Sammy in the snow

Sammy in the snow, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

This is our first genuine snow of the year, meaning multiple inches sticking around on the ground. He is so excited to be out playing in the snow again!

A quality snow...

Snoooooow, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

A few pictures of our part in the Midwest's recent snow/blizzard activity. The snowdrifts were very impressive. The cold was, too, but nevertheless the boys couldn't wait to get out in it. Jacob took them sledding Tuesday and Wednesday nights and they all returned pink-faced and freezing - it's pretty and fun but it's single digits out there!

A joke Sammy thought was hilarious...

Q: Why did the banana go to the doctor?

A: He wasn't peeling well!

Family Christmas Photos - Thanks, Sonja!

Many thanks to my generous and talented friend Sonja for volunteering to take pictures of our boys for our Christmas card. Here is an example of her work - a rare family photo. She did a great job, especially considering she had some major crankiness and an uncooperative child to work with.

Look for a Christmas card coming to a mailbox near you!

Just for fun, here's another of my failed attempts at a decent picture of these guys:

ha! nice goggles, Sammy....

Our Christmas tree and little elf.

decorating the tree, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

Sammy did most of the tree decorating this year and did a very nice job. I think he was sad when we ran out of ornaments.

Silver Dollar City: An Old Time Christmas

Silver Dollar City Christmas Parade, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

We took the kids to Silver Dollar City on Black Friday, which was the day before we flew out of Branson. I really wanted to see the park in all it's Christmas glory. It was beautifully festive, but very crowded. Sammy loved it, all of it - the rides, the light show, the parade, even the bus haul to our BFE parking, thanks to the crazy crowd. He kept asking when we could go back. Some year I would love to return to see An Old Time Christmas on a less popular day. Thanks to my parents for making the drive with us, even though they didn't have to. :)

Hayride

James hooked up this truck bed to a tractor and he and Sammy filled it with hay so the kids and other family visiting for Thanksgiving could go on a hayride. Sammy loved it. But he pretty much loved everything Ba did - as long as it was outside!

Arriving in Branson, MO

The Branson airport is a beautiful newly opened facility located about an hour and a half drive from my parents' place. It's not located on the Branson strip by any means, rather it's down a two-lane 5-mile curvy road carved out (exploded) of the side of a mountain with lovely, ear-popping views, but it makes for *much* quicker travel from Minneapolis to Monkey Run, Arkansas (1 hour 15 minute flight plus an easy - by AR standards - 1 hour 30 minute drive) and for that I love it!

The airport has tons of character - inside the terminal you'll find a Bass Pro Shop, hunting trophies and a Famous Dave's alongside the three (two?) gates. The airport crew greets you as you walk down the stairs and onto the runway to depart the airplane. The baggage crew basically hands you your bags. And much to our surprise upon arrival there is only one choice in rental car - Enterprise. Just an FYI for all you Avis members needing a rig.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

We are heading to Arkansas to spend the week with my (Jess') side of the family. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Attempting a Christmas card picture.

Take IV, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

Tricky. Very tricky with my two nutballs. Obviously there will be another photo shoot but here's one for your amusement.

Side note: we unknowingly stumbled into this Employees Only area at Bachman's and we all thought the giant wreaths were cool. I was really hoping for a card-worthy shot!

Sammy waiting for Santa

Sammy waiting for Santa, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

We took the boys to the annual Holiday Open House featuring Santa's arrival at Bachman's , a local nursery. In addition to Santa, there were cookies, crafts and lots of beautiful Christmas displays. Check outFlickr for the full onslaught of photos. :)

Power Wheel!

Power Wheel!, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

Many MANY thanks to Cody and Ashley for making Sammy's 5th b-day more awesome than even a five-year-old could imagine. He LOVES this thing.

They gave it to him Saturday afternoon and he drove it around for about 45 minutes even though we were freezing! Then, Sunday morning he woke up ready to go out and ride, which Jacob obliged even though there was frost on the ground and he could only find one sock for Sammy (C & A were bunking up in Sammy's room). He went to the Vikings' game, then came home and rode for another hour or so. Today (Monday) is a glorious, perfect fall day and the boy drove from about 11 am - 1 pm, barely stopping to eat a few apple slices and a bar for lunch. He is thrilled, and as an added bonus, totally big stuff at the playground now. Thanks, guys!

Sammy's 5th Birthday Party

, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

Held at Edinborough Park this morning. Thanks to Cody for taking ALL the pictures for us! :)

More pics can be found here!

It's my birthday!

, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

Sammy posing again with his birthday hat and mittens and in the outfit that Grandma and Papa sent - the greens match perfectly! More b-day pictures on Flickr... clicky clicky

Birthday hat and mittens!

