I spent a few hours at the girls’ school updating another bulletin board today. Several teachers plan to have their kiddos color sweaters to help fill in the empty space. I can’t wait to see what it looks like when it’s complete.
We loaded up the suburban this morning and pointed it south, with a final destination of STL programmed into the GPS.
The roads in southern MN and northern IA were particularly crummy and we considered turning around when we stopped for lunch in Clear Lake. However, we decided to give it until Cedar Rapids before we turned around. Jake said there were a few slick spots on overpasses, but overall the roads were mostly clear and we were able to drive at posted speeds.
We made a stop in Cedar Rapids for gas and to get shoes for the girls. We discovered about an hour or so into the trip that they only brought their crocs. This wouldn’t have been a huge issue if we weren’t planning some activities that require more secure footwear. Thankfully Target had what we needed.
We have a hotel booked in St. Charles for the duration of our stay.
The girls went for a quick swim before the pool closed for the night. I know I haven’t done much, just sat shotgun the whole day, but I’m looking forward to a good night’s sleep. 😴
Our plans for Christmas break changed from road trip to homebound thanks to snow, sub-zero wind chills, and poor road conditions.
We had originally planned on traveling to STL on 12/23 to visit Shecklet #3’s godfather, then on to GA to visit family, and finally to FL to visit friends. On 12/21, the house was minimally decorated for Christmas, I was caught up on laundry, and we had minimal items left in the fridge.
School ended up being cancelled for Shecklet #2 on 12/22, so we we considered getting on the road a day early. However, IA looked like this:
We made the adult decision to stay safe and not risk the stress or potential car trouble while in a “towing not recommended” zone. Our cancelled plans meant we were able to play games as a family, decorate sugar cookies, and shovel lots of snow.
We were also able to attend Christmas Eve Mass at our parish.
Jake shopped for heavy appetizers earlier in the day for our after-mass Christmas Eve meal.
Christmas morning we opened gifts and relaxed for a few hours. Shecklet #1 assembled his LEGO set, we hung Shecklet #4’s new cork board, and Shecklet #3 got to work figuring out classic rock melodies on her guitar. Shecklet #2 had to wait to try his new goggles.
We headed to Jake’s parents house around 3pm for dinner and opening gifts. The Shecklets enjoyed getting to see their cousins.
I turned 29 again this year and it was a great day! Shecklet #4 made me breakfast, Caribou treated me to a free beverage, and three of my kids joined me for a little thrift store shopping. (We found some good deals, which is always fun.) Dinner was takeout from a local Mexican restaurant and we had a Bundt cake for dessert. It was a good day. My heart is full.
Oh, and I was gifted new mats for my truck, which I am very excited about. (Tell me you’re middle-aged without telling me your age.) My previous ones had definitely seen better days – and had worn through!
And yes, Shecklet #2 finally passed me up. I’m officially the fourth tallest in the family. This was how things looked about a year ago.
Our KS friends arrived on Sunday night and stayed until Tuesday afternoon. The kids seemed to pick up where they left off. The adults always do as well. I love that about our 18+ year friendship. Miles might separate us, but having walked with each other through some incredibly difficult times, we know friendship is for life.
We had to take the annual kid photo a day before they left because my boys both had school on Tuesday.
Shecklet #4 with her godparents.
Took Shecklet #1 with me to the polls this morning so he could see what the voting process looks like. (Several of the election workers told me what a great idea it was to do so.)
He will get his chance to cast his vote for president in 2024!
My friend and stylist had an appointment cancellation, so I got in for a cut and color. Out with several inches and the dark-to-light look and in with an all over color that’s closer to the dark that was hiding underneath the top layer.
I took three Shecklets to the single track trails at Elm Creek this afternoon. The weather was beautiful and the trails were not busy at all.
The small bridge in the picture below proved slightly tricky for me. My balance is pretty decent most of the time, but for some reason when I’m tasked with staying on an elevated structure without sides, my head gets a little wonky. Thankfully, being off balance didn’t send me off the edge 😆
After riding for about two hours we grabbed dinner on our way to ultimate frisbee. Eight teams played tonight! It was great to spend the day outside!
Twenty years ago seems like yesterday and forever ago at the same time.
We’ve loved through the joyful times as well as the gut-wrenching, sorrowful ones.
Thank you for being my partner through it all.
September is a busy month this year, so the annual dock removal and Nissedalen cleanup took place today. We had beautiful weather and had a lot of fun while working together.
