My Birthday

My mom organized a trip to my favorite lunch place..Olive Garden.  I NEVER get to go here because BJ doesn't really care for it.  So my mom did a girls day (but of course Cameron, Sam & Toby could come too!)  It was me, mom, grandma, Jeny and Joan.  It was lots of fun.  Thanks mom, grandma and Joan for taking me out!

Haley slurpin her spaghetti!

A fun family pic!

This was at my dad's house.  I requested the KFC cake.  It is so dang good!

I had a great birthday.  BJ took me out to Red Lobster too while my mom watched the kids. 

 A pound of crab hit the spot that night for sure!  Yummy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

BJ and I are in bed, it's about 6:30am

I hear footsteps from the kids room, going out front, and then back to my bedroom.

Haley:  "Momma, where is Cameron?"

Mom:  "I don't know.  Check out front."

Haley walks back out front.

Cameron:  "Happy Valentine's Day, Haley!"

Haley:  "Thank you."  short pause  "Happy Valentine's Day!"

Cameron:  "Thanks!"

I am constantly amazed by the love these two siblings share for each other!

Bedtime By Themselves

Last night BJ had to go back to work at 8:30pm and I was beyond tired (couldn't sleep the night before because of the awesome sound of the rain.) Anyway, when BJ left for work at 8:15 I told the kids we were brushing teeth and going to bed. Somehow they managed to figure out it wasn't 8:30 yet and called me on it. I told them "That's fine. Let's get ready, brush our teeth, and then I'm going to bed. If you want to stay up until 8:30 it's fine, but you're going to have to turn out all the lights and tuck yourselves in."

Holy smokes did they think that was cool! Their giggles were so cute as they were playing out front while I was in bed (simply in bed - light was still on and I certainly wasn't sleeping!)

And guess what? When I told them it was 8:30 they ran around and turned off all the lights and went to bed. It was so cute!

More snow play!

BJ pulled the kids back up the hill on the sled - until he got stuck in a pile of snow!

Mushroom table top on the patio!

All bundled up!

Cameron LOVES the snow!

Look at those red cheeks.  Brr...

Minnesota Day Two - Playing on the lake

After breakfast (Cameron requested pancakes of course) we bundled up and headed out on the lake. This lake is about 150 feet from their house.  We were supposed to fish on this lake but they got too much snow and now the fishing is bad because the ice is too far below the snow (or something like that.)  But we didn't care.  The kids got pulled around on the sled and BJ and I got to snowshoe.  Cameron even took Haley for a spin on the sled.

The temperature while we were out there was negative 3, with a windchill of negative 25.

Minnesota - Day one!

We stopped at McDonalds somewhere between Rochester and Park Rapids.  The kids didn't want to eat; they just wanted to play.  I can't blame them.  We had been in the plane for 3 hours and then the car for about 2 hours.  They needed to 'wiggle."  They loved playing in the snow even at McD's!

As soon as we got to Aunt Charlotte's house Cameron wanted to play outside.  So we did!  Charlotte took them for a sled ride.

BJ made them a slide from a huge pile of snow.

Haley went down really fast and always said "Weeeee!"

Making snow angels is always fun

I'm not sure what the temperature was when we were playing, but I'm guessing it was about zero.

One Hour...Literally

This is how long I've been working on this post.  I am SO frustrated.  I finished the smilebox of our ski trip to Brianhead but the internet wont let me send it because it doesn't allow me to sign in.  Why?  I have no idea.  Maybe it's a bad connection since I'm in zero degree weather in the middle of the woods?  Who knows.  According to the computer the signal is strong.

Anyway, so then I just try to log on to blogspot to post this frustration note, and it gives me the run around too.  Seriously...it must be a conspiracy.

So anyway, we are having loads of fun in Minnesota so far.  The kids (including BJ) totally love the snow and we are looking forward to a full day of outdoor play tomorrow, including walking across the Mississippi river.

At some point I hope to get the Brianhead Pics posted, as well as some pictures from our trip here.

Good night!