We have a busy August. This Friday looked like the last Friday before school starts where we are around. I suggested getting breakfast at Al's Breakfast. I also wanted to go here before the college kids weren't back in school yet. I tried getting Theo to order the pancakes, but he got the waffles. I think everyone was happy with their breakfast. Still the best breakfast in Minneapolis. Theo woke up early this morning and was willing to go on a walk with me. Based on the photo above, I think you woke him up. He scored some good books at a little library. Later, I took the kids swimming at Weber Park. It was cloudy and dark at home and up in North Minneapolis it was clear and sunny. I finally convinced Theo to tie back his hair when he goes swimming so his hair isn't in his face. Later Brooke and I went and picked up a hoosier cabinet for our kitchen landing. This custom shelf the old owners made would have to find a new home in the basement. This was nice enough but the micr...

This summer we decided to go to the cottage any weekend we had nothing else going on. This week, due to fires in the Boundary Waters and Canada, the air quality was pretty terrible. We debated if we should still go, but it looked like it would clear up by Saturday. So we took the chance. And by terrible, we mean the worst air quality we'd ever seen. Along the way we decided to stop at John and Heidi's Happy Daze . We've passed this place probably 100 times. It was about time to stop by. I ordered the prime rib sandwich special.  Yummy. The sandwich that is. Everybody's food was really good, but Brooke's was the star of the show.  I want to get back here asap. Now if only this pesky smoke would go away.

I saw that the Northern Wisconsin State Fair was happening and we didn't have anything else planned. We booked a campsite at Lake Wissota State Park and we were on our way.  We hadn't been to a county fair yet and this seemed like it might be even better. We set up camp first in case we would be back late. This was a good excuse for a quick camping trip. Plus we'd never been to Lake Wissota State Park before or Chippewa Falls, really. Since 1897 Chippewa Falls has been hosting the Northern Wisconsin State Fair. More of a super-regional county fair, Wisconsin’s other state fair started as a way for folks up north to avoid the grueling, long haul down to Milwaukee County. Our first stop was to fill up our big jug of lemonade. I think this is the 4th year of this big jug. Brooke brings a couple of our old lemonade jugs with just in case. Then you get the refill price.

I had hoped to bring Brooke and the kids along, but alas I'd be traveling solo this week to the Dakotas. On my drive out to Brooking, SD for my first shoot of the week, I spotted this eery cloud. Thankfully it never touched down, but I was very, very nervous. Once I made it to Brookings I found this gem, Taqueria el Jarocho . What a sweet mural. After my strip mall tacos, I took a walk down the main drag in Brookings.

A couple of weeks after we were last up at the cottage, you say? Not soon enough, we say. We assumed dinner would have already been done by the time we arrived so we stopped to eat at Culver's in Rhinelander. While we were eating, I got a text from my dad saying he was in Rhinelander with Chelsea at Urgent Care. I guess Viola had taken a hard fall. When we got to the cottage Daniel was just starting dinner.  We hadn't seen Viola since Christmas, she's a little girl now. She was super shy around us at first.  She did also just get back from the hospital. I'm not sure if I approve of fireworks the night we get there, but due to scheduling conflicts that's when Three Lakes got in their fireworks show. 2nd of July fireworks would do.

We woke up to down pouring rain.  Once the rain had slowed down, Theo and I walked over to the Kingfield Farmers Market. Theo picked another Bundt cake as his treat. I have never seen it so dead.  I got some rhubarb to make jam and Israeli bagels that I wasn't expecting to be long. On our walk home we also picked up some free pots and a Minecraft book.  Both of our vacuums have bit the dust. I was trying to hold out until Black Friday to buy another one when I saw there was deals thanks to Prime Day. Theo said he's never seen me this excited before, not even my birthday.  I used up all of my gift cards I'd earned from Medica. Yeah, I know, it's weird. Walking for two years got us a vacuum. I had vacuumed in the morning with our old vacuum and then again with our new one. Ew. Usually I'm the one stressing out before guests come over but this time it was Scott. He was deep cleaning everything.  We both have blind spots for different parts of the house I guess. We ...