Namakan Lake Excursion

Last Thursday, we loaded up the car and headed north towards Canada, eh! To be precise, we were heading to a little cabin that sits all alone on a small rocky island on Namakan Lake. This cabin can only be reached by boat. The island is quite small, and the cabin is perched smack dab in the middle, surrounded by rocky cliffs that fall to the water's edge. This lake shares part of its waters with Canada too.

The story behind the cabin is long, but I feel worth sharing. Many, many years ago (like at least 60) Shayna's grandparents bought the island and put a small, primitive cabin on it. No running water, no electricity, just gool ol' nature. Shayna made her first trip to the cabin when she was 8 weeks old, in 1976. She and her family and extended family have been enjoying this cabin for many, many years. Here's where the story gets interesting. About 20 years ago, well after Shayna's grandfather had passed away, the federal government approached land owners on the lake (including her grandmother) and offered to buy the island from her AND extend a 25 year lease for the cabin. Her grandmother accepted, and now, only about 5 years remain before the cabin will be returned to the federal government and burned down. The federal government is working at restoring the rustic nature in that area. The cabin sits within Voyageurs National Park, and once destroyed, the island will be left to return to its natural state. It's such a neat story, and the history that this cabin has shared with Shayna's family is amazing. We feel so lucky that we got to make some memories at this cabin and will always think fondly of the story behind it.

Shayna and Chris have a little boy who is 14 months old. He and Carter got along quite well. We enjoyed campfires, boat rides, and a trip to Kettle Falls, which is the damn that regulates water between Namakan Lake and Rainy Lake in Canada. Thanks to Chris and Shayna for bringing their boat so we could explore the surroundings and even do a little fishing. I cannot forget to mention that Scout got to come with as well. She swam for 3 days straight and was on the same sleeping schedule as the boys. Totally zonked out by 8pm. It was so great to see her enjoy herself. I attached a photo of one of her many lunges from the dock.

Its not too often that people can take the time to appreciate the simple things in life. Watching pelicans perched on a rock, bathing in the lake, seeing amazing sunsets and a full moon and the sound of silence when your head hits the pillow at night. All of these things came free with our visit to the cabin. I know I write this in many blogs, but all my thoughts usually come back to this simple statement.

"Thank God for this beautiful country we live in and for wonderful family, friends and experiences."

Catching up with old friends

Our friends Katie and Jed made the long trip from Texas to visit good ol' MN last week. They took off in their minivan with their 3 girls, ages 6,4 & 1. I cannot believe they were sane when they finally arrived here, but they were. We spent Wednesday evening at Jed's brothers about 15 minutes from our house. We had such a nice time visiting and catching up. Our friend Becky and her boyfriend Bryan also came to visit from the cities.
It was fun to laugh about old times and relish the silly things we did in college. Carter had a great time playing with their girls and also made a few "furry" friends while we were there.

Boating day at Breezy Point

Shayna's parents had a time-share at Breezy Point Resort, just north of Brainerd. On a Monday, we loaded up our boys (minus Kelly's oldest, who was at daycare) and hit the water. There was 9 of us in Shayna's parent's boat and it wasn't a bit crowded. We anchored at a sand bar and enjoyed the water and great company. We even rocked out to Bon Jovi (thanks to Shayna's brother for bringing the CD, I like him already!)

Boege Family Reunion

July 12th marked the usually annual Boege reunion. This year is was held in Anoka at my Uncle John's. This reunion was Carter's first Boege reunion and it was really exciting to see all of my family meet him. He was such a great boy the entire day. He played from 11:30am until almost 5pm with no tears, tantrums or a nap! Our ride home from Anoka was great as Carter fell asleep immediately. About an hour from home, he awoke VERY unhappy. Let's just say I had to remind him "DON'T HIT MOMMY" several times. We are still working on that...God help us.

Below are a few pictures from the great day. I'm sure you'll have no problem seeing the resemblance my dad shares with his siblings.

(Jennifer with her godparents Al (my dad's brother) and Lorraine)

My dad with his brother's Al and John

My dad with his sister Audrey

Fishing at the river

Family Fishing

We are blessed to live in an area that is only a short walking distance to the Mississippi River. A couple of Sundays ago, Carter, Bryan and I loaded up our backpacks and stroller and headed to the river to do some fishing. Carter had never been fishing before and we really didn't know what to expect. He seemed to really enjoy himself even though he really didn't get to fish. (Casting for a 1 1/2 year old is like expecting them to solve an Algebra problem!)
Carter did enjoy holding the fishing pole, walking around poking trees and weeds with it. We didn't catch anything, but we sure did enjoy ourselves.


Mark another day in the Miller memory book. What a great experience!