Memorial Day Weekend 2014: Fun with Friends

If I don't post about our fun Memorial Day weekend soon, I will never do it. Which, I'm sure most of you do not care at all about recaps like these, so feel free to skim the (crazy amount of) pictures and move on. I mostly want to record this one for my future self so sorry if this is not your thing, and sorry if I break your computer with a ridiculous number of pictures. Can't help it!

As I said before, Erin did an awesome recap post of her own that I will never top. In fact, I think I will keep the descriptions to a bare minimum and go with visual evidence of the fun instead.

I worked until about 11:30am that Friday, then picked up the kids from Lori's and put CC down for her nap at home. Erin, Ben, Annie, and Luke arrived a little after noon and we all had lunch together here. We hung out in the backyard and let the kids (minus napping CC) play, and when Nate got home from work around 1:30 Erin and I booked it out of here to get our pedicures. LOVE girl time/pampering time.

Once we got back home we started gearing up for our dinner of take out pizza at the local beer garden. We met Dizzy and family there, plus some of our neighbors, and the kids all had a ball. Eating outside in the summer is pretty much the best thing ever, right? Especially when getting frozen yogurt after dinner outside? Yes.




Peeking through the bean bag toss game.


Brain freeze!




Not tired at all after the walk home with the dads (moms took the van with little kids, duh).


The dads ended up staying up late for drinks by the fire pit this night, but us moms and kids went to bed at a reasonable hour. Our visitors stayed at our old stomping grounds---the upper duplex at my in-laws place! It provided a lot more room (two separate bedrooms and a whole living area) than we could have made for them here....although the basement was SUPPOSED to be finished by now, which would have been pretty sweet, too. Oh well. Someday.

Saturday:
Truman informed me, 'I slept in!' at 6:40am when he walked in our room this day, so I'm sure he sat there and watched his clock stay yellow for a solid 10 minutes before waking us up. Ha. Erin and Ben's family was also up bright and early, so as soon as they came to our house Erin and I took it upon ourselves to walk to brunch alone and put our name in at Blue's Egg. We knew it would be a crazy wait, as always, and it ended up being 1.5 hours instead of the 45 minutes they quoted us....but coffee and sunshine helped. The kids and dads came and waited with us for the last part of it and brunch itself did not disappoint. I knew we had to attempt one brunch out with our guests because they are such foodies and seem to bite the bullet dining with their kids a lot in Minnesota. Always a feat but worth it!











The dads then went on a brewery tour downtown, while Erin and I took the kids across the street to the school playground. So adorable. I sat in gum on a bench but otherwise all was well.




We convinced Truman to take his first nap at home in....months? so that the other kids and Erin and I could also sleep. It was fun to have four kids sleeping in two bedrooms upstairs and they all napped like champs--Erin and I not so much, but we ended up going outside to chill/chat. The boys came home and us adults all hung out a bit before the kids woke up and we started getting ready for the BBQ. This was basically just a chance to get everyone together to see Erin and Ben and it ended up being SO much fun. I love hosting parties/BBQs at our house and this time was no exception. Everyone stayed late enough for s'mores by the fire and the kids were happy, messy disasters by the end.



Little girls.


So many kids and this isn't even all of the rug rats!






Bubbles were a huge hit.


S'mores!

Love this one.


Nate putting three kids to bed = heart melted. This was right before Truman saw Annie sucking her thumb, he stared at his own, and tried to figure out how to recreate for himself. Ha! And Annie asked Nate to put his arm around her. Awwwww.


Once the kids were down at our place, the four remaining adults went back outside by the fire and chatted until the wee hours. Mostly we were planning a Mexico, adult-only trip for next year and I cannot.freaking.wait. I took the R family to the duplex maybe around midnight---such a good designated driver, I am;)

Sunday:
Up and at 'em at 6:40 again! Our family got ready, Nate picked up donuts, and then both of our families went down to the Lakefront for Collectivo and the beach.



Thanks, Ben!


I thought the playground by the lake would be a big hit but the beach was definitely favored by all. It was sort of dirty at the McKinley area so we trekked up to Bradford beach instead. So hot this day and so much fun. Big camera came out to play, of course.








Family shots!




Random stranger nailed the group shot for us!


My kids passed out in the van on the way home, and then Cecelia wouldn't nap after that and pretended to be super happy/energetic. Note that I say 'pretended'. But Truman, my child who never naps at home, slept and slept for at least 3 hours. Woah. The adults sat outside a bit, ate lunch, and then we started getting ready for our fancy dinner out. Cecelia finally crashed for her nap at 3:30 which is REALLY late and crazy, but I could not ask Lois to watch her in that state. I guess she ended up sleeping for three hours, too :/ Lois came over to watch our four kids and we went to Erin and Dave's house for a bit, before meeting Andrea/Jim and Dizzy downtown at the Harbor House. I hadn't eaten there before and love seafood, so it was delicious and a much needed 'adult only' activity. Plus, carting around six adults in the mini-van? Yes. Again: I'm a good DD.










Dinner took awhile and we were a little nervous to walk into pure chaos with Lois handling four kids alone, but it seemed to go well! We put them to bed, the guys all went out to a nearby bar, and myself with the two Erins hung out in the family room for girl chat. I believe the guys got home slightly after their curfew of midnight and I was surprised that I didn't feel exhausted for being such a night owl, two nights in a row!

Monday:
Our visitors packed up and came over to our house for coffee and a little bit of breakfast. Then we walked to the Tosa Village for Starbucks, then to Hart Park for playground activities (ie get your energy out before you are in the car for 5+ hours, kiddos!). A train went by so every child was in heaven. And we managed to get one big group shot by a stranger again.




Note my horrible posture--must be getting tired.


We walked back home with Erin and Ben, ate a quick bite, and saw them off for their drive home. Cecelia had already begged for her nap, but Truman was up and seemingly fine when giving Annie her hug goodbye. But he stayed inside while Nate and I went out to say goodbye, and when we came back in T was sobbing on the couch saying he was going to miss Annie. He said he wanted to say goodbye again, so we ran him outside to give Annie another fist pound. Poor, sensitive boy. It's hard to see a fun weekend come to a close! I feel you, buddy.


We spent the rest of the afternoon regaining a bit of a routine. It was Memorial Day and really nice outside again (kind of hot but you will not hear me complain!), so we got a few really cute pictures of our little family.



I believe I did about 8 loads of laundry, we cleaned, meal planned, and kept saying what a fun weekend we had. We are still saying the same thing, nearly two weeks later!

I might try to see Erin in September when she is in Chicago for a trip, but otherwise it might be awhile for us all to get together again. It's our turn to make the trip to MN again--last year we went up there for the Fourth of July and had a ball. As always: thankful for the blog and internet-friends-turned-real-life-friends!