This was the favorite climbing tree over our favorite wading spot. We even got to share it with my brother Forest and nephew Jack! Being less than an hour from them for three weeks was such a treat!
And we got my mom up in the tree too!
This is the river we can see from the porch. We saw many blue herons and ducks.
This is the Postage Stamp Prairie, one of the many restored prairies on campus. The arboretum makes up the majority of campus and was so extensive that we didn’t even see it all in three weeks.
This is the waterfall at Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park where we waded last weekend.
The track is right across the road from our apartment, so we went there to run off energy almost daily. This day we happened to get caught in a downpour. It was very refreshing to see that my big boys have by no means outgrown puddle stomping.
This is Stewart’s collection of things from the bushes, before it was complete. And also before they came and power washed the townhomes, washing most of his brothers piles away.
This is Twill down in the wood chips below the lilac bushes off the porch. He literally could play in there content for an hour.
This is one of Wesley’s pets, Mothie. You wouldn’t believe how much fun a pet moth can be! Or how much wildlife we saw on a college campus. Every day the kids saw the “friendly squirrel” on the way to the dining hall, and chased many bunnies and birds.
This is at a local CSA that we got to visit with a new friend of a friend. It was so fun for the boys and I to help pick produce and flowers. I think they miss the garden some too!
Meeting the locals has been such a highlight, at parks, libraries, the pool, and businesses. There is a strong sense of community here. We even happened upon some live music and a farmers market a couple blocks from our apartment downtown. I think the compactness of everything in a smaller town can help to bring people together. I know I sure loved walking everywhere and am thankful for the practice we got before leaving our vehicles behind for the next year!