4 Wheels 4 Girls

On Saturday, August 27th, we went to see the start of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca State Park in northern Minnesota.

We found a photo of Lansing, IA at the visitor's center!

After the visitor center, we met up with our friends Amy and Emily and Amy’s sister, Chrissy. We all piled into the RV and drove eight miles to the headwaters, or start, of the Mississippi River. We went on a little walk to get there, and when I saw where the gigantic river begins, I was shocked. The water was like a foot deep!!! We all walked across the river and then we took a lot of group photos and we played around for a while. It was fun!

Crossing the mighty Mississippi at its very beginning

Jean and Aunt Janice crossing the Mississippi river

Then we decided to go back, but the kids wanted to keep walking on the river. So the adults walked on the path while us kids walked in the river. We met them at a bridge covered in gum, and they went back while we kept walking. Soon we realized that the water level was rising pretty quickly as we walked, so we headed back to the gum bridge. We decided to go back to the gum bridge and try to get out there ’cause we weren’t sure where else we could get out. So I got up onto the bridge, which was tricky since it was so far from the surface of the water, and then Stella and Ellie climbed up after watching me. Then I helped Ana up, and finally Emily, who was the hardest to help. When I was lifting her, I almost dropped her back into the river! But then luckily we all made it up safely.

Wading down the Mississippi river

We walked back to the gift shop and cafe, which were right next to the parking lot. It took us a good fifteen minutes to find the adults; it turned out they were looking for us too! Then we looked in the gift shop for a little bit and then left for Chrissy’s cabin. Whoo hoo!

We had a terrific time with everyone at the headwaters. I hope you had a good time reading this post!!! 😉

Our whole group (minus Chrissy!) crossing the very first bridge over the river

On August 26, me Nell Ana Stella and our other friend Jena went to Gary’s ( my uncle) farm. We all got the RV and when we started moving we all told funny stories. All of a sudden Ana yelled WE’RE HERE!!!!!!! Yay!! We all said! We hopped out and tried to find Gary, be was not there so we went and saw Clayton our cousin. He told us that Gary went to go buy some cattle and that he was on his way back. We went and saw the pigs. They were so scared of us because whenever we walked by they would run away. They stunk.

With our friends, Nell and Jena, on the farm

After that we asked Clayton to show us the chicks. There were so many of them and they had some red on them. Clayton caught one and let us hold one. When it was my turn it was so soft and then all of a sudden it started to get away so I let Stella hold it. After that we went back to the farm house and Clayton gave us each a popsicle.

Ana has a new chick

After that we started driving home when all of a sudden Gary came from the other way so we had back up. We said hello and then we left. I had a great time at the farm.

August 25th, we were planning to go out on Mike and Lisa’s new boat. Suddenly, like two hours before we left, Ellie got sick. So she decided to not come. But that didn’t keep us from going.

We wanted to get some exercise so we rode our bikes down to the marina where the boat was. It was a nice ride. We finally made it and I hopped off my bike. I spotted Lisa and I ran over. Then everyone finally came and Mike showed us the boat. Wow! It was really nice! There were four pink deck chairs that were sitting on the flat boat. Then there was a roof kind of thing and that’s where the driver sat. There was also two booths in the back under the cover/roof thing. There was a cooler in the back, too. I plopped down on on of the pink deck chairs and we started moving.

Heading up the Mississippi on the pontoon boat

It was pretty slow going, but that was good, because it meant we’d have a long way back. Then I noticed Dad and Mike getting out a big container. I peeked inside and there were crackers, slices of summer sausage, and cheese curds. Then Mike brought out two bags of sliced cheese: one cheddar, ( which I LOVE) and the other bacon somethin’ somethin’ somethin’ somethin’, as Mike called it. Hahaha! Well, he also brought out two different kinds of crackers and then a different kind of sliced sausage! I made a cracker with cheddar cheese and sausage and it was delicious! We rode around on the boat and stopped at the sandbar to feel the water and play in the sand.

Sinking into the sandbar

Then we left and rode around more. We got a call from Cassie, Mike and Lisa’s daughter that’s 23, and she said she’d like to come out and join us. So we picked her up and went a little longer. We went to see some lily pads and they were really pretty, especially against the sunset. That was where Mike had gotten stuck a few days before.

We spotted a bald eagle hanging out on one of the islands in the river

Finally, we had to head back. We said bye and hopped on our bikes. On our way home, we saw lots of bats. One flew right into Dad’s face. Then one flew into mine. I was disappointed when we had to go inside and leave the bats, but we had made it home.

The Chelrcren musame.

Oue day Grandma took us to the cheldrns musam. There were lots of chelates stuff. It was very bese and it was fun. There was a lite of children . You could tack a pese cloth and it would suck up a pipe and then it would go up the other end. Aunt Rose came to hang out with us and it was so fun. We had yummy pizza for dinner!

[Editor’s translation:]
One day [August 24] Grandma took us to the children’s museum [in LaCrosse, WI]. There was lots of children’s stuff. It was very busy and it was fun. There was a lot of children. You could take a piece of cloth and it would suck up a pipe and then it would go up the other end. Aunt Rose came to hang out with us and it was so fun. We had yummy pizza for dinner!

