Matt and Cassandra's wedding weekend.

After months of anticipation and excitement, Matt and Cassandra tied the knot. Their wedding was near Glencoe, MN (about 1.5 hours west of Minneapolis. We stayed in a small Air B&B in Wakonia, MN as lodging closer to the venue was almost impossible to find. We enjoyed the small town/suburb with lunch near the lake, playgrounds, and plenty of R&R, it was really a great little get-away. The wedding weather was perfect, the layout was lovely, the kids held it together for the first half of the ceremony, but crumbled during the second (hangry + wedding is a hard concept), we were happy to sit long enough to hear Dave do a reading (Sully was so proud) before we made a swift exit. The speeches were incredible and the dance (the small portion we made it to) was hopping- I was so bummed that we couldn't last even a smidgen longer (the kids were spent). Overall, it was a beautiful day. We're so happy for Matt and Cassandra, and that she is officially part of the fam.

Fancy Bucca dinner fun. 

Greta is our pasta professional. 

Still learning the ropes ;).

Photo shoot while the ceremony was still taking place
(after I removed them and fed them cookies).

Fam photo- Christmas card candidate for sure. 

Sweet sisters. 

Date night. 

The London crew.

Getting the wiggles out before the long drive home.

Greta starts preschool and other Munce happenings.

Greta started her last year of preschool with her typical excitement and charm...until it was time for us to leave. Ugh. She is going four afternoons a week this year and I'm optimistic that as she gets into the swing of things, she will be great.

We've also been filling our time with family picnics, more karate, soccer, piano, and now gymnastics (for the girls) and ninja academy (for Sully). We are officially booked solid this fall and anxious for the kids to start finding some faves so we can start weeding some things out.

Catching up with some photos.

Impromptu Brookings trip. 

Four super scary dinos.

Sweet trio.

Grandma Helen and her crew. 

First day- go get 'em Greta! 

Annual 'first day' photo of my girl!

So grown up.

I got to have lunch with my kindergartner.
Green beans and all ;).

One on one afternoons with my Piper. 

Greta gets in on the action this year! Go Starbursts!

Post game exhaustion - it was 90 degrees (in September)...yuck. 

We've got a kindergartner in the house!

Wow, in the last week it feels like Sully has grown up about two years. He finally got the hang of the no training wheels and started kindergarten- like a boss. I have been a disaster. I started crying during my weight watcher meeting the day before his first day and have been on an emotional rollercoaster ever since. I keep seeing this newborn image of him and remember how hard we fought for him and how he turned our world upside down. And then his relationship with his sisters, who miss him so much already while he is gone, it is so quiet around here. He, however, has handled the transition with ease. He gave kindergarten two thumbs way up, he is excited to meet new kids, loves being served hot lunch, and recess. We are three days in and I cross my fingers each morning that he carries on as he has as it is the only thing carrying this emotional mama through the transition.

Way to go, Sully! We are so proud of you.

The night before his first day- two thumbs way up.

Ready for fun! 

Our attempt with all three.

Sully at school.
Sonia Sotomayor Elementary
Spanish Immersion

Family photo op. 

My babe, all grown up. 

Door County and Wisconsin Dells

We snuck in one last vacation before the school year started and ventured to Wisconsin. We logged some serious miles as our first stop was Door County which is about an hour and a half north east of Green Bay, aka 10.5 hours of car time. The kids did surprisingly well between snacks, videos, iPads, etc. but we were so happy to finally arrive.

We stayed in an old refurbished farm house with no wifi and no tv. It took about 24 hours of getting used to, but once we did, it was really great. The house was on several acres of land and there were trails and a large area to gather around a fire pit. We felt like we hit the AirBnB jackpot. We explored many of the villages during our 5 day visit, every town was so charming and quaint. The only firm agenda items were Sully practicing without training wheels and cheese curds, both happening at least once each day. The views (both bayside and Lake Michigan side) were breathtaking, it was the perfect spot to disconnect and spend some quality time as a family.

We told ghost stories by the campfire, at Milky Ways under the Milky Way, took an auto ferry to Washington Island where we stopped at a lavender field and visited Schoolhouse Beach (a spot with giant rocks instead of sand), we shopped in orchard stores where Sully said "mom, I took so many cherry samples (easily 20 ;))," and then the cherry pit spit, the Cana Lighthouse adventure where Piper had to promise to walk up and down all 97 steps without being carried- and she did it! The Greatest Showman was our soundtrack for the vacation, notable songs include Greta's fave 'A Million Dreams,' and Piper's 'Never, Never!, and last, but not least- the American Flag game. Our family's version of 'I spy,' but its who can spot the most American flags. Every time Dave would see one, he would say 'American flag' and at first everyone loved it, but by the time the week was over, he would say it and even Piper would say 'ugh, dad, we aren't playing that game anymore.' We both got a kick out of that.

We ended the trip with three nights at the Wisconsin Dells. The verdict is still out in my mind as to wether that was a good choice :/. We started out great, taking in all of the parks and fun, routinely playing too hard and staying too long, and then expecting the kids to behave during a restaurant meal (rookie parenting move). There is no shortage of things to do, and that is an understatement. The real bugger came the night before we were to depart, at the last waterpark we played at. Sully and Greta were playing while Piper napped on me on a lawn chair. Dave came out with a bloody Sully and a worried looking Greta; Sully had just had his two front teeth knocked out. It was very dramatic, a first aid visit followed by a couple of phone calls to our dentist (who was amazingly responsive). All is fine and good, it was just a hard way to end the vacation.

Back to life, reality, and our house. We were so happy to see our house.

Pit/potty/park stop during the long drive...right before Greta discovered 'cockabirds.'

Farm house trails. 

Al Johnson's tourist trap (a supper club with donkeys on top).

Sister Bay

Greta sing songs the day away to 'A Million Dream.'

Sully and Dave- constantly exploring together. 

1 million dollar view-
 looking towards Green Bay from the northern point of the peninsula. 

Pancakes at Julie's.

College rendezvous at Peninsula State Park. 

Bailey's Harbor - Lake Michigan side. 

Bike riding lessons on Gibraltar Road. 

Washington Island lavender fields. 

Milky Ways under the Milky Way. 

Cana Lighthouse

I may have got to 15 feet. Easier said than done, folks. 

'Candid' family photo around the fire pit (haha Greta) ;).

Piper in front of our farmhouse. Fave photo of the vacation. 

Piper 'running' with me. 

Worth the drive to find the 'Margaret' mural. 

180 degree change to Wisconsin Dells. 

Too much jacuzzi fun. 

Last photo with everyone's teeth.

Afternoon snooze with my baby girl. 

A couple of hours after the accident,
 all cleaned up and medicated. 

Clean bill of health from the dentist.