Mad Max’s Weekend in 5 (and a few extra) Pics 12/1-12/3

I headed to Grand Forks for a long weekend to visit my brother Luke and his family.

As I stepped inside their house, a Christmas tree cat tower immediately caught my attention. My sis-in-law Crystal invested in this tower after getting tired of their cats Remer and Bucky wreaking havoc on the Christmas tree decorations.

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Saturday was packed for my ten year old nephew Corban as he dove into his first VEX tournament of the year. The challenge involved designing and constructing a robot.

There are two parts to the contests: Robot Skills, which is a single robot trying to score as many points as possible, and the Teamwork Challenge, where two robots attempt to work together to complete the same task. Corban's team finished 15th in qualifications and tied for 10th in the finals. It was really cool to see what the students designed.

Luke and I made a detour to the Grand Cities Mall to explore a holiday vendor show. Arriving just in time, we caught the Grand Forks Tuba Christmas performance, which was fantastic. I picked up some delicious baked goods at the vendor show and couldn't resist stepping into the Plain & Fancy Antique store, where I ended up adding a vintage Barbie to my collection.

Later that evening, Corban wrapped up the day with a first travel team hockey scrimmage, clinching a 6-2 win.

Sunday was more relaxed as we cozied up to watch a couple of holiday classics: "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" and "8-Bit Christmas."

In the evening, we caught my brother playing in the "old man's" community hockey league. It's always a treat to see him play.

Post-hockey led us to "The Grand Forks Halloween House by Kelly," curated by a local family. They transform a large, clear tent in the front yard into a spectacular space for Halloween and Christmas, open to the public for visits and photos.

This year's theme was adorned in light blue with abundant snowflakes What a festive, magical, and exciting place for the community to enjoy. If you go to Grand Forks this month for a UND hockey game or a concert, you should definitely stop and check it out.

Thanks for taking time to look at my pictures!

-Mad Max