Weekend Recap: Our Sixth Anniversary Celebration

The best weekends are the ones you can't stop thinking about when they're over. The ones you know are memorable while they're happening, and you're sad from head to toe when they're done.

Last weekend, Andi and I celebrated our sixth anniversary and it was definitely one of those weekends. It's been a rough summer of travel for Andi so when he announced his plans to take vacation days on Thursday and Friday, the kids and I were over the moon. Four full days at the lake cabin with just our little family = heaven!

To kick things off, Andi, Tory, Aden and I ventured to the Country Lane Farmer's Market near Barron, Wisconsin on Thursday afternoon. We'd visited this market once before a few years ago, and it was a really neat place to stop. The market is packed full of vendors selling local fruits & vegetables, meat, and other homemade goods. There's also a big bulk foods store on property and tons of other food vendors. Rarely are we at the cabin on a Thursday afternoon, so we took advantage of the opportunity.

 

The plethora of choices from the food vendors looked amazing for dinner, but Andi and I had already planned to have a fancy meal at the cabin after the kids went to bed. We did just that when we returned from the market, and it was the perfect conclusion to the evening. Steak filets, local green beans and a side salad -- delicious!

Friday was the date of our actual anniversary, and we planned to take the kids for a long Ranger ride in the morning. Typically we ride within 20 miles of the lake cabin, but on this day we decided to take the Cattail State Trail from the lake cabin, through Turtle Lake, WI and end in Amery, WI. Andi packed a picnic for the four of us to eat once we arrived there, so we had a nice little lunch together in the park. 

How cute is this drinking fountain in downtown Amery? The kids thought it was really cool to take a drink inside the lion's mouth.

We drove on the dusty trail for 57 miles round-trip, so the four of us were disgustingly dirty by the end of it. Aden had a paste of mud on his face after wiping his slobber-covered chin with his hand. The rest of us had raccoon eyes in the shape of our sunglasses.

A picnic in the park and some fun on the playground equipment, then Andi, Tory, Aden and I hopped back in the Ranger and drove to the cabin. Immediately upon arrival, the four of us pulled on our swimming suits and jumped into the lake to wash off. We were filthy, but nothing a few hours swimming in the water couldn't cure!

Why we won't be taking Aden canoeing anytime soon ... stay in the boat, kid!

Aden ended up taking a later-than-usual nap that afternoon which meant he was awake later than usual that evening. I told Andi we should capitalize on the chance to take some photos of our family at sunset, so that's just what we did.

We spent most of Saturday on the water, going for multiple pontoon boat rides around the lake and swimming in our bay. Andi grilled ribs for dinner, then the two of us enjoyed a fun evening at the neighbor's cabin sitting by their bonfire. (Our baby monitor reached into their yard just a few feet away.) Perhaps we had a little too much fun on Saturday night as both Andi and I nursed a pair of hangovers the next morning. Oy. Good thing the dawn of Sunday brought overcast skies, so the four of us lounged around in bed together and watched episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on repeat.

When the skies lightened up Sunday afternoon, so did Andi and I, and the four of us made one last trip around the lake to conclude a fantastic weekend together.

Sad to see such a fun weekend go, but looking forward to our return to the lake as always.