The 4 Days of Christmas

Sure, packing the Element to the brim with kids, dogs, suitcases and presents and making a four-stops in four-nites, 300-mile tour of South Central Minnesota around the Holidays has it's downside... but we wouldn't have it any other way.  

Here's a time capsule of our Christmas 2012. 

The North Pole

Just before Christmas, E & S made a trip to the North Pole to see Santa's Workshop... and to sit on the St. Nick's lap to remind him to come by the house a couple days early, since we'll be touring southern MN around the 24th and 25th.

Happy Holidays

The Backer family's 2012 Holiday card.  All the best to you and yours...

Oh, and here's the card that almost was... taken after Holiday card photoshoot #1 (a.k.a. "the Meltdown").

Happy Birthday, dear Dad-dy...

Birthday breakfast in bed for dear ol' dad... a Backer family tradition.

Thanks, girls!  Love you!

Mary Lou II, too?

Like her big sis', Sawyer's a fearless gym rat... and zips on, off, over, under or through any piece of equipment her coaches put in her way.  

Shown above, S strikes her "patiently waiting for class to begin" pose from her favorite perch.

Flames

E had such a blast with soccer this summer, we signed her up for indoor season in the fall.  

While the league was supposed to be co-ed, and games were supposed to be 6-on-6ish... E's team's all-girl "core four" held their own with the best of them.

L-R: Amelia, Rosie, Coach Katie, EBGB & Katie

Movember, Take II

Once again, the men of General Mills rallied in support of an emerging grassroots men's health awareness-building and fundraising campaign called Movember.

In short, Movember goes like this: For all of November, "Mo' Bros" are challenged to let that upper lip growth run wild and become walking, talking billboards for the cause.  

This year, GMI's Mo' Bros raised $55K... $500 of which came from folks donating in my name.  THANK YOU to Mom & Greg, Dad & Dawn, Joe & Tisha, Joe & La, Bob & Linda, Jason & Michelle, Brett & Suz, Donna M, Allison P, Lindsay F, Danielle G and Anna E.

Sawyer's first haircut

Like E, Sawyer's first cut came on a Thanksgiving weekend, in Fairmont, during some downtime, after plenty of "this girl needs a haircut" from Auntie La and Nana.

Little S did great... holding the above stoic pose without moving, blinking or breathing for the entire cut.

Happy Thanksgiving

Lots to be thankful for this and every year, including friends, family... the good health of friends and family... and, the long weekend of endless turkey.

Bandshell Relays

With the Vikes on a bye and the temp in the mid-50s, there was really no excuse not to get out and enjoy one of the last hat & glove free days of the year.

The playgrounds were so overflowing with amped-up (older) kids, we made our own fun goofing around by the lake... crawling on and over picnic tables, jumping off benches, chasing ducks and racing across the bandshell.

Pizza Party

On Saturday night, E & S and their school buddies, Alexander & Alayna, had a little 'play date' and tore it up at our place, pausing ever so briefly to whip up a couple BOBOLI pizzas for the crew.

Good times, Kristin & Jake!

Snugglebuddies

Daylight Savings Time has yet to synch with the girls' internal clocks, so this morning Linds and I came downstairs to find the two snuggling up to watch some 5:45am Sesame Street.

Trick or Treat

Halloween 2012.  The Princess and the Monster.

Mr. & Mrs. Heiderscheidt

On Friday, October 26, 2012, Auntie La and Uncle Joe made it official at Holy Family Catholic Church in St. Louis Park, MN.

Lala made for quite the princess, and the two pulled off a quite the party... but what I'll never forget is my girls' bright eyes and glowing faces as they took in the magical day (including E's crashing of the First Dance). 

*Since the event was documented by a professional, more (and far better) photos to follow...

Go Stars?

This Saturday evening, we trekked up to Blaine to see the North American Soccer League defending champion, Minnesota Stars, take on the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Thanks to the Racciattis (and their Coach Manny connections), we enjoyed complimentary tickets... and a fun night out.

Thanks to our four (past bedtime) children, long beer & food lines, and an in-arena playground... we enjoyed next to none of the game!

Two!

Sawyer Rose is t-w-o!   

Oh, that little Rosie is quite the character... and watching her begin to "own" her spunky, spicy personality has been a priceless journey.  She's just plain the sweetest, stubbornest, don't-take-no-sh!t-from-nobody-est, class-clowniest, will-make-y0u-earn-each-hug-and-kissiest doll you could imagine.  She knows the keys to each of our hearts... and I cannot imagine this family without her.  Happy Birthday, SRB!

A few of Sawyer’s latest favorite things include:

• “Her” iPad (which she’ll request nightly, nodding and saying, “iPaa, iPaa, iPaa...”)
• Happy Meals (which she'll request far too often, nodding and saying, "fa-fies, chich-in, ap-pos, choco milk, fa-fies, chich-in, ap-pos, choco milk...")
• Her babies: Lucy, Hello Kitty, Big Bird, (Curious) George, Harper, Elmo, Bobby (Sponge Bob), et cetera (she tucks each and everyone in with her each night)
• And, most of all, her big sis'... who she truly adores (and I know the feeling is mutual)

A few of Sawyer's latest tricks include:

• Conversational sign language (OK, maybe not quite... but she knows at least 50 words/signs, everything from "orange" to "squirrel")
• Monkey-like jumping and climbing (she'll jump off coffee tables and couches, and climbs pianos and dresser drawers... curling her toes around knobs like a professional rock climber!)
• Singing (traditional "school songs", yes... but also loves "today's hits", including well over half of Carley Rae's Call Me Maybe)

Just for kicks

With t-ball season behind her, E tried her hand... er, foot... at soccer at the local Y this fall.  

