MN Part 3 - Max's birthday & fun times

We had a nice lunch at Gigi Sally's house one afternoon - lovely that Jani & Esmay came too :)

cutie :)

Genna & Max enjoyed waving Gigi's flags

Gigi & Genna :) :)

later after a nap, we joined Alex at a gigantic park by his house

next morning, sibling cuddles :)

working on crafts with Grandma

Awesome dinner out at the Northern. We took the boat across the lake then just walked up to the restaurant!

Max loved the cups they put his milk in :) just like a big boy!

and thankfully they had an outdoor area with a bean bag game



the kids just enjoyed running up and down the grassy area

Genna noticed this chair that had the area's lakes on it - very cool

fun to go home on the boat too!

Hello ducks!



Lovely that Normal joined us too!
 

a different evening at home, Genna set up this 'picnic' area with coloring for herself, Alex & Max

We all had a great time :)

Max's 2nd Birthday!!! We went to Como Zoo to celebrate

such fantastic primate enclosures

the seal show was great too

they liked the giraffe's too

and the pretend ones

tortoise! (Genna kept correcting us when we said turtle :)

puddles, animals, best day ever!

and finishing the day with a train ride - chooo chooo

conductor Genna

Back at home - SO happy with his big Elmo present from Grandpa & Grandma

 

birthday cupcakes! Made lovingly by Genna, Grandma & Mariah (decorated by Genna of course!)

and licking the candle. A fabulous second birthday celebration :)

time for water skiing! G tried it on slalom

G getting a ride with Grandpa on the jet ski

I got up hooray (on 2 skis - but it was my first time water skiing in like 11 years!) First lap I tried to drop a ski and wiped. Second time I dropped and stayed up. Just like riding a bike - felt GREAT!

the beach audience :)

Coming into shore. I let go early to make sure I didn't come anywhere close to the people on shore. Not sure why I plugged my nose though lol!



Max LOVE LOVE LOVED using a stick to poke frogs in the pond. He did it every day. I'm surprised he never skewered one !



Big boy can do everything by himself! NO WALK! Ok - but you have to hold my hand too!

my friend Beth came to visit which was lovely - this is her youngest boy Blake playing with Max

Tommy playing marble works with Max - he LOVED having big boys to play with!!

Trying a peach drink Beth brought - lovely!

Genna relaxing with a snoozing Grandpa

SO great to catch up with her!!! Felt like old time :)

her boys are SO sweet too - G & M really liked them

The next day we went out to lunch with Gigi Sally, Jani, Julie, Al & Caleb

They were thrilled with the lovely bday gifts from Gigi Sally

saying hello to Caleb

Max isn't great at sitting still though. He kept grabbing the hand of Grandma or Jani to take him 'OUTSIDE!' To see rocks of course!

after Max took a nap, we headed to the beach in Forest Lake

it was shallow and very clean - a lovely beach

posing with her new backpack

back at Gigi Sis's house - hooray

getting ready to watch Grandpa set off a few final sparklers he found in  the garage

FUN on the playground too

The next day we drove to Wisconsin to see my best friend from school Stacy

The kids LOVED her daughter Finley's trampoline!!

Me, Soloman &  Stacy

Max never wanted to come out



Until it was time for a fun ride around their property!

and a stop to feed the chickens



cutie girls :)

enjoying their drippy ice cream outside -they were SOOOO happy!

Then before we left we went down the road to see their animals at her husband's parent's farm - first up the pigs!



Max cooling down the pigs with the hose



SO SO great to see Stacy :) :)



Her husband Taylor helped round up the donkeys



So great to see Stacy and meet her lovely husband & kids :)!!

then we drove up to Joni & Kevin's place - first up a tractor ride!!!!

talk about fancy!! it's air conditioned in there!

next up, lawn mower

he let her steer - it was hilarious! she had a blast

talking to Kevin

busy making necklaces with Joni

poking frogs



went out to breakfast with my friend - had to take a picture of it - yummmm

another evening out with friend - I had frickels - deep fried pickle slices you dip in ranch - OMG yummmm

reading with Aunty Megan :)

Out to lunch - coloring with Gigi

such a lovely lunch :) We love these guys SOOOOOO much

out for a walk with Kevin - to look for rocks OUTSIDE! of course :)



another fun day at the lake

one last water ski before we go!

he kept pointing saying he wanted a ride, but noise of it once he got on terrified him. So just sitting on it was fun instead :)

getting the lantern Marcus got for Genna ready (it was too windy for them to work on the 4th)

a last breakfast out with friends. I didn't get any photos of my friends - but I did get the food! This was a Mexican breakfast - yummm! SO lovely to catch up with my friends too

while I was out, Mom & Mariah took the kids to Fawn doe Rosa, a deer park nearby

they had goats too!

they had SUCH a brilliant time!



deer kisses!



petting a baby goat - awwwwww

bunnies too

and a raccoon!

cuddles with Grandma

and ROCKS!!! lol

our last night we went to the harness races - they LOVED the big tractors

he waved at the tractor drivers for every lap and they always waved back - he was thrilled :)

they even got to pet one of the horses before it started!

a REALLY fun night :) :)

 

back at home that evening - checking out the glow toys she got

last morning in MN - Max was up early - but had a blast running around OUTSIDE!

giving Brock 'pat pats' - he really enjoyed having Brock around - such a gentle dog

 

A fabulous trip. SO many great memories. SO relaxing. SO nice to see and spend time with family & friends :) :)