Go Vikings!

Well the Vikings finally got a win and we think it has something to do with this little peanut....

and her daddy with matching pigtails and jerseys! We hadn't put her in any of her Vikings gear yet this season but this past Sunday we did...

and we got a win! thanks pigtails!

Here is Linnea near the end of last season...wearing the same jersey as she is now almost 10 months later...she may be a little small but also maybe a very big good luck charm for the team!

Aliya's Wedding!

I'd like to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Sullivan!

My friend Aliya from high school got married this past Saturday and after some fear of rain and coldness it turned out to be a beautiful day at an amazing venue!

Their whole event was at the same place, Camrose Hill Flower Farm in Stillwater, MN. They were married at 3 and then there were yard games, appetizers and cocktail hour before dinner and dancing.

Here is the reception hall.

And here is mommy and daughter!

This little sweetie and daddy came for dinner and dancing. And she was a dancing machine as you will soon see in the video at the bottom!

The beautiful bride and Linnea who changed out of her dress and into warmer clothes.

The Meyers!

Melissa (bride to be in November) with me and Linnea.

Daddy and Linnea were just so surprised about something!

The first dance.

Linnea enjoying watching someone dance...probably that goofy daddy!

No she isn't having a temper tantrum below. She for some reason wanted to lay on the floor and look at the fans and lights. Right in the middle of the dance floor. Not a good idea. At least she was only bumped once and was of course fine.

Mommy giving Linnea one last hug and spin before daddy brought her home for bed while mom stayed out with friends until the wee hours of the morning. Thanks Chris!

And here is our dancing queen:

GG

Linnea and I visited great grandma who has taken the name of GG last Friday. We got that nickname from our cousins and Linnea can say it now! And she says it with a little clap after it. I know she knows who GG is and likes visiting her.

She also likes that she can reach the handicap buttons from her stroller and open the door! There is sure to be a happy scream every time.

She also probably likes that she gets to run the halls and watch a new Elmo show almost every time. We enjoy our lunch visits to grandma.

Grandma's house went on the market Friday after a LOT of work done by my parents to get it ready. According to facebook and my mom there was a showing already tonight (Monday).

We will miss grandma's house and hope whoever moves in is happy there and creates just as many great memories as we did.

The most vivid ones are celebrating every Christmas Eve there, going over in our Halloween Costumes, family picnics on the deck, football games and playing at the playground at the park down the road, Mr. Mouse, sleepovers with cousins or siblings, breaking both of my wrists there, playing cards, eating contests and just in general having fun!

We would love to have kept the house in the family but it just won't work for anyone at this time, but grandma needs the money to stay at the Woodbury Estates.

Wish us luck!

Walker Half Marathon

This was a very pleasant and helpful little face to see this weekend!

I ran the Walker Half Marathon and think I am finally fully recovered. The run was on Saturday. It is now Thursday. There were far more hills and trail running than I expected! But it was beautiful and perfect weather. Maybe a little chilly for my fans but they survived! Linnea actually fell asleep while waiting at the finish line for me.

Sorry it took me 15 minutes longer than expected!

Since Walker is only about a half hour from Lake Itasca we took a little afternoon trip there after having Subway at the hotel and getting cleaned up. Two other friends ran it as well. Andre and Dante are students at NDSU and Andre used to work with my dad. They are from Brazil and Argentina and had never seen the Headwaters of the Mississippi so we thought we better show it to them.

Here are the Meyers!

Hiking to the letterbox.

Found it!

Linnea says, time to go!

We took a scenic drive of the huge trees after our little hike by the headwaters. We found a great place to eat right in Itasca State Park. Buffalo burgers, a walleye sandwich and wild rice casserole were enjoyed by us! Very Minnesotan and very yummy. When we made it back to the hotel we went in the hot tub for a bit and then played cards until we got too tired.

On our way home on Sunday we stopped in Hackensack and Brainerd for more letterboxes.

Linnea again says, it's time to go and please put a DVD in. It makes the ride so much easier! Thank you Elmo for getting us to and from Walker, MN.

We also now think we know what this lil girl will be for Halloween...LaLaLa, Elmo's World.

Lookout Ridge

Last Thursday I took Linnea to Lookout Ridge with my friend Lisa and her twins!

Here is Linnea and one of the twins in the boat. Lookout Ridge is a very outdoorsy/cabin-like indoor playground connected to the Woodbury YMCA and the Library and Central Park ( where Brian and Megan got married). Some parts of this park are too big for Linnea but we still had so much fun. She will really enjoy the climbing parts when she is a little older. But they had perfect slides for her and a bounce house and little tunnels she could "hide" from me in.

After all that playing its time for a bath:

I also had my second interview of the fall on Thursday and heard today it was offered to someone else. I think I would have declined anyways had they offered. It was in Edina at a GREAT school but sooo far away and it included riding the bus and the pay was lower than what I wanted for all that driving and work. SO the hunt continues!

Running in the mud, Interviewing, Wild Rumpus and Pavement!

