Ya know when my favorite time is to eat a banana in its life cycle? When they are so ripe that they’re starting to get those brownish spots or they bruise easy. Mmmmm. Ya know what I can’t stand about bananas? When you peel back the banana peel and expose the tips of each peel…you can see the little pores where the fibers were attached to the stem. EWWW. I despise pores. Bleh.
Anyways, now that I have successfully gained your attention without having to address my long blogging absence, I thought I’d share a few moments from my wonderful family’s visit to Minneapolis several weeks ago. My siblings are headed back to school tomorrow so I thought it fitting to savor a few of their summer memories as they head back to school. Most of these shots were from a bike ride one evening during their visit. I jumped through hoops and ladders to keep ’em busy while they were here…okay, not really. But you try keeping a 15-year-old and 12-year-old occupied in a city when they’ve grown up in the ‘burbs/sticks all their lives! Anyways, Minneapolis just started this Nice Ride Minnesota project earlier this summer so my family’s visit was the perfect opportunity to test it out. It was actually a blast and made touring the city so much easier!
How many Wilson’s does it take to operate a Nice Ride kiosk? Mmmm, 1, 2….
The best place to take visitors in Minneapolis is definitely the Mississippi River. You get a great view of the city skyline from the Stone Arch Bridge, there are incredible condos in the old mill buildings along the riverfront, the Guthrie is there, and so are the Mill City Museum and the ruins from the old mills. So we focused our evening ride along the riverfront and stopped to take some family photos. (It’s important to note that it may be nearly impossible to get a decent photo of a family of five when two siblings that know EVERYTHING in the world are involved in the equation–and if those same siblings still have braces and avoid smiling at all costs. Whew.)
Nick and I turned the camera over to my sister to get a shot of us together. Evidently my dad thought it would be humorous to ride his sweet green bike back and forth behind us while ringing the provided bell, sending my sister into hysterical bits of laughter. The only decent image follows. And I swear we didn’t plan on matching. Though the man at the gas station that night, who was also wearing navy and khaki, thought it was important to call us out on our fashion faux pas.
She looks more like mom and I everyday…muahahahaha!
My mommy and daddy. I love them. =) (My father looks very mischievous here. Not shocking.)
Ah, yes. My brother. He’s 15. He. Knows. Everything. So ya know, if you need all the answers to the worlds mysteries, call up my little bro…I’m sure he’ll have some wonderful intellectual insights. (Better yet, ask him the question in Spanish. I’d love to know how he responds.)
I have good genes. I think. At least I better age as gracefully as my mom has–seriously.
(If you did a double-take and thought that was me, I understand. I do the same thing when I look in the mirror sometimes!) A final shot to end the night. This quiet photo frame explains a brief moment in the typical nuances of my family life. –Dad sits and quietly contemplates. Everyone else follows suit with less intense contemplations and remains quiet for as long as they can tolerate. Then when mom can no longer keep everyone wrangled quietly, chaos breaks and the moment has passed.– The older I get, the more I appreciate these quiet moments. And the chaos. =)
In a [Muncie, Indiana] Minute 
Cute post, lady. Those bikes look fun!
Thank you ma’am! They are fun and super smooth to ride. The have a bell and flashing headlights and taillights. I was jealous. =)