Yesterday I Went out to Luch with my onocole Mike we went out to the redbarne I got a hot dog mike got a . Then we went to a nother store we looked for a berthsay present for me.We anded up in up to in hourse falls I got a house traler a hourse blacket a set.

Me and Uncle Mike

[Editor’s translation:]
August 22 I went out to lunch with my Uncle Mike. We went out to the Red Barn. I got a hot dog, and mike got a [?]. Then we went to another store and we looked for a birthday present for me. We ended up in Horsfalls. I got a horse trailer and a horse blanket set.

On Sunday August 21st, we drove to DeWitt, Iowa to go to our cousin Laura’s bridal shower.

It was a looooooong 3-hour drive, but we finally made it. The shower was at a cute little community center, and when we stepped in we made name tags and put our gifts on the table. Then we were served tea and lemonade and we sat down at one of the tables with our Aunt Mary, Laura’s mom, and a few other people. We chatted for a few minutes before we were served lunch. After we were finished eating, Laura opened her presents and we made a game out of it. We were each handed a bingo sheet, and we had to think of gifts that a bride would get at a shower. We wrote them down on our bingo sheets, and then we crossed items off when Laura opened them. If we got Bingo, we got a prize. If we didn’t… well, we didn’t. It was fun even though I didn’t win.

Then, unfortunately, the shower was over. We helped Laura load up her gifts in the car, and then we dropped them off at her house and we drove to Mary’s house. I enjoyed my cousin’s bridal shower!!! 😉

August 20. After driving for a hour and a half we came to Barbs house my aunt. We were going to go see horses. I was so hungry but we went straight to the parade. We meet Rose ( my aunt ) and Janice ( my aunt) and we were also with Amy and her daughter Emily and Jahmuna our cousin.

Ready for the parade with our good friend, Emily

It [the parade] started way after it was supposed to. So we waited and we waited until we saw a flag coming up the hill carried on a horse. Soon the parade started moving. We saw black ones and white and paint ones and draft ones and clydesdales and a lot of other horses. We saw a horse jump up and that was cool. They threw out candy and we only got one piece in all and I think mommy ate it. So after that we saw a carriage with Vikings in it. That was cool. The parade was really short. After that we went to go and eat at Barbs house.

Yesterday, on August 18th, Uncle Mike called and invited us to go out on the river with him in their boat to go tubing.

We were all super excited. We got our swimsuits on, covered our bodies in sunscreen, (at least I did) and got all our stuff ready to go. Then, I decided to call my friend Alanna and invite her to come with us since she had never been tubing before. After much convincing, she finally said yes (she was terrified to do it) and we left the house to meet her down by the river.

When Alanna arrived, we got in the boat and rode to a quiet spot on the sandbar. We put up our chairs and hung out there for a while, playing in the water and relaxing on the beach. Alanna and I tried to find the lagoon to go swim in, but the path led to some BURNING hot sand that scorched our feet, so we turned around and went back. When we got back to the boat, Mike was attaching the tubes to the back of the boat. Yay! Alanna was still scared, so we decided that I would ride with Ellie the first time and she would watch. So that’s what we did. And you know what? She decided to do it!!! Ellie moved to Stella’s tube and she got on with me. We had such a great time! I wiped out twice, but it was still awesome. Alanna loved it, and she tubed with me for the rest of the day. When we took breaks at the beach, we always wanted to go tubing again!

Zipping down the Mississippi River

It was sad when we pulled in to the dock and had to stop tubing for the day. We had such an amazing day! I’m so glad Alanna got to come and share the fun with me! 😀

We Went to wazee lack it was very fun. We went with ante babra sam and rachol. We could see the fish. We swam in the lack . My fafret thing was swiming.

[Editor’s translation:]
We went to Wazee Lake [in Wisconsin]. It was very fun. We went with Aunt Barbara, Sam, and Rachel [cousins]. We could see the fish. We swam in the lake. My favorite thing was swimming.

August 14th, Dad and I were kind of bored, so we decided to go out for a bike ride. First we went down to Mike and Lisa’s house down by the river. We stopped to say hi, but then a ton of teenage boys came by so Dad and I moved on. Dad suggested the Blackhawk Bridge, the one that the second you are across, you’re in Wisconsin. At first I was a little too scared, since we drive across it a lot and it goes over water from really high up. And you can see right through the bottom of the bridge because it’s made of metal bars. But I said I’d give it a try. So we started across. Dad said, “Whatever you do, don’t stop. You can’t stop.” So I didn’t stop. I stared straight ahead and tried to concentrate on the road ahead of me, but once I accidentally looked down. To my surprise, it wasn’t scary, just cool. And for the rest of the bridge, I was confident. Finally we made it across. We were in Wisconsin! I had never biked to Wisconsin before! Hahaha!

We made it back across the bridge and Dad decided it was a good time for a treat. We stopped at the Skinny Dip and we both got chocolate dipped vanilla ice cream cones. They were delicious. Thanks, Dad!

Eventually, we had to head home. But I had a nice ride with Dad. Thanks again!