Eagles Nest Playplace

I took Natalie, Sarah and a couple of friends to an indoor playplace to burn off a little energy last week. This kind of stuff is all new to Natalie, but she seemed to enjoy herself once she got comfortable. She especially enjoys being around other kids her age and is not shy about going up and saying hi to new friends.

Nate turns 12

Happy Birthday Nate! Nate's birthday fell on a Tuesday this year and since Monday was a holiday for the kids and Steve, we kind of celebrated on both days. On Monday we took Nate to pick out a baseball glove for his birthday present and then he got to choose where we all went out to lunch. He has always wanted to try Red Lobster so that's where we ended up and he seemed to enjoy his lunch of chicken and shrimp. Later that night we celebrated with his birthday cake - chocolate with vanilla frosting - his request! We even had dessert before dinner in honor of his birthday! Tuesday night Nate chose dinner - Pheasant and Wild Rice soup and got to open a few other presents from family. Of course, there was more cake too!

Skiing with Sarah

Sarah and I went skiing yesterday afternoon on a trail that winds through a county park and takes you along the Mississippi River. It was beautiful out in the woods with the snow falling and mild temps (20 degrees is mild for MN!). We had a great time and enjoyed being outside after a week of below zero temps that kept us cooped up in the house.

Natalie's new hobby

 
 
We got Natalie a small table and chairs that she can use for crafts or having snacks and lately she has discovered Paint with Water. She really enjoys having something "her size" and enjoys playing with the ABC magnets that Aunt Nicole and Uncle Dale gave her for Christmas while she sits at her table.

Crazy Cold!

A Trip to American Girl

Sarah got a gift certificate for American Girl at Christmas so we took a trip down to the Mall of America to check out the new store that opened here recently. We had some lunch at the mall and then spent some time looking at all the cool things in the store. Sarah decided that she wanted to use some of her Christmas money to get a new doll. She already has a "Just Like Me" doll that she got for Christmas a few years ago and this time she chose to buy the "Girl of the Year for 2009 - Chrissa". Maybe she relates to her story - she moves to a new town, starts a new school and is trying to make new friends...

When we finished our shopping, we jumped on the light rail to head home. The light rail goes to downtown and then we had to walk a few blocks to catch a bus that would take us home. Sarah loves to ride on the light rail and bus. She especially likes the buses that have the accordian in the middle for turning corners. She sits in the seats and then watches as the front of the bus turns the corner and the floor rotates underneath her seat. It was fun having some mother/daughter time and having a little adventure in Minneapolis!

Michigan Trip

Happy New Year! We are home in Minnesota after a trip to Michigan to spend time with Steve's family. We hadn't planned to travel during the holidays this year, but after realizing that we had a full 2 weeks of vacation and checking the weather for road conditions, we decided the day after Christmas that we would head to Michigan. We called the kennel and they had a cancellation so we were able to get Tucker in at the "ranch" and then we headed out early on the 27th.

We had a great time hanging out with all of our family. We hadn't all been together since last Christmas so it was wonderful for all the cousins to play together and all the adults to play cards and hang out. Nate and Sarah got to stay with their cousins at Suzanne's house the whole time, which they loved! Natalie and the "younger cousins" stayed at Bumpa and Gigi's.

Kathryn hosted a bowling party one afternoon and we all enjoyed pizza and a couple of games. The following afternoon we headed to the ice rink with the Thompson crew for a little ice skating. We even had "in-law night" at Suzanne's house while she stayed at the farm with Steve, Kath, and Nicole. It was great fun and we are so glad we made the decision to spend some time together with family.