hellloooooo!

Hey world - yes, we are alive and kicking... 

Here's a snippet of what we have been up to in our neck of the woods...

We've been hangin out,

 skiing

school lunch eating...

3D pajama wearing...

Christmas prelude playing...

Disney World trip anticipating...

Snuggi-ing...

Ear piercing...

Park Playing...

Wait, What??!  PARK playing??  In Minnesota??  In JANUARY??!!

Yep...

We have had quite the random winter around these parts... not a lick of snow until just a few days ago.  In fact, just last Monday we were outside, in short sleeves, playing at the park!  Jerry is so sad that he hasn't had his normal snow-blowing bonding time.   I have even found myself with a little wistful snow longing myself... but mine is for purely selfish reason - I just want a big blizzard to be able to have a snow day and snuggle up inside with some hot chocolate and a good book :)

If you envision it...

and then scout it out on craigslist to get a smokin deal

and rent a uhaul to get it yourself,

and then finally bite the bullet and pay someone to actually assemble it for you

 So you can watch the progression

and try to ward off the kids

who are chomping at the bit and can hardly stand to watch it go 'so slow!'

and get a little antsy yourself...

Then the kids will come

and stay...

and play!!

ahh the sights of fall...

but I'm a little too lazy to re-write it, so here's the link :)

http://all-diets-work.com/ahh-the-sites-of-fall/

Slurping the last tastes of summer...

Driving down our beautiful green-tree lined streets the other day, I caught myself getting a little excited for the fabulous fall colored leaves... 

and then had to catch myself 

and remind myself that right behind that

came the freezing tundra land that is minnesota ALL WINTER LONG.

So, we have decided to use this last week before schools starts as our

completely-seize-the-sun-moments-before-we-have-to-say-goodbye-to-the-great-outdoors

week.

Elizabeth was all over that philosophy!

 ... yes, she is still in a not-match-shoes-on-purpose-phase.  priceless!

Joshy decided water guns are best served in re-hydrating oneself...

sprinkler tramp-jumping... a summer tradition :)

And what would summer be like without the age-old slip-n-slide??!

yep... just another day of soaking it all in
... except for the parts that get blocked out from the sunscreen
(gotta keep Mr. Derm happy :)  ).

Oh what do you do in the summer time, when all the world is...

WET??

Do you jump on the tramp?

 ... or make bombs out of bags...

Or lay in the stream going by??

Is that what you do??

So do I......

... or bike...

... or maybe even shoot some hoops :)

Yes, we had a spell where it was absolutely pouring rain around these parts for a few days in a row.  Not to be ones to sit by the window and wait for it to pass, the kiddos donned their 'gear' (layers of soon-to-be-soaking clothes) and rushed into the torrents with gleeful shouts of joy.

Nope, no summer storm is gonna get us down :)

And they went "bleck bleck bleck" all the way home

Note to self:
   Do not fly across the country, then drive back.  Somehow that drive back will seem like it takes fooorrreeevvveeerrr.

 Let me back up a bit...

Normally when we do the cross country trips, we load all the kiddos up, pack enough food for an army, hop in the car and a short 2 day jaunt later, we come crawling into one of our relatives houses.  It's the routine, we know it, we deal with it.

This time, since we got to 'borrow' my parents suburban while they skip the country for the next three years, we came up with the *brilliant* plan to fly out to Utah, then drive the Suburban back.

Again, the first time we have done the full family cross country flight.  We were all pretty much in awe at the fact that we got on the plane at breakfast time, and by lunch we had landed in Utah.  It was amazing!!

... fast forward 2 1/2 weeks (and a bundle of mini-road trips between Utah and Idaho) (pictures to come... when I can get my act together, that is!), we loaded up the troops, and started the journey home.  By lunch time we were... well... not very far along.  

   Add to that 2 throw up sessions on day one, and two more on day two, and the car ride seemed infinitely longer.

  We did make it home, kinda sorta in one peace.
... and even made it before midnight (10:46 to be exact)!
... about which, after unloaded everything, Jerry took the kids out to 'celebrate' by lighting a few fireworks.
... did I mention it was just before midnight?!
... and all of our neighbors were asleep?!
... yep, we threw ourselves our own 'welcome home' shebang...
Don't you wish you lived next door to us now??

The Waiting game...

http://foodmoodmotherhood.wordpress.com/

... because I'm just too lazy to write it all over again :)