Birthday hat and mittens!, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

Happy 5th birthday to our sweet Sammy boy! Sammy woke up about 45 minutes early this morning (around 6:30 am) and went to bed at least an hour late last night because he was so excited for his birthday to start. Look at that tired face! He happily obliged posing for a picture with the hat and mittens I knit for him - the first present he opened, his choice. :)

Pump It Up

Freddie, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

Leah invited the boys and I to this giant bouncy house place called Pump It Up on Friday. There were two rooms of inflatables - including two HUGE slides that were the big hit of the trip. Sammy and Freddie LOVED it.

For his birthday...

Sammy would like a remote-control butt. Then he asks me, "But, where would we find one?" (uh, let's hope we never, ever can)

I have a feeling Sammy is going to be a bit like Jacob's Uncle Ramon when he's older.

This morning

Freddie: "Where's my candies?"

Donut Race!

Donut Race!, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

Okay, I have to post one more from tonight because this was the funniest game I've seen - two donuts hang on a string, contestants can't use their hands, and whoever finishes the donuts first wins. Cal crushed Sammy and ate his entire donut before Sammy could take a bite. Sammy didn't mind too much because he did get to eat the donut in the end. It was freaking hilarious. Thanks for being good sports, kids!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

For more pictures of our awesome Halloween ---> clicky clicky <---

Trunk or Treating

Trunk or Treating, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

We have one of the best Halloween parties at a church in our neighborhood. J and I took the kids there for Trunk-or-Treating and fun indoor party games perfectly geared toward little kids. The boys probably could have closed down the party but we had to head home when it turned dark for neighborhood trick-or-treating and to hand out candy. Oh! And for the Texas Longhorn game.

Minnehaha Falls

Minnehaha Falls, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

The Falls are back in full-force thanks to our Wet-tober (term coined by Ian Lenord, Fox 9 Meteorologist) and look beautiful as ever with the crispy fall backdrop. Sammy and I went down there this afternoon for the annual Halloween/Fall Party at the Falls to do some trick-or-treating and enjoy a few fun fall activities, including a hay ride and roasting marshmallows.

Cleaning out the pumpkin

cleaning out the pumpkin, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

Both boys were engrossed in this project much longer than I expected, and I think may have even been helpful!

The boys love the air mattress.

The boys love the air mattress., originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

Note the matching Cars slippers. I had to get Freddie a pair because they kept fighting over Sammy's. They wear them all the time around the house.

The Buenos visit!

The Buenos visit!, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

We were happy and excited to host Holly and her kiddos for a night in Minneapolis. All afternoon Sammy kept asking me when Kennedy was going to be here, and in turn he was so sad that she had to leave. They had a lot of fun playing together, and Sammy even learned how to play two new, more girl-ish games "house" and "school" - thanks for that, KP! :)

Freddie was confused as to why Gage (who was not named Gage, according to F, but rather "Baby") couldn't stand without holding onto something. He kept trying to take away the item Gage was holding onto, but otherwise I think he played nice. He did quite enjoy the toys Gage brought and spent much of the next day saying, "I love you Gage."

A "Pumpkin"

A "pumpkin", originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

Freddie *refuses* to get into a costume. Next year I'll have to keep this in mind and find costume in the form of clothing, but probably next year he'll be too old to fall for that. Sheesh! I'll just have to hope he gets over his costume resistance.

Thank goodness for his mama-made pumpkin hat - it's passed as his Halloween costume this week!

Anakin Skywalker

Anakin Skywalker, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

On Wednesday a small group of moms and kids from our church went parading - in costume - through a nursing home. Sammy was the oldest kid there by about two years and he did so well introducing himself and impressing the residents with his expert wielding of the Light Saber [the Miller's lent to us] for his costume. Freddie refused (for the third time this Halloween season) to get in costume (more on the in the above post) but he was very friendly and excited to explore the nursing home.

Sammy was slightly offended when the woman guiding us on our tour kept referring to him as a Jedi knight. He came over and told me, "Nobody knows who I am!" I explained to him and he seemed appeased.

Waiting for the show to start.

waiting for the show to start, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

Adding this one because I'm guessing some of you want to see these guys.

(Imagination) Mover Rich

Mover Rich, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

We took the kids to see the Imagination Movers on Saturday at the Target Center. None of my pictures came out very well, but you can kind of tell how awesome our seats were. The kids loved the show and Jacob and I appreciated the 80's references throughout (my fav was when they sang a bit of MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This").

I was judging the parents who were brining their kids to the show - most of them were sooo dorky. I guess we are dorky, too, because we were also there, but maybe (hopefully) not the same level of dorkiness.

Dogvader

Dogvader, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

Emma is ready for Halloween. Sammy is going to be Anakin Skywalker, Freddie will be Yoda and, well, you see Emma's costume. She is obviously thrilled.

My cheesy jersey boy.

, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

We bought Sammy a Vikings jersey for his 5th birthday (in November). He needed it early so he could wear it on game days and because he rocks it. Admittedly it does look much better on him when he's not giving me such a cheesy grin. :)

Little Leaf Raker

, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

Pictures from last weekend when the boys "helped" Jacob rake up over a dozen bags of leaves. We have a crazy leaf-shedding tree in our front yard!

