31/52: A Weekly Photo Series

Late last summer, Tory received a butterfly garden as a birthday gift. I filed it away for another day because the weather was turning cooler in Minnesota, and decided to pull it out again several weeks ago.

I followed directions on the card insert and sent away for the five live caterpillars that arrived by mail a few days later. Then over the last three weeks, Tory and I watched the metamorphosis of those caterpillars up close. It was seriously one of the neatest learning experiences we've done together!

Tory and I watched the caterpillars do their thing -- munching on food included in the plastic container they arrived in -- until the caterpillars eventually crawled to the top of the lid and became chrysalides. I'm not sure who was more thrilled over the transformation, me or Tory. It was so neat to see!

After the chrysalides hardened a bit, I moved them to the mesh butterfly habitat and Tory and I waited patiently for the next change to take place. A few days later, one, two, and finally all five cocoons birthed painted lady butterflies. Tory liked this part the most, and fully embraced her duty of feeding the butterflies sugar water and watermelon daily. We watched the butterflies fly around in their habitat for several days, and then let them go one afternoon in our backyard.

If it was up to Tory, we would've kept the butterflies forever. She and Aden both loved watching them on a daily basis. I love how easy it will be to do this activity again now that we own the butterfly habitat. I'll just need to send away for more caterpillars and ensure the weather is over 55 degrees outdoors so we can eventually let them go.

Such a neat activity, and I thank my cousin Jen for sending us this special gift. Tory loved it, and the rest of our family did too.

An Anniversary Tradition

Andi and I have a long-standing tradition of visiting Noerenberg Memorial Gardens in Wayzata, MN every year on or around our anniversary. It's the place we were married, and it serves as a nice reminder of our wedding day and the vows we committed to one another. Every year we visit, I get butterflies in my stomach as I walk up the same brick pathway that leads to the circular pillars where we said "I do."

It was just us who visited Noerenberg on our first anniversary; the second year, I was hugely pregnant with Tory. Almost one-year-old Tory came along with us during Year Three, and the fourth year Baby Aden was in my belly. Last year, our family of four visited Noerenberg together and shared a picnic dinner overlooking Lake Minnetonka.

Comparison of years 1-6:

This year - Year Six - Andi arranged for his mom to babysit the kids so we could spend the evening together. I was a bit hesitant because I wanted Tory and Aden represented in our annual photo, but it truly was a nice change (and more romantic!) to celebrate the evening together without the kids. We haven't had a date night all summer. We nixed the picnic idea once the kids out of the picture because - hello! - the invitation for a date night on the town. Yes, please.

Andi recently bought a new GoPro camera and selfie stick so we were "those people" snapping photos of ourselves in the gardens yesterday evening. Sparks still flew between us as we stood in the same spot we were married six years ago. After all these years, I still love that man with everything I've got.

Afterwards we hopped over to 6Smith for dinner, the restaurant where we held our wedding reception. It wasn't 6Smith back then, it was North Coast, but still the same lovely spot on the water. Andi and I ordered drinks and shared small places for dinner. Then, we walked around downtown Wayzata as the sun set and had such a fun evening together.

For the millionth time, Andi - happy anniversary! Who knew I was making the best decision of my life by marrying you? I'm the luckiest.

What I'm ...

I'm in the mood for a superficial phone-it-in type post.

What I'm Cooking This Week ... 
I've been craving warm, hearty, stick-to-your-sides casseroles lately which is weird. It's summertime! I should be jonseing for all things fresh and local because 'tis the season. Alas, we're actually eating Chicken Tenders with Sriracha Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce this week, along with Grilled Steak with Herb Butter and foil potatoes, Ranch Pork Chops with local green beans and Salmon with Avocado Salsa.

What I'm Reminiscing About ... 
Our Thailand honeymoon. Swoon! It was six years ago this week that Andi and I jet setted to Thailand for an unforgettable vacation. Last night, we re-read my old blog posts and reminisced about our experiences there. Interestingly enough, we both recalled so much about our trip -- exactly what we ate and how we felt while eating it; the endearing people we met; the sweltering humidity; Andi's feeling of near-death the last few days of our travels. Feels like it was just yesterday.

What I'm Loving ... 
A friend gave me a Birchbox subscription for my birthday this year and while I enjoyed receiving a fun gift in the mail for a few months, I wasn't particularly moved by any one product ... except! Yes To Cucumber Facial Wipes. I'm the worst at washing my face before bed (I know, I know. Ugh!) but these wipes have been my saving grace. They're easy to use, smell great, and cheap. [p.s. not sponsored, duh.]  

What I'm Dreading ... 
Later this month, Andi and I are going on a Canadian fly-in fishing trip without the kids. That's not the part I'm dreading, obviously. The idea of spending five glorious days in the beautiful outdoors with my husband sans technology sounds like heaven. Leaving Tory and Aden for almost a week, however, does not. I know they'll both be in good hands with Grandma while we're gone, but I've still got a pit in the bottom of my stomach just thinking about being away from them. Also, all the things I need to accomplish in the next few days to prepare for someone else watching them = ugh.

