Tis the Season...

I am beginning to realize that our "off season" is busier than when the resort is open!  So many projects, travels, activities...we are hardly home to update this blog!  Sorry about that...but we are feeling the old adage..."the older you get, the faster time flies!"  I can't believe it is already December...and it's almost Christmas! 

Again, this posting is a collage of photos gathered in the last few weeks.  The month started off with our 4th annual Cookie Walk at church...I have always chaired this event, but the amazing help I receive each year makes the event a success each and every year.

Here's some of my elves setting up the tables for the shoppers.

A sampling of the beautiful goodies for sale by the pound.

Sugar cookies...always a hit!

We have some of the best bakers in northern Minnesota!  Honestly...we couldn't hold this event without all the church people who bake for days and donate for this cookie walk.

This picture shows an eager shopper with his glove on, picking his cookies for his box...and if you look, you can see some of our new construction in the background.  We have held these fundraisers to raise money to add onto our church...we've raised over $200,000 in the last 3 years!  An amazing total in our small community!  The addition is almost finished and we are all so excited to "move in"!

 On the homefront, we've had lots going on at the resort.  We're closed for the winter, but the work continues.  Our carpenter, Kurt, parks his trailer here in the fall and works on our list as he gets time...

He has finished the new screened porches on cabins #10 & #11.  They will be awesome next summer!

Cabin #11...trim needs to be painted yet.

Cabin #10...needs staining and painting in the spring!

New windows installed in cabin #4...

and windows in cabin #5...wow, did they need it!

Here's what my sewing room/4th bedroom looked like last week...new wood walls, painted ceiling and carpeting will be ordered soon.  The bathroom is still a work in progress...photos to come.

We spent Dec. 3-12th in Shakopee with 3 little ones...their Mommy went on a mission trip to Swaziland, Africa!  We had a wonderful time.  I played house and Papa worked at Max's golf store during the day. 

This little girl and her Nana had a great week together! 

Presents from Mommy showed up mid-week(thanks to Daddy) and it made this little guy feel a little better about missing his Momma.  Nana just does things a little different than Mommy, although I tried my best to stay in their routine each day.  Their Mommy is a wonderfully organized person...and this 60 yr. old Nana probably worked a little slower...heck, I know I did!  But it was such a gift to live amongst all of them for those 9 days!  And their Mommy came home safe from a memorable trip doing God's work....and we're all glad to have her back!

We continue to be thankful for this group of munchkins who fill our life with love and joy!

We look forward to spending our holiday with all of our family, one little family at a time...and then we'll all celebrate together in the new year...if we can find a place big enough for all of us!  There's an addition coming to this family on December 27th...and we're as excited about grandbaby #10 as we were the first time!  I expect we'll have pictures of this new baby shortly after he/she arrives.

Merry Christmas to all my readers!  We are humbled this season when we think of that baby born so many years ago who came to save us all....we hope you have Jesus in your heart this Christmas...and all year long!



I am Thankful For....

Tis the month of Thanksgiving...and we have so much to be thankful for!  God took us on a journey 25 years ago, bringing us to this beautiful resort...and we've never looked back!  Well, maybe we did that first winter when the snowfall was over 100 inches!!  We hunkered down with our four young children and spent alot of time together...time we had not had together for a very long time. 

These pictures are just a sampling of what we are thankful for...perhaps it will remind you of those special people that you are thankful for too!

Little boys with donut cakes on their 4th birthday...

Nathan...who loves his Uncle John more than anything....and....



we think they look alot alike!

We're thankful for breakfast with Ben & Lu at Perkins...

Grandchildren who make Papa's birthday so very special.

Princesses who can't quite go without a nap...and the queen who cuddles!

I'm thankful for a husband who tackles any job....

Thankful for my Dad's pizzelle maker....

Pizzelles with Nutella filling...yum!

Who wouldn't be thankful for red cupcakes in a jar with cream cheese frosting!

I'm thankful that the snow has just barely started....even though it will stick around until April!

