Girls weekend away........

    

We finally did it!  Morgan, Seble, Shelby, Corbin, my Mom and I, planned a two-night trip away!  On Sunday, we loaded the suburban and drove to Duluth!  Duluth is one of my favorite places, we stayed in Canal Park, which has a wonderful view of Lake Superior.  We ate lots, stayed up late, read, my mom gave massages, rode bikes or I should say rode 1 bike with 6 of us on it.  Let me just say, it was not a pretty sight.  The gal that was renting them along the canal said, "Yeah, 6 of you can go on one."  I don't think so! We rented "the bike" for one hour and it was a long hour.  After laughing so hard, and getting many stares my mom and I finally got off the bike and walked back.....it was certainly a memory.  What girls weekend is complete without some shopping...the girls decided to get their ears pierced for a second time, Morgan went for the cartilage piercing (upper ear).  Well that was funny too, because as they were getting ready to get them pierced, I noticed Shelby was leaning on the counter, I took one look at her and knew she was in trouble...She said, "mom, I am not seeing very well, and I think I am going to pass out."  She was as pale as I have ever seen her, and sweating...well, my mom swept her away to Caribou for some "sugar."  She returned 15 minutes later and got her ears pierced.   She was fine! 

We ate at Little Angies Cantina..thanks for the recommendation Barb, it was good!  Famous Dave's was great too!  Rocky Mountain Chocolate factory was also a hit..chocolate covered apples and frozen cheesecake dipped in chocolate...those were our favorites!
On Tuesday, I dropped my mom, Seble, Shelby and Corbin off at the mall, while Morgan and I visited The College of St. Scholastica, in Duluth.  I was impressed with the college, it is a beautiful campus and I was surprised to learn that approx. 85 nuns/sisters still reside at the campus.  The main part of the Campus was built in 1909, so it has a lot of history.  St. Scholastic, became a co-ed campus in 1969.  Right now we are re-searching Nursing Programs,  as this seems to be her area of interest. 
The best part of the weekend was sitting by the lake and enjoying the company I was surrounded by!  I loved spending time with my girls and my mom!  I hope we can do it again! 

My mom, Jane

Thanks girls!  It was a lovely adventure!

One bike=6 people

One bike=4 people

Sonshine

This year Seble was able to join two great friends, Roxanne and Roselyn for a few days of worship, fun, laughter, and lots of music. Sonshine is a fun music festival where different Christian Artists are able to play on different stages of a huge outdoor complex in Willmer, Minnesota. It is a highly anticipated event that brings Christians of all ages together for 4 days of "music madness." From what I have heard it was a blast!

Roselyn's sister, Lindsay and her husband Bjork, were the brave ones! They took these three girls for a weekend of fun! I hope they enjoyed it as much as the girls did. Thanks to you both!!

Thankful for great friends!!

July

Yeah, I started my month off July 1st, it has already been eventful, for me that is....
For starters July 4th weekend, my back went out (lower) usually I deal with upper back, rib issues. This was different, spasms, pain, even when I moved my neck, or my toe, my back hurt, it hurt to do anything...of course this was July 4th weekend, not much you can do. Well by Tuesday, I was hardly walking, and certainly wasn't sleeping well. I was really thankful that Morgan can drive, she brought Shelby to drivers Ed. ,(yes, Shelby will be the next driver in the Doble house!) Dropped me off and waited for 1- 1/2 hours for me while the Chiropractor worked me over, next day, not much better Chiro in the morning Chiro in the evening..you get the picture..been to the chiro everyday ....so for 8 days I have struggled with my back, I am def. on the mend and it is feeling better everyday. I seriously do not know how people with chronic pain deal with it, I only had a week of it and I was ready to......never mind.
Another event that happened to me was I broke off a tooth the same weekend my back went out. I laid in my bed with my bowl of barbeque potato chips and diet coke w/lime, took one bite...what was that..my tooth! I was freaked, I hate the dentist! I actually love my dentist, but really hate the whole idea...panic, sweats. Last week I couldn't sit in the dentist chair, today I could. I need a crown! I also have a cavity!! How in the world at 41 years old do I still get cavities..so I am not done with then dentist..I have two more appointments to look at on the calendar!!
So, what's in store for the rest of the month....not sure, but I am betting it is going to be more exciting than the first 2+ weeks!

Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary

Last week my parents took the boys on an overnight adventure to Orr, Minnesota. They were able to visit the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is a place to go and observe the wild bears in action, eating, playing, climbing and doing what bears do. They shuttle you into the preserve about 1 mile where you then observe the bears while watching them from a large viewing deck.

The story of how this came about is an interesting one. When Vince was in the 9th grade his dad suffered a debilitating stroke, so Vince quit school to help out on the families dairy farm. To help support the family Vince took a second job working in the woods. The milk prices has dropped so the family had to sell the dairy cows. By the age of 25 Vince owned and operated his own logging company. Vince and his loggers lived in the remote north woods, where the Black Bears were their neighbors. The bears had become attracted to them because of the food that was being prepared and the left overs that were being disposed of. In the beginning they would shoot the bears, but Vince began to question the killing. He came to the conclusion that the bears weren't mean, "they were hungry." Vince started feeding them in a meadow, a ways away from where they were working. Now we know that this really wasn't a great idea, however, he was ahead of the game in seeking a means of coexistence.

The Bears continue to visit the same area that Vince started feeding the bears, what began as an act of survival is now a labor of love. A special relationship between Vince and the bears evolved and he was known the the area as, "The Bear Man." People from all over began to visit Vince and the bears and observe the special bond they had.

As the years went by, Vince's health began to deteriorate. Vince was concerned as to what would happen with the bears. In the Fall of 1993, Vince approached three friends who shared his interest in the bears, Vince then secured the land. The non-profit American Bear Association was formed in 1995.

Vince passed away on July 4th, 2000 at the age of 86. The Vince Shute Sanctuary is his legacy to us and future generations. A place where humans can learn to co-exist with the bears.

Our girls went last summer and it was a very hot evening and the bears were not nearly as lively as last week when the boys went. It sounds like it is best to visit after 6 p.m....If you are interested just visit: www.americanbear.org/history/sanctuary or google: Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary.

It was a great time for the boys! Troy and I decided we are the next ones to go!