Today is Jake’s birthday.
10 years ago, we celebrated by going out for pie after I returned from a trip to Arkansas to visit grandparents. That pie date was the start of our now decade-long relationship. I think we both can agree that it’s been quite a ride – full of all kinds of ups and downs, but we’ve faced them together. There’s no one I’d rather navigate through life with than him. He is my best friend, my constant support, and the love of my life.
I bought sugar cones last month with the intention of doing an edible craft with the boys, but we never got around to it. Now that it’s almost February, we’ve been using the cones the way they were intended. Lincoln enjoys eating the cones from tip to top, while Nolan insists on correcting his brother as he does so. It’s usually a pretty comical exchange. Lincoln just eggs on his older brother by munching on the “wrong” end with even more tenacity. Tonight I set the camera timer and I snuck in the picture with my boys and our ice cream treats.
In honor of Grandparents’ Day, the preschoolers invited their special loved ones to come to school and enjoy cookies together. Nana & Papa and Grandma were all able to join Nolan for the special event. Afterwards, we all went out for lunch at Paninos. Yum! Once Nolan and I returned home and put Lincoln down for his nap, we headed outside for yet another beautiful afternoon. I really wish the weather would stay as nice as it has been for at least another week. We’re hoping to participate in the Turkey Day 5K and warmer temps would be preferable, especially since Jake and his mom are planning on walking with the boys (they’ll be in wheeled vehicles) and I’ve never ran (or walked) a 5K event before.
Tonight I spent a few hours at my parents house going through old pictures. My friend Michelle is organizing a scrapbooking/craft weekend and I am hoping to get a start on a book of engagement & wedding pictures. I had a lot of fun remembering the different things we did to get ready for 10/18/02 as I flipped through package upon package of photos. Little did I know just how many pictures my mom was able to take during the 11 month time period . I’ve really got my work cut out for me. It should be fun!
I gave myself more than 5 minutes on this one because of all I attempted to cover.
Friday night we had a Rody rodeo at the house. Jake gave Rody a little extra bounce and the boys loved it!
Our 7th anniversary was yesterday (10/18.) It’s hard to believe how fast the years have passed. I recently realized how close Jake and I are to having been together for 10 years – we started dating in 2000 when we were at the U. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather be spending this crazy, fantastic life of marriage & kids with than my husband. For all of the ups and downs that life brings our way, he has been (and continues to be) a source of calm, strength, and consistency for me.
Saturday morning we were planning on bringing the boys to Jake’s parents’ house for the day so we could go on our anniversary date – a day early. Jason, (Jake’s brother) called and offered us his Ford Mustang for the day, so we altered our plans a bit and exchanged cars and transferred kids at his house instead. I didn’t know where we were going until we left our house. All I knew was the attire for our date. It was great to be surprised!
Short side story. My mom and I had the most successful 10 minute shopping trip on Friday night. I didn’t have anything fall-ish to wear on Saturday, so my mom agreed to meet me to do a little shopping. On my way to Maple Grove, she called and suggested we try Nordstrom Rack. When we arrived, it was 10 minutes until they closed. We hustled in, found a couple of dresses to try on, found one, scooted over to the shoes, and successfully found a great pair of red heels. Love them! Not too bad for a “let’s just see what they have” stop.
Back to Saturday. Once we picked up the Mustang, we headed east on 94 and traveled various small highways up through Wisconsin to St. Croix Falls. We had lunch at a fantastic restaurant called Grecco’s on the St. Croix. The place is quaint and has an intimate feel. We sat near the fireplace, which was great because if you know me, I’m always a bit cold. We ordered an appetizer and each chose the herb crusted walleye for our main dish. To our surprise, the host came over a short time later with a different appetizer, Ahi Tuna, “compliments of the chef.” I had never eaten pan seared tuna until Saturday. It was delicious! In fact, every part of our dining experience was amazing. We plan on returning and would highly recommend Grecco’s – it’s worth the drive to St. Croix Falls!
We drove back to Jake’s parents’ place through Minnesota. It was such a beautiful day and the leaves still had some color. We stopped in Afton and got an ice cream cone (my 2nd dessert of the day) and then finally arrived back in Hastings. We spent the rest of the afternoon watching football (poor Gophers :(), letting the boys and dogs run off energy (and ride) outside, and finally having dinner with Grandma, Grandpa, the boys, Larissa, Jason & his girlfriend B. It was a nice way to end the fun day Jake and I shared together.
