"Fun Day"

Ruby going in for the cute "cuddle" - i.e. "please give me some food off of your plate!"

Mike enjoying a picnic lunch at Afton State Park.

Ruby chillin' under the picnic table after the big hike.

Sarah & Lil' Mikey taking a breather near the water mid-hike at Afton.

The Gray Family held one of their traditional "fun days" on Saturday. This is a day where we don't work, don't do any home projects, clean, run errands, etc. Basically we only do FUN things all day! The day started out by everyone sleeping in (well, Ruby had to go potty at 6:30 am so Sarah let her out and then they went back to bed). We figured we might as well sleep late while we still can! We spent a relaxing morning at home - reading and drinking coffee for Mike, warm milk for Sarah and water for Ruby. Then we headed to Afton State Park, on the border of MN and WI, along the Mississippi River for a hike and a picnic. It was a gorgeous day - sunny and in the low 70s. We did a three mile hike and Sarah could really feel the effects of pregnancy. Mike joked that usually Sarah leads the family on "death marches" when hiking but not this time. Sarah took it slow - especially on a 900 foot upward climb. We then enjoyed an outdoor picnic before heading back home and to our favorite ice cream shop - Adele's in Excelsior. After delicious cookie dough cones we headed home for an evening of R & R.

Sarah had a doctor's appointment last Thursday. Everything is still looking good and going well. Sarah is keeping her fingers crossed that Lil' Mikey holds out saying hello to the world until the new birthing center opens at Ridgeview Hospital. It is supposed to be very nice and un-hospital like with private rooms, bathrooms, and tubs for each expectant mom, soft lighting, hard wood floors, etc. One of the nurses told us it reminds her of an Aveda Spa. It's due to open July 4 weekend so Sarah's hoping that it is ready on time.

Thanks everyone for checking in with us on the blog. We were thrilled to see people leaving comments! :) Have a great Memorial Day. We want to give a special shout out to all of the members of our family who have served or are currently serving in the military - Mike, Dave, Greg, Ben, Nick and Shawn. THANK YOU!