Here I am all muddy after a fantasticly fun run through puddles (more like ponds) of mud, over and under logs over the ponds (which meant face/head had to be totally submerged which I wasnt expecting, but hey it was for a good cause and called the mud run...sooo you get what pay for!), over walls and up many hills with boulders and slippery mud! It was the most fun 10k I have ever done and cannot wait for next year! Thanks to all who donated to MudRun 2010 for MS! I was lucky to be able to do it with Megan's cousins which made it even more fun than doing it alone.

So that was Saturday morning. We pretty much just hung out the rest of the weekend until Sunday night!

On Sunday night we went to a Pavement concert at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul. Pavement is a group that Chris and his buddies have been fans of for a long time. Chris has seen them 5 times! This was my second since they were at the Pitchfork music festival we went to in July. They definitely have grown on me and I like them! However this is their last tour.

Lucky we have grandparents close by so we could go!

Linnea was quite the hit for the everyone who met at our house before we left for the concert. She is into making faces this week. Especially a surprised face. I will have to try to get a picture of it or video and put it on here. For now, imagine a little girl with a perfectly shaped oval mouth, hands to face and eyebrows up. Pretty funny. Everyone would laugh and then she would as well and then she would do it again.

Monday morning I brought Linnea to the Wild Rumpus Bookstore again. She found a chair just her size to sit in and read.

The chicken was out in full force and let Linnea pet her and another girl carried it around! We also saw a ferret, a lizard and birds at this amazing bookstore. Tale time was also fun. We then walked a little ways around Lake Harriet and found a playground.

I thought I had better squeeze as much fun as I can into these next few days/weeks since I am on the jobhunt in fullforce. I have very mixed feelings about this. I miss working with adults and with kids but have LOVED my time with Linnea too. I know she will be fine at a daycare and have fun and it will help her grow but I sure will miss her! And daycare is sooo expensive so my job has to make a certain amount (at least as much as unemployment is paying and hopefully more so we have a profit after daycare fees!) We dont think unemployment will last too much longer so I have been much more proactive about jobhunting lately. I had an interview Monday afternoon and another tomorrow. Both for Special Ed Aides. The one Monday was in St. Paul. Super close to our house but doesnt pay much. The interview Thurs is in Edina. Long commute, but pays an amazing amt more. So we will see how it all pans out. Then daycare hunt. These are some of the not fun parts of parenting. boo.

However, a fun part of parenting is....

seeing your kids with your parents and grandparents!

We brought taco soup over to grandma tonight since I didn't have any mornings free to go visit her this week. My parents came over as well.

We have figured out the way to get Linnea to stay on grandma's lap is to push grandma and Linnea in her wheelchair!

Fun Family Times

Chris had Labor Day and was finally feeling better. He battled some nasty virus for a week! But since he felt good Monday we headed to the Minnesota Zoo. Linnea and I have been there plenty of times but never with him. He hadnt been there in about 10 or more years either so it was a great thing to do. Here is Linnea taking a break on the MN Trail. She decided to walk most of this one.

We had a picnic lunch and went through just about all the exhibits. We saved some indoor things for when its colder and we go. The animals were out and about so thats always neat. A cheetah and Linnea had a staredown/copying game going on. Linnea would peek to see him and then he would turn his hide like he was peeking!

Sunday night my parents had the whole family and some friends over for a BBQ. Brian and Megan brought their "tractors" so all the kids and grandpa had a blast with that!

Linnea's foot didn't reach the gas so gramps pushed it for her and she had a nice ride!

Just about all the siblings and their kids made it to the playground too which is always fun! I feel so lucky my parents live close and at a house with a park in walking distance!

Jamie + Glen = Glamie's Wedding

I'd like to introduce you to Glamie! Glen Mackey and Jamie Reckinger got married this past Saturday and it was just perfect!

The three softball players and one of their daughters!

Linnea at the ceremony.

Getting hitched.

The couple was married at Jamie's family cabin. Right on the lake. It was quite cold and windy but worth it! What a beautiful wedding and it brought back so many softball memories. We went here almost every year for our end of season party. We tubed, played and just hung out!

The program.

The reception was held in a barn at a farm! Jamie's sister in law made delicious soups and breads and appetizers for everyone! It was the perfect meal for the chilly day!

The cake!

The head table! Very crafty! Almost everything was homemade at this wedding! Even the wine and beer! Love it!

The name cards.

And Linnea running in the huge farmyard! There were geese, horses and cats to keep her occupied.

She also enjoyed some yard games with us. Okay, maybe she isn't enjoying getting stuck in the bean bag hole. But she really did like clapping for us in Bocce Ball!

Time to eat!

Chris stayed home sick so thank goodness for grandparents for helping so much so I could have some kidless fun with my friends! We were together most of the time but I wouldn't have been able to actually play the yard games had they not come.

And thank you Linnea for being such a good girl! We stayed until past 9 and she was just fine! We put her jammies on, let her look at the bonfire and sample some smore's for a lil while and then we said our goodbyes.

Jamie and Glen will be living in Utah so hopefully we can visit them sometime.

They are so fun.