Florida

We escaped the snowy Minnesota weather during the holiday season and visited Florida for five days.  The girls were excited to visit Disney World but in the end realized that they did not enjoy standing in lines and walking around all day.  The adults were more passionate about the beach and gulf.  While exploring the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, the girls enjoyed meeting Cinderella and Elena.  Emma's favorite rides were Pirates of the Carribean, Spinning Tea Cups and Frozen.  Analise liked Peter Pan, Frozen and the Crush the Talking Turtle.

Emma and Analise decided on the second day that we would only spend half a day at Epcot and that we would spend more time in the pool and venture to a nature preserve.  We did manage to make it to a nature preserve and got a surprise.  We were looking for alligators but Erin almost ended up stepping on a baby diamond back rattler.  It was small so we didn't think it was as dangerous.  However when we got back to the condo, Erin looked up information on the snake.  The babies are more dangerous because their venom is more potent and they tend to be the risk takers in the family.  So Erin decided for the rest of the trip she wouldn't be visiting any more nature preserves.  Now we know why many of the people were walking with dogs or walking sticks.  Our knowledge of ice and snow is superior but we are very unskilled when it comes to defending ourselves from the local Florida wildlife.

Vivian wants to see this castle Mommy.  Take a picture.

 Main Street decked out for Christmas

 Elena liked to close her eyes for the pictures just like grandma Kathy.  Finally got a good one.

Now if we could just get the girls close enough for a picture

Wildest Ride...Tea CUPS!!! 

After surviving Disney World with the crowds (Erin has never seen that many people walking in such small areas), we enjoyed exploring the beach.  Dan went on a jet ski while the girls and Erin took time to visit a giant inflatable water slide and sand bouncing activity.  We also got to view a sand sculpture contest and took a trip on a pirate ship.  The girls became pirates and discovered a hidden treasure while adults drank and danced on the deck.  While on the ship we saw dolphins swimming alongside the boat.

 Shell castle.  Why is Ani still wearing socks?

 The willing release of the water bottle that was just to heavy to carry over the bridge

Pirates Wanted...Will Train 

 I do Ski Do.

 Emma learns how to flip on the trampoline

The largest inflatable water slide

Erin was able to see a lot of life in the sea while out walking.  Somehow she captured images of stingrays and dolphins while everyone else slept in and missed the sea critters.  The best was the dolphin that was following her down the beach about 10 feet from the shore.

Shell and dolphin hunting

We were very thankful we missed all the rain and frozen roads that occurred while we were away.  We saw pictures of people skating down the sidewalks.  We were thankful our plane arrived in Minnesota safely and on time.

After such an exhausting trip, Dan and Erin agreed that we would not be taking a trip like that again for a very, very long time.  Too many lines, waiting, and tons of patience needed the whole trip.  Glad to be home.

Summer blends into Fall

I am not sure where summer or fall went this past year.  They were happy and filled with lots of great experiences so not much typing occurred.

The summer started off with a bang when we celebrated Emma's 7th birthday (a water/pool party) and purchased a pug puppy that we called Nala.  She was adorable but also ten times the amount of work that Mommy or Daddy realized.  We even thought about getting two dogs so they would have a friend.  Oh boy, would that have been a mistake.  By about the third week of waking up and running around the yard at five in the morning, Mommy had enough.  She was also having an allergic reaction to the dog on her arms.  With sad hearts we found Nala a new family where there was a dog looking for a companion.

Emma's 7th Birthday

 Girls with Nala

 Nala inspecting the flowers and trying out her harness

Mommy exhausted after all her time with Nala

Over the summer the girls participated in a variety of camps.  We tried fairy art camp, STEM camps related to slime and transportation as well as theater camp.  The girls took their first drawing lessons at the Art Academy in St. Paul and they are still continuing lessons on painting this fall.

 Ani the fairy at theater camp

 Emma the hamster in her play

STEM class on the human body (extracting DNA)

Besides camps, we spent time out on walks, biking and swimming in the lake.  We even got the canoe out a time or two to row around the lake.  We attended a special performance put on by the library to learn about how circus performers develop their skills and then we attended the circus to see the performers in action.

 Learning how they do their tricks

The motorbikes in a ball act.   It is amazing how fast they go without hitting each other.

In terms of vacations, the girls visited Madison for the 4th of July and the family went to Colorado at the end of July.  Both Emma and Analise were able to join in Mommy's organized bike trip for the third through fifth graders at her school this year.

 Swimming in White Bear Lake, Mahtomedi beach

 Central Park Rocket Slide

Grandma Jan and Grandpa Bruce's boat

Matoska elementary bike trip

There were lots of turtles to save from the roads this year

While in Colorado, we mountain biked, hiked and went white water rafting.  Emma almost fell out of the raft but a quick save was completed by Daddy.  Analise was afraid to go in the boat but ended up loving it.

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 We went panning for gold

 We love the Mountains

Brekenridge, Colorado

When we arrived back home, we were still up for adventure.  We visited Willow River State Park to visit their waterfall and went to a Saints baseball game.

Towards the end of summer, Analise lost her first tooth as we geared up for kindergarten at Wildwood.  Lots of new faces were at the bus stop this year.

Missing some teeth

 Analise, Adam and Emma

Adam, Drew, Jane, Lucy, Emma and Analise

We said goodbye to Irish dancing at the end of the summer because the girls were interested in jazz and hip hop forms of dance.  They like dancing to trendy music and enjoy using tap shoes.  We also started swimming lessons this fall.  Both girls attend semi-private lessons.  We have seen a dramatic improvement in their abilities in just eight weeks.  They will continue to take lessons this winter.

In addition to sports, both girls are in religious education classes now.  Analise loves all her new kindergarten friends in Mahtomedi and sees a few of them at religion as well.  Emma will have her first communion this spring.  We are always doing lots of projects at home.  This fall we were into puzzles, math card games, building and creating (even Daddy ended up with his nails polished).

Card Games

 Building with Keva Blocks

 Cooking a Cheesy Recipe from Cinderella's Mouse Friend Gus

 How many puzzles can you do on a rainy day?

 Building a guitar

Purple fingernail polish

Besides regular routines, we visited the Renaissance festival and have been to the apple orchard many times looking for apples and pumpkins-sometimes getting a bit lost in a corn maze or two.  We have also visited the regional parks for spooky stories by the campfire and lit trail walks at night.  A few weeks ago we attended the play, Spookily the Square Pumpkin.  The play used puppets and was mesmerizing for all that attended.

Renaissance Festival

 Church Fall Festival

 The Great Stillwater Pumpkin Drop

Daddy and Mommy took a stained glass cutting class and went to a haunted courthouse tour over MEA break.  We are currently in the process of designing a window for Bruce and Jan's new house in Madison.  Both Analise and Emma have visited new friends' houses and had the chance to spend some quality time with Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Mark.

Learning how to cut glass

Next week is Halloween.  Emma is Mal from the Disney movie Descendants and Analise is Jasmin.  We are carving pumpkins this weekend and enjoying a bit of warmer weather before the snow comes next week.  Analise wants to make her pumpkin into Belle's castle.  Emma wants to make a star in her pumpkin.  Our new neighbors, Audra, Clark, Adam and Sean will be coming over for carving activities. 

In November, we will be attending many theater performances and possibly some indoor museums.  We will be seeing Elf Jr. at Stages theater and Cinderella at the Children's Theater.  Grandma Jan and Grandpa Bruce will be coming into town for Thanksgiving weekend.

December will bring the girls dance recital, a trip to the Mill City Museum for a 1920s Christmas retelling and a Disney World trip at the end of the month.