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Grand View Lodge: Friday

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Photo above of storm rolling in over Roy Lake, 9 am.

Today is our last day of vacation here at our cottage on Roy Lake. The weather has been perfectly hot, gorgeous and stormy at night. Except for today. Another wave of thunderstorms swept in during the middle of the night bringing dark clouds, loud rumblings and lots of rain. Our last day will be cool, thunderous and rainy. But overall, we couldn’t have asked for better weather.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed our week away. Most of my vacations are rather busy and intense. However, our week on the lake is always relaxing. There are no mountains to climb. No sights to see. Just the lovely water waiting for us to enjoy and the beach. It is a great week to spend together as a family, enjoying each others company and creating lifelong memories. But by the end of it, I am always ready to go home.

I will sure miss the gorgeous sunsets and the call of the loons. But it will be here waiting for me, next summer, when we come back.

Here are some photos of my favorite sunsets during the week.

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A small town celebration of the Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July all fellow Americans! Today is a day of celebration, family, watermelon, picnics, brats on the grill, parades and fireworks. Nothing could be better than spending it in small town America located in the heart of Minnesota’s northern lakes. My husband and kids even saw a bald eagle fly right over their head this morning as they were walking to our car. I can’t think of a more symbolic way to start off the day.

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Grand View Lodge: Tuesday

Yesterday was the first day I could finally ease into that Adirondack chair and relax. The kids were off playing games in the morning and I indulged into one of my favorite pastimes. Reading. I completed a beautiful book that I need to add to my Worth a Read page called “The Memory of Love” written by a Sierra Leone woman named Aminatta Forna. As you can probably guess by now, I don’t read anything too light and fluffy.

Yet the book truly made me think deeply about so many things in life. How fast time goes. How much we take for granted. How love is everlasting. The cruelty of war, rape and death. How hope and resilience rises above it all. The beauty and power of the human spirit.

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Vacation. Relaxation. Eat. Drink. Be Merry.

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View from the beach.

Today is the start of our official week long family vacation! This is our third year that we have come to stay at a cabin on Roy Lake in Nisswa, Minnesota. I can hardly wait to relax. Life has been too busy and it is time to sit back, relax, spend time with my family and chill. I haven’t decided yet whether or not I will be blogging. I may take an entire week off as a blog vacation. Or I may do shorter posts with a photo of the day from this beautiful part of the country. We’ll see.

In any event, my response to reading your posts or comments will be delayed. Have a great week! thirdeyemom

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