Spring Sprung!

In some ways it feels like we just moved in even though we've been here over 6 months and the old house feels like a lifetime ago.  We're enjoying our neighbors and have all made friends, the dogs are getting plenty of exercise.  Seasonal allergies are hitting Samantha and Daddy hard, but other than that everyone's good.  Daddy and I even took some time for a long weekend away though I don't think we'll leave the girls with Nana and Papa again for some time.  There was a perfect storm of circumstances that lead to a challenging weekend for them, resulting consequences for the girls and disappointment for Daddy and I.



Summer is approaching and we're planning to have the opposite of last year's schedule.  Last year was camps every week with dance lessons and there wasn't time to relax.  This year the girls will have NO lessons and a nanny 4 days a week, which means I'll get into my office more (to help me focus).  The girls will be together, but free.  I'm hopeful!

Summer Festivals, Holidays and Camps

Summer is passing way too fast for me!

International Children's Festival with our friends and a traditional stop at the candy store afterwards.

It was a good Father's Day!  Daddy loves his new pellet smoker and we are all benefiting from it!

On July 4th we headed to a parade to watch Naamah unicycle and get candy.  I took Samantha to the carnival for rides and a snack.  Then we got to hang with our neighbors which made it a GREAT day!  Hannah especially loved playing with Gigi!

 Fireworks!

The girls have done a few camps this year.  Samantha was so excited for horse camp!  They have gone to Camp Streefland for a few weeks and both went to STEAM camp too.  Sofia loved her week at zoo camp!

S Girls Summer Camping Adventures

I love that the girls enjoy camping.  Antie She has been awesome about getting away with us and up for any adventure we encounter.  I don't know if we would do this as much if I didn't have her along!

Our first trip was back to Whitewater where we hiked, swam in the river, played on the beach and made some new friends. You have to love Antie She's sandman.  The other kids on the beach were enthralled with it!

We then headed south again.  We made a big breakfast my new camp stove (yum!), went swimming in the pool and explored.  Tubing was an experience trying to find flip-flops and watching a bald eagle watch us. On Sunday I convinced everyone that we could bike 4.2 miles one way to Lanesboro.  OK, I bribed the kids with ice cream.  It was a level trail, but I was proud of Sofia for making it (not that she had another choice)!  Thankfully the trip back felt much quicker as I had rewards waiting!

Spring Break 2014

Daddy and I celebrated our anniversary and spring break with a trip to St. Louis.  Time with Antie, Uncie and JoAnn was long overdue.  We went to our usual haunts like Faust Park, Magic House and City Museum.  There was dinner at Uncle Bob's house which is a fun tradition for us.

When we got back, there were sleepovers (with Grammy and at friend's houses), play dates and some downtime.  We even managed a dinner with Nana and Papa and squeezed in a quick visit with Jordan and Dylan.

Samantha got her new bike and I discovered that riding Daddy's bike is not fun for me.  Mine is waiting for new tires so I had to borrow Daddy's.

We are so fortunate.

Family Reunion in St. Louis

As I write this, we are returning from a family reunion in St. Louis.  Last Wednesday, Daddy drove the girls down by himself since I had to stay for a work meeting.  I caught a ride with Nana and Papa on Thursday.  Once I got there, it was 13 people sleeping at Uncie and Antie's house.  Surprisingly, it wasn't too bad with all the folks and it was great to spend some time with Jenna and Archer too!

While I was on the road, the girls and Daddy went to the City Museum with JoAnn.  Unfortunately the heat was nearly unbearable, yet they still climbed the 10-story slide.  On Friday I went to work at my company's St. Louis office and Daddy took the girls to the Magic House since the weather was so hot again.  Uncle Todd, Aunt Shelly , Jordan and Dylan, Nana and Papa all went too... everyone said it was crowded, but it was fun.  We ended the night with dinner at Uncle Bob's house.

Saturday began with family pictures near Faust Park. There was some coordination, but we will see what the results look like.  Everyone made it so that made the event special.  We let the kids play for a while, then met some of our friends for lunch before letting our kids play with water at Uncle Bob's again.  Then everyone came over to Uncie's for the rest of the night.  

Now we are trekking home.  All of us loved seeing cousins and the relatives we don't talk to often.  I'm happy I got to talk to mostly everyone, including the kids.  Samantha's favorite thing was City Museum and playing with Molly.  Sofia liked getting pushed in the toy car by Archer at Uncie and Antie's house and going to City Museum.  Daddy and I enjoyed Saturday and catching up with relatives.

Thanks to Grammy for watching Ely... maybe next time we'll bring both of them too!

