Cranberry Camping!!

Twas a beautiful weekend to vacation! Lauren's family took me with them this past weekend to Tomah, Wisconsin, which is about a two and half hour drive east from Hudson. Danielle (Lauren's sister) was sick, so she wasn't able to come with us. :(
I arrived at the Johnson's house shortly after work on Friday. No one was home yet, so I played with T.J. the cat and Izzy the dog for a while (then jammed on the piano for a bit)! Lauren's mom arrived about an hour after I did. We packed up the cooler, Lauren's mom took the dog to the kennel, then Lauren and her dad arrived shortly afterwards. We finished all of the packing (food, grill, suitcases, etc.) then loaded up the van and took off!
The ride was pleasant (of course I didn't have to drive either), and we stopped at Moe's "Almost World Famous" cafe! The food was pretty good, and it was fun just hanging out w/ the Johnson Family! We took some pictures by a huge chicken, then continued our drive to Tomah. We arrived at the Cranberry Lodge a little before 10pm I think. They had a sweet hot tub and swimming park indoors!
The room we stayed in was really neat! We stayed in the Blue Heron Suite - it had a kitchen, two queen beds, (two TVs), and a futon! Of course I got the sweet futon all to myself! We unloaded everything (food for the weekend, clothes, etc.) then hung out for a bit before going to bed.
The next morning I got up early to eat breakfast (we found out they had a delicious complementary breakfast at the lodge)! ,along with a "new" book" I'm reading (book 2)by John Piper, given to me by Dr. Ness when I graduated H.S. (I never made time to read it until now...lol)! Lauren and her mom met me later on in the lobby. After we all had breakfast we started out the day by visiting a farmer's market in town. Lauren and I visited the Amish table and were in awe of intricate and delicate work that these ladies toiled over. Many of their items for sale included beautiful bonnets, hats, loafs of bread, and various pastries. Lauren's parents bought some red potatoes and also bought us some Cranberry honey (though it's not made from Cranberry's, it has a distinct accent because the bees pollinated from these berries)! We then visted a cheese factory near our lodge! They had the tastiest cheese EVER! Lauren bought some smoked baby swiss!! I love that girl! I also got some crazy awesome ice cream there (I can't remember the name of it, but I'll let you know when it comes to me...OH! Makiato?) After the factory we went to a HUGE antique store (seriously HUGE) and art gallery. Lauren and I spent most of our time in the book section and Lauren found a book published in 1890, called "Manners, Culture, and Dress of the Best American Society." We totally got it and we read secions of it to each other for the rest of the weekend! It should seriously be read by EVERYONE! Most of the manners and culture is totally Scripture based and referenced to God's Word and the Christian lifestyle that we should abide by! It's fun to read too! (Start out with Chapter 17, regardless of status)!
The rest of the day was spent hiking, geocaching (yes, we went geocaching, and got eaten alive by mosquitoes in the process), walking through downtown Tomah, buying sweet corn, taking a nap at the hotel, visiting a European village mall, buying Jelly Bellies (that was a TON of fun!), then eating in a REALLY GOOD restaurant in downtown Tomah - TPs? I think it was called. Lauren and I ate a rack of some of the best ribs I have ever had! We relaxed back at the hotel in the late evening and eventually called it a night!
Sunday morning Lauren and I got breakfast early in the morning (she definitely surprised me by getting up so early!) and talked for a while until her parents woke up to meet us. We went to Bible E-Free Church in Tomah - and the hymns played were songs that I haven't sung in years! The pastor talked compared the Olympics to our lives. He mentioned that many athletes don't perform to the best of their ability during the qualifiers if they already know they're going to win. But all of the Athletes give it their best shot in the finals. Are we as Christians running the race like a qualifier or as the final run? Because we only live once and get ONE shot at it! And if we run, we MUST run to WIN. And if we struggle, God will be there to see us through to the end, just like the runner's father in Athens, when he tore a hamstring while running the final race.
After church we explored the cranberry capital of Wisconsin near Tomah. We took a fun tour and learned a zillion thing about the berry, from the name to the process of harvesting it! We visited a "mall" nearby, and have some great pics to show! We then drove to Black River Falls for a picnic in a State Park! Lauren and I played toss with a doughnut hole, we grilled brats, and listened to music! We arrived back to Hudson and then I helped Lauren load up some more furniture for her appt. We met Amy Brown and the gang for some park fun later that evening because it was Amy's last night in the cities this semester.
Even LATER in the evening, Lauren, Katie K, Amy and I went over to Lydia and Charles' house to watch "Chalk" and eat ice cream! It was a jam-packed fun weekend! God is to receive all of the credit though! He has totally blessed me with some fantastic friends! Thanks to Lauren's parents as well for treating us this past weekend to everything!! You guys are great! Pics to come shortly!