When It's All Said And Done

After all the fun and excitement of experiencing a big city, my kids usually end up doing what they love to do most of all. That is play in the dirt, make mud pies and be outside. This has been a great experience for our family. It has helped us know exactly what is most imortant to us, how we want to raise our family, and where we want to be. It has brought us all closer together and we've learned to appreciate each other more. Daniel and I have been apart more, the kids together in close quarters so they've learned to play together better. All I know is that I love my family and we can't wait to get home to "the ranch". Wherever and whatever ranch that might be we don't know right now. We've got some things in the work, but you never know.

They kinda dug up the grass to find more dirt!

A Fun Final Week

The Zoo had a beautiful butterfly exibit that we'd never seen the 5 previous times we'd been there. It was really neat. On Sunday Cailin helped her class do sharing time and they talked about how being reverent is like catching a butterfly. So seeing so many different butterflies up close really helped that sink in for her.

A baby giraffe, it only stood 8 feet tall! Cailin's favorite zoo animal was the tiger.

Colten's favortite zoo animals were the giraffes.

We found baby frogs out our front door.

Cailin lost her first tooth!

The kids had a blast on the rides at the zoo. It started raining, but we waited it out which cleared out a lot of people. after that we didn't have to wait in line. Cailin and Colten both started to get sick on the tea cup ride and had to get off early! Kiley was a good sport and watched them have all the fun.
This was their favorite ride- the frog hopper. It jumped up and down unexpectedly.

Our Final Week In Minnesota

Well this is our last week here in a big city. I am SO glad to be going home. Although I don't leave until Saturday, just the thought will help me get through one more week alone. APX has been selling in Fargo and they've been staying in hotels during the week. Today we went to the Library and ran some errands. Tomorrow we may get our hair cut and go swimming. One day for the beach and park, one day for the rides at the zoo, one day for packing, I can do this!

A Surprise For Me!

Daniel went out early one day last week and got a sale so he could surprise me and take the rest of the day off. He took me to a huge water park while Brooke watched the kids. Then we went out to eat at the Olive garden. It was so nice to spend some fun time with Daniel.

Packtrip In The Park

With Daniel gone for the week we are trying to fill up our time. (This city stufff is really getting old.) So after visiting a children's museum yesterday and the library on Monday we decided to heck with the city and we were gonna ride our horses down Central Park! We packed a lunch and spent a good part of the day riding. So sit back and relax while you take a tour on the back of a stick horse.(Or a mom who carried everything including the horses on the way home.) I am like Racheal Ray in the kitchen, except with my kids and all our stuff when we go somewhere. I don't want to make two trips so I carry it all at once!

Sparklers

Our 4th of July

Cailin and Colten both tried the rock wall. Cailin almost made it to the top but she looked down and forgot she had the harness on . She got scared and came down

APX gives incentives if you work holidays so the kids and I were left to determine what festivities to do for the 4th of July. We decided to go down to Central Park and have some fun at a small carnival.

Pictures Of What What We've Been Doing Lately

This little pond is out our front door. Occasionally we'll go feed the geese that show up.

Daniel wants to take me to a major leage baseball game. This is the Twins stadium.

Minneapolis and the metrodome from a distance.

A Father's day picnic in Wisconsin on the something River ... I can't remember.

I splurged on Daniel and got him an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen!

They had a parade here, I don't even know what for, but it was kinda like the Fourth of July. They had tons of marching bands, and not much else, Colten did spot something he liked and Cailin liked the "princesses" because of their crowns, but I don't have a picture of them.

A swing ride at the zoo. Brooke came with us and bought the kids tickets and went on the ride with them. I told them on our last day here we will go to the zoo and ride all the rides, buy cotton candy and play games for toys- it's like their reward for the summer.