Camping at Kathio

Camping at Kathio

Antie She and I took the girls camping to try out our new tent with the girls.  We headed northwest to Kathio State Park right by Mille Lacs.  We left earlier than planned, didn't encounter too much traffic and made excellent time in getting to the park.  Checking in wasn't a problem and neither was finding our campsite.  As we backed the car into the site though, we noticed a bog and SWARMS of various insects.  

Uh-oh.

Both kids freaked and I fought the urge to panic.  Antie She's legs were covered in horse fly bites from before we got the DEET applied.  Once the repellent was applied, we settled in and got the tent set up.  The girls helped get things organized inside the tent, Antie She worked at the site and I attempted to kill the majority of bugs that had entered our vehicle.  Then it started to rain, which quickly accelerated to a downpour.  Unfortunately I didn't remember that I had opened a tent window right by Antie She's sleeping bag.  Whoops... she got my sleeping bag that night while I slept under towels.  

Due to the rain, we went to a nearby Dairy Queen for dinner and looked around the park.  Thankfully, the rain stopped long enough to get the girls showered and settled in their sleeping bags.  Sofia was the only one who slept through the overnight thunder storm, but it was fine.  

Saturday was our only full day at the park, so we made the most of it.  We went to a nature lecture on the archaeology of the area, climbed the fire tower, went canoeing, made snacks at the playground and beach (where Antie She showed off her fire-making skills) and ended the night with s'mores.  Everyone slept better without the rain and it was a beautiful day!

On Sunday, we headed home fairly early.  Daddy missed us and we needed to prepare for the upcoming week.  The girls told everyone they had a great time and I made notes on what to bring/do differently  next time.

 

 

Weekend with Ely in Hayward

Our weekend away with Ely

Daddy has been visiting Hayward, WI for his job and found a hotel that will take dogs.  We brought Ely to the town's annual MuskyFest.  There was a carnival and street fair we all went to.  We even took Ely for a short paddleboat ride!  The girls got to swim in the pool twice.  Daddy took the girls mini-golfing while I walked Ely around.  Samantha even got 2 holes-in-one!  She was so proud of herself!

It was awesome to realize we can take him with us on a 4+ hour drive.  We love that he's portable and can join us on our adventures!

Samantha's Birthday Gift

Originally we planned on redecorating Samantha's room for her birthday gift.  With us planning to sell our house, that's not really an option anymore so I came up with another idea that we were finally able to execute last night.  I took her and a friend to the Water Park of America and we stayed overnight in the adjoining hotel.  When we arrived at the hotel room, I heard, "Wow, this is nice!" from both girls.  There were meals with only junk food and I said yes to nearly every request.  

Samantha's friend told me that they would remember this the rest of their lives... What else can I ask for?  Samantha has an awesome friend and is a good friend back too.  All you need is one friend you can trust with anything and you have the support to make it through anything.  I'm grateful Samantha has friends like that, at least as much as her age group can have!

Mom and Dad's trip to Hawaii

Daddy and I finished celebrating our 10th anniversary with a "honeymoon" trip to Hawaii.

We stayed right on Waikiki Beach on Oahu for the first 2 nights of our trip.  This was the view from our balcony.

We toured Honolulu and the Pearl Harbor Memorial.  It was an emotional trip where we learned more about our country's entry into World War II.

The next day we flew to "The Big Island" and went to a luau.  The morning started with a stroll around our resort where Daddy spotted whales breaching in the ocean and turtles on the beach.  Another amazing moment.  We spent our first day in a rented convertible driving around the coast of the entire island.  There is the dry side where we stayed and the wet side where the rainforest is.  We took a few hikes to view the foliage and toured Volcanoes National Park.  To say that it was gorgeous is an understatement.  The beauty is intense enough to literally take your breath away.  It's just incredible!

Our second day brought another tour of the entire island though this view was by air.  We took a helicopter tour.  We got to see the lava hitting the ocean and see parts of the island we wouldn't be able to see any other way.  The cliffs and valleys especially looked like something out of "The Lord of the Ring" movies.  It was hard for me to believe it was real.  We were fortunate to see another whale and turtles on the beach and another in the water during my snorkeling practice.

Day 3 started early with a snorkeling tour.  I didn't want to come back to the boat and was mesmerized by the fish and coral.  It was another magical experience for me!  Daddy and I agreed that it was our favorite activity.

It was a wonderful trip and though it's important for Daddy and I to take time for ourselves, we missed the girls terribly.  We are so grateful that Nana and Papa did a wonderful job caring for them and even better, they enjoyed it!  Our family continues to be blessed.