When we have each other, we have everything.
Wade, Alisha, Ben and I ventured to Columbia for spring break. Leading up to the trip, there were a lot of people that were shocked or scared that we would consider such a "volatile" country. My mom even suggested paying me not to go! When we arrived at the airport, we were divided into two cars to head to the resort. Wade and Alisha had a funny situation with their driver. They were stopped at a security checkpoint for a bridge that crosses a channel. There were armed guards and their driver told them to "get down." Upon seeing their huge eyes and tense faces, he then said "get out." The car and bags were searched, but definitely a perfect example of the language barriers that we faced down there. After arriving at the resort, however, we quickly realized that there was nothing to worry about. The resort was in the middle of nowhere, but had beautiful beaches and grounds. The resort was impeccably maintained. Here are a few highlights from the trip: 1. Relaxing and napping 2. Great variety of food options 3. Coral walls while diving (not a lot of large sea life, but a ton of coral and small colorful fish) 4. Visiting Cartagena and seeing the Walled City (from the 1500s! and perfectly preserved) 5. Boating to the Rosario Islands 6. Warm weather (high 90s to low 100s the whole trip) Enjoy the video if you want to see more!
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We have been cabin owners for a few months now! What a journey it has been! This cabin was put on the market in October and we closed on it in early December. It fortunately sold with furniture and a great history of vacation rentals in the past. We did some updating with bedding, decorations, living room furniture and a hot tub. We rent the cabin through VRBO and it is an amazingly easy website to navigate as an owner. The cabin is already booked full for June and July and August only has two more possible bookings! It takes a lot of effort, but it is paying off! We couldn't be more thrilled and look forward to also using it on occasion for personal use. We head out there in May to check on things and get the patio furniture set up for spring and summer months.
This is the link if you want to check it out: Lone Pine Lodge This was the 2nd annual staycation and our 5th annual summer vacation with friends. Although the weather was not as fantastic as hoped, we still had a great time out on the boat, chatting around a bonfire, playing lawn games, trying to win a relay, and enjoying good food! Another successful staycation! Made a video of our fun time together: https://youtu.be/qVFgaZBCLLE What a wonderful trip! I had the opportunity to spend a week in Seattle to catch up with family and friends. I was able to observe the ribbon cutting ceremony for my family's new insurance business. I am so proud of them! If you are interested in a quote, contact them through their website :). http://www.alpineridgeinsurance.com/ The rest of the week involved good food, great conversation, walks, pedicures, Big Train drinks, and a tour of Theo Chocolate Factory. Wow! 8 years already with my best friend! We celebrated with a quick trip to Big Sky and Yellowstone, Montana. Too much to say about our 8 years together...so I am going to sum it up with the lyrics to a song that I feel best represents the journey that Ben and I have been on... I Lived by One Republic Hope when you take that jump, you don't fear the fall Hope when the water rises, you built a wall Hope when the crowd screams out, they're screaming your name Hope if everybody runs, you choose to stay Hope that you fall in love, and it hurts so bad The only way you can know is give it all you have And I hope that you don't suffer but take the pain Hope when the moment comes, you'll say... I, I did it all I, I did it all I owned every second that this world could give I saw so many places, the things that I did With every broken bone, I swear I lived Hope that you spend your days, but they all add up And when that sun goes down, hope you raise your cup Oh, I wish that I could witness all your joy and all your pain But until my moment comes, I'll say... I, I did it all I, I did it all I owned every second that this world could give I saw so many places, the things that I did With every broken bone, I swear I lived VALLEY FAIR - Last day of school was sunny and fantastic! I even worked up the courage to go on a few rides! Don't get too excited...the old fashioned cars, carousel, and ferris wheel are definitely thrill rides! WESTONKA TECHNOLOGY ACADEMY - Kristin and I were on snack duty! We did well at Costco and Target! We purchased "sports" themed treats to follow our "Get Your Game On" theme! I taught three classes this year on flipped classroom, personalization, and video tools. I have my hands full with planning new things for the coming school year. I love my job and the energetic, passionate, and knowledgeable colleagues that I get to spend time with! GARDENING - Started some seeds this year and then transferred them to earth boxes that I made myself! I followed a YouTube video that was very informational and helped save me a ton of money! You can buy them for around $50+ dollars...I made each earthbox for around $15. They have been really successful so far out in my garden. I had to make a few tweaks to them, but the plants have been gobbling up the water from the bottom tray and growing like crazy! I will most likely make more next year, but wanted to test the system first before investing too much more time and money.
What an amazing trip! Costa Rica was incredible! I already want to go back! We landed in Liberia, Costa Rica and stayed in the Gulf of Papagayo. We were able to stay for a full week and traveled with our great friends, Ross and Heather and Wade and Alisha. The dogs stayed at a student's house for the week and had an eventful vacation as well! I am not sure how...but life always goes by so quickly in the winter in Minnesota. We sold the snowmobiles shortly after returning from Montana. It was definitely the right call. We were tired of chasing snow and we were able to get a fair price for them. We have decided to pursue downhill skiing as our winter sport of choice. Ben has been skiing for a long time, but I am still working on getting used to it. Ben has traveled several times to Bend, OR to visit and ski with his parents. We have also skied several times in Minnesota...once at Afton and twice at Lutsen. I really like skiing in Lutsen. We don't have to chase snow in order to ski in Minnesota because they make we make our own :) My mom came out to visit for a little under two weeks in February. It was great, quality time together! We walked, shopped, quilted, watched Downton Abbey, and visited. I made a quilt for my bestie, Ali. It turned out so well! I was so excited to give it to her as a surprise for her upcoming, big # birthday! Lucy is doing well. We are working with a vet that we love to continue to figure out her chronic ear infections. She is on a highly specialized food that is supposed to eliminate the possibility of a food allergy. She will be on that food for two months and we will see if there is any progress. We can hope! We are anxious for the summer. We sold our 2008 Malibu VTX in the fall and ordered a new 2015 Malibu VLX. The VLX is a little bigger and we were fortunate enough to have a stellar trade-in value on the old boat. The new boat also has what is called a "Wake-gate." This will allow us, once we learn, to switch the side the wake is on and surf both sides.
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AuthorsBen, Julie, and Amelia Archives
June 2022
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