When in the mood (i.e. when not picking grass off her tights, doing somersaults, or taking non-sanctioned water breaks), Evs was quite the thief on defense and pretty good on the fast break, or whatever you soccer people call it, on offense. 

School pictures

So, for the 2012 yearbook, it looks like E went with her "simply irresistible" face... and S went against the grain, rocking a pretty impressive "save the children".

Squatters

G & M waiting patiently outside of Patina as Mom & the girls shop...

The human wrecking ball

Pound-for-pound, they don't make 'em much tougher than our little Sawyer Rose.  That poor girl's noggin finds it's way into more walls, corners, doors and the like than you could ever imagine.  Yet, she always bounces right up with little more than a curled lower lip and a brief whimper.

Shown above is the four-days-later aftermath of a fall that had her in the ER this weekend for fear of a concussion, broken nose, stitches and popped teeth.  Thank goodness all was fine in the end...

Auntie La, Is it too late to change your wedding accent colors to green & yellow to match what her nose/eyes will look like next week?

Minnetonka Orchards

What better to do on a gorgeous fall weekend than skirt the big city, and spend an afternoon at the apple orchard.

The "big kids" enjoyed the country scenery and the food (brats, honeycrisp apples, freshly pressed cider... and piping-hot mini donuts).  The "little kids"' faves included face-painting, mini-tractor rides, feeding the barnyard animals... and making any face but a happy one for the camera!

Doggy nightcare

It's a long story, but somehow last Saturday evening our home was transformed into a petting zoo.

The girls loved the four-legged company, especially during story time before bed.

September showers

La La B had what feels like (to me, at least) her 15th wedding shower this weekend, this one in Fairmont.  E & S are loving the pomp and circumstance as much as the bride-to-be herself!

Suds Run

If you can't get out for the Mill City Suds Run (formerly the James Page Blubber Run), I'm not sure you'll ever get out for any run.  The "race" is kid-, pet- and costume-friendly... loops around scenic St. Anthony Main... is only three miles... starts at 10am, or whenever you get there... and serves free beer on the course and at the finish line.

Hsssss!

While in Chi-town, E & S took in the Notebaert Nature Museum... getting far more up close and personal with nature than I'm comfortable with! 

Joey

While Linds (and Tisha) were out partying with La, E & S enjoyed some quality two-on-one time with Uncle "Joey"... starting at 5:45am daily.

La's last hurrah

Autie La and nearly twenty of her closest friends and family members painted Chicago red this weekend, celebrating "the end of an era" (as their team uniforms read).

Cute group shot above in front of "the bean" at Millennium Park, but something tells me this wasn't representative of the whole weekend...

The Great Minnesota Get-Together

A busy end of August / early September meant this year's annual State Fair trip was more of an in-and-out, hitting up the classics (e.g. Curds, Kidway, Pronto Pups, animal barns, etc.) before scooting off.

This said, we did make time for one new stop, the Butterfly House, where E and her "Kitty" quickly made friends.

Free everyone

On a recent trip to St. Anthony Main, I snapped a handful of photos of the girls and their buddy Maddie checking out the Falls... only to discover several days later this little, completely unstaged* photo of our little your-rules-humor-me free spirit, Sawyer Rose.

*As in, I didn't notice chalk graffiti, the perfectly placed shoe or the "jail bar" irony when snapping the photo in real time.

National Night Out

Sawyer's favorite part(s)... DIY face painting and scavenging for Piñata spillover.

My fair ladies

What's a cabin weekend without a little day trip "to town"?  And, what's more fun than a couple hours on the Douglas County Fair midway?

Pictured above is Evie comforting a concerned Sawyer on the Airplane-Go-'Round, and Evie hugging her ($25) Bust-A-Balloon prize.

Sunny

E's caught her first fish on Brophy Lake, and just had to run in and show it off to her sis' and grandpa.

Brophy Lake

The extended Backer clan shacked up at Brophy Lake Resort in Alexandria, MN for the annual cabin weekend.

Plenty of standard lake fun (swimming, fishing, yard games), but the scene of the weekend was definitely the Backer girls' mid-day dance party... to "Call Me Maybe"... on repeat.

Willow Falls

Willow River State Park

Willow River State Park in Hudson, WI was the site of this year's annual McNerney/Furber/Backer camping escape.

Highlights include: Friday night's fireside Canadian fish fry, hiking the Willow River and Saturday's day trip to Hudson for beach time along the St. Croix (and ice cream).

Happy 6th

Six years ago today, Linds & I tied the knot in Indianapolis, IN... and it's been happily ever after since.  


Well, at least 95% of the time... 


I love you, LMB.

O Canada

And, as if the fishing wasn't amazing enough, Canada's spectacular scenery may have been worth the trip by itself.