Happy Birthday to Ike, too!

Superman costume - a winner!, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

Ike will be three in a few short days - I can't believe it! It feels like just yesterday Leah was a miserable, cranky pregnant person with this little meatwad. Happy Birthday, Isaac! We are so glad to know you. :)

This is a picture of Ike in a Superman costume he received at his b-day party - a total winner! (look at his sweet little toes peeking out of the "boots" at the bottom)

Cal and Ike's combined birthday party!

Cal in his fish hat :), originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

This picture is from Cal and Ike's combined b-day party last Saturday afternoon. It was a ton of fun! They had balloon swords (which some of the boys promptly turned into guns), a walking the plank game, an impressive home-made Lego cake and a sweet pirate ship pinata (the highlight of Freddie's life!).

And a note about blogging: I have been a slacker blogger lately, and I apologize. Hopefully those of you that really like to see picture of our kids often are checking out Flickr - chances are I'm uploading pics but not blogging, as was the case with the b-day party. :)

PS There are more pictures of the party up on my Flickr photostream. Click here. :)

Freddie jumping over the hay maze

Freddie jumping over the hay maze, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

Just for fun so y'all can see what a dare devil this kid is. He saw some teenagers leaping from bale to bale and once the big kids cleared out he totally went after it. Fearless!

More pictures from our trip up at Flickr... :)

Sever's Corn Maze

Sammy and Freddie at Sever's Corn Maze, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

We made it back to Sever's Corn Maze last Sunday afternoon. It was cold, but the kids didn't seem to mind. They had a blast going down the giant slide, running through the hay maze (we did not make it through the giant corn maze this trip!), seeing the animal, and going on hay rides. Jacob and I thoroughly enjoyed the roasted corn even though the price was a looong way from the elotes we used to buy outside of H.E.B in our college days! :)

The weather in Minneapolis.

Oct 10th snow in Minneapolis, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

We went from a cool August to a hot September (nearly every day in the 80s!) and now a fall with snow on the ground when green leaves are still on the trees. So weird.

This picture was taken Saturday morning, October 10th.

The boys and a Farmall Tractor

The boys and a Farmall Tractor, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

Blogged for Ba :)

Sammy amidst the pumpkins.

Sammy amidst the pumpkins., originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

We went to the pumpkin patch today. It was rainy and cold and we discovered our favorite patch is no longer operational. Instead we were allowed into Sever's Corn Maze before it opened to grab a couple of pumpkins. And now we know that the kids would have a blast at there - we'll be making a return trip sometime this month!

Happy Birthday to Calvin!

Sammy's BFF Cal turned 5 today! Happy Birthday!!!


Cal!


Cal's post-cupcake expression: Saddest birthday boy ever.


And Ike, just because he was so offended by the suggestion of a photo.

Drastic haircut.

haircut, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

While Sammy was at school I took Freddie for a haircut. I listened to the lady and let her cut him with a #4. Previously his hair had only been cut with scissors. It is so short and I kind of want to cry! But, at least it's not sticking up in the back.

Sammy's First Day of School

Sammy - First Day of School, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

He was so excited. Freddie, too. They both wore backpacks and quickly posed for pictures. I barely got a kiss goodbye. This is the first day of Sammy's last year of preschool!

Minnesota State Fair, take 2

Jacob and Sammy ride Flying, originally uploaded by sweetietooth.

We had so much fun last Friday at the Fair, that Jacob and I decided to take the boys back on Labor Day, which also happens to be Kid Day at the fair. The boys rode a ton of rides thanks to discounted tickets. This time around we only ate: two Elvis sandwiches, frozen grapes, a small order of the World's Greatest French Fries with gobs of ketchup, and four root beers! Head over to Flickr for more pictures of our fun at the Fair!

Happy Birthday to Jacob!

Sammy and I created this lovely brownie cake for Jacob's birthday last Thursday:



My parents were in town for the birthday festivities, which lasted through the weekend and including much dining out (Famous Dave's BB-Q, McCormick and Shmick's Seafoood, The 5-8 Club for Juicy Lucy's...) and the always-fun state fair. My mom took pictures on her camera and I'm still waiting for her to upload them to Flickr (hint hint, Mom), but soon enough I'll have some pictures of our outings with Nana and Ba to share! (I realize I've been a bit of a slacker on blogging recent photo's but there are a few new ones of Sammy playing Flag Football up at Flickr if you are interested in sporty pics!)

My first Curly Purly soaker - complete!

I started knitting this little soaker for a friend's sweet baby boy, oh, in June or so. I finally dug it out from under the bed on Monday and finished it up yesterday. I hope you like it, Laura! :)





This is a size medium knit in 3-ply Purewool. Free pattern can be found HERE for any interested knitters.