Love.Love.Love.

Pictures from actual Valentine's Day! The girls got a rose and a balloon from us after we had heart shaped pancakes for dinner. Linnea also had a Valentines Day Party at school where she got plenty of treats. She gave out packets of goldfish with a small homemade card that said fishing you a happy valentines day! I cant send homemade treats to this new preschool so we had to be crafty and creative another way :)

Linnea got some stained glass princesses to paint :)

Harper got a teether :)

The girls gave me a cd and daddy some chocolates and a gift card to Mavericks.

We made these yummy treats before GG's bday to bring to share. So easy and yummy...just a waffle pretzel with a hug or in our case a candy cane kiss on top. Then bake in oven for like 5 minutes and then put an M&M on top. We used Valentine M&M's but really you could do this simple treat for any holiday!

We love you all and thank you for reading our blog!

Playing, the Zoo, 5 months old and shopping!

We had a fun and somewhat low key President's Day Weekend...

Saturday morning was a fun New Parent Connection Valentines Day Party where I took zero pictures. That was followed by a ski with my dad at Lake Elmo while the girls stayed with my mom. My aunt and uncle came to snowshoe too. It was a great day for a ski and so fun to check out new trails! We probably would have stayed and invited ourselves for dinner with my parents but I had a new recipe in the crockpot...I LOVE crockpot cooking and trying out new recipes. This was Cinnamon Chicken, sounds weird but it was delicious over rice and Linnea even ate some!

Sunday morning we just hung out around the house and played...Linnea worked on some legos, 

and a "new" foam floor mat which became jumping grounds for her and later in the day, she put on a performance which I will try to get on here soon :)

Sunday afternoon we met Brian, Megan, Ian and Kaylan at the Como Zoo. Harper was all smiled in the stroller...she must have been ready for some fresh air!

Linnea also enjoyed the fresh air and seeing her cousin and aunt and uncle. 

Monday I went for another ski and then we had a family lunch date at Chipotle before meeting Chris' mom and sister at Woodbury Lakes for some shopping and catching up. Linnea got totally spoiled while shopping...I had planned on getting some clearance pants for her at The Gap and Children's Place since I knew they were having sales and I had a coupon, but along with those pants, grandma also bought her some cute tights, an Easter/spring shirt, these cool shades and case for them and we got ice cream! Harper also got some cute socks and a purple winter hat that looks like a kitty. I will get a picture of that soon :)

Harper turned 5 months already! I do NOT know where the time is going and I do NOT like that it is going so fast. She still seems like she was just born! She is a giggle machine, likes to sleep with mommy and daddy, smile at her big sis all the time. she gets excited and flaps her arms when she sees someone she recognizes or hears music she recognizes, she helps daddy at home and with errands Mon thru Thurs and tags along with mommy and Linnea on our weekend adventures. Her reflux seems to be getting better and her hair has definitely stayed :) She has found her voice and is not afraid to use it. It is sometimes hard to tell if she is shrieking in joy or if she is crying. 

She's definitely bigger than that pig now!

We absolutely love having her around!

Happy Mardi Gras!!!

Linnea and Grandma!

Every since I lived in New Orleans I have made a point to celebrate Mardi Gras here...its such a fun time and brings back so many fun memories! The last few years the celebrating has occured at my parents house with lots of delicious food and friends and family! This year Linnea made her own mask after preschool with daddy before I got home from work. Isnt it cute? And she also is wearing one of my old Mardi Gras shirts. She was quite proud of that! Harper enjoyed grandma's shades!

King Cake, Beignets and Pralines...we also had red beans and rice, jambalaya, gumbo, corn bread, New Orleans beers, Hurricanes, purple punch,  muffaletta dip, crab dip and maybe more but I dont remember...everything was great :)

Linnea dancing with her 2 year old buddy!

Linnea dancing with her mommy's cousin Nathan!

Julie, Tonja and her lil girl Taylor.

Happy Fat Tuesday!!!!
Sadly Chris missed the party due to a migraine :( He hasn't one in about 6 months so we were pretty bummed. He went and got an Imitrex shot which helped a lot but knocked him right out. His daughter Harper also slept well that night...from about 9pm-6:30am! I was worried though since ate 6:30pm but then not again til the morning and she slept in her carseat all night since she fell asleep on the way home. I try not to move sleeping babies if I dont have to :)

Happy 4th Birthday Arie!

The neighborhood birthday parties continue...this one was celebrated at the Children's Museum! They did a craft and had snacks, cake and ice cream in one big room with an employee leading the way and then we headed to the Dora and Diego room to play.

The bday party ended at 12 I think but we stayed a while longer with some of the neighborhood crew to do some dancing...

climbing in the new circle room...

and boating in the circle room.

It snowed and snowed and snowed while were inside playing but we managed to make it home safe and sound after having a lunch date at Subway together and walking through the skyway to the car.

Happy 89th birthday gg!

The girls and I made it over to GG's to celebrate her 89th birthday...it was a fun, short and sweet celebration with my parents, Brian and the kids and aunt and uncle Cheryl, Dwight and cousin Laura at  GG's place. We had some cake, GG opened her gifts and the kids did a small craft with me. 

I wasn't sure I was going to make it since I caught the dreaded stomach bug that has been going around my school and the country for two days before the party. I was pretty much in bed those 2 days and nights, only rising to nurse when Chris brought Harper upstairs. Chris was able to stay home Friday and then I managed on Saturday and Sunday with the help of my family during GG's bday and afterwards at my parents house. Sunday morning was spent at the Childrens Museum for Arie's Bday (see next post for those pics!).

Valentine's Day!

I have some catching up to do but wanted to say Happy Valentine's Day! 

We had a fun day of eating a heart shaped toasted sandwich with red jello for breakfast, Valentines Day parties at school/work and then heart shaped pancakes before watching Charlie Brown's Valentines Day before bed. We also read our fav Valentines stories at bedtime too. Chris and I got to go on a date to see Skyfall at the Riverview last night while mom and dad babysat. My mom was so sweet to make heart shaped rice krispies with Linnea for her teachers and my classmates/coworkers. We had so much fun with our lil loves and hope you did too! These weren't actually taken today...but I took them for our Valentines Day cards. I will post the ones from today later this weekend.

City of Lakes Loppet!

Well the first weekend of February has come and gone and now it's almost Mardi Gras and Valentines Day! I LOVE the first weekend of Feb...it always involves a part of or all of the City of Lakes Loppet and very fun urban ski race. My dad decided last minute to do it "with" me. He was in a different wave and finished about 15 min or so ahead. It is a quite challenging but super fun 33K ski race starting at Theodore Wirth Park in Mpls and finishing in Uptown. This year we got to finish on Hennepin Ave where tons of snow had been hauled in. I didn't get much training in this year so it was likely my slowest time but I was still able to finish and felt pretty good. 

It was a perfect day for a long ski...not too cold, the snow was great and it even snowed a bit.

My mom got to spend the day with the girls (or the family dog which Linnea keeps pretending she is) while we skied. 

Some year I hope they can come cheer us on!

We ended the day at Julie and Bob's to "watch" the Superbowl and have some yummy food!