Our actual anniversary was pretty laid back, which was ok with us. We went to mass in the morning, came home and had donuts – Nolan’s favorite 🙂 and then watched the Vikings game. Jake also worked on a few things around the outside of the house since the weather was so beautiful! Later in the evening, my mom came over and watched the boys so we could go to a movie. Neither of us would recommend seeing Where the Wild Things Are. Unfortunately, it was a depressing movie with no real plot. I’m glad I know the book is good because had I not read it before, I don’t think I’d even pick it up. It seems we’re 0 for 2 lately with picking movies to watch at the theater. We seem to do better with our picks from RedBox. Plus, in my opinion, it’s way more comfortable to watch a movie at home. I’m guessing we won’t be hitting the theater again for a while – unless someone can recommend a really good flick for us to see.
Today was business as usual. Nolan went to school and Lincoln and I headed to the gym. I feel so much better when I get a workout in in the morning. After school, we came home for lunch and then everyone took a much needed nap. We spent the afternoon outside – took a walk, played with chalk, and took “cheesy” pictures with the bale of hay we received from the local volleyball boosters we supported.
After working out at the gym, we went to my parents’ house to have lunch with Nana (my mom.) The boys have a special “fort” area under the steps leading to the lower level of the house. The room used to be my mom’s “stash closet.” She kept presents and snacks under lock and key while we were growing up; as teenagers, we had a habit of eating anything that was left out. Now the space has been cleared out to make room for the kids’ toys. There’s even a funky green silicone-covered light bulb that they can turn on and off with a string (not just a switch) – this was a new discovery today and they loved it!
This evening, Nolan’s preschool invited all of the kids to bring their dads to St. John’s for the 2nd annual “Dinner with Dad” event. The group had hot dogs, chips & carrots for dinner and floats for dessert. Such a fun way for the kids to spend one-on-one time with their dads!
Here are the guys before they headed out. After they returned, things got a little silly at our house. I’m not sure who started this, but we ended up with buckets on our heads. Nolan and Lincoln thought it was pretty funny. Actually, I did too 🙂
It’s times like these that make me forget how stressed or frustrated I can get when the boys are having a meltdown or I can’t figure out what they want. Note to self: make prints of these and put them where I can see them when I need a reminder of why I love being a stay-at-home mom.
We have a piano in the living room that doesn’t get played as often as I would like. I took lessons from the time I was 5 until I my 1st semester in college. I wish I had kept it up. I keep saying I’d like to take them again, but at this point, I don’t know when I’d find the time. For now I have to settle for the random 5 minutes here and there when I can sit on the bench before the boys come join me. Today they climbed up and tried a duet.
Jake and I both went to the U of M, so naturally, we’re Gopher fans. However, it seems that Jake’s sister, Stacie, would like to see our boys wearing red & black instead of maroon & gold. Shecklet #1 has been asking to wear his “Badger socks” for months (probably since we stopped wearing socks for the summer.) With today’s temps in the 50’s, I figured today he could bring Bucky out of summer retirement. Shecklet #2 naturally followed suit.
Here’s the kids’ feet all decked out in their Wisconsin footwear. We miss you Auntie Stacie!
When I was getting my masters at the University of Minnesota, blogging was still an “up and coming” craze. I wonder if that dates me… There were a couple of professors in my department who were said to be “authorities” on the new phenomenon. I thought the idea was just odd. I couldn’t imagine who would want to follow the random craziness that is often MY life. Never did I think I would jump on the blogging bandwagon. Yet here I am, attempting to write about the daily goings on of the our house.
Being a stay-at-home-mom, I don’t usually get much time to reflect back on what has happened during the day. Life with a husband, 2 boys, and 2 dogs is pretty…let’s just say, “busy.” That said, Jake suggested I set a timer for 5 minutes every day and write down my thoughts. I liked the general idea and so a blog was born. (We’ll see how I do with the every day thing.) I have no idea what direction this adventure in thought-publishing will take, but I’m excited to see where it goes. Feel free to join me for the journey!