I suppose I should officially document our great travels cross-country, and in fact while we were gone I was totally blog-composing in my head thinking what I was going to write when I got back, BUT, then we got back, I got a raging fever, was delirious out of my mind, sick as a dog, convinced I was a rabbit (see "delirious" above) dizzy, nauseated, and too weak to open a bottle of gatorode by myself, so my great thought train kind of got derailed. Thankfully, I am on the upswing now, and itching to get back to life. Actually I am itching to get on to the next phase of life, which, in my mind started after our vacation ended. The phase in which tv and movies are not a part of my childrens days, the phase in which we start George's first grade and Awana Sparks, the phase where Grace gets potty trained and pacifier-less, the phase where I decide whether or not Ian will go to Awana this year and what, if anything, to do with him school-wise, the phase where I get my computer/play/school room spit-spot organized. I feel a bit like Anne (of Green Gables) saying "Tommorow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it." What paralyzes me is the fear of the potential mistakes, I suppose, but all in all, I am excited. I finally got myself used to the idea that for the second "slow season" in a row, Nate would not be really getting much more time off, because they are opening yet another store. It's okay, though, really, I almost do better in my groove without him than when I have to adjust to handing over the parental controls again and learning to deal with the kids as a co-parent. We had some adjustment periods while on vacation, as always, just because that is almost the only time the kids have us both around day to day. For the most part, though, that was fine, and we had some profitable discussions because of it, so I was thankful. Well, I'd better hurry up and write about the vacation before I babble myself to death here.

We left on Friday, the 17th, a little later than I had wanted to, but fine all the same. Nate drove first, then I took over when it got into the late night/early morning. (Being a night owl has it's advantages, especially when you are road-tripping. After I drove 8 hours all night on our first trip up to MN, Big George said I should have been a trucker. Now that would be fun. But, I digress..) The tone of the time together in the van this time was different, obviously, since last time there was a spirit of grief, of hurry, and slightly of the attitude you get when you have no choice but to do something, so you automatically make the best of it. This time there was an air of suppressed excitement, of relaxed good humor as we were all looking forward to being up there. We arrived in Bemidji at about 10 pm Saturday evening to Scott and Mandi's open arms, (well, they had pizza in their hands) and smiles all around. Thus began a wonderful week of family fun, relaxing, fun firsts for the kids, laughter, getting to know each other better, and enjoying our surroundings. I will try to factually detail the days, for the sake of my poor memory.

• Sunday we went to church, had lunch, played, napped, and in the evening, Karen and I went with Mandi to a "splurge party" for her birthday, at a store in the mall, and then out for dessert with Mandi's girlfriends. Highlights of the day: Scott and Mandi's pastor doing an Indiana Jones imitation, drinking Highlander Grogg coffee at church, seeing Ross in his ready-for-Pensacola-duds, watching Karen have fun trying on clothes while simultaneously pretending she was too mature to be enjoying herself.
• Monday was kind of cold and rainy. We were all staying in cabins at Camp Oak Hills around the big dining hall, which became our central meeting spot/meal place/game corner/kid's playland/laundry room, and we spent a lot of time there. Highlights: wearing the sweatshirt I got on Kohl's 75% off clearance last year, watching my kids play with their cousins, and learning speed scrabble-I am totally addicted now. I think this was also the night of the Buchan brother's car race in which they named and bracketed all the little hot wheels cars the kids played with all day and had double elimination distance races. It is just too funny to watch four grown men completely relive their childhood, and still manage to act macho about it. For the record, Caleb was the grand champion with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
• Tuesday was our anniversary and was such a great fun day for me. I hope everyone else enjoyed it as much. It was all highlights. After a fantabulous breakfast cooked by Scott, Mandi took Karen and I downtown to walk around and to Cantabria coffee where I got a white chocolate cocoa, which I sipped on the way to my pedicure appt. - my birthday present from my incredible sister-in-law. After my fabulous pedicure, I walked my cute toes (which were painted "EdinBurgandy" and looked so great with my white yoga shirt with the word Simplify in black script on it and my Old Navy linen oh-so-comfy black skirt which is as big as a 12 in any other brand, but the label says 6) back down the streets of Bemidji and into some great gift shops, where I bought a little birch bark canoe for a souvenier. We got back to camp in time for lunch, then later that day, Nate and I went out to dinner at a local restaurant courtesy of Scott and Mandi. (If you are ever in Bemidji, go to the Green Mill!!) It was a great day.
• Wednesday, we went to see the big statue of Paul Bunyon and Babe, rode a little train around the park, went gift shopping, and went to Animal Land, where you can feed goats and tame deer while they are walking all around you, feed bear, lion, cougar, tiger, tiger, camel and a host of other wild animals in cages very close to you. It was so much fun, and I got some great pictures. That night we had the Buchan birthday party and gave gifts for the August to November birthdays. Highlights: watching the kids with the animals, giving presents.
• Thursday was our water day, as it was the only day that was predominantly sunny, nice and warm. We went swimming, water-skiing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, made sand castles, and went fishing. We were walking distance away from Lake Bemidji and had the camp's (and Scott's) water craft at our disposal. Everyone had a fabulous time. Thursday was also our fish fry supper. Mandi's friend Misty and her mom and stepdad joined us for supper. Highlights of the day: watching the kids play in the water, big kids and little kids, seeing George so excited about fishing, watching Lily do her American Idol impression, and best highlight of the whole trip- Nate rowed me out to the middle of the lake at about 10 pm and I swam in the beautiful, bracing water for 20 minutes while he fished. It was exhilarating.
• Friday, Mandi was watching two little kids, one of whom is Lily's "prince." Lily is Scott and Mandi's 4 year old daughter who has a flair for the dramatic, (see above) is obsessed with princess/high style living and is already planning her wedding. The kids all had so much fun playing together, and got to go out on the boats again, too. After the kids went to bed, the Buchan brothers continued their mandatory get-together Risk game, which Nathan won, and then Scott showed us the dvd he had made of Caleb and Ross's snow fun up there 2 Christmases ago. There was some great footage of Ross totally losing it plummeting through the air, limbs flailing, off a ski jump. (think AFV, only better) Mandi and I had some great talk-time while the brothers were off pirating CD's, too. Highlights: bubbles with the kids, seeing Nate in a bandana, talking with Mandi
• Saturday we left very early, so we could have lunch and visit with Grandma Buchan. That was great, just to see her and have the kids spend time with her. When we were up there for the funeral, she didn't get to spend much time with the children, so she was happy to this time. I got some great pictures. And even though I think this is where I contracted the gut-wrenching illness I have suffered from for days now, I totally enjoyed our lunch out at Country Buffet. Highlights, of course, were seeing Grandma Marilyn, and also my late night driving, where I went through 57 of the Third Day songs on Nate's iPod and had a good cry with God over Nattie.

So, that, completely NOT in a nutshell, was our family vacation. There were a hundred other great highlights, like the endless coffee pot, the ever present uncles to entertain the kids, Scott and Mandi's unending hospitality and famous cooking, and the fact that Nate and I had a kidless bedroom and set a record for vacation birth control usage. All in all, it was great, and I hope we get to do it again soon. Also, soon, I hope to be writing wonderful things about how organized I am being in meeting my goals.....but, we'll see.