March 2013

March flew by with a lot of family time!

Leah came home so we got to visit with her!  I love that she's not too cool to play "Duck, Duck, Goose/Gray Duck with the kids!  I even got video of Nana playing!

I took the girls to see Samantha's friend perform in a play.  Sofia made sure to get herself in the picture at the last minute!

A tired dog is a happy dog... doggy day care has been so helpful in keeping Ely happy!  Here he is so tired that he doesn't care about one of his favorite toys!

I love this picture of Sofia and Daddy from St. Patrick's Day.

We took Jordan and Dylan for the day and got a glimpse of what life would be like with 4 kids.  We spent the day visiting the zoo and hanging out at our house.  Everyone had a great day and slept very well that night!

Papa got to comfort Samantha before our Passover seder since she was so tired from her gymnastics camp. It was a tender moment to see, though Samantha loved the camp!

Mommy and Daddy's 10th Anniversary

Sofia called it our "Renewal Wedding".  Samantha told her Sunday school class that "it was a big party".  For Daddy and I, it was a night we will always remember with gratitude and joy.

Daddy and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary by renewing our vows in the Jewish tradition.  It was wonderful to have our Rabbi officiate the ceremony.  The girls participated in planning and Samantha did her reading beautifully.  We recited our own vows and signed our ketubah (marriage contract) in front of our friends and family.  Our friends Tad, Adam, Nicki and Antie She each held a corner of the chuppah for us.  Everything about the evening was relaxed, but it was so special.  Daddy and I are so fortunate to have each other.  The family we've created and the friends we've gained are an amazing group of people.

Happy Anniversary Nana and Papa!  Thanks for letting us share it with you!

Snow Day

Another snow storm hit so the girls finally got a snow day.  At least we got out and enjoyed it!

Girls Engineering Day

Samantha's school hosted a Saturday event focused on engineering.  There were career presentations by women and plenty of activities, including sessions on building different things.  Samantha chose to join me where I volunteered to help build catapults.  Most of the girls hadn't worked with any power tools, so I taught them how to use the drill.  Their faces lit up when they did it.  It seemed that the girls were expecting me to do the drilling for them, so when I handed them the drill I saw fear at first, then the excitement of doing it on your own.  The whole experience was fantastic for everyone!

Here's Samantha about to launch another volley with her catapult!

Mommy and Sofia night

I took Sofia out to the Mall of America for a night out on the town.  We found lots of dresses for her, rode rides and ate junk food.  We had a great time and it's always a treat for me to have some special time with just one of my girls!

I had to include her self-portrait!

Momma's weekend away

To celebrate Antie She's birthday, I took her away for a snowy weekend filled with winter activities.  We learned how to cross-country ski, went on some hikes and dog-sledding, and relaxed.  I'd recommend the Gunflint Lodge to anyone.  The food and cabin was great (hot tub and sauna!) and Canada is across the lake!  I can't wait to go back for more adventures!

Antie She has been part of my family since I was 19 years old.  We weren't immediate friends, but we've seen each other through so much it's overwhelming to think about.  I'm incredibly grateful to have her in my life and I cherish our friendship!

President's Day Weekend 2013

We started the weekend with me taking Sofia to her preschool celebration of Chinese New Year.  She got to release her lantern (balloon with a light inside), be part of the dragon and sing a song with her classmates.  I'm glad we took the time to go!

On Saturday we met our friends for dinner at a King's table before heading to the Mondo Festival, a celebration of uni-cycling, juggling and other fun skills.  There were plenty of balloons flying during intermissions and everyone was throwing them up and down.  We'll see if we can make this an annual event!

Monday was President's Day, so I took the girls out to a trampoline park.  There wasn't room for me to jump along, but I had fun watching and taking videos!