Zoo Day...

One carousel ride = not enough. Two carousel rides = not enough. But that's all he got, anyway.

Tate and his mom sticking out their tongues at me. I was so proud.

I know this one chopped my head off, but Tate quickly lost interest in having his picture taken. He was, after all, on a "choo choo," so that took precedent over pretty much everything.

A little boy and his monkey backpack (a.k.a. leash), fascinated with the elephants. They are definitely his favorite.

The men of the family making a beeline to see the elephants.

He's Up!

Tate's usually pretty happy to see us in the morning.

It's always nice to know he missed his mom and dad. It's also nice when he waits until morning to let us know.

School Boy...

He's such a little boy now. He likes to carry/drag his own backpack.

The Little Man...

Ready for action.

Loving the beach (the water was frigid, though).

The Scenery...

Okay, we're taking votes. Pick the one I should blow up and put on the wall of my office behind my desk. By the way, this was right by the lodge. Awesome.

The Family...

Bampa.

The three of us.

Auntie Kendra and new Uncle Brett with Tate.

"Grandpa Grandpa" Earl and "Grandma Grandma" Fern made the trip; it was good to see "Grandma Grandma" Gen, too!

The Wedding...

Kristen's sister Kendra got married last Saturday to her now-husband Brett. The site was Lutsen Resort on the north (almost-to-Canada) shore of Lake Superior. It was an awesome setting, as you'll see in some of the other pictures we'll post.

If you look in the grassy area just off the beach, that's where the wedding was set. The reception (the 3 B's: barbecue, bar, and bonfire) was on the beach. Even the weather was almost perfect: 75 and sunny.

Here is Kendra and her dad, Gary, walking her down the aisle. It was pretty cool that I got to perform the ceremony. That's something I'll always remember. Good time all around.

Back to School...

In case we didn't mention it, Tate is back in "school" at the Early Childhood Center at church 3 days a week. Of course, every little boy needs a backpack. Since I refused to buy him anything with Sponge Bob, Thomas, Elmo, or anything else I can't stand to watch more than 30 straight minutes of on TV, the default was baseball. Besides, this one will still work in Kindergarten.
For all you Twins fans out there, this was a tough decision. We could either choose our favorite AL team with the best AL player in the game (Twins - Mauer) or our favorite NL team with the best NL player in the game (Cards - Pujols). That's a win-win, if you ask me.
Anyhow, Tate's a cool kid, and he likes his friends and teachers at school. Now you're informed.

Tate's Second 4th...

In honor of America, we ate Mexican food at the Riverwalk then watched the fireworks. Tate, however, was totally disinterested in the fireworks. After all, he had a water bottle whose cap demanded to be screwed and unscrewed over and over. Duty calls.

Here is our tired little family. Since we kept him up late on Saturday, Tate has taken it upon himself to wake up early both Monday and Tuesday morning. Gotta love messing with a kid's schedule.

The infamous Tate Van Scharrel stare-down. You are no match.