This is going to be me! WHUT.

source

What I'm Working On ... 
Tory turns 4 at the end of the month so I'm busy planning not one, but TWO, birthday parties for her. Go big or go home, right?

Tory requested a pink princess birthday party this year, complete with a princess cake and with her ECFE school friends in attendance. (Apparently, almost four-year-olds have very specific ideas about their birthdays. Party Planning Moms will have to get used to this.) The problem is, Tory's birthday falls over a weekend and we've always celebrated her special day at the lake cabin. I considered how I was going to meet Tory's party requests without missing a cabin weekend and decided to host two parties -- a princess party for friends (basically, a glorified play date at our house on a weekday morning) and a weekend watermelon-themed BBQ with family and cabin friends at the lake. This means I'm in full-on crafting mode to pull together two birthday party celebrations happening the week after our big fishing trip.

What I'm Watching ... 
Television isn't very high on my list of priorities, so I can only handle watching one show at a time. And, it takes me foreeeeever to finish something. This is the exact reason Andi and I dont watch TV together. Anyway, while he was traveling earlier this summer I got sucked into watching Scandal on Netflix and it's sooooo good. I'm only halfway through Season 2 so no spoiler alerts! It'll probably take me the rest of the year to finish the series.

What I'm Wearing ... 
I bought this Columbia Anytime Casual Skort at the beginning of the summer, and I wear it all the time. So comfortable (stretchable waist band - hello!) and the hidden shorts underneath make it fully-functional for mom-life. LOVE.

What I'm Looking Forward To ... 
Andi booked tickets for our family to visit my good friend Lindsey (and Tory's BFF Ashley) in Lexington, Kentucky this fall. I'm super excited to spend the weekend with our friends and to meet Lindsey's new baby born last month. The kids and I are also headed to Nebraska over Halloween to visit my family while Andi is on a work trip, so I'm excited about that trip too. So many things to look forward to in the coming weeks and months means the rest of this year is going to fly by in the blink of an eye. Fun times!

Weekend Recap: Our Sixth Anniversary Celebration

The best weekends are the ones you can't stop thinking about when they're over. The ones you know are memorable while they're happening, and you're sad from head to toe when they're done.

Last weekend, Andi and I celebrated our sixth anniversary and it was definitely one of those weekends. It's been a rough summer of travel for Andi so when he announced his plans to take vacation days on Thursday and Friday, the kids and I were over the moon. Four full days at the lake cabin with just our little family = heaven!

To kick things off, Andi, Tory, Aden and I ventured to the Country Lane Farmer's Market near Barron, Wisconsin on Thursday afternoon. We'd visited this market once before a few years ago, and it was a really neat place to stop. The market is packed full of vendors selling local fruits & vegetables, meat, and other homemade goods. There's also a big bulk foods store on property and tons of other food vendors. Rarely are we at the cabin on a Thursday afternoon, so we took advantage of the opportunity.

 

The plethora of choices from the food vendors looked amazing for dinner, but Andi and I had already planned to have a fancy meal at the cabin after the kids went to bed. We did just that when we returned from the market, and it was the perfect conclusion to the evening. Steak filets, local green beans and a side salad -- delicious!

Friday was the date of our actual anniversary, and we planned to take the kids for a long Ranger ride in the morning. Typically we ride within 20 miles of the lake cabin, but on this day we decided to take the Cattail State Trail from the lake cabin, through Turtle Lake, WI and end in Amery, WI. Andi packed a picnic for the four of us to eat once we arrived there, so we had a nice little lunch together in the park. 

How cute is this drinking fountain in downtown Amery? The kids thought it was really cool to take a drink inside the lion's mouth.

We drove on the dusty trail for 57 miles round-trip, so the four of us were disgustingly dirty by the end of it. Aden had a paste of mud on his face after wiping his slobber-covered chin with his hand. The rest of us had raccoon eyes in the shape of our sunglasses.

A picnic in the park and some fun on the playground equipment, then Andi, Tory, Aden and I hopped back in the Ranger and drove to the cabin. Immediately upon arrival, the four of us pulled on our swimming suits and jumped into the lake to wash off. We were filthy, but nothing a few hours swimming in the water couldn't cure!

Why we won't be taking Aden canoeing anytime soon ... stay in the boat, kid!

Aden ended up taking a later-than-usual nap that afternoon which meant he was awake later than usual that evening. I told Andi we should capitalize on the chance to take some photos of our family at sunset, so that's just what we did.

We spent most of Saturday on the water, going for multiple pontoon boat rides around the lake and swimming in our bay. Andi grilled ribs for dinner, then the two of us enjoyed a fun evening at the neighbor's cabin sitting by their bonfire. (Our baby monitor reached into their yard just a few feet away.) Perhaps we had a little too much fun on Saturday night as both Andi and I nursed a pair of hangovers the next morning. Oy. Good thing the dawn of Sunday brought overcast skies, so the four of us lounged around in bed together and watched episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on repeat.

When the skies lightened up Sunday afternoon, so did Andi and I, and the four of us made one last trip around the lake to conclude a fantastic weekend together.

Sad to see such a fun weekend go, but looking forward to our return to the lake as always.

