1.29.12

Cutest card from Amelia's classmate.

1.29.12

Early morning wake up call :)

happy birthday amelia joan

Amelia turned five yesterday! We spent the day celebrating our girl with out the distraction of a birthday party. We decided to take both kids to the Great Wolf Lodge instead of birthday parties this year. So far I'm really enjoying the idea but I haven't experienced the two days of screaming kids in a water park yet either.
Saturday morning we surprised the birthday girl with an easel and art supplies and some fun family gifts to open. I made (disgusting) birthday cake batter pancakes (which she loved) for breakfast. Aiden had a friend's birthday party to attend so we dropped him off and Amelia got to enjoy the afternoon with her parents. We started with a yummy lunch at Anthony's and then walked over to the Marine Life Center. Then we headed up to the fish store for some birthday fish (3 albino cherry barbs). After we took the fish to their new home (fish tank) we went to Katie's cupcakes for more sugar. A birthday girl can never have too much sugar!

We finished the day with dinner at (chicken) Red Robin and Amelia had her crunchy brown thing on a stick (corn dog).  A pretty good day for a five year old.

1.28.12

Our baby girl is five today!

1.27.12

Birthday princess at preschool.

1.26.12

Such a sunny day we could walk to school!

1.25.12

Wednesday's are for cleaning bathrooms. This cleaner makes it a wee bit more pleasant.

1.24.12

Sick tulips.

1.23.12

First run outside in a long time.

sweetest surprise....

This morning Dale and I got the pleasure of sleeping in until 9:00am. The kids wouldn't let us get out of bed but there was a lot of clanging going on in the kitchen. Finally Amelia appeared in our bedroom with her apron on and announced that breakfast was ready. When we came downstairs both kids had worked together to empty the dishwasher, make us coffee and pour cereal with milk (at least 20 minutes earlier). It was the tastiest lukewarm coffee and soggy cereal I have ever tasted.

Sent from my iPhone

1.22.12

Breakfast made by the kids for Dale and I.

1.21.12

Date night.

1.20.12

Pictures on my nightstand.

1.19.13

Girls night!

1.18.12

It is really cold outside!

1.17.12

Warming up after playtime in the snow.

snow day 2012

Today was the first official snow day of the year! The kids built snow forts while I shovelled snow. I pulled Amelia through the neighborhood on her sled and called it a day. We came inside to warm up with some peppermint hot chocolate. Yum.

1.16.12

It was a soup kind of day.

1.15.12

Sunday morning pancakes.

1.14.12

Love these people.

1.13.12

Mmm split pea soup

1.12.12

Hot tub party!

1.10.12

Winter pansies.

1.9.12

Swim lessons start today.

1.8.12

Sunday dinner.

cabin fever {not really}

In between Christmas and New Years the kids and I headed up to my parents cabin for some winter time r&r. Dale had to stay home and work. My sister, her husband and their adorable little guy as well as my parents were able to enjoy the beautiful weather and just the right amount of snow.
We snowmobiled a fair bit and the neighbor lent Aiden the perfect sized snowmobile to ride himself. Amelia was my riding partner and she held on tight and kept telling me to go faster!
The second day at the cabin we trekked out to find a Christmas tree we could set up on the deck and decorate. The kids dug a snow tunnel with the help of their uncle and left a surprise note inside for their cousin that was coming to visit this week.

Amelia and I built a miniature snowman because the snow is so dry and frozen up there you can't get the snow to stick together.  The temperatures were higher than normal and the top of the frozen lake was a little slushy so we weren't able to try out our new found skating prowess but there's always next year!