Day 22- Can’t Live Without

One thing I cannot live without is traveling and exploring this amazing planet with a loved one or with friends. There is nothing better than sharing a new place, trying new foods, exploring a city, making new friends and new memories with family and friends.

Switzerland is such a BEAUTIFUL country!! Definitely one of my most favorite places EVER!

Venice, Italy

A view of Venice from atop of the bell tower.

Enjoying a gondola ride with friends in the canals of Venice.

The canals of Venice.

Friends in Amsterdam.

And LAST but certainly not LEAST, you cannot forget CHOCOLATE! Who can live without CHOCOLATE? I KNOW I CAN’T! 😉

Especially if they are chocolates from Switzerland!!

Celebrating 65 Years of Marriage!!

Wow!! 65 YEARS! 65 years ago today, my grandparents were married. They are both in their 90’s (well grandma will turn 90 on August 18th), they live on their own, grandpa still drives (grandma never got her driver’s license, but you’d never know that the way she like’s to be the “backseat driver!” LOL.  Grandma still waterskis on her birthday every year while Grandpa drives the boat for her. I know it’s only a matter of time before they will be needing some extra help and assistance with their living situation as I’ve started noticing some subtle things that in their old age they forget to do. But nevertheless, especially in today’s day and age when all you hear of is everyone getting divorces, I think it’s something we need to hear more of is things like this! 65 years calls for a celebration, which celebrate they love to do!  They already had their California Party to celebrate this milestone in Long Beach, CA at Khoury’s in the Los Alamitos Bay. It was a beautiful lunch and presentation of memories, stories, laughter and slide show of them through the years with friends and family and of course what would a party be without CAKE?? 🙂 HAPPY 65th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY GRANDMA AND GRANDPA!!!! Here’s to 65 years more of love and laughter for you two. <3

June 21st, 1947-June 21st, 2012 Celebrating 65 Years together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The happy couple on their wedding day, June 21st, 1947 .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

65 years later, still happily married!!! <3

Day 21– Future

In just a few short weeks, not too long into the future I will be returning back to Minnesota and North Dakota to visit family, celebrate my grandparents 65th wedding anniversary (which is actually today, June 21st, 2012!!! WOW!), a summer wedding in Medora, North Dakota and a 90th birthday! Here are some treasured memories of my visits out to these parts of the states, and I look forward to the new ones in the future! Who knew you could have so much fun in these states? 🙂

Minnehaha Falls, always a fun little hike in the city!!

Minnehaha Falls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Out on Lake Susan visiting at a cousin’s house. Shown: Grandpa with his 2 sisters that are still living.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More of Lake Susan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lake Susan. So pretty!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunsets on Lake Susan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More sunsets on Lake Susan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer wedding in Stillwater.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stillwater

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weddings are always fun when you end up in a different state…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good-times in Medora, ND. An old western town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yep! They even have horse and carriage rides still… that’s how western of a town it is. I LOVE it!! 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Medora, ND.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Medora Post Office!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Medora… such a cute little town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Painted Canyons. So beautiful and so fun to go trail riding on! Can’t wait for my next ride in these here hills! Yee-haw! Much different from all this flat stuff we call “trails” out here in Cali!! LOL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WILD. YES WILD horses we saw when out trail riding!! They still have wild horses running about in North Dakota!! Along with buffalo, prairie dogs, elk, deer and lots of other amazing wild life!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MORE wild horses!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prairie Dogs!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buffalo and BABY buffalo!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awwwwwww look at the cute buffalo!! (Just as long as you don’t get too close and make anyone mad…. don’t want anyone to stampede or charge at you. 😉

Futuristic bikes… I think Mary, from Along Comes Mary, should learn to ride this bike!! 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or this one… 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great-Aunt Betty knows how to have a good time on the river cruise with her beer (ROOT-beer that is….).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh Canada…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite girl out in North Dakota to hang out with to go out on a ride with. Aero! *DISCLAIMER* This picture shows you what NOT to do when riding…. lol. You should ALWAYS wear closed-toe shoes with a heel if possible and a helmet!! Long pants are always a plus to, but as I had gone for a swim and was in a hurry to get one last ride in before we had to head for the airport, and my riding gear was all packed up ready to go; I just hopped on and went for a quick ride. I know this horse very well, and am a fairly experienced rider, so it worked out for that situation in that moment in time. 😛

For anyone out there that thought there is nothing to see or do out in Minnesota or North Dakota, now you see just a handful of fun opportunities waiting for you out in them here states! So get out there in the great outdoors!! 🙂 I sure cannot wait to see what fun this next trip will bring! <3