A trip was planned a short while ago to spend some quality time with Barry, Anna and the boys. I should have known it wasn't going to be a restful week! Within an hour of arriving in a wintery Minnesota, I was togged up in ski gear and taking my first steps on a frozen Lake Minnetonka. Having only ever swam in the lake in summer, I always said I'd have to see it to believe it! Barry's face was a picture as he reassured me the cracks in the 3ft thickness of ice were nothing to worry about!
Despite severe tiredness, I tagged along to Patrick's ice hockey match, my first taste of Minnesota's No.1 sport, and the beginning of my obsession with the game. Within minutes, I was hooked! They may have only been 4th graders, but the pace was relentless and the atmosphere was fab!
Barry and Anna were concerned by the recent thaw and the threat it posed to planned winter fun. They were delighted with the snowstorm forecast, though never anticipated the 14 inches of snow that were to land on Minnesota on my second day! Whilst watching a morning game, blizzards took hold and I experienced a 'whiteout' on our return journey. Naturally, they weren't fazed by such extreme weather and we ventured out for brunch in Wayzata, knowing we may have to dig our way out of the car park. Monday saw more snowfall, and we sledged from the 'back yard' to the lake - great fun! We then bravely took to the roads, despite the snow emergency declared in the state the previous night, and we headed off to Elm Creek for tubing, after a pitstop at Caribou Coffee. Tubing on the snow slopes is entirely different to that on the lake with the boat, and tying them together creates more speed, and more screams! Two hours literally whizzed by and we took our hungry tummies to Benihana, a Japanese restaurant loved by the boys. Everything is cooked at your table by an entertainer of a chef, who created for us a volcano, a steam train and a heart attack on a hotplate, along with the most delicious food, cooked 'teppanyaki' style. Simply fantastic!
A chill day followed with board games, great food and a walk in the woods with the adorable Maxi. I was then lucky enough to go see the boys' Taikwondo class. It's been a great privilege to share their all-American lives with them this week - as well as Spongebob Squarepants!!
Wednesday was a well-deserved girls' shopping trip for Anna and I. After a great lunch at Champs, we headed to the Mall, prompted by a text from Barry to confirm the Spring Break trip to Florida was booked for them. Looking at swimwear and flipflops was bizarre, given the sub zero temperatures outside. After another of Barry's delicious dinners, we settled down to watch some TV. This has to be one of the best parts of my trip, relaxing, watching movies and having many many laughs with Barry and Anna, usually at my expense.
Despite severe tiredness, I tagged along to Patrick's ice hockey match, my first taste of Minnesota's No.1 sport, and the beginning of my obsession with the game. Within minutes, I was hooked! They may have only been 4th graders, but the pace was relentless and the atmosphere was fab!
Barry and Anna were concerned by the recent thaw and the threat it posed to planned winter fun. They were delighted with the snowstorm forecast, though never anticipated the 14 inches of snow that were to land on Minnesota on my second day! Whilst watching a morning game, blizzards took hold and I experienced a 'whiteout' on our return journey. Naturally, they weren't fazed by such extreme weather and we ventured out for brunch in Wayzata, knowing we may have to dig our way out of the car park. Monday saw more snowfall, and we sledged from the 'back yard' to the lake - great fun! We then bravely took to the roads, despite the snow emergency declared in the state the previous night, and we headed off to Elm Creek for tubing, after a pitstop at Caribou Coffee. Tubing on the snow slopes is entirely different to that on the lake with the boat, and tying them together creates more speed, and more screams! Two hours literally whizzed by and we took our hungry tummies to Benihana, a Japanese restaurant loved by the boys. Everything is cooked at your table by an entertainer of a chef, who created for us a volcano, a steam train and a heart attack on a hotplate, along with the most delicious food, cooked 'teppanyaki' style. Simply fantastic!
A chill day followed with board games, great food and a walk in the woods with the adorable Maxi. I was then lucky enough to go see the boys' Taikwondo class. It's been a great privilege to share their all-American lives with them this week - as well as Spongebob Squarepants!!
Wednesday was a well-deserved girls' shopping trip for Anna and I. After a great lunch at Champs, we headed to the Mall, prompted by a text from Barry to confirm the Spring Break trip to Florida was booked for them. Looking at swimwear and flipflops was bizarre, given the sub zero temperatures outside. After another of Barry's delicious dinners, we settled down to watch some TV. This has to be one of the best parts of my trip, relaxing, watching movies and having many many laughs with Barry and Anna, usually at my expense.
My final day saw me blasting around Lake Minnetonka,at high speed on a snowmobile. Barry and I rented one for two hours and had the most fun tearing up fresh snow, flying over manmade jumps, and writing Anna's name in the snow in huge letters so that she could see it from her GPS App on Iphone. I always wanted to visit the ice-huts on the lake, and we even took the snowmobile off the lake and into the woods on Casco Point,which was tricky to say the least! Fantastic fun, and the perfect end to the trip.
I had an awesome (sorry, can't help it) time. Barry and I got to act like kids again, messing about in the snow, lounging around in the house, taking the mickey out of each other, only this time the bonus factor was sharing it all with Anna. I haven't laughed so much in ages! Minnesota is incredibly beautiful in the summer, but I love it just as much in wintertime too. We had it all; snowstorms, tubing, Hibachi grills, ice hockey, snowmobiles, cosy afternoons indoors,quality 'auntie time' and lots and lots of laughter. Who could ask for more?
