Snowy (hilarious) Fun

When we returned from MN on Sunday, we were greeted by the perfect (okay, perfect would be if the snow was gone entirely, but this will have to do) sunny afternoon to play in the snow. While Kyle chipped away at the terribly thick layer of ice on our driveway, we thoroughly enjoyed playing in the snow!

Pardon the bumpy camera work in the following videos, but it was really really hard to video because I was laughing so hard!

As you can clearly see, we had a great time outside!  But, no, we will not be spitting snow again, anytime soon.  Hehe. 

A Minnesota Weekend

We spent the weekend down in Minnesota with "Gama & Gaps" (according to Piper) catching up, playing, and doing a whole lot of laughing!  We managed to fit in a visit with Katie & sweet baby Audrey, Oma & Opa at the mall playplace and carousel, and even Jon & Dan Lee as they brought over Nathan & Heidi's new car. Not to mention that Kyle & I snuck away for an evening to attend a wedding reception, as Grandma & Grandpa willingly took care of the girls!  It was a great weekend, and as always it was sad to see it end.  We are counting the days until we can see them again...

Are they not the cutest!?! And they've been married for more than 58 years! We should all be so lucky.  Love you guys, and thank you for setting such a great example for us. 

My Ode to Our Playroom...

Like most kids at some point during the winter, we've been sick for nearly 3 weeks now.  The first batch was the regular run of the mill cold.  And while the extra nose blowing hardly seemed to phase either of the girls, it just kind of lingered and stuck with us.  Thankfully, we were pretty much healthy as our 4th annual Superbowl party rolled around.  But just following the party, the girls got the crud.  The ucky stuck in the throat fevery crud.  And, despite my best efforts, I managed to get it too (right before our Valentine's date!).  Below is a picture of us snuggled up last Sunday trying to stay warm and get bettter. 

We are all on the mend now (Kyle is still healthy though), but have reached the stage of CABIN FEVER!!!  Having not really left the house in nearly 3 weeks, I have a renewed appreciation of our playroom...

My Ode to Our Playroom~


Oh fantastically messy Playroom, I love you so.
Who would've thought I'd love carpet with smushed in Play-Doh?


With your bright striped curtains, and your litter of toys;
Castles, dolls, and purses; definitely not a room for boys.


I left the taped hopscotch on your carpet a bit too long...
The (still present!) adhesive was apparently too strong.


Sometimes we clean you up at the end of the day.
But on most we gratefully close your door and leave you to pay. 


Piper left countless puke and drool stains on you without a care.
Thankfully, the smell has dissolved in the air!


I love you especially most in December, January, and February.
Without you, I would most certainly be crazy and in the infirmary. 


You never to seem to mind our obnoxious dancing fun,
No matter how many times we play our favorite Eric Hutchinson.


With your fingerprinted, noseprinted, licked, smudged window;
Oh fantastically messy playroom, WE love you so!

This was Hadley's attempt yesterday to do something new and different in the playroom.  She very meticulously lined all 6 windows in our playroom with board books and then preceded to line them with every 'guy' she could find.  The list included: lego guys, nativity animals, Mr. Potato Head, Candyland guys, Mary & Joseph, farm animals, etc.  When asked what they were doing, she told me that they were all having a picnic while watching outside.  You think she's got a bit of cabin fever too, if she's got every single guy in our playroom looking out the window???

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Thanks to our (really sweet) niece, Paige, we were actually able to celebrate Valentines this weekend just the two of us - Wow!  We had a lovely (and quiet) dinner out, took in a show, and even spent the night in the Twin Cities.  It is nice to be reminded now and again, how much fun it is to be with your spouse.  We even managed to snap a quick photo the next morning, as the trees were beautifully painted with frost over night. 

1.5 Years Today!

Piper, is a year and a half today! 

 

She has grown quite a lot in those 18 months! 

And has become pretty good at quite a lot of things too...

