Minnesota....

Last night I sat with a few of the youth who traveled with me to Minnesota for the last couple of weeks. We were having dinner outside on what could be the last nice, cool night for a while.

Then it occured to me that we are back from Minnesota. We have come home to Ohio and it is all a memory now. CRAZY. We talked for months and months about our trip. We dreamed and worried and planned and prepared. It suddenly hit me that our great Minnesota adventure has happened. So much of it lived up to our expectations and dreams, so much of it took us by surprise. We succeeded and failed, we put our hearts into it and quit on it, we worked hard and played hard, we laughed, we cried... I admit there were even a few swear words. We traveled for hours in the big white van, in yellow canoes, and on our own feet. We saw parts of the country that amazed us, humbled us, and changed us. I wish I could do our time justice in some articulate fashion. But I can't. INstead, here are some photos of our trip.

On the second day of our drive to MN we stopped at Gooseberry Falls on the shore of Lake Superior. It was AMAZING!! Carly and Meg tried to cross the river before Kim stopped them an pointed out a "safer" path!



These are the boys that I canoed with (along with our friend Jason... ok, guide, but we think of him as our friend now!)

Each afternoon the boys would try to convince me to swim at our campsite. The water was COLD though!! And even though I had every intention of getting in each day... it was my little entertainment piece to have them beg, plead, and try to get me in... it was COLD!! And Carlys hate being cold!! Here is Daniel swimming at our first campsite.

We also had the most beautiful sunset view on our first evening out. Actually every evening had a great one... but this one also made a beautiful picture!

After canoeing we headed to Mound, MN outside Minneapolis and Camp Kingswood. Our base for our week of working with 2 other church youth groups.

In Lyndale, MN there is a church that we drove by nearly every day on our way to the work site... it had the oddest sign.
This is one of the work teams from Kingswood... they worked HARD on the same house all week, while most groups switched at least twice.

Carly and I got a Carly and Carly shot over an odd (and colorless!) dinner one night. Love my Carly!! (although I clearly have the better tan... shhhhH!)

Ahhhh... Minnesota! You treated us well, and kicked our butts. You hated us and loved us and made us crazy. You don't always pave your roads, but you give them all names. Your people were some of the nicest and most loving we have ever met, even though an awful lot of them laughed at us. You have a Starbucks in most every Target... which saved many a youth from the wrath of Carly. Your Caribou Coffee really isn't our favorite, but the hoof mints are darn good. We got all "tatted" up when we came to visit... and brought home some very decorative skin.

Minnesota... we love you and also kind of hate you. We are blessed and forever changed by the time we spent with you. We will always remember you!! And hopefully soon we will meet up with you again!!