Interstate State Park used to be our weekend hangout where we climbed the crags along the scenic bluffs towering above the St Croix River. The river bisects the park creating a park that spans two states, Minnesota and Wisconsin. We haven’t visited in awhile as we now live over an hour away, but we were craving elevation gain, scenic views, and a brief escape from reality. We drove to the Wisconsin side and chose not to follow a “trail” per se but opted instead to follow the climbers trails we have walked so many times before. It felt strange to revisit…
Rowan Margaret
When we tell people that we originally didn’t plan on having any children they’re often surprised. It took us 5 years of marriage before we felt somewhat ready to welcome a child into our family. We had our son Jack in 2014 and were beyond happy with our little man who loves adventuring, is a great traveler, is emotional, a total Momma’s Boy, throws some epic tantrums, is sweet, loving, inquisitive, and so much more. Again, we spent a long time debating the addition of another baby. After we decided to give it a go we had a miscarriage in…
Willow Falls
It’s been 27 days since our last hike in the woods. 27 days since our Jack was healthy. In the span of 27 days Jack got a stomach bug, broke his right clavicle, and got pneumonia. In 27 days Jack has been in 2 Emergency Rooms, had 2 X-rays, 3 blood draws, 1 urine test, 4 physical exams, and 3 prescriptions filled. In 27 days Jack has missed 3 swim lessons, 4 ECFE classes, and we had to cancel 1 weekend on the North Shore. In the last 27 days Jack has spent 1 day outside on a walk around our…
Buying Our First Canoe
This past summer we tried our hand at canoe camping and we were absolutely hooked after our first trip! Taking young children out on the water always intimidated me, but we wanted to have a wilderness experience with our son. Being pregnant with our second baby all summer, backpacking was not an option for us. So, we took the plunge and headed north to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). After that initial trip we knew we would be planning a lifetime of trips together as a family. During the two trips we made to the BWCA this summer we borrowed Bobby’s…