Thankful for a Papa taking his crew on the Elfun Trail....

Thankful for cute cousins in pajamas watching "Tangled" on Nana's couch!

Thankful that Tate doesn't mind posing for Nana when I ask her to!  So cute!

And finally....I am thankful for all these little blessings in my life!  Papa & Nana's life would be pretty boring without all these little ones to cuddle and love!

We hope you have blessings in your life that you are thankful for this Thanksgiving!

Enjoy your turkey day with your loved ones...

Golf Warehouse Sale!!

      I just need to remind all our guests, friends, family and golfing enthusiasts....Max opened his seasonal store this past week and we were there this weekend to see it.

Here's the proprietor, posing for his Mom!

And here's some photos of the merchandise for sale between now and Dec. 27th...

And here's a guy who loves to hang out in this place...

If you've never been to the store, it's a great place to find anything golf-related, along with lots of gift items, clothing....all at reduced prices...and the deals get better every week....if you can wait that long!  But don't, because when you go, you'll find yourself wanting to go back and look again!  The stock changes daily...Check out the Golf Warehouse website HERE.  You might just get to visit with Steve on one of his "working" days!

Fall Activity...

It's been almost a month since I last posted!  I guess that's because there's just not much going on when the resort is closed!  We closed Oct. 1st, but I had some quilting friends come out for 4 days the following week and stay in the duplex...and we all sewed our fool heads off!  We usually do a group project each year, but this year we didn't know who would be able to come and how long anyone could stay, so we all agreed to work on our own projects...quilters always have unfinished projects!

These are some of our "works in progress".  It's amazing how much sewing we get done when we lock ourselves in a cabin for 4 days!  Looks like I have the largest finished project, but really, these ladies sew me under the table most of the time!  My blocks in this quilt were sewn 3 years ago and I've been working a little each winter to finish the project.  Now I can see an end to it...so, of course, we all decided to do a group project together for the next year!  Jackie had a great idea for everyone to create a center block...and each month one of us suggests a type of border to add...until we see each other's finished "quilt" in the fall of 2012.  Maybe this time I will get the project completed??

We have enjoyed the most beautiful fall weather you can imagine!  Up north, we don't take good weather for granted!  We savor it!  We know winter is just around the corner and it lasts a long time, so fall is always our most favorite time of year...we just wish it lasted as long as winter does!

We watch this tree on our road turn the most beautiful fall colors every year...it's one of the first trees to show it's colors.  And therefore, one of the first to lose it's leaves too! 

We took a much-needed getaway to Hayward WI last week.  We stayed at a resort for 3 days and enjoyed the fall colors...did alot of this...

and this....

And I couldn't get enough of these stands of birch trees...one of my favorite things about Wisconsin...

We stayed in this cabin....

somewhat primitive...made us appreciate our own resort!  But we loved this...

and have decided to add this to a couple of cabins this fall...for the 2012 season!

Here's some other things we've been up to this fall...winter is fast approaching! 

Steve's woodpile...waiting to be split and hauled closer to the house for winter heat!

Monica and Jill watching Beauty and the Beast in their jammies...

Two little girls going for a walk in the woods with Papa...

An event that occurred several times over the weekend!

Nate & Jill & Calvin walking on the Elfun trail this fall...

Sam showing his deer stand to Lu & Ben...memories...

Jill talking to Mommy...

We had Jillian for 8 days while her parents took Nate & Cal to Disney...with other Grandma & Grandpa and family...I think we had as much fun as they all did! 

I hope you all have had a wonderful fall season...our leaves are down, raking will wait til spring....wood is being hauled into the house for the fireplace in anticipation of the cooler weather coming.  Snow predicted tomorrow night...bah humbug!

We have turned off the water to all the cabins, blown out the lines, bedding is all washed & bagged for next spring, our lists are made for new ideas for next year....do you have your reservation for 2012??  If not, go HERE and click on availability to see what we have open for next year.  We had such a great 2011 season and we look forward to a relaxing winter and a busy season in 2012!

Come join us!