Gunflint Getaway

Linds & I joined the McNerneys and Furbers for the annual President's Day weekend North Shore adventure.  This year we left the kids behind and ventured all the way up the Gunflint, to the Gunflint Lodge... just shy of the Canadian Border.


Highlights include hiking/XC skiing gorgeous northern MN, wolf calling, dog sledding, crystal clear nights of star-gazing Northern Lights spectacles and nightcaps in our own private, outdoor hot tub.  Oh... and sleeping in past 5am, of course!

Goggley-Eyed

The girls enjoyed an escape to the local YMCA for a quick dip in the pool this weekend.  E loved pouncing off the pool ledge into Dad's arms (a process she repeated easily 100 times).  S, on the other hand, preferred staying tight to Mom... but was quite the kicker/paddler when brave enough to branch out.


Since the Y bans cameras in the pool and oddly only allows them in the locker room, the only "moment" we captured was this pre-swim, gearing up photo.  FYI, Ev kept Linds' increasingly foggy goggles on for the entire swim!

Alley Cats

Minnesotans will do anything to beat cabin fever after as our long winters drag on, including a trip to the bowling alley, with a couple toddlers, on a frigid Sunday... at 8:00am in the morning.

Sesame Street Live, Take II

Linds and I took Evs to see Elmo & Friends on the big stage at the Target Center once again this year.  Thank goodness this time around went far better than the last!

I'm not sure life gets much better, actually.  E watched her idols sing and dance for 90 minutes, had her first snow cone and cotton candy... and was high-fived by the real, live Bert!

15 months

On 1/13, SRB hit the 15 month mark.  Here's the (much delayed) monthly update:

A few of Sawyer's latest tricks include...

• Words, words and more words ("please" and "thank you" are among the newest and cutest)
• Undressing herself (she can do all but her shirt... and annoyingly practices in the car on every commute)
• Drinking out of a "big girl" cup and tinkering with utensils (and we thought dinner time was messy before!)

A few of Sawyer's latest favorite things include...

• Her graduation to the Dolphin Room at school (this makes S gym and playground eligible... and she couldn't be happier about it!)
• Hunting and pecking on Dad's laptop (and finding keystroke shortcuts I never knew existed!)
• Making her big sis' laugh (the little comedian finds E's giggle buttons and hits them repeatedly)