Wedding Time

Our friend's daughter asked Joey and Ellie to be in her wedding.  What a fun day to be part of.  The kids had a great time, and while I know I am biased being their mother and all, I think they looked pretty cute all dressed up in their wedding attire.

Thanksgiving Trip to GuanWu

Thanksgiving Day we headed into the mountains with a group of friends for a 2 day getaway.  It was an "exciting" drive there (you know....narrow, washed out roads), but the drive was worth it!  We were able to enjoy a beautiful hike through giant cypress trees, watched a beautiful sunrise over the mountains, and even saw snow (from a distance) on Snow Mountain (thanks to below zero celcius temps).  

Just in case you can't tell from the picture, we were COLD!

 

 Hiking

 Tough guys on the hike

 Smiley girls

 Fridays hike consisted of stairs, stairs, and more stairs.  These two kiddos were my hiking buddies.

 Look closely at the far right mountain peak and you'll see the snow!  That was the first time we've seen snow here in Taiwan.

Hiking

My kiddos

Time at the Horse Farm

Cousins

 Kvenild cousins

Larsen cousins plus Grandma and Grandpa

Time with Grandma

One of the most special things about our trip home in October was the time we got to spend with my Grandma Gladys.  I am so thankful for her and all of the lessons she has taught me.  I am also so thankful that my kids have been able to know her as well as they do.  We may not be able to see her as often as I would like, but we get to talk to her often, and for that I am also grateful.

Taking advantage of the parks along the Mississippi

While in Minneapolis enjoying the awesome Fall weather, we took advantage of different parks along the Mississippi River.  Minnehaha Falls, Hidden Falls, and Fort Snelling State Park were beautiful and so much fun!  Here are some random shots from our visits to the parks.

Grandpa and his oldest grandchild strolling through Fort Snelling State Park.

Dad and me sitting and chatting while Andy and the kids practiced skipping rocks.

Playing with Joey.

A fun tree the boys found along the trail.

Check out those roots!

Andy and Ike skipping rocks at Hidden Falls.

Playing in the VERY COLD Mississippi River!

My WONDERFUL parents!

Can't have too many shots of the kids with Grandma and Grandpa.

Berry Picking

While at the cabin, we went to an apple orchard where we went berry picking (sounds funny, right).  This was the kids first time picking raspberries and it was fun to watch their reactions!

Fun at the Cabin

After our trip to Duluth with Grandma and Grandpa Larsen, we headed to the cabin to spend a few days there with Grandma and Grandpa Kvenild.  What a relaxing couple of days!  We spent lots of time outside enjoying the Fall colors and having tractor rides.  We also spent lots of time inside putting together puzzles, roasting smores, and just enjoying time with Grandma and Grandpa.

Fun in Duluth with Grandma and Grandpa Larsen

After spending the weekend in Fargo with the Larsen clan, we headed to Duluth with Andy's parents for a few days.  What a beautiful time of year to be along the North Shore!  We had beautiful weather, enjoyed the Fall colors, and most importantly had an amazing time with Grandma and Grandpa Larsen!  Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for the great trip!

Beautiful sunrise over Lake Superior

Hiking at Gooseberry Falls on a VERY sunny Fall day

We stayed in a cute little condo right by the harbor

One round of mini golf was a must!

Lots of time was spent climbing on the rocks (or jumping between them)

A great picture of Grandma and Grandpa

Our last morning there it started to get a little bit chilly (I loved it!)