We had the privilege of taking care of the youngest daughter of our friends, The Huberts, whilst they attended a Bears (boohiss) game in Denver on Sunday and Monday this week. I felt like I was "playing house" and she was my little dolly for the couple of days she was with us. She's a very sweet, obedient, happy girl. I had to take some pictures to share with you. My "other dolly" had a lot of fun playing with little Savanah, too. I'm sorry about the blurriness. Although one can tell her mommy takes lots of pictures (she instantly posed and smiled when I got out the camera), holding still is not part of her M.O.!! :O)
My "other dolly...."
We also had the great honor of hosting my KINDERGARTEN classmate and friend, Doug Durant. and his nephew, Sammy, and godson, Jaydon, on Wednesday night as they passed through on their way back to Minnesota from their tour of Yellowstone/Tetons. We enjoyed a cookout and a great visit!!
Yesterday afternoon, my Uncle Steve called and said he was in town on his way from MN to his newly purchased mountain property in Colorado. He spent last night with us and is now on his way to CO.
It's been a full week, but one that makes me appreciate all the connections and relationships that we are blessed to have and that help define the parameters of our lives. I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend full of relaxation and filled with the love of those in your lives!!
Christy
Mom and kids at the Ariel Lift Bridge, Duluth:
Gooseberry Falls, upper falls, North Shore:
Cave near the upper falls:
Brennen in the red shirt perched on the rock mid-photo:
Split Rock Lighthouse museum, North Shore:
Split Rock Lighthouse:
Funny tree photo shoot with my kids and nieces, Cierra and Rhiannan...they are the cutest and sweetest kiddos!:
Sorry, Todd took 0, zippo, nada, zilch, zero pictures in Canada. So, all we really have is his word for it that he actually caught fish! :O) 
The life!!
Todd sneaking in a few moments of his own fishing between helping the kids with theirs.
His big catch...good thing we'd packed sandwiches!!
Brennen learned to cast today. He's a natural!
Kindrid fished some and enjoyed playing among the rocks and driftwood. This was her "paddle" for her rock boat. Note the orange-drink mustache!
The view we enjoyed across the water.
Day Three: We enjoyed Sunday buffet at Bear Lodge, especially Big Mike's biscuits and made-to-order omelets. If you ever visit the Big Horns, be sure to do this buffet they have on the weekends in summer and every day in winter (snowmobiling is HUGE here). We switched campgrounds as the one we were at had tree removal and some construction commencing the next day. In search of another lake to try fishing, we sought out Adelaide Lake in the center of the range. Um, you know what they say about getting there being half the fun? Well, it was. The roads were really rough! We (Todd) persevered and were rewarded with a gorgeous mountain lake and LOTS of mosquitoes. Kindrid found some flowers...
Kindrid (with some help from Daddy) caught this fish. Yep, Brennen is in his skivvies...trying to dry out. He was able to wade out quite a ways and then cast this way. His little legs got very numb from cold mountain lake water which was a good thing as it helped dull the pain from all the mosquito bites he got!
Day Four: We took a drive through the high country hoping to find places cold enough that mosquitoes would shun them. We did! Although I have no pictures, we enjoyed a romp with the dogs in a high field full of wildflowers, a picnic in a valley near a river, Brennen learning to "drive" some more and so on. 
Todd's going to be so happy I put these on the blog. I could hardly get him to pose and he jumped up very quickly when a car drove by!! I love you, Babe!!!