For it's root, root root for the home team...

...except when it isn't.

We have a tradition

at the end of summer

as close as we can get to Ben's birthday

of going to the Twins game when the Tigers come to town.

Because, as we all know

(all together now)

Ben LOVES tigers!

So he happily cheers AGAINST the home team.

And lately, that has been the position you want to be in

(if anyone follows the Twins, you know what I'm saying)

EXCEPT

wouldn't you know we would pick the one game 

where the Twins rookies would let you believe

that this is a TRUE rebuilding year!

(I hope so! ahem)

Sorry Ben!

Better luck next year.

On the way home Ben said he really had a good time.

If you know how competitive my boy is,

you know that is a true sign

he really is growing up.

I love being his mom.

It's fair time!

And you know what that means...

ferris wheels

and food on a stick!

But as it happens...

...we tried something new this year.

Instead of the state fair, we went to the county fair.

Slightly smaller scale, but very fun!

With all the tractors, animals and creative stuff

but not quite the crowd.

Of course there were a couple of rides

thrown in for good measure.

But my favorite part was the turn of the (20th) century town

that was so interactive for the kids.

They actually did manual labor

without coercion.

This year, there was even a food I had never seen before...

Spaghetti Sundaes...

With truffles instead of meatballs!

Heavenly.

Animal lover

This girl would love to have a menagerie of pets to choose from

to be entered in the iheartfaces pet week contest.

Alas, her mom is allergic to cats.

But we visit them sometimes.  Last week, for example.

There are tons of awesome shots of animals

over at iheartfaces this week.

Smiles guaranteed!

Shine

One of the attributes of God that brings me joy is the fact that he is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.  If we humans can, even for a moment, escape the fact that we are surrounded by darkness, it is probably because we ourselves are walking around with our eyes closed.  So I love the fact that we have the choice available to us to live in God's light, and even to shine it to those around us.

That said, these verses have haunted me lately.  I love them.  We sing them.  Well, at least the LAST one.  I want so much to shine like a star as I hold out the word of life to those around me.

But I think Paul was making a bigger point here.  An inconvenient truth, if you will.  Words of life don't exactly ring out loud and clear within a cacophony of complaining and arguing.  If I want people to hear, and see, and notice that which gives life through their interaction with me, I need to do everything without complaining or arguing.  Plain and simple.  But not easy.

This week, may I shine.  This week, may you shine.  And when we don't, there is grace, and another chance.

On thankless jobs

It all started when I was setting my camera on the table to be ready for the next hummingbird visit.  I really couldn't responsibly do that without wiping the table first.  So I did.

And as I did, I went back in my mind to the day we bought this table, and thought, "I wonder if the sales guy noticed we had a toddler in tow and another soon to arrive.  Because it really would have been nice if he had pointed out that the groove along the edge was a magnet for peanut butter and all manner of goo, and that the white ledge around the bottom was an invitation to wipe your messy hands off."  I mean, Ben was still only making a mess of his high chair.  How were we to know?

I also thought, "And it would have been nice if he had mentioned that the white paint was going to chip and reveal the dark underside, and really wouldn't seem so crisp and clean and romantic for more than a few days."

Not to mention that, though it was hard to imagine children who would reach the white pedestal, it was an absolutely perfect place to rest the grubby feet that would inevitably find it on their way to the floor.

These are the roots of thankless thinking.  An unobserved moment of work that would go unnoticed and unappreciated, and seemed like, perhaps--well it would have been nice if it had been unnecessary.  But wait.

Another thankless job.  Only thankless if left that way.  After all, it started with a glance at the beautiful flowers that tirelessly color my world, and the promise of frequent visits from our hummingbirds.  It led me to notice the remnants of food that grace our table every meal of every day thanks to the God who provides, the farmers who grow, and the husband who works.  It gave way to the thoughts of kids who are healthy enough to play and come to the table with dirty feet, and who are too carefree to be bothered by smudges and crumbs and spills.

Honestly, there are days when I think no one could be more appreciative of her life of privilege than I am.  Yet my thoughts are never more than a split-second shy of heading down the road of ingratitude.

After the cleaning of the table and the unfolding of the thoughts and the photographing--with camera yet in hand, I looked out the window.

It seems to me
there are no thankless jobs.
Only thankless attitudes.

Heading Home

On our way back down the shore we still had several places we wanted to explore.

It required a little hiking 

and a LOT of stair climbing

but it was worth it to see the highest waterfall in our state
at Tettegouche State Park.

Not to mention what has to be one of the most
spectacular panoramas in our state
at Palisade Head.

I love how the little red kayak puts it all in perspective.
Probably paddling by to gawk at the climbers.
(Who you cannot see and who did not include us.
Because I'm sure you assumed I climbed up there,
adventurous gal that I am.)

Finally a landmark recognized by every true Minnesotan

perched atop this picturesque point...

Split Rock Lighthouse.

I hated to go home.
So thankful I could at least take it all with me
in my camera.

Summer on the Slopes

The north shore has actual mountains.

You won't find any mountain ranges named on a map,

but we loved the view of Moose Mountain

from our lobby.

It called to us.

From the top you could see where all the skiers go in the winter.

And where we stayed.  

The ski trails of winter were hiking trails of summer.

But this one wouldn't have accommodated skis!

Ben and I had to check it out.

Dad?

Not so much.  He stayed with Bethany at the chalet.

You know, to make sure she didn't fall over a cliff or anything.

And then back down.

Mmmm!  Perfect day!