made paths through the low ground where it probably gets muddy when it rains.

Climbing the last hill before the falls, we could hear the roar of the water as it tumbled down the rocks.  Once at the top, the view was breathtaking.  If we didn’t have the little ones, getting closer to the water might have been a neat area to explore.

After our hike, we went back into town to see the local farmer’s market.  It was in the town’s park and slightly larger than our farmer’s market.  There was a lot of stands set up selling a large variety of goods.  For people who didn’t have cash, they had a stand set up selling wooden chips to pay vendors.  We saw candles, kombucha, fermented foods, jams, fruits, veggies, live music, maple syrup, carved wooden spoons, handmade bath and beauty products, a stand advertising the U of M dental school, and more!  It was almost like a small fair!

The kids found a painted rock and hid it for someone else to find.  We’re always excited to find rocks.  This one had a fish on one side and said Ely Rocks FB on the back.

After the Farmer’s Market, we picked up some tent sealer to make sure our tent was leakproof.  The forecast predicted rain on Wednesday and we wanted to be sure we were dry.  While there I found a cute mug that has a moose on it and the words Ely, MN.  I like useful souvenirs.  It was another fun day of vacation!

Have you been to Ely, Minnesota?  What’s your favorite thing to do there?

Check out our video!

 

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Day: Week 5, Day 1: Schaar’s Bluff
Next Day: Week 5, Day 3: Norberg Trail

Continue on to camping, day 4!
https://cisforcomfort.com/4-year-old-caught-fish/

Did you miss day 2?
Read all about it here!
https://cisforcomfort.com/locked-keys-van/

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We Locked Our Keys In The Van in the Middle of the Woods

We Locked Our Keys In The Van

Camping, Day 2

After a night of heavy rain drumming our tent, I woke to the sound of birds.  Thankfully, we were nice and dry inside!  I got out of bed before everyone else to capture some nature photography before breaking down the campsite.  Cat joined me and we had fun capturing the world, damp and dew drop covered from the night before.

After Nate got up, we decided to see if our next campsite was available.  We weren’t able to get all of the days at the same spot since everything was so booked.  Usually, the whole north is mostly booked by the time spring rolls around.  If we want to pick a good spot for an entire week next year, we might have to reserve our spot within the next few months.

Cat watched the little ones while we walked across the campgrounds to take a look.  As we walked past, we noticed the people there were already packing up!  Check out isn’t until 4, so we had time to pack up our stuff and get over there.  However, we wanted to get settled in early so we could relax the rest of our day.

We packed up all of our stuff, putting all of the wet things in the back.  I was going to walk over there with the kids since it was such a beautiful day, and the van was packed in almost every seat.  Just as we were about to walk off, Nate shut the door, with the keys in the ignition and the van running.  We locked our keys in the van.

Unfortunately, my purse was in the van.  As were my keys.  There was no way to get back in.  Nate set off to find the campsite hosts to see if they could assist us.  While we waited, I took the kids down to the lake to explore.  I decided to take them over to our campsite to occupy them and give them a new place to explore.  Then I walked all the way back to see how the van situation was going.

The campground hosts were there with Nate.  They recommended calling the local police to come out and open it for free.  Nate was worried we would run out of gas if we had to wait, so he called a local tow truck to do it instead.   We ended up chatting while we waited.  Our hosts were actually from a neighboring town to our hometown!  I didn’t want to leave the kids unattended for too long, so I set off to our new site again.  It turns out, it was $90.00 to unlock our door.  Ouch.  I think waiting for the police and buying a gas can might have been cheaper.  Ah well, hindsight.

Once we got everything set up, we decided to check out the local town and also pick up some water.  Ely wasn’t what I expected.  I think I romantasized it, as I had the other towns on the drive up.  It was a pretty typical small town.  There was the main strip that went right through the center.  The shops were all mostly Mom and Pop stores, but there were a few regulars near the outskirts, like Dairy Queen and Family Dollar.  It was quite scenic from the top of the hill.

We didn’t stay too long, as we wanted to get back.  The day had escaped us.  We decided it would be good to start dinner early so we could get to bed at a decent time.  The big girls and I played card games while Nate cooked chicken over the fire.   Princess and I had gluten free grilled cheese.   For dessert, we had the camping classic, smores.  Our second day of camping was a lot of fun!

Have you had any mishaps while camping?

Check out our video of our day!

