Fall is most certainly my favorite time of the year, and this past fall weekend with me even better thanks to time with friends and family!  It was certainly a quick trip to the north woods of Wisconsin but we made the most of that time. Upon arriving in La du Flamebau, we settled in and warned up the house with a toasty fire! 

Saturday morning began with a drive to Minocqua for provisions.  The colors are in full force already, so despite picking up a breakfast that was all too guilt - inducing, the trip into town wasn't an entire waste!  And since we were in the area and, as Brian said, it was the 'northwoods' neighborly thing to do, we swung by for a visit with Uncle Jeff and Auntie Jo. We chatted about our plans for our upcoming trip to Ecuador and discussed the upcoming Runnells family summer outing, we checked out the water temperature, and took in the views of the lake before making our way back to the house.  

Then we were off to Superior for my best pal's wedding. We stopped for a short hike at Copper Falls State Park and then got into wedding mode.  It was absolutely fantastic to see one of my dearest friends so happy. Katie and Mindy complement each other in the most perfect way, and I can only imagine how wonderful their life together is going to be! It was an honor to be with my friend on her special day, and it was wonderful to see her family and catch up with one another; we have so many wonderful memories together, and I love them dearly! 

After a nice walk around the 'neighborhood' Sunday morning, we packed up and headed to Eagle River to spend some time with my family.  My Uncle Tom, my Uncle Terry, my cousins Erik and Aaron, and my parents were all in town spending time with Grandpa. And since my brother now lives so far away, any time in Eagle River is good time to me.   Our first stop in town was my brother's house, which meant I got to enjoy a final Harley ride for the season.  Then we headed to breakfast, where we laughed more than is probably acceptable in public.  My uncles always make me smile, and those cousins of mine sure know how to do the same.  I've always felt very protective of my family, and looking around the table at them smiling and sharing stories of their golf outing the day before made me certain that this family is a special one.  Grandma would have been really happy to see her boys together like that.  After breakfast, we made our way back to Grandpa's to watch the first half of the Packer game. Certainly, that would have made Grandma happy, too - she loved her Packers. And as I was sitting on the porch watching the game, I couldn't help but think of her. It was my first time at the house since losing her this summer, and, to be honest, I was worried about returning.  I know it will never be the same, but it did feel good to feel a little bit closer to her. And it was especially nice to hug my grandpa.  

This weekend was a good reminder of what truly matters in life - family! 


Copper Falls State Park

just playin' around 
McG got married!  

fall colors 
Lac du Flambeau 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Just a Little Evening Adventure

Image
Sometimes you have those days that turn out to be so very different than you expected them to be.  Wednesday was one of those days.  We welcomed houseguest Tuesday evening, and I thought I might do a bit of climbing with them in the morning, but then I expected to return to my typical routine - take a hike/go for a run, do some work and head to the gym for some evening climbing with Brian.  Instead, we decided to solo the Second Flatiron, a six-hundred or so foot climb up one of Boulder's most notable landmarks.     To the best of my recollection, I have not soloed anything before (read: climb without a rope or protection/gear).  The only part that unnerved me, however, was the 'jump.'  This was a point where, along the climb, you are required to leap across a divide in the rocks. I decided the benefits outweighed the cost/risk/fear, and I joined Brian, Alex and Cait, our houseguest, and Josh, another Sconnie native and AdRock climber living the d...
Read more

Stylin' in My New Ride!

Image
Last Friday was an exciting day for me.  Though the new school year was rapidly approaching and my nerves were out of control in anticipation of starting a new school year in a new school with a relatively unfamiliar staff, I happily headed to the car dealership to pick up my new ride, a beautiful white Ford Fusion with all sorts of bells and whistles!   We haven't had a new car in the Runnells family in a few years...and that car quickly became Brian's.  This car, however, is all mine and I LOVE IT!!  A big THANK YOU goes out to my hubbers, who dealt with all the less-than-enjoyable stuff that went along with getting this car  (suffice it to say, our initial car salesman was less than professional and almost drove us to another  dealership).  I think about it each time I get into the car. Doesn't my ALUMNI plate holder look good?!  Want to listen to a little SIRIUS radio?  I'm lovin' making calls via my car Drivi...
Read more

Helping Chelsea and Kyle

Image
Brace yourselves... this is a long one...and I'm asking for your help. As some of you may know, someone very close to me, Chelsea Bullis, experienced a life-changing event on Sunday, June 10, 2012.  She and her boyfriend, Kyle, were in a terrible motorcycle accident that left them both seriously injured.   Chelsea and her family have always been a part of my life. Chelsea's Aunt Anita was my first babysitter, and eventually her grandma, Maureen, and  her mom, Lynn,  took turns taking care of my brother and me.  Chelsea's Aunt Lainey is my mom's very best friend.  Chelsea, her brother Chad, her cousins Sam and Rachael and I all grew up together.  We took summer trips together, and when I was old enough, I began taking care of Chelsea, her brother and her cousins.  Chelsea and her family were so close to me that we began referring to each other as cousins...and 20+ years later, it is still how we refer to one another.   So ...
Read more