Sixth Anniversary

On Friday, Andi and I celebrated six years of marriage. Six years! Quite an achievement, I think. No longer do we have the anticipation of building a life together, but the comfort of thousands of shared memories and the dream of many more to come. Sometimes I'll be driving in the car or sitting on the sidelines of the pool at the kids' swimming lessons, and it'll hit me just how lucky I am to be married to the man I love.

It's the little things that make our relationship feel special, and I never want to forget that:

• Andi is the ying to my yang. I'm amazed by his ability to run a successful company, and he tells me repeatedly he couldn't do what I do with the kids everyday. Without each other's contribution, our life together wouldn't flow as smoothly as it does.
• We get lost in our dreams of traveling the world. During long car rides, laying in bed at night and over dinner, we often talk about what it'd be like to pack up the kids and just go. Someday, I swear we'll do it.  
• In the same vein, it's not uncommon for us to spend our evenings together shopping for last-minute flight deals ... even if we don't take the trip. 
• Our family's best days happen when we set out on mini adventures. Visits to community festivals, road trips to a new-to-us town. We don't like to sit idle for long.   
• When I'm with Andi, I never worry. The man's always got a plan.
• But, when he tells me to book it - I move fast! That's when I know we're really in a pickle.  
• Every year - November to March - we say to each other about a million times, "Why do we live here?!" Minnesota is so cold; we're definitely warm-weather people.
• It's literally impossible to find a good movie to watch together.
• So, as soon as the kids are in bed for the night we crawl into bed and binge on episodes of House Hunters International. 
• The lake cabin is the glue that holds our family together. We'd make a lot of scarifies before we let that place slip through our fingertips.
• Fishing has become a shared hobby of ours (which is something I never thought I'd say).  
• We rarely have beef with one another, so if one of us says "we need to talk ..., " the other person snaps to and listens intently.
• We're both "early to bed, early to rise" people.   
• He likes to push me outside my comfort zone to try new things, and I like to keep our special rituals and routines in place year after year. 
• Andi has a fresh pot of coffee ready for us every weekend morning. 
• I always keep ice cream treats or chocolate stocked in the house to fuel his late-night sweet tooth. 

Cheers to six years and many more to come!

30/52: A Weekly Photo Series

Trips to the park, the zoo, and the splash pad are loads of fun in the summertime, but sometimes it's nice to stay home and enjoy the comforts of your own space. Tory and I used to play in our backyard all the time when she was Aden's age, but natural wear-and-tear has gotten the best of our deck over the years. Our big beautiful deck became disgusting with dirt and grime, to the point where I barely took the kids outside to play at our own house anymore.

It wasn't my intention to wait until half of the Minnesota summer was over to remedy the problem. I called a deck renewal company back in April to schedule an appointment to have our deck power-washed and re-stained. The company set a tentative date to visit in May, but the rainy spring weather pushed back their scheduling. Finally in early July, they paid us a visit and now our deck is once again in usable condition.

Enter: fun in the sun in our own backyard. Wahoo!

One night this week, Tory and I dusting off the patio furniture and pulled the kid's backyard toys out of storage. The next day, I set up the cutest little play date on the backyard deck just for us. I cranked up the tunes (Pandora nursery rhymes station, obvs.), set out some snacks and beverages on the patio table and filled up the bubble station. It was perfect!

Photo cred: Tory, my budding photographer

The next day, we returned to the deck for a backyard picnic lunch. Tory thought it was fabulous to dine "al fresco," as she called it. Aden spent more time oohing and ahhing over the scenery than actually eating his lunch. 

    

Looking forward to enjoying this space many more times yet this summer.  

Kid's Trail Mix Recipe

We've been on the go non-stop this summer and wherever we are, I'm always armed with quick snack options for Tory and Aden. Because, well, my kids eat constantly it seems. The minute I clean up the breakfast mess, they're asking for more food. Same with lunch and dinner, too. And, it's not that my kids aren't eating their meals, because they are. Their little bodies are bottom-less pits sometimes.

My go-to snacks for the kids are usually crackers, pretzels or fruit snacks but the other day it hit me: why can't I combine some of those "favorites" into a kid's trail mix to spice things up a little bit? I threw one together for a play date this week and it was big hit. The kids sat silently for 10 minutes (no joke!) and picked through the trail mix to find their favorite treats hidden in the bowl. Here's the recipe:

Kid's Trail Mix

Ingredients:
2 cups of Cheerios
2 cups of Goldfish crackers
2 cups of pretzels
1 cup of cashews
1 cup of raisins
1 cup of M&Ms

Directions:
Mix ingredients together and serve!

Tory went straight for the M&Ms, of course. Aden and his new friend Elia gobbled up the pretzels and Goldfish crackers first.

You could really mix together any type of snacks your kids enjoy; omit the nuts and chocolate, or add in something else entirely. Chocolate chips? Swedish Fish? Bugles? Cheez Its? Next time I make this, I'll leave out the chocolate and bag the mix into those small Ziploc baggies for ready-to-go snacks.

So, definitely not rocket science; just a different spin on snack time.