Santa Made It December 25th!

Christmas was so fun this year because it had only been snowing for a month so it was still pretty and magical! Also the Simpsons made the trek from Denver to share their holiday with us!

It really started when "Buddy" our Elf on a Shelf arrived Thanksgiving weekend (maybe that's early...get off me it's our first year!) Cooper and Chase were so so excited to see where he would be hiding the next night and were trying so hard to be good so he could report that back to Santa. Cooper even told Chase if he wasn't good the Wise Men were going to report that back to Santa.

Once the Simpsons arrived we did it all. We went sledding (I stayed in the lodge and sipped cocoa), went to the amusement park at the Mall of America, swam at the local community center and built igloos outside (I stayed inside and sipped cocoa :). We had such a super fun Christmas and were stoked to spend it with the Simpsons. I almost forgot...we also got hooked on Arrested Development...I laughed my face off! We consumed more food than anyone ever should and vowed to lose it starting January 1st. Best Christmas EVER!

Chase Turns 2 and Celebrates With Bugs!

For Chase's birthday I thought about what theme to do. As I watched him smoosh, tickle, trap, talk too, snuggle, and lick every bug we encountered I thought...my theme. I sent out what I believe were the craziest invites yet; flyswatters with bugs tied onto them holding the invitation. We had tons of bug balloons (thanks Kristin at www.gogoballoons.com). We had a catapiller crawl, bug toss and of course pin the dot on the ladybug (with oreos!) We were exhausted by the end but loved every minute of it! Hope you had a super time you big 2 year old!

Everyone is entitled to a yawn every now and again.



Chase in his party garb!





This is the Bee! We had 3 and they were so fun to look at!



The Ladybug was super cute and we had like 3 around the house. Chase adopted one and kept it in his room for about a week.



Loved the grasshoppers!



This caterpiller pretty much stayed up until Christmas. People stopping by weren't sure what kind of party they stepped into but we loved it. The kids seriously thought it was the greatest thing ever...they were right...Kristin you rock!

Back to Minnesota...Really?!

So we are back! After being ripped away from warm weather, awesome friends and our pool in Arizona we were a little hesitant to come back. But then we recovered. It was absolutely beautiful once we got here! The fall was fantastic filled with tons of leaves and my kids barrelling down our hill in the back yard on their trucks! We have a POND in our backyard too! Some neighbors have called it a swamp but I am an optimist so it is a pond to me and I fully intend to canoe on it spring and summer!

Here is a picture of a sunrise from my back porch!



Our new house! I am in LOVE with it! Brandon...not so much! It's got lots of room for my kids to run around and play and plenty of room for visitors to come visit...so visitors...come visit!





Here are my kids at Halloween! We had a super fun time trick-or-treating and once Cooper realized he got candy at every house he was off with his spider arms waving in the wind...

Last Days of Summer...

Once we found out we were moving back to Minnesota we spent every last minute in our pool! Our kids got really good at swimming (with the help of rings...so really not that good) and Presley was finally able to show off her sweet tiny suit! Right before we left we had 5 days without furniture or our stuff while it was being moved so we spent tons of time perfecting our tans which would soon be hidden by parkas, scarfs and ski pants...stupid Minnesota!

Shiver Me Timbers Captain Coop is Turning 3!

For Cooper's Pirate 3rd Birthday we send out boxes with treasure maps on the side that were filled with sand and shells and invitations (sorry about the sand all over your carpet friends...). Since its 115 degrees in August in Arizona we spent most of the time outside! We had cannon ball fights in the pool and the kids dove for gold coins to get prizes! I found a pirate ship "The Black Dog" at target and at one point I think Cooper REALLY thought he was a pirate! At the end of the day our big 3 year old (I can barely think it without tearing up) had a great time playing Captain Coop plus he scored lots of fun new toys!

Brandon's 30th B-Day...A Hole In One!

Everyone deserves a fantastic 30th birthday to lessen the blow from youngsterhood to toddlers and minivanhood. So I threw B a golfing party with golf clubs as the invitations (the post office was a little skeptical but I was pretty persuasive). I put a putting green in the backyard and the kids decorated visors! I think I surprised him! Super fun to see all the golf outfits...thanks for making it great guys! (those who didn't make it because they didn't read the invite/thought it was from someone else are dead to me...no we missed you!)

presley...6 days old!