Thanks 100% to my sister-in-law — the only one in our family capable of planning more than 48 hours in advance — we took our second family vacation up to Lake Belle Taine in northern Minnesota. We immediately fell into the same routine as last year: beer and seltzers in the coolers on the porch, taking turns cooking for each other, sweet corn at nearly every meal, hours-long pontoon rides in the afternoon, bonfire, cards, bed.
The twins have caught up to Jason’s cannonball skills. Swimming lessons are clearly paying off. Trevor and EA, up from Florida, made all of us feel lazy with their daily runs, bike rides, and kayak outings. Getting a front row seat to parenting three kids under the age of five gave all of us a sense of awe for my brother and sister-in-law.
I brought my birthday Beam Paints and the twins and I had fun testing them out. All Ethan ever wanted was pushes on the swing. Dad and Pat just wanted naps. Overall, it was another successful together time.