*sucking not one but both of her thumbs,
*bringing endless books to read (dinosaur/bear the best),
*eating/gobbling peas, or any food really,
*following Hadley around (hollering out "Hada"),
*doing whatever Hada commands her to do!,
*still trying to catch Benelli,
*still growing very tall (95%ile),
*growing her feet nearly as wide as they are long,
*talking up a storm (my speech therapist's heart a flutter),
*squealing when Daddy arrives home at night,
*chewing on anything she can get her hands on (my arm!),
*dancing with me in the playroom to Eric Hutchinson music,
*excitedly participating in Library storyhour with Hada,
*squishing playdoh into the carpet with her toes,
*painting her fingers instead of the paper,
*holding her own drippy popsicle,
*pooping in the tub (well, only once, but still gross!),
*counting (sans 7, and now 8),
*singing her version of the ABCs (only C,P,Q,W,Z, & me),
*SNUGGLING! 

The girl can snuggle! If you think the pea eating thing is impressive, her snuggling tops even that!  She could win medals in the sport of snuggling.  Anywhere, anytime, and with nearly anyone.  She just needs loving arms and her thumb.  Then again, she even attempts to snuggle animals found in books!  I'd like to believe that her favorite place to snuggle is on my shoulder, but I'm sure there are a few Grandmas and Aunties out there (and maybe even Benelli) who believe they've got the coveted spot. 

We love you, Piper, and cannot imagine our life without your sweet crinkly squinty smile, squealing laugh, twinkling bright blue eyes, curly haphazard blond locks, and every one of your snuggles.  Before you were born, I wondered how on earth I would ever love another as I loved your big sister.  But the very moment your tiny body was placed into my arms, my heart did not split as thought it had to do, but grew instead to at least twice its size.  Another one of God's amazing miracles.   

This picture gets me every time - it is on they day they met, and it could not be any sweeter.  Lucky am I.

The Bobcat is in the...

...House! More specifically, in my (our) bedroom!!! For the love, you don't say. As I drift off to sleep every night, I now 'get to' feel the presence of a large (trophy size, according to the taxidermist!) bobcat peering down on me (my side of the bed and everything). Right next to the turkey in full strut, mind you. Why in the bedroom and not in the basement (or better yet the garage)? Thanks to a very curious (alive) feline in our house, we have to keep these precious (dead) animals high enough that they are not attacked and Kyle's dresser is about the tallest thing in the house, next to him that is. The bobcat is certainly in good company at our house, as it joins the ranks of a black bear (in Hadley's room, her choice), a caribou in velvet, a buck, and of course its new bedroom companion the turkey.

It was a very special morning for Hadley, as she and Kyle have been anticpating this bobcat event for a whole year now (Kyle shot it last winter). They drove an hour each way to carefully retrieve it from the taxidermist, and according to Kyle it was quite the drive home with the two of them in the backseat (Hadley, and the bobcat that is). Here is a little clip that Kyle actually took while they were driving (real safe, hon). Hadley is asking the bobcat if he likes his food, and then about how its attached to his paw (I almost forgot... there are actually 3 animals in my bedroom now - apparently three is the charm - the bobcat is leaping up to grab a partridge, aka the food she's talking about).

Here's my question to you, just how many pair of shoes do you think that bobcat is worth? 

Dance Competition

We had the pleasure of joining a large crew of Andersons (15 of us total) right here in town this weekend to cheer on our niece, Brooke, at her dance competition!  This was actually our fifth year in attendance, as the previous four we've been watching Brooke's older sister, Paige.  And just as Paige always did, we were completely wowed by Brooke and the rest of her team! They had a ton of energy and were really fun to watch.  Hadley was bouncing in her seat to the music, and Piper sat completely wide eyed and amazed, hardly even blinking.  The girls can been seen below with Brooke all dolled up from the competition (I could not get Piper to look at the camera as she was SO enamored with Brooke!).

With Sydney after the competition.

While Brooke and her family stayed to cheer on the rest of the competitors, we had the rest of the crew over for chili and games.  Hadley told me later that night after everyone left, "Grandma A was a really good Hi Ho Cherrieo player!"

The girls could have listened to Syndey read ALL day long!

While most everyone else headed back over to the school for awards, the girls were tickled to find Grandpa A still here after their naps.  It think he was tickled too :).

We had a lovely dinner out together at Draganetti's, and then the Anderson crew headed back up North.  We'll cross our fingers that the competition will come back to our neck of the woods next year, and in the meantime, I think Hadley will be practicing her moves.

Always buddies!

Beloved Paige!