The last few weeks of July were a busy time for our family! We finalized our new garage project and one day woke up and decided to start on the remodel of the current garage. The first step was removing the asphalt from the front because it was causing water to flow into the garage space. Justin and I took turns smashing and shoveling the asphalt while Gus and Maarit played and 'helped'.
The finished mess looked like this, we tore up the asphalt to the grass line and built a mound and planted trees. Now the front of the house on the road is much more private and although you can still pull into the driveway in the front, it is only a small space. We will turn the front into gardens and walkways to the new garage space.
Maarit has started to read aloud to Gus, he loves to listen to her, especially Moo, Baa, La La La.
I love his little concentrated and pouty face in this picture.
On Maarit's name day, July 20th, she really wanted to go to the Chalk-a-Lot art fair in Two Harbors like we did last year. We made a picture of Norway this year. Unfortunately, she developed a fever later that day and wasn't able to enjoy very much of her name day. She and Gus had a rough summer virus, thank goodness it is finally done.
On the night of the 21st a straight line storm went though our property. We lost so many trees, the kid's play set and our trampoline. However, our house and sauna were spared and we were all safe so we are very thankful. Our yard was an absolute disaster and we were so sad to see so many beautiful trees from our property lost, especially since we had just started getting the property to a place where we could see it beginning to be what we imagine. We still have not managed to get the trampoline out from this pile of trees, but we do have the yard cleaned up.
Just a few days after the storm we headed to Michigan for the Mattson family reunion in Chassel. We started our adventure out with a Finnish music and folk dance at the local heritage building. Maarit loved the dancing, she spent the whole time standing in the front and watching the dancers in traditional costumes.
We also had a lot of fun playing at the park in town.
On my birthday we went to a Chutes and Ladders playground where they had these giant nearly 3 story slides. We all had fun going down the slides, even Gus! He went down this one on his own!
Gus picked this flower from a field of beautiful daisies, this one was already dying and so sad looking, but it was the one he picked. He handed it to me and said "Dem momma" 'dem' is his word for 'here you go'. I will always love this little flower, the first one from my baby boy!
Gus enjoyed my Dairy Queen ice cream birthday cake!
On the 26th we enjoyed the Mattson Family Farm Jam at Russ and Lorraine's farm. There was music, games, slip and slides and lots of cousins for the kids to play with.
After our time in Michigan we travelled to Wisconsin to visit Grandma and Grandpa. I loved this picture where Maarit and Grandma are nicely looking at the pussy willows and Gus is jumping around like a crazy pants!
The highlight of Gus's trip was this tractor ride with Grandpa. I don't think he will ever be the same again. It absolutely blew his mind. He was so serious and concentrated while driving the tractor. After the ride he cried and pounded on the garage door begging for the tractor to come out again.
It was a busy July and as I write this I am thinking of all the pictures from August that I still need to upload and post. It has been a fun and eventful summer so far and although school is starting again soon, we are looking forward to a couple weeks of visiting friends and parties before we return to school time normal.
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