A Memorable Cabin Weekend

First things first -- we're officially cabin owners! After renting our Pipe Lake cabin for the last three years, Andi and I decided to take the plunge and purchase the place as our own. We both love it so much; it's our little slice of paradise and our favorite place to spend time together as a family. Renting was a chance to test the waters with "cabin life" and now we're excited to make this place our own with our own decorating touches and many memories to come.

After the closing Friday afternoon, Andi, Tory and I celebrated with dinner at Hilltop Retreat. We toasted over drinks (a Wisconsin-style Old-Fashioned for him; O'Douls for her) and a tasty dinner.

We're either adjusting to the crazy of dining out with Tory, or eating in a restaurant with her is becoming slightly easier because we actually had a nice night out together. It helps that Hilltop has a salad bar so we can serve Tory instanteous plates of crackers, cottage cheese and pudding. Though now I reflect back on the evening, I think we are adjusted to the chaos as there was a fair share of pudding smeared all over the table and about 15 trips to the bathroom so Tory could potty (read: make a mess playing in the bathroom sink). Joe, Lisa, Morgan and McCall (the previous cabin owners) stopped by the cabin later in the evening for a celebritory cocktail after Tory was asleep.

Andi and I are really excited about our big cabin purchase. It really does feel like a second home to us and we're excited to start making the place feel more like our own. An interesting note: I was 34 weeks pregnant with Tory when we closed on our current home in the Twin Cities and 34 weeks pregnant with Baby #2 when we purchased our lake cabin. Wonder what our big purchase will be if Third Baby ever comes about?

We made plans Saturday to go to Nature's Select Orchard, one of our very favorite places to visit each fall, with our cabin friends Josh, Krista and their daughter, Hannah. The weather on Saturday wasn't perfect (cloudy, misty rain and a bit cooler) but we made the best of it. As always, the owners of Nature's Select were so welcoming and gracious. The farmer took us on a hayride to the patch where we walked around and selected our pumpkins.

Hannah and Tory on a wagon ride through the pumpkin patch

Heather - 34 weeks pregnant with baby #2;
Krista - 20 weeks pregnant with baby #2

The orchard added baby goats this year and Tory just had to see them. They were the sweetest little animals and one of them even kissed Hannah!

Because this is our life these days ... we also toted the potty chair through the orchard for Tory. You never know when the call of nature will strike and I wasn't sure what the bathroom situation would be there. It was a good thing we brought it along because she actually used it once by the goat pen; quite the comical sight I'm sure seeing a toddler seated on a potty chair in the middle of a field. By the end of this potty training journey, I think I could write a book titled Oh, The Places You'll Go! because it feels like our entire lives revolve around Tory and the potty these days. Country roads, goat pens, festivals ... you name it.

After the orchard, we parted ways with Krista and Josh, then came back to the cabin for Tory's afternoon nap. She took a teeny cap nap, as per usual, so Andi and I decided to make a trip to nearby Stone Lake for their annual Cranberry Festival Saturday evening. There were a variety of festival events taking place throughout the day, but the website seemed to indicate everything ended at 5:00pm. Based on timing, we were only going to catch the last 30 minutes of activities by the time we drove there, but Andi and I decided to visit anyway. What else were we going to do on a dreary, fall day? Later, we gathered there isn't much happening at the Cranberry Festival after 5:00pm because the entire town was stumbling drunk. We walked around Stone Lake a bit and browsed a few of the vendor shops before jumping back in the car and heading home to the cabin.

Sunday was a lazy day. Tory and I lounged around the cabin while Andi met with another contractor regarding some future projects at the cabin and then the three of us went for a long walk around the lake. Exercise is definitely becoming more challenging for me these days. I was having major Braxton Hicks contractions upon our return and my legs and hips were so sore the rest of Sunday. All part of being 8 1/2 months pregnant, I guess.

Once again, we had a nice weekend at the lake. Fall is officially here and with it brings new activities to occupy our time. Hikes through the wooded trails, peeping leaves changing color and picking out pumpkins. Now we're official cabin owners, it's fun to think of the many, many years of fall traditions ahead -- bringing Aden to the pumpkin patch for the first time next year or maybe Andi and I making it to Stone Lake sans kiddos one year to enjoy all the drunken cranberry festivities. Feeling joyful today as I realize just how good our life is; we're in such a happy time and I'm truly thankful.