Our little family grew early on Sunday morning as we welcomed our third daughter, Caroline Michelle! She is a perfect 7 pounds and cute as can be. We are all very excited that she’s finally here, but her two sisters have been extra googly-eyed for her and have hardly left her side! She is wonderful, and we are very blessed to have another healthy little munchkin to join the bunch.
We had a week of cold weather, as did most of you, that made ice on most of the shallow local lakes. It warmed up a few days ago and melted most of the accumulated snow, along with the very top layer of ice/snow mixture that was on the frozen lakes. I took advantage of a fairly warm day and took Mabel out fishing, along with our resident photographer (Aunty Kayla). We managed to convince a few small walleyes to bite, and Kayla was able to capture some pretty cool photos with the watery ice acting like a giant mirror (along with being incredibly slippery!).
Mary Kate and I (Ryan) went for a short evening drive yesterday as we both enjoying seeing deer. The field directly across from the resort must have been hosting a deer convention, as there were over 100! We have had a fair amount of snow up here this winter which makes the forage in the fields inaccessible. The deer are excited for spring, and to eat something other than the woody browse they have been eating through the winter months. We, just like them are excited for the warmer weather and are anxiously awaiting getting outside and working on yard work and spring projects!
Recently, my brother, Nate, and I helped my dad build a small heated wood shop so he could start carving again. Prior to buying Half Moon Trail in 1995, he and my mom were artists, and made their living carving and painting bird sculptures. My sister, Kayla, has an interest in art, so Dad is doing a little teaching this semester and Kayla is getting a little hands on training from the pro. The photos below are just the “roughing out” stage, which usually starts with a chainsaw, like Kayla is using below. I’ll post a few more pictures at a later date, showing the carvings when they actually look like something other than a piece of firewood 😉
Liz’s parents were up this weekend and were kind enough to watch the kiddos while we took full advantage of the beautiful weather today and went skiing at Soaring Eagle Ski Trails, located north of Park Rapids about seven miles. The trails were beautiful and it was great to get outside without bundling up like a marshmallow to stay warm 😉 As with many of you, it’s been pretty chilly the last couple weeks with most days barely getting up to zero, so it felt pretty balmy when the thermometer read 20!
Like many of you, we’ve been wrapped in a winter white blanket of snow these last few days, just in time for Christmas! We excitedly welcome the snow, as it means cozy fires, warm soup, a bit more family time, and breaking out our cross country skis!
The drifts of snow weren’t quite as impressive as some that made the news in North Dakota, but there’s something magical about fresh, untainted snow covering everything as far as we can see, and seeing the real life “flocked” Christmas trees all over the resort!
Two to three dozen trumpeter swans migrate through the area and visit Boot Lake every spring and late fall. We enjoy watching them glide back and forth in the lake, sometimes stopping to feed right in our swim area! They are particularly beautiful with the fluffy white backdrop!
Here’s a few classic summer photos that I couldn’t resist sharing! These were taken a few weeks back by Michaela, our resident photographer;)
It was beautiful here at the resort this past Sunday, and we took the opportunity for some family time. We love many aspects of the resort life, but spending time with family is one of the most important. Working with, and teaching our kiddos the value of hard work is a huge benefit of living at the resort, but it’s great to kick back and relax with them too! Mabel found her daddy’s hunting decoys, and thought they would make good friends so she insisted on having Liz and I carry them around and even sent them down the slide…life is never boring with youngsters!
It was a little chilly on Friday, with a few snow flakes swirling in the cool spring air, but we still enjoyed a toasty campfire at Mom and Dads, just down the lake. My brother Nate was home from college for a few days and had made some benches and campfire ring so we had to try it out with a hot dog roast. It’s great being close to family! Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!
My dad found a sweet, retro toboggan while out antiquing recently and decided it should be tested out before using it for decoration. The kiddos got a little ride out of the deal, and mom and dad got a few kid-free minutes 😉
Popi (what Mabel calls my dad) came to take Mabel for a walk yesterday in the fresh, fluffy snow. It sounds like all she wanted to do was eat it. It’s beautiful up here, and we thought you might enjoy seeing a couple pictures of the resort in the fresh laden snow!
Merry Christmas from Half Moon Trail! We are enjoying some time with Liz’ family in Plymouth, MN. We are thankful as we remember our Savior who came into this world over two thousand years ago. God Bless, and have a wonderful time with family and friends this season.
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