On Friday the twenty-fourth, we hit the road for our big Minnesota trip! We were a little nervous about making the fifteen hour drive with two little guys, but it couldn't have gone better! The boys were calm, the weather was beautiful, and our new DVD player in the car was a lifesaver.
Our first stop was in central Ohio. I follow a friend on Instagram, Jess, who owns a coffee shop called "Lyn Marie's" in the small town of Monroeville. It was only about ten miles south of I-80, so we took a little detour. Jess happened to be working that morning, and she was the sweetest! We indulged with an iced white chocolate mocha for me and a frozen brownie batter drink for Steve, while the boys ate wildberry muffins and stretched their legs from the car ride.
Is it not the cutest coffee shop ever?!
After several more hours in the car, we reached our first destination--Indiana. We got some take-out from Noodles & Company (and McDonald's for the boys), and dined in our hotel. We met up with my mom and Don, and the boys got to swim in the hotel pool with their cousins :)
I signed up Nolan for the Lowe's Build and Grow Workshop in Indiana so that he could make another Avenger vehicle--Hawkeye's Quinjet.
The Lowe's we went to was in the town that my mom grew up in, so we took a quick drive past my grandparents' old house. So many memories in this little home!
On Saturday afternoon, my mom's side of the family gathered together for a big pizza lunch and mini reunion!
Meeting baby Levi!
My grandpa and me.
A line-up of the six great-grandkids! My grandma used to always take our pictures in age order, with five girls and one boy. Now, we have five boys and one girl in the next generation :)
My cousins and our kids :)
A photo with the grandmas.
Not the best-arranged photo, but we are all in it :)
We spent the rest of the day outside at my Aunt Sally's house. When the heat cooled down, we started a fire and grilled hot dogs. For dessert, my mom bought us all fancy cupcakes from "Designer Desserts". I got to try bites of the Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel, Cookie Dough, Creme Brulet, and Red Velvet, and they were amazing!
On Sunday morning, we started the next big push towards Minneapolis. A stop at Culver's for lunch is a must when in Wisconsin.
Nolan posing with some frozen custard--you can tell we ate well on this trip :)
I'll post the rest of the Minnesota photos soon!
Happy Monday :)
That coffee shop is adorable! And family time is the best!
ReplyDeleteYour trip looks like it started off on the right foot! And that coffee shop!!
ReplyDeleteThat's so funny about that coffee shop. A while ago, I somehow stumbled upon their website and fell in love with their shop! A part of me has always wanted to live in a small town and this shop makes me want to live there even more :)
ReplyDeleteI love road tripping, it is one of my favourite things to do! That coffee shops looks so adorable and those cup cakes look delicious.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you had such a fun trip! Love the coffee shop!
ReplyDeleteLove all the family pictures! How funny that you and your cousins were 5 girls and 1 boy and now all of your kids are the opposite!
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