The day I tourtured my children (or so they say...)

My boys would tell you that it was horrible and unnecessarily cruel of me to make them do it ...



Yes, I warned them they had the ability to get through this and be done quickly ...





All they had to do was look at their crazed, desperate mom yielding a camera and SMILE! "Don't touch your brother, don't lean on him, don't pull his hair, don't blow bubbles with your spit, don't stick your tongue out, and please don't swing your arms or jump in place ..."





After about 80 minutes (with a short playground break in the middle) and 260 shots later I think we got some acceptable pictures and we are all still alive to tell about it.




I took some of each of them individually too, but I'll post those tomorrow

Maple Sugaring at Papa's Cabin

Our morning at Papa's Cabin began with Gus, Papa Ron and Great Grandpa explaining a bit about their land and how maple sugaring works. That metal stove thing is the boiler where they boil the sap into syrup. That black and white picture you see on the wall is a blown up version of a picture taken during harvest over a hundered years ago:




"STRELOW,PLESSEL & GUTZKOW CO. THRASHIN
For Christenson Brothers, Rock Creek, Minnesota Oct. 15, 1892"

Sitting in that black and white picture is my Great Grandpa Gus as a young boy (that would be our Gus's Great Great Grandpa Gus) and his dad, Peder Christenson.

Then the kids paired off and grabbed a bucket to go collect the sap

Papa Ron and little Mary supervised

Collecting all that sap can make your bucket very heavy

Some kids got drawn to the beauty of the creek
... even though you'll find no sap in there

Once all the bags of sap were emptied and brought back to the boiler, we got a good bonfire going

And Mikayla set up the table for lunch

The kids each roasted a hot dog or two, followed by roasting a marshmellow or two or three of four :-)




I think its safe to say we all had a wonderful day! I'll add the pictures of their walk down by the creek to the beaver dam and archery practice in another post

Slideshow design personalized with Smilebox

Good Bye Bearskin

Gus takes one last go at a hill before we load up and drive home



Mary, Gus and Owen fast asleep while Mikayla and Zeke sing along to crazy music, somewehre just before Duluth

Twins on skiis!

My niece and nephew are so darn cute!

Valentines at Bearskin

Some of us went for a dogsled ride!




Played with the pups


And warmed up in the tepee



Then back to Grandma and Papa's cabin for coffee:


And card making:


And Valentines Face Paints:



Then out again for more fun in the snow:





Yep, it was a very happy valentines in Bearskin this year!

Feb 13th at Bearskin

Papa and Mary making morning coffees


Choas of breakfast for 22 in a small cabin


Lots of picturetaking and skiing happening today