When it comes to summer, no place I've been to can beat Minneapolis/St. Paul for sheer beauty and outdoor activities. There are warm lakes with sandy beaches and green grasses. Swimming, canoeing, sailing, fishing—take your pick. Trees, walking trails and bike trails circle each of the lakes. Music wafts from each lake's bandshell on warm, humid summer evenings. Trails, concerts, and bistros line the Mississippi River as it flows through the center of the Twin Cities. Lush lawns and vegetable gardens fill neighborhoods, showing off the rich, fertile soil. Ah, Twin Cities, place of my birth, how I love you in the summer.
Having said all that, we did much of that during our three weeks in Minnesota. We went swimming at a lake just blocks from my brother Steve's home and on a 9-mile bike ride around three of the lakes near their home. All with the cousins: Hannah (almost 10), Caedmon (6), and Indya (3), of course. Jodi, my sister-in-law, and I discussed homeschooling which she will be starting this fall. We also got to hear more about their family's time in Cambodia and Laos in October 2009, where Steve taught doctors and residents at a pediatric hospital. 
We picnicked and explored the Mississippi River with my brother, Jeff, and his family (the Mississippi River's headwaters are in northern Minnesota). We went biking and swimming with Esther (9) and Micah (9.5), Jeff & Elaine's children, and enjoyed evenings with their parents. We ate from their gardens. 
We celebrated my brother Michael's new home which he and his wife, Colleen had just moved into, and their return from the countryside in Wisconsin back to the Twin Cities. They've been through an unbelievably rough past few years so we celebrated God's faithfulness with them in their return home. And we said goodbye to Emily (18) as she headed off to Concordia College. Matthew really enjoyed getting to play Settlers of Catan with his 3 big cousins: Emily (18.5), Alicia (16.5), and Jordan (14.5). An Irish Festival with Jeff & his family and a big Native American Pow Wow rounded out our time with some great cross-cultural experiences. We saw cousins, aunts, and uncles—both Matthew's and mine. It was very rewarding getting to see all of the relatives this time.
One of the highlights of our time in Minnesota was getting to visit my aunt Lois in Duluth (in northern Minnesota on the tip of Lake Superior). I went up to Duluth twice to see her: the first time she was still able to get around somewhat so, being a beautiful summer day, we went down to the park by Lake Superior, relished some good ol' Dairy Queen junk food, and savored the moments together, outdoors, away from the sterile environment of the nursing home. A few days later, I went back up with Michael and we found her unable to get out of bed but still alert mentally. Michael and I were able to get an hour's worth of video of her reminiscing about her life in Africa. That was a goal of our trip so we were thrilled to have it, especially since, one week later, she was already in a comatose state.
Finally, of course, we unpacked, did laundry, cleaned out the car, replenished our food supplies with trips to Costco and Trader Joe's, repacked, and got ready for the next phase of our trip. Oh yes, and took the car in to get the air conditioning fixed. I knew it wasn't a matter of replacing the freon because of how the ac suddenly stopped working. But I certainly didn't expect the $1600 charge to replace the entire system. That was one travel expense that we hadn't planned on, given that the car is only 3 years old. But, there was no alternative so we had to bite the bullet. If that's the only repair we have during this 9-10,000 mile trip, that won't be so bad. Thankfully, there have been no accidents.
So, with sadness at the separation but full hearts from our rich time together, we bid farewell to our family in Minnesota and headed east to Wisconsin and Illinois.
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