Grand Forks

Tomorrow right before second recess we are heading to one of my favourite places in the world; Grand Forks. As a child my family and about 10 others would pack up and head south for a weekend of swimming and shopping. We took up a whole wing at the North Star Inn. Oh what fun it was! I don't know what it is about that place, but to this day I still get that same excitement I had when I was 8, and had 10 bucks burning a whole in my pocket to spend at target. I couldn't wait to see the different toys, and spend the whole weekend playing with it.(it usually ended up being a barbie) In those days, Jeff and I could head off to the toy section alone while mom checked out the latest house holds and dad went to buy his 4 pair of rustlers; one of every colour. Dad is so funny, when he likes something he buys at least 4. I'll never forget when walmart came to town (gf), and dad went shopping with mom and I. He found these Shasta jeans, he wrestled with the idea of,"should we go to kmart and get the rustlers, or should I get the Shasta's? after all they looked great, and were only 9.89. How could you go wrong? Needless to say, it did. They didn't fit like a glove and after storing them in his closet for about 10 years he got up the courage to offer them to Jeff for work pants. The only one that took them was the local thrift and gift. I think Jason may have been offered them too. I remember when my grandma took her daughters and granddaughters for a weekend. She bought all us girls owl earings (which I still have and wear). We shopped and shopped, and at the end of the day we convinced her to come swimming with us. after a few cups of that 7-up wine, she popped herself in a bathing suit, bra and all, and amused all of us! My cousin Paul often has his birthday when we went. I can still see those colorful donuts on a stick at the North star Inn pool side as we celebrated his special day. I remember wrestling with my brother on the freshly made beds, and flipping from one to the other (I just jumped, Jeff was the dare devil). I remember lieing in bed at night after about 8 hours of swimming and barely able to keep my eyes opened cause they burned so bad(from the chlorine). I remember waking up early and watching scooby doo, and all the other great cartoons that we didn't get at home. The memories are endless.....I think that is why I love it so much. Now I'm taking my kids, and guess what? They love it the same. They can't stop talking about it. Everyday we have the count down, and everyday they ask why we can't leave earlier. (I'm totally with them on that one.) Thank you mom and dad for creating those memories for me, and making it a special place. I probably won't be able to sleep tonight either.