Cabin Weekend & Baby H #2 Update

Sunshine, family time and relaxation - that about sums up our long weekend. A couple months ago, Mitch's sister proposed the idea of renting a cabin up north for the long Memorial Day weekend. It sounded like the perfect way to start the summer season, and celebrate the long winter finally being over. It was practically an unanimous decision, and within a few weeks we had a cabin booked at Kavanaugh's Resort in Brainerd for the end of May.

After weeks of counting down, the weekend was finally here. Knowing traffic was going to be congested heading North Friday after work, we were in no real rush to get up there. Mitch and I both worked a full day on Friday, and packed once we got home. I left the car packing to Mitch. I saw the mounds of bags and suitcases, coolers, fishing poles and golf clubs and had no idea how we were going to stuff everything in the Outlander. Somehow Mitch managed to pack the car using every ounce of open space we had. I realized we probably overpacked for a 3-day weekend, but we were prepared for anything!

We arrived late on Friday night, and waiting until 7pm to leave proved to be a genius idea. We ran into minimal traffic and Harper was sleeping by the time we arrived. We put her in the king size bed (that the three of us would be sharing for the weekend) and unpacked the stuffed car. It was a low key night just sitting on the deck, enjoying the fresh air and beautiful lake view. 

Harper woke up Saturday morning and her eyes lit up when she noticed the playground right outside our door. She hustled to find her sandals so we could venture outside. Jennie and I enjoyed our morning at the playground and we even wandered to the beach and poked our toes in the wet sand. 

The boys had a tee time at Pine Beach East early that morning, which meant shopping in Nisswa for us! Nick was coming in from Detroit Lakes, and since he missed the early morning golf outing he joined us for a little trip to town.  

We wandered Main Street, popping into the little boutiques and specialty shops. The sun was blaring and it was gearing up to be a hot day, so it only seemed appropriate we make a pit stop for ice cream. As we walked into The Chocolate Ox, Harper's eye grew large. Candy covered the store from floor to ceiling, it was little kids dream come true. In the back was a cute ice cream parlor that was calling our name. With cones in hand, we sat outside enjoying the beautiful weather. After a little more shopping (I scored an adorable pig planter I just couldn't pass up) we headed back to the cabin. It was a fun morning in the cute town of Nisswa. 

We spent the rest of our day soaking up the sunshine, blowing bubbles and playing in the sand. Harper couldn't get enough fresh air, and was loving every minute of it. Running around outside, carefree and barefoot was her mission this weekend - and boy did she fulfill it. I think she convinced everyone to bring her to the playground at least once, and finally built up the courage to go down the steep slide by herself. Our first full day at the cabin was perfect, and we were looking forward to another full day of fun!

Sunshine peeked through our window bright and early Sunday morning, it looked like another beautiful day. After breakfast, we all got ready and decided to partake in some of the activities the resort had to offer. Deb and Nick played a little tennis, while Harper decided the basketball court was calling her name. Since the paddle boats were free, we decided to take on that adventure. Knowing Harper hates her life jacket, I wasn't sure how long our trip would last. We were out on the water for about 15 minutes before she made it known she didn't like the waves. Since it was a picture perfect day, there were plenty of boats on the lake. Waves were everywhere, there was no escaping them. So, we cut our paddle boat adventure short and pedaled back to shore. 

After our short lived paddle boat experience, we decided to give the pool at try. Since the shallowest part of the pool was 3ft, Harper hung out on the stairs most of the time where she could touch. Her little rubber ducky managed to keep her entertained for a couple hours, as she went around squirting everyone with it. She thought it was the funniest thing! It was an amazing afternoon, jamming out to some tunes laying in a lawn chair. 

Our activities managed to take up most of the afternoon which meant we missed nap time. We were going to ride out the rest of the night, hoping she didn't hit a wall and have a complete meltdown. Dinner passed, and she was still going 100mph like usual. We played on the playground and watched the boys play bocce ball. Harper was intrigued by the game, and insisted she give it a try. When I explained the concept and told her to throw the colored balls to try to hit the little smaller ball - she walked over and set them down right by the little one. That's one way to win! :) She finally gave throwing them a try, and giggled every time they collided. We ended the night at the beach, where Granny and Harper collected sea shells and the rest of us relaxed on the chairs. As the sun went down, it was end to another great day.

 

With checkout at 10am, we were all up early packing and loading the cars. It was an amazing long weekend, and I can see this becoming an annual tradition. We said our goodbyes and hit the road. Before heading back to Maple Grove, we made a pit stop at the Malat residence on Gull Lake since it was just minutes away from the resort. Even though the Medford's only live 45 minutes away, we still don't see them enough. Since we were so close, I wasn't going to miss this opportunity. Harper was in quite a mood since she was lacking sleep, but she quickly warmed up to Julianne (who she insisted on calling Angelina). Our stay was short, but it was so good to see the Malat and Medford crews.

We made it back home by 2pm and were all exhausted. Harper went down for a nap shortly after we unloaded the car - and Mitch and I decided a nap sounded like a good idea for the adults too. After waking up refreshed, we're all wrapping our heads around heading back to normal life. Work, laundry, cleaning - back to reality! We had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, hope you guys did too!

As far as Baby H #2, we're only 3 short months away from meeting him! I had a doctor's appointment last Monday and it was the dreaded glucose screening. I drank the overly sweet lemon-lime beverage, I forgot just how big that bottle was. After choking it down, I met with the doctor. Everything is looking great and I'm measuring at 26 weeks. With a little blood drawn, they let me know I passed the glucose screening but was a little low on iron. This was exactly the same scenario with Harper. We also discussed scheduling my c-section, which seemed surreal. The doctor said she'd fill out the appropriate paperwork to get the process started. 

A few days later I received a call from the office to get everything on the calendar. Baby boy Helleen is scheduled to arrive August 25th! It seems weird to think we know when his exact birthdate will be, as long as everything goes according to plan. The next few months will fly by, and we're excited to meet this lil' guy! 

Until next time...

The Helleen's