Sunday was simply beautiful here in Minnesota — the kind of beauty that makes you forget about the polar vortex and frozen windshields or heavy, humid days filled with bugs. The kind of beauty that makes Minnesotans say, “yeah, this is the life.”

We decided to take advantage of the weather and our day off together. But we started with a good breakfast and some coffee.

Afterwards, Andy and I headed out for a nature hike. We left the dogs at home because the trail we had in mind does not allow dogs. But that was ok, because it meant we got to see more wildlife.

Entering the sun-dappled woods, we left the world behind us. Listening to the birds chirp and watching woodpeckers hop around, we ventured deeper.

We came upon the edge of a lake and heard a noise. Andy said, “probably a squirrel.”

But I thought it sounded different. Suddenly, a deer crested over the ridge before us, standing just 10 feet away, it watched us alertly for a moment before sprinting away.

We continued on our journey, quieting our steps and lowering our voices. As we descended into a valley, we watched as a coyote mounted the ridge before us, slinking almost silently through the trees as we watched from afar.

Yet quieter still, we continued. The sounds of a nearby owl hooting made us think that perhaps it was warning others of our presence.

We stopped alongside a marshy area to watch a deer eat from across the way.

We had left the house thinking we should have brought our camera and left the woods deeply regretting not having it — but loving our hike. We will definitely be going back.

When we got back home, we decided it was time to do something fun with the dogs. The sun was shining warmly on our skin, though the breeze was cool. It seemed like the perfect time for a bit of dock jumping.

Piper had a blast and Teddy had a great time watching her.

We then took Teddy on an adventure of his own, to Home Depot, where he met a bunch of people who gave him treats. We are working on his socialization.

And we capped off the night by bringing Piper out to a brewery for a work friend’s goodbye party.

I’d have to say, that was a pretty amazing Sunday!