where did the summer of 2015 go?

Hello everyone! I don't know about you, but our summer flew by in a rush of activities and traveling and and and. The little man started 4th grade on Monday, so its time to get back into a routine, both at home and here! I thought I would share a little bit of what we were up to this summer. 

The day after school got out, the little man and I headed to northern Minnesota to spend a long weekend with my parents. Spending time on the lake and fishing was a wonderful way to kick off summer. It was a perfect weather weekend!

While up visiting, I got to spend some time with my grandma. She is now 95 years old. I love her dearly, so it was good to catch up and hug her, repeatedly.

My nephew is getting so big and talking so much, its amazing! He loves to play with his E and the feeling is mutual. Here E is showing him how to build his first Lego set. The slippery slope starts so young. :)

We have been attending quite a few Cedar Rapids Kernels baseball games.

Its more exciting now that the Kernels are the Class A affiliate of the MN Twins! It brings more fans to the games, being closer to the Twin Cities, and we get to watch the players develop before they move up! Ice cream and fireworks after the games might also be a big incentive.

We planted quite the garden on our deck this summer. Basil and tons of herbs. Grape tomatoes. Poblano peppers. Green and red peppers. Eggplant. Zucchini. Cucumbers. And sugar snap peas. The basil was quite abundant, so we HAD to eat my husbands homemade pizza often.

On the lawn of Brucemore Mansion in Cedar Rapids, there is a balloon glow. The is the first year we have been able to attend and my parents were also visiting, so it was quite the treat! Music, food, and hot air ballons, plus a fantastic weather evening, made for a memorable night!

Then it was off to our yearly trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Ely, Minnesota. Canoeing there is amazing. The peacefulness. The quiet. The colors and wildlife. It fills the soul each and every time.

Our first paddle was 8 miles with three portages. We paddled Lake One and Confusion Lake. 

E is standing in front of a set of large falls that we had to portage around. The water was very high due to large rain amounts, so it was shocking to see how swift the current moved.

E also got to paddle his own kayak for the first time. He loved it so much, we paddled Lake Shagawa two days in a row!

One of the days it rained, so we headed off to see the sights. E and my mother-in-law were very brave and went into an underground mine. They went down over 1/2 a mile into the earth. No way was I doing that! E was fascinated and is still talking about it to this day!

We spent the rest of the trip at my parents again, relaxing and enjoying the small town 4th of July celebration in my hometown.

Swimming was of course going on this whole time. Our little fishy. He loves the water! All of his hard work paid off as he was the Cedar Rapids All City Fly champion for the second year in a row! This year as a 9-10 and last year as an 8&U. He also took 3rd in the Free and his relay took 1st! It was the hottest day I think I have ever experienced. All that pool water outside, but no getting in to cool off!

He also qualified for the Iowa State Swimming Long Course Championships in two events, which also placed him in two relays! The event was held at the University of Iowa pool, which is such a spectacular facility! It was a great weekend! He dropped time all weekend long. What a great time to swim your personal bests!

Cedar Rapids has a farmer's market downtown every other weekend in the summer. We have only missed one. There is so much to see and do and eat, its a great way to spend an early Saturday morning!

The Titanic exhibit is at a museum not too far from here, so my little history nerd and I checked it out with friends. The stories and the artifacts were amazing! As you walked through the air got cooler and cooler, until you reached a place where they were keeping ice. You could touch and feel and understand just how cold the water and ice truly was. Sadly E and I did not survive, but our friends did.

We broke out the ice cream machine and waffle cone maker. I am still hoping to make one more batch as I also planted chocolate mint. Its mint that smells like chocolate also! It think it will make an incredible flavor!

E also had three science camps this summer. Creating mods for MineCraft, designing apps, and Robotics. He loved them all and our desire for him to be a nerd is now complete. Which makes his nerd mom and dad pretty happy!

We also had multiple visits from my family, my husband's family, and friends of ours from days past in MN have moved here! Its been great catching up with them and helping them get settled, knowing how it felt. Its been 5 years since we have moved here. Time flies!

Which brings us to Monday. When this 59" not-so-little-man started 4th grade. He loves his class and teacher so far and is beyond happy to be back in school. The short course season for swim starts Monday. Here we go again!

I hope you all had a summer full of memories and good times!

thanks for stopping by!

~kimberly