Continue on to day 3 of our camping trip!
https://cisforcomfort.com/checking-ely-minnesota/

Did you miss day 1?  Read all about it here:

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Bear Head Lake State Park

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/

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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

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52 Project, Week 21: Simplicity

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!
You can post your image on our Facebook page here:
Or tag us on Instagram with #cisforcomfort52

 

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 20: Favorite Color
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 22: Self Portrait
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Join us for the photography challenge! We’d love to see your images!
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52 Project, Week 20: Favorite Color

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
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52 Project, Week 19: Jewelry

52 Project, Week 19: Jewelry

I had an image in my head for the jewelry photography project.  It was one of those projects where you need two people.  I knew that a tripod would be difficult to get the angle I wanted and also to get myself into place if I were to do a self-portrait with a remote.  Cat was sweet enough to help me.

My children don’t really wear jewelry, so it seemed practical that I use myself, since I enjoy wearing it on a regular basis.  I’m not as comfortable in front of the camera as I am behind it, but I’m really pleased with the way the images turned out. My daughter is really becoming a great photographer.

I love wearing jewelry, I always have.  I remember wearing beaded bracelets as a little girl, I even still have my favorite rainbow star beaded bracelet.

When I was about 4, I begged my Mom to get my ears pierced.  She and my Grandmother brought me to a mall jewelry store in Minneapolis.  They messed up my left ear and had to re-pierce it twice.  Because of that, I will only bring my children to a professional piercer at a tattoo shop.

Unfortunately, I’m allergic to nickel.  This means that I can only wear high-quality jewelry.  I enjoy high-quality jewelry over cheap jewelry, so I’m not complaining about the upgrades.  The downside is that chains and earrings are a bit more expensive to replace.  I also can’t get jewelry on a whim if I find something cute at a craft show or on vacation.

I don’t own a lot of jewelry.  I love necklaces for their convenience.  Simple, elegant pieces make me happy.  My Mom buys me a beautiful new necklace from Kay jewelry every year.  I wear one almost every day.

I have a few bracelets.  Funnily enough, I never grew out of my love for beaded bracelets.  The bracelets I wear most often are plastic children’s bracelets.  I have a favorite fluorite bracelet I got while on vacation on the north shore last year.  I also couldn’t resist the bracelet I’m wearing in the images below.  It is silver with stars.  I got one for my daughter Cat and myself.

It was a beautiful day, so Cat and I decided to walk down to the river for our project. I love to spend alone time with each of my children.  I try to give them each a little bit of alone time once a month.  This breaks down to a once a week Mother/Child date with one of my children.

Looking for a location, I didn’t really see any place that jumped out at me as THE spot.  As we started walking home, I thought we might take a different route and keep looking for a good location.  In one spot, we found a cute painted rock that someone had left.

The spot I found was actually a place that might not appear to the naked eye as a great location.  To me, it was perfect.  If you look at the image below, you might see why some might rule it out.  It’s in a parking lot without a lot of great visual appeal in the background.  However, I loved the tall grasses bordering the parking lot.  I knew that with the right angle, it would be exactly what I was looking for, and it was.

  

What is your favorite jewelry?  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/1452792044806017
Or tag us on instagram with #cisforcomfort52
Check out our video!

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 18: Spring Trees
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 20: Favorite Color

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52 Project, Week 17: Light

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
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52 Project, Week 16: Multiple

52 Project, Week 16: Multiple

This multiple image has been something I have wanted to try for a long time.  Creating a double exposure effect of a person and trees has always held a strange appeal for me.  I’ve seen a lot of variations, but I wanted something that was unique and a bit different than what I had seen.

I feel that there is always something that is occupying our minds.  We are longing for that hope which our future holds, whether near or far.  We have little hopes and big hopes.  Dreams don’t need to be rational to be longed for.  Simply holding on to an idea of something that brings us joy is how we continue to move forward each day.

My daughter always says, whenever we see a particularly beautiful, deep grove of trees, “I want to live there.”  My sweet Cupcake has heard me mention dreamily often that I want to move up north and live in the woods.  Using her for this project was perfect.  She’s dreaming of the deep woods.

I don’t know when our dream of living in the woods will come true.  In my head, I have this beautiful image of paradise earth with trees that stretch on for miles.  Till that day comes, we’ll happily enjoy camping up north and soaking in the fresh air of the many pines.

What is your vision of hope for the future?

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 15: Hobby
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 17: Light
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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.

What You See
What I See

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!