Say "Yah to da UP, eh!"

Well friends, the Dean family has survived yet another holiday together! Our trip to the UP was great, but there were two important factors I completely forgot about when making trips there: 1. It's not restful because there's so much to do, I literally fell into bed each night from our action packed day... and 2. It goes by too fast!!

Mike and I broke the 9 hour car ride into 2 parts. We drove to my parents house in MN on Wed. night then left bright and early Thursday morning to complete the trip. As we pulled into our new home for the next five days, we were greeted with numerous hugs and kisses... it felt great, I couldn't wait for the days ahead.

Our first adventure was a trip to the Porcupine Mountains within Presque Isle just outside of Wakefield, MI. We've been there before but each trip makes me realize just how crisp, fresh, and beautiful the UP actually is.

We worked up quite an appetite hiking around the trails and such so we headed to The Liberty Bell Chalet in Hurley, WI for dinner. This is a staple for all trips to the UP and their food is to die for!













On Friday we headed up to my Aunt Theresa's house for a barbecue with my moms side of the family. After dinner everyone in the family paired up for a Washer's Tournament. My mom and Mike just happened to be a dynamite pair and became the Cvengros Side Washer Tournament Champions!

After the barbecue we headed out on the town to meet up with my aunts. This was my first experience bar hopping in Wakefield, MI and we had a blast! Mike and I walked in with our ID's out and ready only to find out there was no bouncer let alone anyone making a point to check ID's of those in the bar. It was a blast!

We spent Saturday visiting more relatives on my dad's side in Rhinelander, WI, home of the Hodag's! Although I didn't get any pictures on this day, we had a great time catching up and eating yummy food. We did take a Dean family photo which is coming via e-mail soon. It's fun to compare family photos from past years to see how the family has grown and changed. Gotta love those relatives!

This is my cousin Chloe enjoying some popcorn before the firework show.We finished our day on Saturday with the Wakefield fireworks. This is a long standing tradition and is always the perfect way to kick off the 4th!

And of course, our last adventure was celebrating the 4th!!! What a day! It started bright and early with a 2.8 mile run around Sunday Lake in Wakefield, MI. Mike and I ran as well as my brother and our cousin Sam. Jake and Sam finished first in their age groups with times under 20 minutes!!! Mike and finished 4th in our age group but did finish under 25 minutes which was a goal of mine for the run. The best part was our fan club cheering us on at the finish line! After we found out the results of the race, we headed back to carbo load for the rest of the days activities.

Although it poured on us during the first parade of the day, it didn't stop us from sticking it out to catch the main attraction for any UP parade goer, Marty's Goldenaires! This band is made up of very talented local Yooper's who always attract huge crowds. They are awesome! After a good old fashioned 4th of July barbecue we headed back out for parade #2. We positioned ourselves close to the parade route and the American Legion which not only sells beer (duh), but is also the pit stop for the Goldenaires between the parade and the fireworks. After a final performance (the 3rd one we watched that day and let me tell you, they only get better!) we settled in and watched an fantastic fireworks display. 

This brings our UP trip recap to a close. We returned to a very quiet home late Monday night and enjoyed sleeping in our own bed but definitely missed the company of so many loved ones. Below are just a few more pics from the trip.

My cousin Evan being a monkey.

Mike and I enjoying a beer outside the Legion.

This guy'll be 15 on Saturday... this is crazy to me, but it's true. Next year he'll be driving, yikes!