Cedar Rapids Lodge

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Hooray!

     Weatherman messed up! Thank goodness! No snow here...no ice...no rain...only sunshine!
Somebody realized it was spring! Schools an hour south of us were closed because of winter storms!
The next storm will probably find us!

     More later...have a great day!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

The Forecast...

     So....the weatherman says we're getting hammered today and tonite...12-18" of that white stuff!! Has anyone realized yet that it's spring?? Well, this forecast sure doesn't sound like spring! We sit here in our warm living room with a fire roaring in our new fireplace...watching and waiting for those snowflakes to start falling. Of course, we hope the weatherman is wrong...but when he's says it's a 100% chance...I think it's coming!

     In the meantime, here's a couple of cabin #7 updates and a photo story of what we've been up to the last few weeks...

Greyson turned 4 in February and we got to celebrate with all his cousins!

He got to go to the Legoland display at the Children's Museum! We all had fun!

Lucien, 3, Ben, 5, and Monica, 1, came to visit 2 weeks ago!

Jill & Monica had fun together....they even learned to share!

Jill and her friends were excited when we got the Easter decorations out last week!

Nathan looks like a giant next to his sister!!

I got to do this...for the first time... in a granddaughter's hair!! What fun!

Nathan turned 5 yesterday!! Do you even know how excited a person can be when they are 5??!!

All he wanted was a bus cake and a firetruck for his birthday...he scored!

Oh...the cabin...not too many changes lately. We measured for window coverings and floor coverings.

Furniture buying will begin soon...how many beds...where to arrange everything...the husband worries about getting the siding done in time and the wife worries about what quilts to get for the beds...priorities!

Here's one of the built-in shelving units for the downstairs bath...great storage in this cabin!

Look past the tools and you see the new bar countertop for stool seating...

Fireplace surround is done and shelf added for DVD player...

And I have a list of to-do's to get done before summer...

I have 2 of these to finish for 2 boys in Bemidji !!

For those of you who think I'm always this super-organized person...my sewing room right now!

Really need to address this problem...soon!

Maybe with this impending storm tonite, I'll get the time?? So they say!

So that's our life the last few weeks...people ask what we do all winter...now you know!

Oh...Jen just started her own blog...check it out HERE. Another way to keep posted on our family!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Progress on Cabin #7 Continues...

So...our carpenter, Kurt, has been varnishing trim boards like crazy in his garage across the road from us. When he gets several pieces done, he comes and puts them up. He's been cutting and putting trim up for 2 days...and more to do! Lots of trim work in this cabin.

Not an exciting photo, but the guests will appreciate this closet under the stairway. And be sure and admire the amount of trimwork in this closet!

The east side of the upstairs bedroom, trimmed & painted.

West side of upstairs bedroom...looking out over those blasted cattails!

Now the guests will have a beautiful view of the lake!

Upstairs bathroom painted and ready for built-in shelving...Kurt's working on it!

Yes, the tub is upstairs and large walk-in shower is downstairs.

Hand-built banister and "infra-red" fireplace in living room.

Countertop arrived yesterday and Steve & Kurt put it in today...

Lots of great cupboard space...still need to buy a new stove. Waiting for our

new Menard's store to open this spring!

One more view of the closet...bedroom on left, stairway on right.

(for those who like detailed photos)

We're beginning to see an end to this winter project! We know it will get done. Now the question is...will we have time to start and finish remodeling cabin #6...the consensus is that cabin #6 may have to wait until the fall, but we'll know more in the next 2 weeks. We need lots of melting snow...the roof is covered with snow right now and the piles by the cabin prevent us from taking the furniture out to begin work...time will tell, but it will get done, maybe later rather than sooner. We'll just keep you guessing for a couple of weeks.

And if you don't have a reservation for the summer, we still have some great cabins open for the 2011 season! Call us at 1-800-233-8562 or check out the resort website here. We'd love to help your family create some "forever" memories of time spent together!

Monday, February 28, 2011

Happy Birthday, Max!

On February 29, 1976, I gave birth to the first of our 3 sons...Maxwell Steven weighed 8lb.15oz. He was born 2 weeks after his due date...something doctors don't seem to allow now. When Max's older sister, Jen, turned 2, I was very pregnant and nearly due with her brother. I remember Steve bringing Jen to the hospital when Max was born...my baby girl looked so grown up! And now she had a brother who would become her best friend and playmate for many years!

Max--3 months old

Max's favorite spot...his swing.

Max sported the "bowl" cut in the 70s...so cute!

3 years old and very scared to get his picture taken!

Daddy was his "Idol" and if Daddy shaved, then Max wanted to shave...

When Max was 4, he made our local paper's front page! With a leap day birthday, he was big news in our small town. He didn't quite understand it, but held up his 4 fingers on one hand and 1 finger on the other hand...he was a celebrity!

When Max was 2 1/2, brother Sam was born. Any photo we have of the 2 of them shows Max with his hands on Sam's head...I don't know why, but he liked holding him by the head! Sam didn't object!

When Max was 8, our dog had puppies...an experience all 3 kids enjoyed. Boy, it was sure hard letting those puppies go to their new homes!

When Max was 11, we moved our family to Minnesota and bought our resort. He truly thought we bought the resort so that he could fish everyday...and he really tried to do that! He loved the resort and quickly learned to clean fish, drive the boats and deal with all kinds of people visiting the resort each year.

His love of the resort led me to think he might make a career of this life, but his love became the game of golf. He chased that little white ball for many years and followed his dream of becoming a golf pro.

Even though he is a busy guy in the summer when we are also busy at the resort, he finds the time to come visit a few times in the spring and summer and takes off in a boat to catch that elusive bass!

Max & Sara married 10 years ago and even though our memories of Max as a little boy seem like only yesterday, we are brought back to reality with the gift of these 3 blessings in their life...and in ours!

Greyson, 4, Will, 8, and Tate, 1

Happy 35th Birthday, Max!

Where did the years go??

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

A Look Back in History...with Pictures!

Our resort, Cedar Rapids Lodge, began in 1933. I think back to that time...way before my time... and can only imagine what northern Minnesota was like back then. Harry Archer came here from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to settle and built one cabin a year for 7 years to begin the fishing camp.

Here's a few photos of those days...

One of the original cabins...

Another cabin from the 30s & 40s

Harry left in the 40s and Ray & Norma Williams bought the place. They improved the resort and built more cabins, a lodge, their home, a pool and built the business up for lots of families....some of those families are still vacationing here today!

More early photos...

An early postcard of the resort.

Another postcard advertising the resort.

The original lodge area from the 50s & 60s.

Another lodge photo...smoking was allowed inside!!

Shuffleboard continues to be a fun sport at the resort...this original game is still being played!

Ray Williams in one of the early fishing boats.

A great day fishing...a long time ago!

Postcard advertising the new playground in the 50s & 60s...

A family group coming in from fishing!

A new pool in the 60s...this changed the whole vision of the resort from a fishing camp to a "family" resort. It was a great addition to the resort!

This cabin sat "over" the water's edge...it was torn down in the late 70s to make room for a new cabin...but we've heard lots of wonderful stories from the families who stayed in this cabin.

I could go on and post pictures right through 2010...but just wanted to share a piece of the history of our resort. You can visit our resort website here to see updated photos of the resort...and even make a reservation for your family for 2011! Making vacation memories is priceless...and we promise you won't be disappointed!

Keep reading our blog for updates on our newest cabin being built....and give us a call if you'd like to start your own family traditions at Cedar Rapids Lodge!